As I demonstrated in my previous installment, Matthew 24:4- 14 deals with events of the first half of the seven-year tribulation period known as ” the beginning of birth pangs” (Matt. 24:8). These events are parallel to the seal and trumpet judgments of Revelation 6, 8- 9. I take it that in Christ’ s discourse ” The disciples were the representatives of godly Jews, and were warned of what should befall their nation.” [1] Thus, this passage, which is before us will take place in the future, after the rapture of the church, at the time of the beginning of the tribulation.

Do Not Be Deceived

Since the tribulation begins with the arrival of the antichrist on the scene, it is not surprising that this section also begins with a warning to believers about his arrival. Jesus begins answering the disciple’ s question with a warning about false messiahs. ” 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’ ” (Matt. 24:4- 5).

I think William Kelly is correct to note that this passage is not referencing Christians during the current church age.

In the epistles of Paul it is never exactly such a thought as warning persons against false Christs. For there the Holy Ghost addresses us as Christians; and a Christian could not be deceived by a man’ s pretensions to be Christ. It is most appropriate here, because the disciples are viewed in this chapter, as representatives, not of us Christians now, but of future godly Jews.[2]

The first thing Jesus tells them is to make sure that no one misleads you. Spiritual deception will be the primary purpose of the Antichrist during the tribulation and thus a primary item to be avoided. ” This warning was prompted by their eagerness for a sign. The danger of being misled was increased if one was too enthusiastic or anticipated some symbolic indication of the event.” [3] Dr. Stanley Toussaint tells us:

The key to understanding the discourse is found in this first sentence. The disciples thought that the destruction of Jerusalem with its great temple would usher in the end of the age. The Lord separates the two ideas and warns the disciples against being deceived by the destruction of Jerusalem and other such catastrophes. The razing of the temple and the presence of wars and rumors of wars do not necessarily signify the nearness of the end.[4]

Many False Christs

Why are they to be on guard against deception? Vigilance will be needed since there will be during the tribulation a host of those claiming to be the Messiah and many will believe them. But the Jewish believers during the tribulation are not to fall for that line.

The emphasis in verse 5 is upon ” many.” Not just a single person will come claiming to be the Messiah, but a whole host of individuals will make such claims. Multiple claims to Messiahship is one of the reasons why this passage is not referring to events leading up to the a.d. 70 destruction of Jerusalem. A. H. M’ Neile says, ” No such definite claim to Messiahship is known till that of Barkokba in the reign of Hadrian.” [5] The Barkokba revolt was put down by the Romans in a.d. 135 when Hadrian lead the Roman legions to once again destroy Jerusalem, and the surrounding area, which resulted in the death of half a million Jews.[6] Robert Gundry notes the following:

The lack of evidence that anyone claimed messiahship between Jesus and Bar-Kokhba a hundred years later militates against our seeing the discourse as a vaticinium ex eventu [a prophecy of an event] concerning the first Jewish revolt (a.d. 66- 73). False prophets figured in that revolt (Josephus J.W. 6.5.2 ¤¤285-87; 7.11.1 ¤¤437-39; Ant. 20.5.1 ¤97); but one did not have to claim messiahship to be a false prophet. Cf. Acts 5:36; 8:9; 21:38.[7]

James R. Gray tells us, ” strict claims to the Messianic office in the strictest sense are almost nonexistent in history.” [8] However, in the future, this passage tells us it will be rampant.

The First Seal Judgment

As noted in my previous article, the judgments of Matthew 24:4- 11 parallel in order the first five seal judgments of Revelation 6:1- 11. ” The first seal depicts a false Messiah,” [9] as observed in Revelation 6:1- 2.

And I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ” Come.” And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him; and he went out conquering, and to conquer. (Rev. 6:1- 2)

Arno Gaebelein, that great Bible teacher from a former generation says the following about this similarity:

The rider upon the white horse under the first seal is a counterfeit. He is a false Christ, who goes forth to conquer. His conquest is a bloodless one, as he has only a bow. He will bring about a false peace among the nations, which for a time may have been alarmed by the supernatural removal of the church. The second rider ” takes peace from the earth,” from which we would conclude that the first rider upon the white horse (white emblem of peace) has established peace.

And as we turn to Matthew xxiv we find that the first thing our Lord saith, is about the deceivers who will come with the beginning of the age ending saying: ” I am Christ,” and succeeding to lead away many.[10]

What is the nationality of the Antichrist?

A widely held belief throughout the history of the church has been the notion that Antichrist will be of Jewish origin. This view is still widely held in our own day. However, upon closer examination we find no real Scriptural basis for such a view.

