January 22, 2014: Matthew Chapter 24

The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 24

Originally posted on January 31, 2008  

General Comment: We have seen a thread being weaved through recent chapters. Beginning with parables of separation, the weeds from wheat; the vineyard workers who are divided by who will be first and who will be last; the condemnation of Temple misuse; a withered fig tree representing the Temple; the two sons; the wicked tenants; the wedding banquet with those who are invited but will not attend and those who were not invited but came; the stark image of Scribes and Pharisees who would bar others from the Kingdom but will not enter themselves. Chapter 24 and 25 serve as the focal point of Matthew's view of the imminent future. That future is the Judgment. The two Kingdoms come into focus. The end is near. This is what it looks like. The Son of Man is on the horizon. Be ready and stay alert. (A number of explanatory notes have been included below)

Matthew Chapter 24:1-2 The Destruction of the Temple

As Jesus and the disciples leave the Temple, the disciples are admiring the marvelous edifice that was called Herod's Temple. He had begun the remodeling and extensive expansion almost 49 year ago and it was still not completed. It was a marvelous sight to behold with its great gates, white pillared porticos, and at its center the gleaming sanctuary, with the Holy of Holies, the place of the mercy seat upon which descended the very presence, the Shekinah, the indwelling presence of God. Jesus makes a startling observation that all this beauty, all this marble, the huge stones, will be destroyed, will be a vast heap of rubble. Such a disaster could hardly be conceived by this band of Galileans. They had come so far, had seen and heard so much, were awaken to a Kingdom of peace, justice, compassion, and mercy. How could a destroyed Temple, God's house, be reconciled with such expectations? Their silence was full of shouting.

Matthew Chapter 24:3-8 Signs of the End of the Old Age

Later in the afternoon, after leaving the Temple area, and crossing the Kidron Valley with its dried up wadi bed, separating the Temple's Eastern Wall from the Mount of Olives, Jesus is sitting by himself, the disciples sitting together on the ground amid the shade of the trees. The disciples have been talking among themselves about Jesus' surprising comment. They come to him and ask for an explanation. When will this happen?  What sign will we see that you are returning and that the end of this age has dawned? Matthew merges within their questions the three predictions of Jesus' death, resurrection and return as the Son of Man. This is what will happen, he has written, and now I will tell you what will be born from it.

Jesus warns the disciples of the darkness to come, of false prophets, deceptive Messiahs. "Do not go out after them," he says. It is not time. And great conflicts will arise among nations and kingdoms. It is not time. Famines and earthquakes will create great fear. It is not time. All is as it should be, for the birthing of what is to come will have hard labor.

Matthew Chapter 24:9-14 The Coming Persecution

There is more. Part of the birthpangs will affect you disciples - the Church of Matthew. Torture, death, hatred, because you follow me. Lapsing, rejection of the faith, betrayal. Again, more false prophets, some powerfully persuasive, will convince many to return to the old ways. Hold fast, persevere and remain faithful until this darkness passes. Give your testimony. Spread the Good News everywhere you can. The end will be nearer, but not yet.

Matthew Chapter 24;15-28 The Desolating Sacrilege

This is the time of tribulation, the beginning of the end. The Holy place will be desecrated, panic will ensue, all are urged to leave everything behind and to flee the coming scourge. Suffering such as has never been seen approaches; more false Messiahs and Prophets will lure away the weak of faith. Do not believe them. Do not go out to them. The terror will be so great that had not "those days been cut short" no one would have been saved. But a sign of salvation will appear and be seen from east to west, like a lightening flash crossing the heavens, it will appear.

Matthew Chapter 24:29-35 The Son of Man and the Lesson of the Fig Tree

After this tribulation, great signs will appear in the heavens; the much awaited sign of the Son of Man will flash across the sky as he descends on the clouds of heaven; his angels will gather the elect , the living (Christians who persevered until the end) from the four winds, and those who had died in the faith. As the approach of summer can be predicted by the appearance of leaves on the fig tree, so when all these promised signs have appeared, you will know the Son of Man is near, even at the gates.

