Matthew 24 b

Introduction

In the last few classes, we have been trying to emphasize, at least since Matthew chapter 21, where we’re studying about the events of the last week of the life of Christ. Actually, from starting with Matthew chapter 21, as Jesus came from Galilee, arrived in Bethany, and that was on the Saturday before he was crucified. We talked about the Sunday that he came in, the royal entry into Jerusalem, and other the crowd, the multitudes were praising him. Hosanna as the son of David, certainly as the king that they would have been looking for. And how that on the two on the Monday he cursed the fig tree that withered. On Tuesday, as he came again, the with the tree not only had just withered, it had died from the roots of it.

And he taught the disciples about their power, even as those who would be having the power of the Holy Spirit to work miracles. But more than that, when he arrived in the temple, he was challenged. He was challenged by the scribes and the priests. Who gave you this authority to be teaching? Jesus answered them. But then it was followed by a series of trials. There were the Herodians who joined with the Pharisees, who would support Herod, the kings.

But he answered them when he took the coin and said, Give unto render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s. That was followed then by the Sadducees challenging him. With the woman who had seven husbands, brothers, fulfilling the law of Moses, that if the first one died without children, that the next and kin would marry her and bear children to the hell of this third. But whose wife will she be in the resurrection? And Jesus answered them, you do her not knowing the scriptures. That statement, I don’t even find the Sadducees. That really is so true today, many in religious era not knowing the scriptures. There are people who have a lot of opinions about what’s right and what’s wrong, but they don’t know the scriptures as to what’s right and what’s wrong.

And therefore we need to be students of the Bible, the Word of God. But all on the Tuesday, now remember Jesus this long day at the temple, and he’s answering all of these challenges by Jews who would like to discredit him and make him look as though he’s an imposter. They’re proud of them following him, and they’re jealous and indignant that he’s been saying some things that certainly apply to them, as a people who should have known the Son of God, but who had latently rejected him. It was on this same day of Tuesday, you might say, two days later, on the Thursday, that Judas, for 30 pieces of silver, covenanted to betray him. You might say three days later that he was nailed on the cross on the front.

So it’s a long day on the Tuesday, you might say, but as that day drew near the end, Jesus in chapter 23 of our study, Matthew 23, had quite a long lesson to the multitude about the Pharisees and their hypocrisy. And finally, summing that up as he closed in Matthew 23, he spoke about how that they were just like their fathers who had murdered the prophets of God, even before them. Now, they acted as though we would have never done that. We had this sepulchres whitewashed and we honor the prophets before us. But Jesus said, you’re just like these whited sepulchres on the outside. You look like you’re religious and like you’re holy, but inwardly, you’re hypocrites. You do just like they did. And on you will come the blood that is just.

And notice the punishment from God will be upon you. And as you close, or Matthew 23 closes, Jesus said, assuredly, I said to you, all these things will come upon this generation. I want to make a point of that because in our lesson on Matthew 24, what does this generation involve? Matthew 24, our text, and I know many of you were not with us on Wednesday night, but uh we covered about the first 30 verses, so I’m gonna have to kind of just quickly uh uh rehearse what it’s included there. But let me say to the class in general, you have a word book, and I know you’ve noticed the head. I’ve been talking about what happened on each day of that last week. But between pages 26 and 27, I believe it is.

Yes, you’ll find the last week there uh in column and verses for each of those days. It may be helpful to you in your study. You’d like to know really what happened on each day of this last week. Matthew 24, though, happens to be one of those really great chapters of the Bible. And I would say that it has probably been abuse and misuse. There are people who play biblical hopscots. You know what I mean by that? When you do hopscots, what do you do? You jump here to there to there. And there are people who use the Bible that way. They pick out verses that they like. They may completely overlook the context and not to know at all what they’s it talking about. Matthew 24 is one of those chapters that is used that way a lot.

