The End of the World
Matthew 24-25 and Luke
21
An interesting discussion is recorded in
Matthew 24-25 and Luke 21. Matthew wrote, “Then Jesus went out
and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him
the buildings of the temple” (24:1). Luke gave a little more
detail when he reported, “Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it
was adorned with beautiful stones and donations…” (21:5).
To get a full understanding of the
discussion, one has to understand the events immediately preceding
it. Jesus had just said, “See! Your house is left to you
desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say,
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Matthew
23:38-39). The disciples likely wondered how God could leave
such a beautiful temple empty. Josephus says the temple was
made of green and white marble blocks 67’ X 5’ X 6’ and up to 100
tons. The back of the temple stood on
Yet, Jesus answered, “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” (Matthew
24:2). Luke’s parallel account gives a little more insight
into the Lord’s words. “These things which you see—the days
will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that
shall not be thrown down” (21:6). Imagine the shock of the
disciples. As a result of the shock, the disciples approached
the Lord in private on the
Signs of the Beginning of Sorrows
The disciples may have viewed this as one question with three parts.
In their minds, something cataclysmic enough to leave the temple in
such a state would surely only come at the end of the world.
Jesus answered it as two questions with two parts each.
Initially, he gave signs of the beginning of sorrows. The
first was of those who would try to deceive. “And Jesus
answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives
you’” (Matthew 24:4). Specifically, with the Jews looking for
a Messiah to lead them in conquest of
Then the Lord said, “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. For nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:6-7a). Though
war has been common during the world’s history, peace was the norm
when Jesus spoke. Notice, Jesus said, “the end is not yet.”
McGarvey says Alford mentions three separate threats by emperors and
three uprisings of Gentiles against the Jews which occurred in the
years following the Lord’s words. Jesus went on to say, “And
there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various
places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew
24:7b-8). In Acts 11:28, Luke recorded Agabus’ prophecy of a
worldwide famine. According to McGarvey, at least one Roman
writer refers to a pestilence which killed some 30,000 in
Actual Signs Preceding the Destruction
of
Following the beginning of sorrows, Jesus stated, “Then they will
deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by
all nations for My name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). Several
incidents in Acts would seem to fulfill this prophecy. For
instance, Peter and John were arrested and brought before the
Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1-22). The high priest arrested the
apostles. They were beaten and told not to speak the name of
Jesus (Acts 5:17-41). Also, James was killed by Herod and
Peter was arrested (Acts 12:1-3).
The results of such hateful acts toward his followers are seen in
his next statement. “And then many will be offended, will
betray one another, and will hate one another” (Matthew 24:10).
Paul said he was “in perils among false brethren” (2 Corinthians
11:26b). In Galatians 4:16, he asked, “Have I therefore become
your enemy because I tell you the truth?” The apostle to the
Gentiles encountered false prophets and warned of their coming
(Galatians 1:6-9; 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 11:11-13; Titus 1:10-11),
which would seem to related directly to the Lord’s next comment.
“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many” (Matthew
24:11). In similar fashion, Peter and Jude confronted false
prophets and warned the brethren concerning their works (2 Peter
2:10-22; Jude 4).
The next sign, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of
many will grow cold” seems to have found its fulfillment in the
Ephesian church (Matthew 24:12; Revelation 2:4-5). Thankfully,
the Lord paused to note those who remain faithful to the end of
their lives will be saved (Matthew 24:13; Revelation 2:10). He
went on to deliver a very hopeful message, when he said, Matthew
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” (Matthew 24:14). He thus anticipated the carrying out of
his great commission, with the message going into the whole world by
about A.D. 62 (Matthew 28:18-20; Colossians 1:23).
The Final Signal to Flee from
One last sign was given by Jesus to warn his followers to flee from
the city because destruction was imminent. “Therefore when you
see the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand)”
(Matthew 24:15; Daniel 9:26-27; 11:31). Luke has, “But when
you see
The nature of the destruction is seen in Jesus’ next words.
“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. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be
saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened”
(Matthew 24:21-22). This statement called for a further
warning against false prophets. “Then if anyone says to you,
‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For
false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and
wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:23-24).
He went on to say, “See, I have told you beforehand. 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. For as
the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also
will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:25-27). The
Lord compared false prophets to vultures which naturally flock to
dead bodies, in this case
The Lord’s Coming in Judgment
The next few verses in Matthew describe the Lord’s coming in
judgment which is very reminiscent of the Old Testament prophets.
Deaver cited similar references to the destruction of Idumea (Isaiah
13; 34:4-5) and Egypt (Ezekiel 32:7-8; Isaiah 19:11).
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. 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. 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 (24:29-31).
