Matthew 24:1-3 This chapter is known as the Olivet discourse because it was given to His disciples on the Mt. of Olives. It describes the sign of the Messiah’s coming and the discourse was precipitated by Jesus’ remarks concerning the destruction of Herod’s Temple. The Apostles had just spoken in complementary words of the beauty of the Temple. Not only was the Temple itself an architectural wonder, but also the mount that it sat on. The courtyard and porticoes surrounding the Temple were magnificent. Some of the stones that Herod used in its construction weighed as much as 700 tons. The engineering required to work with such stones is still marveled at today. There was no mortar needed; the immense weight held the stones in place. In fact, it is this kind of construction that allowed many of the walls to remain intact through numerous earthquakes that have occurred throughout the centuries. When Jesus said that not one stone of the Temple would remain, the thought was inconceivable in the minds of the Apostles. For clarity the stones of the Temple were destroyed but the stones of the retaining wall of that supported the Temple mount remain.
The disciples reacting to Yeshua’s description of these events assumed He was speaking about the end of the age. This is what led them to ask what sign would be herald the end of the age and the start of the Kingdom of the Messiah. They thought that Jesus would bring it about in their lifetime. This is seen in their continual fighting over who would sit at His right and left hand in the coming Kingdom.
When Jesus told the Pharisees and Scribes that they would not see Him again until they said, “Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord”, the disciples were even more convinced of the immanency of His reign. Even after Jesus’ death and resurrection they asked Him if now He was going to bring the Kingdom (Acts 1:6): So, when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” The expression “coming” is the Greek word parousia, which basically means presence. In essence their thoughts had to do with the assumption of His role as King of Israel. The end of the age was an expression used by Jesus in Matthew 13:39-40,49 in the parable of the wheat and tares, and also in the last chapter of Mat 28:20. The expression refers to a day yet in the future.
Since we will be studying last things (eschatology) it will be helpful to understand some of the terms used in the study of future events. The main focus of eschatology concerns the return of Jesus, the millennium, the last judgment, the final resurrection, heaven and hell. Matthew touches on all these areas. Let’s define some of the terms used. Millennium (from the Latin mille, meaning “a thousand”) refers to the 1,000-year reign of Messiah and the saints described in Revelation 20:4‑6. There are three basic perspectives concerning the millennium. Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Amillennialism.
Premillennialists believe that Jesus will return before (“pre‑”) He establishes a millennial kingdom on this earth. This return will be necessary because forces hostile to God will be governing the world, and Yeshua must conquer them before He will begin His rule. Towards the end of the millennium evil will rise again from people who are born in that period, and so it will have to be defeated again before God’s cosmic rule is perfected: Rev. 20:7-10 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Until the fourth century, the early church was generally premillennial. This perspective declined after Constantine made Christianity his Empire’s favored religion. I am skipping over these comments in our live study.
Here are some comments from early church fathers:
Papias (c. 60–130 AD): A bishop of Hierapolis and a disciple of the Apostle John, Papias is often cited as a premillennialist. According to Eusebius, Papias taught that there would be a physical, earthly reign of Christ lasting 1,000 years. Eusebius noted this in “Ecclesiastical History” (Book 3, Chapter 39).
Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 AD): In his “Dialogue with Trypho” (Chapter 80), Justin explicitly affirms a premillennial hope, stating that he and “many others” believed in a literal reign of Christ on earth. Justin contrasted this view with those who interpreted the Scriptures allegorically and denied such a kingdom.
Irenaeus (c. 130–202 AD): A prominent bishop of Lyons and a disciple of Polycarp (who was, in turn, a disciple of the Apostle John), Irenaeus affirmed a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ in his work “Against Heresies” (Book 5). He linked this belief to biblical passages like Revelation 20 and Old Testament prophecies.
Tertullian (c. 155–220 AD): Known for his apologetic and theological writings, Tertullian supported a premillennial interpretation of Scripture, emphasizing the physical resurrection and Christ’s earthly kingdom in works such as “Against Marcion”.
