Matthew 24:1-14 - The End is Near?

Jesus gives you two key commands about the end times.

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Gospels: Week 9 — Christ’s authority and coming judgment

CONTEXT: Jesus is with His disciples in Jerusalem, just days before He'll be arrested and crucified.

Matthew 24:1–14 (NASB95)

¹ Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. ² And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

³ As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. ⁵ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. ⁶ You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. ⁸ But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

⁹ “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. ¹⁰ At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. ¹² Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. ¹⁴ This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Belgic Confession

Article 37: The Last Judgment

Finally we believe,

according to God’s Word,

that when the time appointed by the Lord is come

(which is unknown to all creatures)

and the number of the elect is complete,

our Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven,

bodily and visibly,

as he ascended,

with great glory and majesty,

to declare himself the judge

of the living and the dead.

He will burn this old world,

in fire and flame,

in order to cleanse it...

Summary

This discussion between Jesus and His disciples is often referred to as the Olivet Discourse, simply because it took place on the Mount of Olives. But this is about the only aspect of this passage that everybody agrees on. It's one of a few tricky sections of scripture that good Christians, who otherwise agree on nearly every other point of Biblical doctrine, are going to come to very different conclusions on. It's important to remember that Matthew 24 has fifty-one verses, and that we only read the first fourteen of them here today. The chapter gets more difficult as it goes on.

The opening verse contains a critical detail that's easy to sail over: Jesus is coming out from the temple as this discussion begins. The disciples trigger it very unintentionally, as they simply point out the famous and architecturally stunning temple buildings that they're seeing (remember, these are small town guys!).

But that little tidbit is more than just an insight as to how impressed the disciples were by the big city. Jesus frames His entire response around it: Do you not see all these things - referring to the temple complex. This helps us understand that the primary subject of Jesus' comments is the well documented destruction of Jerusalem and the temple which would take place in A.D. 70, about 37 years after Jesus spoke these words.

Yet at the same time, Jesus is speaking of a much more than just the temple when He explains that not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down. He's also referring to His coming, and of the end of the age. So nearly every prophecy Jesus makes in this chapter is partially fulfilled in 70 A.D., but will be finally fulfilled when Christ returns.

  Dig Deeper  

Reams of paper and oceans of ink have been given to various interpretations of what Jesus says here. But since we (thankfully) only have a few paragraphs left here in this space, we'll focus on the two imperatives (commands) that Jesus gives to His disciples, and by extension, to us.

See to it that no one misleads you

It's no surprise that Jesus begins His answer to the disciples' curiosity about when will these things happen with this command, since our enemy's entire strategy is to lie and twist the truth. Many will come in My name, Jesus explains, and will mislead many.

This means that you need to carefully evaluate every bit of preaching and teaching you hear - both from the pulpit, and even more so from your device - to ensure that it is consistent with the full counsel of God's Word. This is a key reason you need to be reading God's Word each day, so that you can properly evaluate what you hear, for Jesus goes on to warn that many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.

See to it that you are not frightened

Fear was the first instinct of Adam and Eve when they were mislead, so we read this command over and over again all throughout the pages of Scripture because we continually need to be reminded of it. Every day that you read or watch the news, Jesus warns that although you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars, you need not be afraid, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.

It's easy to think that there's a sharp increase in terrible events happening around the world, but it's only because we have instant access to everything that happens. Nations have risen against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms, and in various places there have been famines and earthquakes all though history, so these bad things happening don't necessarily portend Jesus' sudden return.

Remember, our Father is sovereign, and as we remind ourselves here often,

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the ruler yet.

So hold tight to Jesus' promise here that the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

AAA Prayer (About)

• ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who through His Spirit will enable His chosen to endure to the end;

• ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength and wisdom to not be misled and not be frightened;

• ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

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