Is there going to be a seven-year tribulation? When Jesus
makes his second return, will he take some people with Him and leave others
behind? The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew serves as a text to teach many
doctrines. Confusion reigns among the people of God concerning what this Chapter
teaches. I hope to share some light on what I have received concerning this
chapter. It is my desire that this study will generate a discussion among the
learned of God’s people. Maybe this study will encourage someone with a
greater knowledge of the Word of God to make the truths of Matthew Chapter
twenty-four clearer. Let us go into this study with much prayer and looking to
the Lord.
The Twenty-fourth Chapter of Matthew is a discourse of
Jesus. If we started our lesson on the first verse of the twenty-fourth Chapter,
we will begin in the middle of what Jesus was teaching. I think that most
teachers error because they do not go back far enough to explain just what it
was that Jesus was talking about. The discourse of Jesus found in Matthew
twenty-four begins in Matthew 21:23. Let us begin our study in the Twenty-first
chapter of Matthew to help our understanding of the Twenty-fourth chapter.
Matthew 21:1-11
And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to
Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto
them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass
tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man
say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he
will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh
unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the
disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the
colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great
multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the
trees, and strewed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and
that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come
into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude
said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Our text picks up during the closing days of our Lord's
ministry on earth. Our text opens with the details concerning Christ's triumph
entry into Jerusalem. The text above reveals that Jesus’s arrival moved the
people to a spirit of celebration. We read about much rejoicing and praising
God. It seems that the people were ready to accept the Gospel of God as revealed
by His son Jesus the Christ.
Matthew 21:12-17
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all
them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the
moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is
written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den
of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed
them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he
did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of
David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these
say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of
babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? And he left them, and went out
of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
This is the first mention of Jesus coming into the temple
thus far in our study. While there he tried to teach and reason with men and
reveal God's plan for man. This trip to the temple started a chain of events
that eventually lead to Christ's crucifixion. According to Matthew, Jesus went
into the temple and started cleaning house. He ejected the moneychangers and
those that sold in the temple. The wicked received a taste of the wrath of the
Lamb. Jesus lets the people know that they could not continue with business as
usual. The message of the Gospel began to hit some people where it hurts them
the most. In this case the Gospel message hit the people in their pocket books.
People have a tendency to go along with the Gospel message if it doesn’t get
personal. Jesus made the Gospel personal. He drove from the temple those out who
did not line up with the truth. When the scribes and chief priest saw what was
going on they didn't like it. They didn't like the healing that Jesus was doing.
They didn’t like the children praising Jesus. Envy began to work its work. We
must note that the people at this time did not reject Jesus. The common people
rejoiced in his work and in his message. The spiritual leadership of the day did
not like Christ and did not want the common people to like him. This could only
spell trouble for Jesus and for his message! Our text closes revealing that
Jesus left the temple and retired to Bethany.
Matthew 21:18-22
Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he
hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found
nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee
henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the
disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and
doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if
ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;
it shall be done. and all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing,
ye shall receive.
When Jesus returned to the city, he found a fig tree without
any fruit. Jesus cursed the fig tree to the extent that it withered away. The
withered tree amazed the disciples because it withered so fast. Jesus used this
event to teach the disciples about faith. We can learn another lesson if we will
only pay attention. The fig tree is a type of Israel. Jesus spent three years in
a ministry trying to get the Jews to accept Him as the son of God. It was time
for Jesus to reap some fruit from his efforts. The fact that the fig tree
withered so fast shows how long it takes for a people to wither away under the
curse of God. Cursing the fig tree was a warning to Israel not to reject Jesus.
He wanted to find some fruit. If Jesus couldn't find any fruit, the tree was no
good. If the Jews didn't bear the right fruit, they also were only fit to be
cursed. It doesn't matter what happens in this life, we must believe God!
Matthew 21:23-27
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests
and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what
authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus
answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me,
I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of
John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? and they reasoned with themselves,
saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then
believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John
as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said
unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
After the fig tree incident, Jesus went into the temple.