Arguments for a Jewish Origin

Three reasons are often given in support of the argument that Antichrist will be Jewish.[11] First, it is argued that he will be a Jew since the Jews are responsible for the world’ s problems. Thus, it follows that the greatest problem of history- Antichrist- will also be Jewish. This is the Anti-Semitic reason. It should be clear that since Anti-Semitism is unbiblical, and so is any logic that reasons upon such a premise.

Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum offers a refutation of the second reason, which he calls ” The Logical Reason.” He writes:

Stated in a syllogism, this argument goes as follows:

Major Premise: The Jews will accept the Antichrist as the Messiah

Minor Premise: The Jews will never accept a Gentile as the Messiah.

Conclusion: The Antichrist will be a Jew.[12]

The difficulties of this argument are many, not the least of which are the two premises. Neither premise can be supported from the Bible. Just because the Jews make a covenant with the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27; Isa. 28:15), it does not follow either textually or logically that they accept him as Messiah (or Antichrist). Second, since they are not accepting him as Messiah, the fact that he is a Gentile peacemaker is irrelevant. Thus, the conclusion does not follow.

An attempt at a Scriptural argument reasons that Antichrist will spring forth from the tribe of Dan. This has been a view that has been widely held throughout church history, from the earliest times to our modern day. Support for this view is inappropriately derived from Genesis 49:17; Deuteronomy 33:22; Jeremiah 8:16; Daniel 11:37; Revelation 7:4-8. Even though many passages are cited in support of this argument, none of them actually support the notion since they are all taken out of context. In reality, only Daniel 11:37 refers to the Antichrist. Even though some believe that the phrase in Daniel 11:37 ” the God of his fathers” (KJV), implies a Jewish apostasy, the phrase is more accurately translated ” the gods of his fathers” (NASB). Since Antichrist will be a Gentile, as will be shown, the argument is unfounded. Since the original Hebrew supports the NASB translation and not the KJV, Antichrist’ s apostasy will be Christian and not Jewish.[13]

Arguments for a Gentile Origin

We have seen that the Bible does not teach that Antichrist will be Jewish; however, Scripture does teach that he will be of Gentile descent. This can first be seen from biblical typology. Most commentators agree that Daniel 11 speaks of Antiochus Epiphanes, a Gentile, who typifies the future Antichrist. Since Antiochus is a Gentile, then so will be Antichrist.

Secondly, biblical imagery supports a Gentile origin of Antichrist. Scripture pictures Antichrist as rising up out of the sea (Rev. 13:1; 17:15). In prophetic literature the sea is an image of the Gentile nations. Thus, Antichrist is seen as a Gentile progeny.

Thirdly, the nature of the ” Times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24) supports a Gentile Antichrist. Fruchtenbaum notes:

It is agreed by all premillennialists that the period known as the Times of the Gentiles does not end until the second coming of Christ. It is further agreed that the Antichrist is the final ruler of the Times of the Gentiles. . . .

If this is so, how then can a Jew be the last ruler at a time when only Gentiles can have the preeminence? To say the Antichrist is to be a Jew would contradict the very nature of the Time of the Gentiles.[14]

Finally, the Bible not only teaches that Antichrist will be Gentile, but it also implies that he will be of Roman descent. This is understood from Daniel 9:27, where the one cutting a covenant with Israel is said to represent the revived Roman Empire, since it was the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in a.d. 70. The revived Roman empire comes from a second phase of the Roman Empire, i.e., ” feet partly of iron and partly of clay” (Dan 2:33, 40- 45).

The implications of the non-Jewishness of the antichrist has significant implications as noted by Gray:

Because the true Anti-Christ is not a Jew (cp Daniel 7, 11, Revelation 13:1), therefore he will not claim to be a false Messiah. These false claimants will be contemporaneous with Antichrist and will likely oppose him. During this time Israel will have many options and opportunities to follow false Messiahs, yet, the Antichrist will not be one of them. He comes as a benefactor of Israel, a great world diplomat turned persecutor, but not a Messianic deliverer. He will be worshipped, not as Messiah, but as God.[15]

(To Be Continued . . .)

 

Endnotes
[1] William Kelly, Lectures on The Gospel of Matthew (Sunbury, PA: Believers Bookshelf, 1971 [1868]), p. 479.

[2] Kelly, Matthew, p. 479.

[3] Ed Glasscock, Matthew: Moody Gospel Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1997), p. 464.

[4] Stanley D. Toussaint, Behold The King: A Study of Matthew (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1980), p. 270.

[5] Alan Hugh M’ Neile, The Gospel According to St. Matthew (London: MacMillan, 1915), p. 345.

[6] Roman historian ” Dio Cassius relates that the Romans demolished 50 fortresses, destroyed 985 villages, and killed 580,000 people in addition to those who died of hunger, disease, and fire.” Encyclopaedia Judaica, 17 vols. (Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, n.d.), vol. 4, p. 233.

