FRAMEWORKS:
Matthew, chapter 24
v.1,2
Destruction of the Temple
v.3-8
General Signs of the beginning
v.9-14
Coming Persecution & Falling Away
v.15-22
Coming Desolation & Distress
v.23-26
Beware False Messiahs
v.27-31
His Second Coming
v.32-35
Watch for the Signs
v.36-44
The Day and Hour Unknown
v.45-51
Parable of the waiting servants
v.1,2
Destruction of the Temple
v.1
(outside the temple the
disciples comment on the grand building) Jesus
left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up
to him to call his attention to its buildings.
v.2
(Jesus says it will be
thrown down) “Do you see all
these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here
will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
[Comment:
Jesus warns of the temple's destruction (in AD70) in
response to comments from his disciples.]
v.3-8
General Signs of the beginning
v.3
(the disciples ask when
it will happen) As Jesus was
sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately.
“Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be
the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
v.4
(don't be deceived he
replies) Jesus answered: “Watch
out that no one deceives you.
v.5
(many will come claiming
to be Messiah but don't be taken in) For
many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,' and will
deceive many.
v.6
(even when you hear of
wars, it's not the time of the end) You
will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you
are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still
to come.
v.7
(many upheavals will
happen) Nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and
earthquakes in various places.
v.8
(but they are just early
day happenings, not the end) All
these are the beginning of birth pains.
[Comment:
Jesus starts to expound on the ‘last days' – see Acts
2:17 – a long period leading on to the ‘end times' – see Dan 12:2.
These are a number of things that wil happen throughout the church
era.]
v.9-14
Coming Persecution & Falling Away
v.9
(times will be tough
for my followers) “Then you
will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you
will be hated by all nations because of me.
v.10,11 (many
will turn from the faith and much deception will occur) At
that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and
hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive
many people.
v.12,13
(wickedness will increase,
love will decrease, but hold firm) Because
of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
v.14
(the gospel will be preached
around the whole world before the end) And
this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world
as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
[Comment:
Persecution of the church will be known throughout as
wickedness increases despite the gospel going to all nations.]
v.15-22
Coming Desolation & Distress
v.15,16
(when an idol is seen
in the temple, start running) “So
when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that
causes desolation,' [Dan 9:27; 11:31; 12:11] spoken
of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then
let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
v.17
(don't pause at home)
Let no one on the housetop go down
to take anything out of the house.
v.18
(don't pause in the field)
Let no one in the field go back to
get their cloak.
v.19
(for the defenceless
it will be terrible) How dreadful
it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
v.20
(pray it will happen
when you can easily get away) Pray
that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
v.21
(it will be the most
terrible of times) For then
there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of
the world until now—and never to be equalled again.
v.22
(so some will survive
it will be cut short) “If those
days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the
sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
[Comment:
There is coming (soon) distress.]
v.23-26
Beware False Messiahs
v.23
(again reject apparent
Messiah's) At that time if anyone
says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!' or, ‘There he is!' do
not believe it.
v.24
(they will all be false
even if doing signs and wonders) For
false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great
signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
v.25
(I've given you due warning)
See, I have told you ahead of time.
v.26
(don't believe what you
might hear about me) “So if
anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,' do not
go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.
[Comment:
There will be counterfeit Messiahs.]
v.27-31
His Second Coming
v.27
(as the lightning in
the sky, so will be my coming) For
as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west,
so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
v.28
(crowds gather for morbid
things – that won't be me) Wherever
there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
v.29
(you'll know it by what
goes on in the sky) “Immediately
after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and
the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the
sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' [Isa
13:10; 34:4]
v.30
(then you'll see me coming
power in the sky so everyone can see) “Then
will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all
the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. [Dan
7:13-14 ]
v.31 (and
my angels will collect up the believers) And
he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will
gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens
to the other.
[Comment:
But his real return will be seen in the skies – see
Acts 1:11]
v.32-35
Watch for the Signs
v.32
(you learn by nature
how seasons change) “Now learn
this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender
and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
v.33
(so watch for these signs)
Even so, when you see all these things,
you know that it is near, right at the door.
v.34
(this existence of mankind
will see it happen) Truly I
tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all
these things have happened.
v.35
(my words will never
be lost) Heaven and earth will
pass away, but my words will never pass away.
[Comment:
Jesus exhorts them to watch for these ‘signs', some
of which will come soon.]
v.36-44
The Day and Hour Unknown
v.36
(only the Father knows
exactly when that will be) “But
about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father.
v.37
(it will be rather like
what happened with Noah) As
it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the
Son of Man.
v.38,39
(people ignored his warnings
until the flood came and it was too late. So it will be at the
end) For in the days before
the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving
in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew
nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took
them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son
of Man.
v.40,41
(individuals will be
snatched away) Two men will
be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women
will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other
left.
v.42
(so remain alert)
“Therefore keep watch, because you
do not know on what day your Lord will come.
v.43
(be vigilant as
a house owner who had been warned about a break-in) But
understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time
of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would
not have let his house be broken into.
v.44
(so, not knowing when,
you must just remain alert) So
you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an
hour when you do not expect him.
[Comment:
Jesus warns them that no one except the Father in heaven
knows exactly when these things will occur.]
v.45-51
Parable of the waiting servants
v.45
(who can be qualified
to feed my people to the end, preparing them and keeping them
ready) “Who then is the faithful
and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants
in his household to give them their food at the proper time?
v.46
(how good if he's still
faithfully doing it when I come) It
will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so
when he returns.
v.47
(such a one will be rewarded)
Truly I tell you, he will put him
in charge of all his possessions.
v.48,49
(but if such a one falls
away, he'll be in trouble) But
suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master
is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow
servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.
v.50
(… if the master comes
when he's not expecting) The
master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect
him and at an hour he is not aware of.
v.51
(he will be severely
dealt with) He will cut him
to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[Comment:
The call, therefore, is to be ready, whenever he returns.]
Continue
to Chapter 25