52. The Sign of His Coming

Sunday Morning Sermon
September 27, 2020
The Essentials – Additional Lessons
“The Sign of His Coming”
Matthew 24:1-31
Pastor Marc Brashear


1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 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.”

3 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?” 4

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 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. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.14 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.

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it
24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.


26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

29 “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. 30 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. 31 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.

The title of our sermon this morning is “The Sign of His Coming,” Matthew chapter 24, verses 1 through 31. Welcome back this morning to our weekly study of “The Essentials;” one sermon, one hour, one subject essential to the growth and maturity of the Christian. This morning we have before us the, frankly, overwhelming task of introducing the subject of eschatology. That “one sermon, one hour, one subject” business is going to be put to the test this morning. It’s going to be a little difficult to stick to that. So you need to listen fast. That’s what needs to happen.

What do we mean when we speak of eschatology? What do we mean by the word eschatology? The word eschatology comes from a combination of two Greek words: the Greek word “eschatos” – meaning “last” and “logia” – referring to words or sayings; referring to discourse. So in essence, eschatology refers to a discourse on last things, the study of last things, or the doctrine of last things. We may refer to eschatology as it relates to the individual. And we would speak of eschatology relating to an individual in terms of our death, what happens when we die, what happens to our body, the intermediate state. Or we may refer to eschatology in terms of the consummation of all things, the consummation of redemptive history. And in that sense we would speak of eschatology in terms of the return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, the eternal state.

And in the Bible, from the book of Genesis, which is referring to the beginnings, we could say that the Bible is eschatological, referring to the end. In other words, from the beginning of things the Word of God is concerned with the end of things, concerned with last things. From the very beginning God has prepared for us a glorious end. And we should take heed to what He’s prepared for us.

The first words referring to the last things can be found in the Bible as early as Genesis chapter 3, where after the Fall, in verse 15, the Lord makes an eschatological promise in the midst of the curse. The Lord says to the serpent: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” It’s an eschatological promise, even in the midst of the curse against the serpent at the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis chapter 3.

Eschatology, the study of last things, teaches that the sin of Adam will not be the last word for the people of God. That past sin has resulted in present consequences, but we, brothers and sisters, have a future hope. Amen? That future or eschatological hope should have an impact on the way that we live our lives in the present.

Paul said to Titus in chapter 2, verse 11: “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, [Do you see the connection between the two? We live in the present, putting off ungodly, worldly lust; living soberly, righteously, godly while looking for the blessed hope of the church, the] glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Well, we’re here this morning, worshiping the Lord, aren’t we? for that eschatological hope; in anticipation of that eschatological hope; the blessed hope of the church.

Well, as we begin our introduction – and that’s all it’s going to be this morning is just an introduction – as we begin our introduction to this subject, I feel compelled to offer a warning. The study of eschatology is fascinating. It is a fascinating subject. But the study of eschatology is also fraught with difficulty. It’s a difficult subject. It’s a worthwhile subject. It’s a blessed subject. But it’s a difficult subject.

Genuine believers throughout the ages have come to the text of Scripture and with a clear conscious before God, handling the text as honestly as they know how to handle the text, they’ve come to various understandings of what the Lord has said in His Word. They’ve come to different understandings of what the Lord has said in His Word. So much, so many moving parts go into a study of eschatology. The continuity or discontinuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The New Testament authors’ interpretation of Old Testament texts. The interpretation of apocalyptic literature. The relationship of Israel to the church. The nature of the rule and reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mysterious figures like the antichrist, mysterious events like the rapture, mysterious symbols, and mysterious future prophecy. Even within specific categories of eschatology, consensus on the issues is hard to come by.

So, although all of you will agree with me when the end comes [laughter] we cannot allow division in the church over eschatology in the present. I say that tongue in cheek. We’re all going to agree on our eschatology when the end comes. But don’t’ let that difficulty keep you from a vigorous study. The Lord promises a blessing for those who take up and study this subject. But at the same time that you’re studying this difficult subject, make sure that you’re mature enough to hold your disagreements in unity and love. We’re not to divide over these issues ever. So maintain, labor, endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Now, as I thought about where we might start with this subject, I concluded that there would be no better place to start than the words, the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself on this subject. And so with that in mind, we begin in Matthew chapter 24.