You hear it today by those who claim that, oh, Jesus is going to come soon. There’s going to be a rapture. And there are going to be people caught up who are saints, and the rest would be left behind. You heard about the left behind series. And then they want to talk about how there’s going to be a period of tribulation, three years of tribulation, and it’s going to be followed by a battle of Armageddon when Christ comes back with armies in heaven, and he’s going to win the battle and set up his throne, his kingdom, and reign from Jerusalem for a literal 1,000 years on the earth. That’s a theory that’s popular today among many. And they use Matthew 24, overlooking the fact that Jesus said from Matthew 24, these things shall come to pass in this generation.

Verse 34. They won’t overlook that. They won’t overlook some of the other things that we’ll make mention that when he says, oh, yeah, there are wars and rumors of wars, and there be false Christs, and there be, and people say, oh, that’s what’s happening today, isn’t it? Therefore, that must mean that the rapture is soon to occur. But what Jesus said was talking about the destruction of Jerusalem. That happened in 70 AD. And he was not talking about things currently in our generation. If you take the Bible in his context. Now the destruction of Jerusalem was indeed the most significant event you might say in Jewish history. There were over a million who were killed during that period of time from Jerusalem. Some over 90,000 that were captured.

And in fact, Jesus himself said that except for the elect’s sake, these days were shortened. It was a time when the Romans certainly were at uh hated the Jews, you might say, and vice versa. The Jews resisted and resented the fact that they were over and under Roman rule. I say it was the most significant. I know in our current history, we we talk about World War II where Hitler had something like six million Jews killed, and that was a momentous thing. But that’s not even to be compared to a time when the Jewish economy ceased to be. The law of Moses came to an end. The Bible says, in fact, it was nailed at the cross, Colossians 2.14. We understand in studying the Bible that we don’t still look to the Old Testament to learn how to worship God today.

We don’t offer animal sacrifices. And there are many things that the law of Moses commanded that we do not do today because if we study the Bible and keep it in its context, we just know there’s a difference. But with the destruction of Jerusalem, ended animal sacrifice. They have offered animal sacrifice since then. It ended really their knowledge of who could be a priest and who can’t be because genealogical tables were lost during that time. You talk about significant event. That was the most significant in Jewish history, even more so than having six million murdered during World War II. So I say to you that it’s a momentous thing. That Jesus was talking about the destruction of Jerusalem that from the power of God came. Now let me make a point here.

In 70 AD, Jerusalem was destroyed. From a human point of view, it looked like here’s animosity between the Romans and the Jews. In fact, what really finally brought to, you might say, a culmination of this animosity between the two was the fact that there were some Jews who rose up and massacred the Roman garrison in Jerusalem. That started it. They’ve had animosity already, but when they start killing these Roman soldiers, now it really stirs the Romans. That was followed by how Cestius Davis, the Roman legate in Syria, assembled a large force and marched on Jerusalem. But even that force was routed by the Jews. Now it looks like the Jews are about to overthrow the Romans. Can you imagine that here? Jews think they can overthrow the Romans.

Well, I tell you, Nero back at Rome and said, enough of this. And he said the, you might say, at that time, the most man who really was quite a general. His name was Vespatian, and he became emperor after Nero. But they sent four legions, that is 4,000 troops from Rome. And now they’re going to quail, they’re going to put an end to this uprising. I say from a human point of view. It looks like it’s just the Jews struggling against the Romans. And the Romans said, we’re going to show you who’s really in charge. You’re not about to overthrow our rule of Judea. And therefore, what happened after a three and a half year period, actually, this Roman garrison, you might say the legions of soldiers, 4,000 or so, they conquered Judea and the surrounding cities.

They enclosed Jerusalem. Something like a three-year period where you can’t go out and in freely. In fact, famine occurred in Jerusalem. Such famine, to me, this is a horrible to talk about. But can you imagine a mother murdering her cow and eating the flesh? Food got so strict and unavailable. They got into battles within against each other at times. They’re under strain and struggle, such as unlike any period before. But what Matthew 24 shows, it wasn’t just a human conflict between the Romans and the Jews. It was God in charge. And as we study through this chapter, in fact, we find that what happens is that Jesus said, You’ll see the Son of Man coming, a sign in heaven. And it’ll be such that it looks like even the sun and the moon are darkened and the stars have fallen.

