Rex Banks

Jesus' disciples are greatly confused and alarmed by His lament over Jerusalem (Part 1) and as they leave the city they draw His attention to the Temple (Matt. 24:1) remarking upon its massive stones and magnificent buildings. (Mk 13:1; Lk. 21:5) The city and the Temple represent the very heart of the Jewish political and religious system, and deep concern for their nation's future is at the forefront of the disciples' minds as they question Jesus about future events (Matt. 24:3).

The Disciples' Perplexity

Matthew 24:1: "And Jesus came out from the temple, and was going away when his disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him."

Mark 13:1: "As he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to Him, 'Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!' "

Luke 21:5a: "and while some were talking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gifts, He said …"

a) Likely the disciples' comments here reflect their concern and confusion at His words "Your house is being left to you desolate." (23:38 see Part 1) R. C. Foster observes:

"Thus when they called His attention to the immense stones and the beauty of adornment, there was much more in the comment of the apostles to Jesus than admiration and awe at grandeur of great buildings and exquisite architecture. Weighed down with sorrow over the fearful predictions of His imminent death, they likewise were appalled at the dark background of the destruction of the holy city and the nation. Seeking further light upon this whole dreadful theme, they tactfully called his attention to the solidity and beauty of the temple buildings." (The Life of Christ, vol. 3)

b) The Temple was a magnificent structure. Josephus tells us that "in the eighteenth year of his reign, (Herod)...undertook a very great work, that is to build of himself the temple of God, and make it larger in compass, and to raise it to a most magnificent altitude, as esteeming it to be the most glorious of all his actions..." (Ant. Jews 15:11) By about A.D. 27 some 46 years had been devoted to building the Temple (Jn 2:20) and it was completed just a few years before its destruction in 70 A.D.

c) Alfred Edersheim gives us some idea of the Temple's resplendence:

"But alone, and isolated in its grandeur, stood the Temple Mount. Terrace upon terrace its courts rose, till, high above the city, within the enclosure of marble cloisters, cedar-roofed and richly ornamented, the Temple itself stood out a mass of snowy marble and of gold, glittering in the sunlight against the half-encircling green background of Olivet. In all his wanderings the Jew had not seen a city like his own Jerusalem. Not Antioch in Asia, not even imperial Rome herself, excelled it in architectural splendour. Nor has there been, either in ancient or modern times, a sacred building equal to the Temple, whether for situation or magnificence..." (The Temple)

d) Understandably Jesus' disciples are alarmed and perplexed at the Master's grim pronouncement, "Your house is being left to you desolate." The destruction of Jerusalem along with the Temple was simply unthinkable!

Jesus' Dramatic Pronouncement

Matt. 24:2 "And He answered and said to them, 'Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here shall be left upon another, which will not be torn down'." (cf. Mk 13:2; Lk. 21:5b, 6)

a) We recall that Jesus had earlier used the words "these things" in connection with the destruction of Jerusalem, (23:36) and now He uses these same words in responding to the disciples' question about the destruction of the Temple within the city. In these verses and elsewhere in this section (24:3, 8, 33, and 34) the words "these things" refer to matters involving the same event, namely the destruction of Jerusalem.

b) Jesus says, "not one stone here shall be left upon another", and we recall the words of Josephus:

"Now as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury, (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other work to be done), Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency...but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind." (Wars 7.1.1)

Matt. 24:3 "And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, (opposite the temple Mk 13:1) the disciples (Peter and James and John and Andrew Mk 13:1) came to Him privately, saying 'Tell us when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age (world [K.J.V.)?' "

a) The Mount of Olives, so called from the olive trees with which its sides are clothed, "is a mountain ridge on the east of Jerusalem (1Kgs 11:7; Ezek.11:23; Zech.14:4) from which it is separated by the valley of Kidron…It is about 200 feet above the level of the city." (Easton Bible Dictionary) The road from Jerusalem to Bethany ran over this mount. Likely Jesus is at the middle part of the mount, because this is opposite the Temple. From this vantage point Jesus and the disciples would have had a magnificent view of the Temple with its golden roof, white marble stones and terraced courts.