Once there He began to teach the people. The chief priests and the elders didn't
like it. They challenged Jesus's authority to teach. Jesus put a question to the
chief priest to avoid the trap that they set for Him. The chief priest and the
elders refused to be wrong. Their minds were already made up concerning Jesus,
and they were not in a mood to change them. They did not accept His message, and
they did not accept Him. In rejecting Jesus, the Jews also were rejecting God.
We as the people of God must keep our minds open to hear the voice of God. The
hardness of the Jew’s hearts kept them from the truth. God help us that we
won't be afraid of hearing from heaven. The Jews were sealing their doom by
rejecting Jesus.
Matthew 21:28-32
But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he
came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and
said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the
second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first.
Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots
go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of
righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots
believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might
believe him.
Jesus told the parable above to help the elders and the
chief priest to see themselves. He was trying to show them that the despised
segments of society were the leaders in accepting Him. The religious leadership
had made up their minds before the facts were in. What they saw or heard did
nothing to influence them to change their mind about Jesus and for what he
stood.
Matthew 21:33-46
Hear another parable: There was a certain householder,
which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in
it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far
country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the
husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took
his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he
sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But
last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But
when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir;
come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him,
and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the
vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He
will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto
other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus
saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the
builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's
doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom
of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits
thereof. and whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on
whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. and when the chief
priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of
them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude,
because they took him for a prophet.
Jesus told the parable quoted above to show the chief priest
and the elders themselves. At first the chief priest and the elders could not
see themselves in this parable. The crime of the people in the parable was that
they refused to respect the owner of the vineyard. The husbandmen overthrow
every attempt by the householder to collect his fruit. Finally the husbandmen
killed the son. At this point Jesus was telling the chief priest and the elders
what was in their hearts. They wanted Jesus dead. This parable shows the
complete rejection of God and His plan for his people. Jesus warned the chief
priest and the elders that they were the husbandmen. They were the builders that
were rejecting the stone. If the chief priest and the elders would only fall on
the stone, they would be broken into the will of God. Rebellion would only cause
the stone to destroy them. We must see that Jesus last few days in the temple
was to warn the Jewish nation that their rejection of Him would only result in
their destruction. This was the last opportunity for the Jews of that day to
accept Christ before they faced the wrath of a just and holy God. God always
sends his mercy before he sends His wrath. The Jews only became more bitter at
Jesus for His attempt to cause the wrath of God to turn away from the Jews. This
is the pattern of the discourses between Jesus and the Jews before Jesus begins
his discourse in the twenty-fourth chapter. Jesus would try to warn the Jews how
to escape the wrath of God. The Jews would harden their hearts and reject Jesus
even more. Finally the mercy of God ran out!
Matthew 22:1-15
And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables,
and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a
marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden
to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants,
saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen
and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his
merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully,
and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth
his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith
he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not
worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to
the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered
together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was
furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there
a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how
camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then
said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and
cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For
many are called, but few are chosen. Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel
how they might entangle him in his talk.
The twenty-second Chapter of Matthew opens with another
parable designed to show the chief priest and the elders themselves. This
parable shows that all the chief priest and the elders had to do was attend the
wedding. Everything was prepared for them. All they had to do was show up.
Instead of coming to the wedding, the guests began to make excuses. The guest
didn’t think too much of the wedding. They down played the importance of the
wedding. They mistreated the messengers of the king and even killed some
messengers. The king in the parable declared that the guests were not worthy to
come to the wedding. The king destroyed the city of the guests and sought others
to come to the wedding. Again, the message that Jesus was trying to get over was
clear. God would send his great wrath against the Jews for rejecting his
messenger. A warning was also given that God would destroy the Jews and find his
people from among the Gentiles. The Pharisees reacted to this message by seeking
to entangle Jesus in his teaching. This makes it clear that they were rejecting
the message of truth and the messenger that brought it. The Jews had closed
their minds to God and His message. Those that reject God must make an
accounting to the same God that they reject!