[7] Robert H. Gundry, Matthew: A Commentary on His Handbook for a Mixed Church under Persecution, second edition, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), p. 477.

[8] James R. Gray, Prophecy on The Mount: A Dispensational Study of the Olivet Discourse (Chandler, AZ: Berean Advocate Ministries, 1991), p. 29.

[9] Thomas O. Figart, The King of The Kingdom of Heaven: A Verse by Verse Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Lancaster, PA: Eden Press, 1999), p. 438.

[10] Arno C. Gaebelein, The Gospel of Matthew: An Exposition (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, [1910] 1961), pp. 481- 82.

[11]These three reasons were gleaned from Arnold Fruchtenbaum, ” The Nationality of the Anti-Christ” (Englewood, NJ: American Board of Missions To The Jews, n.d.).

[12]Fruchtenbaum, ” Nationality,” p. 8.

[13]Fruchtenbaum, ” Nationality,” pp. 11-22.

[14]Fruchtenbaum, ” Nationality,” pp. 24, 26.

[15] Gray, Prophecy on The Mount, p. 29.

 

Since I have shown in previous installments that Matthew 24 is a future, end-time prophecy, the next issue to tackle is when will verses 4 through 14 come to pass?

There are two major views that futurists, like myself, tend to hold. First, some believe that verses 4- 14 refer to the inter-advent age- that is the time between Christ’ s first coming and the beginning of the tribulation. Second, some hold that verses 4- 14, especially verses 4- 8, refer to the first part of the tribulation and correspond with the first four seal judgments of Revelation 6:1- 8. I think that the second view is correct.

Inter-Advent Age View

Many futurist interpreters of the Olivet Discourse believe that verses 4- 14 describe the general signs of the inter-advent age. Dr. John F. Walvoord, an advocate of this view says that verses 4- 14 are:

describing the general characteristics of the age leading up to the end, while at the same time recognizing that the prediction of difficulties, which will characterized the entire period between the first and second coming of Christ, are fulfilled in an intensified form as the age moves on to its conclusion.” [1]

Dr. Walvoord believes that verses 15- 26 are specific signs that describe the tribulation, while verses 27- 31 relate to the second coming.[2]

Within the inter-advent age view is a variation of this perspective. Some think that verses verses 4- 8 are general signs of the inter-advent age leading up to the tribulation. While verses 9- 14 reference the first half of the tribulation. ” The events concerning the first half of the tribulation are recorded in Matthew 24:9- 14,” says Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum. This ” passage begins with the word then, pointing out that what Christ is describing now will come after the event of nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” [3]

If the inter-advent age view is the correct interpretation, then it would mean that wars, earthquakes, famines, and the appearance of false Christs would be constantly on the increase as we approach the tribulation period. However, if these items are references to the first half of the tribulation, then wars, earthquakes, famines, and false Christs during any part of the church age would not constitute prophetic signs. This explains why some futurists believe that increasing wars, earthquakes, famines, etc. are prophetically significant, while others, like myself, do not think that they are prophetically significant, since these verses refer to global events during the seven-year tribulation.

Tribulation View

I believe that Matthew 24:4- 41 refers to the seven-year period (Dan. 9:24- 27) that many commonly call the tribulation. The tribulation is divided in half by the abomination of desolation, mentioned by Jesus in verse 15. Thus, verses 4- 14 refer to the first half of the tribulation and are parallel to the first five seal judgments found in Revelation 6.

” If out interpretation is the right one there must be perfect harmony between these three: Old Testament Prophecy: Matthew xxiv:4-44, and Revelation vi-xix.” insists Arno Gaebelein.[4] I believe just such a harmony exists, especially between the Olivet Discourse and Revelation. This is what convinces me that verses 4- 14 refer to the first half of the tribulation. Gaebelein continues:

If this is the correct interpretation, if Matthew xxiv:4-14 refers to the beginning of that coming end of the age and if Revelation vi refers to the same beginning of the end and that which follows the sixth chapter leads us on into the great tribulation, then there must be a perfect harmony between that part of the Olivet discourse contained in Matthew xxiv and the part of Revelation beginning with the sixth chapter. And such is indeed the case.[5]

” The acceptance of this view, in part,” observes John McLean, ” is dependent on how much weight is given to the parallels between the synoptics and Revelation.” [6] Since all futurists see the Olivet Discourse as parallel to Revelation to some degree, it makes sense that these two portions of Scripture would be focused on the same basic time period- the tribulation. Dr. McLean has displayed these relationships in the following chart.[7]

Birth Pangs

Matthew 24:8 characterizes the events of verses 4- 7 as ” the beginning of birth-pangs.” The Greek word ™dinon means ” the pain of childbirth, travail-pain, birth-pang.” It is said to be ” intolerable anguish, in reference to the dire calamities which the Jews supposed would precede the advent of the Messiah.” [8] Another authority agrees and says, ” of the ‘ Messianic woes’ , the terrors and torments that precede the coming of the Messianic Age.” [9]

