The Gospel of Matthew Study Help (Matthew 24:3-8)

Jesus’ Private ministry

Questions to be answered in this study

1. What is Jesus’ final phase of ministry called?
2. What did Jesus say to His disciples concerning the temple in Jerusalem as He left the temple grounds for the final time before His death on the cross?
3. What did Jesus say were not the signs of the end?
4. What is the first false sign of the second coming of Jesus?
5. Jesus is coming back to earth at His second coming, and there is one way we can know for sure it is truly Jesus the Messiah; what is that one way?
6. One of the questions the disciple’s asked Jesus was, what will be the signs of the end of the age? What were the signs that Jesus gave?
7. How do birth pangs relate to the second coming of Christ?
8. Jesus said that ordinary wars and rumors of wars were not signs of the end of the age. However, a certain kind of war will be a sign of the end; what is it?
9. We have seen the signs Jesus mentioned in Matthew’s gospel being fulfilled in our lifetime. There is still another one that Luke mentions, which fits right into the current events; what is it? 
10. No one knows when the end of the age will be, but there is one thing we can know about it; what is that one thing?
11. Paul mentions three essential things that we need to understand concerning the second coming, and the third one is extremely important; what is it?
12. What is the only solution to the problems of the world?
13. What is the most important thing we can do as we wait on the second coming of Christ?

Introduction

In today’s study, we take up the previous analysis of the Olivet Discourse in Matthew chapter 24; this is an extremely important study and it is Jesus’ final ministry, His private ministry to His disciples. We will be involved in this stream of study until the end of chapter 25. Jesus is now on His way to the Mount of Olives, where the discourse gets its name. In our previous study, Jesus had left the temple for the last time on a Tuesday evening before he went to the cross later in the week to die for the sins of humanity.

The disciples walked with Jesus down through the Kidron valley up to the Mount of Olives and later to Bethany, where they were lodging. As they began their journey that day, the disciples commented on the beauty of Herod’s Temple. Jesus replied that the temple would be destroyed someday with every stone being taken down. If you visit the temple site, all you will see remaining of the temple is the outer wall. Along with my wife Margaret, I had the privilege of walking up to that wall and saying a prayer. The wall remains because it was not part of the temple proper.

After they reached the Mount of Olives and Jesus had sat down, the disciples began to ask Him when will these things be, meaning the destruction of the temple, along with some questions concerning the end of the age and the beginning of the kingdom as we shall see beginning with Matthew 24 and verses 3 and 4:

Matthew 24:3-4, “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.”

After Jesus spoke of the temple’s destruction, the disciples were curious about when it would take place and the sign of Jesus’ second coming and the end of the age. Luke’s gospel records an additional question, Luke 21:7, “Teacher when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” When we combine Matthew’s account with that of Luke, we have four questions:

1. When will the temple destruction take place?
2. What are the signs of the temple’s destruction?
3. What is the sign of your coming be? 
4. What signs will there be of the end of the age?

Jesus begins with an additional question that the disciples didn’t ask, and that was what signs would not be the end of the age. After that, Jesus answers the direct questions of the disciples in a different order from whence they were asked.

So, the following verses start with those things that will not be signs of the end:

Matthew 24:4-6, “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

In my lifetime and perhaps yours, we have seen all the things above take place. There have been occasions when some false prophet led his followers to a particular area to encounter the second coming of Jesus only to be disappointed when it did not happen. Each time someone has predicted the second coming, it has turned out wrong. Some have even claimed to be the Messiah, and today all of them have died, proving them wrong.

The first false sign is false Messiahs will arise and deceive many. So, Jesus warns not to believe them because Satan, the enemy, has sent them to deceive the world. In Revelation, the Bible is clear what to expect at Jesus’s second coming. So those who know the Bible will not be fooled.

Jesus is coming back to earth at His second coming, and we will have no trouble knowing because we, the church, will be with him. When He comes to earth, everyone will know that it is He is because He will set up His world kingdom. The imitators of Jesus in the past did none of the things Jesus will do when He comes the second time to earth. 

Jesus mentions another sign that we should not count as an end sign, and that is, there will be wars and rumors of wars. Out of the past 3,400 years of recorded history, there have been only 268 years of Peace, just 8 percent of the total years. At least 108 million people were killed in wars in the twentieth century alone, and it is estimated there have been from 150 million to 1 billion deaths in wars throughout recorded history. There are wars in progress right now as I write this.