Early Christians tended to interpret Revelation 20 and other eschatological texts more literally than later allegorical interpretations introduced by figures like Origen or Augustine. The strong Jewish roots of early Christianity influenced a premillennial perspective, as Jewish eschatology often anticipated a messianic kingdom on earth. The prevalence of premillennialism in the early church is suggested by its presence across geographically dispersed communities. Early church historian Philip Schaff noted that premillennialism “was the widely prevailing theory in the ante-Nicene (pre council of Nicea) age” (History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2).
Premillennialism began to wane after the council of Nicea in 325 AD, as allegorical interpretations of Scripture gained prominence, particularly through Origen and Augustine. Augustine’s “City of God” introduced amillennialism, which became the dominant eschatological view in medieval Christianity.
Allegorical interpretation is a method of understanding texts, particularly sacred texts, by finding symbolic, spiritual, or deeper meanings beyond their literal sense. This approach often views the events, characters, or descriptions in a text as metaphors or representations of broader theological, moral, or philosophical truths.
Characteristics of allegorical interpretation include symbolism over literalism. The words and narratives are seen as pointing to hidden truths or spiritual realities rather than describing historical events or literal facts. For example: In an allegorical interpretation of the Garden of Eden story, the tree of life might symbolize divine wisdom, and the serpent might represent temptation or sin, rather than being understood as actual entities.
The allegorical interpretation will often focus on spiritual meanings to uncover lessons about God, the soul, morality, or salvation. For example using imagery in Revelation, such as the “beast” or “Babylon,” might be understood as symbolic of human systems of evil or corruption rather than specific historical figures or nations.
Allegory also assumes that a text may have multiple levels of meaning such as literal, moral, allegorical, and anagogical (mystical or future-oriented). Origen of Alexandria, a major proponent of allegorical interpretation, described the Bible as having a “body” (literal meaning), “soul” (moral teaching), and “spirit” (deeper, spiritual significance).
Allegorical Interpretation in Early Christian Theology includes Origen (185–254 AD) who applied allegorical interpretation extensively to both the Old and New Testaments. He viewed many biblical passages as spiritually symbolic. For instance, he interpreted the story of Israel’s Exodus from Egypt as a metaphor for the soul’s journey from sin to salvation.
Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) who adopted allegorical interpretations in works like “The City of God”, where he interpreted the “thousand years”of Rev. 20 as symbolic, suggesting that it represented the current age of the church rather than a literal future millennial reign.
Those who embrace allegorical interpretations oppose literalism. They often rejected literal readings of texts that seemed problematic or overly anthropomorphic (e.g., descriptions of God having human characteristics).
Literal interpretation seeks to understand the plain, face-value meaning of a text, focusing on historical, grammatical, and contextual accuracy.
I interpret Scripture using The Golden Rule of Interpretation: When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning, unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.Simply put, this law states that all biblical passages are to be taken exactly as they read unless there is something in the text indicating that it should be taken some way other than literally.[1]
Postmillennialism maintains that Jesus will return after (“post‑”) an earthly kingdom is established. This means that the millennium will be simultaneous with an era of ordinary human history. This viewpoint was first comprehensively articulated by Augustine (354‑430), who regarded the establishment of the church from Constantine’s time as the rule of Christ with His saints. Postmillennialism has often been the general perspective of Roman Catholic, Reformed, and other churches. Today some socially‑minded evangelicals are reviving it. In a general sense, postmillennialism describes an eschatology which expects religious and social activity to play a large role in establishing God’s kingdom. That man by his works through the church will accomplish this. While they believe that the church must significantly influence the social and political world, they usually place evangelism at the heart of the kingdom’s advance.
