THE DISCIPLES QUESTION JESUS ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES (24:1-3). Having learned from Jesus as they were leaving the Temple that the wonderful buildings that they had just been looking at and admiring were to be totally demolished, as Daniel had clearly prophesied (Daniel 9:26) the party walked back thr... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way, and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.' We are probably to see here the idea that Jesus is leaving the Temple for the last time. Like the Scribes and Pharisees it too has rejected Him. Nothing now remains... [ Continue Reading ]
WORDS AFTER LEAVING THE TEMPLE ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE AND ABOUT HIS SECOND COMING (24:1-51). a Introduction in which Jesus declares that the Temple will be utterly destroyed (Matthew 24:1). b His disciples ask when it will happen, and when the end of the age/world will come (Matthew 2... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS' WORDS AFTER LEAVING THE TEMPLE ABOUT THE FUTURE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE AND ABOUT HIS SECOND COMING (24:1-26). After having prepared His disciples and would be disciples for the future (Matthew 23:1) and having exposed the Scribes and Pharisees, revealing wh... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But he answered and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, There will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down.” ' So He informed them that, wonderful and ageless though the Temple may seem to be, (and all no doubt expected it to last for h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world (age)?” ' It is probable that the disciples were still discussing this amazing statement as they made their... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS IS CONCERNED THAT THE DISCIPLES ARE NOT LED ASTRAY BY FUTURE HAPPENINGS (24:4). ‘And Jesus answered and said to them, “Take care that no man lead you astray.” ' Jesus is giving these warnings so that none who follow Him might be led astray by events of the future. Men have always had weird i... [ Continue Reading ]
1) OUTLINE OF THE GENERAL FUTURE OF THE WORLD DESCRIBING THE INITIAL BIRTH PAINS OF THE NEW AGE (24:4-8). Jesus begins by outlining the coming initial sufferings of the world, the ‘birth pains' of the new age. Such, consisting of war, famine and earthquakes, etc. will cause suffering among the nati... [ Continue Reading ]
“For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah', and will lead many astray.” His first concern is that during this period many professing deliverers and saviours will arise among men, and will claim to be ‘God's anointed'. And many will be led astray by them. The importance of this to Jes... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BEGINNING OF BIRTH PAINS (THE EARLY CONTRACTIONS) (24:5-8). Jesus begins by describing the turbulent future that the world must face. This should not have been surprising to anyone who knew the Scriptures. The Old Testament is full of descriptions of war and famines and earthquakes and tribulat... [ Continue Reading ]
“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled. For it is necessary for these things to happen, but the end is not yet.” Nor were His disciples to see wars of which they heard, or even rumours of distant wars (including the wars in Judaea), as indications that His com... [ Continue Reading ]
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingship against kingship, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many different places.” Indeed the regular disasters that face men, and have always faced men, will continue on. Wars between nations will regularly occur, and rulers will fight against... [ Continue Reading ]
“But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.” So all these thing will be but the first contractions in the process leading up to His coming. There will still be a long way to go. Such birth pains which will lead up to judgment or to God's final consummation are a regular feature of Script... [ Continue Reading ]
“Then will they deliver you up to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated of all the nations for my name's sake.” Meanwhile what of His own followers? They will face tribulation, they will be killed, they will be hated by all, and all for His Name's sake, that is because they are His a... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HIS FOLLOWERS AND THOSE WHO OPPOSE THEM AT THIS TIME (24:9-14). But while these wars and disasters are going on, and on into the future, His followers will have their task to do. And in doing it His own followers must recognise that they must expect to suffer intensive persecutio... [ Continue Reading ]
“And then will many stumble (or ‘be entrapped'), and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.” Not all will go smoothly, even among His followers. The world will stumble on in its darkness, and some of those who profess to follow Him will also be ensnared by the world, and will stumbl... [ Continue Reading ]
“And many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray.” Many false prophets and teachers will arise and will lead many astray. This would include so-called prophets among His followers, and many others as well. False teaching will abound (compare Matthew 7:15; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 2:18; Jude... [ Continue Reading ]
“And because lawlessness will be multiplied, the love of the many will grow cold.” Such will be the attitude of lawlessness that permeates the world and multiplies that it will even affect some among Jesus' followers, so that the love of many will grow cold. They will have the form of godliness with... [ Continue Reading ]
“But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.” But those who would finally be saved must persevere. Endurance is required of His followers. This does not mean that all who grow cold are lost, for at times all, even the best, grow cold. It is those who remain cold because the work of the Sp... [ Continue Reading ]
