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Matthew Chapter
Twenty-four
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Lord’s Speech Concerning Things that
would Take Place in Future
I. The speech to the Jews the elect:
A. The
prophecy that the temple will be thrown down (v.1-2).
B. The
prophecies before the coming of the end of the age (v.3-14).
C. The
prophecy concerning the Great Tribulation (v.15-28).
D. The
prophecy concerning the coming of the Son of Man (v.29-31).
II. The speech to believers of the New Testament:
A.
Knowing that the Lord in near from the parable of the fig tree (v.32-35).
B. As
the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be (v.36-44).
C.
When the Lord comes, He will punish evil servants (v.45-51).
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Matt. 24:1 “Then Jesus went out and
departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings
of the temple.”
YLT: “And having gone
forth, Jesus departed from the temple, and his disciples came near to show him
the buildings of the temple,”
The
Background: after the temple
which was rebuilt by Zerubbabel (See Ezra. 3:8) was thrown down, “the temple”
here refers to the one that was rebuilt again around B.C. 20 because Herod the
Great wanted to please the Jews. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, it had been
built for forty-six years (See John. 2:20) and it still had not been finished.
According to the records of the Jewish historian Joseph, the whole temple was
finished in A.D. 64. This temple was magnificent and grand. Each marble of the
temple extends more than 3 meters and there were colossal golden decorations in
it.
Literal Meaning: “Jesus went out and
departed from the temple” This happened after He declared that “your house is
left to you desolate” (See Matt. 23:38). He showed that He had rejected this temple
with action just like glorious God departed from the
“Show Him the buildings of the temple.”
The disciples may want the Lord to appreciate the magnificence and beautifulness
of the temple with them together.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Jesus departed from the temple.” When the
children of God reject the Lord, the Lord departs from them and He is not with
them.
2) Today many so-called “church” only have magnificent,
tall and grand appearance (See Mark. 13:1), however, the Lord is not in them
(“Jesus departed from the temple”).
3) “The disciples showed Him the buildings of the
temple” What they care about in their hearts is the temporal things which are
seen with eyes instead of the eternal glory which are not seen (See 2Cor.
4:17-18).
4) Do we boasts of our “temple”------such as
numerous people, thriving work, and beautiful buildings, or “the Lord” in the
temple?
Matt. 24:2 “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.’”
YLT: “and Jesus said to
them, `Do ye not see all these? verily I say to you, There may not be left here
a stone upon a stone, that shall not be thrown down.’”
Literal Meaning: “do you not see all
these things?” The Lord knew what was in His disciples.
“Assuredly, I say to you…shall be…” Here
the Lord Jesus predicted again the thing that would be fulfilled in A.D. 70
when the
“Not one stone shall be left here upon
another.” It was fully fulfilled in A.D.70 literally. At that time, the Romans,
under the lead of Titus, completely destructed
Spiritual Meaning: “the temple”
typifies the church; “stones” typify believers (See Eph. 2:20-22, 1Pet. 2:5).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) No matter how beautiful and civilized the world
is in men’s physical eyes, all the elements shall melt with fervent heat in the
spiritual eyes (See 2Pet. 3:12).
2) The glory of the temple is not gold, silver, or
gem but the presence of the Lord. Since the church is God’s temple, we should pay
attention to God’s presence more than the outward large scale.
3) The church that has thriving appearance and does
not have the presence of the Lord will fall apart sooner or later and members
of the church could not get along with each other (“not one stone shall be left here upon
another”) because the Lord
allows this kind of church to be “destructed” by men’s hands.
4) Natural men (stones) cannot accompany with each
other and be built together and therefore if our natural lives have not been
destructed, we can neither let the Lord have position in us nor have the true
building.
Matt. 24:3 “Now as He sat on the
YLT: “And when he is
sitting on the mount of the Olives, the disciples came near to him by himself,
saying, `Tell us, when shall these be? and what [is] the sign of thy presence,
and of the full end of the age?’”
Meaning of Words: “coming”: a being
near, presence and advent (parousia, it includes the meaning of the continuing
process); “sign”: miracle, token, wonder.
Literal Meaning: “He sat on the Mount
of Olives” “The Mount of Olives” is located in the outside of the Brook Cedron
on the east of
“What will be the sign of Your coming,
and of the end of the age?” According to the foresight of modern times, the
questions of the disciples could be divided into three: a) when will be these
things? “These things” indicates prophecies said by the Lord towards
In the hearts of disciples at that time,
they obviously held that these three things would happen at the same time and
therefore they asked them together. However, the Lord mentioned these three
things together in His answer probably because the destruction of Jerusalem and
the Holy Temple and the disasters that are about to take place in the Holy land
are the preludes and typifications to the things that would take place in the
last day when the Lord comes back.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Christ’s coming will bring us His everlasting
presence.
2) If believers want to receive the vision of the
last day from the Lord, they have to climb the high mountain and come to Him.
3) Every time we come to hidden places (“the
disciples came to Him, privately”), draw near to Christ who had been risen and
taken into heaven and now sits on the throne (“Jesus sat on the Mountain of
Olive”) and have imitate fellowship with Him, we will receive the Lord’s
abundant words and revelations (“tell us”).
Matt. 24:4 “And Jesus answered and
said to them: ‘Take heed that no one
deceives you.”
YLT: “And Jesus answering
said to them, `Take heed that no one may lead you astray,”
Meaning of Words: “deceive”: be out of
the way, cheat.
Literal Meaning: “take heed that no
one deceives you.” “Deceive” indicates to make it difficult to discern what is
true or false with deceitful means and therefore we should take heed of it.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) It is good for us to hold on the cautious
attitude towards others’ speeches concerning Christ.
2) All the prophecies of the Bible, as a lamp that
shines in a dark place (2Pet. 1:19), provide us light, and let us not be deceived.
Therefore if we do not want to be deceived, we should pay attention to
prophecies and be cautious and should not confuse right and wrong.
