November 7

Matthew 24 (biblegateway.com)

Signs of the Times and the Call to Endure

After teaching His disciples on the Mount of Olives about future events and the need for spiritual watchfulness, Matthew provides a fuller account of Jesus’ prophetic teaching, offering clear signs, warnings, and encouragement for believers as they await His return.

In Matthew 24, Jesus delivers a detailed and solemn message concerning the future as He sits with His disciples on the Mount of Olives. After leaving the temple, He foretells its coming destruction, an unimaginable statement for the Jewish people who viewed the temple as the center of worship and national identity. The disciples then privately ask when these things will happen and what signs will signal His coming and the end of the age. Jesus responds by revealing both near-term events and long-range prophecy that will unfold before His return, preparing His followers for what lies ahead.

Jesus then uses a parable from nature to teach discernment: just as leaves sprouting on a fig tree signal that summer is near, so believers should recognize the signs that His return is approaching. Though no one knows the exact day or hour, His people must remain spiritually awake, living in readiness, faithfulness, and obedience. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His words will never pass away, reminding believers that His promises are certain, unchanging, and trustworthy.

Matthew 24 — Jesus’ Prophecy of the End and the Call to Faithful Readiness

After teaching in the temple during His final week, Jesus delivered His fifth and final major discourse recorded in Matthew, often called the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25). Sitting on the Mount of Olives, He gives His disciples a prophetic overview that blends near events (the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70) with distant events (His return, final judgment, and the establishment of His kingdom). Throughout, Jesus calls His people to watchfulness, faithfulness, and perseverance.

Importantly, this discourse also frames the church’s mission to the nations: the gospel must be proclaimed in the whole world before the end (24:14), a mandate Jesus will explicitly charge to His disciples in the Great Commission (28:18–20). Thus, Matthew’s narrative ties Jesus’ prophecy about the end with the ongoing task of making disciples of all nations.

As Matthew 24 opens, Jesus is leaving the temple after confronting the religious leaders. The disciples point out the temple buildings, impressed by their magnificence (v. 1). Jesus responds with a startling prophecy: “Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (v. 2). This was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Rome destroyed the temple. Jesus’ words redirect their attention from outward splendor to God’s unfolding purposes.

Later, seated on the Mount of Olives overlooking the city, the disciples come privately and ask, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (v. 3). Their question blends the near event of the temple’s fall with the far event of Christ’s return. Jesus interweaves both in His reply, preparing His followers for the course of history until His second coming.

He first warns them to guard against deception. Many will come in His name claiming to be the Christ and will mislead many (v. 4–5). Wars and rumors of wars will arise, but believers must not be alarmed, for such things must occur; yet the end is not yet (v. 6). Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; famines, pestilences, and earthquakes will occur in various places (v. 7). All these are “the beginning of birth pains” (v. 8), real troubles that signal movement in God’s plan but do not by themselves mark the end.

Jesus then prepares His followers for persecution. They will be delivered to tribulation, hated by all nations for His name, and some will be put to death (v. 9). Many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another (v. 10). False prophets will arise and deceive many, and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold (v. 11–12). Yet “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (v. 13). This endurance is not a work that earns salvation; it is the fruit and evidence of a genuine faith that continues in Christ by God’s grace.

Meanwhile, “this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (v. 14). Here Matthew anticipates the Great Commission (28:18–20): the risen Christ will send His church to make disciples of all nations, and that missionary task frames the church’s present age as we watch for His return.

While views differ, many Christians hold a premillennial understanding of this passage, recognizing that Matthew 24:4-14 describes conditions that characterize the entire church age and will intensify as the time of the great tribulation approaches. In this view, Jesus outlines the normal pattern of life in a fallen world, including spiritual deception, conflict among nations, natural disasters, persecution, and the spread of the gospel, while also indicating that these birth pains will increase in frequency and severity as His return draws nearer. Within this premillennial framework, the present church age will continue until the tribulation described in Scripture unfolds, and while believers differ on the timing of the rapture in relation to that tribulation, most agree that Christ will return visibly and in glory at its conclusion, defeat the forces of evil, and establish His kingdom on earth for a thousand years. After this millennial reign, Satan will be finally defeated, the last judgment will occur, and God will usher in the new heaven and new earth where His people will dwell with Him forever.