Here’s something that men would think never could have happened. That language is the same kind of language that the prophet Isaiah used in describing the fall of Babylon. In Isaiah chapter 13 and in verse 10, and again at verse 13. In other words, who’s really in charge of the world? The Romans. You study biblical history, you know that God told history through Daniel long before it happened. I think one of the strongest truths of the Bible really is the word of God that Daniel could not have known. That following the Babylon Empire. But in Daniel chapter 2, he told how that the image that the king had dreamed was representative of kingdoms to come. The Babylonian Empire was overthrown by the Medo-Persian Empire. They’re overthrown by Alexander the Great, the Macedonian Empire, overthrown by the Roman Empire.

1. Not One Stone Left Upon Another

But the real point was in the days of the Roman Empire, God’s kingdom of his statished. Now that’s told 600 years before it happened. History occurred. Who’s in charge? Man or God. There’s so many ways, if you study the prophets to say prophecies were made long before events happened that proved it was God in charge. The Lord rules in the kingdoms of men. And through history we know that. Well, that’s what’s really happening. When you come to Matthew chapter 24, you have your Bible open. Look even at the first three verses. Jesus has been in the temple. As he leaves, verse 1 says, he went out and departed from the temple. His disciples came up to show him the buildings of the temple. And that’s a marvelous place.

Forty-six years, in fact, the Herod the Great had trained men and spent two years training them to work and set them in to enlarge this temple. Now it had been rebuilt, of course, after the Babylonians had destroyed it back in 587, 86. And it had been rebuilt under the leadership of Zerubbabel, and especially Haggai and Zachariah, but it wasn’t anything compared to Solomon’s original temple. So Herod will make sure it’s not only compared to Solomon’s temple, it’s going to be more so. Some 35 acres he built up and enlarged, filled in the gaps in between. And yet what Jesus, and it’s sort of like, you know, today we say, oh, here’s a good place for tourists. You want to go see things in the world, famous buildings.

It’s kind of like as Jesus leaves the temple, his disciples are saying, Look, let’s just look at the temple. How mount is it? Now they still, from a human viewpoint. But here the astounding words of Jesus in verse 2. Do you not see all these things? Surely I say to you, not one stone should be left fearful than another. That shall not be thrown down. Wow. How could that be? Not one stone left upon another. And yet in verse 3, the disciples, they respond, they reply, now as he settled on the Mount of Others, the disciples came to him privately saying, Tell us, when will these things be? What will be the sign of your coming to the end of the age? If this is really going to happen, perhaps they’re still thinking as a fleshly point of view.

They believe Jesus to be the Son of God, but they’re still thinking about a king who’s going to reign literally in Jerusalem and overthrow the Roman power. And what’s going to happen? You say the temple is going to be overthrown? Not one stone left upon another. When’s that going to happen? What’s going to be the sign of it? And following that question, and Jesus replying, he gives them some answers to this.

2. Signs Leading Up to the Fall of Jerusalem

It’s God’s hand in the matter. And God is really in charge. And so what then follows in verses uh verses 4 through 14, a series of things. In verse 4 and 5, he begins to say, many is going to come in his name. Now look at here’s some things leading up to the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of this temple. So many will come in his name. Don’t believe them. There’ll be false Christ. Verses 6 and 7, there’ll be wars and rumors of wars, famines, there’ll be pestilences, there’ll be earthquakes. These are the verses that are often read today that say, oh, don’t you say these things are happening around the world before the coming of Christ as any time soon? And those are the ones playing biblical hostage.

