MATTHEW 24 When Jesus left the temple for the last time, His teaching went in a very different direction. Instead of giving principles for living for the Lord and serving Him, He had His disciples look into the future. The beautiful temple building had been extensively renovated by Herod. It had become a far more dramatic and impressive place than the returning remnant had built under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Joshua, and Ezra. But in rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah, the “Father’s house” was now no more than a gathering center for the Jews.
The temple Solomon built was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The new temple built by the remnant had not been completed, until some years later when Haggai and Zechariah prompted the complacent people to finish what had been started. Herod made additions and lavish decorations to the temple over a long period of years, which apparently weren’t finished until 64 AD. Not long after the renovations were finished, the temple was destroyed by the Roman army under the leadership of Titus, a son of the emperor.
As Jesus sat with His disciples looking over the city and temple from the Mount of Olives, He told them of future events beginning with false teachers and describing the first half of the tribulation. Then after the “perilous times” of the last half of the tribulation, He would come back in power and glory. The challenge to be ready for this was clarified by the fact that Israel would survive, but barely. The comparison of “the days of Noah,” illustrated the necessity of being watchful and conscious of the fact that at the end of the tribulation, divine judgment will come swiftly.
Destruction of the temple, v.1-3 Some of those disciples would be alive when the army of Rome under the leadership of Titus, would desecrate the temple which happened when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, and again when Antiochus IV offered a pig on the altar. In the future, the anti-Christ will again pollute the new temple that will be built. The disciple needed to look beyond the temple and a physical, materialistic view of that which was valueless. There was going to be a new and living temple composed of believers in Christ and He would be the Head of that new temple made of living stones built upon Christ, the Living Stone. The church of God is a temple not made with hands. The body of Christ is an eternal temple that will never be destroyed.
The first half of the tribulation, v.4-14 The disciples were still typical Jews who wanted a sign to assure them of the proof of a message. This lack of faith has stumbled many people when false “Christs” and prophets come with manmade predictions and dates as to when the end of the age will come. Some have even tried to predict the first part of the “Coming of the Lord,” when He comes for the church before the tribulation begins. People who look for signs can be easily deceived. The Lord warned His disciples to watch out that no one deceived them with false predictions. We certainly need to take that as a warning for ourselves because there is a lot going on today in the name of the “Christian religion,” but it is not with divine authority.
Many Christians are facing severe persecution now, in various parts of the world. This foreshadowing of the coming tribulation gives us a little idea of what is going to come upon the world after all of the church has been caught up to meet the Lord in the air. The “beginning of sorrows” will be experienced worldwide, and those who respond to the preaching of the Gospel of the kingdom by the 144,000 converted Jews, will have to endure a lot of persecution for their faith in Christ. A great multitude will be put to death for their testimony as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Some will endure to the end and physically survive those terrible times.
Lawlessness and lack of love to control human behavior; leaves chaos, danger, hatred, and animosity against those who are willing to openly testify to God’s saving grace and declare their allegiance to the Lord. Pressure is put on believers now, and will be in the future, to conform to social norms and popular opinions even though they are contrary to righteous living and the standards of God’s word. Those who control the media have already made it a point to demean fundamental Christians who base their convictions on the Bible.
The last half of the tribulation, v.15-28 The “perilous times” of the last days will seem bad enough for three and a half years, but when the anti-Christ is revealed as the “abomination of desolation,” all restraint of any kind in the minds of unregenerate people, will be removed. Then thousands of Jewish believers, as well as those of other nations, will be hunted down and many will be executed. They won’t be able to work, buy or sell, without showing obedience to the world system under the authority of the anti- Christ.
The only safe place for those believers in the Lord Jesus Christ at that time will be in hidden places; not in homes or cities. During the tribulation, God in mercy will have the 144,000 Jews who believe in the Lord Jesus following the rapture, spread out around the world preaching the Gospel of the kingdom. Many will be saved under their preaching, and many will die martyrs’ deaths. To remain loyal to the Lord in those times will be difficult. The promise of Christ’s return will sustain them at that time, in the way that it sustains us today.
We know that the promise of the Lord to return for His own is a sure promise. It is important that we live each day with the fact in mind that His coming will be soon, sudden, and sure. What God promises, He fulfills. He has said to us that He will never leave us or forsake us. With the assurance of His presence with us, we need to daily be looking up for His return that is imminent, and looking ahead for opportunities to serve Him until that time comes. But perhaps more importantly, we should live each day with the conviction that he has something for us to do for Him right now. We should apply ourselves vigorously to do what we do for Him no matter what it might be, as long as it is according to His revealed will.
The Coming of the Son of Man, v.29-31 There will be no question as to what is the true return in glory of our Lord Jesus Christ to earth. All the false reports from various places that people will hear about, will be spurious. His future return to earth will be a glorious event that the whole world will see. “Every eye shall see Him.” It will be like a worldwide flash of brilliant lightning. His return will be accompanied by momentous events that will be unmistakable, divine interventions in the affairs of every nation.
People all over the world who had mocked God, or even denied the fact there is a God, will be terrified and mourn. They will be totally afraid because they will realize they have been on the wrong side all the time. Despised believers in Christ that they have persecuted, tormented, and killed; will be gathered from everywhere as the dawn of a new age begins with the Lord Jesus Christ reigning as the universal King.