Matthew 22:16-46
And they sent out unto him their disciples with the
Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of
God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person
of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto
Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me,
ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And
he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him,
Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which
are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. When they had heard these
words, they marveled, and left him, and went their way. The same day came to him
the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying,
Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry
his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven
brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no
issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third,
unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the
resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus
answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the
power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in
marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the
resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by
God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And when the multitude
heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. But when the Pharisees had
heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
Then one them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and
saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is
like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets. While the Pharisees were gathered together,
Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say
unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit
call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he
his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from
that day forth ask him any more questions.
The spiritual leadership responded to the warnings of Jesus
with rebellion. The spiritual leadership would not listen to the Word of God so
they could get help for their souls. Instead, they tried to find fault with what
Jesus taught. In the verses quoted above, we see the total rebellion of the
Jewish leadership against the Word of God. However, the same doctrine of Jesus
astonished the common people. The leadership of the Jews rebelled against it.
They were not able to refute the wisdom of Jesus's teachings. Still they refused
to acknowledge that what Jesus taught was the Word of God. This rebellion only
served to seal the doom of the Jewish nation.
Matthew 23:1-12
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore
whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their
works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be
borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them
with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men:
they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not
ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in
heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But
he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt
himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Jesus in this passage of scripture warns His disciples
against being like the scribes and the Pharisees. The scribes and the Pharisees
had the proper understanding of what the law of Moses required. However, they
refused to obey it. The disciples of Christ must not work to show off before
men. They must consider themselves servants. It was the scribes and the
Pharisees haughty spirit that prevented them from hearing the Word of God. If
they would have just humble themselves and acknowledge that they were
spiritually ignorant, God could have helped them. If the true ministers of God
stay humble, God can use them. The haughty attitude of the scribes and the
Pharisees sealed their doom!
Matthew 23:13-36
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make
long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one
proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than
yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by
the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple,
he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the
temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is
nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye
fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth
the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all
things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him
that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne
of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the
weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have
done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a
gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are
full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is
within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres,
which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones,
and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but
within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish
the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our
fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the
prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of
them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye
serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some
of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your
synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the
righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the
blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the
altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
The above text contains Jesus's response to the Jewish
leadership’s rebellion. Jesus pronounced one woe after another against the
Jewish leadership. Hard headed rebellious people must face the wrath of God.
Jesus stated that all the woes pronounced against the scribes and Pharisees
would come upon that generation. This must be kept in mind when we read the
prophesy that Jesus utters in the following chapter.
Matthew 23:37-39
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and
stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy
children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye
would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye
shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord.
At this point Jesus left off his pronouncements against the
Jewish leadership. The language found in the verses above show that Jesus was
willing to forgive the Jews for the sins of their past. However, they would have
to break off their rebellion and accept the message that He brought them from
God. The record of the Jewish reaction to Jesus’s teaching since the
twenty-first chapter shows that the Jews had no intention of accepting Jesus or
his message. Jesus tried to warn them that grace was running out. The Jews
rejected that message and sought ways to destroy Him. Therefore, Jesus declared
that the Jewish nation would be left desolate. We know from subsequent chapters
that the Jewish leadership was successful in causing the common people to rise
against Jesus also. This made the rebellion against God complete.
Matthew 24:1-2
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his
disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 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.
The twenty-third chapter closed out with Jesus denouncing
the Jewish Nation for their rebellion. Jesus left the temple never to return.
God is through with the Mosaic institutions. Some believe that Jesus will
rebuild the temple when he returns. When Christ left the temple, He left never
to return. The Mosaic system of worship did not make the worshipers perfect. God
has replaced it with something better! Now the people of God worship in a temple
not made with hands! For this we must praise God for ever.
The disciples seemed to have trouble with the thought that
Jesus had denounced the temple and its worshipers. They didn't have the proper
understanding then. They tried to show Jesus that the temple was still sound and
useful for worship. Jesus assured the disciples that every stone in the temple
would be thrown down. The statements made in the closing verses of the last
chapter and the opening verses of the current chapter are the basis for the
following verses. We cannot study the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew in a
vacuum. We must consider the truth of Matthew twenty-four in the light of its
context.
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?
