Matthew 24:1-3

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Introduction

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. 2 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

3 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?”

This week we start into some new territory as a church, the matter of eschatology (or the study of last things). Now, most of us think of eschatology as simply studying the end times, subjects like the rapture, final judgement, and Christ’s second coming, but eschatology is bigger than just those things. In one sense, the Bible could be described as an eschatological book, from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation. In as early as Genesis chapter 3, after the Fall, the Messiah is predicted, and as the OT progresses the imagery of the Messiah builds; from Moses to King David to the prophets the Messiah is pictured and prophesied. To the OT Jews the Messiah was the eschatological figure, and the most important end time character.
And by the time we get to the NT the Messiah has come, which is what Matthew has been laboring to demonstrate for us in his Gospel. That Jesus is the King, that he’s the Christ that the Scriptures foretold. However, we quickly learn that there’s more to the Messiah than they expect, both because the Scriptures spoke in types and shadows, and because of the Jew’s inclination to look for a Savior that merely suited their earthly expectations, someone who was simply a political deliverer, or conqueror.
Jesus has come to inaugurate the kingdom of Heaven, but this kingdom is different than any earthly kingdom, and it’s goal is not merely political domination, in fact, this kingdom won’t be consummated until the second coming of Christ (a second coming that the Jews did not foresee). And the nature of this kingdom is very different than what the Jews expected, with its chief concern reconciliation with its king. So just as some of the Jews think they’ve reached the eschatological end of the story, we see that there’s more.
So, when we talk about eschatology from this point forward we’re talking about events that take place hereafter, or events that hadn’t yet taken place for the disciples. Matthew chapter 24 is one of the most well known and important NT eschatological texts, probably second only to the Book of Revelation. It’s Jesus’ descriptions of what will take place after he’s gone.

Eschatology is not unimportant

Now, as most of you’re probably aware, eschatology can be a very controversial subject, and it’s often hotly debated within the church at large. And unfortunately, I’m aware of churches that have even split over differences on the subject. And I mention this going into Matthew 24 so as to guard us from such divisions. We should not divide over the subject of eschatology, as long as we agree that Christ is returning and that we must be prepared for his return. Much of eschatology is of tertiary importance, in other words, what you believe about the end times does not directly affect your salvation. You’re not saved by your view of how the events of Christ’s return play out.
However, that being said, this does’t mean that eschatology is unimportant, or that I don’t hold to a particular position of my own. Like all ideas, our view of eschatology has consequences. For instance, if you think the signs given in Matthew 24 are tied to Christ’s second coming then you’ll probably spend energy looking for these signs in the newspaper. If you think you’ll be secretly raptured at any moment before the great tribulation then you might be less inclined to prepare yourself for trials and tribulations. All eschatological positions have consequences, your orthopraxy is always a reflection of your orthodoxy. In other words, your actions are always a reflection of your beliefs. What you believe will ultimately dictate your actions. This is why sound doctrine is essential to the health of the church, and it’s why we should strive to rightly understand the Scriptures, even eschatology.

More questions than answers

I also understand that as we move through chapter 24 that I may create more questions than answers. The subject of eschatology is enormous. There are a lot of texts involved in making sense of how future events will play out. The biggest challenge is being acquainted with the sheer volume of texts that speak to the subject. There are texts in Daniel, in Psalms, in the Gospels, in Paul’s letters and the Book of Revelation that all have to be harmonized. Not to mention, much of the literature is apocalyptic and prophetic in nature, in other words, much of the text is written in a literary genre that we don’t have an equivalent to today, so we have a tenancy to interpret apocalyptic literature incorrectly, which means we can come to some wacky conclusions that the authors never intended. And we’ll have to jump some of those hurdles as we make our way through Matthew chapter 24. So keep in mind, that you may (knowingly or unknowingly) hold to a view contrary to what I’m going to argue for here today that’ll send shockwaves through your understanding of other texts in other books, thereby generating a whole new set of questions. And that’s totally okay, I still have questions myself, and I’m happy to do my best to answer any of your questions (that can) after service.

Two fundamental views

Now, today, my goal is 1) to provide you an overview of the two fundamental approaches for interpreting Matthew chapter 24, 2) outline the approach I’ll take, and 3) explain why I chose my interpretive approach.
Let’s begin by reading the first three verses of chapter 24 again together,

24 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 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

3 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?”

