Questions & Answers P2 (Matthew 24:3-31)
Imagine being a Jew at the start of the first century. Your trips to the temple would be mind-blowing. All of the people there seem so lovely and excited about the feast that is going on. Your parents tell you that the Messiah is coming to remove all of the Roman oppression. You can't wait to meet the Messiah and live in the new kingdom.
When you grow up, you find the Messiah and follow him for three years. Now, all you want in life is for this Messiah and the Jewish people you love to mesh together and become what you always hoped they would be. Instead, the religious leaders hate the Messiah, and the Messiah promises to destroy the religious leaders and their temple. He also promises to send you to the religious leaders to preach and be crucified.
Things are not going as planned! The disciples have been through that kind of rollercoaster ride when we come to Chapter 24, verse 3. So they ask some questions. These questions were all we looked at last time, but if we were to go to the other gospels of Mark and Luke, we see just one question. They want to know when this judgment on Jerusalem will take place.
"See That No One Leads You Astray"
Matthew 24:3--8 (ESV) --- 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" 4 And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Jesus tells his disciples that they will be approached by men who call themselves Christ. Most people do not acknowledge this as true because the religious leaders don't. But this is the time for the Messiah to come according to prophesy, so everyone is expecting it. Throughout this text, Jesus tells his disciples on multiple occasions to look out for people trying to lure them away to believe in them.
Then, he says there will also be events that will make you want to follow these men. Wars and rumors of wars might terrify everyone who is in the path of those wars. There might be a tendency to trust in a military leader to save you from Roman oppression. This is actually what tended to happen a lot over the next forty years. There were many wars. Between 30 AD and 70 AD, there was significant instability. Three civil wars were raging simultaneously, and all the while, another war was going on. It reached its pinnacle as Rome itself erupted in a civil war beginning in 68 AD.
There were also famines and earthquakes throughout the world, but Jesus says that these are just the beginning of the birth pains. In other words, these times of suffering just let you know that the actual event is about to take place. Birth is commonly referred to as a nation accomplishing its mission (like Israel destined for destruction or the Messiah). Some will say that these events indicate that the end of Jerusalem has come, but Jesus says they are not. They are just the beginning.
The Great Tribulation
Matthew 24:9--14 (ESV) --- 9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The following words sound a lot like what Jesus said in Chapter 23. He told the Pharisees that he would send his prophets and wise men to them, and they would persecute, kill and crucify them. Now Jesus tells them that they will be put to death and hated by all nations because they believe in Jesus. This persecution will lead many of them to fall away from the faith and betray one another.
We see that tribulation and persecution are great testings of faith. If the disciples aren't all in on serving and following Jesus, they won't make it. So they will need to teach people to be focused on the promises of God and the truth that they have received from Christ.
Then, he tells them again that false prophets will arise and lead many astray. They will have to deal with the loss of those who at one time believed in Christ. So many times in the New Testament, we read warnings of this taking place. The apostles don't want God's people to fall prey to these false teachers who bring in a different gospel. Galatians is the most condemning book for false teachers who preach a different gospel than what Christ has taught.
Notice in verse 12 that two things will start to happen. Lawlessness will increase, and the love of many will grow cold. These two are often joined to the hip. When someone strays from the teachings of Christ, the works of the flesh start to pop up. They are no longer full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. But think about how easy it would be to lose the zeal for holiness and love when people betray you, and so many of your brethren fall away. This will be a severe test of faith for them to endure.
But the final two verses of this section are comforting. First, he says, "The one who endures to the end will be saved." Jesus wants his disciples to believe in his promises and hold faithful to what they have believed. Second, he says that the whole world will hear the gospel of his kingdom before the end of the era comes.
Colossians 1:23 (ESV) --- 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Paul says that this has happened in Colossians. He wrote that letter in the mid to late 60's AD while in prison.
The Sign To Run
Matthew 24:15--22 (ESV) --- 15 "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Now we get to a section that reveals when this destruction will happen. Jesus says, "When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place." The reference to Daniel seems to work out well because we are studying through this book right now. The prophecy of the seventy weeks talks about the one who makes desolate will come on the wings of abomination in 9:27. Many people try to relate this idea to us today and say that the abomination of desolation is something that men will do before the world's end, but this is about Jerusalem being destroyed, not the end of the world.
Josephus records Zealots were coming in and defiling the temple by establishing a base of operations there and taking control of the city of Jerusalem leading up to the war. This could be the abomination that Jesus has in mind when he says the abomination that makes desolate. Another possible alternative would be the coming of the Roman army around the city.
Luke 21:20 (ESV) --- 20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.
The rest of this section calls for believers to run away from the city when they see the abomination in the holy place. Overall, it's a dreadful scene that is called the "great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be." No one would want to be wrapped up in that destruction. So it seems to be the ultimate sign that God is coming in judgment.
Jesus then tells us that he will cut the days of tribulation short to save more of mankind. The patience of God is tremendous. He wants his salvation to continue.