Matthew Chapter 24:36-51 The need for Watchfulness and the Unfaithful Slave

Here we read the pragmatic side of Matthew's predictions. All of these things are about to happen, but no one knows the day or the hour, not the angels or even the Son of Man (Christ) himself, know the time of its happening. As in the days of Noah life goes on as usual, in the fields and at the grinding mill, until that day arrives. It is our responsibility, knowing its nearness, to remain awake and alert and faithful, continuing the doing of our good works. We do not want to be like the unfaithful slave who is found by the returning Master not engaged in the work of the household he had been assigned. So it is for Matthew's community. They are exhorted in their faithfulness to be ready and always doing the works they have been called to do in readiness for the Kingdom which will surely come. 

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Notes:

1) We begin with Matthew's version of what scholars call the "Little Apocalypse." Jewish and Christian Apocalyptic literature portray the end of history, of time itself. It is based on the premise that the world is so evil, so in thrall to Satan's power, that there is nothing humanity can do to save itself from this evil. Only God can save us through direct intervention. There are only two Apocalyptic books in the Bible - Daniel and Revelation. There are others known to the early Christians, such as the Book of Enoch. All such works use visions and imaginative images, symbolism, cosmic signs, disasters and great wonders. This is the heart of the Left Behind series. It is not meant to be taken literally. The central feature of all such literature, including what we read in Mark, Matthew and Luke, is that the end is at hand. Get right with God. Be alert. Remain steadfast in the faith. I am reminded of the Johnny Carson bit: "I have some good news and some bad news. The Good news is that Jesus is coming. The bad news is that he will be here at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon."

2) As the missionaries spread throughout Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor (Turkey) and other parts of the Roman Empire and as small communities were forming along the way in most major cities and towns, there were many trials to face. We will read in Acts of the reaction of Judaism in the Diaspora (dispersion of Jews throughout the Greek-Roman world) as well as of Gentiles, of city and Roman provincial officials, even Kings. We know of Caligula, Nero and others who sought to wipe out this infestation of what they considered to be sectarian Jews who had been rejected and condemned by Judaism which was an approved Religion of the State.

3) There were false Messiahs during the first Century. Josephus writes of several who appeared before and during the Jewish war against Rome. We also know of false prophets within the Christian movement. Paul writes of them and we have the evidence of a document entitled "Didache" (The Teaching), written by Matthew's community at the end of the first Century. It contains instructions on how to "test" visiting prophets.

4) The desolating Sacrilege of Daniel 9:27 and 12:11-13 refers to the placing in the Jewish Temple a statue of the Syrian version of the god Zeus, along with the sacrificing of swine on the Great Altar. The later cleansing of the Temple is the basis for the festival of Hanukkah. Here it may refer to the breaching of the Wall of Jerusalem and entry of the Roman Army in 70 CE. The Army brought its standards (symbols of power as well as Roman deities) into the Sanctuary and made sacrifices on the Altar. Matthew's warnings reflect the fleeing of Christians (and others) before the city was taken. The death, destruction and suffering in and around Jerusalem as well as throughout Palestine, as reported by Josephus who was an eye witness, was indeed great.

5) Even in the midst of the Roman siege there were those inside the city who claimed to be the Messiah, or one of the great Prophets, urging the citizens to resist, and killing those who sought negotiations with Titus. As the Wall was crumbling there was an expectation that God would intervene and the Messiah would arrive. Much of the language of Chapter 24 was taken from similar Jewish works and early Christian prophecy as well as Daniel.

6) The "Second Coming" and subsequent events, of all variety of descriptions, has been a recurring theme ever since the first Century. For Matthew, as with all early Christian writers (and all Christians) the expectation that these events were imminent, that the general resurrection and final Judgment was at hand. Paul, writing his first Epistle, no later than 15 years after Jesus' death and Paul's Damascus Road experience, was readying the Thessalonians that Jesus' return would be within the their life time and his. Matthew, writing 40 years later would write of the same expectations, that "...this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place." Ten years after Matthew the author of the Book of Revelation would predict the same. The writer of 2 Peter, some twenty years after Matthew, will admonish his flock of his expectations of the same event. The coming of the Son of Man has been the subject of similar predictions at the turn of two millennia, the Civil and two World Wars, and any number of plagues and other disasters.