TEXT [Commentary]
B. The Judgment of Jerusalem and the Coming of Christ (24:1–25:46)
1. The first pains of childbirth: life in the present age (24:1-14; cf. Mark 13:1-13; Luke 21:1-19)
1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. 2 But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?[*]”
4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.[*] 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations[*] will hear it; and then the end will come.”
NOTES
24:1 Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds. After summarily denouncing the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus left the Temple (cf. Mark 13:1-4; Luke 21:5-7). This departure takes on symbolic overtones of divine abandonment. Jesus had just announced the desolation of the Temple, and now he acted it out (Ezek 11:22-23).
his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. As they walked away east toward the Mount of Olives, the disciples pointed out the magnificence of the Temple to Jesus, perhaps to break the tension or even because they found his prediction of its judgment incredible (Davies and Allison 1997:334). The beauty of Herod’s extensive renovation was well known (Mark 13:1; John 2:20; Josephus War 5.184-226; Antiquities 15.391-402; Tacitus Histories, 5.8; b. Sukkah 51b).
24:2 they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left. Any doubts as to the Temple’s destruction were dispelled by Jesus’ graphic statement in 24:2b that not one stone would be left standing (cf. 26:61; 27:40; Acts 6:14; Josephus War 6.300ff; 7.1).
24:3 Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. When the walk to the Mount of Olives had been completed, Jesus sat down (cf. 5:1; 13:1; 15:29; 19:28; 22:44; 23:2; 25:31). From the Mount of Olives, Jesus could look westward right at the entrance to the Temple’s holiest place (m. Berakhot 9:5; m. Middot 2:4). This mountain is prophetically significant (Zech 14:4). Here the disciples approached Jesus privately (cf. 17:19) and asked him what is best understood as a two part question (not three parts as in Walvoord 1974:182), concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and his coming to end the age.
when will all this happen? Lit., “When will these things occur?” A reference to what Jesus had just said about the total destruction of the Temple.
What sign will signal your return and the end of the world? In the disciples’ thinking the end of the Temple would have epochal significance and could only augur the end of the present world (cf. 13:39-40, 49; 28:20; Hagner 1995:688). Modern readers of Matthew should not artificially superimpose their chronological hindsight on this text. Although such hindsight reveals the historical distance between the past destruction of the Temple in AD 70 and the yet future coming of Jesus, at the same time it obscures the conceptual linkage between the two events. (See the commentary below and Turner 1989.) Jesus’ answer to this two-part question does not stress chronology (24:36-44), but ethics (24:45ff). The signs are imprecise to the extent that they cannot be used to determine the date, so disciples must always be alert.
24:4-5 Jesus’ prophetic words in 24:4ff are in character with what he had already spoken—he had already repeatedly spoken of the future (5:3-12; 7:21-23; 8:11-12; 10:23; 11:22-24; 13:36-43, 47-50; 16:27-28; 19:28-30; 22:29-32; 23:39; cf. 26:13, 21, 29, 64).
Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ twofold question begins with a warning against deception by false messiahs (cf. Mark 13:5-13; Luke 21:8-19; 2 Thess 2:3). Future deceivers who come “in my name” need not claim to be Jesus himself but only to be the Messiah. This warning is expanded later in the discourse (24:23-27).
They will deceive many. The double use of the word “many’ is sobering—not only will there be many false messiahs, there will also be many who are deceived by them (cf. 24:24; 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7). The well-known Jewish messianic pretender Bar Kochba led a second Jewish revolt against Rome that ended in AD 135 with the total banishing of all Jews from Jerusalem (Josephus Antiquities, 20:97-99, 160-172, 188). Other pretenders were Theudas, Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:36-37), and one known as “the Egyptian” (Acts 21:38). There have also been numerous nominal Christians who have claimed in Jesus’ name to be the Messiah.
24:6-7 you will hear of wars and threats of wars. Religious error will coincide with political upheavals.
these things must take place. Because God has predestined them (cf. 26:54; Dan 2:28-29, 45; Rev 1:1; 4:1).
Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. International aggression, real and rumored (cf. Jer 51:46; Dan 9:26; 11:44), should not frighten the disciples, since such disturbances do not signify the end. The Jewish War of rebellion against Rome in AD 66–70 looms large here. Rather, these are merely the first stages of the messianic woes to come upon the world.
famines and earthquakes. Famine is mentioned elsewhere in the NT and would inevitably result from war in ancient times (Acts 11:27-30; Rev 6:8; 18:8; 2 Esdr 9:3-4). Earthquakes are an additional ominous matter, as chaos extends to nature itself (cf. 8:24; 27:54; 28:2; Joel 2:10; Hag 2:6; Zech 14:4-5; Acts 16:26; Rev 6:12; 8:5; 11:13, 19; 16:18; 1 Enoch 1:6-7; 102:2; 1QHa 11:12-15).
24:8 the first of the birth pains. The use of the pains of a woman in labor as a metaphor for eschatological troubles and/or the woe of God’s judgment is found elsewhere in Jewish literature and the NT (Isa 13:8; 26:17; 66:7-8; Jer 4:31; 6:24; 22:23; 30:5-6; 48:41; Hos 13:13; Mic 4:9-13; Mark 13:8; 1 Thess 5:3; Rev 12:2; cf. John 16:20-22; Gal 4:19; 1QHa 11:7-11; 1 Enoch 62:4; 2 Esdr 4:42; Targum Psalms 18:14).
24:9 persecuted. The dangers from false messiahs and wars will be accompanied by persecution (cf. 10:17ff; 23:34). The disciples will be universally hated because of their affiliation with Jesus (cf. 5:11; 10:18, 22, 25, 32-33, 38). The hatred and persecution will even result in murder (cf. 10:28; 21:35; 22:6). The Gr. word underlying “persecution” is thlipsis [TG2347, ZG2568], usually translated “tribulation.” A perusal of the use of this word in the NT indicates that it sometimes describes the typical generic troubles which Christians have often faced, but other times describes severe, unparalleled eschatological troubles (e.g., 13:21; 24:21, 29; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; 20:23; Rom 2:9; 8:35; 12:12; 2 Thess 1:6; Heb 10:33; Rev 1:9; 2:9-10, 22; 7:14; cf. Dan 12:1; Joel 2:2; Zeph 1:15).
24:10 many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. The external pressure will have devastating internal consequences as some disciples fall away (lit. “to be offended” or “caused to stumble;” cf. 5:29-30; 13:21; 18:6, 8-9) from their commitment to Jesus and hatefully betray genuine disciples.
24:11 many false prophets will appear. The false prophets here (cf. 7:15; 24:24; Acts 13:6; 20:29-30; 2 Pet 2:1ff; 1 John 4:1; Rev 16:13; 19:20; 20:10) are evidently promoters of the false messiahs with whom they are associated in this passage (cf. 24:5, 23-26).
24:12 Sin will be rampant. Lit., “the increase of lawlessness.” The false religious teachings result in the increase of lawlessness (7:23; 13:41; 23:28; cf. 2 Thess 2:8).
the love of many will grow cold. True love for God and truth will decline (2 Thess 2:10; 2 Tim 3:4; Rev 2:4). If loving God and neighbor is the quintessence of the law and prophets (22:34-40), its decline amounts to lawlessness and is devastating for God’s people.
24:13 the one who endures to the end will be saved. The response of Jesus’ disciples to all these horrifying circumstances—false messiahs and prophets, wars, famines, earthquakes, apostasy, betrayal—is fidelity to the bitter end. Perseverance in obedience to Jesus contrasts with lawlessness and is the true test of discipleship. The salvation promised to those who endure is not merely physical deliverance from persecution (Walvoord 1974:184) but the future salvific reward for those whose endurance demonstrates their genuine faith, in contrast to those in 24:10-12 who fall away or promote false teaching (Blomberg 1992:356; Carson 1984:498-499). This verse contains a verbatim echo of 10:22 (cf. 12:32; 13:21, 41; Rom 12:12; 2 Tim 2:3, 10, 12; Jas 1:12; 5:11; 1 Pet 2:20; Rev 1:9; 3:10; 13:10; 14:12).
24:14 the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world. The perseverance of the believers will result in the Kingdom message (3:2; 4:17, 23; 9:35; 10:7; 13:19; 26:13) being preached to all the nations before the end comes. Note the similarities of this passage with 10:22-23 and 28:18-20.
the end will come. This statement should be compared with statements about the end in 24:6, 8.