Matt. 24:1-3 begins with the disciples sitting on the Mount of Olives which provides a stunning view of the Temple. In Matt. 23:38 Jesus described the Temple to the Pharisees as “your house”. Some understand this as an indication that Yeshua was preparing His disciples for the transition coming in the church era. Ezekiel foretold that God in the Person of the Holy Spirit, was about depart: (Ezek 11:23) “The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it.”The Mount of Olives is the place where Jesus mourned over the city in Matt 23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. In Num. 9:15-23 The shekinah (Heb.), or “glory‑cloud,” was described as the Presence of the Lord. This cloud has often been referred to as the “Shekinah,” which is a nonbiblical term that first appears in the Aramaic Targums.
A Targum is an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, developed primarily for use in Jewish communities where Aramaic had become the common spoken language. The Targums were both translations and commentaries, often expanding upon the text to provide explanations, clarify meanings, or insert theological and cultural interpretations. The term was also employed in the Talmud and means “that which dwells.” Not only would God’s Spirit leave the Temple, but Jesus then predicted the destruction of the building itself. Evidently the Apostles sensed that the destruction of the Temple was a prelude to the Millennial Temple that Ezekiel described beginning in chapter 40. The disciples ask Jesus for indications as to how, when and under what circumstances these things would occur. Their timetable was immediate. They had seen spectacular signs and wonders demonstrating who Jesus was, three of them had seen Him transfigured. They had no idea that there would be two comings of the Messiah, one as a Lamb to die and another as a Lion to rule and reign. They expected everything concerning the ‘end of the age’ to happen all at once.
V 4-5 gives us the description of events that will unfold before the end of the age. First, many will come in the name of the Messiah to mislead countless people. One of the signs of the end of the age will be a marked increase in false Messiah’s. These signs are for those living after the rapture of the church. He is speaking to those who will be alive during the time of Jacob’s trouble also known as the Tribulation. Let me define these terms.
The time of Jacob’s trouble is a biblical phrase referring to a future period of intense tribulation and distress for the nation of Israel, as mentioned in Jeremiah 30:5-7: Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah: “For thus says the LORD, I have heard a sound of terror, Of dread, and there is no peace. ‘Ask now and see If a male can give birth. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale? Alas! for that day is great, there is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s distress, But he will be saved from it.
‘It shall come about prior to that time; the rapture will occur. This refers to an event in which believers in Jesus will be brought up to meet Him in the air, being transformed and taken to heaven. This event is prior to this “time of Jacob’s trouble” also described as the great tribulation period immediately before the second coming of Yeshua to the earth. This tribulation is described in Daniel 9:24-27 and Mat. 24:15-31 and Rev. chapters 6-19. Matt. 24:21-2 “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
The true church will have been removed at the rapture, and in its place will be a corrupted heretical church that will condone persecution of genuine believers. If that isn’t bad enough the Holy Spirit’s restraining power will be removed 2 Th 2:5-12. The ultimate false messiah will come to power, the anti-christ who is the devil incarnate. He is described in Daniel 8:23; 11:36, Paul calls him the man of lawlessness and the son of destruction (2 Th 2:3). In the book of Revelation, he is described as the beast in Rev. 13.
24:6-8 A second observation Jesus makes has to do with wars and rumors of wars – We live in a day when every day we hear of wars and rumors of wars. These events will increase if that can be imagined. Jesus call His followers not to be frightened by this, because these are indications that the last days are approaching. These wars and rumors of wars are necessary for the anti-Christ to facilitate the making of a covenant with Israel that Daniel speaks about (Dan 9:27) This will set the stage for the Battle of Armageddon spoken of in Zech 12-14, and also the Seal judgments of Revelation 6.
A third observation that Jesus makes concerning the end of the age, is famines and earthquakes. These speak of great natural disasters. This too corresponds with some of the seal judgments in Rev. 8 which will destroy the crops of the earth through poisoned water and sunlight will be altered. The bowl judgment of (Rev 16:17‑21). Jesus describes signs or “Labor pains” that will occur before the Messiah comes with His Kingdom.