b) Matthew records that the disciples asked: "Tell us when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age (world [K.J.V])?" Mark has: "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?" Luke has: "Teacher, when therefore will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are going to take place?" Clearly by "these things" the disciples have reference to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. After all, Jesus has just predicted the end of Jerusalem (23:37-39) and the disciples, in consternation, have drawn His attention to the magnificent Temple within the city in order to elicit further information on the topic (24:1). Then He, in response, has spoken of the Temple's complete destruction (24:2). Clearly their present question about "these things" (24:3) grows out of this discussion about the city and the Temple.

c) Some students of scripture are convinced that the disciples ask but one question of Jesus, and that this question concerns the destruction of Jerusalem, including the Temple, and the consequent termination of Jewish political and religious rule. For example, Stanley W. Paher argues that "The structure of the sentence (in Matt. 24:3) is Semitic parallelism, where, by altering the term, the second and third questions expand and explain the first one." (Matthew 24: First Century Fulfillment or End-Time Expectation). Thus, according to Paher, the questions, "what will be the sign of Your coming", and "(what will be the sign of) the end of the age", (N.A.S.V.) are simply amplifications of the first question, namely "when will these things be …?" All three questions concern the destruction of Jerusalem and nothing else. According to this view, the expression "end of the world" (K.J.V.) is better translated "end of the age?" (N.A.S.V., N.I.V.) and the disciples are asking about the end of the Jewish age "not a time thousands of years in the future" (ibid). It is argued by proponents of this view that Jesus' response, in its entirety, concerns the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome in 70 A.D.

d) In my view, while this approach to Matthew 24 adequately explains much of Jesus' response to the disciples' questions, it does not provide the best explanation for all that He says in Matt. 24:4ff. Yes, Jesus certainly warns about the devastation to be visited upon Jerusalem in 70A.D. but His response also suggests that the disciples are asking about more than simply the destruction of the Jewish system. This being the case, in my view it is a "reasonable assumption that in the disciples mind their question as to the temple's destruction and the signs that will presage it are linked to the end of the age and Jesus' return (cf. 16:27-28; 23:39; Luke 19:11-27)..." (D. A. Carson, Expositors vol. 1.) Certainly Jesus' response seems to indicate that the disciples mistakenly associated the overthrow of the city and the Temple with the end of the world and the Lord's final coming at the end of time. Many are convinced that"

"Much of the confusion in interpreting the predictions of Jesus recorded in Matthew 24 and the parallel passages arises from the failure to see that the disciples asked and Jesus answered two questions: one, concerning the fall of Jerusalem; the other, concerning His second coming." (R. C. Foster, The Life of Christ, vol. 3)

Many good exegetes share this view. Roy Deaver comments:

"In thinking about the Lord's final coming, the end of the world, and the destruction of the beautiful temple buildings the disciples really asked two questions: (1) When shall these things be? and (2) what shall be the sign when these things are about to come to pass? In answering the disciples, the Lord discusses two comings and two ends of two worlds. He discusses His coming in judgment upon Jerusalem (to mark the end of Judaism and the Jewish nation); and He discusses His coming for final judgment (to mark the end of the world)" (Premillennialism, True or False)

In similar vein William Hendriksen says:

"The very form of the question is cast-the juxtaposition of the clauses-seems to indicate that, as these men interpret the Master's words, Jerusalem's fall, particularly the destruction of the temple, would mean the end of the world. In this opinion they were partly mistaken, as Jesus is about to show. A lengthy period of time would intervene between Jerusalem's fall and the culmination of the age, the second coming."

e) Elsewhere Matthew uses the expression "the end of the age" to speak of the final judgment and the consummation of all things (13:39, 40, 49; 28:20) and it is likely correct that the disciples assume that the destruction of the temple, and the end of the world, would occur at the same time. Accordingly in His response to the disciples' question, the Lord makes it clear that these are two separate events, and His explanation consists of two main parts:

i) 24:4-34. In these verses Jesus discusses the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. This discussion ends with the words "Truly I say to you this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." (v. 34) Some who are listening to Jesus' words will live to see the effective end of the Jewish system in 70 A.D.

ii) 24:35-51. With the words "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (v. 35) Jesus begins to discuss the Lord's second coming at the end of time, an event which (unlike the destruction of Jerusalem) will not be preceded by signs.

f) In the following paragraphs I will argue that in the first part of His discourse, Jesus discusses certain signs associated with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., and that in doing so He uses language which is virtually identical to that found in various Old Testament oracles of judgment. I will also argue (contra Paher and others) that in Matt. 24:35 Jesus begins to explain that the destruction of the city and the Lord's return at the end of time are separate events, and that unlike the former, the latter will occur suddenly and without warning of any kind.

