Matthew 24

Matthew 24

“THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW”

Chapter Twenty-Four This chapter records the beginning of the Olivet discourse, prompted by questions following Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:1-3). It involves the destruction of Jerusalem which occurred in 70 A.D., though many also see intertwining references to the Second Coming of Christ (Matthew 24:4-51).

POINTS TO PONDER

• The fulfillment of events foretold by Jesus in this chapter

• The importance of being prepared and productive

REVIEW

1. What are the main points of this chapter?

• The destruction of the temple foretold - Matthew 24:1-3- The sign when things would soon occur - Matthew 24:4-28- The tribulation and events immediately after - Matthew 24:29-35- The need to be prepared and productive - Matthew 24:36-51

2. What questions were prompted by Jesus’ prediction? (Matthew 24:3)

• “When will these things be? What will be the sign…?”

3. What did Jesus say would not be the sign? (Matthew 24:4-13)

• False christs, wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution, lawlessness

4. What would happen before the “end” would come? (Matthew 24:14)

• The gospel preached in all the world (cf. Mark 16:15; Romans 10:16-18; Colossians 1:23)

5. What would be the sign for those in Judea to flee? (Matthew 24:15-16; cf. Luke 21:20-21)

• The abomination of desolation (Jerusalem surrounded by armies)

6. What would happen immediately after the tribulation of those days? (Matthew 24:29-31)

• Cataclysmic events involving celestial bodies (sun, moon, stars)
• The sign of the Son of Man, His coming on clouds of heaven, gathering the elect

7. Where else is language like this used to describe judgment upon a nation?

• Isaiah 13:6-13; Isaiah 19:1-2; Isaiah 34:4-6; Nahum 1:1-5

8. What would not pass away before these things would be fulfilled? (Matthew 24:34)

• That generation

9. Why did Jesus stress the importance of preparation and productivity? (Matthew 24:36-51)

• No one knows the day or hour
• The Son of Man will come unexpectedly
• His servants will be judged by their faithful service

Matthew 24:1-51 Verse 1Mat 24:1-51CHRIST THE OF THE TEMPLE; SIGNS OF HIS COMING; THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE; AND 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. But he answered and 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. (Matthew 24:1-2)Jesus went out from the temple … The significance of these words is revealed in the prediction Christ immediately made of the final overthrow of the temple. When Christ goes OUT FROM any society, individual, or institution, its overthrow is certain, and the consequence is always destruction. The buildings which the disciples pointed out to Jesus with such evident admiration were fully entitled to praise. Josephus’ description of Herod’s temple states that the front of it was covered with heavy golden plates, that it was constructed of green and white marble blocks of immense dimensions, 67’ 10:5’ 10:6’ in size, and that it appeared like a mountain covered with snow, the ungilded parts being exceedingly white. The golden facade reflected the rising sun with fiery splendor; and, in the words of the rabbis, “He who has not seen the temple of Herod has never seen a beautiful building."[1] Christ’s prophecy of the overthrow of the temple was so remarkably fulfilled that the actual site of that once-glorious ancient edifice is now uncertain. Josephus recorded the thorough demolition and destruction of the proud walls which appeared so beautiful to the disciples; but, even if no history remained of how it was done, the present uncertainty as to the site and the utter absence of any significant remains of the ancient glory are proof enough that Jesus’ words were totally fulfilled. Nor was the destruction of the temple intended by Titus who had charge of the siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. He even gave a commandment against its demolition, intending to preserve it as “a monument to the empire."[2] But the decrees of kings and emperors and generals were of no avail against the will of him who had sentenced it to destruction. Just as Pilate’s order to break the legs of Christ was countermanded by the Lord, centuries before it was given, so Titus’ order to spare the temple was not heeded. God’s will, not Titus’ order, prevailed. Included in the prophecy of the destruction of the temple, there was also inherent the accompanying destruction of Jerusalem, also prophesied by Christ (see latter part of preceding chapter), The departed glory of Jerusalem was mentioned by Farrar in these words: He who, in modern Jerusalem, would look for the relics of the ten-times-captured city of the days of Christ, must look for them twenty feet beneath the soil, and will scarcely find them. In one spot alone remain a few massive substructions to show how vast is the ruin they represent; and here, on every Friday, assemble a few poverty-stricken Jews, to stand each in the shroud in which he will be buried, and wail over the shattered glories of their fallen and desecrated home.[3] In view of the size of the stones used in building the temple, it must have appeared highly improbable that every one of them would be thrown down, and yet that is exactly the way it happened. The fire which ravaged the cedar beams and furnishings within melted the gold with which much of the temple was overlaid. It ran down into the crevices of the mighty stones, and the soldiers literally left no stone unturned as they sought to recover the yellow metal that had adorned Herod’s temple as loot. [1] J. R. Dummelow, One Volume Commentary (New York: Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 701. [2] James Macknight, A Harmony of the Four Gospels (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1950), p. 412. [3] F. W. Farrar, The Life of Christ (New York: A. L. Burt Company), p. 378.

Verse 3 And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came to 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 question had been propounded by the four fishermen, Peter, James, John, and Andrew (Mark 13:3); and only these four were present to hear the remarkable discourse which begins with the fourth verse of this chapter.[4] Note that there are three questions raised by the disciples:

1. When shall these things be?
2. What shall be the sign of thy coming?
3. What shall be the sign of the end of the world? Naturally, the disciples considered these three events to be simultaneous occurrences, but in this they were mistaken. Nevertheless, Jesus answered all three questions, giving the sign of his coming, outlining the salient features of the destruction of Jerusalem, making that event a type of his second coming, and setting forth a number of details applicable to both events. Practically all of the difficulties in understanding this astounding chapter will disappear when it is remembered that in a single prophecy Christ foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the final judgment and destruction of the whole world, making the first a type of the latter, and choosing a number of details that apply to both. Just as the rainbow is not one bow but actually two, a primary and a secondary, so many of the prophecies of the word of God have a primary and a secondary fulfillment. “Rachel weeping for her children” (Jeremiah 31:15) and “Out of Egypt have I called my son” (Hosea 11:1) are two examples (see on Matthew 2:13; Matthew 2:18). Dummelow stated that “Our Lord referred in it not to one event but to two, and the first was typical of the second."[5] H. Leo Boles also noted such a characteristic of divine prophecy, saying: Often prophetic language has a double significance. Jehovah told Adam that he would die in the day that he ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:17); yet Adam lived 930 years. There was a primary fulfillment of this when Adam was separated from the garden of Eden, and a secondary fulfillment of it in his death (Romans 5:12). Isaiah foretold the birth of a son by a virgin, yet added a prophecy which confined it to his own generation (Isaiah 7:14-17). The prophet combined type and anti-type in the same words.[6] [4] J. W. McGarvey, Commentary on Matthew and Mark (Delight, Arkansas: Gospel Light Publishing Company, 1875), p. 204. [5] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 702. [6] H. Leo Boles, Commentary on Matthew (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1936), p. 472.

Verse 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray.This admonition was especially appropriate in view of the amazing answer Christ was about to give to a complex question, the complexity of which was unknown to the apostles and would not be revealed to them except through their experience of unfolding future events. The wisdom of God is seen in the fact that the inadvertent confusion on the part of the disciples with reference to the two events, actually to be separated by thousands of years but appearing to them as scheduled simultaneously, has preserved incontrovertible proof of the authenticity of Matthew’s gospel, placing it BEFORE the destruction of Jerusalem. No writer after that event could possibly have arranged this material as does Matthew (see Introduction). Verse 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs 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 earthquakes in divers places; but the end is not yet. But all these things are the beginning of travail.The “signs” that Jesus mentioned in these verses are essentially ordinary; and thus it may be inferred that the usual run of human conflicts and misfortunes, as well as the claims of false teachers, are not the things which shall reveal the nearness of events prophesied. Historians have pointed out that all of the phenomena above did occur in profusion before the destruction of Jerusalem. Grotius was quoted by Macknight concerning earthquakes in at least eight parts of the Mediterranean world.[7] Such things as famines, wars, and earthquakes seem to have been multiplied during that period, but hardly any period of world history failed to exhibit the same things.

