(1)
The knowledge most Christians have of Matt. 24 and Matt. 25 is vague and indefinite. As we come to these chapters, we need to drop this kind of vague knowledge. For the basic understanding of these chapters we are standing upon the shoulders of many great teachers who have gone before us. These great teachers include Darby, Newton, Pember, Govett, and Panton. According to church history, not until about one hundred fifty years ago were these chapters opened to the Lord’s people. After 1829, when the Brethren were raised up, these chapters began to be opened to the seeking saints. If you collect the various writings regarding Christ’s second coming, the great tribulation, the prophecy concerning the seventy weeks in Daniel, and the rapture, you will see that during the past one hundred fifty years the knowledge of Matthew 24 and 25 has progressed.
When Brother Nee was young, he was helped a great deal by reading the books of Pember, Govett, and Panton. Of course, he saw something even further, and before 1930 he conducted a study of the book of Revelation, upon which our study of Revelation was based. Later, Brother Nee held a study of Matthew in which he gave several messages on chapters twenty-four and twenty-five. He also had studies on the matters of the rapture and the tribulation. After he conducted these studies, Brother Nee saw something further. During the last twenty years, I myself also have gone on a little in understanding these matters. Therefore, what I shall present to you in these messages on chapters twenty-four and twenty-five is not merely the result of my own study, but the product of knowledge that has progressed throughout the past one hundred fifty years. It is not something superficial, but the cream of the labor of many others. The more I have ministered on the Lord’s coming, the rapture, and the tribulation, the more convinced I have become that we have the proper understanding of these things.
Prophecy in the Bible is like a jigsaw puzzle. We need to find the various pieces that are scattered throughout the Bible and see how they fit together. I have been doing this for more than fifty years. What I am presenting in these messages is the result of all these years of study.
Matt. 24:1-31 is concerned with Israel. Verses 1-14 cover the time from Christ’s ascension to the end of the age.
The prophecy of the kingdom given on the Mount of Olives is a continuation of the Lord’s declaration regarding His forsaking of Israel. This declaration is given at the end of chapter twenty-three. Chapter twenty-four continues, “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” (v. 1). Notice that chapter twenty-four begins with the word “And.” This indicates that this chapter is a direct continuation of the last part of chapter twenty-three. In 23:37-39 the Lord said that He desired to gather Jerusalem, that the house was left desolate, and that they would not see Him until they say, “Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.” Then, immediately after this, chapter twenty-four continues with the words, “And Jesus came out from the temple.” This indicates that as soon as the Lord had declared that He was forsaking Israel, He came out of the temple and began to go away. The word “away” is very strong, showing that the Lord was not merely going, but going away. The fact that the Lord had come out from the temple indicates that He had left the temple. This was to fulfill His word in 23:38 concerning leaving the temple to the rejecting Jews as their house of desolation. This is equivalent to God’s glory leaving the temple in the time of Ezekiel (Ezek. 10:18).
As the Lord Jesus was going away from the temple, “His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple.” The word “temple” here denotes the entire precincts of the temple. As the Lord was going away, there might have been a distance between Him and His disciples, who were probably still lingering by the temple. Therefore, they came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple. This indicates that the disciples did not agree with the Lord’s forsaking of the temple. The Lord had forsaken the den of robbers, leaving the temple to be a house of desolation. But the disciples still appreciated the temple and were trying to bring Him back to it by pointing out the buildings, perhaps by pointing them out one by one.
Verse 2 says, “But He answered and said to them, Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, A stone shall by no means be left upon a stone which shall not be thrown down.” This was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Titus with the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem.
Notice that the Lord did not say, “I have seen these things”; instead, He said, “Do you not see all these things?” This indicates clearly that the Lord Jesus would not turn His eyes back to look at the buildings. He seemed to be saying, “I don’t like to look at these things, but you have seen them. To you, they are complete, beautiful, splendid, and perfect. But there will not be one stone left upon another which will not be thrown down. Now you point out these things to Me building by building. But the day is coming when all this will be leveled.” We need to visualize the situation here. The disciples kept their eyes upon the buildings and pointed them out to the Lord. But the Lord would not turn to see them. Rather, He told His disciples that the buildings would be torn down. His answer must have shocked the disciples. As they all walked from the temple to the Mount of Olives, neither the Lord nor the disciples had anything more to say. Because the matter was too serious, the disciples asked Him nothing further until they came to the Mount of Olives.
Verse 3 says that after the Lord came to the Mount of Olives and sat down there, the disciples came to Him privately to ask Him about these things. Their meeting with the Lord on the mountain reveals that in order to receive the vision of the Lord’s prophecy concerning this age, we need to climb to the high mountain to enter into His presence.
The disciples came to the Lord privately. Having heard the terrible news that the buildings of the temple would be leveled, they wanted to keep this matter confidential. Perhaps as we read these verses today, we do not sense the seriousness of them. But when the disciples heard this word from the Lord Jesus, they were shocked and dared not talk about it openly. Not until the Lord had come to the Mount of Olives and sat down were they bold enough to ask Him about these things.
