A layman's commentary on Matthew 24 verses 29 through 31 _ Immediately after the tribulation of those days.

 

Praise the Lord; He is coming.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” 
Matthew 24:29 NKJV

If this portrays the end of the seven years, what has the world been enduring?

• The catching away of the church has come, and we are gone.

• The departure of the church opened the door for the antichrist to come onto the scene.

  This is pointing to 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and a few more verses. I will explain.

  “Let not any one deceive you in any manner, because it will not be unless the apostasy have first come, and the man of sin have been revealed, the son of perdition;.” 
  2 Thessalonians 2:3 Darby

  With his earned Doctorate in Theology, Pastor Andy Woods tells us in a book he wrote several years ago that 2 Thessalonians 2:3 should read departure instead of apostasy. To conserve space, I am not detailing the whys involved. Regardless, you should ask if we are waiting for this falling away to get worse.

  How much further do we as a church need to fall?

  I think we have gone too far, but that is just me.

  If the church, in general, has adequately fallen, then what are we waiting for - that last person that God needs to be brought into the kingdom?

  On the other hand, if a departure must happen, as we are frequently told, there is nothing to prevent Jesus from collecting His church.

• And the seven years of God’s wrath have been poured out.

The seven years is not quite done yet, and we can know this based on the language used.

“immediately after the tribulation of those days.”

"I beheld therefore, because of the voice of the great words that the horn spoke; I beheld till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given up to be burned with fire."
Daniel 7:11 Darby

After the seven years the beast will be slain, and its body destroyed, and it will be burned with fire.

Will the beast - the antichrist, die? 

Not in a spiritual sense. 

So, what then is death? 

Death, no matter who we are talking about, is a complete separation from God. The fact that the beast is tossed into the lake of fire merely helps to establish the eternal judgment and separation from God.

The Word Study Dictionary discusses the Hebrew word ḥēywāh, indicating that it means a beast (of the field), but it goes on to say that the word, in general, is used to refer to all beasts of the field.

Isn't it interesting that Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, was made to crawl on his hands and knees, in the grass, like a beast of the field, for seven years, until he turned his heart toward God.

“As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.”
Daniel 7:12 NKJV

Even though the beast – antichrist is thrown into the lake of fire, there are others, that hold positions almost as deadly as the beast. How long their season lasts we are not told, but consider that the millennial reign is just moments away and it is not a land where bullies run rampant.

Daniel saw something that horrified him.

"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” Daniel 7:7-8 NKJV

Still, Daniel wanted to know what these beasts were.

'Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.

Daniel 7:17 NKJV

What happens next?

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.”
Mark 13:24-27 NKJV

• “The sun will be darkened.”

  Illustration 1: The town at noon. May 18, 1980.

  An interesting article on Space.com talks more in terms of the sun expanding as it enters the red giant phase. This is projected to happen in about 5 billion years. So it would only be conjecture on my part to guess how this will happen. Although a picture from noonday after Mt. Saint Helens blew in the early 80s may help you to understand.

• “The moon will not give its light,”

  As most of you know, the moon only reflects the light of other light sources, so we probably not be able to figure how it works. However, darkness is intimidating and representative of evil.

• “the stars of heaven will fall,”

  Stars are effectively suns in distant galaxies. Held in place by the Word of God who put them there, there is only one thing that can make them fall, God.

• “the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

  Here is a fascinating piece of information from Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus.

  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the . Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
  Ephesians 6:12-13 NASB

  The word power is the same word dunamis that we see in Matthew 24:29, but in Ephesians, it is distinctly connected with forces of darkness—spiritual forces of wickedness “in the heavenly places.” 

   Perhaps a way to understand this is to ask, where did this all begin?

   In the heavenlies. If you were raised in the church, as I was, then you were given the idea that Satan, along with his crew of followers, were cast to earth, never to be heard from again. The reality is we are pestered by his demonic followers on a daily basis, and they all still have access to the heavenlies. If you must question that, then look at the opening passages of Job; there, you will find Satan mingling with the angels (the sons of God) and responding to God's questioning.