This perspective highlights that Jesus’ main concern in these verses is not to satisfy curiosity about dates or sequences, but to prepare His followers for perseverance and faithfulness. Believers are called to stand firm in the faith, resist deception, live holy and set-apart lives, and remain committed to the worldwide mission of making disciples. The endurance Jesus describes is not a self-produced effort but the fruit of a genuine relationship with Him, sustained by God’s grace. This understanding encourages Christians to take seriously the mission Christ entrusted to His people: proclaiming the gospel, living obediently, and remaining spiritually watchful, so that they are found faithful whenever He returns.

As Jesus continues, He shifts from describing the general conditions of this age to a key prophetic marker within the tribulation period that signals a decisive turning point. After preparing His disciples for deception, global turmoil, persecution, and the spread of the gospel to all nations, Jesus then speaks of a decisive prophetic event that will mark a turning point in the tribulation. He refers to “the abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (v. 15). This refers to a desecrating act set up in the temple, an idolatrous, God-defying intrusion so severe that it signals devastating judgment. Matthew adds, “let the reader understand,” indicating that His hearers should recall Daniel’s prophecy and discern its seriousness.

Historically, this phrase first pointed to the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 B.C., who erected a pagan altar in the temple and sacrificed swine to Zeus, defiling the sanctuary. A partial fulfillment also occurred in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. However, most interpreters understand Jesus’ words as looking beyond these past events to a final, future fulfillment associated with the last days and the rise of the Antichrist, who will exalt himself, demand worship, and set himself against God.

When this event occurs, those in Judea must flee to the mountains without delay (v. 16). Those on the housetop must not go down to gather possessions, and those in the fields must not return for their cloak (v. 17–18). The urgency indicates that this moment will bring sudden, severe danger. Jesus expresses compassion for the vulnerable, saying, “Woe to those who are pregnant or nursing infants in those days!” and urges them to pray that their flight will not take place in winter, when travel is difficult, or on the Sabbath, when Jewish customs would restrict movement (v. 19–20). These warnings reveal both the intensity of the crisis and Jesus’ tender concern for His people amid suffering.

He explains that “then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be” (v. 21). This period will surpass all previous suffering, and if those days were not shortened, no one would survive. Yet for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened (v. 22). This speaks of God’s merciful intervention to limit the duration of this unparalleled distress so that His people are preserved. The term “elect” refers to those who belong to God and remain faithful to Christ. Free Will Baptists typically understand “the elect” as those who are saved and continue in Christ through persevering faith made possible by God’s grace. Jesus’ words encourage believers that, even in the most severe trial, God sustains and preserves His own as they continue trusting in Him by His grace.

During this time, false christs and false prophets will arise, performing great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect (v. 23–24). Spiritual deception will intensify, and many will claim that the Messiah has appeared in secret places. Jesus warns His followers not to believe rumors that He is in the wilderness or in inner rooms (v. 25–26). His return will not be hidden, localized, or secret. As lightning flashes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man, public, visible, and unmistakable to all (v. 27). Wherever spiritual corruption is found, judgment will follow, just as vultures gather where the carcass lies (v. 28). Jesus prepares His disciples so they will not be misled by sensational claims or counterfeit signs. His true return will be glorious and undeniable.

Some believers throughout history have interpreted the “abomination of desolation” and the events described in these verses differently. Some apply the passage primarily to the events surrounding A.D. 70, seeing the fall of Jerusalem as the fulfillment. Others see a dual fulfillment, A.D. 70 as a foreshadowing of a yet-future tribulation under the Antichrist. Still others teach a pre-tribulation rapture of the church, viewing “the elect” here as those who come to faith during the tribulation period rather than the church itself. Free Will Baptists commonly hold to a future, literal tribulation and a visible return of Christ following great suffering, emphasizing readiness, perseverance, and faithfulness by God’s enabling grace rather than speculative timelines. Regardless of interpretive differences, Jesus’ central message remains clear: His people must not be deceived, must remain steadfast, and must be spiritually prepared for His return.

