If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Let’s pray together before beginning this lesson:

Our Heavenly Father, It is a privilege to probe once again Your Holy Word. After having studied the book of Daniel, we now move on to the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 24. We humbly ask You to reveal to us what these verses have to teach us, so that we may be better prepared for the events which are soon coming. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:15	Comments
[Jesus said,] «When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoever reads, let him understand.»	The 24th chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew constitutes the link between the two main prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation. It is indeed in this chapter that Jesus Himself invites us to study the book of Daniel, as we have seen in our last lesson. This chapter also inspired the structure of the book of Revelation, as we will see in this lesson.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:1,2	Comments
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His disciples came to Him for to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, «See you not all these things? Truly I say to you, there shall not be left here one stone on another, that shall not be thrown down.»	Thus begins chapter 24 of the Gospel according to Matthew. The essentials of this chapter can also be found in the Gospel according to Mark (chapter 13) and Luke (chapter 21). The text opens with the announcement of the destruction of Jerusalem’s temple.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:3	Comments
And as [Jesus] sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, «Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world?»	In the eyes of Jesus’ disciples, the temple of Jerusalem was so impressive that the announcement of its complete destruction could only mean the end of the world... To answer their question, Jesus gave them a sermon whose structure inspired the author of the book of Revelation, as the following table demonstrates.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:3	Comments
Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world?	Let’s illustrate this outline with some verses, beginning with the introduction of Matthew chapter 24 and the book of Revelation. These two texts pursue the same goal: to reveal what the future has in store for us.
Revelation 1:1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him, to show to His servants things which must shortly come to pass.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:6	Comments
And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.	Then the two texts move on with a section about the signs of the times, foretelling a time of trouble marked by wars.
Revelation 6:4
And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given to him a great sword.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:7	Comments
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.	Let’s note the close parallel between Matthew chapter 24 and the book of Revelation: both foretell great disasters, famines, wars, sowing death in their wake.
Revelation 6:8
And power was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:9	Comments
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake.	Next, the two texts predict difficult times for the believers themselves, persecuted and put to death for having followed Jesus.
Revelation 6:9
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:21	Comments
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.	The two texts also foretell that the situation will become critical, as everyone will have to choose: following God or the powers of evil.
Revelation 13:15
[The second beast] had power to give life to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:24	Comments
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.	And to complicate the situation, convincing miracles will give people the impression of following God, when in fact they will be following Satan.
Revelation 13:13
[The second beast] does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:24	Comments
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.	The two texts confirm that apostasy will be generalized, world-wide.
Revelation 13:14
And [the second beast] deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:29	Comments
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.	And finally, the last section of both texts presents the return of Jesus, preceded by celestial phenomena like the darkening of heavenly bodies.
Revelation 16:10
And the fifth angel poured out his vial on the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:30	Comments
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.	Both texts immediately move on with the return of Jesus, an event which is described as glorious and universally visible.
Revelation 19:11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He does judge and make war.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:30	Comments
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.	According to both texts, Jesus’ return will not delight everybody...
Revelation 18:9
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with [Babylon], shall mourn her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:31	Comments
And [the Son of Man] shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.	Still according to Matthew 24 and Revelation, Jesus will not come alone, but accompanied by His heavenly armies made up of millions of angels.
Revelation 19:14
And the armies which were in heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:31	Comments
And [the Son of Man] shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.	Then the resurrection and gathering of Jesus’ people will take place.
Revelation 20:4
And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God. (...) They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:46	Comments
Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He comes shall find so doing.	Finally, Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation conclude with a personal appeal to follow God and serve Him with loyalty, faithfulness and perseverance, keeping in our hearts the teachings of the Word of God.
Revelation 22:7
Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:46,47	Comments
Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He comes shall find so doing. Truly I say to you, that He shall make him ruler over all His goods.	Likewise, both texts confirm that our choices, deeds, words and thoughts, will determine the nature of the reward Jesus will grant us when He returns.
Revelation 22:12
And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:33	Comments
So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.	The main purpose of Matthew chapter 24, like the other prophetic books of the Bible, is to help us to properly prepare ourselves for the great day of the return of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:44
Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Matthew 24:25	Comments
Behold, I have told you before.	Will Jesus’ prophetic words find fertile soil in our heart, or will we choose to neglect His words until it is too late? The decision is up to each one of us. But for all those who choose to follow God, we sincerely hope that this Bible prophecy study guide will be very useful.

	If I Were Told the Future	Lesson 6
	Matthew, Chapter 24
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Let’s thank God for His assistance:

Lord, As our study of the organization of Bible prophecies progresses, we note the close links between each one of them, uniting them like the pieces of a puzzle which will soon show us a clear portrait of what the future is made of. We thank You, Father, for if we better and better understand the prophetic word, it is because You are willing to enlighten us by the presence of Your Holy Spirit. Please continue to guide us, as we will soon tackle the book of Revelation. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

 The test of Lesson 6 is waiting for you!

Source of the Pictures of this Lesson

Screen 1: Picture collection «ClickArt 65,000» by Broderbund, CD #4, NATOT336.JPG. Screen 2: STEEL, John. In: «God Cares, volume 2» (MAXWELL, C. Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1985, p.12. Screen 3: HEASLIP, William. In: «The Bible Story, volume 7» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.135. Used by permission. Copyright ©1956, 1984 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 4: In: «The Watchtower» magazine (March 15, 1990), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.9. Screen 5: In: «The Watchtower» magazine (February 1, 1988), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.7. Table of Screen 5: STEEL, John. In: «God Cares, volume 1» (MAXWELL, C. Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1981, p.232. Screen 6: HARLAN, Russell. In: «Votre Bible et Vous» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.286. Used by permission. Copyright ©1959, 1987 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 7: «Soldiers in Korean war.» In: «Deluxe Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia CD - 1998 Edition», Compton’s Home Library, 1997. Screen 8: In: «La Sentinelle» magazine (September 1979), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.2. Screen 9: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM171.BMP. Screen 10: In: «La Révélation - le grand dénouement est proche», New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.195. Screen 11: «Seven-headed serpent from the book of Revelation» from«Luther Bible», German, 1st edition, c.1530, Bible Society, London. In: «Revelation - Art of the Apocalypse» (GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997, p.58. Screen 12: In: «The Watchtower» magazine (May 15, 1990), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.9. Screen 13: In: «Revelation Seminars», Seminars Unlimited, 1986, lesson #9 («Les quatre cavaliers de l’Apocalypse»), p.4. Screen 14: In: «The Watchtower» magazine (May 15, 1990), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.7. Screen 15: CONVERSE, James. In: «The Triumph of God’s Love, vol.2» (WHITE, Ellen G.), Pacific Press Publishing Association and Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1950, p.556. Screen 16: In: «Le Moniteur», Pacific Press Publishing Association, Second Quarter 2000, front cover. Screen 17: SKIDMORE, Lou. In: «La Sentinelle» magazine (November 1996), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.8. Screen 18: In: «Prophecy Seminars», Seminars Unlimited, 1989, Daniel lesson #23 («The Day of Deliverance»), p.5. Screen 19: REMMEY, Paul. In: «The Bible Story, volume 8» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.188. Used by permission. Copyright ©1956, 1984 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 20: ANDERSON, Harry. In: «Vers Jésus» (WHITE, Ellen G.), Editions Le Monde Français, Pacific Press Publishing Association, front cover. Screen 21: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM140.BMP. Screen 22: BELL, John. From the Web site «John Bell’s Christian Art Gallery» (http://www.jrbell.com/cgi-local/pics.cgi/ltmbmw.jpg).

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 The test of Lesson 6 is waiting for you!