Continuing a Bible study of the gospels:
(Matthew 24:1) And Jesus went out and departed from the temple; and His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple.
At the end of the last chapter and post, Jesus had been lamenting over Jerusalem because He had come to save her, but she had rejected Him, and now she must suffer the consequences. As He departed from the temple where He had been speaking, His disciples came to show Him all the buildings of the temple, which meant the temple walls themselves and the courts and porches, etc. The historian Josephus described the walls of the temple and made them sound as if they were quite a site to see. Some of the stones were 70 feet long and eight feet high! The enormous stones were said to be white, either of marble, or beautifully painted with variegated colors.
(2) And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Verily, I say to you, there shall not be one stone left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
Jesus asked His disciples if they could not consider what was going to happen to the temple. At the time He spoke these things, no event could seem more improbable than the falling of the temple. It was vast, rich, splendid, and oh so strong! However, Jesus told them there was to come a time within their generation, He had said in the last chapter, that their temple would fall and there would not be even one stone left on top of another that had not been thrown down.
(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 world?"
Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across from the temple where He could sit and have a full view of it. His disciples came to Him privately, whether that means all the disciples came privately apart from the multitude, or only a few disciples broke away from the other disciples to talk to Him, scripture doesn't really say. The account in Mark says that there were at least four disciples who came to Him, Peter, Andrew, James, and John. They seem a bit confused as they asked when the destruction of the temple would be, and what the sign of Jesus's coming and the end of the world would be, as if they would all occur at the same time.
(4) And Jesus answered and said to them, "Take heed that no man deceives you. (5) For many shall come in My name, saying, 'I am Christ,' and shall deceive many."
Although this has always seemed an end-time prophecy, with the likes of the anti-Christ deceiving many, this is probably an answer relative only to the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus warned the disciples not to be deceived, that there would be many who would come claiming to be the Christ. Indeed, there were historically recorded at least three so-called anti-Christs during the disciples' time. Josephus wrote that the land was overrun with them, but there are three of whom we can be certain--Dositheus the Samaritan, Simon Magus, and Theudas.
(6) "And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."
Once again, this sounds like a sign of the end times of the world, but taken in context of the question put to Him, I believe this regards the destruction and end of Jerusalem. Also to repeat, the disciples probably did think that the end of Jerusalem was the end of the world and would bring the second coming of Christ. Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, wrote about many wars and rumors of war at that time: "Under Cureanus the Roman governor, a sedition was raised on the day of the passover, in which twenty thousand perished; after that, in another tumult, ten thousand were destroyed by cut-throats: in Ascalon two thousand more, in Ptolemais two thousand, at Alexandria fifty thousand, at Damascus ten thousand, and elsewhere in great numbers. The Jews were also put into great consternation, upon hearing the design of the Roman emperor, to put up his image in their temple." Jesus told His disciples not to be troubled, so as to leave the land or stop preaching, for all the things Jesus described would have to come to pass, but it would not yet be the end. Jesus probably meant that the destruction of Jerusalem would not yet be at its end; however, He might have been telling them that the end of the world would not be at that time.
(7) "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places."
Once again, Dr. Gill wrote: "And so it was, the Jewish nation rose up against others, the Samaritans, Syrians, and Romans: there were great commotions in the Roman empire, between Otho and Vitellius, and Vitellius and Vespasian; and at length the Romans rose up against the Jews, under the latter, and entirely destroyed them." Regarding famines preceding the destruction of Jerusalem, Albert Barnes wrote in His Notes on the Bible, "There was a famine foretold by Agabus, which is mentioned by Tacitus, Suetonius, and Eusebius, and which was so severe in Jerusalem, Josephus says, that many people perished for want of food. Four times in the reign of Claudius (41-54 a.d.) famine prevailed in Rome, Palestine, and Greece." The early Bible commentators I study agree there were also pestilences, "Raging epidemic diseases; the plague, sweeping off multitudes of people at once," wrote Barnes. "It is commonly the attendant of famine, and often produced by it." A pestilence is recorded as raging in Babylonia, A.D. 40 by the Jewish historian Josephus. There is also one recorded in Italy, A.D. 66 by the Roman historian Tacitus. Both of these took place before the destruction of Jerusalem. Tacitus and others also wrote of earthquakes that took place in various places at that time.