The rest of chapter 24 is a response to the disciple’s question in verse 3, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
And most Christians today assume that Jesus’ response describes future events that haven’t yet come to pass. That verse four through the end of the chapter is a description of events that we should be looking forward to. This is the first (and most popular) approach to understanding Matthew chapter 24, to assume that Jesus is describing the end of human history and his second coming. For instance, this is why many Christians are anticipating a Great Tribulation at the end of the age.
The second interpretive approach to Matthew 24 is to assume that Jesus is talking primarily about the destruction of the Jewish Temple in his own day. That most of the events described in Matthew 24 are concerning the destruction of Jerusalem that took place between AD 66-70, less than 40 years after Jesus’ crucifixion. This means advocates of this position view the Great Tribulation as a description of the events that took place during Jerusalem’s destruction in AD 66-70.
And as you can imagine, the eschatological puzzle pieces shift dramatically depending upon the approach you take. Growing up in the church I was taught (in bits and pieces, over many years) the first interpretive approach. In fact, I didn’t know any other view existed. It’s the same view that you’ll read about in Tim LaHaye’s, Left Behind book series, or Hal Lindsey’s bestseller, The Late, Great Planet Earth, its the view that many well-known bible teachers hold to, like John MacArthur and Dr. David Jeremiah. Many of who are great men of God whom I look up to and benefit from today.

Matthew 24 the destruction of Jerusalem

However, over time and exposure I became convinced of the second position. That Matthew 24 is dedicated largely to describing the events of AD 70 and the destruction of Jerusalem. And there are several fundamental reasons why. The first reason is simply the context. Every hermeneutical bone in my body tells me that the second approach is the only faithful approach to the text, particularly the context of Matthew chapter 24. What comes before it and what comes after it bears witness that Jesus is talking primarily about the coming judgement against Jerusalem within the lifetime of his own disciples.

Context is king

So let’s think about the context, what’s the setting, what’s led up to chapter 24? Well, it’s Passover Week and in chapter 21 Jesus arrives in Jerusalem on a donkey, as their king. He enters the Temple Mount casting out those who bought and sold sacrifices, condemning them for making the Temple a marketplace, a den of robbers, and a place for profit. Then in chapters 21-22 Jesus clashes with Jerusalem’s religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians, and the chief priests. He condemns them for their rejection of the Messiah, and their rejection of the prophet, John the Baptist. Telling them that “the kingdom of God will be taken away from [them] and given to a people producing its fruits” (Matt. 21:43). And finally in chapter 23 he gives them them the most scathing condemnation recorded in all the Gospels, his seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees, condemning their hypocrisy. He calls them blind guides, white washed tombs, a brood of vipers, self indulgent, and murders; that they are sons of those who murdered the prophets. So Jesus tells them that all the righteous blood, from Abel to Zechariah, will come upon their generation (Matt. 23:36).
Then in chapter 23, verse 38 he says,

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

At the end of chapter 23 Jesus leaves the Temple Mount, never to return again. It’s symbolic of God’s judgement against Jerusalem, that his presence has left the Temple. Like Ezekial’s vision in Ezekiel 10:18 when

the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. 19 And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out, with the wheels beside them. And they stood at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the LORD, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.

So in similar fashion, Jesus (presumably) exits through the east gate of the city, across the Kidron Valley and to the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem. This is what he means when he says, “See, your house is left to you desolate.” Your house is left to your uninhabited, empty.
Then there in verse 1 of chapter 24 we’re told that,

Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 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.”

So the context leading up to chapter 24 is that of judgement against Jerusalem and the Temple, and when Jesus leaves the Temple across the Kidron Valley toward the Mount of Olives his disciples begin to admire the Temple. In fact, Mark 13 John Mark records it like this,

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

The disciples point out the wonderful stones and the wonderful buildings of the Temple to Jesus, and Jesus tells them “these” buildings will be destroyed. He’s not talking about a future Temple that would be rebuilt thousands of year later, he’s talking about the Temple in their day, the Temple they’re admiring.
Which is why in verse 3 we read that,

3 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?”

In other words, their question is prompted by Jesus’ comment that the Temple will be destroyed, asking “When will these things be?” And you have to realize that for many the Temple Mount was a 7th wonder of the world, Herod the Great had spent something like 46 years renovating it, and expanding it, until it had become and architectural marvel. He even put plates of gold on the east wall of the Temple so that the buildings would sparkle as the sun rose over the eastern horizon.
And to the Jews the Temple was indestructible. In fact, in their minds it was unthinkable that it could be destroyed. It would be like telling you that you would live to see the United States utterly destroyed, and leveled to the ground. So it’s not surprising that they would ask him when these thing would take place.
In fact, in their minds, the destruction of the Temple could only mean one thing, the end of the age, which is why I believe they conflate the two events in their question, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” They seem to assume that thew two things must be part of the same event at the end of the age. Later, we’ll actually see Jesus make a clear distinction between these two events down in verse 36, between the destruction of the Temple and his coming at the end of the age.
All of this context drives me to conclude that what Jesus says after verse 3 is directly related to answering their question of when the destruction of Temple will take place, even if they wrongly assumed that Jesus’ second coming would happen simultaneously.