  Shaken is the Greek word saleuō and means to waver, agitate, rock, topple or (by implication) destroy.

  Consider this. The seven years are coming to an end; I say that because Jesus told us immediately after and then described some additional things that begin to happen, and they don't sound good. One might assume that the grief associated with the wrath would end immediately. A couple of ways to look at this moment in time. 1. Is that any additional grief is only coming against those who chose to fight against Jesus, who is riding on the white horse. 2. All those who chose Jesus during this ugly time will, in all likelihood, be martyred. Scripture tells us that this is the first resurrection. Note that there is a third group of people and you will see that highlighted in yellow below.

  Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
  Revelation 20:4-5 NASB

• “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”

  When I first read Revelation 19:11, I might have said, finally, it is done, and yet the church has lived in peace for seven years. Now, with my eyes wide open, I see that the finish will take a few more minutes, to say the least. All of this shaking of the heavens can only be meant to demonstrate the awesomeness of God, the one who is in charge even now. Still, with all that, the heavens and the earth will be remade after being burned with fire after the thousand years and the white throne judgment.

  The fire will NOT touch those who belong to God, and I can assure you that this will all be sorted out by this time.

• “He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.”

  The Dake's bible notes say this about the elect. “He is talking about the Jews, not the Church because”:
  (My thoughts are in italics.)

1. Jesus is answering a Jewish question (Mat_24:3; Mat_25:31-46; Act_1:6)

   Matthew 24:3 tells us that Jesus was talking, exclusively, to His disciples. “the disciples came to Him privately.”

   Matthew 25:31-46, unlike Matthew 24:3, does not affirm that these are Jews, nor does it convey that this is related to the seven years. Verse 37 makes a reference to the righteous, which we might assume is a reference to Jews; it is not. This scenario happens at the end of the thousand years and is associated with the white throne judgment. Our scriptural definition merely informs us that these are from the nations (Gentiles) who have died and did not previously go up in the rapture of the church, and it includes people from among the nations who have been born and raised during the thousand years and have died for various reasons.

   And the last reference is from Acts 1:6.

   Here, Jesus has risen from the dead, walked with the disciples, and is about to return to the Father. It is the disciples, once again, who are asking Him if this is the time in which He will restore the kingdom to Israel. Jesus' answer to them went like this, “it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” This statement does place a time frame or a nationality on the hearer, although we know they were Jews.

2. False Messiahs primarily concern Israel (Mat_24:5, Mat_24:23-26)

Think in terms of location and context. The location is centered on Israel in the majority of instances. The context is the seven year period, often referred to as God's wrath.

3. Anti-antisemitism proves it (Mat_24:9)

   The obvious point here is that the church cannot be the recipient of anti-antisemitism because we Gentiles are not Jewish. We fall under the category of the nations, as far as the Jewish people are concerned. Should they give their lives to Christ, they can freely be with us in our church bodies, but it does not impact their Jewishness except to remove the stigma of their religious upbringing.

4. The travail of Israel (note, Mat_24:8)

   Matthew 24:8 NKJV: tells us that “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” 

   The context is everything related to Jesus's Jewish answer to their Jewish question.

   The first eight signs of Mat_24:4-7 are the beginning of sorrows against Israel and the Jews, not the end. It will have an impact on the nations/gentiles as well. (UCRT)

   Dake goes on to explain “sorrows.” The Greek word: odin (G5604), birth pangs (Gal_4:19, Gal_4:27; 1Th_5:3; Rev_12:2). This refers to the troubles of Israel in the tribulation (Mat_24:15-21; Isa_66:7-8; Jer_30:4-7; Dan_7:21; Dan_8:9-14, Dan_8:24; Dan_9:27; Rev_12:1-17).