The Lord immediately followed his description of a coming in
judgment upon
Signs of Christ’s Coming at the End of
the World
The Son of God had completed his answer to a two part question,
“When will the temple be left with not one stone on top of the other
and what will be the sign of that coming?” He next turned to
answer a second two part question. “When will the end of the
world be and what will be the signs of its coming?” One clear
indication of this change is seen in the words Jesus chose.
Four times in verses 19, 22 and 29, the Lord mentioned “those days.”
In verse 36, he says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not
even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” It seems
everything before verse 35 concerned the destruction of
The clearest sign the world is coming to an end is everything going
on like normal (Matthew 24:37-41). Notice the things listed in
these verses occur every day. Thus, the Lord is saying his
followers should be ready for the end of time every day. In
fact, in verse 42 he clearly stated, “Watch therefore, for you do
not know what hour your Lord is coming.” Because of the
unexpected nature of his final coming, the Lord urged watchfulness.
Two illustrations serve to deepen this understanding. First,
he compared his coming to that of a thief, therefore, unannounced
(Matthew 24:43-44). In the second, Jesus used an illustration
of a householder who left his property and servants in the care of a
servant. He stressed the importance of such a servant always
handling his master’s affairs in the right way because his return
could come unexpectedly (Matthew 24:45-51). Such is also the
nature of the Lord’s second coming.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
The Lord then told three parables
emphasizing the need for preparedness. He opened the first by
saying, "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened unto ten
virgins." In other words, the church is like ten virgins.
Knowing the background, the word "then" clearly refers to the time
of the Lord's return to earth. Perhaps the most disturbing
part of the parable comes when one realizes those awaiting the
Lord’s return are divided into two groups. "Now five of them
were wise, and five were foolish." Thayer defines the word
translated "foolish" as, "imprudent, without forethought or wisdom"
(Matthew 7:24‑27; Luke 12:13‑21). Such is precisely the
problem Jesus next described.
McGarvey says weddings in Christ's day
"began with a feast in the house of the bride's father. After
this the bridegroom led the bride to his own home, and it was the
duty of his servants and household (of whom the ten virgins in this
case were part) to honor him and the bride with an enthusiastic
welcome." Edersheim explains, "The lamps consisted of a round
receptacle for pitch or oil for the wick. This was placed in a
hollow cup or deep saucer...which was fastened by a pointed end into
a long wooden pole, on which it was borne aloft."
Interestingly, he also noted Jewish authorities say there were
usually ten such lamps in a wedding procession.
When the bridegroom delayed his coming,
all nodded off to sleep. Around midnight, someone announced
the groom was coming. The virgins began trimming their wicks
and lighting their lamps to go out to meet him. The foolish,
perhaps expecting to draw oil from a common supply, had brought no
oil in their vessels in which the wick could be lain. They
asked the wise to share. However, the wise declined saying
they all might run out of oil before they could return to the house.
They suggested the foolish go to merchants and buy oil.
While the foolish were out searching for
oil, the bridegroom came. The wise entered into the wedding
with him and the door was shut. Later, the foolish came
knocking on the door. The Lord said he did not “know” them, in
a favorable sense of the word. So, they were shut out of the
wedding feast!
The Need for Preparation
The foolish virgins were expectantly
awaiting the groom's coming. Their failure was in the area of
preparation. The importance of preparation can be seen in the
words of Jesus. "I must work the works of Him who sent Me
while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work" (John
9:4). The rich fool in Luke 12 assumed he would live for many
years, so he focussed his efforts on providing for the flesh.
Of course, he found out eternal provisions should take priority.
Another reason for preparation is found
in 1 Peter 3:15. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,
and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a
reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."
Our readiness to preach the gospel can cause others to be ready to
meet their God (2 Timothy 4:1‑2; John 8:32; 17:17).
Some Things Cannot Be Borrowed
The foolish virgins wanted to rely on
someone else's provisions to be ready. It is apparent some
people expect to get to heaven based on the efforts of the whole
church. Like the man who drives around looking for time still
on a parking meter, they hope to park on the other fellow's quarter.
This parable clearly shows such will not be possible in judgment.
There are some things that simply cannot be borrowed.
Character is one example. Our
parents' good character will not carry us through deceitful and
cheating ways we might have. Obedience is another thing we
cannot borrow from others. "So then each of us shall give
account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Some are trying to live in a dream world where there are no
consequences for immorality or lawlessness. However, Paul
said, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man
sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh
will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit
will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (Galatians 6:7‑8).
Watch!
The Greeks pictured opportunity as a woman
with long flowing hair in the front and bald in the back. Their
thought was, if one does not grab her before she passes, there is
nothing to grasp! Similarly, the Lord warned his followers to be
watchful, or actively ready, because they did not know when his return
will be. The Christian's opportunity to prepare for eternity will
be past when this life ends at the second coming of the Lord.