The Fig Tree, v.32-36 Jesus intended His disciples to learn from what He was telling them, because they would soon be spreading out over the world to preach the Gospel of the grace of God, and would make disciples in all nations. The warnings of disasters, persecution, and false “Christs” were not given so they
(or we) could date the time of the Coming of the Son of Man, but were given so people would be prepared to meet Him when He comes. The imminent return of Christ has been preached since the time He left so that preparation would be made ahead of time. Because we don’t know the time of His coming, a person can get ready to meet Him now, and will not be too late if death comes suddenly.
If we knew the time of His coming was a long way in the future, we would likely put off what needs to be done until we think the time of preparation would be more convenient to us. People who plan to keep on sinning until the end of their life and then prepare to meet God will find death may overtake them before they had planned. It may be when they get to the end of life, they will find no place of repentance or are unable to reason or even think straight.
The generation of people living when Jesus was here, saw the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple. Many people died in the streets of the devastated city, and many fled to Masada and died there. There were signs in Israel because the Gospel brought new life to many born-again Jews. Evidence of “this generation” (the nation of Israel) is able to be seen today. Israel has become a recognized nation. There are quite a number of Israelis who are listening to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the last few years, more Israelis have been saved in the nation of Israel, than have been for a long time previously. As for the end of the age in a time frame: that is up to the Father.
The Days of Noah, v.37-39 Complacency even in an age of great wickedness, characterized the days of Noah. He preached God’s truth during the years he was building the ark to save his house. Perhaps some of those to whom he preached repented and put their faith in God before they died, but in spite of his faithful preaching, the wickedness of that time ended in divine judgment on the ungodly world of willfully sinful humanity. The majority of people in Noah’s day were going about the normal things of life that wicked people do, in spite of the warnings from that faithful man who walked with God. The result was that the flood took everyone away except for the eight people who inherited the earth at that time. It all happened suddenly even though the period of warning lasted for at least one hundred twenty years. Then in one week, that which had been warned about, happened. Within a year, the whole earth had changed because of the flood and subsequent effects of the violent actions of water over all the world.
Similar warnings are given in relation to the coming tribulation. The tribulation will be a very terrible time because of the wickedness of people, and then the sudden coming of the Son of Man will remove the wicked leadership from the earth. The faithful remnant that survives those terrible seven years will be able to enter into the millennial reign of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah/King. The whole demographics of life on earth will be changed from evil to righteousness, supported and enforced by the Righteous King.
Unity is broken by physical separation, v.40-42 The swiftness of the coming of Christ will catch people unaware so there will be no time for repentance. Two will be in a field going about the tasks of fieldwork and farming when one is snatched away and the other left. Two women will be grinding flour and going about normal home life when one is snatched away and the other left. Those taken away will be one taken for judgment and the other one left to enter the millennium kingdom of blessing. There will be no time to make changes or to repent of their sin and turn to the Lord for salvation. Watchfulness now and preparation ahead of time are good warnings for people today.
We can become so engrossed in daily life as it is lived from day to day, that we forget the future. For those who will not be ready when Christ returns, the opportunity will have been lost and they will be lost. The unity of those who look the same and do the same things at first glance; will be broken forever because one will be ready and the other not. One will be caught away for judgment, and the other one saved for blessing.
The Master of the House, v.43-44 The coming of the Son of Man will be as unexpected as the coming of a thief in the night. The master of the house could have prevented the house from being broken into if he had not been careless and complacent. There will be no further forewarnings as to the time of the Coming of Christ. The first part of His coming which we call “the rapture of the church,” is not known as to when it will be. All the false predictions and warnings from the opinions and “date-setting” of people who do not carefully read the scripture are simply a deceptive plan of the enemy of souls to side-track believers from the work of the Gospel. When God’s people get their eyes on events instead of the Lord, it is very easy to focus on false teaching and persuasive false prophets.
It is in the second part of His Coming as the King when unbelievers are taken away for judgment. That will be sudden, swift, and separating as the wheat and tares are separated at the time of “the harvest.” Those who are tares, the unprepared and unsaved, will be cast into the fire. Those who are wheat are those who are saved and are useful for the King in His kingdom.
Two Servants, v.44-51 Faithful servants of the Lord should not grow careless and presumptuous in our service to the Master today. A worthy and prudent servant will be faithful in his or her work for the Master in spite of uncertain times. We are not sure of when the Lord will come and that in itself should motivate us to keep at the work to which we are called. At His coming, we should be still actively engaged in His work. As we prove our trustworthiness; increased privileges and responsibilities are given by the Lord for faithfulness to Him and His work.
Evil servants are self-centered and claim authority for themselves. Such people are not true servants in any way. Doctrinally that servant will claim the Lord is not coming anytime soon, so don’t worry about it. Ethically, an evil servant may even abuse those who are true to the Master. He will become a careless living, pleasure-seeking, party-going drunk who doesn’t believe that payday is coming soon. Judgment and justice will come unexpectedly to such people and they will not escape the eternal consequences of their evil intentions and practices.