Thus it may be concluded that Jesus’ lesson here is that all such basic phenomena may be ignored except as characteristics of human wretchedness and misfortune upon which the more imposing signs were not signs of the end. Note the repeated warning, “but the end is not yet”! Such catastrophes were to be viewed only as the “beginning of travail,” and the true signs of the events foretold were to be sought, not in them, but rather in what happened to the disciples. ENDNOTE:[7] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 417.

Verse 9 Then shall they deliver you up into tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many stumble, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray. And because inquiry shall be multiplied, the love of many shall wax cold.Conditions outlined in these verses were fulfilled before the destruction of Jerusalem; and, without doubt, the same conditions will prevail before the second coming. The rising persecution and hatred from without and the deteriorating conditions within the body of his disciples were to mark the onset of both events. That called for a strong and special admonition from the Lord for his true disciples to remain faithful no matter what happened. Christ plainly foresaw that the same evil influences which had clouded his personal ministry, and through which the entire nation of the chosen people had been misled and turned against their Messiah, would not cease to operate following his resurrection and the establishment of the kingdom, but would be present in perpetuity.

Verse 13 But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.Faithfulness on the part of Christ’s followers is required, regardless of the state of prosperity or adversity in the church, and without respect to hardships, doubts, and difficulties that may appear.

Verse 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all nations; and then shall the end come.The success of God’s design is certain, in spite of fears within or foes without. The gospel shall be preached in the whole world. The first fulfillment occurred in the proclamation of the gospel to the “whole world” of that period; and the ultimate fulfillment will be the proclamation of the truth to all nations on the planet earth! That the first fulfillment actually occurred is seen in the fact that Paul witnessed the truth before “the kings and the Gentiles, and the children of Israel.” Paul declared that “The gospel which ye heard … was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister” (Colossians 1:23). The same phenomenon will also occur before the second event, the end of the world. The end of the age is mentioned in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:20) and vividly described by the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3:1-8.

In retrospect, how bold was the prophecy of Christ! That the gospel of a man who had absolutely none of the worldly advantages of power and prestige, who never wrote a book, who owned no property, who was rejected by the powerful leaders of his nation, who never traveled far from home, whose chosen followers were humble and obscure men, who was born in a stable, and at last humiliated and crucified between two thieves - that the gospel of THAT MAN should last thirty years must have seemed an impossibility to those who set him at naught; but not only did it happen, it is still happening, and in the WHOLE WORLD, nearly two thousand years after the prophecy was made. There is no HUMAN explanation of such a fact.

Verse 15 When therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him that readeth understand), then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains: let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house.In this place, Christ again used an expression which was customary for him when quoting the prophets. He did not declare that “Daniel said” those things but that it was spoken “through Daniel,” thus referring the message to God as the giver rather than to Daniel who conveyed it. This constitutes a strong witness for the authenticity of the book of Daniel. Here also is a clue to understanding the broad implications of the prophecy. The “end” spoken of by Daniel was not to take place for a long, long time after the abomination of desolation was set up (Daniel 12:11); and this proves that the Saviour’s words apply to that far-off and final end of the world, no less than to the end of the Jewish economy which was accompanied by the shattering of the power of the holy people and the making of an end to “the continual burnt offering” (Daniel 12:7-11). The abomination of desolation is usually held to mean the encirclement of the Holy City by the Roman armies prior to its destruction. That the Christian might have the opportunity to flee after such a deployment as that might have appeared impossible, due to the encircling armies; but the army of Titus, commanded by Cestius Gallus, for some inexplicable reason, lifted the siege, providing the Christians a chance to escape. In Book II of his Wars, section 24, Josephus said, “For Cestius removed his army, and having received no loss, very unadvisedly departed from the city."[8] The reference to taking the things out of one’s house was to emphasize the need for haste and urgency. It is a historical fact that the Christians did, in fact, take flight to safety during the brief respite allowed them by Gallus’ withdrawal. ENDNOTE:[8] Josephus, Wars, Book VII, Sec. 9.

Verse 18 And let him that is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath.Our Saviour’s concern for the sorrows and misfortunes of men is apparent in these tender words. He was especially grieved for mothers and their children. The reference to going back for a cloak was due to the fact that most agricultural pursuits were carried on without a cloak, that is, with the upper part of the body naked. His admonition to “pray” regarding the precise time of the flight proves that even in times of calamity the child of God, through prayer, may alleviate suffering and misfortune, and soften the harsh winds of adversity.

That those prayers were answered appears in the actual date of the fall of the city, which occurred in the Jewish month Ab (July-August), following a five-month siege in the spring and summer of A.D. 70.[9] No endorsement or acceptance of the sabbath as a permanent institution may be inferred by our Saviour’s reference to it here, although it does seem that, due to Jewish background, many of the disciples did keep it. In fact, such was true long afterwards, even in Rome (Romans 14:5). ENDNOTE:[9] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 702.

Verse 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.That such a calamity did befall Jerusalem is a matter of historical record. Josephus gave the tally lists of the thousands slain in various cities and villages and places the number slaughtered at the fantastic total of ELEVEN HUNDRED ! This was more than four times the loss of life when the nuclear device destroyed Hiroshima! True, some scholars question Josephus’ statistical accuracy, but added to his testimony is this word from Jesus; and this writer rejects the view that Josephus, a Jewish historian, would have falsified a record in order to confirm what Christ had prophesied. One may set aside Josephus, but who would dare to set aside the Saviour’s prophecy? Particularly pathetic was the wretched plight of 30,000 young Hebrew men crucified upon the walls and in the vicinity of Jerusalem, so many, according to Josephus, that all the green trees in the area were cut down to make crosses, and all the lumber stores exhausted. The cry, “His blood be upon us and our children,” received an awful retribution in kind and a terrible fulfillment in such a demonic atrocity.

Verse 22 And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.This was fulfilled in the relatively short duration of the siege which lasted only five months. That some degree of mercy was granted “for the elect’s sake” lends New Testament emphasis to the principle taught in the Old Testament to the effect that ten righteous persons would have prevented the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain.

Verse 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or, Here; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you beforehand. If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe it not.Although the disciples saw Christ ascend, the very fact that they expected him to return made them vulnerable to the claims of false Christs, pretending to be the Messiah. Christ warned that his second coming would be worldwide, glorious, sudden, and open for all the world to behold, thus contrasting sharply with the secretive pretensions of false Christs in secret chambers, remote wildernesses, or deserts. That many such pretenders did arise prior to the destruction of Jerusalem is fully attested.

H. Leo Boles said: Many persons, impostors, and self-deceived, aspire to fill the places of persons of honor. Many did come claiming to be the Christ. There is still a constant stream of men claiming to be God’s chosen servants, leading multitudes into sin and infidelity with pretended claims.[10] The mark of secrecy, as of something hidden, known only to the “insiders,” was an unfailing characteristic of false Christs and false teachers; but not even the first advent of Christ was distinguished by any such concealment. Those marvelous things of the true Christ “were not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26). The very heavens burst into praise the night he was born. His great wonders were performed before vast multitudes, and his credentials as the true King were presented repeatedly before the highest tribunals of the people, both Jews and Gentiles. ENDNOTE:[10] H. Leo Boles, op. cit., p. 469.

Verse 27 For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.It has been pointed out that Vespasian and Titus were returning from a campaign in the east against Rome’s perennial foes, the Parthians, when they decided, on the way back to Rome, to make an end of rebellious Jerusalem. Thus, the destroying power came from the east to the west, although it is said that Titus actually launched his attack from the western side of the city.[11] Whether this should be considered mere coincidence or not, it is a remarkable fact. Of course, the primary meaning of the prophecy would apply to the sensational, worldwide, glorious revelation of Christ at his second coming. Regarding the carcass and the gathering of the eagles, dogmatism may be out of place, but it seems clear enough that the Jewish state was the carcass. Having rejected Christ and planning at that very moment to accomplish his murder, and standing ready to persecute to death his disciples, Israel no longer possessed any right to exist as a separate and chosen people. It had been forfeited. Judaism was morally dead, corrupted and reprobate at the very center and head of their polity. She was not only morally dead but judicially dead also, Christ having pronounced her doom and sentenced her to destruction. A carcass was an appropriate symbol.

