Matthew 24 contains Jesus’ remarkable predictions of the ‘Jewish wars’ and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. Many Christians, when they read this, end up making the very mistake that Jesus warns against here. They assume that the cataclysmic events Jesus describes in this chapter are precursors to his “coming” (Greek: parousia, a technical term referring to the formal manifestation of a king). That is what the disciples assumed, and Jesus corrects them (vss. 3-4). The confusion, for us, arises because Jesus speaks of his “coming” (erchomai) on the clouds “immediately after the distress of those days” (vss.29-30). But Jesus isn’t using the word parousia here. Jesus draws on the same symbolic language used by Old Testament prophets, to describe God’s acts of judgement and international upheaval (coming on clouds, shaking of heavenly bodies etc). He also clearly says that all these things would happen within that generation (vs. 34). But his parousia would be beyond that. Something else must happen first: the Gospel must be preached throughout the world. The messengers (Greek: angelos) of God must go out and “gather his elect”. When Jesus returns it will be visible to everyone “as lighting from the east is visible even in the west”. And moreover, unlike the destruction of Jerusalem, whose timeframe Jesus pinpoints in this chapter, no one knows when his parousia will be, not even him (vs.36). It’s a complex chapter but the message is this: don’t bunker down in fear and wait for the end to come. Focus on the task at hand: the Gospel must go out. The end will not come until that happens.
Pray for the spread of the Gospel in your city and country.
Read Matthew 24:1-35
