Revelation and Ezekiel: A Study

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Okay folks, let’s work through the rest of chapter 16 and we’ll begin by reading through our verses for today beginning at verse 12.

Revelation 16: 19-21

19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

The Division of the Great City

There’s some chunks here that appear very difficult on the surface to explain – like all the mountains fleeing away – so let’s get into it.

19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

So the city was divided up. In Ezekiel 5:1-12, we read an interesting story.

Reference to Ezekiel

God says to Ezekiel beginning at verse 1:

1 And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
2 Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.
3 Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts.
4 Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.
5 Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.
6 And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them.
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you;
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.
9 And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations.
10 Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.
11 Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD; Surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity.
12 A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.
13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the LORD have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my

The Division of Jerusalem

Taking this into account to understand our text in Revelation we can see that what God has Ezekiel do related directly to Jerusalem – no question about it as we read in Ezekiel 5:5 “This is Jerusalem.” And what did Ezekiel do with his hair? One third was burned, one third was chopped up by the sword, and the last third was scattered into the wind. Now, this happened in 586 B.C. (some were burned inside the city, some were slain by swords by the Babylonians, and the remaining were scattered among the nations). But here’s the thing – the city was again divided like this in 70 A.D.

Josephus and also the early church writer Eusebius tell us that at least 1.1 million Jews were killed in the burning of the Second Temple and Jerusalem, some due to the fire, and some due to the sword. Just as in 586 BC, those who survived were sold into slavery which meant all above the age of seventeen were sent in chains into Egypt, to be employed there as slaves, or distributed throughout the empire to be sacrificed as gladiators in the amphitheaters; and those who were under this age, were sold to private owners.

In 1931 author Philip Carrington made note of another means of fulfillment for this vision, saying: “This refers to the division of the city into three factions, which became acute after the return of Titus. While Titus was besieging it from without, the three leaders of rival factions were fighting fiercely within: but for this the city might have staved off defeat for a long time, even perhaps indefinitely, for no great army could support itself for that long in those days in the neighborhood of Jerusalem; there was no water and no supplies. But the fighting within the city delivered it quickly into the hands of Titus.”

Internal and External Struggles

I would also note that so it is with the Body today. We certainly have a battle with the world which can be resisted but it is the internal, the infighting, that rips and continually rips us apart. The three factions in Jerusalem were led by [1] Eleazar, who was over the Zealots [2] John of Gischala, who was over the Galileans, and [3] Simon, who was over the Idumeans. They were in power until the city was destroyed. And as we have stated in the past, the presence of these factions made conditions awful.

In one night 8500 people were killed, and their bodies were cast outside of Jerusalem without being buried. The outer temple was “overflowing with blood” (says Josephus) and the inner court even had large pools of blood in it. Homes and gravesites were looted.

Fulfillment in Revelation

So we have two ways to show fulfillment of verse 19 in Jerusalem in that day: First, the literal division of 1.1 million people in that day – some dead by fire, some dead by sword, and the rest cast out by the wind. And the second division of the city could refer to the three separate groups within the city warring with each other until the end. (Verse 20)

20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

Now, we read a passage similar to this back in Revelation chapter 6 where it says:

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

And we said that the plain meaning of this passage was that there would be changes as if such an event would happen (as it seems to be happening here in chapter 16 with the pouring out of the vials upon the land) that it is symbolic of revolutions taking place among the “high places of the earth,” and among those in power in kingdoms – in other words, convulsions in the political or even the moral world, as great as would occur in the physical world if the very mountains were removed, and the islands should change their places.

We are not to suppose that this would literally occur, which is the tendency to see here, but that mountains and islands are representational of kingdoms and countries in upheaval. When Jesus tells His apostles that if they had the faith of a mustard seed they could tell a mountain to move to the sea I would suggest that this is a similar meaning – not literal but to a Jew mountains are seen as empires, kingdoms.

Interpretation of Apocalyptic Imagery

A long established throne or dynasty to be cast down it would be akin to moving the Wasatch mountains to the Great Salt Lake – this is the meaning. In chapter six this interpretation is supported by the passage that follows. So in verse 14 we read:

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

And then we read:

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

This tie between mountains and islands moving and then in the next verse our reading about the actions of the Kings of the Earth tells me this is what is meant – both in chapter 6 and then here in chapter 16.

Historical and Literal Connections

21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Now, we have already talked about the meaning of this passage other than the literalist view that says hail of this size is a coming to fall upon the earth. Josephus gave us some great insight into the “hailstones, weighting about one hundred pounds” when he described the large stones being shot from catapults by the Roman armies, which the watchmen in the city reported as appearing white in the sky. We also read the following:

The 10th Legion of the Romans launched white boulders as heavy as 100 pounds over the city walls into Jerusalem. They were cast by catapults from Roman engines from a distance of up to two furlongs (a quarter mile) away. Josephus records that the watchmen on the wall, if they saw them coming, would shout, “The Son cometh!” (That’s in his “Wars 5.6.3). Why on earth would they shout that? I’ll tell you in a minute.

