What Matthew 24 says about "the end"

346 what matthaeus 24 says about the endFirst of all, to avoid misinterpretations, it is important to see Matthew 24 in the larger context of the previous chapters. It may surprise you to learn that the prelude to Matthew 24 begins as early as chapter 16, verse 21 at the latest. There it says in summary: "From that time Jesus began to show his disciples how he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer much at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be put to death and rise again on the third day." With this Jesus gives up the first clues something that looked to the disciples like an elementary showdown between Jesus and the religious authorities in Jerusalem. On the way to Jerusalem (20,17:19) he further prepares them for this coming conflict.

At the time of the first announcement of suffering, Jesus took the three disciples Peter, James and John with him up a high mountain. There they experienced the Transfiguration (17,1-13). For this alone the disciples must have asked themselves whether the establishment of the kingdom of God might not be imminent7,10-12).

Jesus also tells the disciples that they will sit on twelve thrones and judge Israel "when the Son of man sits on his glorious throne" (Gen9,28). No doubt this raised new questions about the "when" and "how" of the coming of the kingdom of God. Jesus' speech about the kingdom even moved the mother of James and John to ask Jesus to give her two sons special positions in the kingdom (20,20:21).

Then came the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, when Jesus rode into the city on a donkey1,1-11). As a result, according to Matthew, a prophecy by Zechariah, which was seen to be related to the Messiah, was fulfilled. The whole city was on its feet, wondering what would happen when Jesus arrived. In Jerusalem he overturned the money changers' tables and demonstrated his messianic authority through further deeds and miracles1,12-27). "Who is he?" the people wondered (2 Cor1,10).

Then Jesus explains in 21,43 to the chief priests and elders: "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who bring forth its fruit." His listeners knew he was speaking of them. This saying of Jesus could be taken as an indication that he was about to establish his messianic kingdom, but that the religious "establishment" should remain excluded from it.

Is the empire being built?

The disciples who heard this must have wondered what was about to happen. Did Jesus want to immediately proclaim himself the Messiah? Was he about to attack the Roman authorities? Was he about to bring the kingdom of God? Would there be war, and what would happen to Jerusalem and the Temple?

Now we come to Matthew 22, verse 15. Here the scene begins with the Pharisees trying to lure Jesus into a trap with questions about the tax. With his answers they wanted to portray him as a rebel against the Roman authorities. But Jesus answered wisely, and their plan was thwarted.

On the same day, the Sadducees also had an argument with Jesus2,23-32). They did not believe in the resurrection and also asked him a trick question about seven brothers marrying the same woman one after the other. Whose wife would she be in the resurrection? Jesus answered indirectly and said they did not understand their own scriptures. He confused her by saying that there was no marriage in the realm.

Then, finally, the Pharisees and Sadducees asked him a question about the highest commandment in the law2,36). He answered wisely by quoting 3. Moses 19,18 and 5. Mose 6,5. And for his part countered with a trick question: Whose son should the Messiah be (Ex2,42)? Then they had to be silent; "No one could answer him a word, nor from that day forward dared anyone to ask him" (2 Cor2,46).

Chapter 23 shows Jesus' polemics against the scribes and the Pharisees. Toward the end of the chapter, Jesus announces that he will send them "prophets and wise men and scribes" and predicts that they will kill, crucify, scourge, and persecute them. He puts the responsibility for all killed prophets on their shoulders. Tension is evidently rising, and the disciples must have wondered what the significance of these confrontations might be. Was Jesus about to seize power as Messiah?

Jesus then addressed Jerusalem in prayer and prophesied that their house would be "left desolate." This is followed by the enigmatic remark: "For I tell you, you will not see me from now on until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'" (2 Cor3,38-39.) The disciples must have puzzled more and more and asked themselves anxious questions about the things that Jesus said. Was he about to explain himself?

The prophesied temple destruction

After that, Jesus left the temple. As they went out, his breathless disciples pointed to the temple buildings. In Mark they say, "Master, behold what stones and what buildings!"3,1). Luke writes that the disciples spoke in amazement of his "beautiful stones and jewels" (2 Cor1,5).