V 9 The fourth labor pain that Jesus describes is the persecution that many believers will suffer during that time. Numerous people will come to faith during the tribulation and will be handed over to the governing authorities for persecution and martyrdom. That they will be hated by all nations is an indication that the nations will agree concerning their opinions of followers of Jesus. The reason for their persecution is that they will be haters of the Name. We see this in the Fifth Seal of Revelation (Rev 6:9‑11).
V 10-13 The fifth labor pain will be manifold in this time nominal believers will fall away. When Satan could not destroy the Church in the first two centuries of its existence, he joined it which is described in the parable of the wheat and tares of Matt. 13:36-43. When Constantine embraced Christianity it no longer was an outlawed faith but the religion of the Emperor. Many people became Christian in name and religion but not in reality. An aspect of this fifth labor pain will be the betrayal of genuine believers by nominal believers. . During the tribulation many who claimed to be believers in the face of persecution turn from their professed faith. Not only will they deny the Lord but they will begin to betray genuine believers V 10. This will likely be caused by the increased pressure by the state/religion to persecute those that are not part of their sanctioned religion. The state will enact laws that will make it possible to exclude from commerce any who do not have the mark of the beast. Still another aspect of this labor pain is found in V 11 which tells us that there will be false prophets who will mislead many. Because of the lukewarm nature of professing believers not only will they fall away and betray genuine believers but religious teachers will arise with a false message. There will be false prophets proclaiming a false messiah, and there will be subtle lies to deceive people. Even now Satan and his minions disguise themselves as angels of light (2 Cor 11:14). Rev. 17 describes the false religion of that day and describes it as the “great prostitute”. Still another aspect of this birth pang is that because of “lawlessness” most people’s love will grow cold. This is not only a forsaking of man’s laws but foundationally a forsaking of God’s laws (2 Tim 3:1‑5). Jesus concludes his remark on this fifth birth pang with the comment that “the one who stands firm will be saved”. It is not a person’s endurance that brings salvation but rather endurance is an indication that one is saved. All of us will experience trials and persecutions but God will give grace and strength to His children to endure until the end. (1 Cor 10:13).
V 14 The final birth pang is the proclamation of the Gospel of the Messianic Kingdom to the entire world. In Rev. 7 God seals 144,000 Jewish witnesses to proclaim the Gospel to the world. Many will be martyred for their faith, but the results of their witness were incredibly successuful. (Rev 7:9‑10) “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (10) And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
V 15-16 Yeshua shifts from the end of the tribulation to one of the key signs in the middle of the tribulation period, “the abomination of desolation.” This is mentioned in Dn 9:24-27; 11:31; 12:11; you can look at my studies there. Daniel there says that the abomination will take place half-way through the 70th week of Daniel. The abomination of desolation in Mt 24:15 seems to take people by surprise, but there was no surprise when the Romans came under General Titus, who laid siege to the city for seven months before its fall in September, AD 70. In 24:16, the people could flee but they could not in the days of Titus since the Romans built a siege wall all around Jerusalem’s walls to prevent them from fleeing. In addition, the siege left enormous numbers of the residents of Jerusalem dead or severely weakened, and when Rome took the city, there was virtually no one who had fled.
According to Mt 24, the temple will be desecrated. However, with Titus, in AD 70, it was destroyed before it could be desecrated If Jesus is giving a prophecy of AD 70, He was wrong about much of what happened. The expression ‘let the reader understand” was probably a comment made by Jesus rather than an editorial comment by Matthew, challenging His disciples to read Daniel 9.
24:17-20 A time is coming when most of the people of Israel will be massacred by an enemy, they thought was their friend. Those who turn to the Lord will be saved. They will no longer trust in themselves or in any human ally but will learn to trust only in the Lord.
History has a way of repeating itself or echoing events of the past which is the case here. Antiochus (IV) Epiphanes, who reigned in Syria from 175 to 164 B.C. halted the sacrifices and defiled the temple by placing an altar and image of Zeus. Those were the events that led to Hanukah. Jesus here seems to be describing the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70 by the Roman general Titus. Believers who understood this prediction followed His instructions in v. 16-18 during the Roman invasion and siege.