COMMENTARY [Text]
Introduction to the Olivet Discourse: Various Interpretations. The crucial question in interpreting the discourse concerns the relationship between the destruction of the Temple in AD 70 and the eschatological judgment of God at Christ’s second coming. There are essentially three views, although there are shades of difference within each of them. According to the preterist (past) view, most or all of the predictions of the discourse were all fulfilled in AD 70, when the Romans destroyed the Temple (France 1985:333ff, Kik 1948; Sproul 1998; Tasker 1961:223ff). In the view of partial preterists, 24:1-35 describes the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem, and only 24:36ff refers to the return of Jesus. However, full or comprehensive preterists attempt to explain the entire discourse as fulfilled in AD 70.
According to an opposite approach, the futurist view, the discourse concerns only the return of Christ to the earth (Barbieri 1983:76ff; Toussaint 1980:266ff; Walvoord 1974:179ff). According to this view, Christ does not answer the first part of the disciples’ question in 24:3, which concerns the destruction of the Temple. For several reasons which are mentioned in the notes on Matthew 24 (cf. Turner 1989), it seems best to conclude that both of the above views are one-sided and inadequate to handle the complexities of the passage. After all, the disciples asked not only about the destruction of Jerusalem but also about the end of the world. Only an approach which deals carefully with both of these matters is acceptable.
According to the preterist-futurist view, the predictions of the discourse intertwine both the historical destruction of Jerusalem and the yet future return of Jesus. Some advocates of this view distinguish between portions of the discourse having to do with AD 70 from other portions having to do with the end times, and others view the events of AD 70 as a partial or anticipatory fulfillment of that which will be consummated at Christ’s return (Blomberg 1992:352; Carson 1984:495; Hagner 1995:685). Involved in this view is the prophetic perspective of foreshortening or double (near and far) fulfillment (Broadus 1886:479-480; Hendriksen 1973:846ff; Ladd 1974:309ff). This is the approach I follow. Jesus’ eschatological discourse answers both parts of the disciples’ question. His words about the fall of the Temple provide the reader with a preliminary picture which anticipates and forecasts the eventual end of the world.
According to 24:1, Jesus left the Temple after an extended conflict with various groups of Jewish religious leaders (cf. 21:17). His authority had been clearly demonstrated in the Temple in numerous confrontations with them; however, as he put it in 23:38, they would not believe in him. The disciples’ preoccupation with the grandeur of the Temple stands in contrast to Jesus’ words of judgment upon Israel. They called Jesus’ attention to the glorious Temple precinct, but Jesus spoke only of its demolition. The disciples’ question about the time of this demolition and (they assumed) Jesus’ return (24:1-3) leads into the body of the discourse.
Jesus’ Olivet Discourse begins with an initial section which is didactic in nature (24:4-31). It seems best to view the “first pains of childbirth” in 24:4-14 as preliminaries that characterize the entire period between the comings of Jesus (Blomberg 1992:353ff; Carson 1984:495; Hagner 1995:684-685). In 24:15-28, the language is more ominous, with descriptions of the desecration of the Temple (24:15), as well as unparalleled great tribulation (24:21). It seems best to see this section as envisioning the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, which becomes a token of the ultimate judgment which ends the present world. The coming of Jesus to judge humankind after that tribulation is described with standard Old Testament apocalyptic imagery in 24:29-31. At 24:32 the tone becomes more paraenetic (or hortatory) as the stress shifts from the “what” to the “so what.” Jesus speaks in parabolic imagery to stress the urgency and unknown time of his coming (24:32-36). This leads to an emphasis upon alertness in the reference to Noah (24:37-44) and in the parables of the wise servant (24:45-51) and the wise and foolish virgins (25:1-13). The parable of the talents emphasizes faithful use of God’s gifts (25:14-30), and the picture of the last judgment (25:31-46) indicates that Jesus is still concerned for the “little ones.”
The Olivet Discourse makes it clear that biblical prophecy includes more than mere prediction. The knowledge of what God will do in the future (24:1-31) must have a profound effect upon God’s people in the present (24:32–25:46). In other words, if we have properly understood this prophetic Scripture, we will avoid date-setting and will be characterized by alertness, faithfulness, fruitfulness, and service to the little brothers of Christ. As Davies and Allison (1997:337) put it, “the question ‘when’ does not elicit a date but help to maintain the disciples’ faith.”