Consider what must have happened in the hearts of the disciples. Jesus' statements about the devastation of Jerusalem and its confrontations with the religious authorities frightened and excited the disciples. You must have wondered why he was talking about the imminent downfall of Judaism and its institutions. Should not Messiah come to strengthen both? From the words of the disciples about the temple sounds indirectly the concern: It should not be done even this mighty church a damage?

Jesus thwarts their hope and deepens their anxious forebodings. He brushes aside their praise of the temple: “Don't you see all this? Truly, I say to you, there will not be one stone left upon the other that will not be broken" (2 Cor4,2). This must have given the disciples a deep shock. They believed the Messiah would save, not destroy, Jerusalem and the Temple. When Jesus spoke of these things the disciples must have been thinking of the end of Gentile rule and the glorious resurgence of Israel; both are prophesied so many times in the Hebrew Scriptures. They knew that these events were to take place in the “time of the end,” in the “last days” (Daniel 8,17; 11,35 & 40; 12,4 and 9). Then the Messiah was to appear or "come" to establish the kingdom of God. This meant that Israel would rise to national greatness and be the spearhead of the empire.

When will that happen?

The disciples—who believed Jesus to be the Messiah—naturally yearned to know if the “time of the end” had come. Expectations were high that Jesus would soon announce that he was the Messiah (John 2,12-18). No wonder then that the disciples urged the Master to explain himself as to the manner and time of His "coming".

As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the excited disciples approached Him and privately wanted some "insider" information. "Tell us," they asked, "when will this happen?" and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24,3.) They wanted to know when the things prophesied by Jesus about Jerusalem would come to pass, because they undoubtedly connected them with the end times and his "coming".

When the disciples spoke of the "coming," they did not have a "second" coming in mind. They imagined that the Messiah would come and set up his kingdom in Jerusalem very soon, and it would last "forever." They did not know a division into a “first” and “second” coming.

Another important point applies to Matthew 24,3 to be taken into account, because the verse is a kind of summary of the content of the entire chapter 24. The disciples' question is repeated with some key words in italics: “Tell us,” they asked, “when will this happen? and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?” They wanted to know when the things Jesus prophesied about Jerusalem would take place because they related them to the “end of the world” (actually: end of the world time, era) and its "coming".

Three questions of the disciples

Three questions from the disciples emerge. First, they wanted to know when "that" was going to happen. “That” could mean the desolation of Jerusalem and the temple that Jesus had just prophesied would be destroyed. Second, they wanted to know what "sign" would herald his coming; Jesus tells them, as we will see, later in chapter 24, verse 30. And thirdly, the disciples wanted to know when the "end" happened. Jesus tells them that they are not destined to know (2 Cor4,36).

Considering these three questions separately—and Jesus' answers to them—avoids a whole host of problems and misinterpretations associated with Matthew 24. Jesus tells his disciples that Jerusalem and the temple (the "that") would indeed be destroyed in their lifetime. But the "sign" they asked for would be related to his coming, not the destruction of the city. And to the third question he answers that nobody knows the hour of his return and the “end” of the world.

So three questions in Matthew 24 and three separate answers that Jesus gives. These answers decouple events that form a unit in the disciples' questions and cut through their temporal context. Jesus' return and the "end of the age" can therefore still lie in the future, although the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70) is very far in the past.

This does not mean – as I said – that the disciples viewed the destruction of Jerusalem separately from the “end”. With almost 100 percent certainty they didn't do that. And besides, they reckoned with the imminent occurrence of the events (theologians use the technical term "imminent expectation").

Let's see how these questions are dealt with further in Matthew 24. First of all, we note that Jesus does not seem particularly interested in talking about the circumstances of "the end." It is His disciples who probe, who ask questions, and Jesus responds to them and gives some explanations.

We also see that the disciples' questions about the "end" almost certainly come from a fallacy - that the events would occur very soon, and simultaneously. So it is not surprising that they counted on Jesus' "coming" as Messiah in the very near future, in the sense that it could happen in a few days or weeks. Still, they wanted a tangible "sign" to confirm his coming. With this initiate or secret knowledge, they wanted to put themselves in advantageous positions when Jesus took His step.