The text of Matthew chapter 24 is often referred to as the Lord’s Olivette Discourse. It’s referred as the Olivette Discourse because the Lord spoke these words, taught these words to His disciples from the Mount of Olives. This account in Matthew chapter 24, is also found in the Synoptics, Mark chapter 13 and in Luke chapter 21. And this was the teaching that the Lord gave to His disciples about last things, overlooking Jerusalem, overlooking the buildings of the temple mount from the Mount of Olives. Now as we come to this text of Scripture, it’s critically important for us to begin with a context of the Lord’s words. What is the context for what the Lord is teaching here?

Now remember with me, this is the final week of the Lord’s earthly ministry in Matthew chapter 24. The Lord is quickly going to His death. This is just days now before the Lord will be taken by lawless hands, crucified, and put to death. It’s the week of Passover in Jerusalem, a main festival in the Jewish calendar. Thousands upon thousands, some estimate millions, have flocked into the city of Jerusalem to observe the feast. And the Lord Himself has recently entered Jerusalem to shouts of acclamation in Matthew chapter 21, the triumphal entry.

Upon entering Jerusalem, the Lord goes to the temple, and at once cleanses the temple; drives out those who bought and sold there, saying to them, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’” And so the Lord cleansed the temple. He’s preaching and teaching in and about the temple. He’s healing the blind. He’s healing the lame. Multitudes have flocked to Him and they’re crying out to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ – they’re crying out, “Hosanna...!” which means “save now,” “Hosanna to the Son of David!” It’s a messianic shout of celebration. It’s a messianic shout of rejoicing. It shows the messianic hopes, the messianic expectations of the people toward Jesus Christ.

And all this is going on at the same time that the Chief Priests, the scribes, the Pharisees, the elders of the people are incensed with Him. They are infuriated. They’re indignant. They’re plotting to kill Him. They plan to do so the first opportunity they get. And with tremendous laser-like precision, the Lord begins to rebuke them with devastating blows. They’re like bombs dropping, devastating indictments, when the Lord says this in chapter 21, verse 43: “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you [it will be taken from the Jews] and given to a nation [a people] bearing the fruits of it..” Now that’s very significant.

In Matthew chapter 23, these elders, these leaders of the people continue to attack the Lord. And the Lord continues to excoriate them. He calls them out in Matthew chapter 23 as hypocrites, blind guides, sons of hell, fools, whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones. He calls them a brood of vipers. Now that’s not popular preaching now-a-days, but that’s the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ against these false religious leaders, these hypocrites who are blocking the way of heaven to themselves and preventing others from going in. This is a matter of life and death, and Jesus Christ is taking this deathly serious.

He says to them in chapter 23, look at verse 31: “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, [so] that on you [in judgment upon you] may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

“this generation.” In other words, these things would come upon those leaders to whom Jesus Christ was speaking. And we know that to be true from history. We’ll talk about that in a moment. The judgment of God will fall upon “this generation.” So Jesus then turns and laments, verse 37: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

Notice in that too, both the goodness and severity of God as Paul would put it. His goodness and His severity. They were not willing to come to their Messiah. They’re not willing to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. They don’t recognize Him as their Messiah. So He says to them in verse 38: “See! [the word means “behold”] Behold! Your house [that’s a reference to the temple] Your house is left to you desolate...!” Notice, no longer was it “My house” as it was in Matthew chapter 21, as it was at the beginning of the week. And now it’s “your house” and – Your house is left to you desolate…! It means empty or abandoned. And that house, which had for centuries been representative of God’s presence among His people, the place where God had chosen for His name to dwell is now left to them a desolate shell, a desolate husk. It’s this judgment of God then, that then precipitates the prophecy that the Lord gives in Matthew chapter 24, beginning in verse 1. It’s this judgment that precipitates this coming destruction.

Look at verse 1: Then Jesus went out and departed [He’s leaving their house to them desolate. Do you see?] Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. Jesus would have left Jerusalem through the east gate of the city. He would have crossed over the Kidron valley and ascended the Mount of Olives to the east of the city. Now in thinking about this, it’s tragically ironic that the building that served to point the people to the Lord Jesus Christ is now being abandoned by the One to whom it points. Do you see? He’s literally departing from the temple.

As I thought about this, it’s fascinating, the connection between the Lord Jesus Christ departing the temple here in Matthew chapter 24, and Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of God departing the temple in Ezekiel chapter 10. It’s fascinating. Who is the One who is the glory of God incarnate? Who is that? That’s Jesus Christ. Doesn’t Hebrews chapter 1 say that Jesus Christ is the brightness, the radiance of His glory? And here, the glory of God, is departing the temple just like Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel chapter 10.