Jesus then describes signs in the heavens that will precede His return. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days,” the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken (v. 29). Whether these cosmic disturbances are entirely literal, symbolic, or a combination of both, Scripture presents them as dramatic, creation-shaking signs that signal the end of the age.

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (v. 30). His return will be visible, public, and unmistakable, fulfilling Daniel’s prophecy of the Son of Man receiving authority and dominion (Daniel 7:13–14). The nations will mourn, whether with sorrow leading to repentance or with the grief of regret as judgment approaches, for the reality of Christ’s glory and sovereignty will be undeniable.

At His appearing, Christ will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (v. 31). This gathering includes all who belong to Him, His redeemed people across the earth. A trumpet blast is often associated with the appearance of the Messiah and God’s final gathering of His people. Some interpreters see this as referring specifically to believers who come to faith during the period of tribulation, along with the regathering of Israel and the resurrection of Old Testament saints. Others understand this gathering as the uniting of all believers, those already with Christ in heaven and those living on earth at the time of His return. Scripture presents this as a moment of both judgment for the unbelieving world and deliverance for God’s people.

Additionally, there are different viewpoints among Christians regarding the timing and nature of this gathering. Some link this trumpet gathering to the rapture described in 1 Thessalonians 4, believing it happens before the tribulation (pre-tribulational view) and see “the elect” here as those saved during the tribulation. Others see this as the climactic gathering of all believers at Christ’s visible return after the tribulation (post-tribulational view), connecting it directly with the resurrection and the establishment of Christ’s kingdom. Free Will Baptists commonly affirm a future, literal, visible return of Christ following a time of great tribulation, viewing the gathering of the elect as the Lord’s rescue and vindication of His faithful people at His second coming. While sincere, Bible-believing Christians differ on the sequence of certain end-time events, the shared emphasis remains on readiness, ongoing faithfulness in Christ by His grace, and perseverance until He returns.

Christ’s return will not be hidden or secret. Just as lightning flashes from east to west, His coming will be sudden, glorious, and seen by all. As vultures gather where the corpse lies, judgment will surely fall where corruption and rebellion are found (v. 27–28). Jesus’ words assure His followers that His return will be unmistakable, removing any need to chase rumors or fear being misled. The King will appear in power and glory, gather His people to Himself, and bring God’s purposes to completion.

Jesus gives the parable of the fig tree: when its branch becomes tender and puts forth leaves, you know summer is near (v. 32). Likewise, when these things take place, you know His coming is near, right at the doors (v. 33). “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (v. 34). Jesus affirms the absolute certainty of His words: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away” (v. 35). His promises stand forever, more enduring than creation itself.

This parable teaches discernment. Just as the fig tree shows signs of a changing season, the signs Jesus described beforehand reveal that His return draws near. While believers must not engage in date–setting or speculative predictions, Jesus does expect spiritual alertness. “This generation” has been interpreted in several ways: (1) the generation living when Jesus spoke, who saw the beginning of the birth pains and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70; (2) a dual fulfillment, those alive at the fall of Jerusalem and the final generation alive at the end of the age; (3) a “kind” of people, such as “this evil generation” that resists God; (4) the Jewish people as a “race” (genea) who will not pass away before the end comes; and (5) the generation that sees the final signs begin will see them completed. Many Free Will Baptists understand that Jesus’ prophecy included both the near fulfillment in A.D. 70 and the ultimate fulfillment in the last days, and that “this generation” most likely refers to the final generation who sees the end–time signs begin unfolding and will live to see Christ’s return.

