The Bible was first divided into chapters in AD 1248 and into verses in AD 1551 (although it’s probable that work had begun on both projects many years before). Most of the chapter divisions are helpful, but some are a hindrance to Bible study, especially where they interfere with the flow of the subject matter.
This has the effect of separating subjects. In focusing on the verses enclosed by chapters, the reader tends to lose sight of the bigger subject.
Chapters 23 to 25 of The Gospel of Matthew, however, have been thoughtfully divided. Chapter 23 records the Lord’s strong criticism of the Jewish religious leaders; chapter 24 has His prophecy on The End of The Age; and chapter 25 deals with the awesome subject of Christ’s Coming in fiery Judgement.
Yet a text vital to the understanding of Matthew 24 is “hidden” in chapter 23. It is verse 36: “Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.”
Matthew 24:34 is clearly related to the above verse, for it contains the same two words: “Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”
Before we study the subject matter linking these two texts, let’s first look at the expression “this generation.” In English Grammar, we look for an antecedent—a word that will inform us exactly which generation Jesus was talking about. Here, there isn’t one. So, “this generation” means the generation Jesus was addressing: the Jews of His day.
A reading of Matthew 23, verses 13 to 35, makes this clear. The personal pronoun “you” is used repeatedly in these verses, each time in relation to the “scribes and Pharisees” – whom Jesus denounced by name, seven times. So in saying “this generation”, Jesus meant the generation then living.
Some bible teachers claim that the Greek word “genea”, translated “generation”, actually means “race” or “nation”. Let’s take time to check whether or not they are correct.
“Genea” is found 42 times in the ancient Greek of the New Testament. In Matthew 1:17, in the genealogy of Jesus, “genea” is four times translated as “generations”. Substituting “races” or “nations” for “generation” would make the verse meaningless. How could there be 42 “races” or “nations” in the Lord’s family tree? But 42 “generations” – well, that makes sense.
In fact, the expression “this generation” is used 20 times in the New Testament, always in relation to the Jews who were alive in the time of Jesus. In no way can these words be applied to some future generation, 2000 years or more distant. Jesus said “this generation”, not “that generation”!
When did “all these things” – the events that Jesus said would happen to the Jews of His time – actually take place? Remember, Jesus clearly stated that the generation to which He was referring would not pass, “till all these things be fulfilled.”
The events took place in the years leading up to and during the Roman siege of Jerusalem. The siege itself lasted three-and-a-half years, and ended with the fall of Jerusalem, in A.D. 70. (I know that many Christians expect “all these things” to happen sometime in the future, but they are 2000 years too late.)
“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate”, were among the last words Jesus uttered in the Temple. The word “desolate” was an obvious link to Daniel 9:27 (about which I’ll have more to say in another article).
The last three verses of Matthew 23 have a bearing on Matthew 24, for the subject is the “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21). Luke records the same events as being “great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.” (Luke 21 :23)
Let’s now examine Christ’s great End Time discourse, beginning at Matthew 23:32. Jesus prophesied terrible judgement on the Jews of His day, who would “fill up” the iniquity of their murderous forefathers, by persecuting and killing His disciples.
“That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth; from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.” (Matthew 23:35)
Jesus was recalling a murder committed by a Jewish king more than 800 years earlier, and linking that evil act to the Jews of His day (2 Chronicles 24:20-22). Clearly, He was lumping the whole murderous lot together! But God’s judgement, He said, would fall upon “this generation” because the religious leaders of His day were about to commit the ultimate murder: the crucifixion of their Messiah!
Jesus then lamented the fact that His generation had spurned and rejected His intense desire to gather them protectively – “as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings”. Early in His ministry, He had called the temple “My Father’s house”, but now, as His ministry neared its end, He referred to it instead as “your house” (Matthew 23:38).
“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, You shall not see me from this time until you shall say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple…” (Matthew 23:39) His disciples, however, still fascinated by the building’s beauty, approached Him, and offered to take Him on a tour of the place He had just forsaken.
“Do you not see all these things?”, Jesus said. “Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2)
Together, they then left Jerusalem, crossed the Kedron Brook, and climbed the Mount of Olives. Jesus sat awhile on its summit, looking out across the deep ravine toward Jerusalem. Whatever his thoughts were at that moment, they were interrupted by His disciples.
“Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3)
They wanted to know two things: When? and What? When? related to “these things” – words Jesus had just used in referring to the judgement that was to fall on “this generation” (Matthew 23:36). So in asking “when shall these things be?” they were wanting to know when Jerusalem was to be judged.
What? Related to the Sign of Christ’s coming in judgement, and the End of the Age – two aspects of the one great event. These were Jews, remember, and Jews always asked for signs! (I Corinthians 1:22) Indeed, every time or season had an accompanying sign – its Divine Indicator. (Matthew 16:3) So it was reasonable for the disciples to expect that such a sign would accompany the judgement of Jerusalem. It was, after all, the city of God, the Great King. (Psalm 48:1,2)
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many”. (Matthew 24:4,5)
Jesus then described the conditions that would prevail in Jerusalem in the time leading up to its destruction. He mentioned deception first. Many would be led astray by false messiahs. Most Jews expected a warrior king, in the mould of King David, and became disillusioned with Jesus when He prophesied His own death. Even John the Baptist questioned the Lord’s messianic credentials at one point. (Matthew 11:2-6) Peter had protested at the very idea of Jesus suffering and dying in Jerusalem. (Matthew 16:21-23)
“And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” (Matthew 24:6)
Ever noticed that every time there is a threat of war in the Middle East, Christians immediately begin to talk of “end times”? They begin to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. Yes, Jesus did warn that wars would be inevitable, but He also said that they would not indicate The End. In fact, the wars Jesus spoke about would be only “the beginning”!
“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in many different places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:8)
“The beginning of sorrows”? This is an Old Testament way of describing birth pangs – labour pains! (Isaiah 37:3 & 66:7-9) These precede the birth of a baby. A question naturally arises: what “baby” was about to be “born”? One couldn’t describe the destruction of Jerusalem as a “birth” – more a “death”!
It would, in fact, be the “death” of Jerusalem – more than a million Jews would be killed, and one hundred thousand taken away into slavery. But a New Age would then be apparent, one that had begun 40 years earlier, with Christ’s Ascension into Heaven, and with the descent of the Holy Spirit, on the Day of Pentecost. Once the Roman “eagles” had torn the body politic of Jerusalem to pieces, a new, spiritual, Holy City, New Jerusalem, would take its place.
Jerusalem was to undergo unprecedented suffering and bloodshed, not only at the hands of the Romans after its fall, but during the siege itself, when tens of thousands of Jews would be murdered by Jewish fanatics and criminals. But before this would be “the beginning of sorrows”.
“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.” (Matthew 24:9)
The disciples of Jesus would be persecuted, firstly by their fellow countrymen, and after that (following the fall of Jerusalem) by the Romans. Throughout the whole empire, they would be known and hated as “Christians”!
“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” (Matthew 24:10)
Many believers would buckle under pressure and betray their fellow Christians. Love would turn to hate in the face of torture or death. The present world would be preferable to martyrdom, and acceptance by the authorities to stoning or crucifixion.
“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:11)
Lies, anxieties, conflicts, shortages, upheavals, offences, and betrayals – ideal conditions for false hopes among Christians. As in the past, false prophets would prey on the weak and the fearful. (Jeremiah 29:8)
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matthew 24: 12)
Iniquity is lawlessness. In contrast, love is the fulfilling of the law – its full performance. (Romans 13:10) Where there is no law, there can be no love, only lust – perverted love. Lawlessness would weaken the love of many Christians to the point where their moral fibre would be destroyed. They would be caught up in the spirit of the age, rather than in the Spirit of God.
“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
In reply to the disciples’ enquiry as to “the end of the age”, Jesus had started with “the beginning of sorrows”, listing these in great detail. The word “endure” comes from a Greek word which means “to patiently persist”. It does not mean to “grit your teeth and put a stoical expression on your face”. Nor does it mean to “just keep your frustration level below boiling point”. Luke puts it this way: “In your patience possess ye your souls.” (KJV) It can also be rendered: “In your patient endurance you will gain the mastery over yourselves.”