Listen to Ezekiel in chapter 10, verse 18. Ezekiel says: Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

And then in chapter 11, verse 22: So the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was high above them. And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, [He’s talking about the Mount of Olives.] the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.

So in Matthew chapter 24, verse 1, Jesus Christ has departed. He’s now standing on the mountain which is on the east side of the city, when, as it says in Mark chapter 13, verse 1, one of His disciples came to Him. When the disciple comes to Jesus Christ, He has in His mind this judgment against the temple, “Behold! I leave your house to you desolate.” And so they’re standing now on the Mount of Olives overlooking this sight of the temple mount. And – one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here.” And we know from the context, the disciples were impressed. They’re impressed. The temple was literally a wonder of the known world at that time. Massive, glistening, white stones, some upwards of 30 feet wide, some 10 to 12 feet high. They said those stones weighed a hundred plus tons each. The buildings would have been radiant in the sunlight. The sunlight gleaming off the white stones. The sunlight gleaming off all the gold articles that surrounded the temple. There were gold articles everywhere. The view from the Mount of Olives would have been spectacular. And so the disciples draw the Lord’s attention to the beauty of those buildings as they looked to cross the Kidron valley at the temple mount.

Jesus said to them [in verse 2] “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.” Wow! That would have been absolutely shocking to the disciples. You can image a stunned silence for a moment as they tried to process what the Lord just said. They knew exactly what He meant. The temple had been destroyed before. They knew exactly what He meant. The place is going to be razed to the ground. There won’t be one of those massive stones sitting on top of another. In other words, the temple, which is the center of Israel, the center of their worship, the center of the universe to the Jews, the place where God Himself is said to have dwelt among them, His name is said to have dwelt there, is going to be torn down, not one stone left upon another. No one would have imagined that that could happen. No one would have predicted that. Well it did happen. It did happen.

In great support of the authenticity and the authority of the Bible, it happened exactly as Jesus Christ said that it would happen. It’s amazing. In AD 66, the Jews would lead a revolt against the Roman occupation. And after crowning a new emperor, Vespasian, the Romans would finally have enough of the Jewish rebellion in AD 70. And they send the general, the Roman general Titus with the armies of Rome at his disposal. And they send him to Jerusalem. Titus would lead a massacre of Jews in and around Jerusalem, killing everyone they came across. They would follow that with the burning of the temple. And they would follow that with the dismantling of the temple stone by stone, leaving only what was somewhat remaining today, the west wall of the mount itself. But the stones of the temple all torn down.

The gospels that recorded this prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ, all written before that event in AD 70. Before that event. And the destruction of AD 70, one of the most attested to historical events in antiquity, one of the most attested to events that happened in the first century. With amazing precision, the Lord Jesus Christ, before the events took place, predicted exactly what would happen. Now that’s a good evidence, right?, that this is not a book written by man. No one can tell the future but God alone. Why? Because God wrote the future. God has scripted the future. That judgment of God fell upon that generation just as Jesus said it would in chapter 23, verse 36.

Well of course the disciples are stunned by the Lord’s prophecy. And so they come to Jesus – stunned over the prophecy – they come to the Lord with essentially two questions in verse 3: 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?” Now after hearing that the temple will be destroyed, the disciples want to know essentially two things – when is this going to happen and what sign should we look for. Both are a response to the Lord’s prophecy about the destruction of the temple.

So it’s important to note here in the disciples questions, that the disciples have connected in their minds the destruction of the temple that the Lord has just prophesied and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the end of the age. They have these things linked together, connected in their mind when they come to ask these questions of the Lord Jesus Christ. The temple’s going to be destroyed, it must be the end of all things. It must be the end of the age. When is the end going to come? And what is the sign that we should look for to know that it’s here? When is all this going to happen? In other words, when is the destruction of the temple going to take place? When is Your return? And when is the end of the age? When? And what is the sign that we should look for? All of these they see as one event.

So the Lord begins to answer then, those two questions. He’s going to answer them. Look at verse 4: Jesus answered and said to them, [Said to who? Said to the disciples. Those who are with Him on the Mount of Olives.] Jesus answered and said to them, “Take heed that no one deceives you.” Now He’s not talking to an audience in the future. He’s talking to His disciples. Now in talking to His disciples, He’s also talking to us by implication. But He’s speaking to His disciples and His first concern is that they’re not deceived.

