Let us look at scripture and see what we can find.

Matthew 24:1-3
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
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.
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?
Jesus here is asked by his disciples 3 things. When would all these things be? What would be the sign of His return to Earth? What would it look like at the end of the world.

First, to understand this passage of scripture, we must take the entire chapter in context. If we take the chapter out of it's context, then we will run into problems. So to who is Jesus speaking here? The disciples. Who are the disciples? Those who have been his followers. Devoted their lives to Him.

So with that in mind, let us continue.
Matt 24:4-13
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

He is still speaking to the disciples here. Now he says that they would be delivered up to be afflicted. They would be killed. They would be hated because of him and his name.

(Let us stop for a brief moment. While it is true that the Jews have been persecuted because of their rejection of Jesus. But it is not because that they hold Jesus name higher than any name. It is not because they refused to leave the name of Jesus. The disciples, soon after the death of Jesus started to suffer because of the name of Jesus.

Acts 5:40-42
40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

These men not only refused to let down the name of Jesus, but they rejoiced to be able to suffer for his name. They departed their beating, rejoicing! And we wonder why most of the churches today do not have the gifts of the spirit working among them. Let us never depart from the faith that the apostles bled and died for.)

Jesus here tells them that many more things would happen. Love would wax cold. False prophets would arise. But those that endured to the end, would be saved. This is key here. What was one of the questions which the disciples asked him? What would the end of the world be. So Jesus, speaking in the context of the question asked, tells them that he who endured to the end would be saved.

Also notice the change of personal pronoun here as well. He has been speaking to the disciples using ye and you. Letting them know that he is speaking directly to them. Referrencing the church. But now he changes to the indirect pronoun "he". Not speaking about or to anybody in particular. This "he" can include those within his hearing or anybody else He would make referrence to.

Matt 24:14-20
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
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:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

Now once again Jesus explains when the end of the world would come. After the gospel had been preached to all the world for a witness. Then, He said, the end would come. Now notice what comes next.

Verse 15, when ye shall see. He draws his attention back to the disciples here, calling upon the personal pronoun ye. Once again he has directed his following comments to the future church. So what does he say?

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet...

He tells them when ye or when you (future church) see the AoD, which was referrenced by Daniel. Then he gives instructions on what to do after this event. Verse 16 he changes back to the indirect pronoun "them". Let "them" in Judaea to flee to the mountains. Let "him" not come down to take anything from the house. He is not speaking directly to the disciples, but rather to those in Judaea at this time. Which could include the disciples, but he does not want to exclude it to them. Hence the change of pronouns used.

But then notice verse 20. He wants to make sure that the disciples (future church) knew that they were also included in this. He then says "pray ye that your flight...."

Matt 24:21-25
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.

Now Jesus here states that at this time, the Great Tribulation would begin. Then He continues by stating that for the elect's sake, the days would be shortened. Then He turns His attention back to the disciples. "If any man shall say to you..." Then he tells them not to believe it, not to be deceived by these false Christs.

But then in verse 24 Jesus states that these false Christs would arise with great signs and wonders. That if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect. He has told them. He warned them, the elect, the future church. I have warned you. But he thinks enough of it, that it bares repeating again.

Matt 24:26-28
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Now he has repeated this warning to them, the elect, not to be deceived. Not to follow after them. Then he continues to tell them that His coming would be like lightning.

Matt 24:29-31
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Now notice, immediately after the tribulation. The sun would be darkened, the moon would stop shining, the stars would fall, the heavens would be shaken.

Then Jesus answers their final question. When His return would be. Verse 30. And THEN shall appear the sign of the Son of Man... At this point, He sends his angels with the sound of a trumpet, to gather together his elect. Remember who the elect were? The disciples who He warned not to be deceived by the false Christs.

Here we can see conclusive evidence that, in fact, the church will see the AoD and subsequent Great Tribulation Period.

1Thes 4:16-18
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.