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Dec 08, 2022 18:30pm

Chain Reaction

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With just a tap of the finger to one domino, it set off a series of events. The dominos toppled over, one after the other, with the final one tipping over a plastic cone. The cone then falls, hitting a small ball, which sets it into motion, rolling into a toy car. The car is pushed and rolls down the table and hits a block that has been loosely balanced. As it falls, it bumps into a golf ball that rolls down the table to make a ruler tumble over. This releases a lever that was holding a jar lid zip tied to a wheel in place. On top of the jar lid is a basketball, and as the events occur, the ball sails through the air and lands into the goal.

Chain reaction.

I love watching these types of videos to see what someone comes up with. It’s interesting to see a glimpse into the creativity and ingenuity that people have.

Have you ever really thought about this concept? One thing happens, causing another to occur, which in turn cause another, and another.

That’s what we see occurring in everyday life, and will continue to see in the end times we are studying in Matthew.

In Chapter 24, the disciples question Jesus about the end. Jesus replies with the true end, the one that people truly need to be warned of. Jesus speaks of the tribulation. As we mentioned yesterday, the start will be the rapture of the church. This key moment sets off a chain of events.

With a huge number of people just vanishing, those that remain will be left searching for answers. Many will know exactly what it was because they had heard about it their whole lives but never believed it to be true. Others will search for something and believe almost anything.

As the tribulation begins, God’s wrath is poured out upon the earth in various forms of judgment. It will be so bad that people will be desperate for a savior. Many will come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, but still others will seek for anything and anyone to grasp hold of.

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” (Matthew 24:23-28)

Jesus warns us about believing in anyone but Him as Christ. Many will come claiming to be him, claiming to be able to save the people, but His coming will be known and seen by all.

The chain of events continues as verse 28 states that the sign of His coming will be a clear indicator that the end is near just as clear as a vulture circling the dead.

“Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.” – (Matthew 24:28, NLT)

“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 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. And he 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.” (Matthew 24:29-31)

Jesus then sends His angels to gather the Jewish believers that have been saved during the tribulation.

“And it will come about in that day, that the LORD will start His threshing from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel. It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown; and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 27:12-13)

One after another, event after event, the final culmination will allow all to see the Lord in His power and glory!

I pray you know Him. Studying these scriptures and gaining knowledge does little for us unless we apply it to our lives. Why did Jesus focus so much on the end times and describing the coming tribulation and less time speaking about heaven?

He came to seek and save the lost. He brought a warning to those that deny Him of what was to come if they didn’t believe.

Will you be one of those at the start of the events, being raptured into heaven? Or will you be left behind trying to figure out what happened and who will save you?

Choose today.