Matt. 24:5 “For many will come in My
name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,' and will
deceive many.”
YLT: “for many shall come
in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they shall lead many astray,”
Literal Meaning: “many will come in
My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ.’” indicates those who call themselves
Christ. The Lord’s words show that the appearance of false christ is the sign
of the destruction of the temple. The Jewish historian Joseph recorded that
during forty years after the Lord died and rose again to
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) One of the signs of the last day is that men
like to promote themselves with Christ. However, Christ is the spiritual
reality instead of the flag.
2) Anyone who calls himself Christ is actually
false. Some deceivers do not pronounce that he is Christ and they mislead
others to regard him as Christ unconsciously.
Matt. 24:6 “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.”
YLT: “and ye shall begin
to hear of wars, and reports of wars; see, be not troubled, for it behoveth all
[these] to come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
Meaning of Words: “end”: final,
conclusion.
The
Background: “rumors of wars”
When Matthew was writing this book, the rumor that the Roman Cavalry was
willing to suppress was widely reported.
Literal Meaning: “you will hear of
wars and rumors of wards” This is the second sign before the temple was
destructed. After the Lord was dead, the rumor that wars were going to take
place made men scared and jittery.
“You are not troubled.” It indicates
that “being troubled” is of no help and we should be prepared at all times to
face these things.
“For all these things must come to
pass.” It is the reason to “be not troubled”. Since wars are unavoidable,
“being troubled” is of no help.
“But the end is not yet.” “End”
indicates “the end of the age” (See v.3), i.e. the Great Tribulation of the
three and a half years (See Rev. 11:2).
Matt. 24:7 “For nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines,
pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.”
YLT: “`For nation shall
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines,
and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places;”
Literal Meaning: “nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” “Nation will rise against nation”
indicates wars between nations and tribes and villages; “kingdom against
kingdom” indicates international wars. From the time when the Lord was taken up
into heaven to now, wars take place incessantly from ages and from generations.
“There will be famines, pestilences, and
earthquakes in various places.” Wars always bring in famines. In all ages
earthquakes increase unceasingly and earthquakes are about to become more
serious in the end of the age (See Rev. 6:12, 8:5, 11:13, 19; 16:18).
Spiritual Meaning: “nation will rise
against nation” symbolizes that the earthly people would dispute with the
heavenly people.
“Kingdom against kingdom” symbolizes
that the
“There will be famines, pestilences, and
earthquakes in various places.” “Famines” symbolizes that the lack of spiritual
food in all places does not make God’s people be full; “earthquakes” symbolizes
that all things beyond God shall be removed (See Heb. 12:27).
Matt. 24:8 “All these are the
beginning of sorrows.”
YLT: “and all these [are]
the beginning of sorrows;”
Meaning of Words: “sorrows”: throes.
The
Background: when a woman gives
birth to a child, she must have intermittent throes. When the intermission
between throes becomes shorter and shorter, the degree of it becomes more and
more serious.
Literal Meaning: this verse shows
that after the Lord was dead, the tribulations which
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God allows tribulations to happen to us for
birth instead of destruction. It does not make us be desperate but give us
hope.
2) Wars, famines and earthquakes all bring men
tribulations of the flesh, however, these tribulations are sorrows and these
will give birth to a child and finally these will bring men joy (See John.
16:21).
3) God’s will is to have many sons (See Gal. 3:26,
Heb. 2:10) to be manifestations of glory of His son Christ, therefore all the
tribulations are used by God to build the
Matt. 24:9 “‘Then
they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by
all nations for My name's sake.”
YLT: “then they shall
deliver you up to tribulation, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated by all
the nations because of my name;”
Meaning of Words: “deliver up”: cast.
Literal Meaning: “then they will
deliver you up to tribulation.” “Then” indicates in the beginning of sorrows;
“you” indicates the Lord’s disciples. They were both Jewish and believers and
therefore “sorrows” must be related to both the Jews and believers of the New
Testament.
“You will be hated by all nations for My
name’s sake.” “All nations” indicate the Gentiles who are unbelievers. Both the
Jews and the Gentile believers will be hated (See Matt. 10:22), persecuted (See
Matt. 5:11) and killed by unbelievers for the Lord’s name’s sake.
Enlightenment in the Word: all tribulations that we are about to suffer are
added by “men” besides natural disasters (See v.7). It is truly tribulation
upon tribulation and trouble upon trouble.
Matt. 24:10 “And then many will be
offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.”
YLT: “and then shall many
be stumbled, and they shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one
another.”
Literal Meaning: here the offense,
betray and hatred are certain outcome of tribulations and persecution (See
Matt. 10:36; 13:21; Mark. 13:12-13; Luke. 21:16; John. 16:1-2).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Because they are unwilling to suffer pain and
death many believers are willing to apostatize (“be offended”) and betray
brothers and sisters (“betray one another, and hate one another”) in order to
preserve themselves.
2) Believers should love one another, however, they
may change to “betray one another and hate one another”.
Matt. 24:11 “Then many false prophets will rise up and
deceive many.”
YLT: “`And many false
prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord said that many would be deceived again
and again, showing that deceit is a common fact in the Church History (See
1Tim. 4:1, 2Tim. 3:13, 2Pet. 2:1).
2) The deceit of false prophets is to make men
misunderstand that what they say are God’s words. There is no doubt that we
should not despise prophecies, however, what’s essential is that we should
prove all things (See 1Thess. 5:20-21).
Matt. 24:12 “And because lawlessness
will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”
YLT: “and because of the
abounding of the lawlessness, the love of the many shall become cold;”
Literal Meaning: “because lawlessness
will abound” “Lawlessness” indicates the unruly things and things that are
against the will of God. It indicates that lawlessness happens not only in the
world but also in the church. This is the result of deceit of false prophets.
“Lawlessness” will become more and more.
