The Book of Matthew
Matthew was taught by Dr. James Modlish

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Intro: This chapter is probably the 4th most difficult passage in the Bible next to (Acts 2, Heb. 6, and Matt. 25). A proper interpretation of (Matt. 24) will have to be arrived at in the light of the preceding 3 verses

23:37-39 Notice! the subject is Jerusalem, the house is left desolate, because the Builder of the House is deserting it (Hos. 3:1-6) and He will not return until the restoration and conversion of Israel.

24:1 The speaker is undoubtedly Judas, for (Mk. 13:1) says "one of His disciples," and there is only one who habitually calls Him "Master." (Matt. 26:22,25; 26:49; Jn. 13:11-14). Naturally it would be Judas and followers who would be the most interested in the "building committee." Notice again in (Mk. 13:3) Judas doesn't hang around for the Theological explanation - SO TYPICAL!

Application - Carnal people have great difficulty taking their eyes off the visible long enough to behold the invisible (Heb. 11:27; 2 Cor. 4:18).

The plan of the ages is given to four fishermen not four scholars.

24:2 "There shall not be left here one stone"

Three-fold application:

    Past - Jer. 52 and Lamentations.

    Present - Titus 70 A.D.

    Future - (Rev. 11:1-4; 2 Thess. 2:3-8).

The whole thing mirrors the future destruction of all earthly temples.

    Church - (1 Cor. 3:10-16).

    Universe - (Heb. 1:10-12).

    Human Body - (1 Cor. 6:13).

24:3 Because it is well known that the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. many believe that all of Chapter 24 than can be relegated to the past and has no future application. IF that is the case (vs. 7,14,29,30,40,41, etc.) have to be spiritualized because they found no historical fulfillment.

It appears the Lord is answering both questions at the same time. Notice only two?

24:4 The warning is ignored by 90% of all Christians. The first sign of His coming is deception, and in the context its concerning false Christ's and prophets - see (vs. 5,11,24).

24:5 Also (2 Pet. 2:1-4; 1 Tim. 4:1-5; 2 Tim. 3:1-6). Its very difficult for today's Christians to believe that wolves could be in the Church or down at the Bible College. Notice Jesus said many. Most ministers reject any absolute authority.

24:6-8 The problem is what time frame to put this in. Although many want to put its fulfillment around 70 A.D. there are problems:

[1]. Nation didn't rise against nation, Rome was in control.

[2]. Nor were there any pestilence and earthquakes, however there has been a slow buildup of these things the past couple of centuries.

[3]. None of the apostles here addressed were delivered up and hated of all nations after 70 A.D. because none of them were alive except John.

24:9 There is some application to this in (Acts 12 and 28), (James, Peter, and Paul) but they weren't hated of all nations. The whole thing represents a wild possibility, could the apostles be resurrected at the rapture for a return ministry to Israel? (Matt. 10:23; Eze. 37). Notice the emphasis on many in (vs. 10-12).

24:13 The verse has been misapplied by every group that ever came along that wants to control it followers.

NOTICE:

[1]. No one's life is being discussed, (vs. 14).
[2]. It is the end of a time period, not an individual's life, (vs. 14).
[3]. There are no Christians present, (24:3).
[4]. The land being discussed is Palestine, (24:16).
[5]. The audience addressed are Jews, (vs. 1-3).
[6]. They are observing Old Testament Law then, (25:15-20).
[7]. They are worshipping in a temple in Jerusalem, (24:15; 2 Thess. 2).
[8]. They are physical, not spiritual Jews as in (Rom. 2:29).
[9]. The Christian already has the promise that he will endure to the end if that is what is under discussion, (1 Cor. 1:7,8).
[10]. The 2nd Coming follows the "end" in this passage, and not the Death of the believer, (24:14,21,29). So the passage is plainly a reference to a law, abiding Jew in Palestine immediately preceding the 2nd Advent.

24:14 Scofield has currently demonstrated four forms of the Gospel:

[1]. The kingdom, (2 Sam. 7:16; Dan. 2).

[2]. The grace of God, (1 Cor. 15:2-5).

[3]. The everlasting gospel, (Rev. 14:6).

[4]. Paul's gospel, (Rom. 2:16; Eph. 3:1-7).

For Gospel of kingdom see (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 4:23; 8:12; 9:35; 10:7) In every case, it is a literal, physical, visible, Messianic, Davidic, Palestinian kingdom promised to the Son of David, who will reign on David's throne in Jerusalem.