But these verses are not talking about the year 2000 and whatever we’re living in, whether it was five years ago or five years from now, God is saying. It’s talking about the time of this generation that Jesus was in. So he says, there will be wars and rumors of wars. Verse 9, there’ll be those who will deliver you to be affected and killed and hated of all nations. Indeed, the disciples of the Lord were hated, were persecuted. We know by reading the study in Acts, after the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, we learn about persecution, not only in Jerusalem, but the disciples were scattered abroad, went everywhere preaching the word. There was persecution. And therefore Jesus said, You’ll see this to occur. In verse 10, many offended shall betray one another, hate one another.

You mean even among the disciples, there were some who lost, you know, their faith when they saw persecution and they yielded when there were maybe someone had died as a result of serving the Lord. In fact, among them, there were those whose faith grew cold. In fact, in verse 11, he said, there will be false prophets who will arise. Verses 12 and 13, because iniquity abounds, the love of many will wax cold. In verse 14, the gospel will be preached in all the world. And indeed, Colossians chapter 1, about some 30 years later, in verse 6 and verse 23, it is said that the gospel had gone into all the world and had been preached to every creature. All these signs are going to happen. Now, leading up to that, look at verse 15.

3. When You See the Abomination of Desolation, Flee

Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, whoever reads late must understand. Then let those who are in Judea do what? Flee to the mountains. Now, what does Jesus say? First of all, there’s going to be a tremendous event. Not one stone will be left on top of another. Can that literally happen? It is. Secondly, to the Christians, even, he says, here’s things you can count on. Here are things that will be the result of your serving the Christ. Here are things that are going to happen leading up to the fall of Jerusalem. And in fact, here’s a way for you to preserve your own lives. Interestingly, it is said by the historian that not one Christian it was thought of perished in the destruction of Jerusalem.

While there were over a million who were killed and who suffered during that time where there was famine within the city and they were closed, how did they know to get out? Jesus said in verse 15, when you see the abomination of desolation, flee. It is right here where I say to our modern premillennialists who misuse the text.

Go back and ask them. Why would it be as he says in verse 16, flee to the mountains? If it’s talking about the second coming of Christ, how would that help you? Or in verse 17, let them who are on the housetop don’t go down and take anything out of the house. Let him use in the field, not go back and get his clothes. Woe to those who are great who are pregnant, verse 19 to those who are nursing babies. Pray that your flight was not, will not be in winter or in the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time. No nor ever shall be.

Then I just ask quickly, and that’s the most simple way. Why would it help to pray that it’s not in winter? If it’s really talking about the second coming of Christ and the final judgment, you think that’ll matter? You know it won’t. It’s not the physical circumstances. But listen, if you’re in Jerusalem, within the period of this generation as Jesus is speaking, and he says, When you see this, now here are things that will happen leading up to it, but when you see the abomination of desolation, get out of the city. Pray it’s not on the Sabbath, because the doors are closed to the city on the Sabbath. Pray that it’s not in winter, you can understand the hardship. Pray that you’re not with child, again, what difficulty that would bring.

Pray that you can get out. What’s the abomination of desolation then? When you see that. Well, the word abomination itself carries the idea of something that’s desecrating, desolation. Something that is wicked, it’s often applied to idolatry, the abomination of desolation. But I think when we look to the parallel text, you know, in Mark and in Luke, describe also this same scene that we’re reading from Matthew’s account. And in Luke chapter 21, if you’ll turn with me there, Luke gives an account of what this abomination of desolation is. When you see this, then you know it’s time to get out of the city. In Luke 21 and verse 20. When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Let those who are in the midst of her depart. Let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be equally. What’s happening? This destruction of Jerusalem had been planned and forecast by God. He’s in charge. And therefore, to the Christians, hear the signs leading up to that, and when you see the armies come, you get out. So that is what really happened. It was at that point in time that the elect were able to get out of Jerusalem when they saw the armies encircled the city. And they would flee from that point. In verse 21, when he says, Then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world into this time.