Jesus does give some significant signs of the end of the age beginning with verse 7. In Biblical terms, age is in human history a finite period. We presently live in the church age, referred to as the dispensation of grace, an indefinite period between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel’s prophesy. The church age will end when Jesus raptures the church, and then the end of the age as we know it will come at His second coming seven years later after the tribulation period. Jesus called this present age the age of the Gentiles in which God is calling out His church.

One of the questions the disciple’s asked Jesus was, what will be the signs of the end of the age. Jesus begins now to tell them in verses 7 and 8:

Matthew 24:7-8, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Jesus often described the End Times as being “birth pangs.” So, how do birth pangs work? First, they are very painful, to which any mother can attest. They indicate something new is imminent, the birth of a child. We conclude that there will be some harrowing events before the end of the age leading up to a new way of life on earth. As I write this, the world is experiencing some painful experiences that have unimaginably interrupted everyday life. The Covid-19 pandemic is entering its third year, and on top of that, because of Russia’s aggression, there is a threat of a third world war in Europe; this does not mean that the second coming is necessarily near, but on the other hand it could be. Since the second coming is imminent, it could happen at any moment. Here is the thing, the second coming is in two parts, first, the church’s rapture as taught in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and then the second coming proper when Jesus will come to earth with the saints to set up His world kingdom. The seven years of tribulation on earth, Daniels 70th week, comes between the church’s rapture and the second coming proper. There are no signs to be fulfilled before the rapture of the church.

Second, the nature of birth pangs is they start mild and wind up severe, and that also characterizes the second coming of Christ. We have noticed that over the years, things have increasingly gotten worst on several fronts: Morals have declined, violence has increased, pestilences have increased, world peace has become less likely, etc.

Fourth, the frequency of birth pangs increases and gets closer together, which also is evidence that the end of the age is more immediate and more imminent. Finally, birth pangs ultimately lead to the birth of a new life; that is where the world is headed presently. As the pains across the world increase in severity and frequency, it is a sign the second coming is approaching, at which time Jesus will set up His world kingdom. That means a new birth of life and a new beginning for Israel, which occurs during the tribulation period when they recognize Jesus for the first time in their history as the Messiah, the Lord, and savior.   

So, that’s the comparison Jesus offers for the signs of the end age, and now let’s look at the other specific signs He gave:

In verse 7, Jesus states that nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be an increase in the number of wars and the intensity of battles. According to a Wikipedia list of wars, “during the past 500 years, there has been an increase in the frequency and intensity of fighting: The 21st Century has already witnessed 55 wars; this has put humanity on course for 550 wars over the next one-hundred year-period, a world record if the second coming does not happen before. Have wars increased in frequency and intensity? The answer is a definite yes. 

Jesus said that ordinary wars and rumors of wars were not signs of the end of the age. However, a certain kind of war will be a sign of the end, “nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom;” this is to be considered a kind of war only experienced on earth in the past hundred years or so, beginning with World War I. It is a type of war that includes all the nations and kingdoms on earth. The first war that fit this description was in 1914 when the war in Europe drug most of the world into the conflict; 88% of the world engaged in World War I to some extent; this happened again in the Second World War, which was a carry-over from World War I. This war included up to 95% of the world’s countries, and it increased in severity, as do birth pangs. An estimated 70–85 million people perished in World War II; that is about 3% of the 1940 world population.   

According to the birth pang comparison, the next war, World War III, will be far worse than anything we have ever seen. Could it be that we are witnessing the precursor to it now as Russia attacks Ukraine? If so, that could mean we have entered the time Jesus spoke of as a sign of the end.

This kind of war could bring with it the second sign Jesus gave that there will be famines in “various places;” this means not just a few famines in some local areas but widespread famines affecting the entire world, even here at home in America. Today, there is already a food shortage around the globe. If supply chains are affected and the planting and harvesting of food in those places that produce most of the world’s food supply, it can result in a famine never before seen. Presently, food prices are increasing in some items are in short supply. Also, things have changed since the first two world wars: most depend on grocery stores for their food, and grocery stores depend on a regular supply to meet those demands. A World War would critically affect the supply.

“Pestilences” was another sign Jesus gave. We are presently experiencing the worst pestilence in our lifetime, and we are yet to see the end of it after over two years. Some medical professionals are warning that there may be other variances of Covid-19 that could be far worse than what we have already seen.