The people around Noah abused over a hundred
years of God's patience and failed to turn in time to be saved from
destruction (2 Peter 2:5). The rich man wanted Abraham to send
Lazarus back to earth to warn his brothers. Abraham made it clear
God has given those on earth the opportunity to learn and obey the
truth. "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will
they be persuaded though one rise from the dead" (Luke 16:31).
In recent years, numerous books have been
written on the end of time. Often a date for the Lord's return is
confidently set forth. Yet, the Lord himself made it plain that
knowledge belongs exclusively to the Father. "But of that day and
hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father
only" (Matthew 24:36). To be truly watchful, we must be in a
constant state of readiness. "See then that you walk
circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the
days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15‑16). Because the wise virgins were
ready, they had the joy of entering into the wedding feast. We
must learn from them to be ready so we can enter into the joys of
heaven!
Stewards of the Lord's Goods
Literally, the second parable begins, "For as
a man going into another country...." Obviously, Jesus is again
likening the church, or kingdom of heaven, to something his followers
could understand. Notice, the man in the story gives his own
servants a sum of money for which to care. They are his servants
and the money is his. It is important each of us recognize that we
and all we have belong to the Lord.
Paul told the people on Mars Hill, "For in
Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets
have said, 'For we are also His offspring'" (Acts 17:28). The
Psalmist sang in behalf of the mighty God who is Lord, "For every beast
of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know
all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are
Mine" (50:10‑11). These and other verses indicate we are simply
stewards of things belonging to God, even including our own selves.
Good stewardship involves proper use of the
things belonging to another. The servants in this parable were
expected to gain even more, not just hold on to what they had.
Paul described himself as a steward of God's mystery. Then, he
said, "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful"
(1 Corinthians 4:1‑2). A part of his faithful use of that mystery was
entrusting it to others who would, in turn, place it in the safe keeping
of others. "And the things that you have heard from me among many
witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others
also" (2 Timothy 2:2).
"Faithful Over a Few Things"
Each servant was given a number of talents,
with a talent being between 75 and 131 pounds, depending on which author
one reads. It could have been gold or silver. Each man
received a number of talents based on his lord's assessment of his
ability to wisely use it to gain more. While their lord was away, the
five and two talent men doubled what they had been given.
When the lord came back from his journey, he
called his servants together to see what they had done with their trust.
The five and two talent men both received the same words of
commendation. "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were
faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.
Enter into the joy of your Lord" (Matthew 25:21, 23). The lord saw
each man as having well used his trust. It did not matter that one
earned five while the other earned only two. Instead, both were
rewarded for faithful work.
God will judge each based on how he lived his
life. Our concern need not be with what we have or do not have as
compared to others. Instead, we must strive to faithfully use the
Lord's trust! Our question should be, "What has the Lord given me
and how can I use it to his glory?" Our goal should be to let our
light shine so God can be glorified (Matthew 5:13‑16).
"You Wicked and Lazy Servant"
The one talent man hid his money in a hole in
the ground. When his master came back, he dug it up and brought it
to him. Lightfoot sees three specific things which caused him to
fail to please his master. First, he did not believe in himself.
The Lord had evaluated his ability and given him what he was capable of
appropriately using. Yet he did not believe he could use it
wisely.
Second, he let fear keep him from working.
Fear is a dangerous and immobilizing force. Jesus said the fearful
would have their part in the second death, or hell (Revelation 21:8).
Third, he envisioned his lord as a man looking for failures for which he
could punish his servants. We need to realize God does not rejoice
over our failures. Remember, God is love. His love for lost
mankind was so great he sent his Son to die in their stead (John
3:16‑17; Romans 5:6‑8; 1 John 4:7‑11). Out of that true love comes
a willingness to be longsuffering, kind, not rejoice in our sins, but
rejoice in our obedience to the truth (1 Corinthians 13:4‑8).
Outer Darkness
The lord in Jesus' parable describes the one
talent man as wicked and lazy. He knew his master would want him
to work with what he had been given. Still, he failed to seize his
opportunities for work. Do we really have to wonder what the Lord
thinks of the church today? We are in the middle of a technical
revolution. We can communicate around the globe in a matter of
minutes. Through television and radio, we can reach multiplied
millions with the gospel at any moment. Many of our friends and
neighbors have heard more about our lawns than they have about Jesus.
How will the Lord describe our efforts? What will our reward be?
Our answer to these questions may give us a
different view of the judgment against the one talent man. "And
cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There shall
be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:30). This is in
stark contrast to the "joy of your Lord" which was given to both the
five talent man and the two talent man. If we would have joy and
avoid the place where crying and teeth grinding is incessant, we must
put what the Lord has given us to use!
"All the Nations Will Be Gathered Before
Him"
The third parable depicts the judgment scene.
Though some have taught to the contrary, Jesus plainly said everyone in
the grave would be raised. "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is
coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come
forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those
who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5:28-29).
