“As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones. “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.”
Matthew 24:1-25 NLT
Matthew 24-25 are known as the “Olivet Discourse,” where Jesus taught on the impending judgment of the nation (due to the disobedience of the leaders, see Matthew 23), the suffering of His people, and His second coming to judge and renew the world. This is the fifth and final major teaching section in the Gospel of Matthew. The Lord revealed this information for us to have HOPE (not to obsess over or fear). Even in the midst of a broken world, we can have hope—God has a plan, our King is in control, and Jesus is coming again.
The disciples asked two questions: when will the destruction of the Temple happen, and what will be the sign of Your return? Christ answered both questions (24:30, 34), and told His disciples to be prepared for suffering. The words of Christ (and Daniel) were fulfilled: the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. The destruction of that great city is a foreshadowing of the final battle that will be raised against God’s people. Christ will return and bring the final victory, the end of the beginning and the beginning of a new forever.
Jesus warned His followers not to be misled; when the Romans marched in, they remembered the words of the Lord and fled to the hills (v.16). Don’t be misled! People will try to mislead us, false prophets will come, and the world will be constantly unsettled with war, struggles, and natural disasters. These are called the “birth pangs.” Things will get worse before He returns, and those who stand firm to the end will be saved. Don’t be misled, don’t let your love grow cold, and be prepared to suffer.
Why do you think God tells us about the future? How can you personally prepare for what Jesus describes in these verses?
