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

1
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. ​
2
And Jesus 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. ​
3
And as he sat upon 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 deceive you.
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For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
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And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must 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 pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
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All these are the beginning of sorrows. ​
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Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. ​
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And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
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And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
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And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
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But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
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And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. ​

The Great Tribulation and False Christs

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When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) ​
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Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
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Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
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Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
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And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
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But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: ​
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For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. ​
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And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be 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 Christ, or there; believe it not.
24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. ​
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Behold, I have told you before.
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Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
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For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ​
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For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. ​

The Coming of the Son of Man

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Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun 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 in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ​
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And he shall send 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 learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: ​
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So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
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Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. ​
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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 man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. ​
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But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ​
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For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
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And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
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Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. ​
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Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
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Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. ​
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But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
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Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Parable of the Faithful Servant

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Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat 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 shall make him ruler over all his goods.
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But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; ​
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And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
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The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
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And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and 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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