Matthew Chapter 24
Jesus’ Olivet Discourse
A. The destruction of the temple and its implications
1. Matthew 24:1–2 — Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple
Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
Jesus left the temple with solemn finality, marking a permanent break from the corrupt religious system of the day. The Greek wording intensifies the sense of finality — He departed, never to return. His disciples, sensing the weight of the moment, attempted to redirect His attention by pointing out the grandeur of the temple buildings. This was Herod’s magnificent temple, a project that took over 80 years to complete and employed 10,000 workers for eight years. Josephus records its walls were adorned with gold plating so bright that they reflected sunlight blindingly, and the massive white marble stones created the appearance of snow from a distance.
Yet Jesus did not marvel at the structure. Instead, He issued a stark prophecy: "Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." This would have been shocking to hear, given the temple’s symbolic, religious, and national importance to Israel. But Jesus meant it literally. In A.D. 70, the Romans destroyed the temple during their siege of Jerusalem. When fire melted the gold in the temple’s ceilings and ornamentation, it ran into the cracks between the stones. Roman soldiers, seeking the gold, dismantled the structure stone by stone, exactly as Jesus foretold. The fulfillment was so complete that modern archaeologists still debate the exact site of the temple’s foundation. This literal destruction sets a prophetic precedent — what Jesus foretells will come to pass precisely.
2. Matthew 24:3 — Jesus’ prediction brings up two questions
Now 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?”
From the vantage point of the Mount of Olives, which overlooks the temple, the disciples privately questioned Jesus. They asked when the destruction He foretold would happen, and what would be the sign of His coming and the end of the age. Likely, the disciples did not see these as separate events. To them, the destruction of the temple must coincide with the end of the world and the arrival of the Messiah’s kingdom.
But in truth, they asked two — possibly three — distinct questions:
When will these things (the destruction of the temple) take place?
What will be the sign of Your coming (parousia)?
What will be the sign of the end of the age?
Jesus will answer all these questions in turn, but not all at once and not in the order they were asked. His response spans the remainder of this chapter and the next. Though the disciples asked with a fused perspective, Jesus' answer disentangles near-term events (like the destruction of the temple) from future eschatological events (His Second Coming).
Some reasons Jesus answered in layered, prophetic language may include:
God’s intent to keep every generation watchful for the return of Christ.
Strategic ambiguity to thwart Satan’s ability to anticipate divine timing.
A testing of hearts — will men believe even if they don’t fully comprehend?
Regardless of interpretive differences, one truth is clear: Jesus is returning, and His people must be ready.
B. The Flow of History Until Jesus’ Return
1. Matthew 24:4–8 — Jesus describes general world conditions during the period between His Ascension and the time immediately preceding His Second Coming
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will 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. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
Jesus warned His disciples at the outset to be on guard against deception. False messiahs would come, and many would be led astray. His first concern was spiritual deception, not global events. History has repeatedly proven the truth of His words. One notable example is the 1844 movement led by William Miller in the United States. Based on his own prophetic interpretations and timeline calculations, Miller convinced hundreds of thousands that Jesus would return that year. When He did not, the fallout was devastating: many became disillusioned, some abandoned the faith, and a few cultic offshoots were born from the confusion. This is exactly the kind of deception Jesus warned about.
Jesus further said that believers would hear of wars and rumors of wars, but they must not be troubled by these things. Wars and disasters are inevitable features of human history, but they are not the definitive sign of His return. Jesus declared plainly, “The end is not yet.” The rise and fall of nations, famines, diseases, and natural disasters are tragic realities but are not sufficient indicators that the end has come.
All these, He said, are “the beginning of sorrows.” The word “sorrows” (Greek: ὠδίνων, ōdinōn) literally means birth pangs. Like labor pains, these events will increase in frequency and intensity as history moves forward toward the climax of His return. They are real, painful, and signal that something significant is approaching, but they are not the end themselves. Just as a woman in labor expects the delivery to follow contractions, so these events anticipate but do not yet constitute the return of Christ.
2. Matthew 24:9–14 — Jesus describes what His disciples must expect during the time between His Ascension and Second Coming
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Jesus shifted from general world conditions to direct consequences for His followers. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you.” This was not speculation — it was prophecy. From the days of the apostles to the modern underground churches, believers have endured tribulation, persecution, and martyrdom. This persecution, however severe, is still not the ultimate sign of the end.
The statement “you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake” echoes throughout Church history and is still unfolding in the present day. His followers would be marginalized, mocked, imprisoned, and murdered — all because they bear the name of Christ. Persecution reveals the wheat and the tares: many will be offended, betray one another, and hate each other. True discipleship is tested in the fires of trial.