“The love of many will grow cold.” Once
the “lawlessness” abounds, the “love” of many believers may be hurt and then
they will grow cold.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Love” and “Lawlessness” cannot co-exist. If one
wants to have more love, he has to stand aloof from lawless environments.
2) The church is the lamp to bear witness to Christ
(Rev. 1:20). And the most important testimony of the church is the first love.
Once the first love is lost, it also loses its value of its existence as a lamp
(See Rev. 2:4-5).
3) The church in Philadelphia (it means “brotherly
love” in the original) is the one where brothers love one another and therefore
they are kept from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world,
to try them that dwell upon the earth (See Rev. 3:10), showing that “love” is
the best equipment to withstand tribulations.
Matt. 24:13 “But he who endures to the
end shall be saved.”
YLT: “but he who did
endure to the end, he shall be saved;”
Literal Meaning: “be saved” does not
mean to receive the redemption but to be delivered from tribulations and enter
into the kingdom (See Acts. 27:20, 44; Ps. 80:3, 7, 19; Jer. 23:6, 30:7). In
the last period of the Great Tribulation, the Lord Jesus will save those who
are of Him out of the tribulations. The only way to be saved is to “endure to
the end” which means that hold fast what you have in the lawless environment
(See Rev. 3:8-11).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Through many tribulations, we must enter into
the
2) Believers are fellow-partakers in the
tribulations and kingdom and patience of Jesus (Rev. 1:9).
Matt. 24:14 “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.”
YLT: “and this good news
of the reign shall be proclaimed in all the world, for a testimony to all the
nations; and then shall the end arrive.”
Literal Meaning: “this gospel of the
kingdom” have the same nature of gospel with “the gospel of grace” (See Acts.
20:24). And the emphases of them are different. “The gospel of grace” stresses
on men’s sins and God’s redemption and the aim of this gospel is to bring men
to believe in the Lord and receive the forgiveness of sins. “The gospel of the
kingdom” stresses on men’s obedience and God’s power. The aim of this gospel is
to lead men to repent and be under His authority. Though these two kinds of
gospels are different in wording, actually they are two sides of one. The
salvation which makes men have everlasting life actually makes men to enter the
“Will be preached in all the world as a
witness to all the nations.” “All the world” indicate the whole habitable
earth. “All the nations” indicate all the unbelievers (especially the Gentile
unbelievers). “As a witness” is preaching the glad tidings, however, it is
preaching not only by words but also by manifestation of behaviors (See Pill.
1:27).
“Then the end will come.” “The end”
indicates “the end of the age” (See v.3, 6). It is the prerequisite to end this
age that glad tidings shall be preached in all the world. In another words,
preaching glad tidings to every corner of the world will speed up the coming of
the end.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If children of God do not work with Him to bear
witness to the kingdom and fight against this world, God would rather delay
ending this world than end it quickly.
2) The Lord wants believers to work with Him to
promote the ending of this age and the second coming of the Lord. Therefore the
Lord appointed believers to go and preach everywhere to the end of the earth
(See Matt. 28:19; Mark. 16:20; Acts. 1:8).
3) Preaching glad tidings is first and then
judgments come. God gives men enough chance to receive grace and then look into
one’s attitude towards grace. Anyone who is unable to sympathize or care about
others is unworthy to condemn others.
Matt. 24:15 “‘Therefore
when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,'
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever
reads, let him understand),”
YLT: “`Whenever,
therefore, ye may see the abomination of the desolation, that was spoken of
through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever is reading let
him observe)”
Meaning of Words: “desolation”: make
it desolate, make it waste; “abomination”: the abominable things, disgusting
things.
Literal Meaning: “spoken of by Daniel
the prophet” It is quoted from Dan. 11:31. It originally means that the Greek
King Antiochus IV (namely Epiphanes) who invaded
“See the ‘abomination of desolation’,
standing in the holy place.” “Desolation” indicates the antichrist (See Dan.
9:27); “abomination” indicates idols (See Deut. 29:17); “the holy place”
indicates sanctuary in the temple (See Ps. 68:35, Ezek. 7:24). This sentence
typified the presumptuous things the heathens had done in the
“Whoever reads, let him understand.” When Matthew wrote this book, it was
close to A.D.70, he could not protest who the “abomination of desolation” was.
Therefore he added this sentence in parenthesis in order to remind readers to
notice its hidden meaning when reading this prophecy.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Before the Lord comes back, the “abominable”
things will be manifested in the church such as adultery, apostasy, antichrist
and etc.
2) God is a jealousy God (Exod. 20:5). Where there
are idols, there the wrath of God would befall. He would rather let the
3) This verse especially notes that “whoever reads, let him understand” in order to remind believers it is
possible that the throne of Satan dwells in the church (See Rev. 2:13).
Matt. 24:16 “‘then
let those who are in
YLT: “then those in
Literal Meaning: when suffering
persecutions, God’s people are supposed to “flee” instead of resisting (See
Matt. 10:23, Rev. 12:6). “The mountains” are easy to hide themselves. According
to the report of the early church, before
Spiritual Meaning: “flee to the
mountains” symbolizes to pay price to live in spiritual realm.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Once the worship of idols (including the worship
of spiritual Giants) appears in the church, believers are supposed to flee and
come out from among them quickly (See 2Cor. 6:17).
2) If believers want to escape the Great
Tribulations at the last day, the best way is to pay price to seek to reach
high spiritual realm (“flee to the mountains”) and then will be raptured by the
Lord (See v.40-41).
Matt. 24:17 “Let him who is on the
housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.”
YLT: “he on the house-top
let him not come down to take up any thing out of his house;”
The
Background: the houses of the
ancient Jews were terraces and there were the outside ladders to climb to the
housetop.
Literal Meaning: “on the housetop”
“housetop” indicates the roof and it is outside of the house.
“Not go down to take anything out of his
house.” It means that do not go down from the outside ladder to take things.
