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Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple
24 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.”
Signs of the End of the Age
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.
“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.
The Abomination of Desolation
“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. 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.
The Coming of the Son of Man
“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.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
“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.
No One Knows That Day and Hour
“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.
“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.
(ESV)
Matthew 24 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
There is a break between verses 2 and 3 that separate the thoughts of Jesus. He starts by describing the ransacking of Jerusalem which eventually happened in 70 AD. Legend has it that future Roman Emperor Titus wanted to destroy the city so thoroughly that no one would remember it. Jesus predicted not one stone would be left on top of another, and to this day, historians are still unsure of the precise location of the sanctuary.
In verse 3, they are no longer at the temple, but at the Mount of Olives. We can assume the disciples were soaking in Jesus’ words and it got them thinking of what would happen afterward – specifically, at the “end of the age.” They probably assumed that the end of the age would happen soon after the destruction of Jerusalem, but that would not be true.
Throughout the rest of Matthew 24, we get a glimpse into the future. Many believe they know when and how the end times will take place. Some even allow their bold predictions to be broadcast in books, blogs, and podcasts. It’s interesting to think about the fact that the disciples (along with almost every other generation since then) have believed they are living in the end times. I’ve heard this phrase throughout my entire lifetime. Jesus tells us to be ready but He never affirms man’s ability to discern exactly when that time will be. So far, Jesus has been 100% right.
“No one knows, however, when that day and hour will come—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son; the Father alone knows. 37 The coming of the Son of Man will be like what happened in the time of Noah.
Matthew 24:36-37 GNB
What happened in the time of Noah? What are some clues that will indicate the end times are near?
Unbearable wickedness. Indifferent attitudes. Denial. Arrogance. Laziness. I personally believe that the comfort and complacency of both nonbelievers and some who profess to be Christians will become so prevalent that the “end times” will be mocked and laughed at like an old children’s fairy tale. The comfort zone of people will grow to the point of believing that Jesus will never come back. This is what happened in the days of Noah. We should expect it will happen again.
In fact, it’s already happening.
The timing of the events is not important. Jesus makes it clear only God knows this. Foolish people will debate those things and relegate Jesus’ most important words to the backburner. Be ready. Be watchful. Be prepared.
We must be watchful like He is coming sooner than expected, but prepared like He is coming later than expected. We must believe He could come back tomorrow but continue to fulfill our calling and purpose today.