Jesus then addresses the timing of His return. “But concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (v. 36). His coming will resemble the days of Noah, when people are eating, drinking, marrying, and living in everyday routines until the flood comes and sweeps them away (v. 37–39). Life will appear normal and undisturbed, just as in Noah’s day, right up until sudden judgment. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women are grinding grain; one is taken, and one is left (v. 40–41).

In this passage, Jesus’ comparison with the days of Noah indicates that the one “taken” is taken in judgment, while the one “left” remains to enter Christ’s kingdom, just as Noah was left on earth while the wicked were taken away in the flood (v. 39–41). This reflects the immediate context of Jesus’ warning and His emphasis on unexpected judgment. This interpretation does not deny the broader biblical hope of Christ gathering His people (often connected with passages such as 1 Thessalonians 4), but recognizes that here Jesus is speaking specifically about sudden judgment at His coming rather than the timing or sequence of end-time events. His application remains the same for all believers: “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (v. 42). Christ’s return calls for continual readiness, faithfulness, and watchfulness—not speculation.

Jesus illustrates watchfulness with the example of a homeowner. If he knew when a thief would come, he would stay alert and not allow his house to be broken into (v. 43). Likewise, believers must be spiritually prepared, for the Son of Man will come at an hour they do not expect (v. 44). His point is not to fuel predictions but to cultivate obedience, faithfulness, and readiness.

While the primary application of these warnings applies to the future generation that will experience the days of the Tribulation and look for the King’s appearing, there is also a secondary application for believers today. Although the church is not the direct audience in this passage, the principles of watchfulness, faithfulness, and readiness apply to all of Christ’s followers. We are to live with urgency, fulfilling our mission rather than becoming spiritually lazy. Believers today are called to stay awake, remain faithful, and carry out the work of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) as we await Christ’s return. Christ’s return should inspire holy living, evangelism, endurance in the faith, and reliance on God’s grace, not complacency.

He then describes two kinds of servants. The faithful and wise servant is entrusted with responsibility and carries out his duty with integrity, caring for the master’s household and providing for them at the proper time (v. 45). When the master returns and finds him doing so, he is blessed and rewarded, set over all the master’s possessions (v. 46–47). But the wicked servant assumes the master is delayed and begins living in sin. He abuses others, indulges in worldliness, and ignores his stewardship (v. 48–49). The master returns unexpectedly, cuts him off, and assigns him a place with the hypocrites, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, language of final judgment (v. 50–51). Faithfulness reveals genuine preparedness and loyalty to Christ; neglect and disobedience expose unbelief and result in judgment.

This parable teaches that Christ’s return will reveal the true hearts of those who claim to be His servants. The faithful servant represents those who continue to obey, serve, and steward what Christ has entrusted to them, regardless of how long the wait may seem. The wicked servant reflects those who profess allegiance but live as though Christ will not return. Just as in Noah’s day, judgment will come suddenly for those who are unprepared. The separation described, ending with “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” pictures eternal judgment for those who prove false. This parable underscores that true saving faith continues and bears fruit, while careless living exposes an unchanged heart.

Conclusion

Matthew 24 presents Jesus as the sovereign Lord who knows the end from the beginning and prepares His people for what lies ahead. He does not reveal these truths to produce fear, but to strengthen faith, cultivate discernment, and inspire steadfast obedience. In this chapter, Jesus warns against deception, false security, spiritual neglect, and worldliness, and calls His followers to endurance, holiness, and readiness. Though the world will grow darker and more unstable as the end draws near, Christ’s promises remain sure, His Word will not fail, and His return is certain. In these truths, believers can find hope, courage, and assurance as they wait for Him.

For believers today, Matthew 24 calls for a balanced response, neither ignoring the signs of the times nor becoming consumed with speculation. Instead, we are to live faithfully, prayerfully, and alert, keeping our eyes on Christ and staying anchored in His truth. The One who foretold the fall of the temple and the unfolding of the end-time events will come again in glory. Blessed are those who remain watchful, steadfast, and walking in His light when He returns.