Subscribe for Free Bible Lessons

    We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at anytime.

    ​

    Press the back button to exit subscribe form.

    Built with ConvertKit
    Matthew 24:1-28  Lesson 49

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:  
     
    The Olivet Discourse (part one).

    The destruction of Jerusalem.
     
    Also; Jesus warns us about the future.

    Study Tip:
     
    Find the truth in each passage.
    Ponder how that truth is relevant to you.
    Determine what you can do to apply that truth into your life. ​
    What is the...
        
    Olivet Discourse -
      The Olivet Discourse (AKA the Olivet Prophecy) is a prophetic proclamation by Jesus.  Some scholars believe it predicted the destruction of Jerusalem.  Others feel it foretold     the Second Coming and the end of the world.  Still others are convinced it predicted all three.   Jesus gave "The Olivet Discourse" after leaving Jerusalem with His disciples and walking to the Mount of Olives to spend the night.  His disciples asked Jesus when Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed, what sign would signal His return, and when would the world end (Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:3-4; Luke 21:7).  Jesus' response seems to bounce around from the destruction of Jerusalem to the Second Coming and then to end of the world.   Some scholars believe this was intentional.  That the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was a foreshadowing of the end of the world.  The Bible scholar Henry H. Halley (1874-1965) wrote: "It seems plain that he had in mind two distinct events, separated by an interval of time; indicated by "these" in 24:34, and "that day" in 24:36. Some would explain "this generation" (24:34), to mean this nation, that is, the Jewish race shall not pass away until the Lord comes.  The more common view is that he meant Jerusalem would be destroyed within the lifetime of those then living.  To one looking at two distant mountain peaks, one behind the other, they seem close together, though they may be far apart.  So in Jesus' perspective, these two events, one in some respects typical of the other, stood in close proximity, though there is a long internal between.  What he said in a sentence may be of an age.  What happened in one case may be a "begun fulfillment" of what will happen in the other." ("Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; page 445-446)  However, some Bible students believe that the tribulation pertains exclusively to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Roman army in 70 A. D. and has nothing to do with our future.  You will need to decide for yourself.

    The Gospel According to St. Matthew

    The King James Bible    ​

    Matthew 24:1-28
    Jesus on His return

    1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

    2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

    3 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.

    5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

    6 And 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.

    7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

    8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

    9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

    10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
     
    11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

    12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

    13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

    14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

    15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

    16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

    17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

    18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

    19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

    20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

    21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

    22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

    23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

    24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

    25 Behold, I have told you before.

    26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

    27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

    ​28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.​                            ​
    ​
    ​    Margin notes: 
     
    "Departed from the temple." (24:1) - This was Jesus' last visit to the Temple.  It's Tuesday, Jesus has only three days to live.
     
    "Shew him the buildings of the temple." (24:1) - The Temple complex was made up of numerous buildings and was one of the most impressive man-made sights in the world.
     
    "There shall not be left here one stone upon another." (24:2) - Jesus' prediction was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the Roman General Titus led his army into Jerusalem and utterly destroyed the Temple.  It was set on fire and the stones pulled apart to get the gold leaf that melted from the building.
     
    "He sat upon the mount of Olives." (24:3) - Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse on the Mount of Olives, the exact spot where He will return (Ezekiel 11:23; Zechariah 14:4-9).
     
    "The end of the world." (24:3) - Some Bible scholars believe the proper translation of this verse is "The end of this age."
     
    "Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." (24:5) - 1 John 2:18 also warns us against these false Christ's.
     
    "In divers places." (24:7) - "In various places."
     
    "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you." (24:9) - "Then they will persecute and kill you."
     
    "Then shall many be offended." (24:10) - "Then many will fall away."
     
    "Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." (24:11) - Jesus repeatedly sounds the alarm against false prophets (Matthew 7:15).
     
    "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (24:12) - "Because sin will be everywhere, the love in many people will grow cold."
     
    "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world." (24:14) - Before Christ returns, the Gospel will be preached throughout the world.
     
    "The abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel." (24:15) -"The desecration of the Temple spoken of by Daniel."  Jesus is referring to Daniel 9:27; 11:31 and 12:11, which predicted the Temple in Jerusalem's desecration.   
     
    "Let him which is on the housetop." (24:17) - In Jesus' day, many homes had outside staircases that led to flat roofs.  People would sit above the noise of the house to relax and catch a cool breeze.
     
    "Them that give suck!" (24:19) - Means, "Woman who are nursing."
     
    "For then shall be great tribulation." (24:21) - As predicted in Joel 2:1-2.
     
    "Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved." (24:22) - "Unless those days are shortened, no one will be saved."  Many Bible scholars believe that Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 12:14 predict that "those days" will last three and a half years ("a time, and times, and half a time").
     
    "The elect's." (24:22) - Means, God's chosen people.
     
    "Lo, here is Christ." (24:23) - "Look, here is the Messiah."
     
    "They shall deceive the very elect." (24:24) - In the last days, satanic miracles will be performed by false prophets and be so convincing that even Christians will be deceived (Revelation 13:13-15).  See also the warning in Deuteronomy 13:1-5.
     
    "For as the lightning cometh out of the east...."(24:27) - Some believe this is Jesus promising to return, see also Luke 17:24.
     
    "The eagles be gathered together." (24:28) - "The vultures will gather together."
    ​​Mark gives his account of this passage in Mark 13:1-23.  You can read Luke's report in Luke 21:5-24.  To learn more about the final judgment, read Revelation 6:1-17.

                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    Matthew 24:1-28         
    Jesus Foretells the Future
     
    1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. 2 But he responded, "Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!"
     
    3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?"
     
    4 Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
     
    9 "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
     
    15 "The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about-the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place." (Reader, pay attention!) 16 "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones.
     
    23 "Then if anyone tells you, 'Look, here is the Messiah,' or 'There he is,' don't believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.
     
    26 "So if someone tells you, 'Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, 'Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. 28 Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.     

    This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's question:
     
     1. Why was the Jerusalem Temple so important to Jews?​                                                                            

    Read your Bible daily to strengthen your relationship with God.  ​

    Answer:  (Do you agree?) ​
    ​
    1. The original Temple in Jerusalem was built by King Solomon in 956 B.C. closely following God's instructions
    (1 Kings 6:11-37).  It took seven years to build (1 Kings 6:38) with each stone, beam and component made off-site
    and then painstakingly moved into place without the use of hammers, axes or iron tools (1 Kings 6:7).  The Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. when they sacked Jerusalem and carried Jews away into captivity 
    (2 Kings 25:1-30).  The Temple was rebuilt in 515 B.C. after the Jews returned from captivity (Ezra 1:1-4:24).  
    Beginning around 15 B.C., King Herod the Great embarked on what would become an eighty-year program to improve and expand the Temple.  Although the Temple of Jesus' day had been under reconstruction for forty-five years (John 2:20) and was fully functional and stunning to see, it was not yet finished.  Remodeling would take another thirty-five years to complete.  Five years after it's completion, in 70 A.D., Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army in response to a Jewish uprising, just as Jesus prophesied (Matthew 24:1-2; Mark 13:1-2; Luke 19:41-44; 21:5-6), the Temple was burned and pulled apart stone by stone to collect the melted ornamental gold leaf.  
     
    Additional note:  The Temple (or House of Jehovah) in Jerusalem was made up of numerous buildings and was the center of worship and the teaching of Judaism.  It was where religious sacrifices were made, and it held the holy relics sacred to Jews.  The Temple was an awe-inspiring sight.  Tens of thousands of workers labored for decades building the Temple complex.  The main gate was adorned with gold, silver and polished brass and stood an amazing seventy-five feet tall and sixty feet wide.  This is probably the gate that Acts 3:2 calls "beautiful."  The Temple walls facing the east were decorated
    with gold and appeared to shimmer in the morning sun.  The other walls were made of beautiful white marble.  The largest     of the building stones were twenty-seven feet long and weighed an unbelievable two hundred tons.  Some of these stones were decorated with gold.  The royal portico was over nine hundred feet long and boasted one hundred and sixty columns.  There were several porches, the longest was called Solomon's porch and was nearly sixteen hundred feet long.  No wonder the disciples wanted to take Jesus on a sightseeing tour of the Temple (24:1).  The disciples couldn't imagine the Temples destruction unless the world was ending. 
    Application thought for the day:
     
    No one knows the time of the Second Coming.  Anyone who claims to know is a false prophet.  "Take heed that no man deceive you." (24:4)​
    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible."  All were critical in putting these lesson together.
    ​    © 2021 evolke ​