Then finally, Jesus says that earthquakes will increase in “divers’ places;” once again, that is on a worldwide scope and not just in some local places prone to earthquakes. For more than a century now, measuring the severity and frequency of earthquakes has become a science. Over the past hundred years, tracking earthquakes worldwide has indicated that earthquakes are on a dramatic rise in number and intensity, especially in recent decades of the past century. This has stumped scientists who have no explanation for the phenomena. There has been a 43% increase in intense earthquakes over a steady pattern of earthquakes during the past century.

We have seen the signs Jesus mentioned in Matthew’s gospel being fulfilled in our time. However, there is still another one that Luke mention, which fits right into the current events: Luke 21:10-11 (New American Standard Bible), “Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, 11and there will be massive earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven.” 

According to Luke, Jesus said there would be plagues in various places. A plague is a disease that covers a wide area referred to as an epidemic or pandemic. Jesus said in multiple locations, which means across the entire world. The Novel coronavirus that has been raging across the globe, killing millions, fits the description Jesus gave. When you combine this disease with the other signs Jesus mentions, it is very telling. All those signs, world wars, famines, plagues, and earthquakes, have been increasing during the past century and becoming more severe as the comparison Jesus made of the progressive nature of birth pangs. Together, these things indicate that we are nearing the end of the age.

The unbelieving world is in the dark concerning the meaning of these things thinking the current events are only temporary and that soon we will get back to the usual way of living that we knew before. However, the believer, who knows what the Bible teaches about end-time events, knows there is no turning back. Just as in childbirth, once the birth pangs start, it does not stop until the child is delivered.

If what we are seeing are the signs Jesus describes, there is no letting up or stopping until the end of the age arrives. While no one knows the exact time of the end, we can see that it is drawing near. The trip we are on is a one-way trip that leads up to the second return of our Lord. Rather than being worried and depressed concerning the current events worldwide, we should be encouraged and excited that the kingdom is near at hand. I don’t mean that we should not have empathy for those suffering across the world. We do not wish for the suffering and death that is taking place. We certainly desire to live in a peaceful, calm world, but because of evil men like Valdemar Putin, it will not be that way. However, we can look forward to that time when Jesus sets up His world kingdom when at last, there will be a new world order with Jesus in command.

The present generation of believers may not be alive to see the beginning of that age, but we have the promise that we will be part of it. There will be a generation who will see all of the things Jesus mentioned come to pass, something that former generations could only imagine. That generation will witness the prophecies of Scripture unfold before their eyes. It could very well be that we are that privileged generation, which is exciting. I know it may not seem like fun at the present when so many things are going so wrong, but the end will be worth it all. 

The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, taught concerning the end of the age, the return of Christ for the church, and the tribulation period. In 1 Thessalonians 4:18, Paul talks about comforting one another as we see those things coming: “For the Lord, himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

               In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5:1-11 (KJV), Paul expands on what happens at the time of the church’s rapture, mentioned in chapter 4, and it is another sign of the end of the age not mentioned in Matthew chapter 24. “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3For when they shall say Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

           In the verses above, Paul mentions three essential things that we need to understand: First, he says that Jesus will come for His church as a thief in the night. That means that it will not be announced. Thieves do not reveal that they are coming to rob you; they come when you least expect them. So, it is with the coming of the Lord to receive His church. Now, this is how the world sees it, not believers looking for and expecting the return of Jesus, which Paul points out in the verses above. Second, the world will be seeking Peace and safety. Isn’t that what the whole world is doing at present? However, instead of Peace, sudden destruction will come upon the world; this is the great tribulation or the day of the Lord that will last seven years before the second coming of Jesus to earth to set up His kingdom; this will be a time of great judgment on the planet. Third, the church is not going through this time of judgment and wrath according to verse 9: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”

               The world is desperately looking for solutions to the problems that plague us today, notably the pandemic and a third world war threat. Here is the deal, there is only one solution for the issues that make this world a dangerous, challenging place to live, where hatred, injustice, lawlessness, violence, natural disasters, hunger, and disease preside. We wish these things would end, but they will not. So, what is the solution? They can only come to an end when Jesus returns and sets up His world kingdom filled with His glory and run by His saints.

Conclusion

            The Apostle gives great advice to all of us who are believers in Christ the Lord: 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”