False prophets will also rise and deceive many. This is not mere doctrinal error — these false teachers will have persuasive power, drawing away multitudes. The deception will be successful because lawlessness will abound. As wickedness increases, the love of many will grow cold. Spurgeon commented that this inward cooling of affection for God is far more dangerous than outward persecution. A church can survive attacks from without, but it dies when its heart grows cold from within. When love declines, preaching becomes lifeless, worship mechanical, prayer dull, and generosity stingy. All these are signs of a decaying spiritual condition in the Church.
Yet, in the midst of decline and persecution, the mission remains: “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations.” Jesus assures that despite lawlessness, false prophets, and apostasy, the gospel will not be stopped. It will reach the ends of the earth. Only then — after this global testimony — will the end come.
This is not only a promise but a task: the Church is to preach the gospel to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. Revelation chapter 14, verses 6 through 7 describes a heavenly angel fulfilling this very call: “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth — to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people — saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come.’” God has ordained the completion of this mission, whether by the witness of men or angels.
(Matthew 24:29–31) The sign of the Son of Man and His return in glory.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
a. Immediately after the tribulation of those days: Jesus gave a clear sequence—these cosmic disturbances follow “the tribulation of those days.” The “tribulation” refers to the Great Tribulation just mentioned in verses 21–28, which is still future. The language here mirrors apocalyptic descriptions in Isaiah and Joel and anticipates massive upheavals.
“The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light”: This dramatic change in the skies recalls Old Testament imagery for the Day of the Lord (see Isaiah 13:9–10; Joel 2:31). These are not symbolic; they are real, global, and terrifying.
b. The stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken: This speaks to the divine disruption of the natural order. Some take this figuratively; however, the most literal and consistent reading sees this as the actual collapse or disruption of stellar and planetary stability—something that would leave no doubt that the end of the age has come.
“The powers of the heavens” (Matthew 24:29) likely refers to celestial bodies or spiritual forces in high places (compare Ephesians 6:12). Whether physical or spiritual, the shock is profound and universal.
c. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven: This is the first visible indication of the Second Coming, distinct from the earlier abomination of desolation. There is debate about what this “sign” is, but the best reading is that it refers to Jesus Himself appearing in glory—perhaps with a visible manifestation of His presence, like the Shekinah glory, or a display of divine power that no one can deny.
The idea is that all the tribes of the earth will mourn because they will finally realize that Jesus—whom they rejected, ignored, or opposed—is returning in power and judgment (see Revelation 1:7: “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”).
This public, unmistakable return of Christ contradicts any secret or spiritual-only second coming theories. It will be seen globally and understood universally.
d. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory: This is a direct fulfillment of Daniel 7:13–14, where the Son of Man is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. His return will be as visible and undeniable as lightning flashing across the sky (see Matthew 24:27).
This return is not symbolic; it is literal, personal, and triumphant. The language mirrors that used in Acts 1:11 where the angels declared that Jesus would return “in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
e. He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect: This refers to the ingathering of the redeemed, the elect from every corner of the earth. This trumpet blast is echoed in passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 and 1 Corinthians 15:52.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15:52: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
This gathering of the elect is distinct from the rapture described in those passages, but related. The rapture happens before the Great Tribulation, and the gathering in this verse likely refers to the regathering of Israel and the faithful at the end of the Tribulation, prior to the Millennial Kingdom.
D. More on His Coming, but from a Different Approach.
1. (Matthew 24:36) Jesus says that the day and hour of His return is unknowable by men, and even unknowable by angels.
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
a. Of that day and hour no one knows: Jesus refers back to the original question from Matthew 24:3 regarding the sign of His coming and the end of the age. His response here cuts against all attempts to date-set or predict the exact timing of His return. Jesus plainly declares that this information was not available—not even to angels, and during His earthly ministry, not even to Himself. It was the exclusive knowledge of the Father.
This statement is a strong rebuke to the arrogant speculation of date-setters. If angels do not know, and the incarnate Christ did not reveal it, no man can claim certainty.
b. No one knows: Theologically, this creates tension with Daniel 12:11, which gives a specific timeline of 1,290 days from the abomination of desolation to the end. How can this time be knowable and unknowable at once?
This apparent contradiction is resolved by distinguishing between the Rapture and the Second Coming. The Rapture is imminent and unknowable, while the Second Coming can be counted from prophetic milestones like the abomination of desolation. Matthew 24:36 points to the unexpectedness of the Rapture, not the calculated return in glory.
2. (Matthew 24:37–39) Jesus says that His coming will be when the world is as it was in the days of Noah.
“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
a. As the days of Noah were: The emphasis here is not only on wickedness, though that was indeed rampant, but rather on the business-as-usual attitude of the world. People went on with daily life, oblivious to the coming judgment. This speaks to the unexpected and sudden nature of Jesus’ coming.