5. The abomination of desolation concerns Israel only. (note, Mat_24:15)

   From Dake's notes: “When—this marks the starting point of the middle of Daniel’s 70th week when the Antichrist will break his 7-year covenant with Israel and enter Judea to take over Jerusalem as his capital and the Jewish temple as his capital building (Dan_9:27;

   Dan 9:27  Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;

   Dan_11:40-45;

   Daniel 11:41-42 NKJV  He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.  42  He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

   Yes, it does mention the glorious land, which we understand to be Israel, but it does not tell us when this happens.

   Dan_12:1 NKJV reads like this.

   "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.”

   The problem with using Daniel 12:1 is that you lose focus on the context, and it makes no sense without it. It becomes quite obvious that Daniel 12:1 is speaking about the minute transition between the seven years and the millennial reign. You should be aware that many of the Jews who make it to this point—we know that 1/3 of Israel does survive—will come to a knowledge of Jesus as the Messiah.

   Dan_12:7 (NKJV): “Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.”

   When will all things be finished? Two points of view on this. 1. Is when the tribulation ends; and 2. At the end of the thousand years. Regardless, this is NOT speaking of the time of Jacob's troubles.

   2Th_2:4. Let's look specifically at 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NKJV 

   “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,  4  who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

   Some will appropriately tell you that the falling away or departure of the church is the event that triggers the time of God's wrath (“the tribulation.”) Does it make sense that the apostasy or falling away is the trigger when the process of falling away has been an ongoing event for a long time. The departure will be a soon coming, one time, event. If 2 Thessalonians 2:4 doesn't seem to answer your questions, well, you are not alone, but continue reading because 2 Thessalonians 2:7 expounds on the fact that the Holy Spirit, working through us, is restraining the advent of the antichrist and will continue to do so until the day we are removed from the earth.

   “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” NKJV 

   Rev_11:1-2; Verse two indicates that the Gentiles will trample the temple underfoot. Here is the verse to prove my point.

   “But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.” Revelation 11:2 NKJV

   You should know that 42 months equal three and one half years on the Jewish, 360 day calendar. The Gentiles/ the Assyrians have been trampling all over the temple mount already. What is the difference? No temple, so keep your eyes on the Holy Land because things are happening so rapidly.

   We can definitely say that Revelation 11 talks about the time of wrath.

   Rev_12:1-17; The signs/stars transpired just a few years ago. I did not follow this phenomenon that closely. And, by the way, we are still here—bummer. But it alerts us that time is drawing to a close. This theme carries through to verse 17.

   Rev_13:1-18). Gives us an overview of the beasts that comes to a conclusion with the antichrist. One that gives so many a problem is this:

   “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.” Revelation 13:3 NKJV.

   Far too many portray this head as a human; it is NOT. The Revelation explains that all these, until the last one, are kingdoms and empires, so why change the pattern now.

   I believe that the head that appeared to sustain a mortal wound was the Ottoman Caliphate, a Muslim empire. Taken down in 1924 by the British, they immediately began rebuilding through the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

   The Islamic Revolution in 1979 seemed to awaken a sleeping giant, that has become a thorn in all our flesh. Look around you, we are surrounded by Muslims on every side, and they are a people that live by passages in the Quran and teachings of Imams that tell them to kill the infidel where ever you can find them. For your information, those who do not adhere to the Quran are infidels.

Dake states that “All this prophecy from Mat_24:15 on must be fulfilled the last 3 1/2 years of this age.”

There were 9 more scripture references from Dake's Bible notes, but I have already overwhelmed many of you.

If you read the narratives about the antichrist and this covenant, you will find that Israel is not mentioned. In all of them. Can we make logical assumptions? Yes, but to say they are all talking about Israel is pure conjecture and something that we need to be cautious about.

A layman's commentary on Matthew 24, verses 16 - 28. Let those in Judea flee to the mountains.

 We are now in chapter five of my Layman’s commentary on Matthew 24, and we are in the section identified by the publishers as the,

Abomination of Desolation.

Matthew 24:15 tells us this -

“Therefore when you see the ‘ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),” NKJV

The abomination, as described by Daniel, does not take place until the midpoint of the seven years of God’s wrath. 