But after a while the Romans learned to blacken the stones so that they couldn’t as easily be detected, and thus many were crushed by these stones. Obviously, when these stones started falling on Jerusalem the end was winding up, which is what the bowl judgments represent.

The Significance of Parousia

In 1878, J. Stuart Russell, in his book titled The ParousiaGreek for “presence”—refers to Christ’s fulfilled return in 70 A.D., not a future event., offers this explanation for the words of the watchmen (p. 482):

“It could not but be well known to the Jews that the great hope and faith of the Christians was the speedy coming of the Son. It was about this very time, according to Hegesippus [110-180 AD], that St. James, the brother of our Lord, publicly testified in the temple that ‘the Son of man was about to come in the clouds of heaven,’ and then sealed his testimony with his blood [this was in 62 AD].

It seems highly probable that the Jews, in their defiant and desperate blasphemy, when they saw the white mass hurtling through the air, raised the ribald cry, ‘The Son is coming,’ in mockery of the Christian hope of his Parousia.”

Now, before we move on into chapter 17 I think we need to ask ourselves a question – “Was FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS familiar with the Apocalypse of John?

Some people have made some amazing comparisons between John’s Revelation and the words of Josephus – which I think we must take into account – especially since the three come from Revelation 16, the chapter we are about to leave. They are as follows:

John wrote:

1. “And there were noises and thundering and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.” (16:18)

And Josephus wrote

“for there broke out a prodigious storm in the night, with the utmost violence, and very strong winds, with the largest showers of rain, continued lightnings, terrible thunderings, and amazing concussions and bellowings of the earth, that was in an earthquake. These things were a manifest indication that some destruction was coming upon men, when the system of the world was put into this disorder; and anyone would guess that these wonders foreshowed some grand calamities that were coming” (“Wars of the Jews” 4:4:5)

2. John’s Revelation – “Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine…

Exploring Parallels in Prophecy and Historical Accounts

Revelation 16:19 speaks of the wrath being poured out with fierce intensity. Josephus conveys a similar scene in his description of the factions within Jerusalem, which he perceives as an act of justice: “it so happened that the sedition at Jerusalem was revived, and parted into three factions, and that one faction fought against the other; which partition in such evil cases may be said to be a good thing, and the effect of divine justice.” (5:1:1)

John's Revelation further describes a scene in 16:21, “And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent.” Josephus mirrors this image, “Now the stones that were cast were of the weight of a talent, and were carried two furlongs and further. The blow they gave was no way to be sustained, not only by those that stood first in the way, but by those that were beyond them for a great space. As for the Jews, they at first watched the coming of the stone, for it was of a white color, and could therefore not only be perceived by the great noise it made, but could be seen also before it came by its brightness;” (5:6:3)

Are these historical parallels mere coincidences, or do they represent prophecy followed by fulfillment as seen in John's vision and Josephus's subsequent account? One might argue that Josephus was either unknowingly influenced by John's Revelation or simply recorded the fulfillment of a prophecy.

Revelation 17: The Vision of the Great Whore

Revelation 17:1 presents a new vision as one of the seven angels engages with John, inviting him to witness the judgment of “the great whore that sitteth upon many waters” with whom earthly kings committed fornication, causing inhabitants to be drunken with her wine (verses 1-2). John is carried in the spirit into the wilderness and beholds a woman on a scarlet beast, adorned in grandeur yet holding a cup of abominations (verses 3-4).

Upon her forehead is inscribed a name, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” The woman is drunken with the blood of saints and martyrs, causing John to marvel (verses 5-6). The angel promises to reveal the mystery of the woman and beast, describing the beast that “was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit” and its eventual destruction (verses 7-8).

The Symbolism of the Beast

The angel interprets the imagery: the seven heads as seven mountains, on which the woman sits. They also represent seven kings, with five fallen, one present, and another yet to come (verses 9-10). The beast itself is the eighth, belonging to the seven, destined for perdition (verse 11). The ten horns are ten kings without kingdoms yet, fated to receive authority briefly alongside the beast (verse 12).

These kings unite in one purpose, pooling their power for the beast. They will war with the Lamb, but the victorious Lamb is the Lord of lords and King of kings, with the faithful beside Him (verses 13-14). The angel clarifies, the waters signify peoples and nations, and the ten horns, in turn, despise the whore, leading to her desolation (verses 15-16).