This verse is the foundation for understanding the verses
that follow. Therefore, it is essential to understand this verse to avoid
confusion in the verses that follow. No doubt, when Jesus told the disciples
that the temple would be destroyed, they were troubled by this news. Verse three
is an attempt by the disciples to understand what Jesus meant when he assured
them the temple would be destroyed. They came to Jesus privately and asked Him
two questions. I would like to quote the questions as Mark and Luke recorded
them. Consider the following please.
Mark 13:4
Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be
the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
Luke 21:7
And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these
things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
As I stated above, the disciples had two questions for Jesus
concerning the destruction of the temple. The disciples wanted to know when
would the temple be destroyed. They also wanted to know what sign would warn
them that the destruction of the temple was near. Matthew included a question
concerning the signs that would signify the end of the age. Jesus spent the rest
of the chapter answering these questions. To take these scriptures out of their
context to prove other popular doctrines is not rightly dividing the word of
truth. Let us keep these scriptures in their context that we may know what Jesus
is trying to get over to us.
The phrase "end of the world" is a source of
confusion for many people. I would like to quote a passage from Vines
Expository of New Testament Words concerning the phrase "end of the
world." This passage can be found by looking up the word "end"
and the definition for the Greek word sunteleia.
Sunteleia signifies a bringing to completion together,
marking the completion or consummation of the various parts of a scheme. In
Matthew 13:39,40,49; 24:3; 28:20, the rendering "the end of the world"
is misleading; the R.V. margin, "the consummation of the age," is
correct. The word does not denote a termination, but the heading up of events to
the appointed climax. Aion is not the world, but a period or epoch or era in
which events take place. In Hebrew 9:26, the word translated "world"
is in the plural, and the phrase is 'the consummation of the ages.' It was at
the heading up of all the various epochs appointed by Divine counsels that
Christ was manifested (i.e., in His Incarnation)" to put away sin by the
sacrifice of Himself.
I feel that what Vine had to say about the phrase "end
of the world," is plain enough. The word "world" is translated
from the Greek word "aion." When the Greek words aion and sunteleia
are combined, they should be translated "the consummation of the age."
The disciples only wanted to know what would be the end of the Mosaic period.
Jesus was only giving them the answer to that question!
Matthew 24:4-13
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. 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. For
nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall
be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are
the beginning of sorrows. 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. And
then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one
another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because
iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure
unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Jesus was asked, "When shall these things be?" The
first thing Jesus did was to warn the disciples not to let anyone deceive them.
Before the temple would be destroyed, there would be many false Christs. These
false Christs would deceive many. The false Christs were a sign that the
destruction of the temple was near. Another sign would be the wars and the
rumors of war. However, the end of the temple would not come right away. How do
we know the word "end" as used here means the end of the temple?
"End" in this passage of scripture is translated from the Greek word
telos. Telos signifies the limit at which a person or thing ceases to be up to a
specific time. Jesus was talking about the destruction of the temple. In this
context, telos or the English word "end" means the ceasing of the
subject under discussion. In this case, it refers to the end of the temple.
Before the temple is destroyed, nations will go to war against each other. There
will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in many different places. Jesus
states that all these signs are just the beginning of the sorrows that will
accompany the destruction of the temple. During this time of suffering, the
early Church will go through a period of persecution. The saints will be hated
by all nations and many of them will lose their lives. False prophets will arise
and lead people astray from the truth. Jesus warns His disciples not to let the
things happening around them trouble them. However, some of God’s people would
become discouraged by the things that will come against them. This will cause
their love for God to cool off. However, the saints that endure to the end of
this period of suffering will be saved. Keep in mind Jesus is answering the
questions that the disciples asked Him concerning the statement, "that one
stone will not be left upon another." Jesus was not answering any questions
about the end of all time or the end of this present world. If we understand
this, we will not be confused by the many doctrines that find their support in
these scriptures.
Matthew 24:14-22
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. 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:) Then let
them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: let him which is on the
housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which
is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with
child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be
not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no
flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Many Christians use the fourteenth verse to prove that the
fulfillment of this prophesy is yet future. However, we have Bible proof that
the Gospel has been preached all over the world. It may seem there are places on
God's green earth where the Gospel message has not been carried. I believe the
Gospel has been preached all over the world. I believe because the message has
been rejected in some parts of the world, it seems like the Gospel has never
been there. Let us consider the following verses:
Colossians 1:5,6
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof
ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you,
as it is in all the world;...