"For a witness unto all nations" - notice that the word "nations" as in (28:18,19), is set over against the word kingdom. This Jewish kingdom is to be preached to Gentile nations. To preach it today would bring a curse, (Gal. 1:7-9).

24:15 The Roman Catholic position (adopted by many commentators) is built on the 14 books rejected by Jesus Christ. It is that this scripture is fulfilled in 168 B.C. when Antiochus Ephiphanes offered a pig on the altar. What's wrong with that picture?

Their "scripture" is (2 Mac. 4:11; 1 Mac. 2:42; 7:13; and 1 Mac. 1:54,59). Taking that position (vs. 29-31) have to be spiritualized. If Rome can put prophecy in the past, there is no one to bring in the kingdom except the Pope.

As Jesus noted, the subject is introduced by (Dan. 8:13; 9:27; 11:;31). (Dan. 11:31) clearly marks the taking away of a literal sacrifice, which is being made in a literal temple (Rev. 11:1-4) in the real future (2 Thess. 1:1-6).

The "holy place" refers to the part of the temple where the shew bread, candlestick and incense altar were.

[1]. The Anti-Christ will profess to be God in the flesh, (2 Thess. 2).
[2]. As such, he will install himself as the object of worship, (Rev. 13).
[3]. His identification, see Revelation notes.

24:16-20 Details of this are found in (Rev. 12; Micah 7:14-16; Jer. 50:19,20; Hos. 2, etc.).

[1]. Christians do not observe the Sabbath.

[2]. No where are Christians warned not to have children.

[3]. No where are Christians addressed in the passage.

The only man in the Bible told not to have children is Jeremiah who was living at the time of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who destroyed Jerusalem, and is a type of the Anti-Christ.

24:19 Jeremiah is an excellent type of the Jewish remnant in the Tribulation. Notice (Lk. 23:28-31) - Rock (Rev. 6:16). Dry vs. green tree has to do with Israel - (Eze. 17:22-24). - Children in peril is connected with Jeremiah, (Matt. 2:16-18).

24:20 Winter time is flood time, it also requires more clothing (vs. 18). The Sabbath - the Israeli airlines are grounded on the Sabbath - she flies as well as flees to the wilderness - (Rev. 12:14).

24:21-25 This period of time is not to be confused with routine tribulations that saints of all ages go through.

[1]. Tribulation is a word to indicate that peculiar period of time in which a nation is "born in a day" exactly as a woman is in Tribulation during "birth pangs" (Deut. 4:30; Isa. 54:1; 66:7,8; Mic. 5:3 (1364); Jer. 20:6,7; 1 Thess. 5:3). In the passage, the elect is the Jew as in (vs. 31), (Isa. 65:9; 45:4).

[2]. The mid-tribulation rapture people have failed to see the rapture of the Tribulation saints in (Isa. 26; Ps. 50), etc. "Except those days should be shortened."

[3]. The Tribulation is said to be an even week of years, seven years in length (Dan. 9:25-27; Gen. 29:27) divided in half - 3 1/2 years each (Rev. 11:2,3; 12:6; 13:5). Yet these measurements are flexible and undefined. As God worked out history to Acts 7 so that He could swing either way, on man's free will, so here the Lord has set up a situation that can be lengthened or shortened, according to the flow of events.

Notice four different measurements given for this period in Daniel and Revelation:

[1]. 1260 Days (Dan. 7:25; Rev. 13:5).
[2]. 1290 Days (Dan. 12:11).
[3]. 1335 Days (Dan. 12:12).
[4]. 2300 Days (Dan. 8:14).

See (Dan. 12:9).

24:25,26 "believe it not," why? Because the 2nd Advent will be so climactic or catastrophic that there will be no mistake about it. It will not be the gradual coming in of the A-Mill bunch. (Joel 2:10,11; Isa. 63:1-4; Hab. 3:3-6; 10-12; Zech. 14:1-5).

24:27 "For as the lightening" - the 2nd Advent, then, is to be visible, thunderous appalling, terrifying and brilliant. East to west: Direction of:

[1]. Abraham called out of Mesopotamia to the west.

[2]. Restoration of Israel under Nehemiah.

[3]. Jacob's restoration from Laban.

[4]. High Priest's entrance to the Tabernacle.

[5]. Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

[6]. Gospel being preached.

[7]. Sun's movement (Mal. 4).

24:28 (Rev. 16:14; 14:20; 9:16; 19:15-18).

24:29 (Rev. 6:12; 8:12; 16:12; Joel 2:10; 3:15; Amos 8:9; Hab. 3:11; Isa. 13:10; Jer. 15:9).