In verse 2 the word “things” refers to the buildings of the temple. But the same term used in verse 3 refers to matters, which include the things covered from verse 32 of the foregoing chapter: the Jews’ filling up the measure of their fathers, the coming of the judgment of God upon them, their persecution of the Lord’s sent ones, and the destruction of the temple. In verse 3 the disciples were asking the Lord Jesus when these things would transpire.
In verse 3 the disciples said, “Tell us, When shall these things be, and what is the sign of Your coming and of the consummation of the age?” The question of the disciples consists of three points: when these things will be, including not only the destruction of the temple (v. 2), but also the things mentioned in 23:32-39; the sign of Christ’s coming; and the sign of the consummation of the age. The Lord’s word from verse 4 through 25:46 answers the disciples’ question concerning these three points.
The Greek word rendered “coming” in this verse is parousia,which means presence. Christ’s coming will be His presence with His believers. This parousia will begin with His coming to the air and end with His coming to the earth. Within His parousia, there will be the rapture of the majority of the believers to the air (1 Thes. 4:15-17), the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), and the marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9). The question asked here is concerning the sign of the Lord’s parousia and the sign of the end of this age. Hence, His answer in chapter twenty-four deals mainly with the sign of His parousia and with the sign of the end of this age.
The disciples did not ask, “What is Your coming?” They asked, “What is the sign of Your coming?” Thus, chapters twenty-four and twenty-five deal with the Lord’s answer regarding when these things would take place, the sign of His coming, and the sign of the consummation of the age. The consummation of the age denotes the very end of this present age. As we read chapters twenty-four and twenty-five, we need to be clear that the Lord’s answer is directed to the disciples’ three questions.
Verses 4 and 5 say, “And Jesus answered and said to them, See that no one leads you astray. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and they shall lead many astray.” The Lord’s answer is of three sections: the first section (24:4-31) concerns the Jews who are the elect; the second (24:32—25:30) concerns the church; and the third (25:31-46) concerns the Gentiles, the nations. The first section, concerning the Jews, should be literally interpreted; whereas the second section, concerning the church, should be spiritually interpreted, because it is spoken in parables for the reason given in 13:11-13. For instance, the winter in 24:20 is a literal winter, but the summer in 24:32 is a symbol signifying the time of restoration. But the third section, concerning the Gentiles, should again be literally interpreted.
Some aspects of the prophecy in verses 4 through 14 have been fulfilled, and some will be in the process of being fulfilled until the time of the great tribulation, which will be the consummation, the end, of this age.
In verses 4 and 5 the Lord said that many deceivers would come in the name of Christ and lead many astray. History tells us that this has been so. Since the time that Christ ascended to the heavens, many have come claiming to be Christ.
Verse 6 says, “And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not disturbed; for these things must take place, but the end is not yet.” The wars here refer to all the wars from the first century to the present. They are signified by the red horse of the second seal in Revelation 6:3-4. Many wars have been fought in the region of the Mediterranean, the place where the good land is.
The “end” in verse 6 is the consummation of this age (v. 3; Dan. 12:4, 6-7, 9), which will be the three and a half years of the great tribulation. Remember, in these verses the Lord is giving the indicators of the end of this age.
Verse 7 says, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and earthquakes in various places.” “Nation” refers to the peoples, the Gentiles, and “kingdom” refers to the empires. The rising of nation against nation, or people against people, refers to civil war, whereas the rising of kingdom against kingdom refers to international war. From the time of the Lord’s ascension there have been both civil war and international war. Moreover, there have been many famines, which are mostly the issue of war. According to history, war has always brought famine, signified by the black horse of the third seal in Revelation 6:5-6. For example, Germany was defeated in World War I because of the shortage of bread. Thus, the sequence is war, famine, and death.
The Lord also said that there would be earthquakes in various places. Since Christ’s ascension, earthquakes have been increasing throughout all the centuries and will be intensified at the end of this age (Rev. 6:12; 8:5; 11:13, 19; 16:18). It seems that each year there are more earthquakes than in the previous year.
In verse 8 the Lord said, “But all these things are the beginning of birth pangs.” This verse refers to the nation of Israel as a woman. The Jews, as God’s elect, will suffer birth pangs like a woman in travail to bring forth a remnant who will participate in the Messianic kingdom, the earthly section of the millennium. Then the nation of Israel will rejoice.
As we have seen, the Lord’s answer in chapters twenty-four and twenty-five is in three sections, the sections concerning the Jews, the church, and the Gentiles. On earth today there are these three categories of peoples. Thus, in order to give the disciples a full answer to their question, the Lord covers these three peoples in a good sequence, beginning with the Jews and then continuing with the church and the Gentiles. When the Lord spoke this prophecy, His audience, composed of the disciples, had a dual status. On the one hand, they were Jews; on the other hand, they were the disciples of Christ, the representatives of the church. Hence, the Lord spoke to them both about the Jews and about the church. However, we must be careful not to apply the verses in the section dealing with the Jews to the Christians in the church.