Look at verse 4: “Take heed that no one deceive you. [Verse 5]...many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. [If you drop down to verse 11] “...many false prophets will rise up and deceive many...” The Lord is concerned that no one deceive them. Verse 5: “...many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.’”

The first thing that the Lord is concerned with is that this age will be characterized by deceit. The age that the Lord is describing will be characterized by deceit. Now, let me ask you a question: Did that happen during the lifetime of the disciples to whom Jesus Christ is speaking? Did that happen during their lifetime? Absolutely it did. Absolutely it happened during their lifetime. In the 40 years between the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and the destruction of the temple in AD 70, there were 16 recorded messianic pretenders that were accounted for in Jewish history, 16. There may have been more than that. And is that nonsense still going on today? You bet it is. All the time. Many have come since then. Not long ago there was one in Orlando. And not long before that there was one in Miami claiming to be the Christ. It’s still going on to this day. This age will be characterized by deceit.

Secondly, this age will be characterized by upheaval. Verse 6: 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.” The word “sorrows” there literally means “birth pains,” speaking of contractions.

Now let me ask you: To whom is the Lord speaking? He’s speaking to His disciples on the Mount of Olives. And you could say that He’s speaking to us by implication, disciples now-a-days. Were those things true during the lifetime of the disciples to whom Jesus Christ is speaking? Was it true in their lifetime? Yes it was – wars, rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom, famines, pestilences, earthquakes in various places – the history bears this out. These things happened in their day and age. Are these things happening in our day and age? Yes they are. They continue to happen, don’t they?

And the Lord says: All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Literally “birth pains.” Like the contractions that come upon a pregnant woman, these pains will grow in frequency and in severity. Is that not true of birth pains? Yes. And have we not seen that to be true over our day and age as well? Isn’t that true in our time, that we see those things getting worse and worse and increasing in frequency? They increase in frequency and they increase in severity. Now notice, I’m emphasizing two points: 1) The Lord is describing what the disciples themselves will experience. Do you notice that? He’s speaking to the disciples. He’s describing what those disciples themselves will experience. And secondly, 2) Those characteristic events are still going on in our day. These are events that we ourselves will also experience.

In other words, these events that the Lord is describing in Matthew chapter 24 are characteristic of all the days that lie between the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as He sits there on the Mount of Olives with His disciples, and His second coming at the end of the age that He’s about to teach them about. These events, these occurrences, these things characterize the age in which we now find ourselves, just like it characterized the age in which the disciples found themselves. The disciples have lived through them. We will also live through them. Making sense so far? Following? Like birth pains for a pregnant woman, they’re getting worse and more frequent.

Now listen, third, this age will also be marked by persecution. This age will also be marked by persecution. Verse 9: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. [Did they do that to the disciples? Yes. Are they doing that today? Yes they are.] And then many will be offended, [verse 10] will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. [We have false teachers all over the place!] And because lawlessness will abound, [verse 12] the love of many will grow cold.

A good example of that in their day and age was the church at Ephesus in Revelation chapter 2, verse 1, who their love – their first love grew cold. The Lord rebukes them there in Revelation chapter 2 verse 1. The Lord finishes in verse 13]“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

Now, did the disciples of our Lord, in the first century experience these things? Of course they did. Do Christians in our day experience these things? Yes they do. In other words, brothers and sisters, this is not a description of a future seven year tribulation period. This is not a description of future tribulation. This is a description of past, and present, and future tribulation. This is a tribulation that the saints will all experience as long as the Lord tarries. It’s a tribulation, a period of tribulation that began with the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and will continue until the Lord returns. Do you see? This is a description of the history and events that comprise the church age. And remember, the Lord Jesus Christ is teaching His disciples about eschatology. – when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? It’s the age that began in the time of Christ as He spoke to His disciples on the Mount of Olives and it’s the age that continues even now.

The Bible describes this period of time as a period of tribulation. It describes it as the tribulation, even uses that definite article, “The Tribulation.” The Apostle John, writing in Revelation, describes himself as “our brother in the tribulation.” When was he writing? He was writing in the first century. Who was he writing to? Disciples of the first century and us by implication. He’s our brother in “the tribulation.” Jesus warns His disciples in John chapter 16, verse 33: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Acts chapter 14, verse 22, Paul says that it’s through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God. What was true of disciples in his day, is just as true of disciples in our day. In 2 Timothy, chapter 3, Paul describes the time between the first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ as the last days. And the last days are days of tribulation.