This Generation

The other reason I’m convinced that chapter 24 speaks primarily about the events of AD 70 is because of what Jesus says in verse 34. In verse 34 Jesus gives us a time indicator, and indication of when these things will take place. And this is important, because if you’re going to argue that all of chapter 24 is still to take place then this verse stands in your way,

34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Jesus tells his disciples that the events they’re asking him about (the destruction of the Temple) will take place in their lifetime, or that their own generation will not pass away until all these things have come to pass. Now, many on the opposing side have tried to argue that the word translated ‘generation’ here could be translated ‘race’ and thereby mean that the Jewish race will persist until these things take place. However, making that argument is an uphill climb if you account for the context (which we already have), as well as examine how this word is translated and used elsewhere in the NT.
For instance, the Greek word translated ‘generation’ here is used 27 time in the Gospels and is always translated ‘generation’, not ‘race’. And every time the words “this generation” occur in the Gospels they always mean Jesus’ contemporaries (Sam Storms, Matthew 24 & The Olivet Discourse Pt. 1, samstorms.org). I’ll give you a couple of examples, in Luke 11:29, when Jesus is speaking to the crowds he says,

“This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

and another that we read earlier there in Matthew 23:35-36, when Jesus is condemning the scribes and Pharisees, he says,

on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

So if you’re going to argue against using the word generation in Matthew 24 you’re going to have to do some hermeneutical gymnastics, which should always be a read flag when you’re trying to interpret Scripture, that you might be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
It’s also worth mentioning that those who argue that the word translated ‘generation’ means something other than Jesus’ contemporaries, leave Jesus exposed to the accusation that he was a false prophet. There have been many that claim Jesus was a false prophet because the things he predicted in Matthew 24 didn’t come to pass in the lifetime of his disciples, at least not by the reckoning of popular Christian teaching that says Matthew 24 hasn’t yet come to pass. The critic views the attempt to make ‘generation’ mean something else literary gymnastics employed to save Jesus from his false prophesy, thereby making our apologetic problematic.

Signs?

And the last reason I’m convinced that chapter 24 speaks primarily about the events of AD 70 is Jesus’ distinction between the destruction of the Temple and his second coming. He makes this distinction in chapter 24, verse 36,

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

In other words, Jesus seems to spend the majority of his time in verses 4-35 describing the events of AD 70, answering the first half of the disciple’s question in verse 3, “Tell us, when will these things be?” “When will the stones of the Temple be thrown down?” Then in verse 36 through the end of the chapter he says, “but concerning the day and hour [of my coming], no one knows”.
Now, it’s important to recognize a very important difference between these two events, the events of AD 70 versus the end of the age (or Jesus second coming). In verses 4-35 Jesus gives his disciples all kinds of signs and indications of when Jerusalem will be destroyed and the Temple thrown down, then in verse 36 through the end of the chapter Jesus doesn’t give them any signs associated with his second coming and the end of the age. This is a major distinction between these two events. And it’s this distinction that indicates to me that Jesus is describing two separate events in history, one that will be accompanied by signs and another that will not be.
In fact, this makes a lot of sense in light of other texts throughout the NT that describe the last day, or the end of the age, like a thief coming in the night. In other words, it’ll come unexpectedly, without warning. As a matter of fact, Jesus gives a parable right at the beginning of chapter 25 about ten virgins which highlights this very reality. If you would read with me there in chapter 25, starting in verse 1,

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Again, Jesus emphasizes that we aren’t intended to know the day or the hour, and the reason is to put us to the test, to see who will be ready, to see who will be prepared when he comes. We know that he’s coming but we don’t know when, he’ll come like a thief in the night (unexpectedly), and those who are slack will be caught without any oil in their lamps.
However, Jesus does give very explicit signs concerning the events that would take place in AD 66-70. And in this case they’re given signs in order to aid the disciples in escaping the calamity that would come upon Jerusalem in their generation. They’re given signs so they might flee to the mountains in time, to remember not to turn back, to not take their time leaving, not even to turn back to get their jacket.

Keep awake and be sober

But this isn’t the case at the end of the age, at Jesus’ second coming. Instead we’re intended to be ready at any moment for his return. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9, and we’ll close with this text,

The Day of the Lord

5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Conclusion

The analogy that comes to mind is sending one of my children to go clean their room, and after about 30 minutes I decide to check on them, to make sure their doing what I told them to. They don’t know I’m coming, I didn’t tell them when I would drop in, but when I throw open the door to their room what will I find? Will I find them busily obeying commands, or will I find them playing with their toys, neglecting what I’ve asked them to do? Either way they don’t know when I’ll show up, but if they’re busily about their father’s business, my presence won’t surprise them like a thief, they’ll be glad to see me, because they have nothing to be ashamed about.

Prayer

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