Matthew 24:1-51

What is the theme of this chapter?

The predictions and warnings of the King.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verse 35

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

Matthew 24:45-51

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

household - "The Greek word here translated household is only once again used [in Scripture]. In Revelation we read that 'the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.' What relation can there be between healing and household? This question can only be answered by an understanding of what this word household really signifies. It is the word from which we derive our word therapeutic, and the basic idea of it is healing. The word household refers to all such in the house as serve.  That first word, 'Who then is the faithful and wise servant?' is the word bond-slave; but the word household comes from another term for servant, which is other than the word bond-slave. It is a word that signifies a loving service, a purpose of healing in service. This is a case of metonymy, where one word is put for another, which the other suggests, as when we say a man keeps a good table, when we refer really to his food. This word in the parable, then, suggests the picture of a great house, and one Lord; and all of those in the house under his control, as thinking of his interests, while serving under his command.  His attitude is simply that of bringing forth meat in the due season, and feeding the rest; the attitude of caring for all the other members of the household during the Lord’s absence, for the sake of the absent lord." (Morgan)

My master is delayed - "The evil servant's belief (that the master would not return soon) affected his conduct toward others (as is always true)." (Ryrie)

The commentaries don’t know what to do with this passage. Some try to apply it as a general truth for every age. Others say the Lord suddenly stopped talking about the Tribulation and His second coming and started talking about the current age.

While there is obvious universal truth here about serving faithfully, it is impossible for me to believe that the Lord suddenly shifted His topic from His second coming to a separate period that hadn’t yet been revealed and that His listeners could not possibly have understood. Since the kingdom He came to offer wasn’t actually offered until after His resurrection and ascension, it makes no sense that He would be speaking as though it had already been set aside.  The Jew who "endures to the end, he will be saved" (v 13).  Those who don't, will be put with the hypocrites, where "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (v 51).

Matthew 24:36-44

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking,marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

stay awake = be continuously on guard

the days of Noah - "Christ likened those future days in which the signs will unfold to the days of Noah (vs 37-39). Noah announced a coming judgment and offered people a way of escape from it. However, people ignored Noah’s warnings of judgment and went on occupying themselves with their normal course of life. They were 'eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage (vs 38) right up until the very day Noah entered the ark." (Pentecost)

"The days of Noah were times of carousing and unpreparedness, as they will be at the Second Coming.  The flood removed the wicked (cf. Luke 17:27).  Christ will do the same at His return." (Ryrie)

one will be taken and one left - "According to Matthew 24:40-41, 'Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.' Because at the rapture believers will be taken out of the world, some have confused this with the rapture of the Church.  Here, however, the situation is the reverse. The one who is left, is left to enter the kingdom; the one who is taken, is taken in judgment. This is in keeping with the illustration of the time of Noah when the ones taken away are the unbelievers. The word for 'shall be taken' in verses 40-41 uses the same word found in John 19:16, where Christ was taken away to the judgment of the cross." (Walvoord)

"It is the opposite meaning of 'taken' and 'left' when the Lord comes as the 'Bridegroom' for His Church. Then, too, some will be taken and others left. The true believers will be taken into glory, caught up in clouds to meet Him in the air; the unbelievers and mere professors will be left. Some deny that the word 'taken' in our passage means a judicial taking away. The context, however, shows (the reference to Noah and the flood) that this must be the meaning. Surely those who were taken by the flood were not 'received into glory.'" (Gaebelein)

"The ones taken will be taken to judgment and death.  The ones left will be left to enter the blessings of the millennial kingdom." (Ryrie)

My husband sent the following email to Pastor Kurth:

"I’m working through Matthew chapter 24 now. Verse 36 says that no man or angel knows the day of the Lord’s second coming, but only the Father.

Here’s my question. Isn’t the second coming going to occur at the end of the 70th week? In other words, once the Tribulation begins, won’t all believers know that the second coming will be in seven years?

What am I missing?

Wait, I think I figured it out. It’s talking about His coming in judgment, so it’s referring to the beginning of the Tribulation, not the second coming, right?"

Here’s his reply:

"No, you were right the first time. In the context, both before and after, it is talking about the Second Coming (v 30, 37).

You ask tough questions! I have some theories I’ll share, and I’m copying Dave in, so he can contribute too.