Fourth, this age will be characterized by the preaching of the gospel. Look at verse 14: 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.

Finally, the age being described here by the Lord is marked by the preaching of the gospel. As with other characteristics of the church age, this began to be fulfilled in the days of the disciples. And this is now being fulfilled all over the world, even now, by the Lord’s disciples in our day.

Notice that Jesus here doesn’t give them a date. In these first fourteen verses, Jesus Christ does not give them a date. The Lord doesn’t give them a formula by which they can calculate a date. No one knows the day or the time of His coming. It’s not a list of concrete occurrences that you can use as an end times checklist to figure out when He’s coming. We can’t do that. The Lord here is characterizing the kinds of events that will mark this age, the kinds of events that will happen from that time until the time that He returns. He’s giving a representative list of those things that will characterize the age in which we live.

Now, as they stood talking together on the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked Jesus those two questions. Remember? – when will these things be? And what will be [the sign that we should look for?] the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? All of that – when will these things be? and Your coming? and the end of the age? – all thought of as one event in the minds of the disciples as they asked the questions. None of that which the Lord has described to this point could be described as a definitive sign, could it? Nothing yet is a signpost. They’re characteristics, showing what this age is going to be like, but nothing yet that could be described or defined as a sign.

The sign comes in verse 15. Look with me: “Then” or “therefore” – the word is (οὖν) “ŏun” in Greek. It’s a logical inference conjunction and what that means is this: “then”, “therefore”, or “so” is how that word is to be translated. In other words, we are to draw a logical inference from the preceding statement to the one we’re going to read in verse 15. We are to draw a connection between the two.

In other words, verse 14: And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world… then the end will come. [So then] Therefore when you see [the sign – and the word is singular] the ‘abomination of desolation’ [you will know that the time of My coming and the end of the age is near. This is the sign] “Therefore [verse 15] when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand).

The particular and singular sign given by the Lord in verse 15, is “the abomination of desolation.” As the Lord begins to explain what they should look for regarding the end of the age, verses 15 through 28; and He explains what they begin to look for at the coming of the Son of Man, we’ll see that in verses 29 through 31. Now, some who interpret these texts, this passage in particular, are compelled to consider all of these events as historical, everything here happening in AD 70 or before. But notice, there are very important chronological markers that would necessitate a yet future date for these events. Notice them with me:

First, verse 21: the great tribulation that follows in verse 21, is described as one that: has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. Now, the tribulation that took place in AD 70, the sack of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, was a severe tribulation. But the Lord would be unable to say this if the great tribulation described at the end of the age was still yet future. Do you see? There have been tribulations that have come. Think of the millions that were killed during World War 2; millions that have died in war. Millions upon millions of babies that are murdered yearly on the planet in the wickedness of abortion. Think of the holocaust of abortion. There have been trials. There has been adversity. There has been tribulation that is demonstrably severe. And that which is described at the end of the age in Revelation is severe. The Lord would be unable to say this if that tribulation is still future. Do you see? He says that there won’t come another tribulation worse than this one.

Secondly, verse 24: false christs and false prophets deceiving if possible, even the elect with great signs and wonders. That’s still future. It didn’t happen that way in AD 70. Those great signs and wonders weren’t taking place in the way that they are described in Revelation. They weren’t taking place that way in AD 70. That‘s still future.

Third, in verse 29: notice it is immediately after the tribulation of those days that Jesus Christ comes back. Immediately after the tribulation of those days. Now, if this tribulation were taking place in AD 70, then that “immediately” is a gap of about 2000 years. And “immediately” doesn’t mean “immediately” anymore. That’s a chronological marker. That’s very important.

Fourth: and this is more nuanced for those of you who may have studied this. The abomination of desolation is a reference to Daniel chapter 9. In verse 27, the abomination of desolation comes in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week. And AD 70 would chronologically be near the beginning of the 70th week. The chronology just simply doesn’t line up. I don’t hear many people making that point or talking about that, but that’s very important. The chronology of these things must line up. We’ve already established that the first half of the week that we see in Matthew chapter 24, verses 4 through 14, is the church age. That’s this age in which we now live. And that’s in keeping with the first 1,260 days described in Revelation chapter 12. This must have happened in the middle of the week according to Daniel chapter 9, verse 27.

