{"id":97398,"date":"2026-08-18T11:39:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T16:39:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=97398"},"modified":"2026-08-18T11:39:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T16:39:23","slug":"matthew-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/matthew-24\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthew 24"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

by Billy Boyd<\/p>\n

Matthew 24 may be the most difficult chapter in the book. Jesus tells his disciples what will come to pass, and his language is sometimes figurative, exaggerated, and apocalyptic. Many wise and respected commentators have struggled with this chapter and differed over its particulars, so do not be discouraged if you find it difficult. I am not haughty when I try to explain this chapter, but below are a few keys that help put the things Jesus said in perspective.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. As with any passage of Scripture, and especially difficult passages, this chapter must be understood in light of everything else the Bible teaches, for all Scripture is of one mind; all of it is of God. Suggestions that clash with the teachings of the rest of the Bible cannot be correct, and novel theories should be treated with suspicion.<\/li>\n
  2. Remember that Matthew’s primary purpose is to provide his readers evidence that Jesus is the promised Christ. Documenting how Jesus foretold what was to come, and watching these things happen as they were fulfilled, is part of that evidence.<\/li>\n
  3. In the immediate context, Jesus had proclaimed that the hypocrites to whom he was speaking would be judged, that the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed, and that these things “shall come to pass upon this generation” (Matthew 23:35-24:2).<\/li>\n
  4. Jesus is responding to the question asked of him by his disciples, “When shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming and the end of the world<\/em>” (Matthew 24:3). The disciples asked their question as though they thought the destruction of the temple (“these things”), the coming of the Lord (in judgment); and “the end of the world” would all happen at about the same time. In answering their question, the Lord explained that his coming in judgment against Jerusalem, and his coming in judgment at the end of the world would be separate events.<\/li>\n
  5. The disciples asked for both the time (“when shall these things be<\/em>“), and the sign (“what shall be the sign<\/em>“). In regard to the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus said gave them a sign (“the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet<\/em>” – Matthew 24:15), and he told them the time (“this generation<\/em>” – Matthew 24:34), but in regard to the end of the world Jesus said there would be no sign (“as in the days of Noe… knew not until the flood came<\/em>” – Matthew 24:37-39), and no one knew the time (“of that day and hour knoweth no man<\/em>” – Matthew 24:36).<\/li>\n
  6. A key division of this chapter is Matthew 24:34-35, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.<\/em>” The things preceding these verses have to do with the soon coming of the Lord in judgment against Jerusalem; the things following have to do with the Lord’s eventual coming in judgment at the end of the world.
    \nWhile these six keys may not answer all the questions you may have about this chapter, they should go a long way toward keeping you on the right track. Here is something else to keep in mind as you meditate on these things: just as sure as the Lord came in judgment against Jerusalem, as he said, so also he will come to judge the world, he said, and therefore we need to “watch<\/em>” (Matthew 24:42) and “be ready<\/em>” (Matthew 24:44).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    by Billy Boyd Matthew 24 may be the most difficult chapter in the book. Jesus tells his disciples what will come to pass, and his language is sometimes figurative, exaggerated, and apocalyptic. Many wise and respected commentators have struggled with this chapter and differed over its particulars, so do not be discouraged if you find…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[839,1125,338,708,339],"class_list":["post-97398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-destruction-of-jerusalem","tag-end-of-the-world","tag-end-times","tag-matthew","tag-second-coming"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":29677,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-need-for-book-chapter-and-verse\/","url_meta":{"origin":97398,"position":0},"title":"The Need for Book, Chapter, and Verse","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Do we really need book, chapter, and verse? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Frequently practices are justified by the absence of Scripture. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t say not to.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The argument is taken so far as to say, \u201cThere is no book, chapter, and verse for having book, chapter, and verse.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The point\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37439,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/christ-and-fulfilled-prophecy\/","url_meta":{"origin":97398,"position":1},"title":"Christ and Fulfilled Prophecy","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant God has not left us without proof. There are many ways to authenticate the truthfulness and accuracy of the Bible, which firmly establish the fact that the Old and New Testaments are not the product of the mind of man. There had to be some higher\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":67275,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/one-or-two-chapter-lessons\/","url_meta":{"origin":97398,"position":2},"title":"One (or Two) Chapter Lessons","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 31, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Don Bunting April 7-10, 2024 Simple topics presented in a single context Reasons to Believe in Jesus (Matthew 1-2) What Christianity Is All About (Ephesians 1) Perilous Times in the Last Days (II Timothy 3) Two Reasons to Follow Jesus (Hebrews 1-2) Understanding Bible Faith (Hebrews 11) God's People\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1362,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/will-there-be-a-rapture\/","url_meta":{"origin":97398,"position":3},"title":"Will There be a Rapture?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: I Thessalonians 4:13-18 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0People have always been fascinated with the second coming of Christ \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0That fascination increased greatly as the 21st century approached. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A very popular series, called \u201cLeft Behind\u201d by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins claims to tell the events of Christ\u2019s return in fictional form.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":67117,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-matthew-5-only-for-the-jews\/","url_meta":{"origin":97398,"position":4},"title":"Is Matthew 5 only for the Jews?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, A friend of mine who is against divorce and remarriage says that Matthew 5 has a \"Jewish element,\" that is, the word \"council\" in Matthew 5:22, so it is a chapter only for Jews and not for Christians.\u00a0 What do you think about that? Thank you. Answer: This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":26662,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-does-the-bible-say-jesus-will-return-a-third-time\/","url_meta":{"origin":97398,"position":5},"title":"Where does the Bible say Jesus will return a third time?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 8, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I've been a fan of\u00a0Bible.ca for along time. One question that haunts me is this: With Matthew 24 fulfilled (I do believe this) where does God's word tell us Christ will come a third time? ( 1. birth - 2. A.D. 70 -3. ?) and what about passages like\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97398"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97398\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}