An easy out would be to say that no one knew the date and time of the Second Coming at the time the Lord spoke those words. That would be because the 70th week countdown to the Second Coming had not yet begun. That’s true, but in the subsequent context, it makes it clear that the Second Coming will come unexpectedly on people standing around, so this explanation would not seem to be the natural choice.

Next, Matthew 24:22 says,

'Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.'

This would explain why the Second Coming would come on men unexpectedly, as the subsequent context indicates, and why no man would know the day nor the hour.

How God will shorten the days of that is not clear. But when we read that 'the third part of the sun was smitten' (Rev 8:12), that could mean the sun’s intensity is lessened by 33.3%, or it could mean as Amos says,

'And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day.'

We mark days by the sun, and if days are shortened by a third, that would 'shorten' the 70th week.

But then you could say that people who (unlike me) are good at math could figure out the day of the Second Coming once the days are shortened. Well, maybe; but then they’d have to wonder, 'Will God go by the original 24 hour a day seventy weeks, or by this new way of reckoning days?'

Then you have to factor in that the 70th week is usually described as 42 months, or 1260 days (Rev 11:2,3). But in Daniel 12:11, half the Tribulation is called 1290 days, thirty days longer. This is because there are so many things that are said to happen mid-Trib that they can’t all be done in one day, so there is a pause in the 70th week. Well, if God can mess with the 1260 day amount in that way, why not in some other way? He’d have to stick to the Book, but maybe there are other things in the Book we’re not thinking of.

For instance, there is this fascinating thing that dispensational pioneer Clarence Larkin discovered, that God does not seem to count time when Israel is out of favor with Him. I don’t know if this could factor in too. It actually could be the only explanation. Or it could be this explanation plus all of the above, or only a certain combination of all of the above. But if we can’t figure it out, most likely Tribulation saints might not be able to figure it out either."

He also sent my question to Dave Stewart. Here’s what he said.

"Any, some, none or all of the above is exactly right, I think. Not only does the Lord say that no one knows the day or the hour, He goes so far as to say, 'in such an hour AS YE THINK NOT the Son of Man cometh' (vs 44). And these guys will have the gifts of prophesy and of knowledge, and still they won’t be able to figure it out. The day and the hour is deliberately kept hidden as the parable of the ten virgins and others indicate. They need to keep their lamps burning because they just won’t know. The best they’ll have to go on is 'when these things begin go come to pass, then look up…, for your redemption draweth nigh'. (Lk.21:28)

As to the known timeline of the tribulation, we need to remember that the battle of Armageddon is a long, extended event. It doesn’t all happen in one day. So does the Lord return on day 1260? Or is that the day the battle ends? Or is it some time in between? Or does Christ return as Matt 24:29-31 says, 'immediately after'. If so, define immediately. And how long is it between 'the sign of the Son of Man' and the actual second coming? I think this is one of the few major events God has planned that will be literally unpredictable."

Matthew 24:32-35

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

all these things - "The signs described in verses 4-28." (Ryrie)

There are several opinions on what, exactly, the Lord was referring to when He mentioned the "fig tree" (v 32) and "this generation" (v 34). I have copied the ones that make the most sense to me:

"The fig tree is the picture of Israel. The parable of the fig tree in Luke 13 is well known, and its application is Israel, to whom the Lord came, looking for fruit, and did not find it.Luke 21, the record there of this discourse, mentions likewise the fig tree and all the trees; these are the Gentiles, the nations. In Matthew 21, we see in the withered fig tree a type of Israel’s spiritual and national death. but that withered tree is to be vitalized. The fig tree will bud again. However, the characteristic of the fig tree is that fruit and leaves are there together. As soon as the branch becomes tender the fruit is found. It is a rapid development. This is the lesson here. Israel’s blessing, new life, fruit and glory will quickly be realized in those end days.. When in these last seven years, and especially the last 1,260 days, all these things come to pass, they will know that all which is promised to Israel will be at hand." (Gaebelein)