So, the first indication of this great tribulation – a tribulation such has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. That first indication is the abomination which causes desolation. The abomination of desolation is a detestable act. It’s a horrific act. It’s a detestable thing that causes devastation. Something that causes horror or disgust in God’s people. It leads to ruin or destruction. It’s a horrific act. We don’t have exact reference as to what that is or will be, however, we see examples of this in history.

During the intertestamental period, Antiochus Epiphanes slaughtered a pig on the altar in the temple, desecrating the temple. It was an abomination of desolation. It was an abomination of desolation considered by General Titus when he sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple in AD 70. But as Daniel describes it, and as we see in Revelation, there is a worse yet abomination of desolation that is the sign of the end of the age and of the coming of the Lord. So, this horrific act.

But how do we explain then the historical language used here. If these things are future, then how do we explain the historical language? Listen in verse 16: let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. [Did they flee in AD 70? Absolutely they did.] Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. [Verse 19] But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

The language that’s being used has a near referent point to the events of AD 70, but AD 70 only foreshadows that which will come. Do you see the connection? Hang in there with me. These things are nuanced and they’re difficult, but this is part of understanding the Lord’s teaching on eschatology here. It’s important to understand these things. AD 70 is a foreshadowing. It’s just a foretaste of the tribulation that’s going to come. And these events chronologically apply to the end of the age because of those markers that we already discussed.

George Eldon Ladd said it this way. I think this is helpful: He says: “Neither an exclusively historical or an exclusive eschatological interpretation is satisfactory...[In other words, we can’t put all of these things only in the past, and we can’t put all of these things only in the future. These are things that have a past referent and will be fulfilled in the future. They are a both/and rather than an either/or. He says:] What’s obvious in the text is an ongoing or sustained tension between language that anticipates historical events like AD 70, and language that anticipates the consummation of the end of the age and the coming of the Son of Man. [And that happens all over the Bible. We see that frequently; near events foreshadowing, picturing types of future events. We see that throughout the Bible.

Alright, verse 21: For then [we’re speaking of a future event now] For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

Let’s put it in context for a moment so we understand where we are. The disciples ask the Lord Jesus Christ those two questions: When will these things be? And what’s the sign they’re going to look for? What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? Verses 4 through 14, what is the Lord describing? He’s describing the age in which we now find ourselves. An age that began with the disciples at the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and an age that now continues for us as we experience the very same historical events, the same signs and symbols, so to speak, that they experienced.

Now we come to another time period, indicated in verse 24, a period of great tribulation. Verse 23 describes this time: Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. [Look, He’s down there in Miami passing out Cuban sandwiches! Don’t believe it! Verse 27] For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

So, verses 4 through 14, referring to a period of tribulation that characterizes the church age. Now verses 15 through 28, referring to a period of great tribulation at the end of the age. And these events are all foreshadowed by AD 70, but not entirely fulfilled in AD 70. Do you see? And one reason that is given for that is this in verse 29: because – these things weren’t fulfilled in AD 70 – because: Immediately after the tribulation of those days [what’s going to happen?] 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.

Somebody would say, “Well, we see those cosmic disturbances given around judgments in the Old Testament and they didn’t literally come to pass. Listen, those cosmic disturbances given around judgments of God over wicked people in the Old Testament are foreshadowings of an ultimate cosmic judgment that is coming that will be marked by these signs. Types and shadows. Future fulfillment.

The word “immediately” in verse 29 is the Greek word (εὐθέως) “ĕuthĕōs.” It means “immediately.” That’s what it means. It means “immediately.” If this referred to AD 70 then this “immediately” has suffered a nearly 2000 year gap, so far.

Verse 30: Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, [Immediately after the tribulation of those days your going to see these cosmic disturbances, and] Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, [Notice the chronology] and then all of 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. In other words, the sign here, will be the Son of Man Himself. He is the final sign. Unparalleled power, unparalleled glory, overtly visible in the heavens. You will not miss it! As the lightning flashes from the east to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.

Overtly visible. Unmistakable. Revelation chapter 6, verse 15 describes the scene: the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

That did not happen in AD 70. Still yet future. And the time of His one and only second coming – we don’t see a secretive first coming and a visible second coming – we see one visible coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in great power.

Verse 31: 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. [When is all of this happening? It’s happening after the church age, an age of tribulation. Its’ happening after a period of great tribulation; immediately after that period of great tribulation. And now it’s happening when the Son of God returns. He comes with His angels, with a great sound of a trumpet. And what does He do, verse 31? He gathers] together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. [All of His elect are gathered together at that time. And where does He gather them from?] from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. All of His elect are gathered at that time, all of them. What does this sound like? This is the rapture of the church. This is the rapture of the church.