No nor ever shall be. And unless those days were short, no flesh would be saved. The word saved there is not eternal salvation as we often use the term, but rather physical life. You would escape physical death. Except for the elect’s sake, those days will be shortened. Even the Christians who left Jerusalem, though they might have fled to other parts throughout Judea and Samaria and other places, because they were Jews, they would be persecuted, maybe even put to death. I mean, the Romans had had enough. And we’re going to put an end to this. And it’s kind of in that vein that he’s saying, if it were not in God’s hand, indeed, what death would come to all. But God had a purpose. Why the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 7.

We teach in Bible classes when we’re trying to teach people how to understand the Bible, that we don’t just confuse it all as though everything just runs together, and you take the scripture wherever in the Bible and apply it as though it fits a all the Bible is God’s word. It’s God’s commandment. I often say it this way. It was a commandment of God to know build an ark of gopher work. But we don’t know. We know that’s not a commandment for us today. So we have to put it in this period. And likewise, the law of Moses fit a period of time where God gave this to the family of Abraham’s descendants, who would be chosen as the family out of which Christ would come.

It had a purpose. It was to leave it unto the Savior. Galatians chapter 3 would say. So as the law of Moses was given, it served its purpose, gave them understanding of God and his ways, talked about the Messiah to come, and yet it came to an end. It was nailed to the cross, Colossians 2 says. Now we understand that the gospel, the law of Christ becomes a force at his death. But now, although that is literally and actually true, we understand also that there’s a period where not everybody woke up on the day after Pentecost and said, oh, yeah, we don’t follow the law of Moses anymore. Yep, so there’s a transition period. There’s a period in which many Jews yet were to obey the gospel.

You know when you said in the book of Acts? It’s chapter 10 before we have the first Gentile that’s converted. For the first seven or nine years, it’s only really Jews and proselytes who have converted and are saved, who are added to the Lord’s church. In fact, even after Cornelius and other Gentiles, when Paul and Barnabas come back from their first preaching journey in Acts 13 and 14, you know the great conflict, the first real conflict in the church? Can Gentiles be saved without being circumcised, without keeping the law of Moses? You remember that’s a big question. Is it important? There’s a transition period. There’s a learning period, even among the disciples. How that we’re really no longer under the law of Moses. Though it’s God’s will, it has served its purpose, but there’s a transition, you might say.

You have your Bible. I think probably the best way to explain that is in Daniel chapter 9, where Daniel saw a vision of 70 weeks in which Daniel spoke, or the vision taught Daniel, concerning a period of time when there would be the return from their captivity. Daniel was taken in Babylonian captivity. But in verse 26, where he says, after the 62 weeks, Messiah will be cut off, but not for himself. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and sanctuary. The Messiah being cut off, Daniel, I believe, is speaking about the death of Jesus himself. There’s time. It before pass that Christ would be crucified. The end of it shall be with a flood until the end of a war.

Desolations are determined. Verse 27 is the key verse I want you to see. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. There’s a confirmation of the new covenant. Yes, it became effective at the cross, but now there’s a period of time where there is a, you might say a learning period, a confirmation period, where he says, in the middle of the week, he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. That certainly identifies the destruction of Jerusalem. That identifies when after Jerusalem, the temple was destroyed, they quit serving animal sacrifices no longer. And then he says, on the wing of abomination shall be one who makes desolate. The Roman army was the one who made desolate. Even until the consummation which is determined is poured out on the desolate.

The New America Santa verse says the one who makes desolate. In other words, in just a few words, it seems to describe from the death of Christ, there’s going to be a period of confirmation in the middle of which the sacrifices will cease. That happened with the destruction of Jerusalem. And after that, the one who made desolate shall be made desolate. When you come to the book of Revelation, it’s all about how that power, Roman power itself would come down. So the one who makes desolate shall become desolate. In a short way, it seems to describe. But the point I really want to make is there’s a period. So between the time of, say, AD 33 or so, when Christ was crucified, if you use that day, to AD 70.