I am trying to avoid the perpetual doubt and confusion associated with the terminology “the tribulation.” Why? Because we have for far too long ignored the fact that Jesus said, in this world, you will have tribulation. That means our daily lives may be associated with extremes of hardship and adversity. When these words were spoken by Jesus, most of those who listened to Him lived lives of daily attempts at survival.

Aside from what Scripture tells us, I cannot decisively tell you what the image will look like. 

• It is an image. This could easily be a statue or an animatronic device. 

• Because he (it is unclear whether this refers to the antichrist or the false prophet) makes it talk, we must assume it has a mouth. So this thing will dish out orders, commands, and perhaps demands, such as bowing before the image of the beast and worshiping it.

• Since the term beast is assigned to both the antichrist and Satan, and only a few have ever seen Satan (or Allah,) then our only logical assumption is that the image is an image of the antichrist. 

• None of us earth dwellers will know who this man is until after the church is removed from the earth. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:3,7,8)

• The beast is a spiritual entity, a demon or fallen angel, and a man who will be possessed by, at minimum, one powerful demon or fallen angel.

• The image is defined as the abomination. 

A definition of abomination can read like this, extreme hatred, abhorrence, defilement, and pollution. Look at other translations, and you will see that it is the image that causes the defilement and appears to be the hatred against the Jews and the tribulation saints.

“So when you see the abomination that causes desolation spoken about through the prophet Daniel standing in the Holy Place” (let the reader understand the allusion),” 
Matthew 24:15 CJB

This brings us to Matthew 24: 16-20.

"then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.” 
Matthew 24:16-20 NKJV

You have to admit that some have specific instructions.

One goes something like this: " Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

Where is Judea? 

It was the Southern kingdom, but now it is considered the southernmost region of Israel, near Petra. 

Where, in general, are the mountains Jesus may be referring to? 

The most commonly mentioned mountains are in the northern region called the Megiddo Valley, which borders Syria and Lebanon. While some would tell you that Jerusalem is the closest thing they have to a mountain, there is a range of mountains South of the Dead Sea, near the Negev and the area of Petra in Jordan.

This may be what Jesus is talking about. Look at what else He told them. 

[I must remind you that virtually everything in the Torah, and a significant percentage of the New Testament, is focused on Israel and the return of the Messiah – the Day of the Lord.]

• “Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.”

  Why say anything about that? In the midst of the October 7^th attacks, did people have time to pack? No, they just hid or jumped in cars and tried to flee.

• “And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.”

  If you have paid attention to what happened at the music festival, some tried to go back and rescue friends. That turned out to be a horrid decision for them, and they, too, were killed.

• “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!”

  God forbid you should ever say, this baby is a burden, but it is just one more thing to cause you grief as you try to move quickly or hide because Hamas has proven that committing horrors has no age limit.

• “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”

  Think about the fact that He is talking about devout and religious Jews. Jews that have to uphold religious laws that restrict the distance you can travel. [A Jew was permitted to travel 2,000 cubits on the Sabbath (Exod. 16: 29 and Num. 35: 5), about 1.2 km. (¾ mile), and the Mount of Olives was within this distance from Jerusalem (Acts 1: 12).] https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/middle-east/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories#:~:text=travel%20advice%3A%20Health-,Local%20laws,the%20Sabbath%20may%20offend%20people.

  Imagine having to flee but only being permitted to travel ¾ of a mile. That would be a hopeless situation.

In all of this, your head should be screaming, when does this all happen?

I want so badly to tell you that this event is exclusive to the midpoint of the seven years and beyond, but horrors of this magnitude are already occurring, and you can't blame them on God, for it is people lost in their religious beliefs, who believe they are doing the will of their god – Allah.

So, although deadly events will occur throughout the seven years, the intensity of violence will ramp up at the three-and-one-half-year mark within the seven years and will heighten as the high priest—otherwise known as the false prophet—decides to make himself known to the world.

The following demonstrates that the Lord is involved in the wrath within the seven years.

