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Matthew 24

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • September 12, In the year of our Lord, 2018

  1. Matthew 24.1–3 | Impressive Buildings

    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?”

    1. Why did the disciples want to show Jesus the buildings of the temple?
    2. What did Jesus say would happen to that temple?
      1. How thorough would the destruction be?
      2. Has it happened?
    3. What did the disciples ask?
      1. What prompted their questions?
      2. Did believe that the destruction of the temple and the return of Christ and the end of the age were different events or separated by time?
    4. Premillennialists believe that all of Matthew 24 prophesies of the Second Coming.
      1. This is why they believe the temple must be rebuilt, because
      2. it was destroyed, but
        1. they see the Second Coming occurring at the time the temple is destroyed.
        2. Therefore, they believe the answers of Jesus are all speaking of a single event, or events that happen at the same time period.
    5. However, as is obvious from history,
      1. Jesus addressed the destruction of Jerusalem,
      2. which happened in ad 70, but
        1. He also addressed His Second Coming
        2. to let them know that it will not be like the destruction of Jerusalem.
  2. Matthew 24.4–13 | Beware of Deception

    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.

    1. The disciples had wanted to know about the sign of the Lord’s coming.
    2. Jesus warned them not to be deceived on this matter.
      1. What would some people try to do?
      2. What kinds of rumors would they hear?
      3. What would happen to the apostles?
      4. What would happen either in society or in the church?
    3. Who would be saved?
  3. Matthew 24.14–22 | The Attack on Jerusalem

    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.

    1. How far would the Gospel be preached?
      1. See Col 1.6, 23
      2. What promise from Genesis does this fulfill?
    2. Verse 15 alerts us to what “the end” spoken by Christ is.
      1. Jesus referenced the prophecy of Daniel.
      2. This is found at the end of Daniel’s 70-weeks prophecy – 9.27
    3. Would you say that verses 16–22 picture:
      1. The settings of the Second Coming?
      2. The invasion of the Romans against Jerusalem?
  4. Matthew 24.23–29 | You Will Know When the Christ Has Returned

    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.

    1. Why should they not believe when someone says that Christ is somewhere?
    2. What did Jesus teach with the words of verse 27?
    3. What did He mean when He spoke of the eagles gathered by the carcass?
      1. Jerusalem would be the carcass.
      2. Verse 29 sounds like the Second Coming, but Jesus merely illustrated what a catastrophe the destruction of Jerusalem and her people would be.
        1. Think of the history of that city.
        2. Think of God dwelling there.
          1. Thus when He finally pulled out of there and
          2. sent a monstrous army against His formerly beloved city,
            1. it would be like the shaking up of heaven.
    4. Would anyone have to announce to the disciples that Jesus has returned?
      1. No, because He compared it to what?
      2. If you are outside, can you see lightning?
  5. Matthew 24.30–31 | Sign of the Son of Man

    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.

    1. Clearly Jesus has been speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.
      1. Therefore, this must in some way refer to the destruction of Jerusalem.
      2. Who would order the destruction of the city?
        1. Cf. 2Sa 24.16
        2. Notice the Lord and the use of angels during Daniel’s time – Dan 10.20–11.2
    2. The Lord coming in judgment does not automatically mean the Last Judgment.
  6. Matthew 24.32–35 | The Fig Tree Parable

    32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

    1. What was the lesson of the fig tree?
    2. Could they know when Jerusalem’s time was up?
    3. What timeframe did Jesus give them?
    4. Do the words of verses 32–34 fit better with the Second Coming or the destruction of Jerusalem?
    5. How sure were the words of Jesus?
      1. Heaven and earth would pass away before His word would ever pass away.
      2. By saying this, He also alerted them to the fact that the heavens and the earth will pass away, which He then addressed.
  7. VII.Matthew 24.36–44 | No One Knows the Time

    36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 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, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 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. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

    1. Of what day and hour?
      1. What had He just announced would happen in the previous sentence?
      2. Who is the only one who knows the time when the heavens and the earth will pass away?
    2. How or in what way would His coming be like the Flood of Noah?
    3. Notice how verses 40–41 differ from verses 16–20.
    4. Why should we watch?
    5. Now He compared His Second Coming to the arrival of a what?
      1. He gave them signs for the destruction of Jerusalem.
      2. He did not give them (us) signs for the Second Coming.
    6. What does verse 44 tell you about signs preceding the Second Coming?
  8. VIII.Matthew 24.45–51 | The Faithful and Wise Servant

    45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 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, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

    1. What did Jesus then teach?