“And this Good News of the Kingly Rule will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then will the end come.” Jesus finishes this solemn section on a high note. Let them not doubt that through all the experiences of His followers, their testimony will go on, so that the... [ Continue Reading ]
“When therefore you see the desolating abomination (or ‘the appalling horror') which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand),” This is telling us that during the time previously described in Matthew 24:4 a particular event will happen which... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS' ANSWER TO THE QUESTION AS TO WHEN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE THAT THEY HAD BEEN SURVEYING WOULD TAKE PLACE (24:15-21). We should note first that what is described here refers to the Jews only. Reference is made to ‘those in Judaea', and to those who would not flee on the Sabbath. And esca... [ Continue Reading ]
“Then let those who are in Judaea flee to the mountains,” And when the people of Judaea saw the danger of the armies of Rome surrounding Jerusalem they were to flee to the mountains, for the Roman search parties foraging for food would be a danger to all Jews, and once the city had fallen vengeance... [ Continue Reading ]
“Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house, and let him who is in the field not return back to take his cloak.” The necessity of acting with speed in the situation is emphasised by two examples. Those who are on the flat roofs of their houses within the cit... [ Continue Reading ]
“But woe to those who are with child and to those who are breast-feeding in those days!” And for these who fled conditions would be terrible, especially for pregnant and breastfeeding women who would have the most difficulty. For them it would indeed be a time of woe. But the whole point of these d... [ Continue Reading ]
“And pray you that your flight be not in the winter, nor on a sabbath,” They were also to pray that this flight might not be required in the winter, when the roads would be difficult to travel on, and when conditions in the mountains would be at their worst. Nor on the sabbath, which would restrict... [ Continue Reading ]
“For then will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.” And the reason for their flight would be so as to avoid ‘great tribulation and suffering' that would come on those who remained behind. First there would be the unbelievable in... [ Continue Reading ]
“And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.” ‘Those days' here probably refers back to all the days described in 4-14. Such will be the troubles that come to the world, which will get worse and worse, that were it... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SECOND COMING OF THE MESSIAH IS NOT TO BE THOUGHT OF IN TERMS OF AN EARTHLY COMING OF AN INDIVIDUAL (24:22-28). Following the destruction of the Temple and the continuation of the Jewish people in their unceasing period of great tribulation because of their rejection by God, a number of false M... [ Continue Reading ]
“Then if any man shall say to you, ‘Lo, here is the Messiah', or, ‘Here', do not believe it.” Once again He warns of the dangers of false Messiahs, those who will pretend to be on earth as the ‘anointed of God' (see Matthew 24:5). For no such genuine Messiah will ever come. Thus whether they say ‘l... [ Continue Reading ]
“For there will arise false Messiahs, and false prophets, and will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” Nevertheless they will arise. There will be false Messiahs (compare Matthew 24:5) and false prophets (compare Matthew 24:11). And they will even be ab... [ Continue Reading ]
“Behold, I have told you beforehand.” So they must remember that He has told them beforehand in order that they might not be led astray. Jesus is here putting Himself in the line of the great prophets who by their foreknowledge gave proof of their genuineness and integrity (compare Isaiah 41:22; Is... [ Continue Reading ]
“If therefore they shall say to you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness', do not go forth, ‘Behold, he is in the inner chambers,' do not believe it.” So it does not matter in what direction they are pointed, whether it be to a man or a sect in the wilderness, or to those who meet in secret places and... [ Continue Reading ]
“For as the lightning comes forth from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man.” And the reason for that is because when the Son of Man does come it will be as swift and as sudden and as glorious as a flash of lightning. It will be a heavenly, not an earthly,... [ Continue Reading ]
“Wherever the carcase is, there will the vultures be gathered together.” Jesus then cites a proverb to finish of this section of His speech. In interpreting it we should, however, keep in mind Luke 17:37. There too there is a question concerning its meaning. There the ‘gathering' of the vultures mig... [ Continue Reading ]
“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken,” ‘Immediately after the tribulation of those days.' That is, ‘once the long, tortuous tribulation of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN (24:29-31). In a remarkable contrast Jesus now brings out the glory of His coming which will make all creation pale into insignificance. It will occur when God calls time on the great tribulation suffered through the ages by the Jews. And then all that man gloried in wil... [ Continue Reading ]
“And then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then will all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” And then the great sign will be seen, the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven, Compare Acts 7:55 wher... [ Continue Reading ]
“And he will send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” And His first act on being revealed will be to gather to Him all Who are His, ‘His elect', those whom He has conscripted. They are to... [ Continue Reading ]