Spiritual Meaning: “on the housetop”
symbolizes those who have reached the heavenly realm; “anything out of his
house” symbolizes the worldly and material things.
Enlightenment in the Word: Every believer who already has got some spiritual
attainments (“on the housetop”) should take care and avoid being dragged by
earthly things (“go down to take anything out of his house”).
Matt. 24:18 “And let him who is in the
field not go back to get his clothes.”
YLT: “and he in the field
let him not turn back to take his garments.”
Meaning of Words: “clothes”: robe.
Spiritual Meaning: “in the field”
symbolizes bondmen who serve the Lord (See Luke. 17:7); “clothes” symbolizes
estimation before men.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The true servants of the Lord (“in the field”)
regard the will of God as the most important in all circumstances and should
not merely take care of others’ feelings towards us (“go back to get his
clothes”).
2) Those who love the Lord with pure hearts (“in
the field”) should not go back to their former lives (“go back to get his
clothes”).
Matt. 24:19 “But woe to those who are
pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!”
YLT: “`And wo to those
with child, and to those giving suck in those days;”
Literal Meaning: “woe to those who
are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies” because they are tied by the
leg and there’s not enough time for them to flee.
Spiritual Meaning: “who are pregnant”
symbolize those whose lusts have conceived; “who are nursing babies” symbolize
those who have care of the flesh.
Matt. 24:20 “And pray that your flight
may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”
YLT: “and pray ye that
your flight may not be in winter, nor on a sabbath;”
Literal Meaning: “not be in winter or
on that Sabbath.” “Winter” is the season of rain and snow. The road is either
blocked by snow or muddy and it is difficult to walk. Men are not allowed to go
out and take a long journey on the “Sabbath”. They are restrained and hindered
from fleeing. The “Sabbath” in this verse proves that this passage was said to
the Jews even more.
Spiritual Meaning: “winter” symbolizes
the abnormal spiritual state which is dried-up and dead. “Sabbath” symbolizes
to obstinately cling to letters and regulations. Believers under this kind of
situation are unable to flee and haven’t realized that they should flee.
Matt. 24:21 “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.”
YLT: “for there shall be
then great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world till
now, no, nor may be.”
Literal Meaning: this verse predicts
the degree of the Great Tribulation because it is unprecedented and
unrepeatable (See Joel. 2:2; Dan. 12:1). Since it is unimaginable by men, the
word “great” is used to describe its terribleness.
According to the records of the Jewish
history, about a million Jews had been killed in the case in A.D.70 and most of
which were crucified. About two millions Jews were sold into slavery and they
drank the cup of bitterness and sorrow to dregs and they were even dead because
of this. However, this situation could not catch up with the greatness of the
Great Tribulation at the last day.
Matt. 24:22 “And unless those days
were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days
will be shortened.”
YLT: “And if those days
were not shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but because of the chosen,
shall those days be shortened.”
Literal Meaning: “the elect”
indicates the Jews and they are people who are elected by God. This verse
predicts the time of the Great Tribulation. Because unless those days were
shortened, no flesh would be saved, God limits the time of tribulations to
three and a half years, i.e. forty-two months or one thousand two hundred and
sixty days (See Dan. 9:27; Rev. 13:5; 12:6).
Enlightenment in the Word: God is still merciful in His severity (See Rom.
11:22).
Matt. 24:23 “‘Then
if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!'
or ‘There!' do not believe it.”
YLT: “`Then if any one
may say to you, Lo, here [is] the Christ! or here! ye may not believe;”
Literal Meaning: “then” indicates the
three and a half years of the end of the age, i.e. the time of the Great
Tribulation.
“Here is the Christ…there.” “Here” and
“there” both indicate some certain places, showing that the Christ they spoke
of rose on earth (characters of the earth) instead of appearing in heaven (See
v.30).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Today anyone who calls himself Christ who was
born in the world must be the false Christ undoubtedly.
2) The Lord does not want us to listen to and trust
men’s words because He is near us, even in our mouth and in our hearts (See
3) The coming of the Lord Christ is not shown to a
small part of people, but to be seen by all the people (See v.30).
4) Christ is exceeding and He fills all in all and
He will never be limited by men.
Matt. 24:24 “For false christs and
false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if
possible, even the elect.”
YLT: “for there shall
arise false Christs, and false prophets, and they shall give great signs and
wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, also the chosen.”
Literal Meaning: “because false
christs and false prophets” The plural shows that the number is more than one.
“Show great signs and wonders” The
lawless ones, after the working of evil spirits, and therefore they could do
various kinds of powerful words and signs and lying wonders (See 2Thess. 2:9).
“Even the elect” “The elect” indicate
the Jews (See Is. 65:9;
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The false christs and false prophets not only
deceive the Gentile unbelievers, but also it is possible that they may deceive
believers.
2) Satan and its subordinators also do sings and
miracles and therefore Christians should not believe that they are sent by God
easily because they can do great signs.
Matt. 24:25 “See, I have told you
beforehand.”
YLT: “Lo, I did tell you
beforehand.”
Literal Meaning: the Lord here tells
us beforehand for the purpose of reminding us to take care when encountering
this kind of things. We should not misunderstand that they are from God because
they are able to do great signs and wonders.
Matt. 24:26 “‘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.”
YLT: “`If therefore they
may say to you, Lo, in the wilderness he is, ye may not go forth; lo, in the
inner chambers, ye may not believe;”
Meaning of Words: “inner rooms”:
storehouses.
Literal Meaning: “He is in the
desert!” It indicates that He hides in the rural and underpopulated place. “He
is in the inner rooms!” It indicates that He hides in secret house in the
populous city.
Spiritual Meaning: “desert” symbolizes
the place which is far from the world; “inner rooms” symbolizes secret place
which is not public.
Matt. 24:27 “For as the lightning
comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son
of Man be.”