It is in this context that we should see Jesus' remarks in Matthew 24. The impetus for the discussion comes from the disciples. They believe Jesus is about to take power and want to know "when." They want a preparatory sign. They completely misunderstood Jesus' mission.

The end: not yet

Instead of directly answering the disciples' questions, Jesus uses the opportunity to teach them three important lessons. 

The first lesson:
The scenario they were asking for was far more complicated than the disciples thought in their naivety. 

The second lesson:
When Jesus would “come”—or as we would say “come again”—they were not destined to know. 

The third lesson:
The disciples were to "watch," yes, but with an increasing focus on their relationship with God and less on local or world affairs. With these principles and the preceding discussion in mind, let us now see how Jesus' conversation with his disciples develops. First of all, he warns them not to be fooled by events that may appear to be end-time events but are not (24:4-8). Great and catastrophic events "must" happen, "but the end is not yet" (verse 6).

Then Jesus announces persecution, chaos and death to the disciples4,9-13). How terrifying that must have been for her! “What is this talk of persecution and death about?” they must have thought. They thought that the followers of the Messiah should triumph and conquer, not be slaughtered and destroyed.

Then Jesus begins to speak of preaching a gospel to the whole world. After that, “the end is to come” (2 Cor4,14). This too must have confused the disciples. They probably thought that the Messiah would "come" first, then he would establish his kingdom, and only then would the word of the Lord go out into all the world (Isaiah 2,1-4).

Next, Jesus seems to make a U-turn and speaks again of the desolation of the temple. There should be "an abomination of desolation in the holy place," and "everyone who is in Judea flee to the mountains" (Matthew 24,15-16). Incomparable terror is to befall the Jews. "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and will never be again," says Jesus (2 Cor4,21). It is said to be so terrible that no one would remain alive if these days were not shortened.

While Jesus' words also have a global perspective, he primarily speaks of events in Judea and Jerusalem. "For great distress will be upon the land and anger upon this people," says Luke, which outlines the context of Jesus' utterances more closely (Luke 21,23, Elberfeld Bible, emphasis added by the editor). The temple, Jerusalem and Judea are at the focus of Jesus' warning, not the whole world. The apocalyptic warning that Jesus utters applies primarily to the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea. The events of AD 66-70. have confirmed that.

Fleeing - on the Sabbath?

Not surprisingly, then, Jesus said, "Please ask that your flight not be in the winter or on the Sabbath" (Matthew 24,20). Some ask: Why does Jesus mention the Sabbath when the Sabbath is no longer binding for the church? Since Christians no longer have to worry about the Sabbath, why is it specifically mentioned here as an obstacle? The Jews believed that it was forbidden to travel on the Sabbath. They apparently even had a measure of the maximum distance that could be traveled that day, namely a "Sabbath walk" (Acts 1,12). In Luke, this corresponds to the distance between the Mount of Olives and the city center (according to the appendix in the Luther Bible, it was 2000 cubits, around 1 kilometer). But Jesus says a long flight to the mountains is necessary. A "Sabbath walk" would not get them out of harm's way. Jesus knows that his listeners believe that on the Sabbath they are not allowed to make long journeys of flight.

This explains why he asks the disciples to ask that the flight should not fall on a sabbath. This call is to be seen in the context of their understanding of the Mosaic Law at the time. We can summarize Jesus' reasoning as follows: I know that you do not believe in long journeys on the Sabbath, and you will not do any because you believe the law requires it. So if the things that are about to come to Jerusalem fall on a sabbath, you will not escape them and you will find death. Therefore I advise you: Pray that you do not have to flee on the Sabbath. For even if they decided to flee, the travel restrictions that prevailed generally in the Jewish world, a serious obstacle dar.