We have pointed out that the Lord’s word in the section concerning the Jews is a plain word and requires no interpretation. For example, when the Lord speaks of winter, He means a literal winter; and when He mentions the Sabbath, He is talking about an actual Sabbath. But the second section, the section concerning the church, requires a great deal of interpretation because in this section the Lord speaks in parables. In Matthew 13 we see that the church is a mystery. Thus, in order to preserve the mystery of the church, the Lord could not speak in plain words, but needed to speak in parables, which require interpretation. For example, the summer spoken of in this section is not an actual summer; rather, it is a symbol of the restored kingdom of the Jews. Likewise, the fig tree is a symbol of the nation of Israel, and the virgins are symbols of the believers. The third section, the section concerning the Gentiles, is spoken in plain words and does not require interpretation.
The section regarding the Jews is full of suffering because the nation of Israel is compared to a woman giving birth to a child. The process of delivering the child has gone on for nearly two thousand years. What a prolonged delivery! According to the Bible, this long delivery is a form of punishment to the woman. Thus, the nation of Israel, the woman delivering the child, is still suffering. Everything mentioned in verses 4 through 7 is the beginning of birth pangs, not the actual sufferings. The time of suffering will be the great tribulation spoken of in verse 21. Hence, the sufferings in verses 4 through 7 are not the great tribulation, but the beginning of birth pangs. Throughout the centuries, the Lord has dealt with the Jews in a sovereign way. Nevertheless, the Jews have passed through one suffering after another. Even today, the nation of Israel is suffering. Many Arab countries are opposing her.
Although the nation of Israel has been in the process of delivering a child for such a long time, the child still has not come forth. This child will be the remnant of Israel that will be saved and restored. The nation of Israel today has not come up to God’s intention. Some of us visited Israel this year; the sin, immorality, and superstition we saw there were disgusting. The Bible prophesied that the Jews would return to the good land in unbelief. Nevertheless, the Lord will take care of them.
Verse 9 says, “Then they shall deliver you up to affliction and shall kill you, and you shall be hated by all the nations because of My name.” The “you” here refers to the Jewish disciples, who were the prophets and wise men sent to the Jews (23:34). The first martyrs were all Jews. They were slain not only by the Jewish nation, but by the nations. Wherever they went, they were persecuted.
Verse 10 says, “And then many shall be stumbled and shall deliver up one another, and they shall hate one another.” This refers to the believing Jews. Among the believing Jews, many will be stumbled and deliver up one another. This indicates that the Jewish Christians will fight against one another and hate one another. This is the degradation of the Jewish believers.
Verse 11 says, “And many false prophets shall arise and shall lead many astray.” This began to happen after Christ’s ascension and will continue until the end of this age.
Verse 12 says, “And because lawlessness is multiplied, the love of the many shall grow cold.” Do not apply this verse directly to the members of the church. Although you may borrow it and use it for the church, the direct application must be to the Jewish believers who have become cold in their love.
Although the love of the many shall grow cold, “he who endures to the end, he shall be saved” (v. 13). Because the Jewish believers are to suffer persecution, they are called upon to endure to the end in order to be saved. They need to exercise their endurance in the Lord and not give up their faith. To be saved here implies to be saved into the manifestation of the kingdom. Suppose, because of persecution and hatred, some Jewish believers are defeated. Those who are defeated will not participate in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. Therefore, in this verse, to be saved is not to receive eternal salvation; it is to be saved out of persecution and it is to be saved into the manifestation of the kingdom.
Verse 14 says, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end shall come.” The gospel of the kingdom, including the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24), not only brings people into God’s salvation, but also into the kingdom of the heavens (Rev. 1:9). The emphasis of the gospel of grace is on forgiveness of sin, God’s redemption, and eternal life; whereas the emphasis of the gospel of the kingdom is on the heavenly ruling of God and the authority of the Lord. This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole earth for a testimony to all the nations before the end of this age comes. The gospel of the kingdom is a testimony to all the nations, the Gentiles. This testimony must spread to the whole earth before the end of this age, the time of the great tribulation.
In verses 4 through 14 we see the actual history concerning the Jews from Christ’s ascension until the end of this age, the three and a half years of the great tribulation. Before the great tribulation comes, everything in these verses will transpire. The last item will be the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom. I believe that the churches in the Lord’s recovery will bear the burden to bring this gospel to all the inhabited earth. The gospel of grace has been preached in every continent, but not the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel of grace is the lower gospel, but the gospel of the kingdom is the higher gospel. This higher gospel will be brought to every continent through the churches in the Lord’s recovery. This, the strongest sign of the consummation of the age, will take place before the great tribulation. Thus, the most important sign of the consummation of the age is the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to all the inhabited earth.