When is that? Not quite 40 years. A generation usually is about a 40 year period. So it’s going to happen within the time of this generation. That this period of time where sacrifices shall cease, the covenant has been confirmed or made sure about that one day. So, following that, if you go back to Matthew 24, where he says in verse 23. If anyone says to you, look here, here’s the Christ or there, do not believe it. False Christ and false prophets will arise, show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. There were indeed lying wonders and signs Paul wrote about in 2 Thessalonians 2 that would occur. But he says in verse 25, see, I told you beforehand. Therefore, if they say to you, look, he’s in the desert, do not go out.

Look, he’s in the inner rooms, do not believe it. In other words, these signs are leading you up. Don’t be led astray. I’m telling you in advance what’s about to happen. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. He’s not going to be in a corner, not going to be hidden. Like you see lightning from one end to the other, so it shall be open to all. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. I think he’s describing here as the Roman army comes around and encircles Jerusalem. It’s kind of like the eagles, or we would say the buzzers are around. And I’m about ready to soon.

4. The Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven

Here’s what’s about to take place. But in verse 29, immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened. The moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. And then all the triumphs of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Several things in this three verses about. Where he talks about the tribulation. When did he say the tribulation be? 72, two thousand years later, or of those days? First of all, he pinpointed it. Talk about the tribulation of those days. And at that point in time, he uses apocalyptic language.

When I say apocalyptic, it’s kind of like we studied the book of Revelation, we say it describes truth is told and signs and symbols. A very popular way among the prophets was to talk about the heavenly body, sun and moon and stars falling or being darkened. It’s things that you’d think that never happened, will happen. If God’s in charge. Again, if you have your Bible, look to Isaiah chapter 13 right quickly. When in Isaiah chapter 13, he’s talking about the fall of Babylon. Verse 1 describes what he’s talking about. In Isaiah 13 and verse 10, talking about the fall of Babylon, which when Isaiah wrote this, Babylon wasn’t even a power, but he said, here’s what’s going to happen. And it came to pass by looking at history.

In Isaiah 13 and verse 10, he said, the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened and it’s going forth. The moon will not cause its light to come. Dropping down to verse 13. Isaiah 13, 13. Therefore I will shake the heavens. The earth will move out of place, and the wrath of the Lord hosts in the day of his fierce anger. Well, I say the prophet is saying, yes, Babylon, controlled by wicked and idolatrous leaders, was given power for a period of time, but then it came to an end. And then it was said, even at a time that men would think, that can’t happened in Babylon. It’s so well fortified. What a city Babylon came. It would never fall.

I guess it’s kind of like we think today. Boy, Washington will never fall. We are so safe and secure in this country, it just can’t happen. Well, if it did happen, it would be to us like the sun being dark and the moon darkening the stars falling. It’s an event we think could not happen. And that’s the way the prophet spoke about it. In Joel chapter 2 28. Use that term even then. It’s used several times among the prophets, an apocalyptic way of saying, he’ll repent so that. Who would have thought? The whole Jewish economy would cease. That the beginning of the sacrifices would no longer occur. That the priesthood would fail because really they can’t, they don’t have the genealogical tables. Who would have thought that could happen?

But we know it did happen. History verifies that. That’s like the sun being darkened and the moon being darkened and the stars falling. So go back to Matthew 24 if you are. Where will the sign of the Son of Man be? In verse 30. It will appear where? Anybody read it? In heaven. In heaven. He didn’t say he’s coming to the earth. But rather at that point in time, you’ll see the sun, the sign of the Son of Man. Jesus is answering his questions that the disciples raised back in verse 2. And in fact, he said they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The idea of the word coming here is you’ll find and you will observe his presence.

That at this point in time, because of the fact that this is all occurring under the authority of heaven itself, it is something that his presence will be manifested. The overthrow of Jerusalem is not just because the Romans were strong. They have defeated other enemies before. During Hezekiah’s day, the Assyrians came and, oh man, did that king ever think they were really going to destroy Jerusalem? In the scripture in Isaiah 37, 38, 2 Kings also, there were 185,000 Assyrian soldiers killed in one night. God’s in charge. But Jerusalem will fall this time because God’s in charge. And you’ll see the Son and the Son of Man coming. Christ is in charge. In fact, later in our study, when we get to Matthew 26, in fact, you might turn there even now.