The Sign of His Coming
Matthew 24:23--31 (ESV) --- 23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. 29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
These verses tell us that deceivers will come in again, claiming to be the Christ or to know where the Christ is. But Jesus is telling his disciples (a third time) beforehand not to believe it. It's not true.
The words of Jesus in verses 27-28 are interesting. He says that his coming will be as apparent as lightning flashing in the sky. Have you noticed how everyone can see the bright flash of lightning when the dark thundercloud rolls in overhead? That lightning is visible for miles. His point is that they shouldn't believe someone who comes saying that they have seen Christ even though no one else has. Jesus coming will be evident to all.
Then, he uses another picture in verse 28. He says that his coming will be as evident as vultures over a dead body. People can be miles away and see vultures, and everyone who sees them knows what that means. So it is with the coming of Jesus. Everyone knows he has come. It is apparent to all.
So why does Jesus talk about his coming while he has been talking about the destruction of Jerusalem? Most of us believe that the second coming of Jesus is the end of the world. That's why many Christians take this text to be about the end of the world. But, the truth is, Jesus hasn't been talking about the end of the world at all. His coming is portrayed as God's coming was often portrayed in the Old Testament. In verses 29-30, he uses the same apocalyptic language that God used to describe his coming in the destruction of Jerusalem before. On many occasions, God would say that he is coming with the clouds in judgment. One of the most prominent judgment texts would be Joel 2, where God speaks about the coming day of the Lord and Israel's need to call on the name of the Lord before it's too late. Notice that Peter quotes this text to get people to obey God before the day of judgment comes.
Acts 2:17--21 (ESV) --- 17 "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
Peter didn't quote all of the text. Listen to what the next verse says.
Joel 2:30--32 (ESV) --- 30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
Joel and Peter are warning the people of the coming judgment upon Jerusalem for murdering the Messiah. This day is not discussed as a day far off but as a day that will come upon the Jews in that generation. These are the last days of the Jewish nation, and this is their last call to repent before being destroyed.
The last part of this section again ends with comforting words. Jesus will come in judgment against those who have persecuted his people, but he will also send his angels out to reap those who are his from the earth. He will not let them suffer the same fate as the rebellious. All who turn and call on his name will be saved from eternal judgment.
What is the Lesson?
The words of Jesus, up until this point, all pertain to the destruction of Jerusalem. The apocalyptic language throws so many people off today. They see these symbols that sound like the end of the world. But they neglect that statements like this are found throughout the Old Testament to refer to God destroying many nations, including Jerusalem. (Isaiah 13:10, Isaiah 34:4, Ezekiel 32:7, Amos 8:9, Habakkuk 3) This is not about the end of the world.
What is it about then? This text is about the final destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. These stubborn, rebellious people have been wiped out for their evil. They refused to believe in their Messiah, and now their generation will see the kingdom of God come in power as they are destroyed. Jesus will use the Romans as a tool to accomplish his will. He will show that he is the king of the world and that all of the power of God is now his power.
But we also learn that he will use that power to save his people. Those who endure the tribulation and remain faithful will receive a place in heaven. They will get to be with Jesus forever. They will need to see through those who are false and hold onto what Jesus has taught; They will need to resist the urge to make their lives easier and avoid persecution, and they will need to remain holy and full of love while their brethren drop like flies.
Application
Now that we understand what this text is about, we can make a proper application to ourselves. We might be tempted to apply this text to ourselves prematurely by saying this is about the end of the world, and we need to look for these signs. It's not about the end of the world, but it applies to us.
We will face similar trials and tribulations as Christians in the first century. How will we respond? When wars, famines, pestilence, and persecution comes, will we follow whoever seems to give us the most comfort? Remember how many were led astray by false teachers in those days. We don't want to be led astray. People will preach and teach things that aren't from the Bible, but we must hold to the faith that was delivered through the apostles once and for all time.
People around us will fall away, but we must not swing the pendulum in the opposite direction. Just because they become lawless, we shouldn't become cold. Just because they become cold, we shouldn't become lawless. We need love and holiness to be like Christ.
But the main application that rises above all of this is our motivation to be faithful. Jesus wants us to know that we can trust in his promises. He will save those who are his and judge those who rebel. He doesn't want any to perish, but he promises judgment for those unwilling to trust him. He wants all to be faithful to the end. Endure and believe what he promises.
Conclusion
When we look through the detailed accounts of history, it becomes evident that everything Jesus foretells in this text takes place. Wars, famines, earthquakes, tribulations, and false prophets were the beginning of the birth pains. But during the reign of Vespasian, his son Titus conquered Jerusalem, destroying the city and the temple.
Jesus has revealed that he was the one behind the destruction in 70 AD. Josephus estimates that Rome killed 1.1 million Jews within the city alone. The temple was set fire to and destroyed. He desired to save his people, but their stubborn rebellion led him to destroy them.
Jesus' words promising judgment are true, but the words of salvation are also true. He does save those who are his and bring them into a heavenly Jerusalem that will never be destroyed. If you want to be a part of that kingdom, the doors are open for you.