The eagles? Strangely enough, eagles were the invariable decorations of the Roman standards, under which the veteran legions of Titus gathered to press the siege of the city. Although some scholars, such as Plummer, reject this passage as a reference to the Roman legions, [12] one must nevertheless confess that the analogy is there. Extending the figure to its ultimate fulfillment at the end of the age, when the world itself will have become morally dead and when her day of grace has ended, God will also overwhelm it with destruction. [11] Encyclopedia Brittanica (1962 edition), Vol. 13, p. 7. [12] Alfred Plummer, Commentary on Matthew (London: Elliot Stock, 1909), p. 365.

Verse 29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall 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.These are the most difficult words in the whole discourse because they appear to link the second coming with the destruction of the Jewish state, yet we know that this was not the meaning. Christ’s reference to the prophecy through Daniel, a little earlier, indicates a long separation between the two events. Therefore, the words of this verse should be understood as a reference to the end of time and the final judgment, of which things the destruction of Jerusalem was only a type. Thus, the words about the carcass and the eagles have a prime application to the judgment of the world, morally dead, ravaged by the birds of prey, and undergoing countless sorrows and tribulations as a result. Their reference to the fate of Jerusalem is not vitiated by this view, because Jesus deliberately described both events with one set of symbols. Proof that Christ knew the two events would be separated by a most extensive period of time is seen in Luke 21:24-34, “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, UNTIL THE TIMES OF THE BE !” A very long period of time, called by Jesus “the times of the Gentiles,” was to follow the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jews among all nations.

The disciples, including Matthew, might have been confused into thinking the two events would occur simultaneously, but Christ knew otherwise. See also Romans 11:25 and Daniel 9:27. From such considerations as these, we do not hesitate to make “those days” of the passage here refer to the tribulation that shall precede the final end of the world, a tribulation more fully expounded by Christ a little later. Certainly, we reject the speculation of Edgar J. Goodspeed who supposed that Matthew composed these words AFTER the fall of Jerusalem, as “a welcome solution for the problem that perplexed them."[13] On the contrary, the author of Matthew’s gospel, by the amazing manner in which the prophecies were intermingled, provides overwhelming proof that the “problem” did not exist at the time he wrote. It is upon this undeniable fact that fair-minded scholars find solid ground for receiving a very early date for Matthew, certainly BEFORE the destruction of Jerusalem. Reference to the sun, moon, and stars presents a problem. Language such as this is perhaps hyperbole, and was sometimes used concerning the removal of illustrious princes and rulers from their estates. Similar language in Isaiah 13:10 likely refers to the fall of Babylon. Lightfoot went so far as to say that the Jews used such extravagant language to refer to the ruin of a single family.[14] However, with all due deference to learned opinion, this commentator finds it very difficult to accept these words of Christ as mere hyperbole. Hebrews 12:26-29 identifies “those things which are shaken” as our material world, both the heavens and the earth! Furthermore, there is strong evidence that even in Isaiah 13:10 ff, far more was intended than the mere overthrow of Babylon (which, incidentally, is the Old Testament type of spiritual Babylon which will be overthrown at the end of the age).

If it should be objected that the sun, moon, and stars cannot actually fall, it may be replied that if our planet were “shaken” (as the Scriptures affirm it will be) and removed out of its orbit, the sun, moon, and stars would surely appear to fall, bringing about a literal fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy. That Peter understood some such catastrophe would actually occur is plainly evident from the text of 2 Peter 3:1-18. As Plummer declared: That judgment is expressed in symbolical language, but it is no mere image to terrify children; it represents something very real and very awful, and all who hear of it must take account of it in shaping their lives.[15] [13] Edgar J. Goodspeed, The Story of the Bible (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1936), p. 59. [14] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 431. [15] Alfred Plummer, op. cit., p. 398.

Verse 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 on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.The sign of Jesus’ coming is thus his actual appearance on the clouds of heaven in great glory. It will not come in a more enlightened social conscience, or in some marked increase of benevolence among men and nations, nor in some sudden forward leap of civilization. The second coming will be a personal and glorious return of Christ in the skies. A materialistic, secular, and wicked age will not accept such a view, a fact prophesied by Christ in the revelation that all the tribes of the earth would “mourn” when they see it, a mourning that would NOT occur if some invisible, psychological, or spiritual return occurred. Christ plainly taught that his second coming would be bad news indeed for the great majority of mankind. b the second coming will occur is not and cannot be known, except to the “Father” (Matthew 24:36). Reference to Christ’s coming “on the clouds of heaven, etc.” is similar to the words he used before the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:62) and also coincides with the message of the angels who said upon the occasion of his ascension that “in like manner” he would come again (Acts 1:11). The mourning of the tribes of earth should be particularly noted. When evil men, at last caught up in the catastrophe of the final judgment, shall know then, when it is too late, that Jesus is indeed God come in the flesh and that the Father has committed judgment unto the Son because he is the Son of man, no imagination can be strong enough to picture the wretched sorrow of the myriads of the wicked thus summoned to the judgment on the great day.

Verse 31 And he shall send forth 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.These words show the strong grounds for referring this portion of the discourse to the final judgment. The parables of the tares and of the fishnet mention the angels that shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just. The sound of the trumpet is also invariably associated with the judgment and the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). Also, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 stresses the appearance of angels with Christ in his coming for judgment.

Verse 32 Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch has now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that summer is nigh; even so ye also, when ye see all these things, know ye that he is nigh, even at the doors.There is a season for spiritual things and for moral development, no less than for summers and fig trees. A discerning person can sense the onset of summer by the behavior of the natural creation around him; and a spiritually perceptive person can also ascertain the approaching judgment of God, whether upon an apostate city like Jerusalem or upon an evil and reprobate world. One significant departure of some of the versions from the Greek text should be noted. Instead of “HE is nigh” in Matthew 24:33, the Greek has “IT is nigh,” thus being a plain reference to the judgment. The ability to predict the visitation of God’s wrath extended to the destruction of Jerusalem, but not to the coming of the final judgment. The disciples predicted with great accuracy the fall of Jerusalem, and most of them fled to Pella during the siege and were spared, but no such ability pertains to the knowledge of the end of the world and the second coming.

Verse 34 Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished.This verse is the grounds for construing the whole discourse as a prophet of the destruction of Jerusalem and referring it exclusively to that event; but careful attention to the exact words Christ used removes the problem. Jesus used “these things” to refer to the destruction of Jerusalem and “that day” to designate the judgment. Thus, this verse cannot apply to the second coming and final judgment but to the destruction of the Holy City, for he said that that generation would not pass away until all “these things” be accomplished. Furthermore, “this generation” has a much broader meaning than the lifetime of those who heard him. If Christ had intended that kind of meaning, he would have used words similar to those of Mar 9:1. Therefore, we look for some special meaning of the term .

As regarded the destruction of Jerusalem, “generation” had a limitation to the lives of persons then living; but, as regards the final judgment, “generation” referred to the descendants of Abraham, meaning the race of the Jews and that they would not cease as a separate people until the end of time. If such an explanation appears ingenious, it should be remembered that in describing two events, plainly separated by centuries of time, some expressions would of necessity have double meanings; and it is the view here that such an understanding of the word “generation” is positively required and that such does no violence whatever to the text.

Verse 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.This verse affirms two propositions: (1) that heaven and earth shall pass away, and (2) that Christ’s words shall not pass away. The reference to the first of these grew out of the fact that he had just described the passing away of the heavens and the earth, and he made his word to be more permanent and abiding than any material substance. Christ’s word shall judge men at the last day (John 12:48). Long afterwards, Peter was to remember these words of Jesus and write, “The word of the Lord endureth forever” (1 Peter 1:25).

