Matthew24

Jesus prophesies the complete destruction of the Temple, prompting His disciples to inquire about the signs of His coming and the end of the world. He warns of widespread deception, wars, famines, and severe persecution, which are the "beginning of sorrows." Jesus describes His sudden, glorious return following a period of great tribulation and urges His followers to remain watchful and ready, as the precise time is unknown.
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Prophecy of the Temple's Destruction

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And Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way; and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. ​
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But he answered and said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. ​
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And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? ​

Signs of the Beginning of Sorrows

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And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray.
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For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray.
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And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet.
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For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places.
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But all these things are the beginning of travail. ​
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Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name’s sake. ​
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And then shall many stumble, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another.
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And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.
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And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold.
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But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
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And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come. ​

The Great Tribulation and False Christs

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When therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him that readeth understand), ​
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then let them that are in Judæa flee unto the mountains:
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let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house:
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and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak.
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But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!
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And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath: ​
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for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be. ​
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And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
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Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe it not.
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For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. ​
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Behold, I have told you beforehand.
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If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe it not.
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For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. ​
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Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. ​

The Coming of the Son of Man

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But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: ​
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and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ​
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And he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

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Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh; ​
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even so ye also, when ye see all these things, know ye that he is nigh, even at the doors.
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Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished. ​
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Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

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But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only. ​
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And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. ​
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For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
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and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
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Then shall two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left: ​
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two women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.
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Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh. ​
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But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through.
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Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Parable of the Faithful Servant

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Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath set over his household, to give them their food in due season? ​
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Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
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Verily I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath.
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But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord tarrieth; ​
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and shall begin to beat his fellow-servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken;
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the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not,
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and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. ​

Study Notes for Matthew 24

Verse 1

This discourse, known as the Olivet Discourse, takes place on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus answers questions about the future. The disciples proudly showed off the magnificent Herodian Temple complex, which had been under construction for decades.

Verse 2

Jesus’ prophecy of total destruction was fulfilled literally in AD 70 when the Roman army, under General Titus, besieged Jerusalem and dismantled the Temple stone by stone.

Verse 3

The disciples asked three distinct, but related, questions: (1) When will the temple fall? (2) What is the sign of your coming (*parousia*)? (3) What is the sign of the end of the age? Jesus blends the answers, treating the destruction of Jerusalem as a type or foreshadowing of the final judgment.

Verse 8

The Greek word for 'sorrows' (*ōdin*) literally means 'birth pains.' These events—wars, famines, and earthquakes—are painful precursors that signal the inevitable arrival of the new age, but they are not the end itself.

Verse 9

Jesus warns that persecution and martyrdom are inherent parts of the mission, occurring throughout the church age until the end.

Verse 14

The worldwide proclamation of the Gospel is presented here as a necessary prerequisite and a final sign before the end of the age comes. This emphasizes the mission mandate of the church.

Verse 15

The 'abomination of desolation' is a clear reference to Daniel (9:27). In the immediate historical context, this likely refers to the desecration of the Temple area by the Roman armies in AD 70, signaling the time for Judean Christians to flee.

Verse 20

Fleeing in winter would be difficult due to weather, and fleeing on the Sabbath would violate Jewish law, potentially causing conflict or preventing them from traveling far outside their city.

Verse 21

While this language is often used to describe the ultimate final judgment, in its immediate context, it describes the unprecedented horror and suffering inflicted upon Jerusalem during the Roman siege (AD 66–70).

Verse 24

The warning against false Christs is intensified, noting they will use 'great signs and wonders' to deceive even the most devoted believers, underscoring the necessity of spiritual discernment.

Verse 27

The true coming of the Son of Man will not be secret or localized; it will be sudden, unmistakable, and visible to everyone, like a flash of lightning across the sky.

Verse 28

This proverb means that judgment (the carcass) will inevitably draw the instruments of judgment (the eagles/vultures). This may allude metaphorically to divine judgment or literally to the Roman military standards, which featured the eagle.

Verse 29

The phrase 'immediately after' links the cosmic signs to the preceding tribulation. This uses traditional apocalyptic imagery (Isaiah 13:10) to describe the dramatic, world-altering nature of Christ’s return.

Verse 30

The 'sign of the Son of man' is Christ himself appearing in glory. His arrival will cause the 'tribes of the earth' (often interpreted as non-believers) to mourn in recognition of the judgment that is upon them.

Verse 32

The fig tree parable is an analogy instructing the disciples to recognize the signs of the times. Just as spring follows the budding of the tree, the end will follow the fulfillment of these prophecies.

Verse 34

This is one of the most debated verses. It likely refers to the generation living in AD 70 who witnessed the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem (vv. 4–22).

Verse 36

This verse establishes the absolute divine prerogative over the timing of the end, emphasizing that the timing is hidden even from the Son, underscoring the mystery of the Godhead and the finality of the Father's plan.

Verse 37

The comparison to Noah’s day highlights that the world will be engaged in normal, mundane activities, completely oblivious to the impending divine judgment.

Verse 40

This illustrates the sudden, selective nature of judgment and separation at the time of Christ's coming. The focus is on the unexpected nature of the division.

Verse 42

The practical command resulting from the unknown timing is 'Watch.' Vigilance involves sustained spiritual readiness and faithful living.

Verse 45

This parable shifts the focus from timing to preparedness and responsibility. The faithful servant is one who diligently carries out his duties (serving the household) while awaiting the master's return.

Verse 48

The 'evil servant' is characterized by a lack of faith and presumption rooted in the master’s delay. This delay leads to moral laxity and abuse of authority.

Verse 51

The severe punishment emphasizes that unfaithfulness in service will result in the same judgment reserved for hypocrites, characterized by eternal suffering ('weeping and gnashing of teeth').

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