Matthew 26 and verse 64, as he stood before the high priest in the Sanhedrin court. It was at that point in time that, of course, they were challenging Jesus. I’m going to go over Matthew 26, verse 62. The high priest arose and said to him, Do you understand nothing? What is it these men testify against you? But Jesus kept silent. High priest answered and said to him, I put you under oath by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said to him, It is as you said. Nevertheless I say to you, hereafter, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds. Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, He’s spoken blasphemy.

What further need do we have of witnesses? Look now, you have heard his blasphemy. What do you think? And they answered and said, He’s deserving of death. What did Jesus mean when he told the high priest, you’ll see the Son of Man coming on the clouds? I believe he’s referring to the very thing we’re studying in Matthew 24. You’ll see the sign of the Son of Man. You’ll see the manifestation of his power. How could the high priest have seen it? Well, when Jerusalem was destroyed, he could see it. It wasn’t because of the Roman army, it was because of Christ being in charge. Christ and His power being manifested. And that’s exactly what’s happening. And in fact, I’m going to go back to Matthew 24, verse 31, he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet.

They would gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. His elect now, not the Jews physically so much as spiritually. The angel here, his messengers. What’s going to happen after that? The gospel will be spread and from all parts of the world, not just physical coming, but really spiritual. Again, because of time, I’m not going to read it, but Isaiah, if you’re marking it, then Isaiah 27, verses 12 and 13. Isaiah even had forecast that this would be a time in that day of the Messiah, when there would be a gathering from Assyria in Egypt and other places. For the gospel would go forth and be preached and be accepted by all.

5. This Generation Will by No Means Pass Away

Now learn this parable from the fig tree. When this branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near at the door. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. There’s a key. You can mark it in your book. What Jesus was talking about, all these signs would be at the time when if you see these, pray it’s not in the winter. Pray your night with child. Flee. It’s a terrible time. It has to be as though the sun is darkened and the moon is blackened. And who would have thought it could happen except those who understand God’s in charge?

After this, it’d be like a trumpet sound. The disciples will go forward preaching the word, and there will be reception. The gospel indeed will be heard and obeyed by men of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. It’s all going to happen within this generation. And so then, from that point forward, he said, here’s the parable. When you see the leaves of a fig tree coming, what do you know? Summer. Summer soon to hear. It’s time that you know there’s going to be fruit. And so I’m telling you these things, just like as you can tell the seasons by the fig tree, you can tell what’s about to happen with Jerusalem, the temple. Here are the signs. And it’ll happen within this generation. And then from that point forward, he begins to talk about the need for being prepared for it.

6. Be Ready, for You Do Not Know the Hour

And you might say, here it could become lessons that are valuable even for us today. We were not present at the destruction of Jerusalem. That happened 2,000 years ago virtually. But this next few lessons affect us as well. Any time of God’s judgment, when’s it going to come? Could the Lord come today? Anybody here think it could? I think everyone in this audience will say, Well, we’re not told when he’s coming, heaven. But it could come today. So would you be ready? That’s the question, these next few verses. He says in verse 35, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. Of that day, an hour, no one knows, but not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

And that has often been applied to the second coming of Christ, and it will fit. But I think Jesus is more than that talking about the time of answering his question to these disciples. When is the ball of Jerusalem going to occur? And he’s saying, Well, it’s going to happen, but I can’t give you the day and the hour. I’ll give you the general signs and general time. And not even do I know. Some say, well, that’s the question. Why couldn’t Jesus know? The question is answered by the fact that, well, maybe as we understand both his human and deity nature, that he could have known had he chosen to know. But as the human speaking, he didn’t choose to know exactly the day or the hour.