Powers of heavens, (Eph. 6:10-13; Rev. 12:1-4, 7-9)

Notice "stars" can be angels, (Rev. 1:20; 9:1).

24:30 The Sign - Difficult to place or interpret! Notice it's "the Son of Man' not the Son of God. Jewish in nature. Possibilities:

[1]. The planets and sun and moon are themselves signs. Sun is type of Christ - (Mal. 4:2).

[2]. Sign of rainbow - (Rev. 10:1).

[3]. Probability - Sign of sword - (Lk. 2:34,35; Rev. 19:13-15).

The tribes, not nations - in contrast to (Zech. 12:9,10). Clouds - (Rev. 1:7).

24:31 The trumpet matches the seventh in (Rev. 11:15).

24:32 "Fig tree" appear to be Israel.

[1]. In (Mk. 11:14), Jesus curses a fig tree which is clearly pointed to Israel.

[2]. In (Lk. 13:6), an unproductive fig tree is in the vineyard. The vineyard is Israel in (Isa. 5) and the fig tree is in it pointing to a particular part of Israel - or time.

[3]. In (Jn. 1:48-50), Nathaniel recognizes Jesus to be king of Israel and Jesus saw him under the fig tree.

So the fig tree is an indicator of God's clock and time table.

24:34 A generation may be 40 years - (Heb. 3:8-10,17), but it's difficult to nail it down. The usual approach is the clock began in 1948, but in (Dan. 9:25) the clock starts at the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem after the foundation of the Temple was laid - could be 1967.

24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away" (Ps. 102:25-27; 2 Pet. 3:10-13; Mic. 1:3,4 (1360); Rev. 21:1).

"My words shall not pass away." Then they must be somewhere! Can we get our hands on them?

(Ps. 12:6,7) - so they are preserved!

[1]. They are considered synonymous with Jesus Christ, (Jn. 1:1,14; 1 Jn. 5:7) - would God lose them?
[2]. They are the tools that spoke everything into existence - (Ps. 33:6) - would God lose them?
[3]. God is interested in having all His words recorded - (Ex. 24:4; Deut. 9:10; 27:1-3,8; Jer. 30:1,2; 36:1,2,4,32) (italics).

24:36-41

[1]. The thing that is unknown is the "day and hour." In spite of a lot of rhetoric to the contrary, we can have some close indicators - (1 Thess. 5:1-6).

[2]. "The days of Noe" offer some difficulty. (Matt. 24) deals primarily with future tribulation in a Jewish setting, and evidence for this is in the constant expression "Son of Mary" which is not the designation for the Saviour in relation to the Christian awaiting the rapture. However God may have slipped something in because just previous to Noe was Enoch, who was raptured. In (12:18-21), we are given insight into a future Gentile conversion.

[3]. (Lk. 17:26-27) gives more insight. This cannot be church age because (vs. 30) says revealed! The best probable explanation is God is given a picture of both ends of the Tribulation. See eagles (vs. 37) as they match (Rev. 19:17,18).

[4]. The "then" of (Matt. 24:40) seems to indicate this rapture is after the flood, (Dan. 9:26; Rev. 12:15).

24:42-44 In (vs. 42) the emphasis is still the hour! See (Lk. 12:36-39). The Lord is returning from a wedding which makes the thing 2nd Advent! In the passage the Son of man is likened to a thief and his coming is a night time coming to a house where the goodman is sleeping instead of watching. Christ was crucified between two thieves.

24:45-51 The obvious is so clear that no Baptist wants to deal with the passage. The unfaithful servant goes to hell! Observations:

[1]. Nobody was born again from Adam to Christ.

[2]. John the Baptist ends a line "born of women" (Matt. 11:11; Lk. 16:16).

[3]. The New birth begins with the regeneration work of the Holy Spirit - (Tit. 3:5; Rom. 8:14-17).

[4]. This brings in a dispensation in which the believer is made an organic part of Jesus Christ - (1 Cor. 12; Eph. 5).

[5]. As being "in Christ" (2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 2:10; Rom. 7:1-4). The believer is part of a body that is eternally secure. (Jn. 14:16,17; 1 Cor. 1:8,9).

[6]. Every passage that is Tribulation in nature indicates a faith and works justification. (Rev. 12:17; 14:12; Jas. 1:1; 2:24; 5:19,20; Matt. 25:1-9; 25:26-30; Heb. 3:6,14; 6:4-6; 10:26-31).

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