Matthew 24:4-34: The Destruction of Jerusalem

Matthew 24:4-34 also falls naturally into two sections. First Jesus discusses certain events which precede the destruction of Jerusalem but which do not signify that the end of the city is at hand, (vv 4-14) and then He goes on to discuss signs which do indicate that the destruction of the city is imminent (vv 15-34). Unlike the first section, the second section contains warnings to believers that they are to flee from impending danger (e.g. v 16).

Matt. 24:4-14: Events which precede the destruction of Jerusalem, but which do not signify that the end is at hand.

Matt. 24:4, 5: And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying 'I am the Christ', and will mislead many."

Lk 21:8: And He said, "See to it that you be not misled; for many will come in My name saying, 'I am He', and 'The time is at hand'; do not go after them'."

a) There is ample evidence from both the New Testament itself and from secular sources that many false claimants and did arise during this period of time. For example, Luke records the following words of the Pharisee Gamaliel concerning two such pretenders, Theudas and Judas:

"Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered." (Acts 5:35-37)

b) The fourth century historian Eusebius also mentions Theudas:

"When Fadus was procurator of Judea, an impostor called Theudas persuaded a vast crowd to take their belongings and follow him to the River Jordan; for he claimed to be a prophet, and promised to divide the river by his command and provide them with an easy crossing. A great many people were deceived by this talk. Fadus however did not allow them to enjoy their folly, but sent a troop of cavalry against them. These attacked them without warning, killed many, and took many alive, capturing Theudas himself, whose head they cut off and conveyed to Jerusalem." (pp. 84-85).

c) Both Luke and Eusebius make mention of an Egyptian con man who also gained a following among the Jewish people:

"Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?" (Acts 21:38)

"Moreover, there came out of Egypt about this time to Jerusalem one that said he was a prophet, and advised the multitude of the common people to go along with him to the Mount of Olives, as it was called, which lay over against the city, and at the distance of five furlongs. He said further, that he would show them from hence how, at his command, the walls of Jerusalem would fall down; and he promised them that he would procure them an entrance into the city through those walls, when they were fallen down. Now when Felix was informed of these things, he ordered his soldiers to take their weapons, and came against them with a great number of horsemen and footmen from Jerusalem, and attacked the Egyptian and the people that were with him. He also slew four hundred of them, and took two hundred alive. But the Egyptian himself escaped out of the fight, but did not appear any more. And again the robbers stirred up the people to make war with the Romans, and said they ought not to obey them at all; and when any persons would not comply with them, they set fire to their villages, and plundered them. (Eusebius, Book XX, Chapter VIII, Section 6)

d) Eusebius has on Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8):

"After the Lord was taken up into heaven the demons put forth a number of men who claimed to be gods. These not only escape being persecuted by you, but were actually the objects of worship - for example Simon, a Samaritan from the village called Gittho, who in Claudius Caesar's time, thanks to the art of the demons who possessed him, worked wonders of magic, and in your imperial city of Rome was regarded as a god, and like a god was honoured by you with a statue in the River Tiber between the two bridges. It bears this inscription in Latin, SIMONI DEO SANCTO. Almost all Samaritans, and a few from other nations too, acknowledge him as their principle god, and worship him."

e) According to Origen:

"And after the time of Jesus, Dositheus the Samaritan also wished to persuade the Samaritans that he was the Christ predicted by Moses; and he appeared to have gained over some to his views." (Origen Contra Celsum, 1:57)

f) Josephus makes mention of various other impostors including "...one Jonathan, a vile person, and by trade a weaver, (who) came thither and prevailed with no small number of the poorer sort to give ear to him; he also led them into the desert, upon promising them that he would show them signs and apparitions... of these many were slain in the fight, but some were taken alive, and brought to Catullus..." (Wars 7:11:10)

Matt. 24:6-8: "And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of travail."