“Now from the fig tree learn her parable. When her branch is now become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near,” Jesus now illustrates the situation by means of a ‘parable' based on the fig tree. When in the spring the branches again begin to flow with sap, they produce... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY MUST TAKE NOTE OF THE SIGNS BUT THE DATE OF HIS COMING IS UNKNOWN (24:32-36). Jesus now makes clear to them the purpose of what He has been saying. The coming events that He has been describing which will lead up to His coming will be like the leaves on a fig tree which proclaim that the summe... [ Continue Reading ]
“Even so you also, when you see all these things, know you that he is near, even at the doors.” In the same way when ‘all these things' occur, then they will know that Jesus (or in Luke ‘the Kingly Rule of God') is near, even at the doors. From this it is clear that ‘all these things' does not inclu... [ Continue Reading ]
“Truly I say to you, This generation will not pass away, until all these things be accomplished.” But so that they will not begin to think that this means that they do not need to consider what He has been talking about because it is likely to be delayed, He assures them that ‘all these things', al... [ Continue Reading ]
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” And all that He has said is more certain and sure than the continuation of Heaven and earth. We learn here Jesus' awareness both that Heaven and earth will one day pass away, and that His own words have a permanence that reaches in... [ Continue Reading ]
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” For of the time of His coming no one knows apart from the Father. It is not even known to the angels in Heaven, or to the Son. Once again He stresses His uniqueness as the only Son, even though... [ Continue Reading ]
“And as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man.” Jesus now compares the days of Noah with the coming of the Son of Man. Both were in anticipation of judgment, and both judgments would come suddenly and unexpectedly.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS COMING, OF WHICH HE DOES NOT KNOW THE TIME, WILL BE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED (24:37-41). Just as in the days of Noah the coming of the flood was sudden and unexpected, so also will be the coming of ‘the Son of Man', that is, of ‘their Lord'. They are therefore to keep on the watch because they do... [ Continue Reading ]
“For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they did not know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man.” So sudden and unexpected woul... [ Continue Reading ]
“Then will two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.” And in the same way when the Son of Man comes two men will be working together in the field, and two women will be working at their handmills at home, and in eac... [ Continue Reading ]
“Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord comes.” So in view of this suddenness and unexpectedness of His coming all His own people are to be on watch, because they do not know when He will come. The interesting thing here is how the imminence of His coming is balanced here agains... [ Continue Reading ]
“But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken through.” Here the master of the house has clearly returned to his house and discovered that the wall has been broken through. But i... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE LIGHT OF HIS SECOND COMING ALL ARE TO WATCH WISELY AND WORK FAITHFULLY (24:43-51). There now follow a series of parables in which Jesus stresses both the need to watch and the need to work. Indeed their very watchfulness should keep them hard at work, for they are servants waiting for their... [ Continue Reading ]
“Therefore be you also ready, for in an hour that you think not, the Son of man comes.” But when it cones down to the coming of the Son of Man we cannot afford to make that mistake. We must be watching all the time, and living in the light of His coming, for He will come at an hour when we do not e... [ Continue Reading ]
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?” Jesus now goes on to indicate what ‘watching' involves. For He has not called men in order that they might gaze into the heavens. He has called them in order to serve Him. S... [ Continue Reading ]
“Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing.” And the one who is faithfully doing it when his Lord comes will be blessed by God. he will hear Him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.'... [ Continue Reading ]
“Truly I say to you, that he will set him over all that he has.” And he will not only be blessed but will be given total overall control of all that the Lord has. He will be made second only the Master himself. Now humanly speaking and in a human situation that could only happen to one person, or a... [ Continue Reading ]
“But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, ‘My lord delays', and shall begin to beat his fellow-servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken,” However, if the one appointed turns out to be an evil servant, and begins to consider that his Master is delaying his coming (although that sho... [ Continue Reading ]
“The lord of that servant will come in a day when he does not expect, and in an hour that he does not know,” For his Lord will come on a day when he is not expecting Him, and at an hour that was outside his calculations, and he will then be called to account. Like the man who had previously thought... [ Continue Reading ]
“And shall cut him apart, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.” Jesus does not draw back from the idea of the severest penalty. He will be ‘cut in two' (compare 1 Samuel 15:33; Hebrews 11:37). All that he is and has will be destroyed. And... [ Continue Reading ]