(8) "All these are the beginnings of sorrows."
Jesus told His disciples these things He foretold were only the beginning of sorrows, suggesting far greater calamities were yet to come before the end.
(9) "Then they will deliver you up to be afflicted, and will kill you; and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake."
Jesus warned His very own disciples that they would be persecuted and killed, and hated by all nations for His name's sake. Indeed, the disciples were beaten and imprisoned and even killed. They would be hated by all nations just because they were followers of Christ! Jesus had warned them of this back in the tenth chapter of Matthew when He sent them out in their Christian ministry. However, He had also said in His beatitudes in chapter 5 that they rejoice and be exceedingly glad when they were persecuted for their reward in heaven would be great.
(10) "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."
There would be many people including apostates who would fall away when things got difficult, and they would betray one another to save themselves. They would hate one another; not that true Christians would hate their brethren, but apostates and those who never came to follow Christianity would hate each other and the true followers of Christ.
(11) "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."
There would be many men pretending to be prophets or foretellers of future events. The apostle Paul spoke of some of them in his letters, namely Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Timothy 2:17). Josephus wrote, "The tyrannical zealots who ruled the city suborned 'many false prophets' to declare that aid would be given to the people from heaven. This was done to prevent them from attempting to desert, and to inspire confidence in God."
(12) "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
Because such false teaching and persecuting iniquity would abound, good people, even Christians, would become shy and suspicious of one another, and alienations would be created. Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, stated it perfectly, "The devil is the accuser of the brethren, not only to their enemies, which makes persecuting iniquity abound, but one to another, which makes the love of many to wax cold."
(13) "But he who shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved."
Those who endured in the profession of faith in Christ through the tribulation and violent persecution by wicked men, and followed His pure and incorrupt doctrines to the end, would be saved. Biblical commentators have differing opinions on what this form of saving would take. Some have suggested they would be saved from the destruction of Jerusalem, while others say this means they will be ultimately saved in the end with their souls in eternal glory. I always assumed it meant the latter, as in most all cases when this is written in the Bible. However, Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, wrote, "It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestius Gallus invested the city; and, had he persevered in the siege, he would soon have rendered himself master of it; but, when he unexpectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, the Christians took that opportunity to escape." That is a fact I never knew! It reminds me of the six day war in 1967 when Israel was completely outnumbered and the odds totally against her, but she miraculously prevailed with very little loss as compared to her attackers. There is no denying that throughout history little Israel has remained God's special people and He continues to protect and fight for her.
(14) "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and then the end will come."
It is really remarkable to me that this has always been seen as an end-time prophecy for us living now. Perhaps it is, as God's word always seems to have multiple meanings; after all, the entire Bible is written for our learning. I can hear even now Bible commentators declaring that now with the internet the gospel has indeed been preached throughout the world. However, again taken in context, it appears that Jesus was just talking about the end of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Indeed, we can see from Paul's writings that the gospel had indeed been preached to all the world as it existed at their time (Romans 1:8, Colossians 1:6, Colossians 1:23).
(15) "When you therefore see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), (16) Then let those who are in Judaea flee to the mountains."
Once again, I am struck by the fact that many have interpreted this abomination of desolation to still be coming, even though there is a parenthetical exhortation to really understand what is written. The term "abomination of desolation" doesn't refer to just one thing; it means an "abominable desolation" of the holy city. Jesus referenced Daniel's prophecy mentioned in several Old Testament verses, but perhaps most understandable is Daniel 9:27, "...he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Daniel's prophecy appears to be foretelling a desolate temple that no longer serviced the Lord and an overspreading of many abominations that made the holy city desolate. Jesus tells His disciples that when they see this happening, those who are in Judaea should flee to the mountains. Indeed, according to what was written by Adam Clarke in his commentary on verse 13 above, the Christians indeed escaped.