YLT: “for as the
lightning doth come forth from the east, and doth appear unto the west, so
shall be also the presence of the Son of Man;”
Literal Meaning: “as the lightning
comes from the east and flashes to the west.” “Lightening” dazzles at high
speed and lightens the skyline. It describes that when the Lord comes, it
happens quickly as a thunder and makes men be caught unawares on one hand, on
the other, men of all the land will see His coming and it is not hidden.
Remark:
there are two phases of the Lord’s second coming. The first phase is that
He comes in the clouds and it is hidden and at that time, the Lord will catch
up the overcomers; the second is that He comes with clouds (See Rev. 1:7, Acts.
1:11) and it is public and at that time, the Lord will judge the whole world
and the failing Christians. The first phase will last a period of time and then
the second phase will come suddenly. The signs which the Lord had described in
this passage indicate the second phase. If you want to know the first phase,
please see v.36-44 in this chapter.
Matt. 24:28 “For wherever the carcass
is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”
YLT: “for wherever the
carcase may be, there shall the eagles be gathered together.”
The
Background: when there is
carcass in some place, the raptors such as the eagles will be gathered from
unknown places suddenly. The reason for their coming may be their keen nose or
sense of sight and they do not need men’s notification. Therefore when men see
groups of eagles hovering around, there must be carcass there.
Spiritual Meaning: there are three
different kinds of explanations about this verse:
a) “Carcass” typifies the corporate
sinners. They are like dead carcasses which do not have life in God’s sight
(See Eph. 2:1). “Eagles” typify God’s judgments. It indicates that when the
Lord comes with His Angels, He will execute judgment over the whole world (See
Matt. 25:31).
b) “Carcass” typifies the antichrist and
its evil army. They are stinky carcasses in God’s sight. “Eagles” typify Christ
and His angels and they will wipe them out (See Rev. 19:17-21).
c) “Carcass” typifies Christ who has been
crucified. “Eagles” typify God’s people (See Is. 40:31; Deut. 32:11). Where
Christ is, those who believe on Him will be gathered there. Since the Lord’s
coming is as sudden as the lightening (See v.27), those who truly believe on
Him will know immediately and be gathered in the place where He is.
Matt. 24:29 “‘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.”
YLT: “`And immediately
after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the
powers of the heavens shall be shaken;”
Literal Meaning: from this verse, we
could know that the Lord’s “public” coming happens at the end of the Great
Tribulation. Moreover, when He comes, the signs of the heaven will change
greatly (See Zech. 14:5-6; Joel. 2:31; 2Pet. 3:10).
Spiritual Meaning: the change of the
signs of the heaven sometimes also symbolizes the upheaval of social condition
and the rise and fall of dynasties and nations (See Ezek. 32:7-8; Amos. 8:9);
this also indicates the shake-up of nature.
Enlightenment in the Word: the sun, the moon and stars all typify Christ; when
the body comes, the shadow is not essential (See Col. 2:16-17). The moment
Christ appears, all light bearers will be overshadowed.
Matt. 24:30 “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.”
YLT: “and then shall
appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heaven; and then shall all the tribes
of the earth smite the breast, and they shall see the Son of Man coming upon
the clouds of the heaven, with power and much glory;”
Literal Meaning: “then the sign of
the Son of Man will appear in heaven,” “then” indicates the time “after the
Great Tribulation has just past by” (See v.29); “the sing of the Son of Man”
must be a sign that the moment men see it, they will know that it is the sign
that the Lord Jesus Himself comes. It will “appear in heaven” and therefore it
is a mysterious and supernatural phenomenon.
Someone holds that this sign may be a
cross in the air because when the scribes and the Pharisees wanted to see the
sign, the Lord answered them that an evil and adulterous generation sought
after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the
prophet Jonas (it typifies the cross) (See Matt. 12:38-41).
“All the tribes of the earth will
mourn.” “All the tribes” indicates all the races of
“They will see the Son of Man coming on
the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” “The Son of Man” is the title
for the Lord who became flesh and suffered pain. When the Lord comes, He will
show the conditions of “power” and “great glory” because the Lord the Lord
shall consume the antichrist with the spirit of his mouth (power), and shall
destroy it with the brightness (great glory) of his coming (See 2Thess. 2:8).
“Coming on the clouds of heaven” At that
time, He is not hidden in the clouds of air. He comes on the clouds of heaven.
Matt. 24:31 “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.”
YLT: “and he shall send
his messengers with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together
his chosen from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens unto the ends
thereof.”
Literal Meaning: “His elect”
indicates Gentile (various countries in the world) Jews (See Is. 45:4; 65:9;
49:22; Deut. 7:6).
The Lord comes with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (See 1Thess. 4:16) and He
will gather those who are of Him on earth together before Him.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The moment the glorious Christ appears, He will
draw all the nations to Him; the best way to preach the glad tidings is to
manifest Christ to men.
2) Only those who are of Christ can belong to Him.
Today how much of our being and deeds are of Him and will belong to Him in the
eternal age?
Matt. 24:32 “‘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.”
YLT: “`And from the
fig-tree learn ye the simile: When already its branch may have become tender,
and the leaves it may put forth, ye know that summer [is] nigh,”
Literal Meaning: “when its branch has
already become tender and puts forth leaves” indicates the time when life is
lively. It means that it has already been spring and therefore summer is not
far away.
Spiritual Meaning: “the fig tree”
typifies the
“Summer” is in contrast with winter and
winter symbolizes the time of the Great Tribulation (See v.7-21); summer
symbolizes the age of the restoration of kingdom (See Luke. 21:30-31) and this
age will start from the Lord’s second coming.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Learn this parable from the fig tree.” Christ
is the one who fills all in all (See Eph. 1:23). All things all manifest Christ
and therefore we should learn to know Christ from all things.
2) Christ reigns in life (See Rom. 5:17) and His
kingdom must be full of abundant lives. The more abundantly believers have
life, the more they will partake in the
Matt. 24:33 “So you also, when you see
all these things, know that it is near--at the doors!”