The parable of the judgment pictures what will happen following that
resurrection.
Jesus said he would be seated on his glorious
throne, where he has been seated since the days of the new birth began
(Matthew 19:28). Peter told the crowd assembled on Pentecost that
our Lord was then seated on his throne (Acts 2:32-36; 1 Corinthians
15:24-28). All nations, that is every person from those nations,
will come before the throne. Jesus will divide those people into
two groups; the sheep, who are representative of those who accepted his
leading, and the goats, representing those who would not be led but had
to be driven. The sheep will be placed on the right hand because
that is the place of honor, while the goats will be on the left where,
according to tradition, those condemned in their trials before the
Sanhedrin stood (Matthew 25:31-33).
"Come, You Blessed of My Father"
Even before the world began, God planned a
kingdom for the redeemed to inherit. "But we speak the wisdom of
God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages
for our glory" (1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:4, 9-14). In the
judgment, the King, Christ Jesus our Lord, will invite the faithful to
come into that kingdom (Matthew 25:34).
Jesus then listed six separate acts of
service done for others as the reason those on the right hand will be
invited (Matthew 25:35-36). McGarvey says, "The acts here
enumerated indicate more than a mere outlay of money. They are not
such as are the offspring of impulse, but such as call for the sacrifice
of time, strength, sympathy, etc., and clearly demonstrate the fullness
of the Christian life." True love for the brethren, without which
one cannot claim to love God, will motivate one to act in their behalf.
"But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and
shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed
and in truth" (1 John 3:17-18; 4:20-21). Only an actively loving
faith is truly alive (1 Corinthians 13:1-3; James 2:14-17).
Interestingly, Jesus portrayed those bidden
to enter asking when they had seen the Lord in such situations and
helped him. He said he will respond by saying, "Assuredly, I say
to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren,
you did it to Me" (Matthew 25:37-40; compare Mark 9:41). This is
reminiscent of the Lord asking Saul of Tarsus why he persecuted him,
when in fact he had been persecuting the church (Acts 9:4). Jesus
so closely identifies with the members of his body that to hurt them or
help them is to do the same to him!
"Depart from Me, You Cursed"
Just as surely as God has prepared a kingdom
for his own, he has prepared an everlasting fire for the devil and his
angels. It is sad to hear the King saying some men will be
condemned to that fire because they have not ministered to those in
need. In case the point was not understood before, we find Jesus
telling those on the left hand that they will not enter in because they
failed to tend him when they saw him in need. Like those on the
right hand, they asked when they saw him in such a condition and did not
attend to him. His response was, "Assuredly, I say to you,
inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not
do it to Me" (Matthew 25:41-45).
In verse 41, hell was described as an
everlasting fire. In verse 46, he says it will be a place of
everlasting punishment. McGarvey says, "The word 'punishment'
expresses misery and suffering purposely inflicted." He also noted
the condemnation of the wicked will be just as long in its duration as
the reward of the righteous. There is no doctrine of a second
chance taught in this parable of our Lord. It is imperative that
we all prepare to stand before his judgment seat today!
Other Questions Related to the End of the
World
While it is very important to see the urgency of being prepared, there
are other things revealed about the end of the world which are of
interest to Christians. For instance, the order of the
resurrection is discussed in a few passages. Paul had to help a
troubled church in Thessalonica which had somehow come to believe those
who died before the Lord’s return would miss out on the resurrection.
His encouraging words to them let us know the dead in Christ will
actually be raised first, then those who are still alive in the Lord (1
Thessalonians 4:13-18). Though we do not know the timing, the
wicked dead, according to the Lord, will be raised in the same hour
(John 5:28-29).
The binding of Satan in Revelation 20 has intrigued many who have read
God’s word. Now, it is important to see the binding is not
portrayed as happening at the end of the world. Revelation 20
opens with one of God's angelic messengers being sent down from heaven
with a key to the abyss. In the New Testament, this word is
particularly used of the abode of demons and their leader, Satan (Luke
8:31; Revelation 9:1-2, 11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1, 3). The key
represents power over Satan (compare Revelation 1:18.) The great
chain is literally "upon the hand" (A.S.V. margin) of Satan and may be
the same as the little book of Revelation 10:2, which was also in, or
upon, the hand of an angel.
Satan is again described as the dragon
because he is ferocious; the old serpent, because he was the deceiver of
Satan was cast into the abyss and restrained
from doing the work he desired to do. He will be loosed for a
little time, which may simply be a loosing for judgment.
Concluding Thoughts
The end of the world is a topic of great interest. Those who see
signs of the Lord’s imminent return in every tragedy find no solace in
the signs given by the Lord in Matthew 24. Instead, a full
understanding of the passage helps one see the definite signs refer to
his coming in judgment against
Gary C. Hampton