“For the Lord shall judge by fire, and by his sword unto all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many.”
Isaiah 66:16 DRB

“And the Lord shall make the glory of his voice to be heard, and shall shew the terror of his arm, in the threatening of wrath, and the flame of devouring fire: he shall crush to pieces with whirlwind, and hailstones.”
Isaiah 30:30 DRB

Moving on.

“for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.”
Matthew 24:21-22 MKJV

• “for then shall be great tribulation,”

  This is in excess of how the time period begins. Let me give you an example.

  “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures like a sound of thunder, saying, Come and see. And I saw. And behold a white horse! And he sitting on it had a bow. And a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, Come and see. And another, a red horse, went out. And power was given to him sitting on it, to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. And there was given to him a great sword.” Revelation 6:1-4 MKJV

  The rider on the white horse is the antichrist. Though he is associated with the word peace, don't be deceived; he is carrying a bow, and so the truth be known: There will be bloodshed related to this man.

  The second seal, related to the seven years of wrath, brings us the red horse. Notice that it says, “and power was given to him... to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another.” Did you catch that? It says "they." Now, that could be a generalization referring to anyone from the nations, or it could be referring to military forces who are enforcing the will of “governing bodies.”

  Now, ask yourself a question. If Revelation is chronological and Revelation 6:1 shows us the initiation of God's wrath, then is there ever a time of peace, especially considering what the WEF and WHO are currently doing while the church is still here. Remember, there is NO antichrist as long as the church is still here.

• “ for then shall be (a) great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time,”

  Because our conversation concerns the abomination of desolation, the word “then” refers to the midpoint of said wrath.

  Seriously, since the beginning of the world? Virtually every despot has brought horrendous devastation and slaughter, and the associated deaths will surpass your most vivid imagination.

• “But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.”

  Many were taught, though disrespectfully, that the world revolved around the followers of Jesus Christ; they do not, we were merely grafted in to the stock, which is Israel.

  Who then are the elect?

  To be elect is not a self appointment, but clearly we are talking about the Jews and even more so about those who have controlled people and suppressed the Word of God – the Rabbis.

“Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ! Or, There! Do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect.”
Matthew 24:23-24 MKJV

• “Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ! Or, There! Do not believe it.”

  Consider the context. The world is crashing down on the Jews and saints, “Christ followers.” This idea of Christ’s followers is odd because it initially applied to the church, which had been caught up to be with Jesus three and one-half years before. What makes them saints now is their hearts turning toward God and the “testimony” associated with their actions- and, unfortunately, getting their heads lopped off.

  How laughable is this. But wait, Jesus said,

• “if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect.” 

  How is this possible since these are the teachers of Israel? 

  The answers to the question might have much to do with this; the two witnesses from God who have been standing in the streets of Jerusalem preaching about Jesus the Messiah (I assume). But it’s not just the preaching; it’s the signs (and we may not have the details on all that they demonstrated - such as the fire that emits from their mouths should anyone attempt to harm them, and they stop the rain. (Doesn’t it make you wonder how the average citizen would know the rain had been stopped over a particular parcel of land?)

  As I was meditating on this very thing a short time ago, I was amazed at how odd it is. At about this same time, I ran across a video of an African nation where a man in regal attire declared that he was Jesus. Not only that, but he is proclaiming others to be the reanimation of the prophets and the apostles of the New Testament. How believable are this man’s actions? Consider that Jesus was a Middle Eastern Jew with olive-colored skin which was flailed mercilessly with a whip, which had sharp shards integrated into the whip; He was nailed to a cross; His side was pierced with a sword or spear; dead, He was taken from the cross and placed into a tomb where a large stone was rolled over the opening, and He rose from the dead after the third day. As far as I know, none of those things are exhibited in this man, and if they are, I would understand that we are dealing with the demonic.

  And yet, the number of people following this deceived human being is growing. Even worse, he is not the only one.

“Behold, I have told you beforehand.” Matthew 24:25 MKJV

The Albert Barnes commentary states, “The reason why he told them before was that they might be on their guard, and be prepared for those calamities.”

Ezekiel tells us of warning the righteous person – the elect. They will surely live because they took a warning. 