YLT: “so also ye, when ye
may see all these, ye know that it is nigh at the doors.”
Literal Meaning: “when you see all
these things.” “All these things” indicate the Lord’s prophecies that had been
fulfilled in the past two thousand years.
“Know that it is near.” “It” that is near
should indicate “summer” i.e. the kingdom.
Spiritual Meaning: the Lord’s words
remind us that as long as we see that the
Matt. 24:34 “Assuredly, I say to you,
this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”
YLT: “Verily I say to
you, this generation may not pass away till all these may come to pass.”
Literal Meaning: “this generation will by no means pass away,” The
word “this generation” means “many generations” in the original and the
generation in the Bible usually does not mean the age of men’s existence but
men’s moral state before God (See Deut. 32:5, Matt. 11:16; 12:39, 41, 42, 45;
23:36); in another words, the situation that the world is evil, adulterous and
wicked determines the length of the generation. Therefore this generation could
continue and indicate the whole period until the Lord’s second coming.
“All these tings take place.” “All these
things” include the things before the Lord comes back.
The words that the Lord has said must be
fulfilled. The Restoration of Israel is fulfilled in A.D. 1948 and therefore we
could hear indistinctly the steps of His second coming. Saints should never
regard the Lord’s words as unimportant.
Matt. 24:35 “Heaven and earth will
pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
YLT: “The heaven and the
earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
Literal Meaning: “heaven and earth
will pass away” “Heaven” is singular, showing that it is the heaven that is in
contrast with the earth. One day, the old heaven and earth will perish (See
2Pet. 3:10; Heb. 1:11-12).
“My words will by no means pass away.”
The Lord’s word is settled in the heaven (Ps. 119:89) and it must be fulfilled.
Matt. 24:36 “‘But
of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father
only.”
YLT: “`And concerning
that day and the hour no one hath known not even the messengers of the heavens
except my Father only;”
Literal Meaning: “that day and hour”
indicates the Lord’s second coming and the Day of Judgment at the last day. “No
one knows.” If someone declares that he knows that the Lord comes back some day
and some time, we could judge that he must be the false prophet according to
words here.
“Neither the son” shows that He stands
on the position of humbling Himself and obeying God the Father (See John.
10:30; 14:28), He is willing to be unknown.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though all sorts of signs show that the end of
this generation is near and the Lord is coming for a second time, no one knows
the day and hour of the Lord’s coming, but God the Father.
2) Calculating the day and hour is not pious and it
is destined to fail.
3) The Lord, standing on the position of the Son of
Man, is willing to be unknown. Sometimes, we should not manage with an effort
to know the things that God does not let us know (for example: the day of the
Lord’s coming, the meaning of the seven thunders in Rev. 10:14 and etc.), lest
we fall into the trap of Satan and think that we shall be as God, knowing good
and evil (Gen. 3:5) and eat “the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil”.
Matt. 24:37 “But as the days of Noah
were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
YLT: “and as the days of
Noah so shall be also the presence of the Son of Man;”
Literal Meaning: “as the days of Noah
were,” The features of “the days of Noah” are as follows:
a) The world was corrupt and evil (See
Gen. 6:5-13); b) They were eating and drinking, marrying and give in marriage
(See v.38); c) They did not believe that the flood would come suddenly (See
2Pet. 2:5); d) They did not believe in the salvation of the ark (See 1Pet.
3:20).
“So also will the coming of the Son of
Man be.” This passage are teachings especially for believers of the New
Testament and therefore the Lord here showed that believers may act like the
world who indulge themselves in the needs of the flesh (i.e. eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage) and are unaware of preparing
themselves to face the judgment of the Lord’s second coming (they did not know until the
flood came and took them all away).
Matt. 24:38 “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,”
YLT: “for as they were,
in the days before the flood, eating, and drinking, marrying, and giving in
marriage, till the day Noah entered into the ark,”
Literal Meaning: “they were eating
and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.” “Eating and drinking” indicates
to maintain the existence of the flesh and the enjoyment of soul; “marrying and
giving in marriage” indicates to continue the life of the flesh and the joy of
soul.
Spiritual Meaning: “Noah entered the
ark” typifies that men are able to enjoy the salvation of the cross by
believing in Jesus Christ and are saved from God’s judgment of wrath (the
flood).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The world who do not believe in the Lord only
makes provision for the flesh (“they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage”) and seeks the earthly enjoyment, however, their hearts are
hardened and they are unwilling to receive the salvation (“entering the ark”).
2) Believers in last time should live in Christ all
the time, lest we may be judged by God.
Matt. 24:39 “and did not know until
the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of
Man be.”
YLT: “and they did not
know till the flood came and took all away; so shall be also the presence of
the Son of Man.”
Literal Meaning: this verse shows
that the Lord will come suddenly and execute judgment when men are absolutely
unconscious.
Enlightenment in the Word: everything and everyone that are not related to
Christ will be taken away by the flood; what we should seek is what can not be
taken away by the flood.
Matt. 24:40 “Then two men will be in
the field: one will be taken and the other left.”
YLT: “Then two men shall
be in the field, the one is received, and the one is left;”
Literal Meaning: “two men will be in
the field.” “Two men” is in contrast with “two women” in the following verse.
“One will be taken and the other left.”
“Be taken” means “associate with oneself”; “left” means the one has not been
taken away. Which is good of “being taken” or “being left”? We should see who
takes and leaves one. The former says that the Son of Man comes and therefore
we could conclude that blessed is the one who has been taken by the Lord and woe
to the one who has been left by the Lord.