Verse 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.Note again the contrast between “that day” of this place and “these things” spoken earlier, indicating that Christ clearly differentiated between the immediate and remote fulfillment of this great prophecy. The Arian heresy was founded, in part, upon these words of Christ to the effect that he did not know the day and hour of the judgment. Aside from the uncertainty with regard to these words forming a part of the original text (see the margin of the ASV), it should be remembered that there were many things Christ did not choose to know during the days of his fleshly limitation. It was no part of his divine mission to impart knowledge of any category unrelated to man’s salvation from sin. The words, therefore, do not imply any limitation whatever upon his godhead or divinity. A due regard to this verse would have prevented many religious teachers throughout the ages from making fools of themselves in predicting the time of the second advent.

The precise day and hour of the judgment and destruction of the ungodly is unknown and unknowable by men. However, God DOES KNOW the day and the hour. Why? Because God has appointed it (Acts 17:31).

Verse 37 And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. 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 knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. Then shalt two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left: two women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.A number of similarities between conditions prior to the flood and those before the final judgment may be noted. The vast majority will have rejected God’s word. There shall be no awareness of impending disaster.

The normal pursuits of mankind will continue, as always. Ignorance of God and of his designs for mankind will continue up to the very hour of judgment; and the righteous shall continue to live in close proximity to the wicked until the very last. No thought of judgment or of reckoning shall disturb the minds of people; and THEN it will occur suddenly, universally, in a single day, and at a time when men shall least expect it. No wonder, therefore, that the admonition to “watch” was made a part of the discourse. The men in the field and the women at the mill show that no separation between the righteous and unrighteous shall be made until judgment.

Verse 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh. 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 suffered his house to be broken through. Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.The most urgent conclusion from the preceding discourse was presented in a single word by Jesus, “watch”! Since it is impossible to know the day or the hour, the true disciples must be ready ALWAYS. The second coming will occur at a time when men do not expect it, and that should set at rest the speculations of those who have thought to discover it. The constant watchfulness of a householder against a thief is made a parable of the watchfulness of the Lord’s followers against the day of judgment. Christ refers to himself in Matthew 24:42 as “your Lord,” another incidental witness to his godhead.

Verse 45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath set over his household, to give them their food in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord tarrieth; and shall begin to beat his fellow servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth it not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.This parable changed the figure from a householder guarding against a thief to that of servants waiting for their lord’s return, having, in the meantime, full control of the lord’s household, his goods, and all his property. This parable is a profound persuasion for custodians of the treasures of the kingdom of heaven, who, in a sense, have charge of the Lord’s kingdom until he returns; and they should be diligent to feed and care for the Lord’s household with due respect to the accounting that all must give who undertake so sacred a task. Privilege carries its own responsibility, and the false teacher is certain to be judged and condemned in due season. The “weeping and the gnashing of teeth” are expressions used by Jesus to convey some idea of the anguish and despair of the condemned who shall be cast into the outer darkness.

J.W. McGarvey Commentary For Matthew Chapter Twenty-FourDestruction of the Temple Predicted, Matthew 24:1-28 Occasion of the Prediction, Matthew 24:1-3. (Mark 13:1-4; Luke 21:5-7)

1. went out and departed.—Went out of the temple and departed from its vicinity. This was his final departure from the temple, and the preceding discourse denunciatory of the scribes and Pharisees contained the last words which he spoke therein— sad foreshadowing of the doom which impended over the unhappy city. to show him the buildings.—As he had already departed from the temple when the disciples came to show him the buildings of the temple, the buildings referred to must have been the walls and fortifications surrounding the outer court and constituting the defenses of the temple. They were very massive and well calculated to excite the admiration of the Galilean disciples.
2. one stone upon another.—The reply of Jesus to the admiring expressions of the disciples was as brief as it was astonishing. With the simple statement that “there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down,” he dropped the subject until the astonished disciples brought it up again.
3. as he sat upon the mount.—Struck dumb by his announcement, the disciples seem to have said no more until, having climbed the slope of the Mount of Olives, on the way toward Bethany, Jesus took a seat and looked back over the city. Then they come to him “privately” and ask, “When shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world?” Their question is twofold, having reference first to the time, and secondly to the sign by which they might know that the event was near. He had said nothing about his own coming or the end of the world, but they inferred from the strength of the temple walls that the time when all these stones would be thrown down could not be sooner than the end of the world and the second coming of the Son of man. So much of this inference as was incorrect he corrected in the course of his answer: for he makes a very clear distinction, as we will see, between the time of his final coming and that of the destruction of the temple. The question had been propounded by the four fishermen, Peter, James, John, and Andrew (Mark 13:3), and only these four were present to hear the remarkable discourse which begins with the fourth verse of this chapter and ends with chapter twenty-fifth.

Warning Against False Christs, Matthew 24:4-5. (Mark 13:5-6; Luke 21:84, 5. many shall come.—They were to come previous to the end (Verse 6), and were to come claiming to be the Christ, thus denying the Christhood of Jesus. We have no history of the appearance of such persons, but this furnishes no evidence against the fulfillment of the prediction; for even Jesus does not appear in secular history until after his Church had become a power in the world; and as the false Christs left no institutions behind them, they naturally escaped the notice of the historians of the time. Wars and Providential Calamities, Matthew 24:6-8. (Mark 13:7-8; Luke 21:9-11) 6, 7. wars and rumors of Wars.—Not wars in distant nations, but wars particularly affecting the Jews, as appears from the warning, “see that ye be not troubled” (verse 6), and from the fact that the coming trouble of the Jews was the subject of discourse. The nations and kingdoms which were to rise up against each other were those whose military movements would affect the peace of Judea. History is more satisfactory in reference to this prediction than in reference to the false Christs. Alford, in commenting on this paragraph, takes the pains to enumerate three threats of war made against the Jews by as many Roman emperors; three uprisings of Gentiles against Jews, in which many thousands of the latter perished; an indefinite number of famines referred to by Roman writers; at least one pestilence, during which thirty thousand persons perished in Rome alone; and five earthquakes. These have been gleaned from the writings of Josephus, Tacitus, Suetonius, and other unbelieving writers, and they sufficiently attest the literal fulfillment of the Savior’s prediction. This fulfillment served the double purpose of answering as a sign in reference to the destruction of the temple, and of confirming the faith of the disciples in the foreknowledge of Jesus. Sufferings and Success of the Disciples, Matthew 24:9-14. (Mark 13:9-13; Luke 21:12-19) 9. Then shall they deliver you.— “Then” means, not after the preceding events, but at the time in which they are transpiring. The delivering up to be afflicted commenced with the imprisonment of Peter and John (Acts 4:1-3), and the killing, with the death of Stephen. These persecutions were cotemporary with the events of the preceding paragraph, and preceded “the end” mentioned in verse 6, Peter, James the elder, James the younger, Paul, and a great many who were not apostles, having been killed before the destruction of the temple. hated of all nations.—That this part of the prediction was fulfilled, appears not only in the persecutions of the time, but in the statement of the Roman historian Tacitus, that the Christians were “a class of men hated on account of their crimes.” (Annals, xv. 44.) 10. many be offended.—Many of the disciples themselves. The mere allusions to passing events which we find in the epistles give sufficient evidence that this prediction was fulfilled. For example, among the sufferings of Paul, were some at the hands of false brethren (2 Corinthians 11:26); the Galatian disciples were taught by false teachers to regard him as an enemy (Galatians 4); and some persons in the church at Corinth denied his authority and sought to bring him into contempt (1 Corinthians 9:1-4; 2 Corinthians 10:1 2 Corinthians 10:10). 11. many false prophets.—The epistles of Paul show that many false prophets did arise. He speaks of men in the Jerusalem church who were “false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty.” (Galatians 2:1-4.) In Corinth there were “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ,” and ministers of Satan transformed into ministers of righteousness. (2 Corinthians 11:3-15) The same apostle warns Timothy against similar characters (1 Timothy 1:3-7 1 Timothy 1:19-20; 2 Timothy 3:8-9), and to Titus he writes, “There are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision; whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre’s sake.” (Titus 1:10-11.) The testimony of Peter and Jude is also very explicit on the same point, for they speak in words of terrifying earnestness concerning bad characters infesting the churches, “wandering stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” (Jude, and 2 Peter 2) 12. love of many shall wax cold.—It is the universal experience of the Church, that when iniquity abounds the love of many grows cold; and it is also true that under such circumstances the love of some grows warmer, thus reserving and concentrating a sufficient amount of warmth to produce a reaction by and by, and to save the body from utter destruction. 13. endure to the end.—The end here referred to is not the end of the city and the temple; for endurance to this end was impossible with those who were killed for the truth, and those who died a natural death; nor would endurance to the end of the city insure salvation, unless the salvation promised is salvation from the destruction of life attendant on the siege and sacking of the city; and to say that he who endured to the end of that destruction would be saved from it would be a mere truism. The end, then, is not the end mentioned before in verse 6, but the end of life; and the promise is, that he who would resist the false prophets, and would not allow his love to be cooled by the abounding iniquity, until the end of his life, would be saved. (See the same promise in 10:22.) 14. then shall the end come.—Here the nature of the case forbids us to understand “the end” as the end of life, just as, in the preceding verse, it requires this meaning. Here it is used again in the sense of verse 6, for the destruction of the temple, or, as the apostles had expressed it, “the end of the world” (ἀίων, age), verse 3. That the gospel was “preached in all the world” before that event, is declared by Paul when he says, “Be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.” (Colossians 1:23.) Of course the language of both Jesus and Paul must be understood with reference to the Geography of the earth as then known; and we should doubtless also understand Paul as meaning, not that every creature had actually heard the gospel, but that it had been preached so universally as to be accessible to all. Paul’s declaration was written in the year 63 A. D., about seven years before “the end.” The Signal for Flight, Matthew 24:15-22. (Mark 13:14-20; Luke 21:20-24) 15. the abomination of desolation.—Many conflicting interpretations of this passage have been suggested by the commentators (see Alford for a statement of them); but after considering them all, I am constrained to adopt the one most commonly received. It is derived from a comparison of this verse with the parallel in Luke, where the idea is expressed in unfigurative language: “When you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” (Luke 21:20.) The armies referred to are unquestionably the Roman armies which finally besieged and destroyed the city. They are called the abomination of desolation because, being heathen armies, they were an abomination to the Jews, and because they brought desolation on the country. The “holy place” in which they were to stand is the holy territory round about the holy city. It is a remarkable confirmation of this interpretation, that Josephus attaches the same significance to the words in question. With evident reference to the “abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet” (Daniel 11:31), he says, “Daniel also wrote concerning the Roman government, and that our country should be made desolate by them.” (Antiquities, B. x. ch. xi. § 7.) whoso readeth.— This note of warning, which we also find in Mark’s narrative, must be either a remark of Jesus addressed to the reader of Daniel, or a remark of the two evangelists addressed to their own readers.