“If you warn the righteous person not to sin and the righteous person does not sin, he will surely live, because he took warning. You will have delivered your soul.” 

Ezekiel 3:21 TLV

I do not believe that your survival is the point here, but obedience certainly is, and Israel’s spiritual leaders are more concerned about obedience to laws and not the spirit of God. 

Jesus also emphasized that telling the listeners beforehand would demonstrate His love for them.

"From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.”
John 13:19 NASB

And He wants to prevent them from stumbling.

“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling.” 
John 16:1 NASB

Back to the context. 

“So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.” 
Matthew 24:26 NASB

In his Bible notes, Finis Jennings Dake stated that this refers to “Anyone claiming to be Christ.”

What are the warnings to those living on Earth at this time? 

“Do not go out” there and try to see him and, even more straightforward, “do not believe “these people.

Jesus ends this section with two cryptic messages.

“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Matthew 24:27 NASB

This has a similar feel to time that Jesus was explaining the Holy Spirit and the new birth. In that case it was the wind that was dancing across the patio, but here, the lightning is flashing across a clouded sky and everyone, for miles and miles, can see it.

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 3:6-8 NASB

His coming will be no mystery; in fact, He explained, in great detail, the chain of events that will alert those still alive, as to when He is coming back as the Messiah and when.

Here is the second of those cryptic messages.

"Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

Matthew 24:28 NASB

For the majority of my seventy years, verse 28 has made no sense to me. Suddenly, I can visualize a bit of what He is saying. 

Death, during the seven years, will be an ongoing thing. 

• There will be death at the hands of humans.

  Consider Haiti, where cannibal gangs are killing, roasting, and eating the dead.

• We are told that the wild beasts will attack people and kill or eat them.

• “World leaders,” I say it like this because we already have, too, many who are self-appointed, trying to run the nations, are already actively killing millions. 

• An angel on an ashen horse will be released for the express purpose of killing a fourth of the earth’s population. The techniques they use include the sword, famine, and pestilence.

  Pestilence is the Greek word thánatos and also means plague, pests, and disease.

In case you have been living under a rock, these so-called “world leaders” have been financing and creating plagues while resurrecting several others that should have stayed gone. Perhaps this is the reason that so many undocumented people have been allowed to cross the borders of America. 

Is it that the corpses will be gathered and placed in a particular area? I don't think so. It comes across as there are just that many deaths globally.

The context has much to do with the time frame, three-and-one-half years after the introduction of the antichrist, and the false prophet, as the Islamic prophecies call for, will be the orchestrator of the majority of these deaths.

Vultures or flesh-eating eagles, as several translations declare it, are symbolic and represent:

• Jesus words to John in Revelation.

  “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid heaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”
  Revelation 19:17-18 NASB

• Dake's bible conveys that this is “Where the dead bodies are slain at Armageddon.”

  While that is possible, it is an assertion and an assumption that this is referring to the battle of Armageddon.

  If you do a word search for the word Armageddon, in the King James Bible, you will only find one reference, and it is in Revelation 16:16.

  The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.”
  Revelation 16:12-14 NASB

  And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.
  Revelation 16:16 NASB

  Armageddon. i.e., hill of slaughter, *S# G717. i.e., Mount of Decision or Sentence (UCRT)

Dr. J Vernon McGee tells us. “It means “Mount of Megiddo.” It is a compound word made up of the Hebrew words Har, meaning “mountain,” and Megiddo, which is a mount in the plain of Esdraelon. ... It is one of the most fertile valleys I have ever seen. I guess it is the most fertile valley in the world today. And, it is a place where many battles have been fought in the past.”

Lastly, the people who choose to fight will come to the Meggido Valley in preparation for the colossal battle that Jesus will participate in just before the millennial reign of Christ.

If you choose to reject Christ, then your fate will be put in the hands of an angry God, and you will have to endure, should you survive or get your head lopped off for your faith and testimony. 

Bypass all that and turn your life over to Him now; you will escape the wrath of God and live forever with Him in paradise.