"One having passed through the rigors of a cold Judean winter would eagerly anticipate the coming of summer. When such a one sees the first green shoots appearing on a fig tree, he has an indication of the season in which he is then living (Matthew 24:32). He can anticipate the passing of the cold and the coming of spring. Christ applied this simple principle, saying, 'when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door' (v 33). In the context 'these things' refers to the signs of verses 4-28. Those who will see the signs will know that He, the Messiah, or it, Messiah’s judgment, is at the door. Since these signs will all occur in the seven years of Daniel’s seventieth week, the generation that sees the beginning of these signs will 'not pass away until all these things have happened' (Matthew 24:34), for they all will fall within a brief span of time. These will not be signs given to a generation preceding the Rapture. Instead these signs will be given to a generation that cannot begin until after the church has been translated." (Pentecost)

"Some commentators refer 'generation' to the nation of Israel. The meaning, then, would be that Israel would continue as a nation until the second coming of Christ. Some take generation to refer to an indefinite period of time (age) and, accordingly, take it as instructing the disciples that the age leading up to the second coming will not end until the event of the second coming itself. A third explanation is that the word generation means what it normally means, that is, a period of thirty to one hundred years, and refers to the particular generation that will see the specific signs, that is, the signs of the great tribulation. In other words, the same generation that will experience the great tribulation will also witness the second coming of Christ." (Walvoord)

"No one living when Jesus spoke these words lived to see 'all these things' come to pass.  However, the Greek word can mean 'race' or 'family, 'which makes good sense here; i.e., the Jewish race will be preserved, in spite of terrible persecution, until the Lord comes." (Ryrie)

The most simple explanation — that the Lord was speaking of the generation of people who were alive when He spoke these words — cannot be true because the Lord’s second coming did not occur while they were alive.

The possibility that the Lord was wrong also cannot be true because His Word is truth (Jn 17:17).

Matthew 24:23-31

Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. 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. 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. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. “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. 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. 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.

signs and wonders - See Revelation 13.

if possible, even the elect - but it isn’t, either because of God’s protection or because the days are shortened, or both

I have told you beforehand - See Matthew 7:15; 15:3-14; 16:6-12; 23:1-36; 24:11.

"This is a warning as well as a prediction." (Ryrie)

"If told that Messiah has come already and is manifesting Himself in the desert they are not to go forth seeking Him there. If told He is hidden in some secret place they are not to believe it. For His coming will be in visible manifested glory when He shines forth from heaven as lightning flaming athwart the sky." (Ironside)

Verse 28 is saying that, as where there is death, there will be vultures, so where there is corruption, there will be judgment.

those days - See Revelation 6:12-14.

the sun...the moon...the stars - "These astral phenomena, which will accompany the return of the Son of Man, are foretold in Isa 13:9-10 and Joel 2:31; 3:15." (Ryrie)

the sign - probably the Shekinah cloud (Acts 1:9-11)

"Some think this is the lightning of verse 27, others the Shekinah, or glory, of Christ; still others leave it unspecified.  At any rate, the Son of Man Himself will come visibly (Rev 1:7).  There seems to be no reason for not taking this part of Jesus' teaching as plainly as other parts." (Ryrie)

tribes of the earth = lit. "of the land" - Israel! - Zechariah 12:10-12

mourn - an intense, ritualistic mourning

they will see the Son of Man - Revelation 1:7: "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen."

trumpet call - the gathering of Israel - Isaiah 11:11-12; Isaiah 27:13

"Christ now proceeded to describe the third eschatological event in Israel’s program — the restoration of the nation Israel back to the land. Since this whole discourse has been devoted to the prophetic program for Israel, the reference to 'His elect' (Matthew 24:31) cannot refer to the church. Instead, the reference must be to the nation that God had chosen (Exodus 19:5-6). During the Tribulation Israel will be scattered out of the land by military invasions. The Israelites will flee and find refuge among the Gentile nations. God will supernaturally bring the people of Israel back to the land through the instrumentality of angels. This will be the final restoration anticipated in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 30:1-8)." (Pentecost)

Matthew 24:15-22

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 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. 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.

abomination of desolation - "This is the man of sin (2 Thes 2:4), the Antichrist, who at this midpoint in the Tribulation breaks the covenant he made with the Jewish people at the beginning of the Tribulation (Dan 9:27) and demands that they and the world worship him.  Those who resist will be persecuted, and many will be martyred; that is the reason for the urgency of the instructions in verses 16-22." (Ryrie)

spoken of by the prophet Daniel - "Does he [Daniel] mention anything in his great prophecies about a future abomination and where do we find these passages? He does in three places.  

"'Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate' (Daniel 9:27).  

"'And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation' (Daniel 11:31).  