In favor of the latter supposition is the consideration that a reader of Daniel, unless guided by this speech of Jesus, could not understand the abomination of desolation as the sign which Jesus here makes it, while the reader of the gospel narrative would if he would only accept the words of Jesus. Moreover, Mark, in his report, does not mention the writings or name of Daniel (see Mark 13:14), and this makes it almost certain that this remark does not refer to the reading of Daniel. We conclude, then, that the parenthesis was thrown in by Matthew and Mark to fix the attention of their readers on the passage, so that those Christians who would be in Judea at the time might remember the sign and flee as here directed. 16. flee into the mountains.—This direction is give, not to men in general, but to Christians who would be “in Judea.” They were to flee to the mountains, because there they would find the safest retreat from the bodies of armed men who would be desolating the land. 17-20. on the housetop… in the field.—In these verses are four admonitions, all indicating the haste with which the disciples were to flee to the mountains on the appearance of the “abomination of desolation.” The man on the housetop was not to “take the things out of his house,” because he would be delayed in packing them up, and the attempt to carry them would impede his flight. The man in the field was not even to go home for his extra clothing, for the same reason. Women with child and those with infants at the breast (Matthew 24:19) would be unfortunate, because they could not flee rapidly. They were to pray that the flight should not be in the winter nor on the Sabbath-day, because the former would impede them by its rains, and the latter by the shortness of the Sabbath-day’s journey. It is here noticeable that Jesus expected his Jewish disciples to continue, at least until after the destruction of the temple, to observe the Sabbath, and even the tradition in reference to a Sabbath-day’s journey; and it is a fact that at least the chief part of them did so. 21. such as was not… nor ever shall be.—The statement that there would then be tribulation “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be,” is to be understood literally. It is fully confirmed by the narrative of Josephus, who was an eyewitness of the siege of Jerusalem. In order to appreciate the facts, it is necessary to read his very graphic account, and enter into all the details: we quote from him only the following expression of opinion, and call attention to the striking coincidence between it and the words of Jesus: “It appears to me that the misfortunes of all men from the beginning of the world, if they were compared to those of the Jews, are not so considerable as they were.” (Preface to Wars, § 4.) 22. no flesh be saved.—As it is Jewish flesh alone whose sufferings are the subject of discourse, this passage means that but for the shortening of those days no Jewish flesh would be saved; and it follows that the elect, for whose sake those days were to be shortened, were the elect Jews, or Jewish Christians. The Romans made no distinction between believing and unbelieving Jews, but slaughtered all alike. The only safety for Christian Jews, then, was in flight, and even this might not have saved them but for the providences by which those days were “shortened.” Another Warning against False Christs and False Prophets, Matthew 24:23-28. (Mark 13:21-23) 23, 24. false Christs and false prophets.—The former reference to these pretenders (verse 5) was indefinite as regards the time of their appearance, but this shows that some of them would appear at the time of flight just preceding the final catastrophe. signs and wonders.—These may have been either pretended signs and wonders, or real signs and wonders of which these men pretended to give the interpretation. That a great many such signs and wonders and such prophets did appear during the siege of Jerusalem, and for some years previous, is attested by Josephus in the remarkable chapters already referred to under verse 21 above. deceive the very elect.—The elect are those who would maintain their faith in Christ, and who, however they might be puzzled and distressed by the signs and wonders of the pretenders, could not be deceived into the recognition of false Christs. The believer in Jesus in all ages and countries has this advantage, that no pretenders can present credentials equal to his, nor give us ground for such confidence in them as we have in him. 25, 26. go not forth… believe it not.—The reference is not to the appearance of false Christs, but to reported appearances of the true Christ. (Comp. verse 27 below.) Jesus had said much about coming again, which was but imperfectly understood by his disciples, and it would be quite natural in times of great commotion and tribulation among his disciples for the report to go abroad that he had come. 27. as the lightning.—The comparison here introduced enforces the warning of the previous verse. Men will not need to be told, “Behold, he is in the desert;” or “Behold, he is in the secret chamber;” for his coming will be like lightning, in that it will shine forth instantly from the east to the west, and all men will see him at the same moment. 28. the carcass… the eagles.—There is nothing in the three verses next preceding this which can be represented by a carcass or by carrion birds (αέτοι, vultures) flocking to it. The reference is to the false Christs and false prophets of verse 24. The carcass is the decaying Jewish nation, and the eagles or vultures are the false Christs and false prophets who would flock together and prey upon the sufferings and fears of their countrymen. If the for (γαρ) is correctly omitted by the critics, this removes the appearance of close connection with the preceding verse, and tends to confirm our interpretation. Argument of Section 5It is impossible for a candid person to study the history of the Jewish nation from the death of Jesus to the destruction of Jerusalem, and compare it with the predictions contained in the preceding section, without being overwhelmed with the evidences which it furnishes of the divine foreknowledge of Jesus. And if such is the force of the evidence to us, who depend for our knowledge of the events on the fragmentary historical records which have come down to us, what must it have been to those who stood in the midst of the stirring events themselves, with the open pages of Matthew in their hands? As sign after sign appeared, they were able to read it in the book as plainly as they saw it with their eyes. We are not slow, therefore, to believe the statement of Eusebius, that the whole body of the church at Jerusalem removed from the city before the final siege began. (Ec. Hist. B. iii. ch. v.) Nor can we fail to recognize these fleeing Christians among those persons of whom Josephus speaks when he says, that “Many of the most eminent of the Jews swam away from the city as from a ship when it was going to sink.” (B. ii. ch. xx. § 1.) This flight occurred at the very crisis at which Jesus had warned his disciples to flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:15-22); that is, after Cestius Gallus, having laid siege to Jerusalem, with every prospect of taking it, suddenly, as Josephus expresses it, “retired from the city without any reason in the world.” (Book ii. ch. xix. §§ 6, 7.)