Most likely our Lord had in mind the Old Testament reference to birth pangs in Jeremiah 30:6- 7, which says, ” ‘ Ask now, and see, if a male can give birth. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale? ‘ Alas! for that day is great, there is none like it; and it is the time of Jacob’ s distress, but he will be saved from it.” Dr. Randall Price explains the birth pangs of Messiah as follows:

The birth pangs are significant in the timing of the Tribulation, as revealed by Jesus in the Olivet discourse (Matt. 24:8). Jesus’ statement of the ” birth pangs” is specifically that the events of the first half of the Tribulation (vv. 4-7) are merely the ” beginning,” with the expectation of greater birth pangs in the second half (the ” Great Tribulation” ). Based on this analogy, the entire period of the seventieth week is like birth pangs. As a woman must endure the entire period of labor before giving birth, so Israel must endure the entire seven-year Tribulation. The time divisions of Tribulation are also illustrated by the figure, for just as the natural process intensifies toward delivery after labor ends, so here the Tribulation moves progressively toward the second advent (vv. 30-31), which takes place ” immediately after” the Tribulation ends (v. 29). As there are two phases of the birth pangs (beginning labor and full labor), so the seven years of Tribulation are divided between the less severe and more severe experiences of terrestrial and cosmic wrath, as revealed progressively in the Olivet discourse and the judgment section of Revelation 6- 19.[10]

Paul also uses the motif of birth pangs in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 where he says, ” While they are saying, ” Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” The context of this passage relates to the tribulation period, which fits the other uses of birth pangs.

Raphael Patai in his helpful book (The Messiah Texts) has dozens of references to extra-biblical commentary from Jewish writings in a chapter entitled ” The Pangs of Times.” [11] Patai tells us that ” the pangs of the Messianic times are imagined as having heavenly as well as earthly sources and expressions. . . . Things will come to such a head that people will despair of Redemption. This will last seven years. And then, unexpectedly, the Messiah will come.” [12]This widespread Jewish idea fits exactly into the framework that Jesus expresses in the Olivet Discourse. The birth pangs of Messiah, also known as ” the footprints of the Messiah,” [13] support the notion that Matthew 24:4- 14 relate to the tribulation period leading up to the second advent of the Messiah since it is known as a time of great tribulation that results in Messiah’ s earthly arrival.

Conclusion

I have often been ask on radio talk shows if I believe that events like earthquakes, famines, wars, etc. meant that the end is near. Of course I always say no. This usually surprises the host, since they so often hear from other prophecy teachers that these things have current prophetic significance. As you can see, if they don’ t refer to the church age, then they must have reference to the tribulation. While it is likely that we stand on the verge of tribulation events, we are not yet in that time period. Since Matthew 24:4- 14 cannot happen until after the rapture and the start of the tribulation, it is wrong to say that such events are prophetically significant in our own day. The birth pangs do not start until Israel faces her time of trouble. Maranatha!

(To Be Continued . . .)

 

Endnotes
[1] John F. Walvoord, Matthew: Thy Kingdom Come (Chicago: Moody Press, 1974), p. 183.

[2] Walvoord, Matthew, p. 183.

[3] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of the Messiah: A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events (San Antonio: Ariel Press, 1982), pp. 439-40. For the most exhaustive presentation of this view that I have found so far, see David L. Cooper, Future Events Revealed: According to Matthew 24 and 25 (Los Angeles: David L. Cooper, 1935).

[4] Arno C. Gaebelein, The Gospel of Matthew: An Exposition (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, [1910] 1961), p. 476.

[5] Gaebelein, Matthew, p. 481.

[6] John McLean, ” Chronology and Sequential Structure of John’ s Revelation,” in CONTACT _Con-48271A681 Thomas Ice & Timothy Demy,When the Trumpet Sounds: Today’ s Foremost Authorities Speak Out on End-Time Controversies (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1995), p. 323.

[7] McLean, ” Chronology and Sequential Structure,” p. 326.

[8] Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: American Book Company, 1889), p. 679.

[9] William F. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957), p. 904.

[10] J. Randall Price, ” Old Testament Tribulation Terms,” in CONTACT _Con-48271A681 Thomas Ice & Timothy Demy, When the Trumpet Sounds: Today’ s Foremost Authorities Speak Out on End-Time Controversies (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1995), p. 72.

[11] Raphael Patai, The Messiah Texts: Jewish Legends of Three Thousand Years(Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1979), pp. 95-103.

[12] Patai, Messiah Texts, pp. 95-96.

[13] Price, ” Tribulation Terms,” p. 450, f.n. 56.