Having a working knowledge of the Bible’s prophetic “blueprints” will not only help us to understand future events relating to the end times, but will also help us to discover who we are as a people in the eyes of YHVH, where we have come from, where we are presently, and where we are going—that is, what the future holds for us, and what our spiritual destiny and divine inheritance will be. Only then can we begin to understand the end-time prophetic events leading up to the second coming of Yeshua and what our divinely mandated mission as obedient disciples of Yeshua is to be during these times.

As we begin to examine Matthew chapters 24 and 25 (the Olivette Discourse), it is important first to note the chronological positioning of Yeshua’s prophecy in the context of the passages before and after Matthew chapteer 24. The chapters that precede Matthew 24 prophetically speak of precursory events leading up to the second coming of Yeshua, while the chapter that follows Matthew 24 prophetically delineate events that occur after his return.

With this larger context in view, it becomes evident that Matthew 24 sits like a diamond in the midst of a brilliant gold setting. The larger picture speaks of the order of end time events pertaining to the second coming of Yeshua the Messiah, our beloved King, Redeemer and Savior. What follows below is a chronology of events as Matthew lays them out, more or less, in the order in which they will occur prophetically in the end times.

• Matthew 16:13–20, At last, the disciples openly recognize and confess that Yeshua is truly the Messiah. The lesson for us in this is that knowing the true identity of Yeshua is critical to understanding end time events, since he is the central figure in everything pertaining thereto. The location of Yeshua’s discussion with his disciples in Matthew 16 was Caesarea Philippi (v. 13), which was located at the base of Mount Hermon, the tallest mountain in that region of the Middle East. The pagans of that area viewed Mount Hermon as the mountain of their chief god Baal. Caesarea Philippi was also the location of the Grotto of Pan, a Greek god who was the lord of the mountains, sexual fertility, the wilderness, caves and grottoes. In ancient times at the Grotto of Pan there was located a temple dedicated to Pan and that grotto or cave was viewed as “the gate of hell” or hades. Yeshua makes reference to this in verse 18, when he declares that the gates of hell (Gr. hades) will not prevail against his church (Gr. ecclesia or “called out people”). What is going on here? Yeshua is literally throwing down the gauntlet and making a declaration to Satan and his demonic underlings that he is coming to establish his kingdom on earth and that the powers of darkness will never be able to prevail against him or his chosen people, and that he was giving power and authority to his servants to overcome Satan and his minions. Therefore, he was putting Satan on notice that his time is limited and that his tenure as the god of this world is coming to an end.
• Matthew 16:21–28, Here Yeshua predicts his death and resurrection. Peter struggles to comprehend that Yeshua, the long-awaited Messiah, must first fulfill his mission as the Suffering Servant as man’s Redeemer as opposed to being the Conquering King to defeat Roman rule and oppression. As the Suffering Servant prophesied in Isaiah 53, Yeshua had to die at the hands of the people and then resurrect from the grave after the third day. It took a while for the disciples to hitch their wagon to the concept that Yeshua would first have to die, resurrect from the dead, before returning as the Conquering King. Yeshua then goes one to declare that all his disciples must likewise follow in his footsteps and embrace the way of the cross before they can rule and reign with him in his coming millennial kingdom (Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6 cp. Exod 19:6; Isa 66:21; Dan 7:18).
• Matthew 17:1–13, This event, commonly called the transfiguration, likely occurred on Mount Hermon, recognized by the pagans as a satanic high place (as discussed previously above). Here Yeshua’s gives his disciples a further revelation about his second coming in power and glory. But first Yeshua shows his disciples that this will happen only after he has suffered at the cross and has risen again. Yeshua makes a clear delineation between his first coming and his second coming. As part of the transfiguration vision, Moses and Elijah appear. Many Bible students believe that these two notable Old Testament figures will be two witnesses who will precede Yeshua’s second coming as prophesied in Revelation 11:1–14. Thus, this seems to be yet another revelation about events that will occur before the second coming.