Questions by E.M. Zerr On Matthew 241. From what place did Jesus depart? 2. To what did the disciples call his attention? 3. State the prediction he made. 4. Where did he seat himself? 5. What did the disciples ask him? 6. Was this one or two questions? 7. State two events involved in their question. 8. Who were likely to confuse the two? 9. Tell the warning he gave the disciples. 10. By what name would they attempt the deception 11. How might the deception be avoided? 12. What rumors were to be heard ? 13. State his encouraging words. 14. Tell how nations and kingdoms were to act. 15. What would nature do? 16. This would be the beginning of what? 17. What was to be the lot of these disciples ? 18. For what sake was it to be done to them? 19. What mutual evil deed would be committed ? 20. Tell who would arise to deceive. 21. What would be caused by abounding iniquity? 22. How long is saving endurance required? 23. State the spread of the gospel predicted. 24. Then what? 25. Who prophesied abomination of desolation? 26. Where was it to be seen? 27. On seeing this to where should they flee ? 28. Should those on the housetop remain there ? 29. How about those in the field? 30. Upon whom is woe predicted? 31. What difference would those conditions make? 32. Compare the tribulation of those days. 33. For whose sake will those days be shortened? 34. What do you understand by “ those days” ? 35. What sayings must then not be believed? 36. Who shall arise at that time? 37. Tell what they will show. 38. With what effect ? 39. Why should this deception be avoided? 40. Compare His coming with the lightning. 41. This would make what saying false ? 42. What does the carcase of verse 28 represent ? 43. And what the eagles? 44. What planets are used figuratively? 45. Tell what is to happen to these figurative bodies. 46. After what is it to happen? 47. What is to appear then? 48. Tell what tribes of earth will do. 49. With what will Christ come ? 50. Whom will he send ? 51. For what purpose will they be sent? 52. What is here used as a parable? 53. In what way is it used ? 54. What are “ these things” in 34th verse? 55. Who were to witness them? 56. What is surer than heaven and earth? 57. State the secret known only by the Father. . 58. Whose days are referred to? 59. State the condition of the people then. 60. How long did their indifference continue ? 61. When will the like be repeated ? 62. What will happen to workers in the field ? 63. And to women grinding? 64. Why should they watch ? 65. What worldly wisdom does he cite for a lesson ? 66. They should therefore be what ? 67. This will make them what kind of a servant ? 68. With what honor will their lord reward them? 69. Describe the conduct of an evil servant. 70. On what account will he thus behave? 71. How will he be surprised? 72. What appointment will be made him? 73. State his condition then.

Matthew 24:1

24:1 The speech of Jesus recorded in the preceding chapter took place in the temple that was the pride of the Jews. After going out, the disciples called his attention to the buildings (architecture) of the structure, evidently admiring its wonderful appearance which the Jews boasted of requiring “forty and six years” to construct as we may read in John 2:20.

Matthew 24:2

24:2 The remarks of the disciples gave an opportunity that was appropriate for Jesus to make an important prediction. He made the simple statment that not one stone would be left resting upon another. In Luke 19:43-44 a more detailed account of the disaster is given, in which it is shown how it was to be accomplished.

Matthew 24:3

24:3 The disciples had learned from the teaching of Jesus that the world was someday to come to an end. (See chapter 11:22, 24; 12:41, 42; 13:39.) Because of that teaching they erroneously concluded that the predictions about the destruction of the temple were to be fulfilled at the same time as the end of the world. They also understood that the destruction of the world was to occur when Jesus comes again. With these ideas in mind they asked him to tell them when shall these things be. That was the one and only question they intended to ask, and the rest of the verse is only a specification of the things they thought were to happen at the time of the end of the world. However, their intended single question involved two great events, namely, the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world which we now know to have been at least nineteen centuries apart. Because of the radical conditions and various human transactions to occur in connection with the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus knew that ambitious men would take advantage of the disturbed state of affairs to make statements about the coming of Christ the second time and thus de ceive the people. In order to prepare the disciples against being so deceived, he gave them the teaching that is in this memorable chapter. He gave a description of things to occur at the destruction of Jerusalem, then went ahead to his second coming and depicted some of the things to happen then. He alternated these two subjects throughout the chapter, going back and forth from one to the other in more or less detail, so that his disciples could see the difference between the two events and thus not be deceived. There are a few intervening verses not directly connected with either of the main subjects which will be explained as we come to them. With those exceptions, the chapter should be marked off as follows.

Verses 4-26, destruction of Jerusalem; verse 27, 2nd coming of Christ; verse 28, destruction of Jerusalem; verses 30, 31, 2nd coming of Christ; verses 34, 35, destruction of Jerusalem; verses 36-51, 2nd coming of Christ. Trusting the reader will constantly observe which group of verses we are in, I shall now comment upon the verses in their order.

Matthew 24:4

24:4 The warning to take heed indicates a condition that might be misunderstood or even unnoticed if it were treated with an attitude of indifference. By heeding the signs Jesus gave, the disciples would be able to detect the false prophets.

Matthew 24:5

24:5 Come in my name means they will take upon themselves the name of Christ as they come among the people. Just because they will be wearing that name they will deceive many who will not look any farther into the subject than the sound of the name.

Matthew 24:6

24:6 The destruction of Jerusalem was brought about by the war between the Jews and the Romans. That conflict did not begin in Judea but was going on farther up in Palestine for some time before. The report of the battles in the distance reached the ears of the people In Judea, and that is why Jesus said they would hear of wars and rumors of wars. Be not troubled . . . end is not yet. The first rumors of war will not mean that the end of Jerusalem is right upon them.

Matthew 24:7

24:7 The Roman Empire was composed of many nations, and when the war against the Jews broke out it threw the whole empire into commo-tions. These various smaller units of governments in the empire were thrown into confusion and many of them began fighting each other. A state of war often produces shortages in the necessities of life which brings famine and pestilence. A literal earthquake is never caused by warfare, but God has brought them about at numerous times to mark His concern for the conditions. In the present case it was one of the signs the disciples were given by which they could see the approaching storm.

Matthew 24:8

24:8 The word sorrows is from ODIN which Thayer defines, “the pain of childbirth, travail-pain, birth-pang.” The suffering destined to come upon the nation and city of the Jews is compared to the pangs of childbirth. And as the full development of those pains are preceded by brief and comparatively light ones, warning the expectant mother that her time is near, so these rumors of wars reaching the ears of the people of Jerusalem are compared with the preliminary labor pains.

Matthew 24:9

24:9 The preceding verse deals with the conditions a short time prior to the actual suffering in Judea, and the present one brings their history down upon the area itself. Deliver you up means the persecutions that were to be imposed upon the Jewish citizens by the Romans, especially those who had become Christians.

Matthew 24:10

4:10 There will be several references in this chapter to Josephus’ history of the wars of the Jews and Romans. That history is divided into books, chapters and paragraphs or sections. For the sake of brevity and also clearness, the reader should understand that the numbers used in the references will mean those three divisions respectively. The confusion caused by the war resulted in much violence even between the Jews. I shall quote from Josephus, 5-6-1. “Now while the factions fought one against another, the people were their prey, on both sides, as we have said already; and that part of the people who would not join with them in their wicked practices, were plundered by both factions. . . . And when the parts that were interposed between their possessions were burnt by them, they left a space wherein they might fight with each other; for this internal sedition did not cease even when the Romans were encamped near their very walls . . . for they never suffered anything that was worse from the Romans than they made each other suffer.”

Matthew 24:11

4:11 This is the same prediction that is made in verse 5.

Matthew 24:12

4:12 Many people are affected by their surroundings whether good or bad. Iniquity means a state of lawlessness, and because that condition was coming upon the country a great number of disciples were going to become cold in their love for God.

Matthew 24:13

4:13 Endure unto the end first means to remain faithful to the Lord until the end of that war. It would also be true of those who might be slain in the general turmoil provided they were faithful till death.