Colossians 1:23
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be
not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a
minister;
Romans 10:18
But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound
went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
The scriptures quoted above were written before the
destruction of the Temple. Paul stated that the Gospel had already been spread
throughout the world. Jesus taught that the Tempe would be destroyed after the
Gospel had been preached throughout the world. The word "end" as it is
used in this passage of scripture refers to the end of an age. Jesus' discourse
up to this point is still about the end of the temple worship. Nothing in the
text up to this point takes us to the end of all time.
Let us consider the abomination of desolation that was
spoken of by the prophet Daniel. Daniel refers to the abomination of desolation
three times in his prophesy. To help our understanding we note of all three of
them. Consider the following:
Daniel 9:27
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:
and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to
cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even
until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Daniel 11:31
And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute
the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they
shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
Daniel 12:11
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken
away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand
two hundred and ninety days.
An abomination is something that is hateful. The prophesy
found in Daniel 9:27 has its fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem and its
temple in 70 A.D. Daniel saw an increase in abominations. These abominations
would move God to execute judgment against the Children of Israel. I believe
that this is the verse that Jesus had reference to in the twenty-fourth chapter
of Matthew. It was the Jew’s rejection of Jesus that led to the destruction of
Jerusalem. Jesus declared the House of Israel desolate because of their
rebellion. The Romans, under General Titus, were the instruments that caused the
fulfillment of this prophesy.
Daniel 11:31 is a prophesy concerning the acts of Antiochus
Epiphanes. In this prophesy Antiochus Epiphanes erected an altar to the god Zeus
in the temple. This altar desecrated the temple and its worship. This verse is
not the verse that Jesus had reference to in the twenty-fourth chapter of
Matthew.
Daniel 12:11 is a reference to the abomination mentioned in
Daniel 11:31. It is not the text referred to in Matthew.
One of the signs that Jesus gave that the temple was ripe
for destruction was when people saw the increase in abominations in Jerusalem.
Jesus warned people that they were to flee the city when these signs begin to
occur. The siege of Jerusalem would come so fast that when the signs began to be
fulfilled, the people were instructed to flee Jerusalem. Those that were
pregnant or with small children would be in certain danger of not being able to
move fast enough to escape danger. This verse does not relate to the rapture.
Jesus is only warning people to flee Jerusalem to escape destruction at the hand
of the Romans. Many Jews would allow the Sabbath to keep them from making their
escape. If the invasion of Jerusalem came during the winter months, many people
could not escape. Jesus advised the people to pray that they don't have to flee
from the Romans during the winter or on the Sabbath day.
The tribulation mentioned in this verse is usually called
the Great Tribulation in some Christian circles. One can’t stress enough that
every verse in this Chapter must be kept in its context. In the context that the
tribulation is mentioned, the subject is the destruction of the temple. A
question was asked concerning the signs that will signify the end of the age.
This question is found in Matthew 24:3. The tribulation that Jesus mentioned
only covers the time when the temple would be destroyed. Josephus documents in
his writings that more than one million Jews lost their lives during the siege
of Jerusalem. We can also read in Josephus about the starvation and sufferings
that the Jews experience during the siege. There are even accounts of women
eating their children. The tribulation referred to in this verse does not have
any thing to do with a seven-year tribulation. Nor does it have any thing to do
with the rapture or a thousand- year reign of Christ. If God didn't shorten the
days of the siege of Jerusalem, no doubt there wouldn't have been any survivors.
God shortened the death, destruction and suffering of those days only for the
sake of the righteous.
Matthew 24:23-28
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ,
or there; believe it not. 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. Behold, I have told you before.
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. 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. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be
gathered together.
