anthony loke
THE BEGINNING OF BIRTH PANGS &
JUDGEMENT ON JERUSALEM
(MATT 24:1-35)
THE END OF THE AGE & JESUS’S
SECOND COMING (MATT 24:36-51)
MATTHEW 24-25
• Sometimes called ‘Olivet Discourse’
• Jesus’s teaching about 2 things:
Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70
The end of the age & His second
coming
• But text often used to describe the end
times
MATTHEW 24-25
Difficulties with the text:
• Is Jesus talking about events in chronological
fashion?
• Is He merging 2 events together?
• Is He telescoping many events together?
• Is He telling us the ‘what’ & ‘when’ of His second
coming or something else?
THREE MAIN INTERPRETATIVE ISSUES
A] How many parts are there to the disciples’ question
(v. 3)?
Two? (When will this be?; what will be the sign of
your coming and the close of the age?)
Three? (When will this be?; what will be the sign of
your coming?; what will be the sign of the close of
the age?)
THREE MAIN INTERPRETATIVE ISSUES
B] How do we go about interpreting Matthew 24?
1. Future approach (whole chapter concerns the end
of the age)
2. Preterist (Past) approach (whole chapter concerns
the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem)
3. Preterist-Future approach (parts of the chapter are
about AD 70 events while others are about the end
of the age)
THREE MAIN INTERPRETATIVE ISSUES
C] What is the structure of Matthew 24-25?
24:1-3 Disciples’
concern for Temple &
question to Jesus
24:4-35 Jesus’ teachings• 24:4-14 Beginning of birth pangs
(general terms)
• 24:15-28 Abomination of
Desolation (specific terms)
• 24:29-31 Coming of the Son of
Man (apocalyptic terms)
• 24:32-35 Parable of the fig tree
(parabolic terms)
THREE MAIN INTERPRETATIVE ISSUES
24:36-25:46 Jesus’ exhortation
• 24:36-41 The example of Noah (specific terms)
• 24:42-44 Parable of the householder & thief (parabolic terms)
• 24:45-51 Parable of the servants (parabolic terms)
• 25:1-13 Parable of the 10 virgins (parabolic terms)
• 25:14-30 Parable of the talents (parabolic terms)
• 25:31-46 Parable of the sheep & the goats (parabolic terms)
THREE MAIN INTERPRETATIVE ISSUES
• Movement in Jesus’ teaching and exhortation on AD
70 events and end of the age events
24:4-14f Beginning of birth pangs (not the end yet)
24:29-31f Coming of the Son of Man (the end)
24:36-41f Example of Noah (our response)
• Movement from general terms to specific terms to
apocalyptic terms to parabolic terms
1] MATT 24:1-3 – DISCIPLES’ QUESTION
• Disciples were concerned about the Temple building
(v. 1)
• Why? See Matt 23 (7 woes on Pharisees and
Lament over Jerusalem)
• Jesus’ answer to their concern about the Temple (v.
2) was to prophesize the Temple’s destruction
Destruction of Temple
by Titus in AD 70
1] MATT 24:1-3 – DISCIPLES’ QUESTION
• Jesus’ prophecy about the Temple’s
destruction piqued their interest
• On Mount of Olives, they came privately and asked
Jesus a question
• “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign
of your coming and of the close of the age?” (v. 3)
• Jesus’ answer is Olivet Discourse (5th and final long
discourse in Matthew)
2] MATT 24:4-14 - BEGINNING OF BIRTH PANGS
• Description here are in general terms
• Focus a bit on ‘what’ but also ‘so what’ (vv. 13-14)
Vv. 4-14 deal with destruction of Temple in Jerusalem
and events in AD70
Vv. 4-14 answer the first part of disciples’ question -
‘when will this be?’
2] MATT 24:4-14 - BEGINNING OF BIRTH PANGS
Vv. 4-5 – False & deceptive messiahs
Vv. 6-8 – War, famines, & earthquakes
Vv. 9-12 – Persecution, deception, & apostasy
• All the above were common occurrences in 1st cent
AD world
Beware of reading from hindsight into the 1st cent
AD believers
2] MATT 24:4-14 - BEGINNING OF BIRTH PANGS
Many today interpret section as referring to end times!
V. 14a ‘This gospel of the kingdom will be preached
throughout the whole world’ – reference to today 21st
cent AD or known world of 1st century AD?
V. 14b ‘then the end will come’ (reference to 2nd part of
the question). vv. 4-14a refer to AD 70 events
Don’t ponder too much on chronology of end times
but focus on our present discipleship & mission
3] MATT 24:15-28 - ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
• Description here are in specific terms
• Focus on the ‘what’ and also on ‘so what’
Vv. 15-28 begin to merge events together – AD 70
destruction of Temple & eschatological events
Vv. 15-28 answer a bit of first and second parts of
disciples’ question - ‘when will this be?’ ‘what will be
the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?
Statue of Zeus
3] MATT 24:15-28 - ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
V. 15 – Echo from Daniel (desecrating of Temple)
Vv. 16-20 – Instruction for those fleeing Judea
Vv. 21-22 – God’s providence during tribulation
Vv. 23-28 – False messiahs & false prophets
• Referred to events of AD 70 yet also to end times because hyperbolic language relevant to eschatological future
‘Let the reader understand this’ – call to ponder
God’s concern to deliver his elect
Don’t be vulnerable to false messianic pretenders
4] MATT 24:29-31 - COMING OF SON OF MAN
Description here are in apocalyptic terms
Vv. 29-21 – some argue referring to AD 70 events
while others argue to eschatological events
Vv. 29-31 continue to merge events together
• ‘Immediately after the tribulation of those days…’
refer to earlier events in vv. 15-28
• Coming signs (vv. 29-31) refer to Jesus’s second
coming (parousia)
4] MATT 24:29-31 - COMING OF SON OF MAN
V. 29a – tribulation(intense period of suffering)
v. 29b – sun and moon darkened
v. 29c – stars will fall & powers of heaven shaken
v. 30a – Son of Man coming in glory (parousia)
v. 30b – tribes of the earth will mourn
v. 31a – loud trumpet call
v. 31b – the elect gathered from the four winds & ends of the sky
• Description of climatic signs preceding second coming
Know the reason for second coming – to gather the elect
PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION
• Matt 24 provides a bit of the ‘what’ and ‘when’ about
Jesus’s second coming but often imprecise terms
• Jesus is more concerned with the ‘so what’ - A call
for our response
• What is needed from disciples in such times?
[a] alertness (24:42-25:13)
[b] trustworthiness (25:14-30)
[c] compassion (25:31-46)