"'And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days' (Daniel 12:11).

"There can be no doubt that the Lord refers to these three passages in Daniel, and it is of that abomination mentioned in these passages of which He speaks. These three verses in Daniel refer all to the same period of time; this period is three years and a half. The same space of time is mentioned in Daniel 7:25. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. (Which makes three and a half. Then in Daniel 10:7 we have it mentioned again … it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. Later, in the book of Revelation we shall discover the same period of time there.

"The 24th verse in Daniel 9 is the prophecy stated in a general way. 'Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.' Seventy sevens, as it is in Hebrew, make 490. This space of time is, so Gabriel declared, apportioned out, for the people of Israel and Jerusalem, and at the close of it the full blessing of Israel will come to pass; the righteousness of ages, undoubtedly refers to the kingdom age, the Millennium. So in a general way the whole prophecy of seventy-year weeks is given and what shall be accomplished in them and at the close of them for the people Israel and for Jerusalem. But now as we read on we find a division of these seventy weeks. First: Seven weeks; secondly: Sixty-two weeks; thirdly; One week. What does this division mean? We are not left to speculation, for the Word makes it plain. 'Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined (Daniel 9:25-26). The first seven weeks, that is 49 years, is the period of time which elapsed from the giving of the command to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls till this was accomplished. The commission to restore and build Jerusalem was given to Nehemiah by Artaxerxes in his twentieth year. The sixty-two weeks is the period of time from the complete restoration of the city and the walls till Messiah is cut off, that is the death of Christ, and there is nothing for Him.

"When this prince, the head of the revived Roman empire, appears, he will make a covenant with the Jews. His covenant will be for one week, that is for seven years. It is interesting to notice that the covenant will be made with 'the many,' not with all, for the believing Jewish remnant will know the true personality of the wicked prince and refuse to enter into that covenant. What this covenant will be we do not know … It will undoubtedly be of a political nature and connected with the resettlement of the Jews in Palestine, the rebuilding of the temple and the institution of their worship by sacrifices.

"This covenant will be effected in the beginning of the week (seven years) and all will run smoothly for a while. But in the middle of the week he will unmask himself and in conjunction with that other wicked one, the man of sin, the son of perdition, the personal anti-Christ, he will break the covenant and cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. In its place he will set up the abomination (Daniel 11:31). What then is this abomination? It will be idolatrous worship.

"What will then take place is clearly stated in Revelation 13:12-18. There we read of an image. 'He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.' This, no doubt, will be the abomination, and image worshiped; as well as the second beast, 'who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God' (2 Thessalonians 2:4). This then is the abomination which falls in the last half of the seventieth week. The result of this abomination, the revelation of Satan’s power upon the earth, will be the great tribulation. This is fully borne out by the thirteenth chapter in Revelation. Of this our Lord speaks, when He said, 'For then shall there be great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world, until now, nor ever shall be.' And in Daniel we likewise read of this tribulation. 'and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation' (Daniel 12:1). The context shows that it will be at this very time of which the Lord speaks, immediately before His personal, visible and glorious coming." (Gaebelein)

there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be - "The need for haste will be so great that it will cause undue difficulties for those who are hindered because of pregnancy (v 19) or who for other reasons have problems traveling (v 20). As a result of this final invasion of the land, Christ said, 'There will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now — and never to be equaled again' (v 21). As great as has been Israel’s sufferings in days past, unprecedented suffering awaits them in this period. But God has determined to preserve a remnant in Israel even though Satan seeks to exterminate every physical descendant of Abraham so as to prevent the fulfillment of the covenant God gave to him. John described this persecution (Revelation 12:13-17). Only the willingness of Gentiles to harbor the fleeing Jews will prevent the latters’ utter destruction. Christ promised that the Tribulation would be 'cut short' and spoke of  'those days' (Matthew 24:22). His promise has been misunderstood. Daniel spoke of the Tribulation as a 'seven,' that is, a seven-year period (Daniel 9:27). John gave its duration in months (Revelation 11:2), and even in days (v 3) Some have asked, How could those days be shortened? Christ’s words cannot mean that the days will be decreased in number. The phrase 'cut short' means 'to terminate.' If those days with their awful judgments were allowed to continue indefinitely, the human race would be totally destroyed. Christ meant that God will allow that period to run its course but will terminate it according to His timetable so that a remnant will be spared." (Pentecost)

the elect - "Those redeemed during the Tribulation.  The elect of this age (the church) will have been translated before that time begins (1 Thes 4:13-18)." (Ryrie)