During this period of tribulation the Jewish people would be
looking for Christ to save them out of their trouble. The popular misconception
of the Jews concerning the Messiah caused them to reject Jesus. The common
thoughts of the Jews concerning the Messiah were based on a misunderstanding of
the prophesies of Daniel. The Jews of Jesus’ day expected the Messiah at his
arrival to throw off the Roman yoke with a literal army. They expected the
Messiah to have the characteristics of human royalty. Many Jews thought the war
with the Romans would be the catalysis that would cause the Messiah to appear
with his army of deliverance. It was this hope that caused people to readily
accept false reports concerning the Messiah. The Christians also expected Jesus
to make a second return. Jesus was only warning them not to get carried away
with the spirit of the times. Jesus was letting them know that he wouldn’t be
making a physical appearance during the tribulation. The elect wouldn’t be
deceived because they would remember his words. The coming of Jesus will be like
the falling of lightning. Everyone will see him. Jesus coming won't be a secret
coming. Also, just like eagles are attracted to dead bodies, the people of God
will be attracted to Jesus at his coming!
Matthew 24:29-31
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: 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. 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.
This passage of scripture begins by telling us what would
happen immediately after the tribulation. It seems that this verse is really
talking about the second coming of Jesus Christ. However, there are some clues
that let us know that this passage of scripture is dealing with the aftermath of
the destruction of Jerusalem.
Let us begin our study of this passage by considering the
turmoil that would be in the heavens. The turmoil that Jesus makes mention of in
this passage of scripture is similar to the turmoil that the prophets speak of
in their prophesies. The sun losing its light and the moon not shining are used
in the Old Testament to signify the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is a
day of judgment. The day of the Lord is a day that is liken unto the actual
physical coming of God. However, the day of the Lord is just a day that God
reveals Himself through His wrath and through divine judgment. That is the same
usage of the sun, moon and the stars in this passage of scripture. The following
references should be sufficient proof of this usage.
Isaiah 13:9-11
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath
and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners
thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall
not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon
shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil,
and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud
to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Isaiah 24:21-23
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD
shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the
earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are
gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days
shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed,
when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before
his ancients gloriously.
Ezekiel 32:7-8
And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven,
and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon
shall not give her light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over
thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
Joel 2:10-11
The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall
tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their
shining: And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is
very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is
great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Joel 3:14-15
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the
day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be
darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
Amos 8:9-10
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord
God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth
in the clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs
into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness
upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end
thereof as a bitter day.
John 12:35-36
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the
light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for
he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light,
believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake
Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
The scriptures above connect the lost of light in the sun
and the moon with the day of God's judgment. Up to this point in history, the
Jews were the vehicle that God used to be a light to the world. The Jew’s
rejection of the Gospel brought the wrath of God upon them. Their final
rejection of Christ plunged them as a race into darkness. Jesus taught this
principle in John 12:35-36. While Jesus was in the world, He was the light of
the world. He told his disciples that the light would be with them for only a
little while. They were told to walk in the light while they had the light. If
they didn't walk in the light, the darkness would come. This was fulfilled in
the Jewish people immediately after the days of the destruction of the temple.
The Jewish leadership was destroyed with the destruction of the temple and the
city of Jerusalem. The Jewish leadership and their way of worship were
destroyed. The people could not perform the rituals that the Law of Moses
demanded even if they wanted. This is the meaning of the stars falling from
heaven and the heavens being shaken. In this passage of scripture, we find the
answer to the question when will the end of the age come. Without the temple or
a central place of worship the Jewish system fell apart.
Next Jesus taught that the sign of the son of man would
appear in the heavens. The word sign is translated from the Greek word "semeion."
Semeion is a word that means an indication. This lets us know that Jesus
wouldn't make a physical appearing in the skies. There will only be an
indication of His presence. Next we read that all the tribes of the earth will
mourn. I believe that what Jesus is describing is the spreading of the Gospel.
While the Jewish system stood, it prevented many from seeing the Gospel. While
Jesus was on the earth, we read of some that believed what Jesus taught. They
didn't join Him because they were afraid of being put out of the synagogue. With
the Jewish system destroyed the temple would no longer be a hindrance to faith
in the Gospel for many. On one occasion Jesus taught that He was the light of
the world. He knew the day was coming when he would no longer be in the world.
Therefore, He taught his disciples, "ye are the light of the world."
