QT 3/29/2022 Matt 24:1-3, The days are coming to a close

Matthew 24:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 3 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 end of the age?”

 

NOTE: There are three questions the disciples asked and Jesus answers them "out-of-order." And to make things more difficult, the three gospels are required to see the answers. Here are the three questions:

 

1.  Tell us when shall these things (destruction of temple) shall be?
• These things meaning the destruction of the temple
• Luke adds the question about the sign that this is to take place
2.  What shall be the sign of your coming?
3.  What shall be the sign of the end of this age?

 

Jesus answers the questions out of order: #3, #1, #2. And before really answering question #3, he answered it in the negative by giving characteristics of the church which are NOT signs of the Church age. These include:

• Rise of false messiahs (… whole history of false messiahs …)
• Existence of local wars

Neither of the latter two events have anything to do with the end of the age ("the end will not come right away").

 

• Interlude 1: The characteristic of the Church Age can be found in  Luke 21:8-9; Matt 24:4-6.
• Question #3: The Sign of the End of the Age is found in Luke 21:10-11; Matt 24:7-8.
• Interlude 2: Jesus describe the Apostles personal experiences: Luke 21:12-19 ; Mark 13:9-13.
• Question #1: Sign of the Fall of Jerusalem is only found in Luke 21:20-24
• The Great Tribulation: Matt 24:9-22 (important for Jews)
• Question #2: The Signs of the Second Coming is found in Matt 24:23-30; Luke 21:25-27

 

What does this all mean to me today? The days are coming to a close. I'm not sure if a generation is 100 years (God uses that definition in Genesis for the Jews return to the land) or 40 years (as in the time "this generation" saw Jesus' prophecy fulfilled with the temple -- but 40 years fits within 100 years as well). Just my guess, but I think we are within 26 years of the end of the age.

 

PONDER:

1. If the end of the Age was tomorrow, what would I be doing differently today?

 

PRAYER: Father, give me boldness and courage to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I pray people would see Jesus in my life. I pray that my life would attract people to Jesus. I pray that the church would not grow cold and distant, but that the true believers would wholly follow you.