Fulfillment of Divine Intent

Completing this sequence, God instills His will within the hearts of these kings to agree to the beast’s rule until divine words are fulfilled. The narrative closes with the image of the woman, embodying the great city reigning over earthly kings (verses 17-18).

Book of Revelation Structure

sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

"REVELATION BEGINS"
Chapter 1 – Prologue
Chapters 2-3 – The Seven Churches
Chapter 4 – Heaven
Chapter 5 – The Large Scroll
Chapter 6 – The First Six Seals
"PARENTHESIS I – THE RESCUE HIGHLIGHTED"
Chapter 7 – Deliverance
"THE DAY OF THE LORD"
Chapter 8 – Seventh Seal Events [Trumpet Judgments 1-4]
Chapter 9 – Completion of 70th Week [Trumpet Judgments 5-6]
"POST 70TH WEEK EVENTS"
Chapter 10 – The Little Scroll
Chapter 11 – Trumpet Judgment 7

Cosmic Conflict

"PARENTHESIS II – COSMIC CONFLICT HIGHLIGHTED"
Chapter 12 – The Beginning
Chapter 13 – The Beginning of the End
Chapter 14 – The End of the Beginning
A. Deliverance of the elect
B. Decree to the wicked
C. Destruction of the wicked

"THE DESTRUCTION OF ANTICHRIST – FINAL WRATH OF GOD"
Chapter 15 – Prelude to Bowl Judgments
Chapter 16 – Bowl Judgments 1-7
"PARENTHESIS III – DESTRUCTION HIGHLIGHTED"
Chapter 17 – The Great Harlot
Chapter 18 – The Great City
Chapter 19 – The Great Army

The Millennial Reign

"THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST"
Chapter 20: 1-6 – The Beginning of the MillenniumA symbolic period of Christ’s reign—fulfilled by 70 A.D., not a future thousand-year timeline. More
Chapter 20:7-15 – The End of the Millennium

The Conclusion

"THE CONCLUSION"
Chapter 21 – New Heavens, New earth, New Jerusalem
Chapter 22 – Epilogue

Okay, the key to the structure of the book of RevelationA symbolic prophecy fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a prediction of future global events. can be seen from the seventh chapter of Daniel and Matthew 24. There we see conceptual, thematic, linguistic and theological parallels. Let’s discuss them briefly beginning with the Structure of Daniel chapter seven.

The seventh chapter of Daniel introduces the second major section of the book of Daniel. The first six chapters are primarily historical and chronological in nature. The remaining six chapters are prophetic in nature. Therefore, chapter seven is a pivotal chapter since it is the first prophetic chapter. It serves to introduce the prophetic content of chapters 8-12.

Chapter 7 begins with a vision concerning four beasts. Daniel 7:1 reports,

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it.

The NASB’s translation includes the statement, "he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it." Since Daniel gives us a summary, this leaves room for more details to be added later, which is done in both Matthew 24 and Revelation 4-21.

Then Chapter 7:2-14 continues, where Daniel says:

“I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’

After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts.

I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened. Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. As for

End Time Sequence in Daniel

the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”

Contained in this rather long quote is an outline of the end time sequence that becomes the framework for both Matthew 24 and Revelation chapters 4-21. By way of summary, Daniel indicates four beasts will arise out of the sea. The fourth beast will eventuate into ten horns. When the ten horns rule another horn will arise and destroy three of the ten original horns. After sometime, thrones will be set up. The Ancient of Days will take his seat. The court will be seated. The books will be opened. The boastful beast will be destroyed and the authority of his helpers will be suspended. One like a Son of Man will then receive dominion, glory and a kingdom.

Understanding the Fourth Beast

The reader must not miss the important fact that Daniel first gives a general overview of the events of the end time. This general overview is then followed by a specific look at the fourth beast and his unparalleled persecution of the saints, which will terminate with his destruction. Notice what Daniel 7:15-28 says:

“As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’ Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three of them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts, and which was larger in appearance than its associates. I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him. At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.

Daniel's Vision and Its Implications

The rest of the Daniel 7 is concerned with an explanation of the fourth beast, his persecution of the saints and the eventual kingdom the saints will receive after the beast is destroyed. A discernable pattern can be argued from the seventh chapter.

Analyzing the End Times in Daniel and Matthew

In the Book of Daniel, we receive a general overview of the end times, followed by a detailed look at the unparalleled persecution of the saints. Here, the destruction of the beast is promised, and the chapter ends with the promise that the saints will receive a kingdom ruled by the Highest One.

This exact pattern is also developed in Matthew 24:4-31. A general overview is given first. Matthew 24:4-14 states, "And Jesus answered and said to them, 'See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you to tribulationA real historical event fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a future apocalyptic crisis. More, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. And at that time many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come."