The world can only see Jesus now through the holy life of the believers. The
clouds of heaven are the great cloud of witnesses that is in Hebrews 12:1. In
this cloud of witness people would see Christ. As the saints live holy sin free
lives, people will see the power and glory of Jesus Christ. The angels are the
ministers of the Gospel who are dispatched throughout the world. The great sound
of the trumpet is the Word of God. With the message of reconciliation, this
ministry will gather God's people from the winds of error. This message will go
from one end of the earth to the other. The following text will help us to
understand that I have the proper understanding concerning the "Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
Matthew 24:32-35
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is
yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise
ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be
fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
The parable of the fig tree drives home the truth that signs
will precede the fulfillment of this prophesy. The signs would only show that
the destruction of the temple is near. The exact day of the destruction would
not be made known. The disciples would only know that the temple’s destruction
was near when all the signs that Jesus gave were fulfilled.
We must pay close attention to the phrase, "This
generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." This phrase
limits the time of the fulfillment of the things that Jesus spoke. Everything
that Jesus spoke between verses three and thirty-five must be fulfilled during
"this generation." This lets us know beyond all doubt that the
prophesy up to this point does not include the final days. Jesus’ prophesy
would be fulfilled while the then present generation was still on the earth.
Some have translated the word "generation" in this verse to mean race.
To come to this understanding we must understand that Jesus was dealing with
more than just the questions asked in the third verse. There is nothing in the
text to indicate that Jesus had changed the subject. The subject was concerning
the question when will the temple be destroyed. Up to this point Jesus was only
answering the questions asked Him. The prophesy that Jesus uttered are on a
firmer foundation than heaven and earth.
Matthew 24:36-41
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the
angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also
the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood
they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day
that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them
all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in
the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be
grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Jesus uses the example of the flood to describe how some
will miss the signs warning them of impending doom. No one knows the day of the
judgment of God. We can only know by way of the signs when doom is near. Jesus
lets us know that people will continue doing the things that they always do
right up to the day of destruction. Those that don't take heed to the Word of
God will get carried away in God's wrath. Some will escape by virtue of God's
mercy. Others will be suddenly taken away. Some use this passage of scripture to
describe the rapture. Again we must remind the reader the subject is concerning
the destruction of the temple and not the end of all time. Though Jesus warns
the Jews by way of the disciple’s questions, most did not take heed to the
warning. The historian Josephus mentions that the Christians living in Jerusalem
at that time fled the city. The people of God took the warning and escaped the
destruction of the city and the temple. This lets us know that the early
Christians did not believe that what Jesus taught in this chapter were to be
fulfilled in a future time.
Matthew 24:42-51
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth
come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch
the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his
house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye
think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom
his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and
if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And
shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in
an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his
portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This is the last warning that Jesus gives in this discourse.
The disciples are warned to watch. The thief will not sneak upon the one that
watches. However, the faithful servant will be up and about his business, doing
his Master's will. It is the evil servant that gets slack on the job and begins
to do what he wants to do. It is the evil servant that will be surprised by his
master's coming. The evil servant will receive the reward of the wicked. Saints
let us watch. Many of the things said in this chapter apply to the end of all
time. This closing parable can be applied to the saints that are waiting for the
end time. What Jesus is teaching here is a principle. This principle is true
regardless of the time in which one is living. We know beyond a doubt that
Christ will soon make His second return. At this return the world will be
destroyed and the saints gathered to their Lord. The wicked will receive their
reward. Let us watch and be prepared.
The purpose of this discussion is to reveal the truth
concerning Matthew Chapter Twenty-four. Many believe that this chapter is
revealing events about the last time. We hoped that the discussion above has
revealed that Jesus was only speaking about the things that would happen during
the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. The purpose of this discussion is not
to comment on the following chapter. The Twenty-fifth chapter is the first time
that Jesus changed the subject from the original questions. Jesus starts by
stating what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. The rest of the chapter deals with
the final things. A careful study will reveal that many of the principles found
in the twenty-fourth chapter are also found in the twenty-fifth chapter. The
common theme is Christ can come with judgment anytime. The final theme is Christ
can come anytime with judgment toward the wicked and justice for the righteous.
Whatever our understanding of these two chapters in Matthew, let us heed the
warning to watch and pray. May God richly bless his servants.
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