Matthew 24:14

4:14 World is from a Greek word that Thayer defines, “The inhabited earth.” The end means the end of Jerusalem as the climax of the war. That event occurred in 70 A. D., and the Gospel was to have been offered to all the nations of the (civilized) world by that time. Hence the great commission of the apostles (chapter 28:19 and Mark 16:15) was fulfilled in the first century, which agrees with Romans 10:18 and Colossians 1:23. The Lord was not willing for Jerusalem to be destroyed until the Gospel had been offered to the entire extent of human inhabitants on earth, hence He supervised the whole revolution as far as the dates were concerned.

Matthew 24:15

4:15 The prediction referred to is in Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:31. Abomination of desolation means the Roman army and it is so called because its presence and effects will bring a state of desolation to the city of Jerusalem. Stand in the holy place is referred to by the words standing where it ought not in Mark 13:14. It is so described because the area around Jerusalem was regarded as holy ground, and the presence of a hostile heathen army was considered as a desecration of the place.

Matthew 24:16

4:16 However offensive the presence of a Roman army would seem, the Lord used it as a signal for his disciples to flee for safety while it was possible. In the church history of Eusebius, chapter 5, in a foot note is the following. “But the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation, vouchsafed [guaranteed as safe] to approved men there before the war, to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called Pella.”

Matthew 24:17

4:17. Houses had flat roofs and the buildings were joined one against another even unto the end of the street at the wall. If a man had gone up there for some reason and saw the army of the Romans near he did not need to come down, but could go from one roof to another until he reached the wall.

Matthew 24:18

4:18 The man in a field should not regard his personal belongings at home of more importance than his safety, and hence it would be better to flee immediately for safety.

Matthew 24:19

4:19 Women in the condition described could not well travel.

Matthew 24:20

4:20 Wintry weather would not be convenient time to travel. Neither on the sabbath day. The law of Moses has nothing to say about a “Sabbath-Day’s Journey,” but that was a tradition of the Jews based on a strained interpretation of Exo 16:29 and Joshua 3:4. On that ground the pious Jews in the time of Christ thought it was wrong to travel more than two thousand cubits on the sab-bath day. A person attempting to go further on that day would be hindered by these Jews who would seek to punish him for what they thought was a violation of the law. Jesus was not endorsing the tradition, but he knew it would be an obstacle against speedy traveling and hence expressed the prayerful wish on behalf of his disciples.

Matthew 24:21

4:21 That the predictions of this verse were fulfilled can be proved by a number of historians. However, I shall quote from Josephus only on this point because he was a Jew and hence had a genuine interest in that nation. Moreover, not being a Christian, his testimony as a historian that so completely verifies the predictions of Jesus will be of special value. I will first quote direct from his own estimate of the sufferings of the Jews in Jerusalem in his preface to the history of the war. “Because it had so come to pass, that our city Jerusalem had arrived at a higher degree of felicity [happiness] than any other city under the Roman government, and yet at last fell into the sorest calamities again. Accordingly it appears to me, that the misfortune of all men, from the beginning of the world, if they be compared to those of the Jews, are not so considerable as they were; while the authors of them were not foreigners neither.” If Josephus had intended to point out the exact fulfillment of Christ’s predictions, he could not have used stronger language. That was not his purpose, for he was

not a disciple of Jesus and hence had no personal interest in him. But he was an able and truthful historian and gave us the facts of history. In giving the readers some details of the sufferings endured by the people in the city I shall not quote verbatim as it would require too much space. Instead, I shall make the statements and give the references to his history of the Jewish war, that the reader may find them and see the full account by consulting the volume, The Wars of the Jews.

The troubles of the people of Jerusalem during the war were many and great for they were divided into three seditious factions (5-1-1), provisions were wantonly destroyed (5-1-4), they ate corn unground and uncooked (5-10-2), children would snatch the last morsel from the parent, and the mother from the infant. Children were lifted from the ground by the food they held in their mouths. People were beaten who ate their food before the robbers arrived. Those who were suspected of having hidden some food were tortured by having sharp stakes driven up into their lower bowels (5-10-3), and the famine consumed whole families. Many died as they were burying others. There was no lamentation as the famine confounded all natural passions.

A stupefying silence and awe overcame them (5-12-3). Some had swallowed their money, and then had their bodies ripped open by robbers (5-14-4). Some searched the sewers and manure piles for food (5-13-7) and ate hay, old shoes and leather (6-3-3). A mother roasted and ate her son (6-3-4); bloodshed was so great as to quench fire in the houses (6-8-5).

Matthew 24:22

4:22. If the conditions in Jerusalem that have been predicted should continue indefinitely, no one would be able to survive the ordeal. Elect is from which Thayer defines in this and many other passages, “1. chosen by God, to obtain salvation through Christ,” and other passages teach us that what one gets through Christ is to be accomplished through obedience to his commandments. When the siege and turmoil in Jerusalem came upon the city and surrounding territory, there were many men and women of both Jews and Gentiles who had become Christians and they are the ones meant by the elect. For the sake of these persons the Lord decreed to bring the conflict to a close as soon as the general purpose of it had been accomplished.

Matthew 24:23

4:23 Then means while these times of tribulation were going on. The false prophets would use the disturbed condition as a pretext for pointing to some outstanding men and calling some one of them by the name of Christ and that the 2nd coming was upon the world. The warning was that such agitators were not to be believed.

Matthew 24:24

4:24 These false prophets were to be able to make such an application of the unusual happenings that even the elect (the Christians) would almost be misled by it. The faith of these elect of God in the teaching of Christ was so great that it made them easy victims of the shrewd false prophets. If it were possible means that the elect would really be deceived had not Christ forewarned them.

Matthew 24:25

4:25 This short verse is for the purpose of defeating the plots of the false prophets to mislead the elect, by impressing the seriousness of it on them beforehand.

Matthew 24:26

4:26 On the basis of the general warning that was given by Christ, the disciples were not to pay any attention to the false prophets. They would think to mislead the multitudes by claiming that Christ had come for a certainty, but that it would be necessary to make a special search for him. They will even announce that Christ is hiding in some secret place or was strolling out in the desert. Jesus warned them not to believe any such statements because that was not to be the manner of his second coming.

Matthew 24:27

4:27 Having warned against letting false prophets take advantage of the disturbed conditions at the time of the Jewish wars to announce the second coming, Jesus then goes over to that event to explain how it will be then. That is why this verse was listed in the comments at verse 3 as the “second coming of Christ.” The universal and simultaneous appearance of Jesus at his second coming is compared to that of a flash of lightning. It does not appear in spots only and require that one’s attention be called to it before it is observed. When Jesus comes he will be seen by all classes at the same time (Revelation 1:7). There are false prophets in the world today who have been predicting the second coming of Christ, even setting the very date when it was to occur. But the dates all proved to be wrong, so in order to “save face” they have changed their story and now declare that he did actually come but was seen only by his “witnesses.” The prophecy of Jesus and John contradicts the theory and shows that all of these so-called “witnesses” are frauds.

Matthew 24:28

4:28 This verse comes back to the destruction of Jerusalem, in which Jesus uses a habit of birds hovering about a dead creature preparatory to devouring it. Were a bird seen flying around over a certain place we would understand that he scented something which he intended soon to attack for food. This very practice of an eagle is referred to in Job 39:30. The same is used figuratively in the case of our subject, because the eagle was inscribed on the banners of the Roman army. (Josephus, Wars, 3-6-2.) The fact was mentioned as another sign that would indicate the attack of the Romans upon Jerusalem, seeing their ensigns gathering round the city as a flock of eagles would hover, over a carcase.

Matthew 24:29

4:29 The most of this chapter is in answer to the inquiry of the apostles which pertains to the two great events, the destruction of Jerusalem and the second coming of Christ. This verse is not on either of those subjects, but is a prediction of events that would concern the church and the world, beginning immediately after the events of the destruction of Jerusalem. Of course it is figurative for the literal sun and other heavenly bodies were not involved in the things predicted. The sun refers to Christ, the moon to the church, and the stars to teachers and other leading men in the church. Soon after the destruction of Jerusalem the influence of evil in the Roman government and the schemes of ambitious men in the kingdom of heaven combined and brought on the period known in religious literature as The Dark Ages, which lasted until the Reformation. During all that time there were faithful disciples in the world, but since the Bible was taken from the common people, it greatly interfered with the light of divine truth that comes from Christ through the church, and taught by faithful men in the church.