But he didn’t show the signs. In fact, he said, what’s going to happen at that time? Verse 37. You know, at Jesus, I would say this. What if, what if I could read in the Bible somewhere, and some men have tried to do this, and tell you, you know, the Lord’s going to come. He’ll be here this next Wednesday. What’s the day? The fifth? Fourth, fifth, fifth, sixth, seven, eight. He’s going to come on April the 8th. If you knew the Lord was definitely coming April the 8th, what would you do? Anything different? Not you only. If that’s announced to the world, you think this building would be packed to overflow it and every church building in town? People off the golf courses and on the lakes and whatever?

Boy. But we don’t think he’s coming today or this week. And so, so what? Yeah, I’ll get ready. But the point is, had he said, Here’s the day and the hour, how do you think people would have reacted differently, even to the destruction of Jerusalem? How do you think if he gave the day of the hour to his second coming out? How would you react? You know what I’m saying. And so I think what Jesus is then saying, verse 37, as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be, for as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the floods came and took them all away.

So also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Just live for the day, eat and drink and be merry. I tell you, the majority of the world is doing that. And even in America where the gospel certainly is easily heard and read, known, there are people who aren’t bothering themselves about the word of God and obeying it because they got time. But Jesus is saying it’ll come at a time when men aren’t expecting, just like the flood did. And then he goes on. Verse 40, two men will be in the field, one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken, the other left. An illustration of saying, not all will be saved. There will be some who are prepared and be taken, there’s some who are not prepared.

And it’s just as a simple way of saying, Yeah, let me be some unready, unprepared. And then be left or they’ll be lost. And then in verse 42, watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken. Therefore, you also be ready for the Son of Man that’s coming in an hour you do not expect. That’s not hard to understand, that text, didn’t you? Pretty simple. If you know a thief was coming, what would you do? You’d be so well prepared he’d never even get in the house with you. And if he did, you’d have the police ready for him, or you’d be ready.

But how the thieves sometimes succeed. Because you don’t know what he’s going to do. You don’t know he’s going to break in. Following this are four parables that all talk about a time of the coming of the Lord. A time of being prepared. Now, Matthew 25 would ordinarily be our text for Wednesday night, but if you’re studying the workbook, you notice that we skip over most of the parables in Matthew 25 because those who had Matthew the first quarter went through those parables. But the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the talent, the parable of the sheep and the goats being separated, are all parables teaching much the same principle as this one that we close chapter 24 with. There is the Lord or the master who’s away, and while he’s away, what do people do?

Have an opportunity. Some do, some don’t. And when he comes back, there’ll be a reckoning. Well, what have you done? And are you ready? And always, with each of these four parables, there’ll be some who are lost and some who are saved. You don’t think about it. Put yourself in the picture. I’m reading beginning in verse 40 46. Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes with time, so do he.

Delaying his coming and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him. And at an hour that he is not aware of. And will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. And there shall be weep in gnashing. Can you imagine? If the Lord were to come this Wednesday and you’re not prepared, don’t you think there’d be weeping and gnashing of teeth? Oh Lord. If I’d just known I would have done differently. I’ll tell you there are a lot of people that can say that and would say that. And then in chapter 25, the kingdom of heaven should be like unto the ten virgins.

Conclusion

You know this parable? Half of them are ready, half of them are not. I’m not going to read chapter 25, but simply I urge you to read through all of chapter 25 before that Wednesday night class. I’ll quickly review them. And we’ll start really with chapter with our next lesson in the workbook, which is chapter 26. Well, I did all the talking this morning, the only way I knew how to get through chapter 24, but I won’t give you a chance now. Would you like to ask a question or make a comment? Have I said too much? Made sense. I hope it’s made sense. A powerful chapter, an important chapter that you understand. And that you be able to use it properly when your friends, innocently maybe, many of them apply it as though, number one, is talking about a rapture, which the Bible doesn’t even talk about.

It’s a made up theory. Or they’re talking about even the second coming, as though it’s any time now. And these signs that Jesus gave, we’re not talking about our generation, but about the time leading up to the fall of Jerusalem. And the temple itself being destroyed where not one stone was left on that. Okay? Thank you for your attention. I hope it’s been a blessing.