As stated earlier, we can relate this part of Jesus' warnings to the destruction of Jerusalem, which happened in 70 AD. Jewish Christians in Jerusalem who still kept the Law of Moses (Acts 21,17-26), would be affected and would have to flee. They would have a conflict of conscience with the Sabbath law if circumstances called for an escape that day.

Still not the "sign"

Meanwhile, Jesus continued his discourse, designed to answer the three questions asked by his disciples about the "when" of his coming. We find that so far he has basically only told them when he will not come. He separates the catastrophe that will befall Jerusalem from the "sign" and the coming of "the end." At this point the disciples must have believed that the destruction of Jerusalem and Judea was the "sign" they were seeking. But they were wrong, and Jesus points out their error. He says: "Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ! or there!, so ye shall not believe” (Matthew 24,23). Don't believe it? What should the disciples think of this? You must have asked yourself: We beg for an answer as to when he will now establish his kingdom, we beg him to give us a sign of it, and he only talks about when the end does not come, and names things that what the characters look like but are not.

Despite this, Jesus continues to tell the disciples when he will not come, not appear. “So if they say to you, Behold, he is in the desert!, do not go out; behold, he is within the house! believe it not" (2 Cor4,26). He wants to make it clear that the disciples should not allow themselves to be misled, either by world events or by people who thought they knew that the sign of the end had arrived. He may even want to tell them that the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple does not yet herald "the end."

Now verse 29. Here Jesus finally begins to tell the disciples something about the "sign" of his coming, ie he answers their second question. The sun and moon are said to darken, and "the stars" (perhaps comets or meteorites) are said to fall from the sky. The whole solar system will shake.

Finally, Jesus tells the disciples the "sign" they are waiting for. He says: “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. And then all the families of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (2 Cor4,30). Then Jesus asked the disciples to learn a parable of the fig tree4,32-34). As soon as the branches soften and the leaves sprout, you know that summer is coming. "Also also, when you see all these things, know that he is near at the door" (2 Cor4,33).

All that

“All that” – what is that? Is it just wars, earthquakes and famines here and there? No. This is just the beginning of labor pains. There are many more afflictions to come before “the end.” Does “all this” end with the appearance of false prophets and the preaching of the gospel? Again, no. Is “all of this” fulfilled through the adversity in Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple? No. So what do you mean by “all of this”?

Before we answer, a little digression, anticipating in time something that the apostolic church had to learn and about which the synoptic gospels tell. The fall of Jerusalem in the year 70, the destruction of the temple and the death of many Jewish priests and spokesmen (and also some apostles) must have hit the church hard. It is almost certain that the Church believed that Jesus would return immediately after these events. But it did not materialize, and that must have offended some Christians.

Now, of course, the gospels show that before Jesus returns, much more should or should happen than just the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The church could not conclude from Jesus' absence after the fall of Jerusalem that it had been misled. In teaching the Church, all three Synoptics repeat: Until you see the "sign" of the Son of man appearing in heaven, do not listen to those who say that he has already come or will soon come.

Nobody knows about the hour

Now we come to the core message that Jesus wants to convey in the dialogue of Matthew 24. His words in Matthew 24 are less prophetic and more of a doctrinal statement about Christian living. Matthew 24 is Jesus' admonition to the disciples: Always be spiritually ready, precisely because you do not know and cannot know when I will come again. The parables in Matthew 25 illustrate the same basic point. Accepting this—that the timing is and remains unknown—suddenly clears up many of the misconceptions surrounding Matthew 24. The chapter says that Jesus is not prophesying at all about the exact time of the "end" or His return. The "Wachet" means: be constantly spiritually awake, always be prepared. And not: Follows world events constantly. A “when” prophecy is not given.

As seen in later history, Jerusalem was indeed the focal point of many turbulent events and developments. 1099, for example, the Christian Crusaders surrounded the city and slaughtered all the inhabitants. During World War I, British General Allenby captured the city and dissolved it from the Turkish Empire. And today, as we all know, Jerusalem and Judea play a central role in the Jewish-Arab conflict.