Daniel, Jesus, Paul and John saw a future fulfillment in the actions of the Antichrist during the Tribulation. (2 Thessalonians 2:2-4) (Revelation 13:14,15), In Daniel 9:26,27 it becomes apparent that a reenactment of Antiochus’ desecration will occur when “the prince who is to come” (Matthew 24:26) makes a seven‑year covenant with Israel (Matthew 24:27).
The “prince” is the Antichrist. Paul described as the “man of sin” and John describes him as the beast from the sea. He will break his covenant with Israel after three and one‑half years. Then will follow the desecration of the temple, the great persecution of Israel, and the judgments of the Tribulation. The expression “let the reader understand” are the words of Jesus and refer, in my understanding, not to the time of the disciples of the early church but rather to the events of the last days or the seventieth week of Daniel, which the readers of those days will understand. Remember we are told by Yeshua in v 24 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
There are many who study prophecy and seem to make it an end in itself. Scripture tells us the purpose of prophecy is to call us to a holy life (1 John 3:2-3). The abomination of desolation is the harbinger for the first series of ‘birth pangs’ that Jesus spoke of. When the Antichrist betrays the covenant he made with Israel by desecrating Temple demanding Israel to worship him, Israel’s refusal will spark the second half of the tribulation. It is at that point that Jesus tells all His believers in Judea to flee to the mountains.
The main thrust of his anger will be against Israel who will have refused his call to worship. Jewish people always have been the particular focus of Satan in his plans to thwart God’s plan on earth. Destroying the Jewish people would remove the promised Seed of Abraham who will ultimately crush him (Genesis 3:15). Satan who is a student of God’s Word, also knows that Jews will figure in the final redemption of the world in the last days. The 144,000 who are described in Rev. 7 and Rev. 14 will teach the nations about God and his ways. (Isaiah 2:3), (Zechariah 8:23).
Zechariah tells us that as these Jewish believers flee many of them will be killed. Two thirds of the Jewish people will be killed here and during the tribulation. (Zechariah 13:8-9). The holocaust of Germany wiped out one third of the Jewish population, while this holocaust will wipe away two thirds of the Jewish people.
Many who have come to faith the days of tribulation that are not Jewish will also be martyred for their faith during this time (Revelation 6:9-10). All-out war will be declared against God’s saints (Revelation 13:7) and it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. In Revelation 12 we see that God gives grace to Israel to flee the wrath of the Antichrist (Revelation 12:6,13-14).
The area Israel will flee to is to the south and east, probably the region of Moab or Edom. It is for that reason that at the turn of the century W.E. Blackstone a believer in prophecy and lover of the Jewish people, raised funds so that Bibles would be placed in some of the caves of Petra, which is in the area of Edom now a part of Jordan. The urgency to flee is so strong that Jesus warns His followers not to go into their homes to get clothing but to run at once.
Matthew 24:21-22 – The Great tribulation is described as unique from all other tribulations by the description that it will be greater than all others from the beginning of the world until now. This would make it more horrific than the flood in the days of Noah. It would pale in comparison to the Holocaust of Germany. In Revelation 6-16 we have an escalation of judgments beginning with the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments. Both the books of Revelation and Daniel describe this period as 3½ years in length (Daniel 7:25;12:7;Revelation 11:2;13:5;12:14).
In Matthew 24:22 we are told that if God would not have cut short the destruction for the elect nobody would have survived. This is not a reference to time but of detestation. This world, bent on self‑destruction, would finally succeed in destroying itself if God did not intervene. Some have suggested that when Jesus speaks of the days being cut short he is referring to a supernatural shortening of the daylight hours in order to give those who are fleeing more darkness to cover their escape. There are three times in the tribulation when the earth will be darkened (Revelation 6:12-14;8:12;16:10).
