The voice of mirth, gladness, the bridegroom, and the bride and lighted candles and the sound of millstones were removed not only from Judah but also from the surrounding nations. Right away we can see a spiritual connotation because of Revelation 18:23, “And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” In other words, the natural picture, from which we can extrapolate valuable information, is a past historical fulfillment that embodies a prophecy of the future. As we continue, we will become more and more convinced that chapter 25 was not wholly fulfilled by the king of Babylon and his confederates, for some of the details did not happen back there but are prophesied elsewhere as events in the near future.

Matthew 24 is called the “Lord’s Great Prophecy.” The chapter is jam packed with pertinent prophetic information for the Christian living in our day. His disciples asked him, what would be the sign of his coming [parousia--presence], and the end of the age. The answer he gives is far deeper and broader than even they could understand.

Every decision we make has a bearing on our Christian character and our ultimate outcome. The decision to become a Christian, is a decision unto death! The decision to do right or wrong, or stand up or shut up has the power to deal death blows to either the Old Man (the old nature) or to the New Man (Our Spirit Nature). Just as John the Baptist stood up for what was right and cost him his earthly life, we as Christians are called to make similar “Deadly Decisions.”