3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:3-8)
Thoughts: Matthew 24 has four major prophecies: 1) The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple; 2) The persecution of the followers of Christ climaxed before His coming (the Great Tribulation); 3) The spreading of the Gospel to all nations before the end comes (24:14); 4) The Second Coming of Christ.
The disciples asked a question that Jesus didn't answer directly. Their question was when will the Temple be destroyed as he predicted. This happened within a generation of his death (24:34- 33 AD to 70 AD- a generation is 40 years). Jesus was not just thinking about the destruction of the Temple but of the end of all things and His coming. The Temple's destruction was a symbol that the Gospel is not restricted to one place and one people. When Jerusalem was destroyed the Christians literally scattered all over. Jesus was thinking about His impending arrest, death, resurrection and then His coming.
Jesus describes the signs of His coming as "birth pains"- labor pains of a woman in labor. It is important in two senses: 1) the pains get more intense and more together before the delivery- indicating that the signs of famine, war, false Christs, and persecution would truly get worse before He comes; 2) The birth pains give birth to new life. His Second Coming is not all pain- but hope and joy too- as when a baby is born.
The disciples asked a question that Jesus didn't answer directly. Their question was when will the Temple be destroyed as he predicted. This happened within a generation of his death (24:34- 33 AD to 70 AD- a generation is 40 years). Jesus was not just thinking about the destruction of the Temple but of the end of all things and His coming. The Temple's destruction was a symbol that the Gospel is not restricted to one place and one people. When Jerusalem was destroyed the Christians literally scattered all over. Jesus was thinking about His impending arrest, death, resurrection and then His coming.
Jesus describes the signs of His coming as "birth pains"- labor pains of a woman in labor. It is important in two senses: 1) the pains get more intense and more together before the delivery- indicating that the signs of famine, war, false Christs, and persecution would truly get worse before He comes; 2) The birth pains give birth to new life. His Second Coming is not all pain- but hope and joy too- as when a baby is born.
Prayer: Lord, Let me lift up my head and see your hand at work in the world today. Thank you for the assurance that history has a direction and purpose.
No comments:
Post a Comment