The elect could be a reference to the Jewish people referred to as the chosen ones in Isaiah, or it could refer to both Jews and Gentiles who come to faith during the tribulation (Revelation 17:14) They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings‑‑and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” Both ways could be correct for ultimately at the end of the tribulation all Israel shall be saved who have survived.
Matthew 24:23-27 – Among those that flee will be those who will try to influence the elect into returning to the clutches of the Antichrist. They will suggest that the Messiah has come and that they should leave their hiding place to greet Him. These false prophets and messiahs will do many incredible things to try and mislead and convince the elect to follow them. They will have very compelling proofs and arguments, but the elect they will not be deceived because of their knowledge of God’s Word and the indwelling of God’s Spirit. (John 10:27-28). Jesus tells those who are wondering how they will recognize who the real Messiah is when he finally does come. His coming will be visible to all men even as lightning is seen across the face of the sky (Acts 1:9-11), (Revelation 1:7,6:15-16).
Matthew 24:28 – He shall come to execute judgment (Isaiah 30:30;Revelation 19:17-21). The word in the Greek is translated eagles in the King James and vultures in other translations, in either case they are unclean birds of prey, who will gather where the carcasses are. In the aftermath of the battles of the great tribulation birds and animals of prey will feed on the carcasses. The point of all of this is to assure God’s elect that the coming of Messiah shall be to execute judgment.
Matthew 24:29– Yeshua tells his disciples that the sign of His return will occur immediately after the tribulation of those days, at the end of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). They are the final days of the great judgment and wrath of the Lamb on the Gentiles who have rejected all the opportunities to turn and surrender to Messiah during the seal, trumpet and vial judgments. Satan the Antichrist and the false prophet will have been allowed almost unrestricted freedom in the unholy trinity’s futile attempt to gain rule of the earth.
The Lord’s coming to reign will take place at the end of this time. During this time two thirds of the Jewish population will perish in those battles and judgments with one third coming to faith and repentance.
Matthew 24:30 – Now Yeshua answers the ultimate question of what the sign of His coming will be; it will be His appearing in such a manner that all the world will see Him. He will come in His glory, in much the same way that His glory appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, only it will be worldwide. Men will either mourn in repentance (Matthew 5:4), and come to faith as (Revelation 14:6-7). Or they will curse God in unrepentance (Revelation 16:9). Among those who will repent at His appearing will be the nation of Israel (Zechariah 12). His appearing will be in the clouds as was prophesied in (Acts 1:11). Like the ascension, His coming will be personal, visible, and to the Mount of Olives (Revelation 1:7;19:11-16;Zechariah 14:4).
Contrasted with the darkness that God will bring over the face of the earth will be the glorious light of the Lord. (Zechariah 14:6-7). Power to judge and bind Satan and his minions (Revelation 19:20). The beast and his false prophet will be the first occupants of the lake of fire; other unbelievers, now in hades, will join them at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20:14).
Daniel and Jeremiah describe this future day (Daniel 9:24) with the Lord establishing His millennial kingdom of (Jeremiah 23:5-6). God the Son will have the power to set the Father’s seal of fulfillment on all the prophecies concerning the Jewish people and Jerusalem. He will anoint the most holy place, which refers to the inauguration of the Holy of Holies in the millennial Temple.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit will have manifest Their power further by changing the nature of the animal kingdom (Isaiah 11:6-9). This will fulfill the words spoken by Paul concerning the groaning of creation longing for the sons of God to be glorified. (Romans 8:18-22). He will have power to revive the earth that was struck (Joel 2:25), (Matthew 25:31).