All this is what is meant by the statements about the sun, moon and stars ceasing to shine. The same thing is meant by the words, the powers of heaven shall be shaken, for all of these sources of light were powers that originated in heaven, but they were shaken (agitated) by the revolution of the Dark Ages.

Matthew 24:30

4:30 Then means after the period predicted in the preceding verse. The Dark Ages lasted until the work of Luther and the other Reformers. That was another revolution in the religious and political world that broke up the union of church and state. After that event the Lord took up the second one of the great subjects that he had been describing since the disciples made their inquiry in verse 3. The length of time that was to elapse before the second coming is not important, but what is of much concern is that the second coming of Christ was not to be until after the Dark Ages. But it is also important that it is to be the next major event in the list of those in the present schedule. The mourning of humanity at that time is the same as John predicted in Revelation 1:7, and the coming in the clouds is the same as was predicted in Acts 1:11 and Jude 1:14.

Matthew 24:31

4:31 The prediction that a trumpet will be heard when Jesus comes again is also made in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16. We observe also that the second coming of Christ will occur at the same time the world is to come to an end. In this verse the coming of Christ is accompanied with the work of the angels in gathering the elect (saved ones) of Christ, and in Matthew 13:39 we are told that the angels will do this at the end of the world.

Matthew 24:32

4:32 This and the following verse are some of the “exceptions” mentioned at verse 3. They are thrown in to suggest to the disciples the use that should be made of the “signs of the times.” He referred to the common fig tree that was so prevalent in Palestine. The preliminary appearance of leaves was observed and from the fact a conclusion was formed that a change of seasons was near.

Matthew 24:33

4:33 By using the same kind of logic with the signs that Jesus had predicted, the disciples could know when the first of the two great events was about due. We know this verse has the application to that event, for the disciples were to be living so that they could see all these things, and of course we are sure that they were not to live to see, bodily, the signs of the near approach of the second coming of Christ.

Matthew 24:34

4:34 In keeping with the preceding verse we may conclude that the present one is in the bracket of the destruction of Jerusalem. Generation is from GENEA, which Thayer defines at this place, “The whole multitude of men living at the same time.” Jesus spoke these words in about 30 A. D., and the destruction of Jerusalem was in 70 A. D. We know that the entire population would not have died in 40 years, so the prediction was fulfilled according to the words of our Lord.

Matthew 24:35

4:35 Heaven and earth means the objects composing the material universe such as the earth, sun, moon and stars. They are destined to pass away at the day of judgment, but the truths spoken by Jesus will not fail; they will always be the truth.

Matthew 24:36

4:36 From this verse through the end of the chapter the subject is the second coming of Christ and things that will take place in connection with it. At the time Jesus spoke these words no angel even, much less any man, knew when the end of the world was to come. My Father only might mean that not even Christ knew it, but I would not be too positive about that. The intimacy between the everlasting Father and Son would suggest the possibility of their having this knowledge in common. However, we are sure that no man knows of it, so that men who presume to predict the date must be regarded as false prophets of whom Jesus warned the disciples to beware.

Matthew 24:37

4:37 The comparison intimated is shown in the next verse.

Matthew 24:38

4:38 None of the things mentioned in this verse were wrong. The great mistake was in being wholly absorbed in their temporal interests and not paying any attention to the admonitions of Noah “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5).

Matthew 24:39

4:39 Knew not means they were so concerned with the affairs of this life they did not realize their danger until the flood was upon them, and then it was too late to avoid the disaster. So the coming of Christ will be upon the world in a surprise event even as the flood was in the days of Noah. He and his family were not overtaken by the flood because that patriarch believed the warning of the Lord. Likewise when Jesus comes again there will be some righteous people looking for him and will riot be overtaken and found unprepared (1 Thessalonians 5:1).

Matthew 24:40

4:40 Taken is from PARALAM-BANO which Thayer defines at this and several other places “To take to, to take with one’s self, to join to one’s self.” So it does not mean that one man will be taken out of the field and the other left there. That will be im- possible since the field will be destroyed with the earth. It means one of the men will be taken to Christ as part of the good harvest, while the other will be rejected and gathered with the tares to be burned.

Matthew 24:41

4:41 Grain was ground by rolling one millstone round over another by means of a lever fastened to the stone. The separation of these women will be done on the same basis as that of the two men in the preceding verse. Both cases show that the Lord’s people and those of the world may engage together in any honorable occupation while performing work necessary to a livelihood. That is why Jesus said “Let both grow together until the harvest” [end of the world] (chapter 13:30).

Matthew 24:42

4:42 To watch means to be alert and thoughtful concerning one’s duty to the Lord, and then regardless of when he comes the servant will be ready.

Matthew 24:43

4:43 Broken up is from and the definition in Thayer’s lexicon, is, “To dig through,” referring to the attempt to force an entrance into a house. One difference between the coming of a thief and that of the Lord is that the householder did not have any warning that any such attempt would be made upon his house. But we do have warning that Christ is coming again to judge the world and we are not told when, hence the necessity of being always awake and watching. An incidental bit of information may be obtained from this illustration of Jesus. The householder would have been compelled to use force in protecting his home, and the Lord made a reference to the subject in an approving attitude. That shows that it is right for one to protect his home and family, even though he has to use force against force.

Matthew 24:44

4:44 In such an hour as ye think not. Unlike the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, the second coming of Christ will not be heralded by specific signs. Instead, the world in general will be going on in the pursuit of earthly interests, feeling a sense of security and satisfaction, and hence will be taken by surprise as it is awakened to a sense of the awful doom just upon it (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

Matthew 24:45

4:45 Jesus finished his speech in parable form, likening himself to a householder who took his leave of the members of his house for a season, instructing them that he would return at some date not announced then. This householder appointed one of his servants to have charge of affairs during his absence, in seeing that the members were served their food at proper times. The practical application is to be made to the service that the disciples of the Lord are expected to render in the house of God.

Matthew 24:46

4:46 The servant does not know when his lord will return, but if he is always faithful to his duty it will not matter when it occurs, for his faithfulness is what will bring him the blessing of the master of the house.

Matthew 24:47

4:47 In the literal procedure of the parable the promotion of the faithful servant would be the thing usually expected. In its application it means that the faithful servants of Christ will be promoted to the higher enjoyment of heaven.

Matthew 24:48

4:48 A servant might be attentive to his duties for a while, but if more time went by than was expected, he may conclude that his lord has postponed his coming for an indefinite period. (See 2 Peter 3:3-4.)

Matthew 24:49

4:49 Under the impression that. “there is plenty of time yet” this servant will relax his vigilance and turn the good treatment of his fellow servants into mistreatment of them; he will even join in the unrighteous practices of some of them. Likewise, some professed disciples of Christ often get tired of faithful service in the kingdom and give way to a life of sin.

Matthew 24:50

4:50 Such a worldly life has the tendency of blunting the mind with regard to spiritual matters. It even may blot from his mind the memory of all the warnings of the Lord. In such a case his coming will be unexpected to him hence it will take him by surprise and find him not ready for a favorable meeting.

Matthew 24:51

4:51 Cut him asunder means to sever him from the Lord’s household. An unthinking and self-gratifying servant is not as bad in the abstract as a hypocrite, for such a character that professes to be what he knows he is not is among the worst of sinners. But since both of these individuals are to have their portion together, it teaches us that there is only one lot awaiting the unsaved at the day of judgment. We ordinarily think of a gnashing of the teeth as a much stronger demonstration than weeping. The use of the two is very significant as applied to those condemned in the lake of fire. Gnashing the teeth will be caused by the bodily pain, while weeping (also defined “lamenation”) will be the expression of the mind, caused by the realization of what the person has missed of joy, and what he has brought upon himself by his life of sin while in the world.