Matthew 24/25

Did Jesus have Attention Deficit Disorder?

Of course not, He was the spotless Lamb of God - but Matthew 24 and 25 seem like such a jumble!  This passage is so rich in detail regarding the end times but it is so hard to make sense out of it.  What verses does one apply to which events - and where is the sequence, if any?

After reading it for 35 years I think I may have found an answer!

The added paragraph and chapter breaks are just confusing us.  I see four time sequences followed by some parables that have nothing to do with any time line.

Here is just an outline separated with my own paragraphs:

At the bottom is the full passage with my outline headers inserted.

So why didn't He make it one continous time line?  My hypothesis is that Matthew did not attempt to record everything in a chronology as Luke did.  While all accurate to Jesus' words, he may have combined related teachings from different events into one.

But wait - there's more!

This possibly solves another mystery - that of the parable of the 10 virgins.  Remember, there were originally no chapter breaks.  Ignore the break between chapters 24 and 25.

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Matthew 25:1

The first word is 'Then' which is Tote in Greek, meaning 'then, at that time.'  When?

I propose that the parable of the 10 virgins is in the Tribulation after the Rapture.  Why?  Because it follows directly after descriptions of the Rapture with a 'Then'.

There is an apparent end to this time line starting at 25:14.  He started that sentence differently with 'For' and the subjects of the following parables changes, away from time or sequence - which means there is now no time or sequence involved.

Why did He start the next sentence, the parable of the 10 virgins, with Tote if He didn't intend on keeping the time line running?

In the real world, the bride of Christ is a whole lot of people - but this is a parable, and the bride would have been represented by one girl.  But here we have many girls, bridesmaids, waiting to attend the wedding as is traditionally done.  Read Veiled in the Jewish wedding if you skipped it.

Also, the Hebrew Matthew and the Peshitta Aramaic Matthew both specifically states that the ten virgins 'went out to meet the bridegroom and a bride'!

Could we have all been looking at this parable thinking it is about the bride of Christ, when it really is referring to the people of Israel?

Following this idea, it means that half of the people had wisdom and had come to the recognition that Jesus (Yahshua in Hebrew) was their Messiah, and knew Him - and the other half had to go find (buy) their knowledge.  When they finally figured out who Yahshua was, the door to their miraculous protection for the last 3.5 years was closed.  He didn't know them!  During the first 3.5 years the wise virgins would have gotten their oil from the 144,000 witnesses and the 2 witnesses - or from the Gospels:

Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation...
Matthew 24:15-21a

Who are 'those in Judea'?  Hmmm... let me think.  And why would the Gentile church need to pray that their flight may not be on the Sabbath?  Only the Jews would care!

I think this passage is God's call to Israel to go to the mountains where God will miraculously protect them.  Apparently there must be an act of faith by physically leaving in order to receive the protection!  How I don't know.  I have read that they may have the same protection while travelling as when they left Egypt, a cloud covering.  They may receive further instructions from the two witnesses and will have to be watching for that day.

Here is the same event in Revelation.

Now when the dragon [Satan] saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman [Israel] who gave birth to the male Child [Yahshua].  But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time [3.5 years], from the presence of the serpent.
Revelation 12:13-14

Anyway, that's how I see it!  Maybe I'll change my mind tomorrow.   ;)

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Matthew 24/25 - with my breaks and headers:

From the 1st century until the Tribulation (24:4-6)

"Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

The beginning of the Tribulation (24:7-8)

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Continuing the Tribulation until Yahshua comes (24:9-14)

"Then they will deliver you [tribulational believers] up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Backing up 3.5 years to the start of the Great Tribulation (24:15-21)

"Therefore when you [the Jews] see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Talking of the end when Yahshua comes (24:22)

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.

Continuing the Great Tribulation (24:23-26)

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  "Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.

Final tribulational wrath on Yom Teruah / Feast of Trumpets (24:27)

For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

After final the final wrath (24:28-29)

For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Yahshua returns (24:30-31)

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Backing up to 1967 (24:32-33)

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near - at the doors!

1967 to 2024 (24:34)

Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

Eternity (24:35-36)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

Backing up to today and reflecting on Noah's time (24:37-39)

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

The Rapture (in 2017?) (24:40-44)

Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

The Rapture again but the evil servant wasn't watching so didn't know which day (24:45-49)

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,

The evil servant is left in the Tribulation with the pretenders (24:50)

and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

After the Rapture, the parable of the 10 virgins (25:1-12)

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten [Israeli] virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

Continuing outside of any time line (25:13)

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