Matthew 24b

 In the first part of this chapter, Matthew has shown us how Jesus responded to the complex bundle of questions that the disciples asked. Jesus is careful to show the disciples that the future unfolds in stages and what may look like signs of the end are often just everyday earthquakes, wars, and rumors of war. 

 Jesus’ main message is this: Do not panic; do not be deceived; but be prepared by doing Kingdom work while you wait. Some events will come soon; other events will come later, but the only event that is a true sign is that the gospel will be preached to all nations. Some will fall away, some will even betray others, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. This calls for presence of mind, patience in peril, and persistence in faithful witness.   

24: 15-21.  So when you see the desolating sacrilege, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; the one on the housetop must not go down to take things from the house; the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 

 What is “the desolating sacrilege”? You may be more familiar with the phrase, “the abomination of desolation,” or maybe not since it is also an older way of talking. One translation simply says, “the disgusting thing,” which covers ‘abomination’ but leaves out the desolating part. It is disgusting and it will eventually cause desolation.  

 As Jesus says, the phrase comes from the book of Daniel (Daniel 7: 13, 9:27, 11:31, and 12: 11). Here is the first one.

 “After the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off … and the troops of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. … He shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall make sacrifice and offering cease, and in their place shall be a desolating sacrilege until the decreed end is poured out upon the desolator” (Daniel 9: 26-27). 

 Daniel has visions and writes them down while in Exile in Babylon (around 535 BC, though this is debated by some). The interpretation of his visions leads in many directions. Let’s just say that ‘the prince who is to come’ has been identified with several earthly rulers as well as ‘the little horn’ with the big mouth in Daniel 7: 9-13, and with the anti-Christ of Revelation 13: 1-4. 

 So, the desolating sacrilege is something out of place, like an idol set up in the temple in Jerusalem. In fact, this has actually happened in history. In 168 BC, the Greek ruler over the Seleucid Empire, one of the kingdoms formed out of Alexander the Great’s conquests, did such a thing. Antiochus Epiphanes IV pretended peace, thus deceiving the people, then entered Jerusalem and sacked it. Then he sacrificed a pig on the altar, thus profaning the temple and stopping the Jewish sacrifices. Finally, he set up a statue of a Greek god in the temple. This is described in the apocryphal books of I and II Maccabees as well as in Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews, Book 12, Chapter 5. 

  This action sparked the Maccabean Revolt. Antiochus died in 164 BC; he was the first iteration of ‘the prince who is to come’. His manner of ruling led to much suffering for the Jews and to the fragmentation of the Seleucid Empire.  

  The infamous Roman emperor Caligula in 39 AD threatened to set up a statue of himself in the temple. Jewish opposition, including riots, slowed down the process, and in 41 AD, Caligula died.

 However, the desire of Roman emperors to have political control as well as religious adoration from the people eventually led to the First Jewish-Roman War (66-74 AD).

 Jesus’ prophetic words may sound strange to us, but to his audience they reference real events. That is why Matthew writes “Let the reader understand.” Those in the audience who live another 10 years will experience the threat from Caligula. Those who are still alive 35 years later will have the misfortune to experience the tribulation. The abomination may have been the eagle symbol (see below) carried by Roman legionnaires through Jerusalem and into the temple. At any rate, with the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, sacrifices certainly stopped.

24: 22-28.  And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved, but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’—do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Take note, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will gather.

 While Jesus the Messiah will return, his arrival this time will not be hidden. Have you been out at night and seen lightning flash from the eastern horizon to the western horizon? You can’t miss it, can you? Jesus warns his audience not to be distracted by rumors that the Messiah has come but is hidden in the wilderness or in a building. Jesus advises them to stick to the task at hand.  

 Jesus has already said that the main task of his followers is to endure to the end. What are they to endure? The persecution that comes to those who preach the gospel and witness to what God has done for them through Jesus Christ. The task is to preach and show good works until all the nations of the world get the message. Do not be distracted by false time tables, false messiahs, and false prophets.  

24: 29-31.  Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

 It is not clear whether Jesus is talking about ‘those days’, a phrase that shows up in verses 22 and 29, that come after the fall of Jerusalem or tribulation in later days. However, since we are still here, it would appear that the Messiah did not suddenly appear when Jerusalem fell, so it must be later days. 

 Jesus emphasizes again that his return will not be a secret but powerful signs will appear and all the tribes of the earth will see him. There are two responses among mankind. Some mourn because they see judgment coming. Others are gathered in because they are the elect, that is, those who decided to follow Jesus and actually have done the work that Jesus expected them to do. 

 The themes of being prepared, not being distracted, and being busy carrying out Jesus’ mission are now illustrated as Jesus switches over to telling parables. Next week.