Spiritual Meaning: we must judge what
the “two men” indicates according to the meaning of the Lord in this passage
(See Matt. 24:32-25:30). In the past, many commentator of the Bible held that
“two men” indicates all the people (which include those who are saved and those
who have not been saved) and the one who is taken indicates the one who is
saved is raptured and the one who is left is the one who has not been saved is
abandoned by the Lord. However, we hold that this statement is inappropriate
and the reasons are as follow:
a) Closely after the parable of “one
will be taken and the other left”, the Lord said that “watch therefore” (See
v.42), showing that this is a warning to the disciples (those who are saved)
and if they do not watch, they may be left.
b) Only those who are saved are able to
watch and those who have not been saved cannot watch.
c) “Your lord” (See v.42) shows their
master-servant relationship with the Son of Man and only those who are saved
are His servants.
d) “The evil servant says in his heart,
‘my master…’” (See v.48). The word shows that he confesses his relationship
with the master in his heart. Common people may say yes and mean no. The
confession with his mouth may be unreliable, however, the confession with one’s
heart must be all right.
e) In addition, many verses in Matt.25
show that what the Lord indicates are those who are saved. This will be
mentioned in next chapter.
In a word, when the Lord comes, first He
comes secretly in clouds of the air and catches up the living believers in the
clouds to be with the Lord. This is the meaning of “being taken”. As for
believers who do not watch, they will be left on earth and experience the Great
Tribulation of three and a half years and then they could see the countenance
of the Lord. Please note that the Lord teaches men to watch here. “One will be
taken and the other left” does not mean that those who are raptured just occupy
a half.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Today, believers seem to be the same in
appearance and they all live and labor for the Lord, however, God knows the one
who loves Him (See 1Cor. 8:3).
2) There is no doubt that we should work in toil,
however, we must work “in the Lord” and then our labor is not in vain (See
1Cor. 15:58); otherwise, though one works in toil, he may be left by the Lord.
3) There is no doubt that workers who serve the
Lord are building, however, they must take heed how they build upon it. If
their work is wrong, it may be burned one day (See 1Cor. 3:10-15).
4) To servants, it is our duty to work in the field
and serve the Lord in the house (See Luke. 17:7-10). The problem is that what
the real motive and attitude of us to serve the Lord are.
Matt. 24:41 “Two women will be grinding
at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.”
YLT: “two women shall be
grinding in the mill, one is received, and one is left.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Farming and “grinding” are both related to
grain; the most important work of believers in the church is to supply
spiritual food to each other.
2) Not only brothers are responsible to supply
spiritual food (work in the field), but also sisters partake in this work (“two
women will be grinding at the mill”). There is no male or female in the church
(See Gal. 3:28).
Matt. 24:42 “Watch therefore, for you
do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”
YLT: “`Watch ye
therefore, because ye have not known in what hour your Lord doth come;”
Literal Meaning: “watch therefore”
“Therefore” carries on the above verses, showing that the distinction between
one that is taken and one that is left does not lie in whether one is saved but
whether he “watches”. If the condition to be taken is that one is saved, the
Lord Jesus does not need to persuade His disciples to watch. Watching means
that one should not be careless and should live and work with the attitude of
waiting for the coming the Lord daily and any move and any concern of him
should be for welcoming the Lord and pleasing Him.
“For you do not know what hour your Lord
is coming.” If we know what hour the Lord is coming, we do not need to watch
everyday and only need to watch at the last day; however, for we do not know
what hour the Lord is coming, we have to watch everyday.
Enlightenment in the Word: The first important thing of welcoming the kingdom
is “watching”; anyone who does not care about the second coming of the Lord
does watch.
Matt. 24:43 “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.”
YLT: “and this know, that
if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief doth come, he had
watched, and not suffered his house to be broken through;”
Literal Meaning: “if the master of
the house had known what hour the thief would come.” There are two features of
the thief: a) he comes when men are careless; b) he specially steals things
that are precious.
Spiritual Meaning: “the master”
typifies believers; “the house” indicates our spirits, souls and bodies, i.e.
our behaviors and work; “the thief” typifies the Lord Jesus who comes suddenly
just like the thief; “his house to be broken into” typifies to prove everything
after we have been saved.
The Lord’s second coming happens
unpredictably and He will take believers who are spiritually mature.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Jessie Penn-Lewis said, “Christians should watch
from the first day of their Christian life”. We should be watchful of the
enemy, the world and ourselves.
2) To the Jews, rapture is the sign of the end of
the age; to believers who are left, the days of suffering hardship come to
them.
Matt. 24:44 “Therefore you also be
ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
YLT: “because of this
also ye, become ye ready, because in what hour ye do not think, the Son of Man
doth come.”
Literal Meaning: “therefore you also
be ready.” “Be ready” means to take oil to one’s vessel (See Matt. 25:4).
“The Son of Man is coming” “The Son of
Man” is the Lord’s title in the kingdom (See Matt.19:28; John. 5:27-29), and He
reigns as a man.
Enlightenment in the Word: we must make us “be ready” and hope to grow up in
the Lord and we should also “watch” and live piously in the Lord.
Matt. 24:45 “‘Who
then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his
household, to give them food in due season?”
YLT: “`Who, then, is the
servant, faithful and wise, whom his lord did set over his household, to give
them the nourishment in season?”
Literal Meaning: “who then is a
faithful and wise servant” “Faithful” is towards the Lord, i.e. one fulfills
what the Lord has entrusted; “wise” is towards brothers, i.e. knowing what
others are in need of. “Servant” is slave in the original. We are not our own
for we are bought as slaves with a price by the Lord (See 1Cor. 6:19-20).
“Whom his master made.” This sentence
shows that the source of service is the Lord and it is not of the “individual”
or “corporate” sending.
“Ruler over his household” “Ruler” does
not mean to lord over but to look after (See 1Pet. 5:2-3); “household”
indicates believers (See Eph. 2:19). The identity of believers before God is
the household of God on one hand and on the other His servants. We should not
think that only the so-called “pastors and preachers” who serve the Lord
full-time are the Lord’s servants.
