# Matthew 24 📖: Signs of the End of the Age [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Matthew Overview]] | [[Matthew 23]] | [[Matthew 25]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### The Destruction of the Temple **Principle**: Jesus knows all things. [[#Verse 01]] Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings.  [[#Verse 02]] And he said to them, “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!” ### Signs of the End of the Age **Principle**: Nothing Surprises Jesus. [[#Verse 03]] As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”  [[#Verse 04]] Jesus answered them, “Watch outthat no one misleads you.  [[#Verse 05]] For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many.  [[#Verse 06]] You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come.  [[#Verse 07]] For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  [[#Verse 08]] All these things are the beginning of birth pains. ### Persecution of Disciples **Principle**: Lawlessness hardens hearts [[#Verse 09]] “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name.  [[#Verse 10]] Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another.  [[#Verse 11]] And many false prophets will appear and deceive many,  [[#Verse 12]] and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold.  [[#Verse 13]] But the person who endures to the end will be saved.  [[#Verse 14]] And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. ### The Abomination of Desolation **Principle**: Even in Judgment, God has mercy. [[#Verse 15]] “So when you see _the abomination of desolation_—spoken about by Daniel the prophet—standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand),  [[#Verse 16]] “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.  [[#Verse 17]] The one on the roof must not come down to take anything out of his house,  [[#Verse 18]] and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.  [[#Verse 19]] Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days!  [[#Verse 20]] Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.  [[#Verse 21]] For then there will be great suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen.  [[#Verse 22]] And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.  [[#Verse 23]] Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him.  [[#Verse 24]] For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  [[#Verse 25]] Remember, I have told you ahead of time.  [[#Verse 26]] So then, if someone says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him.  [[#Verse 27]] For just like the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.  [[#Verse 28]] Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. ### The Arrival of the Son of Man **Principle**: Jesus will save the day. [[#Verse 29]] “Immediately after the suffering of those days, _the_ _sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken_.  [[#Verse 30]] Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see _the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven_ with power and great glory.  [[#Verse 31]] And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. ### The Parable of the Fig Tree **Principle**: Learn the signs of the times. [[#Verse 32]] “Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.  [[#Verse 33]] So also you, when you see all these things, know that he is near, right at the door.  [[#Verse 34]] I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.  [[#Verse 35]] Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ### Be Ready! **Principle**: Be careful to not be distracted. [[Theodicy- No One Knows the Day or Hour as Position Not Limitation]] [[#Verse 36]] “But as for that day and hour no one knows it—not even the angels in heaven—except the Father alone.  [[#Verse 37]] For just like the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.  [[#Verse 38]] For in those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark.  [[#Verse 39]] And they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away. It will be the same at the coming of the Son of Man. [[#Verse 40]] Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left. [[#Verse 41]] There will be two women grinding grain with a mill; one will be taken and one left. [[#Verse 42]] “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  [[#Verse 43]] But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into.  [[#Verse 44]] Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. ### The Faithful and Wise Slave **Principle**: Be faithful. [[#Verse 45]] “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their food at the proper time? [[#Verse 46]]  Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes.  [[#Verse 47]] I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions.  [[#Verse 48]] But if that evil slave should say to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’  [[#Verse 49]] and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with drunkards,  [[#Verse 50]] then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee,  [[#Verse 51]] and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. # ==📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary== ##### Verse 01 ##### Verse 02 ##### Verse 03 ##### Verse 04 ##### Verse 05 ##### Verse 06 ##### Verse 07 ##### Verse 08 ##### Verse 09 ##### Verse 10 ##### Verse 11 ##### Verse 12 ##### Verse 13 ##### Verse 14 ##### Verse 15 ##### Verse 16 ##### Verse 17 ##### Verse 18 ##### Verse 19 ##### Verse 20 ##### Verse 21 ##### Verse 22 ##### Verse 23 ##### Verse 24 ##### Verse 25 ##### Verse 26 ##### Verse 27 ##### Verse 28 ##### Verse 29 ##### Verse 30 ##### Verse 31 ##### Verse 32 ##### Verse 33 ##### Verse 34 ##### Verse 35 ##### Verse 36 - [[Theodicy- No One Knows the Day or Hour as Position Not Limitation]] ##### Verse 37 ##### Verse 38 ##### Verse 39 ##### Verse 40 ##### Verse 41 ##### Verse 42 ##### Verse 43 ##### Verse 44 ##### Verse 45 ##### Verse 46 ##### Verse 47 ##### Verse 48 ##### Verse 49 ##### Verse 50 ##### Verse 51 ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. Chapters 24 and 25 are the fifth and final teaching section in Matthew, often called the Olivet Discourse because Jesus taught it on the Mount of Olives (24:3). 2. Herod's temple was famous for its massive stones. Some foundation stones in the Western Wall weigh hundreds of tons. 3. The Romans destroyed the temple in AD 70, about forty years after Jesus spoke these words (24:2). 4. Josephus describes the Roman siege of Jerusalem as a time of terrible famine and suffering. 5. "The abomination of desolation" (24:15) comes from Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11. Many saw an early fulfillment when Antiochus IV desecrated the temple in 167 BC. 6. The church historian Eusebius records that Christians fled Jerusalem to Pella before the city fell, heeding a prophetic warning (24:16). 7. Housetops (24:17) were flat and used as living space, often with outside stairs leading down. 8. Lightning flashing from east to west (24:27) means Jesus' return will be visible to all, not secret. 9. Fig trees lose their leaves in winter, so tender new leaves are a clear sign that summer is near (24:32). 10. Christians hold different views on how much of this chapter was fulfilled in AD 70 and how much awaits Jesus' return, but all agree He is coming again. ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the Son of Man who will return on the clouds with power and great glory (24:30; Daniel 7:13). His words will never pass away (24:35), so we watch and stay ready for His coming (1 Thessalonians 5:2-6). ## 🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. Jesus warned of deceivers who would come in His name (24:4-5, 24). How can believers guard against being misled? 2. Jesus says the gospel will be preached to all nations before the end comes (24:14). What part can you play in that mission? 3. Jesus compares His coming to the days of Noah, when people went on with ordinary life (24:37-39). What does it look like to stay ready? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 13: The one who endures to the end will be saved. - 📖 verse 14: The gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all nations, and then the end will come. - 📖 verse 30: All will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory. - 📖 verse 35: Heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus' words will never pass away. - 📖 verses 36, 44: No one knows the day or hour, so be ready, because the Son of Man will come when you do not expect Him. ## 🔗 Related Passages - 🔗 [[1 John 02#Verse 18.|1 John 2:18]] and [[2 Thessalonians 02#Verse 09.|2 Thessalonians 2:9-10]] - Antichrists and counterfeit signs. - 🔗 [[Revelation 06#Verse 01.|Revelation 6:1-8]] - War, famine, and death under the seals. - 🔗 [[Daniel 09#Verse 27.|Daniel 9:27]], [[Daniel 11#Verse 31.|Daniel 11:31]] and [[Daniel 12#Verse 11.|Daniel 12:11]] - The abomination of desolation. - 🔗 [[Daniel 12#Verse 01.|Daniel 12:1]] - A time of distress such as never has been. - 🔗 [[Isaiah 13#Verse 10.|Isaiah 13:10]] and [[Joel 02#Verse 10.|Joel 2:10]] - The sun darkened and the stars falling. - 🔗 [[Daniel 07#Verse 13.|Daniel 7:13]] and [[Zechariah 12#Verse 10.|Zechariah 12:10]] - The Son of Man on the clouds; the nations mourn. - 🔗 [[1 Corinthians 15#Verse 52.|1 Corinthians 15:52]] and [[1 Thessalonians 04#Verse 16.|1 Thessalonians 4:16-17]] - The trumpet sounds and the elect are gathered. - 🔗 [[Genesis 06#Verse 05.|Genesis 6:5-7:23]] - As in the days of Noah. - 🔗 [[1 Thessalonians 05#Verse 02.|1 Thessalonians 5:2-4]] - The day of the Lord comes like a thief. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[Matthew 24 - SOAP|Stay Ready]] ## 📂 Internal Notes