1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 15. Listen: For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

What does that sound like? Sounds like Matthew chapter 24, verse 31. You see, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 15 using the very same language of Matthew chapter 24, verse 31, links these two events in the chronology at the very end of the age, at His coming, with the sound of a great trumpet, with the voice of an archangel, coming in power and coming in glory. Do you see? He descends: from heaven with a shout, with a 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. [That’s the rapture of the church in Matthew chapter 24, verse 31.] And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Listen to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, in verse 51: Behold, [Paul says] I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. [When is the last trumpet? Matthew 24, verse 31 tells us. It’s immediately after the tribulation of those days, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes in power. That’s when the last trumpet is.] 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. [We’re glorified at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. “We shall become like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. All this at the sound of the great jubilee trumpet, and it comes at the return of Jesus Christ which is immediately after the tribulation of those days.

Listen to this from 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, beginning in verse 1: Paul is encouraging the brothers with the coming of the Lord. Listen: Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, [What is that? It’s the rapture of the church.] [concerning His coming] and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. [He doesn’t want them thinking “We missed it. Left behind!” Right? He doesn’t want them thinking that they missed the rapture.] Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [What day is he talking about? The day of His coming, the day that we’ll be gathered together to Him] that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, [Who is that? That is the antichrist, the one who will perpetrate the abomination of desolation.] [that one] who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

So much more could be said. There’s so many implications, so many texts that fill out our understanding of these things. I think that are very important, in Matthew 24 in particular, and a couple of texts like Matthew 24, that establish the chronology of these things. The chronology of Matthew 24 will harmonize beautifully with the chronology of Daniel chapter 9; it must. And will harmonize beautifully with the chronology of the Book of Revelation; in particular texts like Revelation chapter 12. You’ll study those things. You’ll see how those things fit together. You start getting a picture of a proper interpretation of Matthew chapter 24.

This is also so important because if you’re like me, many of us grew up reading the “Left Behind” series or watching that on TV. And the chronology here that the Lord is teaching in Matthew chapter 24 is different than what you’ll hear from that series, in that teaching. And what I would submit to you is that we must go to the text of Scripture and derive our doctrine from that. And so, despite what we may have grown up with – I know these things are difficult things, they’re well worth your time in studying, you’ll be blessed by that – but you must allow Scripture to inform the prophecy. You must allow Scripture to inform your understanding of eschatology.

As the Lord teaches there on the Mount of Olives, and as we see other texts in Scripture related to eschatology, the purpose or the emphasis of that teaching is not the chronology itself, or not the events themselves; the emphasis or the purpose is always the effect that that truth should have on our lives. The way that a believer in response to those truths should think, what that believer should believe, and how that believer should conduct themselves. It’s an ethical concern that the Lord has in teaching eschatology.

The Lord says this in verse 42. Drop down to verse 42 in Matthew 24 with me. The Lord says: Watch therefore, [watch, be watchful] 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. We should be watchful. What does watchfulness look like? Look at verse 45. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? [Who is that one? Verse 46] Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. We are to be about the Lord’s business. And we should be compelled, motivated, all about the Lord’s business knowing that He comes back soon, that His return is imminent.

Verse 48: But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying His coming,’ and begins to [act wickedly, 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. If that’s not quite clear enough, that means hell.

The Lord’s purpose in teaching eschatology is to cultivate our hope, cultivate our delight in what the Lord has prepared for us, cultivate our joy in those things. We have that hope as an anchor for our souls. It’s to motivate our faith, motivate our trust in Him. Just like the events that the Lord prophesied in the days, the months, the years before AD 70 – just like those events came true, the events that He prophesied about the end will also come true. We can take that to the bank! This is to compel our faith, to motivate our obedience, and when He returns may He find us laboring faithfully in His vineyard.

Listen to the words of Peter. 2 Peter chapter 3, beginning in verse 14. Peter says: Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent [be diligent] to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Do you see the two exhortations, the two commands? 1) Beware! Be watchful, be sober-minded, be alert, be on the lookout, beware, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness! 2) But grow! Avail yourself of the means of grace, obey the Lord, trust the Lord, follow the Lord, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Peter ends with: To Him be the glory both now and forever. [And all God’s people said,] Amen.