To sum up: When asked by the disciples about the “when” of the end, Jesus answers: “You cannot know that.” A statement that was and is obviously difficult to digest. For after his resurrection the disciples still plagued him with questions about it: "Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel at this time?" (Acts 1,6). And again Jesus answers, "It is not yours to know the time or the hour which the Father hath set in his power..." (verse 7).

Despite Jesus' clear teaching, Christians throughout the ages have repeated the error of the apostles. Again and again speculation about the time of the "end" accumulated, Jesus' coming was predicted again and again. But history proved Jesus right and every number juggler wrong. Quite simply: we cannot know when “the end” will come.

Keep watch

What should we do now as we await Jesus' return? Jesus answers it for the disciples, and the answer applies to us too. He says, “Therefore watch; for you do not know on which day your Lord is coming... Therefore be ready too! For the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect it” (Matthew 24,42-44). Being vigilant in the sense of "observing world events" is not meant here. Watching refers to the Christian's relationship with God. He must always be prepared to face his Maker.

In the rest of the 2nd4. Chapter and in the 25. In chapter 2 Jesus then explains in more detail what is meant by “watching”. In the parable of the faithful and the wicked servant, he urges the disciples to avoid worldly sins and not to be overcome by the attraction of sin ( Cor4,45-51). The moral? Jesus says the wicked servant's lord will come "in a day when he does not expect, and in an hour of which he does not know" (2 Cor4,50).

A similar teaching is taught in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins5,1-25). Some of the virgins are not ready, not "awake" when the bridegroom comes. You will be excluded from the kingdom. The moral? Jesus says, "Therefore watch! For you know neither the day nor the hour" (Ex5,13). In the parable of the entrusted talents, Jesus speaks of himself as a person going on a journey5,14-30). He was probably thinking of his stay in heaven before his return. The servants should meanwhile administer what was entrusted to them in trustworthy hands.

Finally, in the parable of the sheep and the goats, Jesus addresses the shepherd duties that will be given to the disciples during his absence. He is here directing their attention from the "when" of His coming to the consequences that coming will have on their eternal life. His coming and resurrection are to be their judgment day. The day Jesus separates the sheep (his true followers) from the goats (the evil shepherds).

In the parable, Jesus works with symbols based on the physical needs of the disciples. They fed him when he was hungry, gave him drink when he was thirsty, took him up when he was a stranger, clothed him when he was naked. The disciples were surprised and said that they had never seen him as such.

But Jesus wanted to use it to illustrate pastoral virtues. "Truly I say to you, whatever you did to one of these least of these my brethren, you did to me" (2 Cor5,40). Who is a brother of Jesus? One of his true successors. So Jesus commands the disciples to be good stewards and shepherds of his flock - his church.

Thus ends the long discourse in which Jesus answers the three questions of his disciples: When will Jerusalem and the temple be destroyed? What will be the "sign" of his coming? When will the “end of the world” occur?

summary

The disciples hear with horror that the temple buildings are to be destroyed. They ask when that is to happen and when "the end" and Jesus' "coming" is to occur. As I said, in all probability they reckoned with the fact that Jesus ascended the throne of the Messiah right then and let the kingdom of God dawn in all power and glory. Jesus warns against such thinking. There will be a delay before "the end". Jerusalem and the Temple will be destroyed, but the life of the Church will go on. Persecution of Christians and terrible tribulations will come upon Judea. The disciples are shocked. They had thought that the Messiah's disciples would have an immediate sweeping victory, the Promised Land would be conquered, true worship restored. And now these predictions of the destruction of the Temple and the persecution of the believers. But there are more startling lessons to come. The only "sign" that the disciples will see of Jesus' coming is His coming itself. This "sign" no longer has a protective function because it comes too late. This all leads to Jesus' core statement that no one can prophesy when "the end" will occur or when Jesus will return.

Jesus took up the concerns of his disciples arising from wrong thinking and derived a spiritual lesson from them. In the words of DA Carson, “The questions of the disciples are answered, and the reader is urged to look forward to the return of the Lord and while the Master is far away to live responsibly, with faith, with humanity, and with courage (2 Cor4,45-25,46)” (ibid., p. 495). 

by Paul Kroll


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