Matthew 24:3-14, Signs of the End of the Age

3 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 them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Comments

Jesus left the temple for the Mount of Olives. Here the discipled asked Jesus for more information regarding his return and the close of the age, which for Jesus were the same event. That the disciples combined the destruction of the temple with the end of the age, showed the temple’s destruction was so momentous that for them it had to be the beginning of the end. Jesus continued to separate these two events, using the rest of this chapter to speak about the temple, helping the disciples to understand that a continuation of the age without the temple was possible.

In the ancient world natural disasters and wars were thought to be signs of the end of the age, yet they are part of every age. While they all lead to the end, these events are not signs of the end. Jesus warned of the difficulties the disciples would face and of a decline in the Church as the disciples’ love of God and neighbor cooled off. Then he pointed to the Gentile mission after Israel rejected her Messiah, saying the end cannot come until the gospel was preached far outside the Jewish world.

Prayer

Keep us, O Lord, while we tarry on this earth, in a serious seeking after thee, and in an affectionate walking with thee, every day of our lives; that when thou comest, we may be found not hiding our talent, nor serving the flesh, nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished, but waiting and longing for our Lord, our glorious King, for ever and ever.

(Richard Baxter, 1615-1691)