Matthew 24:9-14

“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. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 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.

for my name's sake - "I.e., because they are His followers." (Ryrie)

gospel of the kingdom - "This is the good news that will be preached during the tribulation days concerning the coming Messiah and the setting up of His kingdom.  Evidently many will respond (Rev 7:9-10)...The Jewish people of Christ's day were looking for the messianic or Davidic kingdom to be established on this earth.  This is what John and Jesus proclaimed as being 'at hand.'  The requirement that the people must repent in order for the kingdom to be established was new and became a stumbling block to them.  The rejection of Christ by the people delayed its establishment until the second coming of Christ (Matt 25:31)." (Ryrie)

"Christ now mentions signs that will fall in the second half of the Tribulation. There will be widespread persecution and death (v 9). Many will be turned away from Christ to worship the political dictator whom John called the 'beast' (Revelation 13:1-10). Paul called this person 'the man of lawlessness' (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). Many false prophets will appear and deceive many. John wrote about a particular false prophet (Revelation 13:11-18) who, by Satan’s power, will perform miracles to persuade the world to worship the first beast, the political dictator described in verses 1-10. This false prophet will begin his ministry in the middle of the Tribulation. The beast will extend political power over the world and assume the prerogatives of Deity in the religious world, and these activities will be signs which fall in the second half of the Tribulation to forewarn Israel of the approaching advent of Christ. The beast will become a persecutor (Revelation 13:7), and many will lose their lives. This no doubt will tempt many to renounce Christ and give allegiance to the beast. But Christ promised, 'He who stands firm to the end will be saved' (v 13) [this does not refer to us today!].  During the time that the politico-religious system of the beast is in absolute control, the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world (v 14). The gospel of the kingdom was preached by both John and Jesus (Matthew 3:2; 4:17). This was the announcement of the good news that the kingdom was near. this message had both a soteriological and an eschatological emphasis. When John and Jesus called on the nation to repent, they were asking them to acknowledge their sinful state and their need of salvation. They were inviting the people to turn in faith to God, who had promised to send a Savior.  This gospel will be preached by 144,000 set apart from the tribes of Israel (Revelation 7:1-8). These will be descendants of Abraham." (Pentecost)

Matthew 24:3-8

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?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 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. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

the Mount of Olives - "just E of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley." (Ryrie)

the disciples - "Only Peter, James, John, and Andrew (Mark 13:3).  In this discourse Jesus answered two of the three questions the disciples asked.  He does not answer 'when will these things happen?'  He answers 'what will be the sign of Your coming' in verses 29-31, and He speaks of the signs of the end of the age in verses 4-28." (Ryrie)

the age -  the Jewish age (Daniel’s 70th week), not the church age.

"The questions showed that they had arrived at certain conclusions. The prophet Zechariah had described the advent of Messiah to institute His kingdom (Zechariah 14:4). This coming was to be preceded by an invasion of Jerusalem (12:1-3; 14:1-3). Jerusalem would be totally destroyed and the majority of the people in the land would be slaughtered (13:8-9). To these men Christ’s words concerning the destruction of Jerusalem was the destruction predicted by Zechariah that would precede the advent of the Messiah. In Jewish eschatology two ages were recognized: the first was this present age, the age in which Israel was waiting for the coming of the Messiah; the second was the age to come, the age in which all of Israel’s covenants would be fulfilled and Israel would enter into her promised blessings as a result of Messiah’s coming. The present age would be terminated by the appearance of Messiah, and the coming age would be introduced by His advent. The present age, then, was to end in judgment, and the coming age must be preceded by this devastation. The disciples concluded that the judgment Christ had predicted was the one that would terminate this present age. After this judgment Messiah would come to introduce the age to come. Thus they asked 'When will this happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age'? (Matthew 24:3).  Let us note concerning this great eschatological discourse that Jesus was here revealing the prophetic program for Jerusalem, the nation Israel, and the people of Israel. He made no reference to the church or the prophetic program for the church. Jesus did not speak here of events that will precede the consummation of the program for the church at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Rather, He dealt with the future Tribulation, or seven-year period that will complete the prophetic program for Israel as revealed in Daniel 9:27. Because of its Jewish context this portion of Scripture must be interpreted with reference to Israel and not the church." (Pentecost)

birth pains - "See the same judgments outlined in Rev 6:1-8." (Ryrie)