The days of Noah were also characterized by violence and demonic corruption (Genesis 6:1–5), which parallels the end-time rise in lawlessness and deception.
b. And did not know until the flood came and took them all away: Judgment was delayed, but not forgotten. Noah warned, but they ignored. When judgment fell, it came swiftly and without escape. The same pattern applies to the world at the time of Jesus’ return.
This passage reinforces the view that the Rapture will interrupt life at a time when people least expect it. The judgment afterward (Tribulation) will be swift and global.
Matthew 24:39 supports the doctrine of imminency—that Jesus could come at any moment, before the Tribulation, just as the flood came without warning.
3. (Matthew 24:40–44) Jesus cautions His disciples to be ready for an unexpected coming.
“Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
a. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left: This picture is often used to describe the Rapture, where believers are suddenly caught up while unbelievers are left behind. The ones “taken” are taken unto safety, deliverance, and presence with the Lord.
This is consistent with 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, which says:
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (NKJV)
As France notes, “Taken” implies being received into fellowship or protection—an act of mercy, not judgment.
b. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming: The repeated command to watch is not passive observation but active spiritual readiness. The warning is clear: complacency is dangerous. His coming will not be preceded by predictable signs.
This verse again supports the pre-tribulational rapture view. If Christ’s coming were post-tribulational, tied to a countdown of 1,290 days, then we would know the hour. Instead, Jesus teaches that His coming is unexpected.
c. If the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come: Jesus uses a parable to reinforce the need for constant readiness. The analogy to a thief does not imply evil, but rather suddenness and surprise.
The thief analogy is also used in 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3, which says:
“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” (NKJV)
d. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect: The clear application is readiness. The faithful must live in expectancy—not fear, but watchfulness. Jesus follows this warning with parables that emphasize the consequences of being unprepared.
Trapp wisely comments that Julius Caesar never warned his troops ahead of time to keep them always prepared. Likewise, the Lord’s people must live in a constant state of spiritual alertness, understanding the urgency of the hour.
E. Parable of the Two Servants.
1. (Matthew 24:45–47) The faithful servant.
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.”
a. Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing: Jesus here presents a practical and convicting application to the truth of His return. The faithful and wise servant is the one who doesn’t simply know about His return, but continues in faithful service until it happens. He does not grow weary or distracted; rather, he tends diligently to the responsibilities the Lord has given.
This points to the stewardship every believer has. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” (NKJV)
The master’s return is not meant to produce curiosity or speculation, but faithful and consistent obedience.
b. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods: This statement reflects the promise of kingdom rewards and positions of authority in the Millennial Reign of Christ for those who are found faithful. Jesus connects future reward with present responsibility.
Compare with Luke 19:17, where the faithful servant is told:
“Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.” (NKJV)
The idea is not merely survival, but fruitful and consistent labor in His name. Faithfulness in the little leads to ruling over much. This speaks of rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10), not of salvation.
2. (Matthew 24:48–51) The evil servant.
“But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
a. If that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming’: This parable warns not only of sin but of spiritual presumption. The evil servant’s first failure was not external; it began in the heart with a distorted view of the master's delay. From there, moral and spiritual compromise followed.
Note the internal dialogue — he does not reject the master outright, but rationalizes delay. This is the danger for many Christians today: not openly denying Christ's return, but living as if He won't return anytime soon.
This lines up with 2 Peter 3:3–4, which says:
“Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” (NKJV)
Satan’s most dangerous lie isn't “There is no God” or “There is no hell,” but “There is no hurry.” Many fall asleep spiritually because they assume there's plenty of time to get right later.
b. Begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards: The wicked servant fails in three ways:
He neglects his duties — he stops doing what the Master appointed.
He abuses others — he mistreats those he should serve alongside.
He indulges in the world — instead of holy separation, he adopts the habits of drunkards and the morally lax.
This threefold failure is a powerful picture of apostasy, backsliding, and worldliness. It’s a warning against those who profess Christ outwardly but whose hearts betray their words.
As 1 John 2:15–17 warns:
“Do not love the world or the things in the world… the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (NKJV)
c. The master… will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth: This sobering conclusion speaks of divine judgment. “Cut him in two” is a figure of speech for severe punishment. The “portion with the hypocrites” refers to those who pretended loyalty but inwardly rebelled.
“Cut him in two” may reflect severe Eastern punishments used for traitors or covenant breakers — signifying final and irrevocable separation from God.
The phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” appears repeatedly in Jesus’ teachings about hell, including Matthew 8:12, Matthew 13:42, and Matthew 22:13. It represents deep anguish, regret, and torment.
This punishment is not discipline for a true believer, but final judgment for the false servant — the professing but unconverted person, who lived in self-deceit.