Lk 21:10, 11: "Then He continued by saying to them, 'Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven'."

a) Note that wars, rumors of wars, strife among nations, famines and earthquakes are the "beginning of travail" but they are not indications that "the end" has come. In context "the end" is the destruction of Jerusalem. Wars and natural disasters did indeed occur prior to Jerusalem's fall, but let's keep in mind that such calamities are not restricted to the first century. Such events did not signify that it was time to take flight. Only after certain other events took place were the disciples to flee the city (vv 16, 20) in the knowledge that "the end" (of Jerusalem) was nigh (v.33).

b) In his commentary on Matthew, William Hendriksen points out that:

"When Jesus speaks these words the Roman empire has been enjoying a long era of peace. But about four decades later, political turmoil will upset the great realm from one end to the other, so that Rome will see four emperors in one year, Galba Ortho, Vitellus and Vespasian."

c) Writings from the period confirm that this is an accurate picture of the time. The ancient historian Tacitus wrote:

"The history on which I am entering is that of a period rich in disaster, terrible with battles, torn by civil struggles, horrible even in peace. Four emperors fell by the sword; there were three civil wars, more foreign wars, and often both at the same time." (The Histories, 1:2)

d) Josephus records the following incident:

"Now the people of Caesarea had slain the Jews that were among them on the very same day and hour [when the soldiers were slain], which one would think must have come to pass by the direction of Providence; insomuch that in one hour's time about twenty thousand Jews were killed, and all Caesarea was emptied of its Jewish inhabitants..." (Wars, 2:18:1)

e) In response:

"The whole Jewish nation being exasperated at this, flew to arms, and burnt and plundered the neighbouring cities and villages of the Syrians, making an immense slaughter of the people. The Syrians, in return, destroyed not a less number of the Jews. At Scythopolis they murdered upwards of 13,000. At Ascalon they killed 2,500. At Ptolemais they slew 2,000, and made many prisoners..." (Clarke).

f) Josephus also tells us that the Jews "...were all zealously disposed to go to war with the Romans..." (Wars 2:17:2)

g) Luke tells of a famine foretold by Agabus, (Acts 11:28) in the days of Claudius, and Josephus tells us that it was so severe that many died for lack of food (Antiquities 20:2). Suetonius, Tacitus, and Eusebius all mention this famine. Tacitus also records:

"Several prodigies occurred in that year (i.e. 51 A.D. [Rex]). Birds of evil omen perched on the Capitol; houses were thrown down by frequent shocks of earthquake, and as the panic spread, all the weak were trodden down in the hurry and confusion of the crowd." (Annals, 12:43)

A little later we read that "Apamea, too, which had been shaken by an earthquake, had its tribute remitted for five years," (12:58) and in a section covering the period 59 - 62 A.D. we read that "One of the famous cities of Asia, Laodicea, was that same year overthrown by an earthquake..." (14:27)

h) Adam Clarke speaks of an earthquake at Campania, mentioned by Seneca, and of another at Rome, in the reign of Galba, mentioned by Suetonius. He says:

"Add to all these, a dreadful one in Judea, mentioned by Josephus (War, b. iv. c. 4) accompanied by a dreadful tempest, violent winds, vehement showers, and continual lightnings and thunders; which led many to believe that these things portended some uncommon calamity."

i) In Luke's account, Jesus makes mention of "terrors and great signs (or attesting miracles [margin]) from heaven", and it is important to clarify His meaning here. Many understand the Lord to be speaking here of such things "as comets and blazing stars, a flaming sword, or a comet like one, hanging over Jerusalem, and armies in the air engaged against each other." (John Gill, Exposition of the Whole Bible)

j) But the Lord's words do not require such manifestations. In my view it is more reasonable to conclude that the "terrors" and the "great signs from heaven" are "in fact the same thing" (A. Bruce, The Expositors Greek Testament) and that these terrors and signs are the "great earthquakes…plagues and famines" which Luke has just mentioned. They are events which take place upon the earth, but they are "from heaven" because they carry a divine message. This understanding fully accords with the Lords words elsewhere, for example:

i) Earlier when the Pharisees and Sadducees asked for a "sign from heaven" (Matt. 16:1) Jesus accuses them of failing to "discern the signs of the times" (v 3). These "signs of the times" were the signs which accompanied Jesus' earthly ministry. Thus when John's disciples asked Jesus if He was the Expected One, the Lord told them to report to John that "the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them." (Matt. 11:5) The Pharisees and the Sadducees should have recognized such things as legitimate signs from heaven.

ii) Jesus' resurrection from the dead, "the sign of Jonah" (v. 4 cf. 12:39 - 40) was also a "sign from heaven."

k) "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs." These events did occur before the destruction of Jerusalem, they were indeed signs from God, but it was only after other signs had occurred that those in Judea are to "flee to the mountains" (v. 16).