Matthew 24:31 – Angels are literally “messengers” of God. After the judgment of the unrighteous on the earth at the end of the great tribulation they will gather the righteous who are alive as well as all the righteous throughout the ages. The call to them will be a special blast on the trumpet of God. Though angels are spirits (Hebrews 1:14). The word for angel is always used in the masculine gender, though sex, in the human sense, is never ascribed to angels. (Matthew 22:30;Mark 12:25). They are exceedingly numerous (Hebrews 12:22). But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, The angels have great power (2 Kings 19:35) and they abide before the throne of God (Revelation 5:11; 7:11). Their relation to believers is that of “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation,” (Heb. 1:14) and this ministry has reference largely to the physical safety and well‑being of children of God (Psalm 91:11), (Daniel 6:22), (Acts 5:19).
Matthew 24:32-34 Jesus taught in parables. A parable is a means of teaching by putting by relating stories for the purposes of comparison and new understanding. It correlates two areas of discourse, providing a series of pictures symbolizing a series of truths in another sphere. Jonathan Swift’s Guilliver’s Travels is an allegory as is John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.”
Jewish interpreters were less influenced by allegorical approaches. Their allegories were less complex and remained closer to the literal meaning. The rabbis placed more emphasis on extracting legal prescriptions from the traditions, while other interpreters were more attracted to viewing the Old Testament in terms of prophecies to be fulfilled. New Testament writers have more in common with the approaches of Jewish interpreters of the Old Testament than with Hellenistic interpreters (influenced by Greek worldviews) like Philo. Allegory is not widely used in the New Testament; and when it is employed, it does not depart far from the literal meaning. A strong prophetic-fulfillment interpretation of the Old Testament also is evident.[2]
When all the events of Matthew 24:4-28 including the great tribulation, Jesus’ second coming will occur. The generation that goes through those events will not pass until his coming. In my understanding of Scripture, He was not referring to the generation of the disciples but to the generation of the last days.
Matthew 24:35 Yeshua specifically states that heaven and earth shall pass away (2 Peter 3:10;Revelation 21:1). There are three “heavens” spoken of in Scripture:
(1) the firmament (Genesis 1:8), referring to the earth’s atmosphere;
(2) the universe of the stars and planets (Psalm 19:1); and
(3) the unique dwelling place of God (Hebrews 4:14).
The third heaven is an actual location prepared for God’s people, it is a real place uniquely prepared for believers. It is the place where God will always be with His people. Heaven is a place of unending activity and meaningful responsibility, without the limitations of the time, space, and death. According to Revelation 22:5 Christians will reign forever involved in all kinds of activity and responsibility. While heaven and earth shall pass away the words of Yeshua shall not pass away. (Luke 16:17), (Isaiah 40:8).
Matthew 24:36 – All that Yeshua has spoken so far has been in response to Matt. 24:3. Three questions have been raised by the disciples:
(1) When is the destruction of Jerusalem prophesied by Yeshua to take place?
(2) What will be the sign of Christ’s coming?
(3) What signs will foreshadow the “end of the age”?
He has responded by describing the birth pangs, that would precede His coming including the “abomination who causes desolation”, and the sign of His appearing with power and great glory. Now Yeshua addresses the question of the timing of His coming. Yeshua declares that no one but the Father knows the day and the hour of the time of the Lord’s return. One might ask if Yeshua is God, how could He not know what the Father knows? The answer is that part of His mission was His submission and surrender of certain attributes while He lived a life of faith and dependence upon the Father. Not even the angels who serve before the Lord day and night know the timing of the second coming.
Matthew 24:37-39 The reason we are prevented from knowing the timing of the second coming is to be stimulated to be alert and ready. Yeshua goes on to say that the people of the earth will be like those who were alive at the time of Noah. Their attitude was one of selfish disregard for God and His will for their lives. The world carried on as if there was no God who would hold them accountable when suddenly judgment came. Because men’s hearts are cold and insensitive to spiritual things they miss God’s work among them. This was the case at the time of the flood, and the case in the day of Yeshua’s first coming. Yeshua rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees for this very thing (Matthew 16:1-3). During the time of the tribulation men will be even more advanced in their understanding of the physical signs of the universe and will miss the signs of the sudden return of the Lord. Peter points this out (2 Peter 2:5) … and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.