“Give them food in due season.” Every
believer, no matter he is great or not, has a duty to do in the house of God
(the church)------sharing spiritual provision with saints who are around him
according to God’s season, for example: praying for weak members, communicating
the enlightenment that he has received with others, visitation and concern with
love and etc.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Faithful” means that one does not discount the
Lord’s words and we shall do as the Lord has said; “wise” means that one is
concerned about the need of men and supplies men what they need.
2) It is unfaithful that believers hold their own
opinions as right; it is not wise that believers do not take care of others’
need and give all that they have to others randomly.
3) Our trouble is that: someone may be faithful and
unwise; someone may be unfaithful and wise; someone may be unfaithful and
unwise and all these conditions make us be unable to perform our duties.
4) “Giving food” is to serve God’s words and things
to others to make them receive nourishment of life.
Matt. 24:46 “Blessed is that servant
whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.”
YLT: “Happy that servant,
whom his lord, having come, shall find doing so;”
Literal Meaning: “when he comes”
indicates the time when the Lord Jesus comes for the second time.
“Blessed is that servant.” “Blessing” is
not the blessing of this life but the reward of the kingdom.
Matt. 24:47 “Assuredly, I say to you
that he will make him ruler over all his goods.”
YLT: “verily I say to
you, that over all his substance he will set him.”
Literal Meaning: “make him ruler over
all his goods” is to gain the authority over cities in the reality of the
kingdom (See Luke. 19:17-19).
Enlightenment in the Word: if believers cannot “rule one’s household” today
(See v.45), it is impossible to “rule all his goods” in future; today what the
Lord has entrusted us is only for us to practice and exercise and make
preparations for gaining more commissions in future.
Matt. 24:48 “But if that evil servant
says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his
coming,'”
YLT: “`And, if that evil
servant may say in his heart, My Lord doth delay to come,”
Literal Meaning: “that evil servant”
does not indicate those who have not been saved because he confesses that the
Lord Jesus is “my master” “in his heart”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The reason why the servant is evil is that he
thinks that the Lord must “be delaying His coming”; he who does not have the
right knowledge of the Lord’s second coming may become an evil servant.
2) He who does not believe that the Lord comes
quickly is the evil servant; some evil servants say that the Lord must come quickly
with their mouths, however, in their hearts they think that the Lord must be
“delaying His coming”.
3) We should have the attitude and wish for the
quick coming of the Lord and therefore we should always pray, “come, Lord
Jesus.” (Rev. 22:20).
Matt. 24:49 “and begins to beat his
fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,”
YLT: “and may begin to
beat the fellow-servants, and to eat and to drink with the drunken,”
Literal Meaning: “and begins to beat
his fellow servants.” “Fellow servants” indicate brothers who are
fellow-servants. Believers are fellow-partakers in the tribulation and kingdom
and patience of Jesus (See Rev. 1:9). “Begins to beat” may not indicate beating
with hands. All that we make Saints feel sad, hurt and be offended with words
and attitudes could be counted as “beating”.
“To eat and drink with the drunkards.”
“Drunkards” indicate those who are greedy of the present world and are
libertine and unrestrained (See Eph. 5:15-18), including the corrupt and
failing believers and unbelievers.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We should never tread or hurt brothers and
sisters who are our fellow-workers.
2) If we do not set forth the Lord’s second coming
before our eyes, we may easily loosen ourselves and on one hand we may owe
believers and make them feel hurt by words and attitudes and on the other we
may associate with those who are of the world and the flesh and seek the
pleasures of sins.
Matt. 24:50 “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,”
YLT: “the lord of that
servant will arrive in a day when he doth not expect, and in an hour of which
he doth not know,”
Matt. 24:51 “and will cut him in two
and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.”
YLT: “and will cut him
off, and his portion with the hypocrites will appoint; there shall be the
weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.”
Literal Meaning: “appoint him his
portion with the hypocrites” “The hypocrites” indicate the nominal religious
believers;
“There shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.” “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” indicates that one regrets having done
something and unfortunately time will not wait for him.
The Lord will come quickly and
unexpectedly and separate anyone who says that the Lord must come quickly with
mouth and does not take it seriously in his heart from other believers and he
will receive the punishment that he deserves temporarily. At that time, it is
too late for them to repent.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
When will “These Things” (v.3) Be?------the
Lord’s Answer
I.
II. The Lord sent
prophets, wise men and scribes (Matt. 23:34)------“you” will be hated by all
nations for the Lord’s name’s sake (v.9).
III. The Lord will
render the evil
IV. The Holy Temple
will be thrown down (v.2)------the “abomination of desolation” will stand in
the holy place (v.15).
V. The house of
VI. The Lord will
gather the
What will Be the Sign of Your Coming and of
the End of the Age (v.3)?------The Lord’s answer
II. There must be
the beginning of sorrows (v.6-12).
III. There must be
many things that deceit the elect (v.4-5, 23-26).
IV. The abomination
of desolation must stand in the holy place (v.15).
V. There must be
rapture (v.37-41).
VI. There must be
the Great Tribulation (v.21-22).
VII. There must be
the great change of the signs of the heaven (v.29).
VIII. There must be
the sign of the Son of Man (v.30-31).
The Sign of the Lord’s Second Coming
I. The sign before
the end of the age:
A. Many people who deceive men will rise
up in future (v.3-5, v.11).
B. Many man-made and natural disasters
will take place in future (v.6-8).
C. Many lawless things such as
persecuting the Saints will happen (v.9-10, 12-13).
D. Gospel must be preached in all the
world first (v.14).
II. The sign of the
end of the age:
A. Antichrist will appear in the
B. There must be the Great Tribulation
(v.21-22).
C. False christs and prophets will still
rise up (v.23-26).
III. The sign of
Christ’s second coming:
A. The sign of the coming of the Son of
Man (v.27-31).
B. The sign that the branches of the fig
tree become tender and bring forth leaves (v.32-36).
C. The Son of Man comes suddenly as the
thief (v.37-44).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren