Maturing by Faith and Patience (Matthew 24:23-29).

Class Outline:

Wednesday December 10, 2025

 

Intro:

 

God warns us and it is up to our faith to heed His warning. It takes nothing more than faith to choose the right one once you have been informed.

 

The Olivet Discourse (Mat 24-25) is in response to their three questions.

 

MAT 24:3

"Tell us,

1) when will these things happen, and

2) what will be the sign of Your coming, and

3) of the end of the age?"

 

He opens His sermon by telling them general trends of the coming age (church and Tribulation). He then gives them a definite sign that occurs in the middle of the Trib as Daniel 9:27 shows us. And then He gives His warning.

 

Matt 24:15-22

“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.  17 "Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house.  18 Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.  19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  20 But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.  21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.  22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”

 

The emphasis is on speedy flight.

 

Faith:

 

They must put their faith in the warning. It will seem ridiculous not to run into the house for some quick provisions.

 

Patience:

 

It may not make sense to wait in the wilderness for the Lord to come and get you. While waiting, it will be easy to fall for the lie that Christ returned already.

 

HAB 1:2 [Hah-BAH-kkuk]

How long, O Lord, will I call for help,

And You will not hear?

I cry out to You, "Violence!"

Yet You do not save.

 

Faith and patience both parallel the commandments by the Lord at the start of the discourse: Beware of being led astray (faith in the truth); see to it that you are not afraid (patience while tempted and threatened).

 

The reason for the flight: worldwide anti-Semitism breaks out.

 

The historical situation: God’s protection and rescue of Israel.

 

MAT 24:23-24

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him.  24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

 

Verses 23-28 are a special message directed to the believing remnant within Israel, warning them not to heed any rumor that the Messiah has returned and so come out of hiding.

 

The particular situation in the Tribulation: (Rev 12)

 

REV 12:6

Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

 

REV 12:10-12

"Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death [God’s glory took precedence over their own comfort]. 12 "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

 

This event occurs in the middle of the Tribulation, after the 6th trumpet and before the 7th.

 

REV 12:13-17

And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman [Israel] who gave birth to the male child.  14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman [not the American Airforce; but a reference to the Exodus (EXO 19:4; DEU 32:11) in which divine intervention delivered Israel], so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time [3 ½ years], from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood (Devil’s army or his lies?). 16 But the earth helped the woman [likely the hiddenness of the mountains], and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth [armies either perished or came up empty]. 17 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

 

Fulfillment of the prophecy through Isaiah in his “Little Apocalypse” (Isa 24-27) so named because it parallels Revelation so well.

 

ISA 26:20-21

Come, my people, enter into your rooms

And close your doors behind you;

Hide for a little while

Until indignation runs its course.

21 For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place

To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;

And the earth will reveal her bloodshed

And will no longer cover her slain.

[look at vv. 16-19 for Israel’s inability to victory]

 

Satan’s attempt to destroy all Jews in the Tribulation will fail, and his failure is due to God’s intervention.

 

I chose these following Psalms for that reason, that we would learn our helplessness and rely on the Lord alone. It is a true test of faith. You will feel very lonely when you are forced to do so because it is the only true application of faith and patience.

 

PSA 27:5

For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;

In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;

He will lift me up on a rock.

 

All of the devil’s plans will fail. The only thing that can defeat any of us is our lack of faith.

 

PSA 2:12

Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,

For His wrath may soon be kindled.

How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

 

PRO 30:5

Every word of God is tested;

He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

 

PSA 31:19-22

How great is Your goodness,

Which You have stored up for those who fear You,

Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,

Before the sons of men!

20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man;

You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the Lord,

For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.

22 As for me, I said in my alarm,

"I am cut off from before Your eyes";

Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications

When I cried to You.

 

What faith this requires!

 

One of the reasons we are so much more easily deceived when in need of relief is that our focus is centered on our relief alone and not on PSA 31:21 “Blessed by the Lord.”

 

Application: God always has a provision for His saints, no matter what He allows the enemy to do. Nothing happens in the world or to you unless the Father furnishes it.

 

God often delays in answering prayer.

 

There are several reasons why He delays.

 

“Our Father has reasons peculiar to Himself for thus keeping us waiting.” [Spurgeon]

 

Sometimes it is to show His power and His sovereignty, that men may know that Jehovah has a right to give or to withhold.

 

More frequently the delay is for our profit.

 

You are kept waiting so that your desire for God may grow more fervent.

 

There may also be something wrong within your heart that needs to be removed before the joy of the Lord can be experienced.

 

Your prayers are heard but not immediately answered, still you know that they are never forgotten. Do not despair. Have faith in the One who is all in all and patiently wait for Him. He is coming for you.

 

We are all helpless to deliver ourselves. Will that we would each truly learn that lesson and then apply faith and patience.