Matthew 24:4-14's Overview

We can see that Matthew 24:4-14 is a general overview of the end times from the following: First, the disciples’ initial questions set the agenda. Matthew 24:3 states that the disciples asked, "when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the ageThe close of the old covenant era, fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not the end of the world.?" It is very important that the reader recognizes that two questions are asked and the second question has two parts. The first question concerns the destruction of Jerusalem. The second two-part question concerns the Lord’s return and the end of the age. Equally important is the recognition that the Lord answers the questions in reverse order. In other words, the Lord answers the question, "what will be the sign of the end of the age," first. The appearance of the term end in Matthew 24:6, 13, and 14 proves this point conclusively.

The Lord’s use of the birth sequence underscores his emphasis in Matthew 24:4-14 on the end of the age. Matthew 24:4-8 emphasizes the beginning birth pangs. This supports our conclusion that the Lord is not giving an overview of the entire time from his departure to His Second ComingChrist’s return, fulfilled in 70 A.D., ending the old covenant—not the world., but rather the final years that immediately precede his return. "Beginning birth pangs" are associated with the birth of the baby and not the nine months of pregnancy. Matthew 24:9-14 focuses on the hard labor that follows the beginning birth pangs. The Greek term thlipsis (tribulation) is used to describe the suffering of a woman about to give birth (John 16:21). As with a baby, the "one who endures to the end (of the age), it is he who shall be saved (delivered)."

Gospel of the Kingdom

The final factor that supports the conclusion that Matthew 24:4-14 covers the entire end-time sequences concerns the phrase, "this gospel of the kingdom." The phrase “the gospel of the Kingdom” has been incorrectly interpreted to refer to the gospel of Christ (meaning, “the deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ” outlined by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11). But remember, the Lord did not begin proclaiming the good news of His death, burial and resurrection until two plus years of ministry (Matt 16:21-23) had passed. In contrast, Matthew reports that the Lord began preaching the "gospel of the kingdom of God" in the very early days of His earthly ministry (Matthew 4:23).

The gospel of the kingdom concerns God’s physical reign on earth and His removal of the wicked, which was initiated by the Lord’s ministry on earth (Mark 1:15, Luke 8:21, Luke 11:20). According to Revelation 14:6-7, the worldwide proclamation of this message signals the end of the age.

The general overview of the end times (Matthew 24:4-14) is followed by a focus on the persecution of the saints in Matthew 24:15-24, which says: "Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was…"

Overview of Matthew 24:15-24 and its Parallels in Daniel

Spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

Matthew 24:15-24 covers the same period as Matthew 24:9-14, which is a very important point to remember because this same pattern occurs in the seventh chapter of Daniel. First the general overview and then comes the specific focus on the persecution. What is called tribulation in Matthew 24:9 is described as a great tribulation in Matthew 24:21. However, Matthew 24:15-24 focuses more on the unparalleled persecution the saints will face during this time.

The third aspect of the end time sequence concerns the destruction of the beast. The Lord Jesus indicates that the days of tribulation will be cut short (Matthew 24:22). He does not elaborate on this point, but a shortened tribulation means the end of the beast’s opportunity to persecute.

The Return of Christ

The final portion of Matthew 24:4-31 i.e. verses 25-31, deal with the return of Christ, which answers the question, "what will be the sign of Your coming," asked by the disciples. Notice He says,

Behold, I have told you in advance. If therefore they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go forth, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east, and flashes even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

As with Daniel 7, these final verses promise the saints deliverance. Specifically, the Lord returned and gathered His Saints together to set up God’s kingdom on earth. The dependency of the Lord on Daniel’s material is evident (Matt 24:15).

Structure of the Revelation

Finally, let’s look now to the Structure of the Revelation. The prophetic outline of the end times that flows through Daniel 7 and is utilized by the Lord in the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24:4-31 also occurs in the book of Revelation. Scholars are generally agreed that Revelation 1:19 offers a temporal outline of the book of Revelation. John indicates that he received instructions from the Lord to "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things."

This framework offers the following structural depiction of the book. The first chapter of Revelation is "the things you have seen." Revelation two and three cover "the things which are"; and Revelation four through twenty-one are "the things which shall take place after these things." Chapters 4-11 give the general overview of the end times. Revelation 12-13 gives the specific focus on the persecution of the saints. Chapters 14-21 detail the destruction of the beast, the coming of Christ and the kingdom that follows. As with Matthew 24:4-31, the book of Revelation fills in many details left out of Daniel’s seventh chapter.

Main Topic: Upcoming Study on Chapter 17

summary, but the basic structure is the same.

Okay, so we are going to end here and get into our text of chapter 17 next week.

Questions / Answers

PRAYER