I believe that Matthew 24 is Jesus telling the Jews BOTH PLIGHTS of the Jews, some will be Christians and MOST will not be Christians so Jesus needs to answer both options right? So Matthew 24:29-31 is the Second Coming. We know this because we see all 15 Signs Jesus spoke of.
My TAKE is pretty simple:
1. The Temple is destroyed (
Matthew 24:2)
2. Israel puts forth fake Messiah's jut before the 70 AD defeat. (vs. 5)
3. 70 AD defeat and dispersing of Israel. (vs .6)
The above events are 70 AD and before.
4. There will be Wars, Famines and Pestilences/2000 year Church age. (vs.7)
5. The world kills the Disciples and hate Christians/Rome/ Islam etc. all. (vs. 9-10)
6. False prophets/teachers flourish over the 2000 year Church Age. (vs. 11)
7. Hardhearted/Cold people become the norm just before Jesus returns. (vs. 12)
8. The Gospel must be preached unto all the whole world before the Rapture. (vs. 14)
The above events happen before the Tribulation Begins or from 70 AD until the Rapture.
9. The Abomination of Desolation must happen. (vs. 15)
10. Israel must FLEE JUDEA for 1260 days to Petra. (vs. 16)
11. There must be GREAT TRIBULATION like never before. (vs. 21)
12. The False Christ and False Prophet show up doing Miracles. (vs. 24)
13. The Eagles (Church) will be gathered at Armageddon (Carcass vs. 28)
14. The sun and moon give not their light/Stars(Demons) fall to earth. (vs.29)
15. Jesus appears in the Eastern Skies for all men to see !! (vs. 30-31)
The above events happen during the Tribulation Period just after the Rapture.
Only the people born during or just before the Tribulation period can be the Generation that sees all of these signs come to pass. No other generation can be the generation that fulfills Jesus' prophetic uttering's. Jesus said that the Generation that sees ALL OF THESE THINGS will not pass until they see the Second Coming, hence he can not be speaking of the Rapture because many of these signs happen after the Rapture and during the Tribulation period.
Matthew 24:33 So likewise ye,
when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near,even at the doors. 34 Verily
I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Jesus did not say when you see half of these things, or some of these things but ALL OF THESE THINGS, then I will be nigh at the door !! And THAT GENERATION shall not pass until they see the Second Coming of Jesus which is duly noted in verses 30 and 31. T
he 15th Sign so to speak is the LAST SIGN and finishes up the prophecy.
The three signs that happened before 70 AD do not add up to ALL OF THESE THINGS !!
The eight signs that happen before the coming Rapture do not add up to ALL OF THESE THINGS and thus it can only be those people living after the Rapture that can fulfill this Prophecy !!
Those living during the Tribulation period are the ONLY GENERATION that can see ALL OF THESE THINGS that Jesus spoke of. The Abomination of Desolation, Israel Fleeing Judea, the Greatest Troubles ever, the Anti-Christ & False Prophet, the battle of Armageddon (Eagles gathered at the Carcass), the sun and moon not giving its lights and Satan (stars) being cast down to earth. And LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
Jesus appearing in the Eastern Skies for all humanity to see !!
Matthew 36 on to the end of the chapter, in my opinion, is the Rapture, but it was not understood as such by Matthew. Jesus only gave the Rapture understanding unto Paul because it was a SECRET meant for the Church which was going t mostly be Gentile because the Jews had been blinded, IN PART meaning mostly, only a few Jews would be Messianic Jews throughout the 2000 some odd year Church Age.
Looking at the clues in Matthew 24:36 on, they all fit the Rapture, not the so called Second Coming which is indeed Matthew 24:29-31, after the Tribulation of those days.
1.) As in the days of Noah, they will be drinking, eating and marrying.
2.) There will be two in the field, one will be taken another left.
3.) There will be two at the mill grinding, one will be taken he other left.
4.) Watch, for you know not what hour your Lord will come.
These clues do not fit the Second Coming but do fit the Rapture.
Now will anyone be Marrying, partying and feasting just before the Second Coming? Ughhh, no they will not, they will be dodging the Seven Vials of Gods Wrath, WHY WOULD THE BE PARTYING? This is speaking about the Rapture, when the Church leaves, impending DOOM will be upon the world, but like the Rain in Noah's day, there has to be a set amount of time before the Rain that's falling will turn to a flood. In 3.5 years, there will be no escaping Gods coming Wrath for unbelievers, they sure will not be drinking and partying during Gods Judgment !!
Thus Jesus told the Jews about the Rapture without REVEALING the Secret. One will be taken and the other left. You can tell Matthew has no idea what it means, if he did he would have placed it between verses 14 and 15 in Matthew 24, not at the end, after the Second Coming.
Then Jesus says WATCH, for you know not what hour your Lord will come. Well that doesn't really fit The Second Coming does it? We know that Jesus will Return 1260 Days after the Children of Israel re SCATTERED/FLEE, and 42 Months after the Beast Conquers Jerusalem, and we know God can not lie. The world can also see that the Armageddon Battle is upon them, they will know Jesus will be coming what they see the troop build up at Meggido. Its not going to be a surprise at all. But the rapture WILL BE A SURPRISE !!
So the Rapture is spoken of in Matthew chapter 24, as is the so called Second Coming. Jesus has returned many times, after he Ascended to the Father he returned in John ch. 20. He told Mary not to defile him by touching him, then 8 days later he told Thomas to place his fingers in his WOUNDS!! So its not really the Second Coming, bit we will go with that anyway.
Now as per Matthew 25. I think missing the Rapture in Matthew 24:36 on, thus confusing you about the Second Coming also kind of throws you off in Matthew 25.
Matthew 25 has three things its teaching us. Those without the Holy Spirit will not be Raptured to be with the Lord in Heaven for the MARRIAGE (Rev. ch. 19) they will be shut out, they had NO OIL to see when they were called, meaning their bodies (Oil Lamps) did not have enough Oil (Holy Spirit) to guide them unto Jesus, because they tarried. These people are shut out of the Wedding, but they can then make it to Heaven, but they will be the REMNANT CHURCH of Rev. 12:17, they will not be protected like the WOMAN (Israel) in the Wilderness, thus most will be the Beheaded under the Alter crying for vengeance !! That is d they do not SERVE THE BEAST !!
This is why Jesus gives the parable about the TALENTS just after he tells about the 5 Virgins being SHUT OUT, and that is supposed to show why they were shut out. They had NO HOLY SPIRIT, hence they did nothing in Gods name, but they followed the world, the spirit of this world and did not further Gods Kingdom by feeding the needy, clothing the needy, and of course this means in a SPIRITUAL MANNER likewise. The people of this world need to hear Gods Word, they need to be clothed in Gods Word, they need to be fed the BREAD OF LIFE !! They need to see Jesus in action through us. We can just say we believe, we believe. God wants us to go unto the masses and bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto the MASSES IF WE BELIEVE !! To reach the lost and needy, and to SERVE THEM !! Amen.
So I agree, Matthew 24 and 25 go together. But Chapter 24 tells of both the Second Coming and the Rapture, Matthew just was not told the SECRET RAPTURE UNDERSTANDING, Paul was given the secret, he even called it a MYSTERY/SECRET.
Then Matthew 25 is Jesus giving them EXAMPLES of why the Virgins are shut out. Then he tells about WASTED TALENTS !! They two go hand in hand. In verse 31, if you take notice, the ELECT are gathered from the FOUR CORNERS of Heaven, meaning we just married the Lamb in Heaven right before the Second Coming.