Matthew chapter twenty-four

  In order to understand Matthew 24 and 25, we must first understand the rapture. After we have understood the rapture, we still need a considerable foundation before we can understand Matthew 24 and 25. These two chapters are prophecies concerning (1) the Jews, (2) the church, and (3) the Gentiles. Besides Revelation, these two chapters are the most important prophecies in this age. Revelation covers the details, whereas Matthew covers the principle. These two chapters are most difficult to understand. Until a hundred years ago, no one paid much attention to them. It was not until 1828 that people began to study them in detail. Because of differences in background, the expositions were different. Generally speaking, there are three schools: (1) Newton maintains that both these chapters refer to the church. (2) Darby and Scofield maintain that both these chapters refer to the Jews. (3) Our attitude is that some parts refer to the Jews and some parts to the church. The reasons put forth by the three schools respectively are: (1) the disciples represent the church, (2) the disciples represent the Jews, and (3) the disciples are Jews (representing the remnant of the Jews) and also at the same time are pillars of the church.

  It is most important to see the difference in the division of these two chapters; otherwise, we will be misled by the first two schools. We must read carefully, and we must read it ourselves. This is like bringing our own scales to buy our groceries; it is the only way to assure that we will not be cheated.

  Let us look at the background of chapters twenty-two and twenty-three first. In Matthew 21:43 the Lord prophesied about the taking of the kingdom of God from the Jews, and in 22:21 the Lord commanded the Jews to submit to the Gentiles. In chapter twenty-three the Lord rebuked the Pharisees. In 23:38 the word "house" has the same root word as the word "buildings" in 24:1. It should have been the Father's house, but at that time it had become "your house." Here the Lord was clearly rejecting the people of Israel. This is the background.

  Before the Lord there are two groups of people: (1) the rejected Jews, and (2) a nation producing its fruit (21:43). The disciples represented both the remnant of the Jews and the called ones, that is, both the Jews and the church. Thus, we should first find out which section refers to the Jews and which section to the church. Matthew 24:1-31 refers to the Jews; whereas 24:32—25:46 refers to the church. The reason for this division is based on the internal evidence and the external evidence. The internal evidence is the text itself; the external evidence is the proof from the Epistles.

  (1) Matthew 24:1-31 refers to the Jews because these verses are all interpreted literally, whereas 24:32—25:46 must be interpreted spiritually. For example, in Matthew 24:20 the "winter" refers to the wintertime, to the hardship in escaping. The Sabbath day also should be interpreted literally. On the other hand, the "summer" in 24:32 is interpreted spiritually; it refers to the coming of the kingdom. The fig tree refers to some Israelites. Also, the reference to the "inner rooms" in 24:26 is interpreted literally, while the "house" in 24:43 is interpreted spiritually. All those verses that refer to the Jews should be interpreted literally, and all those that refer to the church should be interpreted spiritually (see Matt. 13:11-13).

  (2) Before Matthew 24:31, all the verses have a Jewish background; for example, "holy place" (v. 15), "in Judea" (v. 16), and "Sabbath" (v. 20). After verse 31, everything is in the open, and there is no restriction according to location.

  (3) Before Matthew 24:31 everything is material; after verse 31 everything is moral. For example, when it mentions "nations," "those who are pregnant," and "babies," all these are literal. On the other hand, the "virgins," the "slaves," the "master of those slaves," the "goats," and the "sheep" in chapter twenty-five all have moral meanings. Furthermore, there is a difference in meaning of the words "go forth" in Matthew 24:26 and "went forth" in 25:1; one is literal and the other spiritual.

  (4) Before 24:31 there is no moral requirement; there is only the need to escape. After verse 31 all the requirements are moral — being watchful and being prepared are all the responsibility of the saints in the end time.

  (5) False Christs — The Jews believe that another Christ will come. So before verse 31 there is the difference between the Jews and the Gentiles ("kingdom against kingdom" means the Gentiles against the Gentiles). After verse 31 there is no such distinction because the reference is to the church.

  Panton also said that verse 31 is a great dividing line. In summary, Matthew 24:4-31 refers only to the Jews. Matthew 24:32—25:30 refers to the church. Matthew 25:31-46 speaks to the church concerning the things of the Gentiles (see chart).

  Verse 1:"And Jesus came out from the temple and was going away, and His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple." When the disciples looked back to see the temple, they felt that it was most glorious. No nation had such a temple. The stones outside were brightly polished. It was most beautiful. Inside, the vessels were pure gold. It was precious, valuable, and shining.

  Verse 2:"But He answered and said to them, Do you not see all these things?" Does this refer to the stones and the golden vessels? The Lord knew their hearts. "Truly I say to you, There shall by no means be left here a stone upon a stone, which shall not be thrown down." This is the Lord's spiritual insight. What man sees is just what is before the eye and what is outward. But the Lord's sight is penetrating. Man sees the world as beautiful and all the material things as cultured and refined. But according to the Lord's spiritual insight, all elements of material things will be burned away by fire. So why are we concerned with the things of the earth? The temple is a type of the church. But look at today's church. It has only a vain name and has lost its reality. Even though there are good worship services, they inevitably have become like the temple of that day.

  Why did the Lord question the disciples? What the Lord meant is this: "Do you want to understand prophecy? If you want to understand it, you will need to adopt My attitude." Basically, when man looks at the world, he does not think about prophecy. If a believer cannot receive any light from prophecy, it is because he has been veiled by the light from the world. He does not realize that although the world is beautiful and good, eventually it will be burned away. That day will come. Why did the Lord leave such a wonderful temple desolate to them? It is because the glory of the temple is not in the gold, silver, and treasures but in the presence of the Lord. If the Lord has departed, even if there are the gold, silver, and treasures of the whole world, of what use is the temple? Hence, it should not remain. Let us beware of this ourselves, since we are the temple of God. Do we have the presence of God or do we have only the outward appearance?

  "There shall by no means be left here a stone upon a stone, which shall not be thrown down." This verse was literally fulfilled in approximately A.D. 70. When the Roman prince Titus led his soldiers and conquered Jerusalem, he saw the overlaid gold in the temple and ordered all the gold to be stripped. He thought that since the outside was gold, the inside also must be gold. Thus, he turned over all the stones. And so the Lord's word was fulfilled.

  Verse 3:"And as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, When will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming and of the consummation of the age?" The Lord sat upon the Mount of Olives. In the Gospel of Matthew, a mountain is mentioned eight times. Each time something special occurred. In particular, there were two times when the situations on the mountain were about the same: in 5:1 and 24:3. On the mountain in Matthew 5:1 (although it does not mention specifically the mountain's name), the Lord spoke concerning the law of the kingdom of the heavens, the prerequisite for entering into the kingdom of the heavens, for the future reigning with the Lord. In Matthew 24 what He spoke are the prophecies that concern the rapture, the tribulation, and the judgment.

  Why were these things spoken on the mountain? Since they were spoken on the mountain, the listeners must labor to climb the mountain (to pay the price). All those who are not willing to pay the price cannot expect to understand the prophecies. The reason people do not like to listen to prophecies and the reason that they deny the things concerning the Lord's coming is that they are not willing to climb the mountain or to pay the price. Moreover, on the mountain it is quieter. The book of Revelation was received on a desolate island. All those who like excitement are not qualified to study the prophecies.

  The disciples had three questions: (1) When will these things be? (2) When will the Lord's coming be? (3) What are the signs of the consummation of the age? We cannot mix these three questions together. The Lord's answer was also in three separate sections. Concerning the first question, there are records in Mark and Luke, and these records are very detailed. But the scope in Matthew is wider. For this reason we need the supplement from Mark and Luke. The remaining two questions are not recorded in Mark and Luke, although some of the teachings are there. The direct goal of Luke's writing is not the rapture.

  The first question is, "When will these things be?" What are "these things"? Since it says "these things," they must be plural. Aside from the destruction of the temple, there must be other things. After considering the background in chapter twenty-three (remember that the division of chapters and verses was not inspired by the Spirit), we know that there are six things: (1) The Israelites will fill up the measure of their fathers' evil (Matt. 23:32). (2) The Lord will send prophets and wise men and scribes (v. 34). Note that the prophets here are not the prophets in the Old Testament, because the Lord said that they would kill and crucify them; yet in the Old Testament, the cross was never used. (3) The Lord will avenge the evil things the Israelites did (vv. 35-36). (4) The temple will be destroyed (24:2). (5) All the house of Israel will look on the Lord's coming and say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" (23:39). (6) The Lord will gather all of Israel like a hen gathers her brood under her wings (v. 37).

  Since the disciples referred to these six things in their question, the Lord's answer must have six aspects. We can see this in chapter twenty-four: (1) Israel will fill up their fathers' evil (vv. 10-12). (2) "You" equals those sent by the Lord (v. 9). In the future the Lord will send more prophets. (3) The Lord will avenge, and there will be tribulation on the house of Israel (vv. 21-22). (4) The temple will be defiled and destroyed, just as prophesied by Daniel (v. 15). (5) "All the tribes of the land" (v. 30) refers to the twelve tribes of Israel. (6) The Lord will gather them (v. 31).

  The second question of the disciples concerns the coming of the Lord. Concerning His coming there are three Greek words that we need to differentiate: (1) parousia, (2) epiphaneia, and (3) apokalupsis.

  The disciples asked the Lord about the sign of His coming. The word "coming" here is the Greek word parousia. This word should be translated "presence." Coming is not exactly the right sense. Parousia is used in the Bible twenty-four times. Except for the five or six times when it refers to the coming of certain men, in the other ten or more times it refers to the appearing of the Lord. The incidences where it refers to men are as follows: Philippians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 5:3; 2 Corinthians 7:6; and 1 Corinthians 16:17. The incidences where it refers to Christ are as follows: 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 2 Peter 1:16; 3:4; 1 John 2:28 Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39.

  The word epiphaneia (appearing) occurs in the following places: 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 1:10; 4:1, 8; 2, Titus 2:13 Thessalonians 2:8. It means to make visible.

  The word apokalupsis (unveiling, revelation) occurs in the following places: 1 Peter 1:7, 13; 4:13; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:7. It means to make people understand.

  In Matthew 24:3 the word "coming" is parousia. Why does the Spirit use this word? It is because the things concerning the second coming are very complicated, and parousia has a very broad meaning. The Lord's parousia will begin at the first rapture, which is to the throne. James 5:7 says, "Therefore be long-suffering, brothers, until the coming ( parousia) of the Lord." James 5:8 says, "You also be long-suffering; establish your hearts because the coming ( parousia) of the Lord has drawn near." All those who have long-suffering will be in the first rapture (Rev. 3:10). See again 2 Peter 3:4: "Where is the promise of His coming ( parousia)." Read 1 Thessalonians 2:19: "Our Lord Jesus at His coming (parousia)." Will you be able to stand before His parousia? First Thessalonians 3:13 says, "At the coming ( parousia) of our Lord Jesus with all His saints." First Thessalonians 4:15 says, "Unto the coming (parousia) of the Lord." Hence, the period when the Lord comes to the air is also included in the parousia. First Thessalonians 5:23 says, "At the coming ( parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ."

  What will happen during the parousia? First Corinthians 15:23 says that all those who are Christ's will be resurrected. Second Thessalonians 2:1 says that the Lord's parousia is the gathering of the believers to His gathering place. Second Thessalonians 2:8 says that the Lord's parousia is versus the Antichrist. Second Thessalonians 2:9 speaks of the parousia of the "lawless one." First John 2:28 says, "Not be put to shame from Him at His coming (parousia)."

  From the above verses, we can conclude that the parousia includes the throne and the air. As far as time is concerned, it spans the period from the first rapture to the coming of Christ with His saints to the earth. Thus, the parousia is actually between the church and the kingdom. It includes the first rapture to the throne, the Lord's coming to the air during the tribulation, the great tribulation, the second rapture of the believers, and Christ and the saints descending to the earth.

  In the parousia there are three periods, which occur in three places: (1) The beginning of the parousia commences with the overcoming believers' being raptured to the throne (Matt. 24:37-41). (2a) After awhile the Lord will come to the air from the heavens (please remember that the throne is in the heavens, Rev. 4:1-2). (2b) Meanwhile, the believers "who are living, who are left remaining" are raptured to the air. By then, the believers will meet the Lord in the air (1 Thes. 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:23). (3) At the end of the parousia, the Lord with His saints will come from the air to the earth and will destroy Antichrist with the brightness of the manifestation of His coming (2 Thes. 2:8-9) (see diagram).

  What should the attitude of the saints be toward the parousia? Please read James 5:7-9: "Be long-suffering...awaits." First Thessalonians 3:13: "Establish your hearts blameless in holiness." First Thessalonians 5:23: "May your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame." What will believers do in the parousia? They will be judged according to their works (1 Thes. 2:19; 1 John 2:28; 1 Cor. 3:12, 15).

  We can see a type of the parousia from the appearing of the Lord's glory on the mount of transfiguration, as recorded in 2 Peter 1:16 and 18. The parousia is the center of the Lord's second coming. To understand the second coming, we must understand the parousia.

  Two other words are also related to the parousia: (1) apokalupsis, which means the Lord's revelation of Himself, and His removing of the covering veil; (2) epiphaneia, which is a raising of the curtain, through which one sees the Lord.

  Many think that the Lord's appearing must wait until the Lord's coming. This is a wrong understanding because apokalupsis and epiphaneia are also for the church. It does not say that the Lord will appear only to the world, but that He will appear to the church also. In the parousia, both apokalupsis and epiphaneia are included. Since we are with the Lord, He must apokalupsis, reveal Himself, to us, and we shall see His ephipaneia. Hence, we are waiting for the Lord's parousia, to be with Him, and we are also waiting for the Lord's apokalupsis and epiphaneia, to know Him and see Him. We are not waiting for the Lord's coming to the earth. Although we are with the Lord today, this is spiritual and is by faith. We still hope to see Him face to face on that day.

  In the original text there is another word worth noting concerning the Lord's coming again. It is erchomai, which means "to come"; it is an active verb. Parousia means "presence"; since it is a matter of presence, there must be two persons, and hence the rapture is implied. When the Lord's erchomai is mentioned, it does not include the rapture of the saints. Erchomai is used seven times in Matthew 24 and is used eight times in Matthew 25 (Matt. 24:5, 30, 39, 42-44, 46; 25:6, 10-11, 13, 19, 31, 36, 39).

  There is another word, proserchomai, which means "to come to the presence." It is also used here (Matt. 24:1; 25:20, 22, 24).

  There is another word, deute, which means "come here" (Matt. 25:34).

  There is another word, heko, which means "has come already" (Matt. 24:14, 50). From this we can see the accuracy of the Bible in using words.

  The third question of the disciples was, "And what will be the sign...of the consummation of the age?" For the word age there are two Greek words: (1) kosmos, which means the material aspect of the organized world and is different from aion; and (2) aion, which refers to time. In the Bible there is the term of the world; it means to be caught by the organized things in the world. According to Genesis 1:1 this world is already the second one. In the Bible there is also the term of the age, that is, to be caught by the customs, the current, of the age, or to be fashionable.

  The disciples asked concerning the consummation of this age. The word "age" here is aion. "End" is a specific term. It can be translated "the end time"; it can also refer to the great tribulation (which will last for three and a half years and not seven years). The consummation of this age is the end of the age of grace, the age of the church. "The consummation" spans a period; it begins with the rapture to the throne and ends with the appearing of the Lord with His saints from the air. Hence, this is comparable in time to the parousia. But the locations are different, because the parousia refers to the things that are happening above, while "the consummation" refers to the things that are happening on the earth.

  Now let us see when the first major section will be fulfilled. Generally, there are two explanations: (1) It was fulfilled at the time Titus destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70, because verse 2 has been fulfilled completely. (2) It has not yet been fulfilled, because the subject of Matthew 24 is the great tribulation. But we do not agree with either of these explanations. Those who agree with the first explanation include Scofield, and those who agree with the second explanation include Darby. We know that there are two destructions of Jerusalem. In A.D. 70 the destruction by Titus was only the first.

  There are seven big reasons to argue against the first explanation: (1) At that time there were self-proclaimed Christs, but they did not perform miracles (v. 24). (2) The abomination of desolation has not been fulfilled. The abomination of desolation is the idols. This means that idols are put into the temple. The first school says that this has already been fulfilled because there was the flying of the flag in the temple. However, at the time of the flying of the flag in the temple, the Jews were no longer able to flee. Yet verse 16 says, "Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains." (3) The Lord commanded the Jews to flee. This kind of fleeing is a most urgent kind of fleeing, but at that time there was not such a necessity. (4) After such a destruction the whole world should be influenced, but at the time of Titus there was not a worldwide influence. (5) At the time of Titus the celestial phenomena did not change. (6) The result of the destruction should be the Lord's appearing, but at that time the Lord did not appear. (7) This section is parallel with Revelation 6. Revelation was written in A.D. 96. The destruction by Titus occurred in A.D. 70. If it had already been fulfilled, why would Revelation speak about things that had happened twenty-six years before?

  The temple will be destroyed at least twice. Daniel 9:26 says, "And the people of the prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary." Verse 18 uses the word "desolations." Daniel 9:27 says that "he...will replace the sacrifice and the oblation with abominations of the desolator." This is the second destruction. These two destructions are completely different in time. One took place after the sixty-two weeks, whereas the other will occur within the one week. Verse 26 mentions the people of the prince, and not the king. Titus was a prince and was not a king. Then verse 27 refers to the king himself, who will be the Roman king. In the original text, "the end" and "to the end" in verse 26 both refer to the end of the age. Hence, we know that the first destruction is before the end of the age.

  We will compare a few verses. By these verses we will become more clear that there must be a second destruction of the holy city. Revelation 11:2 says that the Gentiles will trample the holy city for forty-two months. (See also 13:5 and 2 Thessalonians 2:7, which do not refer to the destruction by Titus, because after the destruction by Titus the gospel began to spread.) Matthew 21:41 states that after the first vinedressers were killed, new vinedressers were hired. So in the first major section, verses 4-6 have already been fulfilled. Verses 7-14 are not yet completely fulfilled. They are still being fulfilled. Verses 15-31 are not fulfilled yet.

  In comparing the other three Gospels, we see that both Mark 13 and Luke 21 record these things, but there are differences. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, all three Gospels, record the first question. Mark and Luke contain more detail than Matthew. Whatever was said by Matthew was said by Mark and Luke also (except for the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the earth). Concerning the second question, there are more differences, and concerning the third question, there are even contradictions.

  What is emphasized in Luke is the holy city; what is emphasized in Matthew is the temple. Luke 21:20 says, "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that her desolation has drawn near." The question in Luke concerns the signs before the destruction of the temple. The question in Matthew concerns the signs before the consummation of the age.

  Luke does not mention the false Christs, whereas Mark and Matthew both mention them. This may be because it was already mentioned in Luke 17. Mark and Luke are generally the same because these two Gospels are the same concerning the first question. Although the temple has already been destroyed once, there will be still be another destruction in the future.

  The special point of Matthew is the parousia, the second question. The disciples asked well, "What will be the sign of Your coming and of the consummation of the age?" The parousia and the consummation of the age are put together. This shows that the disciples had a certain amount of understanding already. Mark and Luke do not emphasize the parousia. This is why they do not have parables such as Noah, the master of the house, the slaves, the virgins, and the giving of the talents. All these five parables have to do with the parousia.

  There is one more similarity among all three Gospels: they all refer to the church and the Jews. Mark 13:5-27 refers to the Jews, and verses 28-37, to the church; Luke 21:8-28 refers to the Jews, and verses 29-36, to the church.

  With regard to the third question, the question concerning the end, Mark and Luke seem to be different from Matthew. This is because "the consummation of the age" is related to both the Jews and the church. Matthew 24:20 says to pray that the flight not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath. This applies to the Jews. Luke 21:36 exhorts us to pray that we may escape the things that are about to happen, and such an exhortation is moral in nature. The exhortations in the two books are different. One is to the Jews, and the other is to the church. Neither Mark nor Luke mention the promise of Noah, because the disciples did not ask about the things of the parousia, the rapture.

  In the second section of Matthew 24, there are two signs: (1) Noah, concerning the sign of the parousia, and (2) the fig tree, concerning the sign of the consummation of the age. The parable of the sheep and the goats also is not in Mark and Luke because that too has to do with the consummation of the age. It is right that this parable should not be in Mark and Luke because what is spoken in Mark and Luke concerns the things that are near the end; they do not concerns the things at the very end of the age. The sheep and the goats refer to the things at the very end.

  Concerning the parousia there are two signs: the sign of the celestial phenomena and the sign of the days of Noah. Concerning the rapture, one will be taken and one will be left behind. One sign of the end of the age is the gospel being preached throughout the earth. However, this does not mean that all will repent and be saved; it merely means that all will have the opportunity to hear the gospel. The fig tree must not be interpreted literally, because this is a parable. It refers to the reestablishing of the Jewish nation and its religion. The budding refers to its being revitalized. Recently one hundred twenty thousand Jews returned to Palestine as a result of Hitler's oppression. There has been no "rain" there for two thousand years. But now it is raining.

  The temple is related only to the Jews. Hence, it is mentioned only in the first section. The consummation of the age is related to both the church and the Jews. The parousia is related only to the church.

  Verses 4-6 belong to the first section, because the end of the age has not yet come.

  Verse 4:"And Jesus answered and said to them, See that no one leads you astray." The disciples asked about the destruction of the temple. This was the question they were concerned about. In answering them the Lord first warned that they should take heed that they not be deceived. Our purpose in studying prophecy is that we can take heed and not be deceived. But regrettably, many believers do not pay attention to prophecies. As a result, many mistakes are made. Prophecy is like a lamp shining in a dark place (2 Pet. 1:19). To not be led astray means to be able to discern; it means to consider right as right and wrong as wrong.

  Verses 5-6:"For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for it must happen; but the end is not yet." "They will lead many astray." Who will lead them astray? (1) The false Christs. In his book, Josephus (a Jewish historian) described the false Christs as impostors who exhorted people to go to the wilderness, and who pretended that they could perform miracles by God's arrangement. The false Christs deceived the Jews because the Jews rejected Christ. (2) "Wars and rumors of war." After the Lord's death, there were many rumors of war. "See that you are not alarmed...but the end is not yet." The disciples asked when the temple would be destroyed, and the Lord answered by two signs, the false Christs and the wars. But do not misunderstand this to be the end of the age. When the two signs are fulfilled, the temple will be destroyed. But "see that you are not alarmed, for it must happen; but the end is not yet." (In all the books of the prophets, except Daniel, we have no prophecy concerning the things of Titus. The destruction of the holy place by Titus is merely a symbol of the future destruction.)

  Verses 7 through 14 form the second section; it is in the process of being fulfilled. Verses 7 through 31 refer to both Jews and believers; however, it is very much related to Christians. After the first rapture God gradually becomes more favorable to the Jews and gradually departs from the Gentiles. At the beginning God's dropping the Jews was gradual and was not sudden. For example, Paul's preaching gradually shifted from the Jews to the Gentiles. In the future, after the first rapture, the Jews will gradually be more and more favored, while the church will gradually lose her position. At that time the believers should stand in the position of the Jews. This is just like salvation for the Jews today: to be saved, they should stand in the Gentiles' position. The believers who will be left on the earth will have to learn how to flee according to the way of Matthew 24.

  The second section, verses 7-14, refers to the things in the beginning. Verses 15-31 refer to the things during the end time. So between "the end" in verse 6 and verse 15, approximately nineteen hundred years have passed. During these nineteen hundred years, God has not acknowledged the position of the Jews. But in the future the situation will be restored to that which existed when the Lord was on the earth. The Sabbath, the offerings, the temple, etc. will all be restored.

  Verses 7-8 are a small section describing the situation on the whole earth during the nineteen hundred years. In verse 7 after the word "famines" there should be the word "pestilences." The events of verses 7 and 8 will be more obvious and more numerous before the end of the age. Now in this age they have already increased, so we know that we are at the beginning of the end of the age.

  During the European War [World War I], ten million people died, and countless wealth and property were lost. Today the small wars happening in various places cause more damage than the European War. In this world there is not one day of peace. In Russia five million people have starved to death. During the flood in China the year before last, eighty million people starved to death. In America, while there are plenty of agricultural products, the cost of harvesting is more than the price of the harvest itself. Last year in our country the bumper crop caused the price of rice to be so low that the farmers suffered greatly. In South America pestilences killed six million people within twelve weeks. In India five million died at one time in an earthquake. In 1923 the big earthquake in Japan affected Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe. It was over within a few hours — two out of every ten thousand people died. In 1927 there was a big earthquake in Kansu Province in China. Two out of every thousand died. In July 1927 there was an earthquake in Jerusalem. On the average there are three or four earthquakes every day. Let us consider these things with spiritual eyesight. Today peace is abnormal, while war is commonplace. In the past it was more "kingdom against kingdom"; today it is more "people against people."

  What is recorded in Matthew 24:7-8 is somewhat similar to what will happen during the first four seals mentioned in Revelation 6. The white horse in Revelation 6:2 may refer to the false Christ in Matthew 24:5. The red horse in Revelation 6:4 in the second seal is the war in Matthew. Red is the color of blood, while the sword supplants peace; the red horse has already come to the earth. The black horse in the third seal in Revelation 6:5-6 refers to famine. Man's skin turns black during a famine (Lam. 5:10). The balance refers to the time when material goods become very expensive, when one cannot be wrong by even a denarius — one day's wage (Matt. 20:2). Although one denarius buys a choenix of wheat, that is not enough to sustain one family. Oil and wine become items of luxury and cannot be wasted. In Revelation 6:7-8 the pale horse (green according to the original text) in the fourth seal refers to those who die of the plague and who have turned pale green. Hades is the place where dead people go. "Hades followed" means that Hades picks up and collects all those dead ones who have died of the plague. It is like the dust pan that follows the broom. During the sixth seal in Revelation 6:12 there is a great earthquake. There are five mentions of earthquakes in Revelation. But actually there are only three, and all of these are close to Jerusalem. But Matthew also says "earthquakes in various places."

  Verse 7:"For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places." In conclusion, there are four calamities: (1) war, (2) famine, (3) plagues, and (4) earthquakes. All these four are the birth pangs. All those who give birth are in pain at the beginning, but afterward they rejoice. For the Jews to enjoy the joy of the kingdom on the earth, they must first pass through the birth pangs. All those who have the eyesight will say that the end of the age has come. War, famine, plagues, and earthquakes are merely the birth pangs. Here the woman is Jerusalem, which represents the Jews, and the child to be delivered refers to the overcomers. In Psalm 48:6 the birth pangs refer to the Gentiles. First Thessalonians 5:3 also refers to the Gentiles: "When they say, Peace and security, then sudden destruction comes upon them, just as birth pangs to a woman with child."

  Verse 8:"All these things are the beginning of birth pangs." Although these four things are the birth pangs, they are merely the beginning of birth pangs. More serious things are coming.

  Verse 9:"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of My name." This is the real beginning of the tribulation. Verses 9-13 are another small section, which deals with persecution. The "you" in verse 9 refers to the Jewish disciples. Recently, in northern Europe such kinds of Jewish believers were discovered. They keep the commandments and the Sabbath, and they believe that the Lord is the Messiah. They are the prophets mentioned in Matthew 23:34. These kinds of prophets and wise men will be persecuted and even killed (James 5:6). This is recorded in more detail in Mark and Luke. These Jewish believers will be delivered to the synagogues, and the Holy Spirit will speak for them. Mark 13, Luke 21, and Matthew 24 all speak of the Jewish believers. These are the same disciples as those going to "the house of Israel" in Matthew 10. Luke 22:35-38 refers to the Gentile disciples. By the time of Luke 22, the age of grace had begun; this is why He sent the disciples to the Gentiles, and this is why they had to take money and other material things. Hence, the prophecy on the mountain is the same as Matthew 10:5-6. Compare (1) Matthew 23:34 with 10:17-18; (2) Luke 21:14 with Matthew 10:19-20; (3) Matthew 24:9-10 with Luke 21:16-17 and Matthew 10:21-22; and (4) Matthew 24:13 with Matthew 10:22. All these verses refer to the Jewish disciples, the synagogue, the assembly, etc. All these have a Jewish color.

  The "nations" are the unbelieving Gentiles. From this we know that "you" refers to the Jewish believers. Isaiah 49:9-10 prophesies that the Jews in the future will preach the gospel and will be zealous for the Lord. In the fifth seal in Revelation, those who were slain were calling out for vengeance, and the Lord comforted them and charged them to wait until the number of those brothers who are to be killed would be fulfilled. Therefore, the brothers who are being killed in Revelation 6 are the Jewish disciples in Matthew 24:9.

  Verse 10:"And at that time many will be stumbled and will deliver up one another and will hate one another." The stumbling, killing, and hatred are inevitable results of the persecution (see John 16:1-2; Matt. 10:36; Mark 13:12-13; Luke 21:16).

  Verse 11:"And many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray." Among the Jews there are false prophets (Hosea 9:7-17). There are such false prophets in the church also (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:13; 2 Pet. 2:1). Their purpose is to deceive.

  Verse 12:"And because lawlessness will be multiplied, the love of the many will grow cold." The result of being led astray is (a) the multiplication of lawlessness, and (b) love growing cold. This creates the environment for the coming of Antichrist (see Dan. 8:11-12, 23; 11:30-31; Isa. 65:11-15; 66:3-4; 2 Thes. 2:11-12).

  Verse 13:"But he who has endured to the end, this one shall be saved." To endure to the end means to wait continually and to look continually to the Lord. To be saved, as mentioned here, is different from the salvation of eternal life that one receives. (Compare Isa. 30:18; Heb. 2:3; Dan. 12:12-13; Jer. 14:22 and Rev. 21:6.) The salvation here refers to the escaping of the tribulation and the entering into the kingdom (Psa. 80:3, 7, 19; Jer. 23:6; 30:7).

  Verse 14:"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." The "gospel of the kingdom" is mentioned three times in Matthew (4:23; 9:35; 24:14). Paul, in the book of Galatians, says that there is only one kind of gospel (Gal. 1:6-9). Regardless of the difference in the names of the gospel, the gospel is still one. Acts 20:24 speaks of the gospel of grace, which, according to many, differs from the gospel of the kingdom. However, this is not so. The gospel is the same; only the viewpoint is different. Therefore, there is the difference in names. The gospel of the kingdom is the gospel that the Lord preached on earth; it includes the coming of the kingdom, the fall of the image in Daniel, the Lord's imminent return and reign, etc. When this gospel was preached, there were the signs of healing and casting out of demons. The gospel of grace emphasizes the matter of sin and the way of God's redemption. The gospel of the kingdom stresses the authority of the Lord. This kind of gospel of the kingdom must be preached in the whole earth before the coming of the end of this age.

  In chapter twenty-four, "nation" in verse 7 and "all the nations" in verse 9 both refer to the Gentiles. Here "all the nations" also refers to the Gentiles. Those preaching the gospel of the kingdom must be the Jews and not the church. If it were the church, then in verse 14 it would have to be "for a testimony to all the sinners," because the church is of the Gentiles. The biblical basis for the Jews testifying to the Gentiles is in Isaiah 40:5-9; the "all flesh" there refers to the Gentiles. Isaiah 42:9-10 refers to Jacob, which means the house of Israel (41:8; 42:1). "You who go down to the sea and all that fills it, / You coastlands and their inhabitants" refer to the Gentiles. Isaiah 44:2-3, and 8 all indicate that Jacob will testify. What will Jacob testify? See Psalms 145:10-13; 96:3-4, 10 (in verse 3, "among the heathen" refers to the Gentiles; "all people" refers to the Jews); 68:9, 11. The purpose of preaching the gospel of the kingdom is to testify to the Gentiles. Not every Gentile will be saved or will receive repentance. Revelation 3:10 speaks of the great tribulation that is coming upon the whole inhabited earth, so the Lord first gives them the opportunity to escape. "And then the end will come." Matthew 24:15-31 mentions the things concerning the end of the age. Today we are in verses 7 and 8. We have not seen His person (because we have not arrived at the end of the age yet), but we have heard His voice. No one knows how long a period of time will pass before verse 14 comes to pass, but between verses 15 and 31, there is a definite period of three and a half years.

  Verse 15:"Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand)." "The holy place" refers to the holy of holies in the temple in Jerusalem of Judea. The abomination of desolation refers to an idol, to the image that Antichrist will set up in the temple of God. That is the beginning of the great tribulation. In Matthew 24:16, 19, and 21 there are the words "then," "in those days," and "at that time." Since it is "then," there is not a difference of even one second. Concerning the end of the great tribulation, see verses 29 and 30. Immediately after the tribulation, the Lord will come again. The tribulation will begin when the idol is put into the temple and will end when Christ comes again. How long is the tribulation? Revelation 11:2 says that it will last for forty-two months. Revelation 11:3 and 12:6 say that the duration is a thousand two hundred and sixty days. This is "a time and times and half a time" in Revelation 12:14, which is three and a half years. Revelation 13:5 again says forty-two months. Revelation 11:2 says that for forty-two months the holy city will be trampled. The destruction of the temple in Matthew is the same as the trampling of the holy city in Revelation 11:2. From Luke 21:20, 23 and Matthew 24:15-21 we can see that the destruction of the city and the destruction of the temple take place at the same time. Therefore, the end of the age is the great tribulation, which begins from the time the idol is brought into the temple and continues until the Lord's coming. This period is forty-two months.

  In the Old Testament there are prophecies concerning the end of the age. Nahum 1:9 refers to "a full end," which means to bring in the end of the age. Lamentations 4:18-19 says, "Our end had come"; therefore, we must escape. This also is the end of the age. Ezekiel 7:2-4 and 15-24 refer to an end, which is the end of the age, as do Daniel 8:17, 19; 11:27, 35, 40; 12:4, 6-7, 9.

  Abomination is a Jewish idiomatic expression for idols. It is similar with the village people in China who call idols Buddha or fathers. See Deuteronomy 29:17; 1 Kings 11:5-7 Jeremiah 4:1; 13:27.

  The abomination of desolation has two meanings: (1) Since God must bring in destruction wherever there is an idol, the idol becomes the main cause of destruction. Therefore, we say that the abomination brings in desolation. (2) Antichrist is called "the desolator" (Dan. 9:27), the one who makes abominable desolation. In Revelation 9:11 Antichrist is called Abaddon (Gk. Apollyon), which means "the destroyer."

  The record in the book of Daniel is very detailed in regard to the desolation caused by Antichrist (see Dan. 11:30-31). The holy covenant refers to the Ten Commandments, which is the covenant between God and the people of Israel. Those who break the covenant are the rebellious Jews. Daniel 9:27 says, "He will replace the sacrifice and the oblation with abominations of the desolator." Daniel 12:11 mentions "a thousand two hundred and ninety days," which is one month in excess of the one thousand two hundred and sixty days. This one-month period refers to the judgment of the sheep and the goats after the tribulation.

  In the New Testament, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 refers to the appearing of Antichrist, and verse 9 indicates that the Antichrist can perform signs and wonders. In Revelation 13:3-6 and 11-15 there are two beasts: Antichrist and the false prophet. The sea (Rev. 13:1) refers to the Gentiles. The earth (Rev. 13:11) refers to the Jews. Therefore, after the resuscitation of Antichrist, the false prophet will make an image of him and will cause people to worship it. This image will be the one put into the temple; "let him who reads understand." The Lord added this word because Antichrist, the abomination of desolation, the holy place, and similar things are very much misunderstood. This also indicates that Matthew 24 must be read along with the books of Daniel and other prophets.

  Many people say that Matthew 24:15 refers to the situation in the church. This is unlikely because the Lord mentions Daniel, and the prophets in the Old Testament would not prophesy concerning the church. Others say that this refers to the desolation of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. This also is not accurate, because Daniel's prophecies regarding the resurrection from the dead, the cleansing of the temple, the understanding of the wise, etc. were not fulfilled at that time.

  Matthew 24:15-31 has not yet been fulfilled. Although Luke 21:20-28 is somewhat similar, many of the prophecies there were fulfilled during the battle led by Titus. Luke and Matthew have different purposes: the former pays attention to the destruction of Jerusalem, whereas the latter emphasizes the desolation of the temple. The book of Daniel emphasizes the destruction of the temple also; therefore, Matthew quoted from it. Luke did not emphasize the matters concerning the very end of the age; he merely said that all these were near the end. What is revealed in the book of Luke was fulfilled at the time of Titus and will also be fulfilled in the future. In the Bible there is often a principle concerning prophecy: first there is a partial fulfillment, and later there is the complete fulfillment. At the time of Titus, all the believers, even those with the least faith, escaped to the foot of the Mount of Olives.

  In Luke 21:22 the word "all" is an important word. At the time of Titus's destruction, not "all" things were fulfilled, but only a portion of them. In verse 24 "fall by the edge of the sword" and "led captive" have been fulfilled. Therefore, today the land of the Jews, Israel, still remains in the hands of the Gentiles, and it is still "the times of the Gentiles." But these times will soon be over. In verse 25 the signs in the sun, moon, and stars refer to the future.

  There are two expressions for the end of the age: (1) the great tribulation and (2) the hour of trial. The former refers to the Jews (Dan. 12:1 and Matt. 24:21 Daniel is clearly speaking to the Jews), and the latter refers to the Gentiles (Rev. 3:10). The center of the coming great tribulation is Jerusalem, and the circumference is the Jewish nation. As to the hour of trial, the center is Rome, and the circumference is the whole world. In Revelation 16:10 the throne of the beast and his kingdom refer to the recovered Roman Empire. At the end of the age the great tribulation and the great trial will center, respectively, in Jerusalem and in the Roman Empire. In these places the tribulation and the trial will be the most severe. At the circumference, for the nation of the Jews and for the inhabited earth, the situation will be less severe (see diagram).

  When we read Matthew 24, we need to pay attention to Matthew 23:38, which says, "Behold, your house is left to you desolate." Concerning the Jewish nation, the Lord clearly announced that He had rejected it (although individuals can still be accepted). Thus, Matthew 24 speaks concerning the Jews as a nation but does not address the Jews as individuals. When the Lord spoke the prophecy to the disciples, He was regarding them not as representatives of the Jewish nation but as disciples who had two standings: (1) they were the Jewish remnant loyal to the Messiah, believing that the Lord was the Messiah, and (2) as members of the church, the disciples were also the pillars of the church. Therefore, Matthew 24 as a whole is definitely not addressed to the Jewish people. Each of the disciples had two standings. They cannot represent only the church and not the Jewish remnant. Therefore, we must clearly define which part of Matthew 24 refers to the church. Verse 31 is the dividing line.

  Let us look again at the questions of the disciples: (1) What are the signs of the coming of these things? (2) What are the signs of His coming? (3) What are the signs of the consummation of the age? What were the disciples referring to when they asked concerning the Lord's coming and the consummation of the age? Their understanding then and ours now are not the same. Originally, in the minds of the disciples there was no concept of the church; there was only the thought of the kingdom of Israel (see Acts 1:6). Even after the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples still would not leave Jerusalem. Peter was reluctant to go to Cornelius's house. After he went, the rest of the brothers contended with Peter. In the beginning Peter did not know the church. What did the term "consummation of the age" mean to them? It meant the end of the age in the Old Testament. The reigning of Messiah would be after "the consummation of the age"; therefore, the consummation of the age to them was the age before the kingdom. They did not know; therefore, they asked. Even though they were mistaken, the Lord did not answer in a mistaken way. Ignorance cannot stop the answer of the Lord. Most of the prophecy given on the mount was related to the church.

  Verse 15:"Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand)." The period of time from the setting up of the idol in the temple to the appearing of Christ is three and a half years. Once the idol is set up in the temple, the destruction of the temple is not far away. The destroyer first defiles the temple and then destroys it (Psa. 74:3-7; Isa. 64:10-11; Lam. 4:1; Dan. 8:11). God allowed the temple to be defiled and destroyed because the Jews themselves defiled it first (Jer. 32:34; Ezek. 8:5-15).

  Verse 16:"Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains." "Let those in Judea flee" here and the woman's flight into the wilderness in Revelation 12:6 have the same meaning. The dragon's trying to devour the woman is the same as Satan's persecuting the Jews; therefore, the Jews must flee and the woman must flee. The "water" (Rev. 12:15) indicates an army. Revelation 12:16 says, "And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river." Thus, if the Jews listen to the Lord's prophecy to flee, they will live for a thousand two hundred and sixty days and will not have to suffer.

  Verse 17:"Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take the things out of his house." "Him who is on the housetop." The Jewish houses had a flat top with a ladder on the outside. Do not come down to take things out of the house; in other words, do not come down the ladder on the outside of the house to take the things that are in the house.

  Verse 18:"And let him who is in the field not turn back to take his garment." "Him who is in the field." Those who work in the field must flee quickly and not turn back to take their clothing. This means that one should not value material things, because the tribulation is at hand. All who delay will experience woe.

  Verse 19:"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days." It is inconvenient for those who are with child and who nurse babies to escape. They cannot escape quickly; therefore, the Bible says, "Woe" to them.

  Verse 20:"And pray that your flight may not be in winter, nor on a Sabbath." One cannot flee quickly in the winter because one cannot sleep in the open. The weather is also colder on the mountain than on the flat land, and there is no food and no water. The "Sabbath" in this verse is a further proof that verses 4-31 are directed to the Jewish people. According to the law of Moses, on the Sabbath day one cannot walk more than approximately four thousand eight hundred and fifty-four feet (Acts 1:12).

  Verse 21:"For at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not occurred from the beginning of the world until now, nor shall by any means ever occur." God already prearranged for the great tribulation to come, although because of grace and prayer (Exo. 32:34) it has been delayed. We sin every day, but because we pray, the disciplining whip delays its coming. However, we have to know that God's whip is merely withheld; it is not cancelled or locked away. It may come suddenly at any time. Nebuchadnezzar is a good example. (See also Isa. 65:6-7; Deut. 4:30-31; Jer. 30:6-7. Only approximately one-third of the Jews will be saved.) Both Daniel 12:1 and Revelation 12:7 refer to Michael chasing the dragon away.

  Verse 22:"And unless those days had been cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen, those days will be cut short." The record concerning the great tribulation in Isaiah 13:9-11 and 26:21 shows that it is terrible to the uttermost; therefore, the Lord intends to cut short those days to only three and a half years. If they were prolonged, no one could withstand them.

  Verse 23-24:"At that time if anyone says to you, Behold, here is the Christ! or, Here! do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen." The purpose of this small section is to show that the Lord's parousia (the "coming" in verse 27) is not secret but public to the Jews because the Lord comes from heaven on the clouds. It is not that He comes to the earth first and then reveals Himself. This section warns the Jews against the deception of the false Christs — "Behold, here is the Christ! or, Here!" Since Christ must come from heaven, the believers do not have this danger as the Jews have. Since the Jews desired to have a Messiah come to live among them, they rejected Jesus. "Behold, here...or, Here" means anywhere. Christ will come from heaven like lightning; hence, if there are any selfproclaimed Christs appearing on the earth, they must be false Christs.

  The false Christs and false prophets are plural. They do not refer only to one person. The "great signs and wonders" that occur during the three and a half years take place because the dragon is there giving authority to the first and second beasts. Second Thessalonians 2 and Revelation 13 are the records of the wonders of these three evil ones. A wonder is not an outright hoax or a sleight of hand. The purpose of doing wonders is to make people believe a falsehood. This is in contrast to the Lord's signs, which guide people to believe the truth. If, at the end of the age, we should see the evil spirits doing wondrous things, this means that Satan is trying to make false things real. Those Christians living at the end of the age should pay even more attention to this. Our receiving of the truth is not because of wonders but because we believe the word of God. We should know that wondrous things will be abundant at the end of the age. "So as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen." The chosen here refer to the Jews (Isa. 65:9; Rom. 10:21; 11:28), but, doctrinally, it is not unrelated to us. We believers also have the possibility of being led astray. Those who think they are able to stand should be careful.

  Verse 25:"Behold, I have told you beforehand." This is most precious because it is the Lord's prophecy concerning the things of the end of the age. Suppose we were able to foresee the things in the future. Would this not be precious? Robbery and accidents could be avoided in this way. Yet regrettably the saints do not treasure the prophecy of Christ. "Behold" in the Scripture means that something important must follow, so we know that the prophecy on the mount is important. The prophecy is a lamp to our feet (2 Pet. 1:19). If one does not know prophecy, it is easy to stumble and fall in the darkness. Today, the reason people have so much hope for the world, the country, and society is that they have no lamp shining upon them. The Lord has already spoken; if we still suffer loss at the end of the age, the Lord will not be responsible.

  Verse 26:"Therefore if they say to you, Behold, He is in the wilderness, do not go forth; Behold, He is in the inner rooms, do not believe it." False Christs and false prophets have already been mentioned several times in verses 5, 11, 23, 24, etc. Here they are mentioned again to emphasize the importance of this subject. Concerning the wilderness, a place far from the world, it is easy for people to think that this is a likely place for Christ to be found. When John the Baptist was in the wilderness, some asked him if he was the Christ. "Inner rooms" are mysterious places, secret places. Psychologically, whatever is mysterious has power and attraction. When something is no longer secret, it loses its power. The Corinthians did not like Paul because his appearance was not outstanding.

  Verse 27:"For just as the lightning comes forth from the east and shines to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be." "Lightning" is in the sky, and everyone can see it, but not everyone can see what is in the wilderness. However, the Lord's coming will be entirely public; He will come on the clouds. Some people say that the Lord's coming to the earth will be in a stealthy way. This is not accurate. However, the first rapture will be in secret; His coming to the air will remain secret. As lightning is hidden in the clouds waiting for the opportunity to strike, so Christ first hides in the clouds for a period of time; then He will come on the clouds (Rev. 1:7; Acts 1:11). In the book of Acts it is recorded that when the Lord ascended to the heavens, at first there was no cloud; then a cloud received Him out of their sight. When He comes, the situation will be the same, only the order will be reversed: first, there will be clouds to cover and hide (including the period of the rapture); then there will be the appearing (coming). All the saints will have already been raptured before His coming; hence, we are not waiting for the coming of the parousia but are waiting for the going of the parousia.

  Verse 28:"Wherever the corpse is, there will the vultures be gathered together." "Corpse...vultures." According to some, the "corpse" signifies Christ, and the "vultures" signify Christians, because from the time the Lord died, Christians have eaten His flesh (referring to the taking of the bread). This is not only inaccurate but is even ridiculous and ungodly. The Bible not only speaks concerning the death of Christ; it also speaks concerning His living. The One in whom we believe is the Lord who died and resurrected. He is not a corpse. Paul told the Corinthians that "if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is vain; your faith is vain also" (1 Cor. 15:14). A corpse also stinks and is rotten (John 11:39). This could never refer to the Lord. What then is the explanation of the corpse? (1) A corpse plus life equals a living person. A living person minus life equals a corpse. For this reason, the corpse represents those who are without life, that is, all those who are in Adam (1 Cor. 15:22). Believers are not in Adam. They have life; thus, they should not be called corpses. The Lord said, "This is My body," indicating life; it is not a corpse. (2) Corpses stink (John 11:39; 1 Cor. 15:50, 53); therefore, when men die, they are buried (Gen. 23:4). Therefore, a corpse also refers to corruption, to the rottenness of those who die in Adam. The vulture in the Bible has several meanings: (1) It refers to God's people (Isa. 40:31; Deut. 32:11 — these two verses emphasize the way of the flying of the eagle). (2) In Leviticus the eagle is considered abominable because it eats carcasses (11:13-14; Rev. 19:17). The eagles' eating of the carcasses represents God's judgment, so here it should be the same. Wherever there is the rottenness of the dead person in Adam, God's judgment is there also. (Here, the reason it is explained spiritually is that in the previous text there was the parable of the lightning).

  Verse 29:"And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." The word "immediately" is most precious and important. The reference to the sun, the moon, and the stars is literal. Some say that this means that the kings, high officers, generals, princes, etc. will be shaken, but if so, the sun, the moon, and the stars would have already been shaken before the Lord's return. The calamities in Matthew 24:29 and Revelation 6:12-13 are similar, but the times in which they take place are different. In Revelation it is mentioned that after the sixth seal there are the calamities of the trumpets and of the bowls. The sixth seal is merely the beginning of the calamities, but here in Matthew the things are after the calamities. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days." This shows that the tribulation will begin with the change of the heavenly scene and also end with the change of the celestial bodies. Joel 2:31 and the sixth seal in Revelation refer to the same thing. Joel said explicitly that the time will be before the tribulation: "Before the great and terrible / Day of Jehovah comes" (2:31). Matthew said explicitly that the time will be after the tribulation: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days." Therefore, we know that these two take place at two different times.

  Verse 30:"And at that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the land will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." "At that time" refers to the time immediately after the tribulation in verse 29. We do not know what the sign of the Son of Man will be. There are two common explanations: (1) The Lord Himself — but this is not proper because the Lord said "the sign of the Son of Man"; He did not say the Son of Man Himself. (2) The cross — the reason is based on Matthew 12, where the Lord gave the sign of Jonah to the scribes and the Pharisees. The latter might be the better explanation, but we are still not completely certain. Therefore, in our explanation here, we do not say that it is the cross, nor do we say that it is not the cross. But we do know that the sign here must be mysterious and also supernatural because it appears in the sky so that all the tribes can see it. "All the tribes of the land" means all the tribes of the Jews. They will mourn (see Zech. 12:10-14).

  "They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." In the first coming of the Lord, He manifested authority (such as in casting out demons and healing the sick) and glory. The second coming of the Lord will manifest power and glory. During His earthly ministry, people were astonished that His teaching had authority (Matt. 7:28-29). The Pharisees asked about the source of His authority (Matt. 21:23). (See also the words of the centurion in Matthew 8:8-9.) The second coming will manifest not only authority but also power. He will no longer ride on the foal of a donkey (as the King of peace) but will ride on a white horse. His coming in power is for the execution of God's judgment. In the future Satan will perform many lawless deeds. The Lord will destroy him with His power. Authority and power are two things. The moving of a car demonstrates power, while the hand of a policeman is a sign of authority. In the Lord's first coming, His healing of the sick, casting out of demons, and calming of the wind and the waves were a matter of the exercise of authority. But at His second coming, He will exercise His power. The Lord overthrew the tables and whipped the sellers of cattle and sheep. Although this was an exercise of His human strength, the real whipping was not executed on the human bodies; the real significance was a demonstration of His authority. "Coming on the clouds of heaven." The first rapture will be a rapture to the throne; the second rapture will be to the clouds in the air. Then the Lord will descend on the clouds.

  Verse 31:"And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His chosen together from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other end." This verse has been fulfilled. Thus, according to Matthew 23:37, after the great tribulation the Lord will call together all the chosen who are scattered among the Gentiles (Isa. 45:4; 65:9; Deut. 7:6). "From the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other end" does not indicate a rapture, because the word used for "coming" in verse 30 is erchomai and not parousia, and here in verse 31 it is only a "gather[ing]...together" (Deut. 30:3-5). After the destruction of Jerusalem, the Jews were killed, captured, or scattered among all the nations. They will remain scattered until, according to this passage, the Lord begins to call them back (see Isa. 43:5-7: "From the east, / And...from the west. / I will say to the north... / And to the south." Isaiah 49:9-13: "From the land of the Sinim," referring to China. In Hunan province there are still many Jews. They take the last name Tseng. Isaiah 49:22-26; 51:11; 56:8; 60:4; 62:10-12; 27:13; and Ezekiel 34:13; 37:21 also refer to the dispersed Jews. The expression "the four winds" means that there are Jews everywhere, because winds continually move and have no fixed place. Therefore, here the calling together, or gathering together, does not refer to the rapture of the church for the following reasons: (1) The parousia has passed, and the rapture is within the scope of the parousia. (2) Here it is a gathering together; it has nothing to do with the rapture. (3) To say that it is the rapture of the church does not agree with the previous texts. (4) If it refers to the Jews, it is consistent with Matthew 23:37. (5) In 1 Thessalonians 4 there is the sound of the trumpet and the Lord coming to the air. (6) The previous texts all refer to the Jews.

  The above verses are the first large section.

  Verse 32:"But learn the parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch has become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near." The Lord spoke this section of the prophecy on the Mount of Olives. There were many fig trees there, so the Lord used them in the parable. "As soon as its branch has become tender" refers to the return of life. "Puts forth its leaves" indicates the manifestation of life. The fig tree signifies the Jews (Jer. 24:2, 5, 8). Previously the Lord cursed the fig tree that had leaves but no fruit. This means that He cursed those Jews who had an outward form but not the reality. Leaves signify a show or outward behavior, indicating the law of Moses. At that time the Passover, the Feast of Purim, and all the offerings and sacrifices will be restored. Summer refers to a time for growth. Winter refers to the time of death and drying up. In the summer everything is flourishing and full of life; everything is bright. It is a golden time. This is the kingdom. The Jews today are in the winter. Winter refers to tribulation, particularly to the great tribulation. Spring refers to the rapture (S.S. 2:10-11, 13). Summer refers to the kingdom (Luke 21:30-31). Luke 21:29-30 mentions all the other kinds of trees. These trees refer to the nations (see Daniel and Judges). All the nations also put forth branches; that is, today among all the tribes and races, nationalism is especially prevalent. Even Scotland, Mongolia, and the tribe of Hui in Xingjiang province have all tried to become independent.

  Verse 33: "So also you, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the doors." Keep in mind that verses 4 through 31 constitute one continuous section and should not be broken up. The difference between 24:4-31 and 24:32—25:46 is that the first section refers to Jews and the second section refers to the church. The phrase "all these things" in verse 33 is linked to 23:36, which says, "All these things shall come upon this generation." In 24:8 "all these things" refers to the beginning of tribulation. Therefore, in verse 33 "all these things" refer to the false Christs, wars, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, etc.; they also refer to the beginning of the tribulation. "Know that it is near." "It" refers to the kingdom. This corresponds with Luke 21:31, which says that "the kingdom of God is near."

  Verse 34:"Truly I say to you that this generation shall by no means pass away until all these things happen." "Generation" is genea, which is not the same as aeon. The Chinese interpret a generation as thirty years. Other nations consider forty years as a generation. Such an understanding makes it difficult to explain this passage. "This" generation would become the generation who lived when Matthew lived. Then these things should have already been fulfilled; by now they should have already taken place. The teaching of the historical school that Matthew 24 has taken place is based on this. They say that the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus was exactly forty years after the Lord spoke verse 34, and that was a generation. Because of this kind of difficulty, some change the word "generation" to "race," saying that it refers to the Jews. This is not correct, because: (1) in Matthew 1:17 there would be fourteen races from Abraham to David. (2) We cannot arbitrarily change the word because we encounter some difficulties. (3) If it were the word "race," then "this generation shall by no means pass away until" would indicate that the Jewish race can become extinct. This can never be. The Lord Himself was a Jew. What then is the explanation of genea? We should seek proofs from the Old Testament. According to Psalm 12:7, "this generation" means the moral condition of a people; it is not a physical generation. The generation in Deuteronomy 32:5 is not thirty or forty years or a lifetime, but the period in which the condition of crookedness and perversity lasts. That is how long the generation lasts. If the perversity is not taken away, it will continue to be the crooked generation. In Deuteronomy 32:20 the word "generation" is genea in the Septuagint. Proverbs 30:11-14 says, "There is a generation." Obviously, this does not refer to a lifetime or a few years; it refers to a period of time characterized by its moral climate. In what follows there is light also. In Matthew 11:16 and 12:39, 41 the sin of "this generation" refers to all the wicked and adulterous people of the past and future put together; thus, the generation lasts as long as the wicked and adulterous ones last. Matthew 12:42, 45 and 23:36 also contain the word "generation" ( genea). Therefore, the meaning of 24:34 is that before this wicked, adulterous, perverse, and crooked generation will pass away, all these things will have been fulfilled. The generations in Matthew 1:17 refer to people, not to people's morality; hence, it is different from "generation" in verse 34. "This generation" includes three kinds of people: (1) the Gentiles who worship idols and reject God, (2) the Jews who reject Christ, and (3) the apostates, the modernists. Before these people pass away, all the tribulations must be fulfilled. The Lord Himself will cast these things away. Before the kingdom comes, all these things shall be fulfilled. The kingdom comes after this generation passes away.

  In the Scriptures cosmos should be translated "world"; aeon, "age"; and genea, "generation."

  Verse 35:"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall by no means pass away." The word of the Lord endures longer than heaven and earth. This means that before heaven and earth pass away, His words will be fulfilled. The word "heaven" has two usages: (1) In the singular it means heaven in contrast to the earth. (2) In the plural it means the kingdom in which the Lord rules, which is the universe. Here it is singular.

  Verses 36-42 are a small section and are most difficult to explain.

  Verse 36:"But concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but the Father only." "That day and hour." The "day" is longer and "the hour" is shorter. It seems that the Lord categorized the things of the future as to day and hour. The disciples asked concerning: (1) the sign of His coming ( parousia) and (2) the sign of the consummation of the age. The Lord used the fig tree as the sign of the consummation of the age and our rapture as the sign of the parousia. The Jews' fig tree is a sign to us, and our rapture is a sign to the Jews. Although there is a sign for one to know, the day and the hour cannot be known, because the Lord said that no man knows. But, regrettably, today there are many people who try to calculate the day and the hour. Some people do not calculate the day and the hour, but they calculate the year and the month. This is not godly. Mrs. White of the Seventh-day Adventists calculated that the coming of the Lord would be in 1844. Mr. Russell of the Russellites (Jehovah's Witnesses) calculated that it would be in the 1800s. Both of them were wrong. Every year some people make some assertions, but they all fail. Even the angels of heaven do not know. Neither does the Son know. This seems strange. In Hebrews 1:13 and Psalms 110:1 the Father told the Lord, "Sit at My right hand until I set Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet." The Lord today is waiting; He does not need to know. Although the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are triune, the Son would rather wait and not know. It is not that He cannot know. Archbishop Trench said that the words "but the Father only" can be translated "if not the Father only," that is, "If the Father does not know, man would not know, angels would not know, and even the Son would not know." But this does not make sense. My personal opinion is that the Lord meant in verse 36 that at that time only the Father knew, and that all the rest did not know. The word "knows" in "no one knows" is in the present tense. Today the Lord does know, but man cannot tell the time when He will know. Some people say that although "knows" is in the present tense, it means "will never know." I cannot agree with this. If that is the case, the Lord Jesus will never know.

  Verses 37 through 42:There are four things in these verses: (1) At the end time man's condition will be very much as it was in the days of Noah. At that time, even though men knew that the flood was about to come (as it had been preached by Noah), they still would not be awakened; they continued eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage as usual. (2) As God kept the household of Noah from the destruction of the flood, so God will also preserve the remnant of the Jews to pass through the great tribulation. (This is what is spoken of in Revelation: the earth opened up her mouth to swallow up the flood of water from the dragon — 12:16.) (3) The flood took the rest of the people away. (4) As in the day that Noah entered into the ark when the flood came, at the time of rapture, one will be taken and the other left.

  Verse 37: "For just as the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be." There were seven things in the days of Noah: (1) After Enosh was born, men began to call on the name of Jehovah. From this we know that, although men worshipped God prior to Enosh's time, they did not worship Jehovah. There is a difference between worshipping God and worshipping Jehovah. Not to worship Jehovah is not to worship Jehovah the Savior. Likewise, men today believe that there is a God, but they do not believe that Jehovah is God, much less that Christ is God. (2) In Genesis 4:19 and 22, the names of the women recorded include Adah ("ornament"), Zillah ("shadow"), and Naamah ("pleasant"). These three names represent the beauty, vainglory, silliness, and frivolity of the women of those days. Today, women's adornments and cosmetics are selling exceptionally well. Women love to be vain and frivolous. This tells the believers that the day of Noah is approaching. (3) Genesis 4:17 says that "he builded a city," and verses 20-22 speak of music, husbandry, and metal-working. Today all these are very flourishing. In the area of music, there are the gramophones and the radios. At that time iron was for making knives and swords; today it is for guns and cannons. (4) With regard to the church's degradation, before the flood there were two lines that God especially paid attention to. They were the line of Cain, representing the world, and the line of Seth, representing the church. But in the line of Seth, Enoch was the only one who was raptured. The rest did not walk with God but mixed with the world instead and failed. Today's church also mixes with the world; it is indeed degraded. If one does not see that the church is degraded, he himself has already become degraded! (5) In Genesis 6:1 men began to multiply, and it is the same today. The rate of population increase has grown rapidly. Just three years ago (1930) there were 1.7 billion people; today there are 2 billion. Today in China alone there are 500 million. (6) Jude 14 and 15 say that Enoch prophesied the word of the Lord's coming and judgment, yet many people ignored it. Today's situation is exactly the same. Since 1828 there have been some who preached the word of the Lord's second coming, yet very few have accepted it. (7) Of particular importance is Genesis 6:2. The sons of God (angels) became fallen and took the daughters of men as wives. Today it is just the same. Spiritualism has become very popular. Communication with demons and with the dead has become very convincing. After the European War [World War I], many women in France became pregnant by evil spirits. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (of the Royal Society) was promoting spiritualism very aggressively. No one dared to speak of these seven things in the past hundred years because there was no light.

  Verse 38:"For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day in which Noah entered into the ark." Are the events concerning Noah a sign of the rapture of the saints or of the believers' passing through the tribulation? It is more accurate to say that they typify the rapture of the believers. Generally, it is assumed that Enoch typifies the rapture, whereas Noah typifies the believers' passing through the tribulation, because this is according to the facts in Genesis. However, the sign of Noah does not typify only one thing. What did the Lord say in Matthew 24:37? Here the Lord spoke of His parousia. The parousia in verse 37 is equal to Noah's ark in verse 38. The one of every male and female entering into the ark to escape the flood are the raptured ones. The event of Noah's entering into the ark typifies the rapture. Consider the following: (1) Noah (typifying the Lord) brought one male and one female of every animal into the ark. The Lord also will lead one male and one female into the rapture section of the parousia. (2) Noah shut the animals inside the ark; the world did not see them. When Christ raptures us, the world will not see us either. (3) Noah rescued them from the flood. Likewise, the Lord will also keep us from the great tribulation (Rev. 3:10). The animals could represent men, as they did in the vision that Peter saw. At that time, men gave themselves to eating, drinking, and marrying. Today it is the same. Men eat and drink lavishly. The giving in marriage also is increasing.

  Verse 39:"And they did not know that judgment was coming until the flood came and took all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." Just as the situation was in the days of Noah, so it is today. As the flood came suddenly, so the coming of the Lord will also be sudden.

  Verses 40-41:"At that time two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left." "One is taken and one is left." What is the reason for this verse? According to typology, all those who belonged to Noah entered into the ark. Will not all the saints then be raptured? The Lord feared that we might have this misunderstanding, so this verse was especially added. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. But there is an exception; thus, the Lord made it known here.

  There are three possible explanations concerning verse 40. (1) Both people refer to the Jews during that time. (2) The raptured one is regenerated, whereas the one left is not regenerated. (3) The one taken and the one left are both Christians. Let us first carefully examine the first and third explanations. If both are Jews, then the one taken would be punished, and the one left would enjoy the blessing of the kingdom on earth. If both are saved ones, then the one taken would enjoy glory and blessing, and the one left would go through the suffering of the great tribulation on this earth. First, we must know the meaning of being taken and being left behind. If the meaning of being taken is positive, then it must be for Christians, because the rapture of Christians is a blessed matter. If the meaning of being taken is negative, then it must refer to the Jews, because in that case they cannot stay on this earth to enjoy the blessing of the kingdom on earth. The word "taken" in the original language is paralambano, which means "to bring and set aside." This word is used fifty-two times in the New Testament with a positive meaning. For example, in John 14:3 it is rendered "receive" (paralambano). The Lord spoke of rapture in a direct way only once. Three times the Lord "took" Peter, John, and James (Mark 5:37; Matt. 17:1; 26:37), and each time was positive. In Mark 5:40, "took (paralambano) the father of the child" is also positive. In John 1:11, "His own did not receive (paralambano) Him" also is positive in meaning, because if "His own" had received Him, everything would have been well. "Received" in Colossians 2:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:1 and 2:13; "receiving" in Hebrews 12:28; "take" and "took" in Matthew 2:13-14; "taking" in Acts 15:39 and "took" in Acts 16:33; 23:31, etc., are all paralambano, and all have a positive meaning. In the Old Testament also this word has a positive meaning. "Took" in Genesis 5:24, referring to the rapture of Enoch, and "fetched" in 1 Samuel 10:23 also have positive meanings. Therefore, we can know that those in Matthew 24:40 must be Christians.

  The word "left" in the Bible may also have a positive meaning (Gen. 32:8; Num. 26:65; Isa. 24:6). Thus, the word "left" has dual meanings, both good and bad. The question is, who left them? If you are left by the devil, that is a blessing; if you are left by the Lord, that is a woe. It is woe also if you are taken by the devil, but a blessing if you are taken by the Lord. In spite of this, in the Bible the word "left" has mostly a negative meaning: in 1 Samuel 17:20, "left" means "leaving," and in John 4:28 "left" means "left behind."

  Although there is evidence from the meaning of the word, this is not sufficient. We cannot focus only on the meaning of the word; we should also take care of the context. Matthew 24:19 indicates woe to those who are left behind and cannot escape. The "thief" in verses 41-43 is the Lord. The things stolen are the best things. In chapter twenty-five, the virgins who are taken are the good ones; those left behind are the five foolish ones.

  This eliminates the first explanation and limits the choice to the second and third explanations. There is not sufficient reason to say that the ones left behind are unsaved ones. We assert that whether they are taken or left, they all are saved ones. The reasons are as follows: (1) "Therefore" in the phrase "watch therefore" in verse 42 shows a continuation of the preceding verses 40 and 41. The "you" in verse 42 are the saved ones. Only those who have life can be watchful. The lifeless ones can never be watchful. The condition for the rapture does not depend on whether or not one believes; it depends on the work after one is regenerated, not merely on the life of regeneration. The Brethren say that whoever is regenerated will be raptured. This is erroneous. (2) "Your Lord" (v. 42). The unsaved one has absolutely no master/servant relationship with the Lord. Others can use this word mistakenly, but the Lord never uses it by mistake. Some are not yet saved, yet they consider themselves the Lord's servants; but the Bible cannot misuse the term "your Lord." In the Old Testament, one first serves and then is rewarded. In the New Testament, first we become His children; then we serve. (3) Verse 43 mentions the thief. Suppose a thief comes to steal apples. He would surely pick the ripe ones and leave the unripe ones. It is not a difference in substance but a difference in the degree of ripeness. (4) The example of the virgins in chapter twenty-five. The five foolish ones are not false virgins. They are merely not as wise as the prudent ones. The prudent ones were not afraid and brought oil with them. The foolish ones were lazy and did not bring oil in their vessels. Nevertheless, they are all virgins, and all went out to greet the bridegroom. (5) As far as typology is concerned, the ones left behind also are saved. Enoch and Noah were both saved. Abraham (interceding before God) and Lot (passing through tribulation) were both saved. Elijah and Elisha were both saved. When the Lord ascended, the disciples who were left were all saved. Philip and the eunuch were both saved. Hence, we conclude that the "taken" ones and the "left" ones in verses 40 and 41 are all saved.

  Verse 42:"Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord comes." If we connect verses 40 and 41 to verse 42, we can see that the distinction lies in being watchful or not being watchful. If this were not the only distinction, the Lord would not use "therefore" and also would not warn us to be watchful. If the condition for the rapture were based merely on regeneration and not on the watchfulness and work after regeneration, there would be no reason for the Lord to exhort us to be watchful. In this verse the Lord did not entreat us to repent, to believe in the Lord, to be regenerated; He charged us only to be watchful. Hence, we know that in verses 40 through 42, those taken and those left behind are all saved ones. The Lord cannot charge those who are not regenerated to be watchful. What does it mean to be watchful? Some say that to be watchful is a matter for the Jews, and that we Christians need only to wait and do not need to be watchful. But even if the Jews are watchful, they still must pass through the great tribulation; they can never escape God's wrath. They must pass through the time of Jacob's distress (Jer. 30:7). It cannot be that because of their watchfulness the great tribulation will not come. Only the church needs to be watchful. The meaning of being watchful is to not be careless. Christians are often too self-confident. Being watchful is in contrast to being careless. Those who sleep must be those who are self-confident, for they think that nothing will happen. Those who watch must be those who do not trust in themselves. If one is self-confident, there is the possibility that he may fall. Or if one says, "I am not the same as before," failure is near. It is only when you feel that you are lacking and cannot be depended on that you will be watchful. Being watchful means being careful, not careless, every day on the alert against the possibility of stumbling. All those who consider that they themselves will not stumble cannot be watchful. If everyone will be raptured, then there is no need to be watchful. The reason that Christians must be watchful is that we do not know when the Lord will come. If we knew, then we would not need to be watchful. But since the Lord did not let us know, there must be a group of people who are the real watchers. Thus, the theory that all believers will be raptured is not one to be depended on.

  Verse 43:"But know this, that if the householder had known in which watch the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be broken into." Under the subject of the rapture, four parables are used to expound the Lord's parousia. Hence, these four parables are actually parables concerning the parousia; they explain verse 42. Beginning from verse 43, what the Lord says is fully for the church. Verses 4 through 31 answer the first question; verses 32 through 42 answer the second question. The disciples did not even understand the questions they asked, but the Lord is a good teacher for He answered more than what they asked. The parable of the sheep and the goats points to the things of the end of the age.

  (1)The house, (2) the householder, (3) the thief, (4) the stealing — what do all these refer to? (1) The house means the dwelling. It refers to the work of the saints after they believe in the Lord. The "house" in Hebrews 3:6 is the house of faith. Mark 13:34 refers to the house of the Lord, in which we are all doorkeepers. Matthew 7 refers to the work of the believers — to build a house (v. 24). (2) Since the house refers to our behavior, the householder should be us. (3) The thief is the Lord. (4) The thief comes to steal things, to cause the householder to suffer some loss. But the Lord comes to make the householder gain a greater blessing (see 1 Thes. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:3; 16:15). Usually, we do not know who the thief is, but the Lord is the Thief who informed us in advance. Not only so, but the Lord steals in the daytime — "in the field" and "at the mill" both signify in the daytime. When a thief steals something, he brings it to his own house. The Lord also steals something and brings it to the throne — to His own place.

  "Would not have allowed his house to be broken into." If something has been stolen, this means that the house has been broken into. If nothing has been stolen, the house has not been broken into. A thief steals the good things and takes them away. The bad things are left behind by the thief. Then the householder suffers a loss. It is most regrettable that today many Christians are prepared to be left behind. First Thessalonians 5:4-10 says that our position is that of the sons of light; thus, we should not let the Lord come as a thief. "And you shall by no means know at what hour I will come upon you" (Rev. 3:3). When the church is like the believers in Thessalonica, they are the sons of light. When the church is like Sardis (corrupted Protestantism) with its dead works, the Lord will come upon it as a thief. "You shall by no means know at what hour I will come upon you." The church in Sardis does not know when the Lord will come upon her.

  The householder had his house broken into, but he himself was left. This was his own fault, because every head of a household should know beforehand that a thief will come; the prophecy informs him of this. After the Lord left this world, it became a long, dark night (that is, moral, spiritual darkness). Our position is that although we do not know at what hour He will come, we do know that in this long night the Lord will come quickly. We do not know at what hour He will come, so we should always take this ignorance as a motivation for being watchful. We should compensate for our ignorance by our watchfulness. The failure of the householder is that he despised what he knew and did not compensate for what he did not know. We should always be watchful toward the enemy, the world, and the self. Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis said that we should be watchful from the very first day of the Christian life. To the Jews, the rapture will be a sign; to those believers who will have been left behind, it will be the coming of the suffering.

  The previous verses, verses 4-31, should be explained literally. For example, "those days" (vv. 19, 22, 29) are all explained literally. But "those days" refer to a period of time. The "things" in verse 17 are material. In verse 43, the "house" is spiritual and has to do with the church (the parable of the thief refers to the church). The parousia will be like lightning to the Jews (after the tribulation); it will be like a thief to the church.

  Verse 44:"For this reason you also be ready, because at an hour when you do not expect it, the Son of Man is coming." Some people, such as Scofield, consider this to be the Lord's addressing the Jews as the Son of Man, with no reference to the church. However, the Son of Man is also the name of the Lord in the kingdom, and it is also used in His addressing Christians. Stephen was a person in the church. He too saw the Lord as the Son of Man (Acts 7:56). In Hebrews 2:6 the "son of man" refers to the Lord receiving glory in the kingdom (see also Heb. 2:9). According to John 5:27-29 the Son of Man has authority to judge in the kingdom. In Matthew 19:28 the Son of Man is in the kingdom; in Matthew 25:31 the Son of Man comes in the kingdom. Matthew 13:41 and 16:27-28 also refer to the kingdom. In John 6:53-54, the Son of Man is related to the resurrection in the last day, which also refers to the kingdom. John 12:23 is also a matter of receiving the kingdom. Thus, the Son of Man is a name used by the Lord in the kingdom; He is the King in His qualification as a man.

  Verse 45:"Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time?" Verse 45 begins another parable, concerning two kinds of slaves. The Lord said that there are two kinds of stewards, but actually, there is only one person. This person can be a good steward or a bad steward.

  Verses 45-47:"Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Truly I say to you that he will set him over all his possessions." This speaks of being a good slave. This section can be divided into four small sections: (1) the household, (2) the Lord's commission, (3) the Lord's requirement, and (4) the Lord's reward.

  (1) The household here is different from the house of the householder in the previous parable. The former is individual and belongs to the man himself; the latter is corporate and belongs to the Lord. This corresponds with Hebrews 3:6 and Mark 13:34. This household includes all the believers (1 Tim. 3:15); hence, it refers to the church.

  (2) The Lord's commission. (a) To be set over a household implies authority. (b) To give food at the proper time implies ministry. On the one hand, such a one ministers before God; on the other hand, he ministers before man. (We should not be misled to think that this signifies one slave ruling over the whole household; if we are, there will be ground for a pope, as in Catholicism. Nor does it signify a pastor ruling over a parish, because he has "fellow slaves" in verse 49, and fellow slaves are those who serve together. The Lord simply used one slave as an example.) The work is to rule or to manage. Every slave in the house of God has a portion of the authority. Every slave who has been bought by the blood of the Lord has authority to rule, to serve, to minister, and to give food at the proper time so that the whole household has food to eat. Some say that today's church should have its attention turned to the outside and should preach the gospel in one accord. Actually, to preach the gospel is still a thing within, because this is for the perfecting of the saints for the building up of the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:12). To preach the gospel is to produce material for the church; therefore, to save sinners is the procedure, not the end. To perfect (to give food at the proper time) is the goal. So let us do our best to serve our Father by giving food at the proper time.

  "To give them food at the proper time" is to minister, that is, to serve people with the things of God and the word of God. It is to take Christ's ministering to serve people; this is to be a minister. Thus, this section is spoken to the believers. To give food is to preach, but preaching is not necessarily to give food, because in giving food, one must be able to nourish people. The preaching which can lead others to repent, to know their sins, to be saved, to follow God's will, to believe, and to obey is the real giving of food. Let us find those brothers who need help and, according to their need and level, give them food. But always remember: do not take the attitude of Hezekiah or the attitude of being "holier than thou"; otherwise, they would rather starve to death than eat.

  (3) The Lord has two requirements: to be faithful and to be prudent (i.e., wise). Faithfulness is toward the Lord, and wisdom is toward the brothers. But we are always the opposite. We are too faithful. We scold others and think that this is being faithful. At the same time we are too unwise, that is, too loving in heart to speak a true word. Toward God we are too unfaithful; we are not absolutely obedient. At the same time, we are too wise, excusing and comforting the self with all kinds of reasons. (Toward man we need to be faithful also; wisdom alone will make one too political. If one is only faithful, he can easily become faithful foolishly. We must be faithful and must also be wise.) Faithfulness means not to discount. We accept however much the Lord says. It also means not to consider one's own gain or loss, and not to become unfaithful through considering one's gain or loss. Therefore, those who want to be faithful must bear the cross and exercise self-control. They must deny cleverness. Cleverness is from man's natural being, whereas wisdom is from God. Today many of those who are the most faithful are the most foolish, the most rude, the most inconsiderate, and the most independent. This is why we must have wisdom. Much of God's work is spoiled and destroyed by those who are faithful but not wise. However, it is better to have faithfulness without wisdom than to have wisdom without faithfulness. Today there are too many who have wisdom but are not faithful. They have enlarged the narrow gate. This kind of person is not worthy to be God's steward.

  (4) The reward — being set to rule over all His possessions. "So doing" in verse 46 means to carry out faithfully what the Lord commanded. When we carry out such a command with wisdom, we are blessed. "Blessed" refers to the reward in the kingdom. "He will set him over all his possessions." The way in which men are busy today is not like the way in which one will be busy in the kingdom. In the kingdom many things require one's ruling. The busy activities today are merely a test to see if one can endure being busy. If you can serve the brothers today, you will be able to serve in that day. Today God assigns you a few things; in that day the Lord will assign you to rule over all things. One who is lazy will never have the opportunity to rule.

  Verses 48-51:"But if that evil slave says in his heart, My master delays, and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with the drunken, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him asunder and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. In that place there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth." Verses 48-51 are also divided into four sections: (1) Is the evil slave a Christian? (2) What error has he made? (3) The reason for the error of the evil slave. (4) The result.

  (1) Is the evil slave a Christian? Yes, he is a Christian; he is saved. The reasons are: (a) This evil slave is the slave appointed by the Lord in verse 45. The Lord's commission is neither like man's laying on of hands nor like the setting up of committees or supervisors. Man's laying on of hands and appointment may contain mistakes. The Lord does not make this kind of mistake in His appointments. This evil slave is the same person as the faithful and prudent slave. Whether he is a faithful slave or an evil slave depends on how he serves. (b) Identifying the Lord as "my master" shows that he has a personal relationship with the Lord, and "in his heart" also substantiates this fact (just to confess with the mouth may not prove his relationship). See also Romans 10:9 and 1 Corinthians 12:3. (c) He believed in and also waited for the Lord's coming again. His only mistake was that he thought the Lord would delay His coming. Those who are not saved would not say this.

  The above three points are most obvious. But many think that this slave is not saved, based on his conduct and the punishment he receives. They think: (1) if he were saved, how could he beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink? The fact of the matter is that a saved Christian is still capable of committing any kind of sin. In 1 Corinthians 5 there was an adulterer, but he was still saved (v. 5). (2) The Lord appointed his portion with the hypocrites. This word "with" is very important. It is clearer in Luke 12:46: "And will appoint his portion with the unbelievers." From this we know that he is not an unbeliever. (3) "Cut him asunder." One cannot trust in a literal interpretation of this, because otherwise, how can there be weeping and gnashing of teeth in the succeeding part of the verse? In the original text to "cut asunder" does not mean to put to death; it means only to separate him from the Lord. Read Luke 12:46-48. There is a possibility that a slave may be whipped; however, to be whipped does not mean to perish, because the Lord's sheep never perish (John 10:27-28).

  (2) What errors did the evil slave make? There are two sins in verse 49: (a) to beat his fellow slaves (this is toward the believers within) and (b) to eat and drink with the drunken (this is toward the unbelievers without). To beat means to abuse the authority given by the Lord. To eat and drink means to have fellowship with the world, to traffic with the world. Discipline is in God's hand. Between brothers, there can at most be a rebuke. To beat is to usurp God's disciplinary authority. Whenever you think you have special authority to rule over a fellow slave, you are beating. Matthew 23:8 says, "You are all brothers." To beat a brother also means to lose the ability for self-control. When you do not smite others, you rule over yourself. To beat does not necessarily mean to use a stick or a whip or a rod. It means to cause people to suffer pain or to be wounded. If you hurt others with your words, or if you cause pain and suffering to others through your meanness or sarcasm, that is also to beat. If the purpose is to make others feel bad for three or five days so that you can feel better, this also, in reality, is to beat. We can only use oil and wine to heal wounds; we cannot perform surgery. God's children already have enough sorrows. How can we add more painful wounds to them! Yet he who is proud and independent and has a temper finds it easy to beat others.

  The evil slave is also associated with the world. In the Bible the "drunken" are those who indulge themselves in the world. When man becomes stupefied through wine, he is drunk. Today man becomes stupefied because of money, wealth, a name, etc. This also is to be drunk. The slave is a believer; therefore, he should not have fellowship with the drunkards (in accordance with the teaching of 2 Corinthians 6). In the Bible, eating and drinking specifically imply fellowship. The first sin of the world occurred when two were eating together (Gen. 3:6). After Lot quarreled with Abraham, he began to have fellowship with the world (13:5-13). Whenever you dislike a brother and instead like the people of the world, you are fallen. The above two sins are easily committed by any believer.

  (3) What is the reason for these errors? The reason is seen in verse 48: "My master delays." The slave believed that the Lord was coming again, but he also believed that He was delaying His coming. Anyone who does not believe that the Lord is coming quickly is an evil slave. The reason for the slave's mistake, according to what the Lord said, is in verse 48. Even though with his mouth he said that the Lord would come quickly, in his heart he still considered that the Lord would delay. This kind of person is in peril. If one does not take the attitude that the Lord will come quickly, he will not be watchful.

  Many people do not want the Lord to come quickly. They are afraid that when the Lord comes, He will spoil and terminate their plans. They cannot pray John's prayer: "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20). We must have an attitude and a desire for the Lord to come quickly. To merely know the prophecy well is of no use. The evil slave was also well versed in prophecy.

  (4) The result: the Lord came a little sooner than the slave expected. If you think that the Lord will delay, He will come sooner than you expect. In His punishment the Lord will separate you from Himself and will appoint your portion with the hypocrites. To be appointed a portion with someone does not necessarily mean to suffer the same punishment as that one. The prisoners in a jail have all been appointed the same portion which is the prison, but they do not all experience the same kind of punishment. To be appointed the same portion means to suffer together. "There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth." This signifies much regret and remorse.