Matt. 24:9-14: "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. And at that time many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another. And may false prophets will arise, and will mislead many. And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all nations, and then the end shall come."

Mk 13:9: "But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to all."

a) v. 10 begins "Then (tote) they will deliver you…" "Tote ("then" v. 9) is an elusive word. In this chapter alone it occurs in vv. 9, 10, 14, 16, 21, 23, 30, and 40. Translated "then" in v. 9, it occurs as "At that time" in v. 10. Certainly there is no suggestion of sequence between v. 8 and v. 9; it is during the "birth pains" that Jesus' disciples will be persecuted and killed." (Carson) Thus these verses describe events which would take place during, not subsequent to the "birth pains" and Scripture provides ample proof of the persecution, murder and hatred of early Christians. In Acts 8:1 we read:

"And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria."

Also see Acts 4:1-30; 5:17; 7:59-8:3; 12:2, 15; 16:23, 24; 18:12; 24:24; 25:23; 28:22 Rev. 2:10, 12.

b) Extra-Biblical sources provide further evidence of persecution visited upon early Christians. In Book 15 of the Annals, Tacitus tells of a fire which swept over the city of Rome and which he describes as "a disaster...whether accidental or treacherously contrived by the emperor." Tacitus informs his readers that a rumor began to circulate that Nero was responsible for the conflagration, and he adds:

"Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace... Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired... Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man's cruelty, that they were being destroyed."

c) In his Life of Nero, Suetonius makes a passing reference which confirms this statement by Tacitus:

"Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a body of people addicted to a novel and mischievous superstition." (16.2)

d) There is evidence that many did "turn away from the faith", and that some did indeed "betray and hate each other." Paul tells Timothy: "You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes" (2 Tim. 1:15). "At my first defense no one took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their account." (2 Tim. 4:16).

e) Again extra-Biblical sources provide helpful information on this point. Speaking of Christians Tacitus says:

"The first ones to be seized were those who confessed; then on their information a vast multitude was convicted, not so much on the charge of incendiarism as because of their hatred of humanity." ( Book 15)

f) When Jesus says that "many false prophets will appear and deceive many people", (v. 11) He is speaking of false teachers within the church, a different group of impostors from the false Christs of v. 5. Of course there is a great deal of evidence in the New Testament that the early church was plagued by errorists. For example Peter warns: "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute" (2 Pet. 2:1 ff cf. Jude). Paul speaks of men who are "false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ" (2 Cor. 11:13) and who are servants of Satan. Warnings against errorists pervade the epistles.

g) Verse 12 tells us that because lawlessness is increased the love of many (lit) will grow cold." Barnes has:

"The fear of death, and the deluding influence of false teachers, would lessen the zeal of many timid and weak professors; perhaps, also, of many real but feeble Christians."

For example, the Hebrew epistle was evidently addressed to Christians who had suffered persecution (10:32), abuse, prison, loss of property, and who had given evidence of their faith in past service (6:10; 10:34) but who had stopped growing in Christ and even slipped back (5:11-14). They were evidently weary of carrying the burden of shame associated with their having left Judaism.

h) The "one who endures to the end will be saved." I think this most likely refers to the end of the individual saint's life, but some (e.g. Deaver) see a reference here to the destruction of Jerusalem, which may be the case.

i) The "gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world (oikoumene) as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Oikoumene occurs in Lk. 2:1 where we read: "Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled." N.I.V. here has "the entire Roman world" and N.A.S.V. has "all the inhabited earth." It's clear that in Lk. 2:1 oikoumene means the Roman world, and certainly the gospel could have reached those in that same area before 70 A.D. By about 62 A.D Paul can say that the gospel is bearing fruit "in all the world (kosmos)" (1:6) and that it "was proclaimed in all creation under heaven." (Col. 1:23) Whatever his meaning here, it is clear that Matt. 24:14 is compatible with the view that Jesus is contemplating events which would precede 70 A.D.

j) Jesus concludes "and then the end shall come." Jesus does not say that the end comes immediately after the events just described. Keep in mind that in vv 4-14 the Lord has been describing certain events which will precede the end of Jerusalem, but which do not signify that the city's destruction is at hand. In the following verses (vv 15ff) He will discuss certain other events which do indicate that the destruction of the city is at hand and which signal that the time for flight has arrived (See

Part 3)