In much the same way God is building an ark today. The ark today is the Body of Messiah, the Church. When we come to faith in Him, His Spirit will lead us as the animals of Noah’s day to the safety of the Ark of the New Covenant. As Noah built the ark he preached for 120 years but mankind reasoned that nothing seemed any different over the years. In fact it had never rained before the Flood. During the tribulation 144,000 Jewish men will preach the Gospel and many Jewish people and multitudes of Gentiles will come to faith, but the majority will ignore the message of these prophets calling all men to repentance and life.
Matthew 24:40-42 Yeshua now draws a parallel to those who were taken away in a flood of judgment while Noah and his family was preserved. The men and women described are taken to judgment while those who are believe will remain and enter the millennium. This is the same judgment that is described in Matthew 25 where the sheep and goats will be separated. The goats will be taken to judgment while the sheep will remain to enter the kingdom (Matthew 25:32-46). Since judgment is imminent, we should be ready. This readiness means living in the presence of God, living in a way that demonstrates we are His children. (1 Thessalonians 5:6) so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. We need to be attentive to the things of God.
Matthew 24:43-44 – Our Messiah warns us not only to be alert but to be prepared for His coming. The words of this chapter, in my understanding, are directed to those who will be living during the tribulation, but they apply to us as well. No self-respecting thief would let the people he was going to rob know when he was going to burgle them. In the same way no family would leave their house unguarded if they knew what time a thief was coming.
The Lord is giving those who hear His words an understanding that they will not know when the Messiah will be coming but that they should be prepared for His coming which is immanent. Jesus is not comparing himself to a thief but correlating the manner of His coming with the same manner as thieves, we need to be prepared. The Lord is going to come at an hour we are not expecting. Being ready means having the Messiah as our Lord and Savior and abiding in Him.
Matthew 24:45-51 – Jesus uses another analogy to call His children to readiness. He likens those who are waiting His coming to a servant who is left to care for his master’s home while he is away. The servant is a steward over his estate providing for the household as the master’s representative. Blessed is the slave who serves His master and is found to be faithful when the master arrives.
In much the same way we are servants of the master. We are called to be bond servants. Slaves are the property of their owners and could be bought and sold by their owners. In much the same way we were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20,7:23), (John 13:5 ff).
The great example is that Jesus laid down His life for us as a ransom for many. The word translated ransom (Lutron) was a term used for the redemption price of a slave to buy his freedom. We were slaves to sin and with his death he purchased us out from bondage setting us free to serve Him whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.
(Titus 2:14), (1 Peter 1:18-19) describe that the ransom was paid to God to satisfy His justice, in that sin must be dealt with. The price is sufficient for all mankind, but it is only valid to those who by faith receive it. It is His steadfast love that serves as an example for us. We have been entrusted with the business of the master and he has given us ample resources to serve Him. Blessed is the servant who is found doing the work that God has called him to when He appears.
Unbelievers are compared to the slave who said in his heart “my master is not coming for a long time.” This servant lives like he has no master, or worse, in a manner that mocks his master. He is cruel to the other servants and self-centered. The slave analogy was easily understood in the time of Jesus, but not understood today.
Slavery was a common and accepted practice; in fact it was endorsed Biblically. Joseph served as a slave in Egypt, the entire nation of Israel was born in slavery in Egypt. The law had numerous laws regarding the treatment of slaves, including their beating (Exodus 21:21-22). The expression torn in pieces comes from the Greek word dichotomeo, which means to “cut in two”.All who are not ready to receive the Lord when He comes will receive final and everlasting conscious torment and suffering in hell. God has given mankind ample time and evidence to respond to His love and grace. There will be final and irreversible judgment for those who reject God as their Lord and King. The description of weeping and gnashing of teeth denotes a conscious awareness of torment and grief.
[1] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of the Messiah : A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events, Rev. ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2003), 4.
[2] Michael Fink, “Allegory,” in Holman Bible Dictionary (B&H, n.d.).