• Matthew 17:14–21, In this episode, a young boy is healed of demonic possession. Yeshua’s disciples are unable to cast out the demon. Yeshua, on the other hand, quickly and easily sets the boy free and declares that some demonic entities cannot be overcome except through prayer and fasting. At Yeshua’s second coming and just prior to the establishment of his universal, millennial kingdom on earth, he will himself sublimate all demonic forces including his arch-enemy, Satan, who an unnamed angel will cast bound into the bottomless pit (Rev 20:1–3). There the devil will be imprisoned unable to torment or deceive humanity during the 1000 year-long Millennium. After the Millennium comes the White Throne Judgment where Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever (Rev 20:10).
• Matthew 17:22–23, Yeshua predicts Judas’ betrayal. Likewise in the end times just prior to Yeshua’s second coming, many Christian believers, like Judas, will turn away from Yeshua in the great falling away or apostasy predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12.
• Matthew 17:24–27, This is where Yeshua pays his taxes to Caesar and instructs his disciples to do the same. The predictive lesson here is that in the end times, YHVH’s people will be enslaved to the world’s economic system until the sounding of the jubilee trumpet (or shofar) on the Day of Atonement which signals the fall of Babylon the Great (Rev 18). This will occur at Yeshua’s second coming when the saints will once and for all be set free from the tyranny and slavery to this world’s satanic, antichrist system commonly known as The New World Order, or in Bible prophecy as Babylon the Great.
• Matthew 18:1–5, Here Yeshua talks about the requirements for entering his kingdom. He points out that only those who have been converted from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, and who will become like little children in their spiritual demeanor can be members of the kingdom of Elohim.
• Matthew 18:6–9, Yeshua then warns against offenses. Those who offend his little (spiritual) children, of whom is the kingdom of heaven, will be in danger of the Lake of Fire judgment.
• Matthew 18:10–14, Next Yeshua teaches an important lesson in the Parable of the Lost Sheep. He is in the sheep regathering business including the lost sheep of the house of Israel, which he considers to be a main aspect of his ministry’s mission (Matt 15:24). The regathering of his sheep that had been lost and scattered among the nations began at Yeshua’s first coming, continued through the ongoing work of his disciples (Matt 10:6), and continues to this day as a fulfillment of the Great Commission (Acts 1:6–8 cp. Matt 28:18–20; Mark 16:14–18). This mission will continue up to his second coming and on into the Millennium, which in the Jewish sages refer to as “the final redemption” or that Isaiah alludes to like a second exodus (Isa 11:11) of the tribes of Israel in fulfillment of numerous Old Testament prophecies.
• Matthew 18:15–19:12, Now Yeshua goes into a long teaching about sins committed by one brother against another brother and how to bring about reconciliation between the opposite parties (Matt 18:15–20). After this, Yeshua talks about forgiveness between people who are at odds with each other. He teaches that forgiveness has no limits. Next, Yeshua discusses the subject of divorce and remarriage (Matt 19:1–10). In all of three of these teachings, Yeshua is alluding to the two houses of Israel, which have been at odds with each other ever since the united kingdom of Israel under David and Solomon divided under King Rehoboam . Their reuniting is prophesied in the Tanakh (most notably in Ezek 37:15–28), and is a key event that will coincide with the second coming of Yeshua, who is also known by his Hebraic title, Messiah Son of David. This long-awaited event has been written about by the Jewish sages for many years. However, this biblical truth has largely been ignored or forgotten by Christianity. This begs the question: who are the lost and scattered sheep of the two houses of Israel? They are the scattered descendents of the Northern Kingdom of Israel who, in a general sense, have become the modern Christians, and the Southern Kingdom who are the modern Jews. YHVH-Yeshua in his preincarnate state was married to Israel but divorced his wife (both the northern and southern kingdoms) because of their unfaithfulness to him (Ezekiel chapter 16). But when he returns, he will remarry a reunited Israelite bride comprised of both Jews and Christians.
• Matthew 19:13–15, Next Yeshua blesses the little children and again stresses the point that only those of childlike demeanor will be members of his kingdom of heaven on earth.
• Matthew 19:16–30, After this, we have Yeshua’s encounter with the rich young ruler who is a symbol of Torah-obedient Jews. The lesson here is that the Jews will have a place in Yeshua’s kingdom if they are both obedient to YHVH’s Torah and are also followers of Yeshua the Messiah.
• Matthew 20:1–19, In the Parable of the Laborers, Yeshua talks about the landowner (i.e., Yeshua), the vineyard (i.e., Israel and the world) and those who have been laboring in his vineyard (i.e., his disciples). All disciples who are working to gather in the spiritual harvest of lost souls will receive the same “wages” for their labor, which is the free gift of salvations regardless of the length of their service.
• Matthew 20:17–19, Yeshua again speaks of his crucifixion and resurrection. This must first happen before his millennial kingdom can come.
• Matthew 20:20–28, Then Yeshua’s disciples query him about their positions of authority in his kingdom. They are still of the mindset that he is the Conquering King as opposed to the Suffering Servant. Yeshua informs them how positions of responsibility in his kingdom will be given to those who have a servant’s heart, and who are willing to lay down their lives for Yeshua even as he was about to lay down his life for everyone.
• Matthew 20:29–34, Next Yeshua heals two blind men. This is a prophetic picture of Yeshua healing the two houses of Israel at his second coming, which are both blind in part spiritually (Isa 8:14; Rom 11:25). The
  Christians are largely blind to Elohim’s Written Torah, while the Jews are blind to Yeshua the Messiah who is the Living Torah-word of Elohim (John 1:1, 14; Rom 10:5–7 cp. Deut 30:11–14). When the eyes of both people-groups are unblinded and the see for the first time the fullness of who Yeshua is, they will unite in obedient worship of him. This is when the two divided kingdoms of Israel reunite under King Yeshua (see Ezekiel 37:15–28).
• Matthew 21:1–11, After this, we have Yeshua’s famous triumphal entry into Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion. Yeshua enters Jerusalem riding on a colt, but with a mare accompanying the colt. This speaks prophetically of his second coming, when he will enter Jerusalem again riding a white war horse (Rev 19:11). The colt and mare speak of his duel messianic role as the Suffering Servant (Messiah Son of Joseph) at his first coming, and of his messianic role as the Conquering King (Messiah Son of David) at his second coming.
• Matthew 21:12–22, In his journey to Jerusalem to confront the greedly spiritual leaders, Yeshua curses the fig tree, a picture of the fruitless and largely Torahless, Jewish religious system of his day. He then cleanses the temple of its secular defilement due to greed and the love of money when he upended the money-changers’ tables. Similarly, most modern religious leaders whether Jewish or Christian are hirelings and are controlled by their love of money and power. Yeshua will upend these corporate religious systems and raise up ministers after his own heart who have not given themselves over to greed and covetousness. Malachi prophesies that Messiah will cleanse his spiritual house at his second coming, when he suddenly comes to his temple to purify the sons of Levi—the Levites and priests (Mal 3:1–3).
• Matthew 21:28–32, In the Parable of the Two Sons, Yeshua takes the Jewish leaders to task for being like a disobedient son, whereas the seemingly disobedient son is actually the more obedient son. Yeshua turned tables on the spiritually self-righteous Jews (of the house of Judah) who were smug in their spiritual self-assuredness. At the same time, the Christians (of the house of Israel) who they mockingly sneered at, demeaned, rejected and even murdered (they crucified Yeshua!) were actually the ones who would end up walking more faithfully in the “way of righteousness”—a Hebraic expression for “walking in the ways of Torah” (verse 32).
• Matthew 21:33–46, The Parable of the Wicked Husbandman is a brief overview of YHVH’s dealings with Israel leading up to the second coming of Yeshua, where he will judge the wicked husbandmen (the hypocritical Jewish religious leaders of his day) for not faithfully tending his vineyard (i.e., the people of Israel). To this day, the religious Jews have largely refused to accept Yeshua the Messiah, who is the owner of the vineyard.
• Matthew 22:1–14, In the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, Yeshua speaks of his upcoming wedding (at his second coming) between himself and those saints who are properly attired spiritually with robes of righteousness (Rev 19:7–9). This is a warning and wake up call to all disciples of Yeshua to get ready for his coming, for he is not coming back for a bride who is with spot and wrinkle (i.e., who have sin or Torahlessness in their lives; Eph 5:27).
• Matthew 22:23–33, Next Yeshua teaches on the resurrection of the righteous dead, which occurs at his second coming and precedes his marriage to his bride (i.e., the saints who have adhered to both the Written and Living Word of YHVH according to Rev 12:17 and 14:12). The resurrection of the dead has been the great hope of the saints from the time of Job (Job 14:14; 19:25–27) until now.
• Matthew 22:41–46, Yeshua then teaches about King David and the Messiah the Son of David, which is another reference to his second coming as the Conquering King.
• Matthew 23, Now Yeshua gives a final rebuke to the leaders of the Jewish religious system of his day comprised of blind, greedy, self-serving and kingdom-building hypocrites. Prophetically, this is an end time warning to all spiritual leaders both Jewish and Christian to stop living as hypocrites, false teachers and duplicitous frauds, and humbly come into alignment with Yeshua and his word before the time of divine, fiery judgment comes on the earth that will reveal their true nature.
• Matthew 24, This is an extensive teaching where Yeshua answers in chronological order three questions that the disciples ask him (Matt 24:3). First he discusses events that will occur during the tribulation period, then the great tribulation followed by the resurrection or “catching away” (also known as the “rapture”) of the saints (1 Thess 4:15–18), which does not occur before the tribulation as is mistakenly taught in many modern churches. The order of events found here corresponds with those found in the Book of Revelation chapter six. 
• Matthew 25:1–13, In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Yeshua teaches that although all redeemed Christians are spiritual virgins, not all will qualify to be his bride. Only those who have properly prepared themselves spiritually will be given this higher reward of the being the greatest in his kingdom (Matt 5:19 cp. Rev 19:7–9). Elsewhere Yeshua taught that some Christians who are saved will be called the least in his kingdom while others will be called the greatest (Matt 5:19). Obviously there are levels of rewards in the kingdom of Elohim.
• Matthew 25:14–30, The Parable of the Talents teaches us that there will be different levels of rewards in the kingdom of Elohim based on one’s spiritual profitability or works of righteousness. Yeshua will hand out these rewards at his second coming (Rev 11:15–18). Again, rewards are separate from the free gift of salvation that one receives at the beginning of one’s spiritual relationship with Yeshua. Salvation is a free gift based on trusting faith in Yeshua the Messiah (Eph 2:8–9; Rom 10:9–10), while heavenly or eternal rewards are based on meritorious (Torah) works (Matt 5:19; 16:27; Rom 2:6; 2 Cor 5:10; Eph 6:8; 1 Pet 1:17; Rev 2:23; 19:8; 22:17).
• Matthew 25:31–46, Finally as a conclusion to Yeshua’s Olivette Discourse, we come to what is often called “The Judgment of the Sheep and Goat Nations.” This too will occur after Yeshua’s second coming and perhaps at the white throne judgment (Rev 20:11–15). The sheep are the nations of the world that will likely exist during Yeshua’s millennial reign. The Greek word goats in this passage is referring to young goats or kids. Kids may refer to spiritually immature people who appear to be Christians in name only but who have failed to live up to the most minimal standards of being a true follower or disciple of Yeshua. At the Great White Throne Judgment that will occur after the Millennium, all people who have ever lived will appear and some will be given salvation and the rest will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:11–15).

After this quick overview these chapters in Matthew’s Gospel, hopefully it is becoming apparent that beneath the Gospel narrative contained in chapters 16 through 25 listing a series of events and teachings in Yeshua’s life, there is a more or less chronologically-ordered subtext prophesying end time events. These will surround his second coming and beyond. In these chapters and just before his crucifixion, Yeshua leaves a blueprint or overview with his disciples of events pertaining to the kingdom of heaven, which he had just initiated and instituted among them and begun promoting, and about his regathering the lost sheep of Israel and reuniting the divided kingdoms of Israel (the house of Judah who are the Jews, and the house of Israel or Ephraim who are, loosely speaking, the Christians). These activities will be occurring up until his second advent. Then from Matthew 24 through 25, we see Yeshua prophesying about events that will occur just prior to and after his return including end-times tribulations, the great tribulation, his second coming, and his giving out rewards and judgments to his servants. 

Having a basic understanding of the events leading up to Yeshua’s second coming, as sketchy as our understanding may be, will hopefully spur Yeshua’s disciples onward and upward in the hope of their faith (Heb 11:1) and as an anchor to their soul (Heb 6:19) in troublous perilous ahead.