(17) "Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything from his house; (18) Neither let him who is in the field go back to take his clothes."
Jewish houses had flat roofs that were favorable places for resting. Jesus warned that not only should the people flee, but they should do it without delay, not taking any time to go back for their things.
(19) "And woe to those who are with child and to those who are nursing in those days."
Jesus proclaimed woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers because they would not be able to make their escape as quickly as others.
(20) "But pray that your flight be not in the winter nor on the sabbath day."
The destruction was definitely coming. Jesus did not urge prayer against that. But He advised that they pray that their flight from Jerusalem not be in the winter when travel would be more difficult, or on the Sabbath when travel was prohibited and they might be seen by non-Christian Jews who would seek to punish them.
(21) "For then shall be great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."
Jesus warned that there would be great tribulation the likes of which had never been seen since the beginning of the world. Imagine, the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah and even more, their terrible bondage in Egypt, nothing compared to what was about to happen. Jesus said there would never be tribulation as terrible as this again. That is hard to imagine when one considers the Holocaust during Hitler's reign. The historian Josephus indeed wrote that never had a city suffered so much during the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus had wept over the city knowing what was soon to happen to it.
(22) "And except those days be shortened, there would be no flesh saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."
Jesus said that the days of the end siege would be shortened or else not one man could survive. For His elect's sake, the Christians, the days would be shortened to leave a remnant, as God always does. He never allows His people to be completely destroyed. Josephus wrote that those who perished in the siege numbered 1,100,000, and that did not include those who were slain in other places.
(23) "Then if any man says to you, 'Lo, here is Christ!' or 'There,' do not believe it."
As the Jews expected the Messiah to deliver them from Roman oppression, they would be anxiously looking for Him during these calamities. Some would proclaim to be Christ and would lure followers, but Jesus said not to believe them.
(24) "For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders so much so, that if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect."
Jesus said there would indeed arise men claiming to be Christ and false prophets claiming to deliver the people from the Romans. They would show great signs and wonders that resembled miracles wrought by prophets. Josephus wrote that they were sorcerers and magicians who led people out into the deserts and promised to work miracles to save them. The great signs and wonders they would perform would be so great that they might have even deceived the elect, "if it were possible." That is how wondrous those signs would be, but Christ's elect had seen Him, heard Him, and known Him, and would not be fooled.
(25) "Behold, I have told you before. (26) Therefore if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the desert,' do not go there; 'Behold, He is in the secret chambers,' do not believe it."
Whether Jesus meant that He had warned them before about false Christs, or whether He meant that He was telling them these things before they happened so that they would be aware and on guard, the desired result is the same. They were not to believe any assertions that Christ was present during the destruction of Jerusalem.
(27) "For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."
To me it seems Jesus was saying that when He comes, just as lightning lights up the whole sky, so will His coming be; there will be no mistaking when He comes. I think He was saying it so that they not be deceived by any other reports of Him, and also in answer to the second part of their question in verse 3 as to the sign of His coming and of the end of the world. They thought it would all happen at the same time as the destruction of Jerusalem, but Jesus now answers how His coming would be. It would not be in the various places people would claim Him to be, but there would be no doubt when He came. However, many of the Biblical scholars I study suggest that what is meant is that He would be in the act of destroying Jerusalem, as the Roman army came in from the east and swept westward over the city. I prefer my interpretation, but in whatever is meant, it can be said that Jesus would not be found in the city ready to deliver His people from the destruction; Jerusalem was going to be destroyed.
(28) "For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together."
I believe Jesus was concluding His declaration that He would not be delivering Jerusalem from her fate. She was already dead and the Roman eagles were coming for her. It is written that the Roman armies indeed had eagles on their ensigns.
As this is a long chapter with much commentary, I will stop here in this post, and continue my study of the 24th chapter of Matthew in the next post. In this first half of the chapter, Jesus has clearly answered the disciples' question about the signs of the coming end of Jerusalem.
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