Jesus was telling His disciples that the way out is through! Not under, not around, not over – and very definitely not out of! Why not out of? Because they had a job to do, and they had to be around to do it! Will the church go through the Tribulation?
My answer is, “Yes, it did!” But the Jerusalem believers escaped its intensity by fleeing from Jerusalem, as the Lord had warned them. (Of course, speaking more generally, Jesus said that “in the world, you will have tribulation”.)
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14)
Many Christians today – especially in Western countries – think of a “witness” as a quiet word in the ear of a fellow worker or classmate. But the disciples were to be “witnesses for the prosecution”! They were persecuted because they prosecuted! Stephen’s witness was typically aggressive and reminiscent of the words of Jesus to the Jews in Matthew 23. It made those who heard Stephen gnash their teeth! (Acts 7:51-53)
The Apostle Peter’s witness to the assembled Jews on the Day of Pentecost was equally spirited. It was the Jews’ “wicked hands” that had seized Christ and crucified Him. (Acts 2:23) Those who heard Peter were “pricked to the heart” – deeply convicted of the sin they had committed. Peter called on his countrymen to “save yourselves from this wicked generation”. Years later, he referred to those who did so as “a chosen generation”.
The gospel message we preach today is no less powerful, and it has to be said that every generation is called to forsake its sin and obey the call of Christ. But the Jews of Peter’s time had literally murdered Jesus, their Christ, and so there was a powerful urgency in Peter’s preaching. There was a strong sense of impending doom. They had to reach their generation before God’s judgement fell on Jerusalem!
The “world” to which the gospel of the kingdom would be preached – “first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles – was the Roman Empire. Luke writes of the “world” in the second chapter of his Gospel. “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.”
Scholars inform us that it was a census: the people were enrolled so that the Romans could tax them. That census did not include the people of China, India, and the far-flung islands of the Pacific.
We must make this distinction because, less than 40 years after Jesus spoke these words, the Apostle Paul wrote that this mission had been completed. (Colossians 1:6, 23 & Romans 1:8; 10:18)
Did Paul get it wrong? Not at all. Think of the great apostle’s missionary journeys throughout Asia Minor and Europe. And what of the journeys of the original twelve apostles? Not to mention the witness to their world of the countless number of converts who had come to Christ!
There is a difference between this mission, which lasted only 40 years, and what the Church calls The Great Commission. The first was accomplished in the time of the original apostles. The Apostle Paul wrote that the gospel had come to the Christians at Colossae “as it has in all the world.” That gospel, he wrote, “was preached to every creature which is under heaven.” (Colossians 1:6, 23) Paul was speaking of the Roman world, the empire of Caesar.
The Great Commission of Matthew 28:19, 20 went far beyond their generation. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptising them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
To many Christians, The Great Commission means that we are to make disciples of individuals “out of” every nation. In other words, we’ll not win whole nations, but we’ll win many within those nations. But the Greek word “ek”, meaning “out of” (or “from”, Matthew 28:2) is not found in this verse. Matthew Henry says that it means: “do your utmost to make the nations Christian nations.”
Of course, to disciple entire nations, individuals have to be won, one by one. Disciples aren’t won, they’re made – from converts. Is it possible to disciple entire nations? Well, the early church turned their world upside down. (Acts 17:6) Throughout Church History, nations have been discipled. The Welsh revivals, for example, affected not only Wales but the world.
So the question really isn’t “Can it be done?” but rather, “Are we committed to doing it?”
The Beginning of the End happened in the time of the first Apostles, between AD 30 and AD 70. Forty years is a biblical generation. (That generation had an opportunity to “move into” God’s “great and precious promises”, but, like their ancestors, perished in their unbelief. This, despite the dire warnings of Hebrews – an epistle written especially for them.)
When Jerusalem fell, and the Temple was destroyed, it was the End of the Beginning. The “birth pangs” finally over, the New Age was born – an age that has lasted for more than 2000 years!
NOTE: Dear Reader, if this article does not agree with your long-held (and doubtless, sincere) futurist view of Matthew 24, please don’t get upset with me, but rather direct your attention to God’s Word, which, unlike the author, has all the answers. “Grace and peace to you.”