For Christians today, Matthew 24 is not a description of the Church's Rapture; it is Jesus' tribulation teaching to Israel about the signs leading to His visible Second Coming.
Les Feldick teaches that Matthew 24 is entirely 'tribulation ground' and contains no church-age doctrine. The passage is addressed to the twelve disciples and, through them, the nation of Israel. Its primary significance for believers today is to distinguish the secret Rapture of the Church—revealed through Paul—from the visible Second Coming, and to show that present world troubles are preparation for the tribulation, not the tribulation itself.
Matthew 24:3 — The disciples' question sets up the entire discourse and shows the chapter is about the sign of Christ's coming and the end of the age.
Matthew 24:15 — This verse points to the abomination of desolation at the midpoint of the seven-year tribulation, which Les identifies as tribulation ground.
In Matthew 24:3, as Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately and asked, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" At the opening of the chapter, Jesus had already told them, "See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (Matthew 24:2). Jesus then began to describe what would follow, warning, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:4-5). Later, in Matthew 24:15, Jesus explicitly refers to "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place."
Les Feldick repeatedly identifies Matthew 24 as 'tribulation ground.' He says, "Matthew 24 is all tribulation. There is no church age doctrine in here whatsoever" (Clip 3). He also stresses that Jesus is speaking to the twelve on the Mount of Olives and, through them, to the nation of Israel: "This is no Gentile language in here whatsoever" (Clip 5). The disciples' question in verse 3 about the sign of His coming and the end of the age opens the seven-year tribulation, and verse 15 marks its midpoint (Clips 1, 4, 7). Les uses Matthew 24 as the prime example of a Second Coming passage. He contrasts it with the Rapture, the meeting in the air, which he says the rest of the Bible knew nothing about; it was a secret revealed through the Apostle Paul (Clip 0). For believers today, the practical point is that Matthew 24 does not describe the Church being caught up. Instead, current world conditions are like the preparation before the curtain rises in a high-school drama—they may show events are drawing closer, but they do not mean the tribulation is already underway (Clip 6).
Jesus is alone with the twelve disciples on the Mount of Olives when they ask, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Les Feldick says Jesus is speaking to the twelve and, through them, to the whole nation of Israel. He emphasizes that the language is not Gentile language and that all of Matthew 24 and 25 is spoken to Israel.
Les's reason is that the events in Matthew 24 belong entirely to the seven-year tribulation. Verse 3 sets the scene with the disciples' question; verses 1-14 describe the things that open the seven years—wars, famines, pestilences, and deceivers; and verse 15 brings the reader to the midpoint, when the abomination of desolation stands in the holy place. Because of this structure, Les maintains there is no church-age doctrine in the chapter.
Les says Matthew 24 is the prime example of how the Old Testament and the Gospel accounts refer to Christ's coming—not as the Rapture, but as the visible Second Coming. The Rapture, when believers are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, is something the rest of the Bible knew nothing about; it was a secret revealed through the Apostle Paul. Matthew 24 instead looks ahead to Christ standing on the Mount of Olives at the end of the tribulation.
Les says no. He compares present conditions to the weeks of preparation before the curtain rises on a high-school drama: there is practicing, props to gather, and advertising—everything builds up for opening night. In the same way, world troubles may resemble the setting of Matthew 24 and show that the tribulation is drawing closer, but they are not the tribulation itself.
At Matthew 24:15, Jesus speaks of "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place." Les places this at the midpoint of the seven-year tribulation. He explains that Daniel says the Antichrist will move down into Jerusalem in the middle of the week, causing Israel to flee.
Rapture vs. Second Coming
Les uses Matthew 24 as the clearest Gospel example that Christ's coming in the Gospels refers to the visible Second Coming, not the Rapture; the Rapture was a secret revealed through Paul.
Matthew 24 and the Tribulation
The disciples' question in Matthew 24:3 leads into a description of the seven-year tribulation, with the white horse of Revelation 6 as a parallel to the Antichrist.
Context of the Twelve
Les warns against ignoring Scriptures that don't fit a teaching, and points out that the twelve first confront Jesus on the Mount of Olives.
No Church-Age Doctrine
Les states plainly that Matthew 24 is all tribulation and has no church-age doctrine; the opening temple prophecy points to the Roman siege under Titus.
Midpoint of the Tribulation
Les reads Matthew 24:15 as the midpoint of the tribulation: verses 1-14 show famines, wars, and pestilences opening the seven years, and verse 15 moves to the abomination.
Addressed to Israel
Jesus' words in Matthew 24:15 are directed to the twelve and the nation of Israel, with no Gentile language; the Antichrist comes from Western Europe to Jerusalem.
Preparation, Not the Tribulation
Les uses the high-school drama analogy to show current events are only preparation leading up to the tribulation, not the tribulation itself.
All of Chapter 24 Is Tribulation
Les maintains all of Matthew 24-25 is addressed to Israel, and even the introductory verses 1-14 belong to the seven-year tribulation.
Matthew 24:2: And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Jesus' opening prophecy of the temple's destruction sets the scene for the disciples' question.
Matthew 24:3: And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
The disciples ask for the sign of Christ's coming and the end of the age—the question that frames the whole chapter.
Matthew 24:4-5: And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Jesus' first warning about deceivers is part of the tribulation events Les says begin the seven years.
Matthew 24:15: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
This abomination of desolation marks the midpoint of the tribulation for Israel, according to Les.
Les Feldick says Matthew 24 is tribulation ground and is addressed to the twelve disciples and, through them, to the nation of Israel. It has no church-age doctrine and no Gentile language.
Les teaches that Matthew 24 is a prime Second Coming passage. The Rapture—the meeting in the air—is a separate secret revealed through the Apostle Paul, not something described in Matthew 24.
No. Les compares present conditions to the preparation before the curtain rises, not the opening night. World troubles may resemble the tribulation and indicate it is closer, but they are not the tribulation itself.
Jesus says it is the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place. Les places it at the midpoint of the seven-year tribulation, when the Antichrist moves into Jerusalem.
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