Whenever You Are, You Are in His Will (Matthew 24:1-31).

Class Outline:

Sunday November 16, 2025

 

The Lord lovingly cares for His own and gives them peace, not by telling them everything that will happen (as some would prefer) but by promising them that wherever they are or whenever they are - they are in His will. 

 

Read MAT 24:1-31

 

Shocking statement - temple destroyed.

 

No matter how ingenious, man’s building will never last. Only God’s building is eternal and worth dwelling in and adorning. 

 

God’s buildings cannot be undone by man, but man’s can. Do not build other than what God builds.

 

PSA 127:1

Unless the Lord builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the Lord guards the city,

The watchman keeps awake in vain. 

 

The questions of the disciples.

 

Question 1: What is the sign of the coming temple destruction? Not answered in Matthew (LUK 21:20-24).

 

Matthew is more concerned with the coming kingdom and King, which is a major theme in his Gospel.

 

Question 3: What is the sign of the end of the age? 

 

Answer: He first gives general signs that exist in our age, indeed in all ages, and then specific signs that are specific enough to warn people to flee Jerusalem.

 

MAT 24:4-8

 

Wars have increased, nation has risen against nation (scaling up the volume of war, and the body count), famines continue after food production has grown exponentially (result of war), earthquakes have increased significantly.

 

Birth pangs: might be minutes or days.

When the child is born, you’ll forget about time.

 

In our search for trends or to know the future, we can overlook the spirit of the Lord’s teaching.

 

“See to it that no one misleads you.”

“See to it that you are not frightened.”

 

MAT 7:15

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

 

Are we sure that we are able to pick out those who would mislead us?

 

PSA 36:5-7

Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens,

Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;

Your judgments are like a great deep.

O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

 

PSA 91:3-5

For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper

And from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with His pinions,

And under His wings you may seek refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night,

Or of the arrow that flies by day;

 

2TI 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

 

Let us be careful not to miss the spirit of the Lord’s teaching in favor of our excitement to know the details of the future, not that it’s a bad thing to want to know the future.

 

Continuing answer: General.

 

MAT 24:9-14

“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

 

 

When we look at vv. 4-14 and read Rev 6 we see striking parallels. Rev 6 begins the seven year Tribulation.  

 

MAT 24:4-14                            Rev 6

 

Rise of false messiahs             Rise of antichrist (1-2)

Wars and rumors of wars        Peace taken from the earth (3-4)

Famines and quakes                Famine (5-6). 

No parallel                              Death of one quarter of the population (7-8)

Persecution / martyrdom        Martyrdom (9-11)

 

Walvoord: The Rapture Question

“A careful study of Mat 24-25 will reveal that the subject matter is the end of the age, and the age in view is the same as that of Mat 13, namely, the whole period between the first and second advents of Christ.”

 

“The one who endures to the end” would have to mean the believers who survive the tribulation. They will be saved, i.e. delivered from the horrors of that age. In this case ‘saved’ does not mean from their sins, but from the carcass that has become the world.

 

If a believer dies during the Tribulation, they are saved in heaven.

 

Question 2: Specifics (Abomination of Desolation). 

 

Great Tribulation: 3.5 years. 

 

To be continued …

 

Summary: 

 

The disciples have burning questions but their peace is not in knowing all the details.

 

The Lord lovingly cares for His own and gives them peace by promising them that wherever they are or whenever they are - they are in His will. 

 

The Lord is my Shepherd …

 

Our age: be ready. Don’t freak out or predict or give up the normal Christian living because you believe the end is near. The Rapture is imminent.