"Christ described the events that will fall within the seven years of what Jeremiah called “a time of trouble for Jacob” (Jeremiah 30:7). Jesus referred to the rigors that Israel will undergo in this period as 'birth pains' (Matthew 24:8). They will be the sufferings that precede the birth of the new age to come. Daniel indicated that this seven-year period will be divided into two parts of equal length (Daniel 9:27). Jesus described signs that will be given to the nation Israel in the first half of the Tribulation (Matthew 24:4-8). One sign will be that false Messiahs will appear (v 5). Another sign will be reports of war (vs 6-7). Another will be natural catastrophes — famines and earthquakes (v 7).  John in Revelation 6 described events of the first half of the Tribulation by disclosing what was hidden under the seals on a scroll. That the seals fall within the first half of the Tribulation is suggested by the parallelism that exists between Christ’s signs in Matthew 24:4-8 and what John revealed in Revelation 6. John’s first seal has to do with a rider on a white horse (Revelation 6:2), who is a false Messiah. As the result of the rise of this one, peace will be taken from the earth and war will ensue (v 4). As a result of war there will be widespread famine (v 6) that will result in widespread death (v 8). Christ revealed that as rigorous as these judgments may seem, they will be only 'the beginning of birth pangs' (Matthew 24:8). Thus in this portion Christ described the judgments of the first half of the Tribulation. He gave signs to Israel that would forewarn them of the approach of the Judge." (Pentecost)

Matthew 24:1-2

Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

buildings of the temple - At the end of the previous chapter, Jesus had said to the Pharisees: "See! Your house is left to you desolate." As He leaves the temple, His disciples point out to Him that Herod’s temple is anything but desolate (v 1).

"Herod the Great began the building of this Temple in 20 B.C., and it was finished in A.D. 64.  Many stones visible to the disciples were 10-12 ft (3-3.6 m) in length.  Foundations stones were much larger." (Ryrie)

Many of my commentaries point to the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 as the fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy in v 2. But is this correct in view of the surrounding context?  My husband wrote to Pastor Kurth and asked, "Does the Lord’s prediction regarding the destruction of the temple in Matthew 24:2 refer to it’s destruction in A.D.70 or a coming destruction at the (end of?) the Tribulation, or both? And why?"

Pastor Kurth's response:

"After the Lord talked about the destruction of the temple in Matthew 24:1-2 and the apostles asked Him “when shall these things be?” (v 3), everything He said in the rest of the chapter is future, so I believe the destruction He was describing is future as well. I don’t know how it could be past and everything else be future. I personally don’t think that what happened in 70 AD was any fulfillment of it, other than something the devil did to make people think it won’t happen again. Kind of the way people think Antiochus Epiphanes was the fulfillment of the prophecies about the Antichrist. I think Satan just made sure someone looked like he fulfilled those prophecies so people would think there isn’t another Antichrist coming. In my mind, the destruction of the temple is the same thing. Since it happened, people think it won’t happen again. But I’m not positive, so I copied Dave in on this reply."

Dave’s response:

"I agree. Verses 33 and 34 say to look for “all these things” and indicate that they will all happen together. This is in answer to their question, when shall “these things” be, referring to the temple’s destruction. So vs 2 cannot be separated from the rest of the events described in Matthew 24. Also, in vs 15 the abomination of desolation stands “in the holy place” which indicates that the temple’s destruction described in vs 2 must occur some time after vs 15 and the events leading up to it.

Antiochus Epiphanes is a good comparison. He’s a pseudo-fulfillment which the Lord clearly refutes in vs 15 when He says that the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 was yet to come in His day. 70 AD falls into the same camp, and for the same reasons. The rest of Daniel’s prophesy, like the coming and cutting off of Messiah, had to occur first. But those elements of the prophesy are ignored in favor of an “antichrist has already come and gone” interpretation of vs 27. It’s the same with Matthew 24. The [people who take this view think the] rest of the prophesy doesn’t matter as long as we understand that antichrist is past already. 70 AD is merely a back-up plan. If we don’t buy Antiochus Epiphanes, they’ll give us Titus."