matt 24.32 51 end of the age & 2nd coming

Rev Dr Anthony Loke | 6 Sept 2015

AND THE SEASONS (PART II)

SSMCSUNGAI WAY-SUBANGMETHODISTC H U R C H

SIGNS

anthony loke

THE BEGINNING OF BIRTH PANGS &

JUDGEMENT ON JERUSALEM

(MATT 24:1-31)

THE END OF THE AGE & JESUS’S

SECOND COMING (MATT 24:32-51)

MATTHEW 24-25

• Sometimes called ‘Olivet Discourse’

• 5th & final long discourse in Matthew

• Jesus’s teaching about 2 things:

Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70

The end of the age & His second

coming

THREE MAIN INTERPRETATIVE ISSUES

A] Disciples’ question (v. 3) – How many parts?

• 2 or 3?

B] Ways to interpret Matt 24-25?

• Futurist? Preterist? Preterist/Futurist?


C] Structure of Matt 24-25

24:1-3 Disciples’

concern for Temple &

question to Jesus

24:4-35 Jesus’s teachings• 24:4-14 Beginning of birth pangs

(general terms)

• 24:15-28 Abomination of

Desolation (specific terms)

• 24:29-31 Coming of the Son of

Man (apocalyptic terms)

Red – AD 70 destruction

Yellow – Jesus’s second coming


24:32-25:46 Jesus’s exhortation

• 24:32-35 Parable of the fig tree (parabolic terms)

• 24:36-42 Example of Noah (specific/parabolic terms)

• 24:43-44 Parable of the householder & thief (parabolic terms)

• 24:45-51 Parable of master & servants (parabolic terms)

• 25:1-13 Parable of the 10 virgins (parabolic terms)

• 25:14-30 Parable of the talents (parabolic terms)

• 25:31-46 Parable of the sheep & the goats (parabolic terms)

4] MATT 24:32-35 – PARABLE OF FIG TREE

Description in parabolic terms

Call to learn lesson from fig tree:

• Spring green buds forming & sprouting leaves -> sure

indicator that summer is near (v. 32)

• ‘these things’ -> indicators that Son of Man is ‘near, at

the very gates’ (v. 33)


Question: What is ‘fig tree’? Israel?

• Hence, some see 1947 as fulfilment of this prophecy

Vine plant is symbol for Israel, not fig tree!

• ‘Fig tree’ used here in general terms

• Not prophecy about Israel becoming a nation again

2 interpretative issues here: ‘this generation’

& ‘these things’


V. 34 ‘this generation will not pass away till all these things take place’

Question: What is ‘this generation’?

• 40 years period - If Israel formed in 1947, one generation means Jesus’s second coming is 1987!

• Phrase always used in negative or judgmental contexts by Jesus or in OT (‘disbelieving generation’)

• Nation of Israel - Jesus understood ‘this generation’ as referring to nation of Israel of his day (cf. Matt 11:16; 12:41, 42; 23:36)


‘When you see all these things…’ (v. 33); ‘…till all these

things pass away’ (v. 34)

• ‘These things’ (vv. 33, 34) refer to various predictions

mentioned in vv. 4-33

• ‘Signs or events’ are not the second coming itself but

anticipate Jesus’s second coming

• Nation of Israel (‘this generation’) witnessed the AD 70

events (‘these things’) leading up to second coming but

continued to remain blind!

5] MATT 24:36-42 – EXAMPLE OF NOAH


‘But of that day & hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son but the Father only’ (v. 36)

• ‘that day & hour’ – refers to Jesus’ second coming

• Gives idea that Jesus didn’t know time of his second coming!

• Luke omits this verse!

• How can the time of second coming be so

near & yet unknowable?


One argument – incarnate Jesus didn’t know

but pre-incarnate Christ knows!

Another argument - only God the Father knows

& He has not revealed to anyone including

angels nor the Son

Idea of unknowability to emphasize that God

alone decides & control time & He can cut

short the days ahead & send Jesus back to

earth according to His wisdom & timing


‘As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the

Son of Man’ (v. 37)

• Context of Noah (protological days) -> analogy of

second coming & end of the age (eschatological

days)

• Second coming will bring worldwide judgement like

the Flood days

• People will be oblivious of impending

doom in both contexts


‘…one is taken and one is left…’ (vv. 40-41)

• Not reference to pre-tribulational rapture!

• Emphasis is on suddenness & unexpectedness of the event

• Jesus’s second coming brings swift unexpected separation (some saved, others not saved)

‘Watch, therefore, for you do not know what day your Lord is coming’ (v. 42)

• Emphasis on alert expectation of

second coming

6] MATT 24:43-44 – PARABLE OF HOUSEHOLDER & THIEF


Short negative illustration on necessity of being alert

If householder knows what time the thief will

come into his house,

• he would have watched (be alert)

• he would have not let his house be broken into (prevented the crime)

Jesus’s second coming envisaged at night

• Night time for sleep & being less alert

6] MATT 24:43-44 – PARABLE OF HOUSEHOLDER & THIEF

Lessons:

• Urgent call to be ready (v. 44a)(cf. v. 42)

• ‘The Son of Man will come at an hour you do not

expect’ (v. 44b). When you least expect it, candid

camera!

• We do not know when Jesus will come but we do

know that he will come again

7] MATT 24:45-51 – PARABLE OF THE MASTER & SERVANTS


Answers rhetorical question ‘Who is the faithful & wise

servant?’ (v. 45a)

Parable describes 2 types of servants:

• The ‘good’ servant (vv. 45-46) – found faithful when

master returns unexpectedly

• Consequences (v. 47) – rewarded to overseeing his

master’s possessions

7] MATT 24:45-51 – PARABLE OF THE MASTER & SERVANTS

• The ‘wicked’ servant (vv. 48-49) – assumes delay of

master’s return & lives selfishly (beats other

servants, overindulges with food & gets drunk)

• Consequences (vv. 50-51) – punishment is

banishment together with hypocrites & wailing &

gnashing of teeth

Parable indicates close relation between eschatology

& ethics

CONCLUSION

• Matt 24 provides bit of ‘what’ & ‘when’ about Jesus’s

second coming but often imprecise terms

• ‘Eschatological correctness is ultimately a matter of

ethics, no speculation’ (M.E. Boring)

CONCLUSION

• Olivet Discourse found only in Synoptic Gospels

Matt Mark Luke John

24:1-44 13:1-37 21:5-36 -

24:45-51 - - -

25:1-46 - - -

• What is not found in Mark & Luke are additional

parables in Matthew (Master & Servants, 10 virgins,

Talents, Sheep & Goats) -> Matthew’s emphasis?

CONCLUSION

• Jesus is more concerned with ‘so what’ question - A

call for our response!

• If you know Jesus is coming back again, how then

will you live your life? Like wise & faithful servant?

• What is needed from disciples in such times?

[a] alertness/watchfulness (24:42-25:13)

[b] trustworthiness/faithfulness (25:14-30)

[c] compassion/love (25:31-46)

matt 24.32 51 end of the age & 2nd coming

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