The Synoptic Problem. In seeking any solution to the synoptic problem (see the discussion of this matter in the Introduction to the commentary), it must be acknowledged that Matthew’s version of the discourse is much longer than that of Mark and Luke (see the table below). The three treatments of the setting (#1 in the table below) and the beginning of birth pains (#2 below) are rather similar. Matthew’s version of the abomination of desolation (#3 below) is slightly longer than Mark’s, and Luke’s section on armies surrounding Jerusalem is much shorter than either Matthew or Mark. Matthew’s treatment of the coming of the Son of Man (#4 below) is slightly longer than Mark’s or Luke’s. The three versions of the lesson of the fig tree (#5 below) are similar, but Matthew also has material at this point on the days of Noah. The versions of #6, “Necessity of alertness,” are rather different, although of similar length. Matthew 24:45-25:46 (comprising 7–10 below) has no parallel in the other Gospels. (For further study of the discourse, see Beasley-Murray 1993, Burnett 1981, Carson 1984:488-495; Gaston 1970, Hartman 1966, Turner 1989, and D. Wenham 1984.)
Brief Synopsis of the Olivet Discourse
Content: Matthew/Mark/Luke
1. Setting: 24:1-3/13:1-4/21:5-7
2. Beginning of birth pains: 24:4-14/13:5-13/21:8-19
3. Abomination of desolation: 24:15-28/13:14-23/21:20-24
4. Coming of the Son of Man: 24:29-31/13:24-27/21:25-28
5. Lesson of the fig tree: 24:32-41/13:28-32/21:29-33
6. Necessity of alertness: 24:42-44/13:33-37/21:34-36
7. Parable of the servant: 24:45-51
8. Parable of ten virgins: 25:1-13
9. Parable of the talents: 25:14-30
10. Judgment of the nations: 25:31-46
Exposition of Matthew 24:1-14. After Jesus’ blunt comments on the coming destruction of the Temple (24:2), Jesus’ disciples asked him when it would happen (24:3). They linked the destruction of the Temple with the return of Jesus and the end of the age, so they wanted to know about the sign that would indicate that these things were about to happen.
Of course, one might wonder whether the disciples had comprehended enough of Jesus’ previous teaching in order to ask a question that reflected a grasp of his departure and return. Matthew makes it clear that their grasp of certain matters was weak at best, but by now they knew enough to realize that Jesus was about to go. They had heard Jesus’ three passion predictions (16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19), and their comprehension is indicated by their indignation (16:22) and grief (17:23). So, whatever their subjective lack of perception at various points, Matthew has shown that they knew enough to ask a question about Jesus’ coming.
Their question was primarily concerned with timing, since they wanted to know “when” and they wanted to know how to know “when” by discerning a preliminary sign. But Jesus did not answer their question in a precise way (24:4-14). He mentioned several matters—false messiahs and prophets, wars, famines, earthquakes, persecution, apostasy, betrayal, and lawlessness—but all these are so general that they are of no help in calculating when the Temple will be destroyed. Jesus also warned them against assuming that the turmoil he mentioned is an indicator that the end is imminent. He stated that such matters do not signify the end (24:6). They are but the first pains of childbirth, which intimates that there may be an extended time of labor before the end (24:8; cf. 25:5). There will be enough time for the Kingdom message to be preached throughout the world before the end comes (24:14). Therefore, the disciples needed to ponder not the chronology of the end times but their own ethical responsibility to persevere in faithful discipleship and Kingdom ministry (24:13). They have asked the wrong question, but Jesus has given them the right answer. Paul also warned about the danger of coming to the premature, false conclusion that the church’s present woes are to be identified with the onset of the end of the world (2 Thess 2:2-3).
Matthew 24:4-14 should be viewed as a summation of the difficulties the church will face in its early days before AD 70—and indeed throughout its existence until Jesus returns (Blomberg 1992:356-357; Hagner 1995:693-694). Expositors frequently note the similarities between Matthew 24:4-14 and Rev 6:1ff, which speaks in terms of the breaking of seals, of which the first four are the famed four horsemen of the Apocalypse. If the view presented here is correct, these horsemen also portray events that typify the church’s present experience in the world, not the final days of tribulation at the end of the age.