Matthew Chapter 24

From The Open Bible Project

24:1 Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.

   * The buildings of the temple are the context and location in which the entire chapter unfolds 

24:2 But he answered them, "You see all of these things, don't you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down."

   * (1) The destruction of the city, and especially of the temple is prophesied. 

24:3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?"

   * The Greek word parousia meaning presence is used to indicate the coming of Christ (often referenced as The Second Coming)
   * Older translations translate the Greek aion as world rather than age thus creating a false expectation for the reader.
   * The disciples evidently saw the destruction of the Jewish temple as being the one and same event as the coming of Christ and the end of the age. 

24:4 Jesus answered them, "Be careful that no one leads you astray.

   * (2) The Church will have a continual conflict with infinite miseries and offences, and furthermore, with false prophets, until the day of victory and triumph comes. 

24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will lead many astray.

   * As history records, many false prophets and false Christs appeared within several years before the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. 

24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren't troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet.

   * (a) That is, when those things are fulfilled, yet the end will not come. 

24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.

   * (b) The decade before A.D. 70 was a tumultuous decade in the history of the Roman Empire. 

24:8 But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.

   * (c) Literally, "of great torments", just like women in childbirth. 

24:9 Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name's sake.

   * The Neronian persecution of Christians was spread across the many nations comprising the Roman Empire. 

24:10 Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.

24:11 Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray.

24:12 Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.

24:13 But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.

   * (3) The gospel will spread abroad, angering the world and the devil ever so much: and those who continually believe will be saved. 

24:14 This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

   * (d) Joyful tidings of the kingdom of heaven.
   * (e) Through all that part of the world that people live in. 

24:15 "When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation,[115] which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

   * (4) The kingdom of Christ will not be abolished when the city of Jerusalem is utterly destroyed, but will be stretched out even to the end of the world.
   * (f) The abomination of desolation, that is to say, the one who all men detest and cannot abide, because of the foul and shameful filthiness of it: and he speaks of the idols that were set up in the temple, or as others think, he meant the marring of the doctrine in the Church. 

24:16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

   * The destruction was localized to Judea.
   * Christians who fled Jerusalem before the siege were not killed (Josephus). 

24:17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house.

24:18 Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.

   * (g) This is a sign of how great the fear will be. 

24:19 But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!

24:20 Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath,

   * (h) It was not lawful to take a journey on the sabbath day; Josephus, book 13. 

24:21 for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.

24:22 Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.

   * (i) Those things which befell the people of the Jews in the thirty-four years, when the whole land was wasted, and at length the city of Jerusalem was taken, and both it and their temple destroyed, are mixed with those things which will come to pass before the last coming of the Lord.
   * (k) The whole nation would utterly be destroyed: and this word "flesh" is a figurative word for "man", as the Hebrews used to say. 

24:23 "Then if any man tells you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or, 'There,' don't believe it.

   * There was a number of false-Messiah's appearing shortly before A.D. 70. 

24:24 For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.

   * (l) Will openly set forth great signs for men to behold. 

24:25 "Behold, I have told you beforehand.

24:26 If therefore they tell you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness,' don't go out; 'Behold, he is in the inner chambers,' don't believe it.

24:27 For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

24:28 For wherever the carcass is, there is where the [116>]vultures[<116] gather together.

   * (5) The only remedy against the furious rage of the world is that of being gathered and joined to Christ.
   * (m) Christ, who will come with speed; and his presence will be with a majesty to whom all will flock, just like Eagles. 

24:29 But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;[117]

   * (6) Everlasting damnation will be the end of the security of the wicked, and everlasting bliss for the miseries of the godly. 

24:30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

   * (n) The exceeding glory and majesty, which will bear witness that Christ the Lord of heaven and earth draws near to judge the world.
   * (o) All nations, and he alludes to the dispersion which we read of in (Genesis 10-11), or to the dividing of the people of Israel.
   * (p) They will be in such sorrow, that they will strike themselves: and it is transferred to the mourning.
   * (q) Sitting upon the clouds, as he was taken up into heaven. 

24:31 He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

   * (r) From the four corners of the world. 

24:32 "Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near.

   * (7) If God has prescribed a certain order to nature, much more has he done so to his eternal judgments; but the wicked do not understand it, or rather they mock it: but the godly make note of it, and wait for it.
   * (s) When its tenderness shows that the sap which is the life of the tree has come from the roots into the bark. 

24:33 Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

24:34 Most certainly I tell you, this [118>]generation[<118] will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished.

   * (t) This age: the word "generation" or "age" is here being used for the men of this age, i.e. often understood to be roughly fourty years.
   * Within one generation, fourty years later, all the things prophesied by Christ took place; Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, false prophets mislead the people, and the age of Jewish temple worship came to an end. 

24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

   * (8) The Lord now begins the judgment, which he will finish in the latter days. 

24:36 But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven,[119] but my Father only.

   * (9) It is sufficient for us to know that God has appointed a latter day for the restoring of all things; but when it will be is hidden from us all for our sake, so that we may be all the more watchful, so that we are not taken as those were taken in the flood years ago. 

24:37 "As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

   * This "as in the days of Noah" expression is often used to justify a secret rapture of the Church and that the entire world will be destroyed. In fact, the comparison should be made vis-a-vis what really happened in the days of Noah, i.e. the wicked were taken away by the cleansing waters of the flood and the righteous were left behind. 

24:38 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 ship,

   * (u) The word which the evangelist uses expresses the matter more fully then ours does: for it is a word which is used of brute beasts: and his meaning is that in those days men will pay attention to their appetites just like brute beasts: for otherwise there is nothing wrong with eating and drinking. 

24:39 and they didn't know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

   * the wicked were taken away by the flood (v. 37); in like manner, the wicked were destroyed and "taken away" at the destruction of the Jewish temple. 

24:40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left;

   * (10) Against those that persuade themselves that God will be merciful to all men, and do by this means give themselves over to sin, that they may in the meantime live in pleasure, void of all care. 

24:41 two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left.

   * (x) The Greek women and the barbarians ground and baked. 

24:42 Watch therefore, for you don't know in what hour your Lord comes.

   * (11) An example of the horrible carelessness of men in those things in which they ought to be most careful. 

24:43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

24:44 Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don't expect, the Son of Man will come.

24:45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

24:46 Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.

24:47 Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.

24:48 But if that evil servant should say in his heart, 'My lord is delaying his coming,'

24:49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,

24:50 the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn't expect it, and in an hour when he doesn't know it,

24:51 and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.

   * (y) That is, from the rest, or will cut him into two pieces, which was a most cruel kind of punishment: with which, as Justin Martyr witnesses, Isaiah the Prophet was executed by the Jews: the same kind of punishment we read of in (1 Samuel 15:33) and (Daniel 3:29).