Meaning of Matthew 24

A New Look at the Meaning of Matthew 24

Now, let’s just take away what appear to be spurious words in Matthew 24:3, and see what we find.

Notice that the answer to the question Jesus’ Apostles asked (about the destruction of the Temple) becomes clearer in verses 4 through 28. In those verses, Jesus appears to be foretelling things that were actually fulfilled upon JeruSalem back in the 1st Century… that there would be such ‘signs’ as wars, famines, plagues, natural disasters, persecution of Christians, and a preaching of the good news of the Kingdom among all the nations beforeGod’s Temple in JeruSalem would be destroyed. He said that this would then lead up to the coming of the disgusting destroyer, as mentioned in verse 15 (the coming of the armies of Rome), which is followed by the difficult time or great tribulation mentioned in verse 21 (the siege of JeruSalem and the resulting terrible famine and killing within). And all of this was truly fulfilled between the years 66 and 70-CE.

However, something seems wrong! For at Matthew 24:29, 30, we are told that Jesus then said:
‘Immediately after (gr. eutheos de) that difficult time, the sun will grow dark and the moon will not give out its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the Son of Man’s sign will appear in the sky, and all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in grief when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with great power and glory.’

Did this series of events really take placeimmediately after the destruction of JeruSalem and its Temple? Some (who call themselves preterists) say yes, and that all the Bible prophecies have been fulfilled. However, we have neither seen nor heard of any obvious signs that Jesus has ever come ‘on the clouds of the sky with great power and glory.’ So we would have to conclude that such a belief is both faithless and cynical.

‘Immediate’ Arrival of Jesus?

It is interesting that Neither Mark nor Luke use the words ‘Immediately after’ (gr. eutheos de). Mark simply writes that Jesus said (at Mark 13:24), ‘But in those days (gr. alla en ekeinaistais hemerais) following that difficult time,’ and Luke wrote (at Luke 21:27), ‘And then (gr. kai tote) they will see the Son of Man Coming in a cloud with great power and glory.’

So once again, we have a major deviation from the words of Jesus as found in Matthew. Which can we trust?

‘The Times of the Nations’

Note that Luke seems to mention a period that would come between the destruction of JeruSalem and the arrival of God’s Kingdom. At Luke 21:24-31 we read: 
‘They’ll be cut down with swords or carried to the nations as captives. For JeruSalem will be trampled by the gentiles until the times of the nations have been filled. Then there’ll be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth the nations will be distressed, for they’ll be confused by the roaring and the rolling surges of the seas. Men’s hearts will become weak with fear in expectation of what will be coming upon man’s home, as the powers in the heavens will be shaken. That’s when they’ll see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with great power and glory; and as these things start to happen, you should stand erect and raise your heads high, because your time of release is drawing near!

‘Then he gave them this illustration: 
Consider the fig and all other trees; 
For, when they start putting out buds,
You can see that summer is near.
Thus, when you see all these things start to happen,
You should know that the Kingdom of God has drawn near.’

As you can see, all of these signs didn’t start to happen ‘immediately after’ the destruction of JeruSalem. So, perhaps these ‘times of the nations’ have been a protracted period of domination and persecution by the ‘ethnics’ that has lasted until our day. And if so, then perhaps ‘the Kingdom of God has drawn near.’

Joel: Captivity First

However, let’s go back to the prophecy that Jesus was quoting when he spoke about the sun growing dark, the moon not putting out light, and the stars falling from the sky, to see what that prophecy (found at Joel 2:30-32) says:
‘Miracles, I’ll create in the skies, 
As I bring fire, smoke and blood to the land. 
For the sun will then become dark 
And the moon [will be changed] into blood 
Before the great and apparent 
Arrival of the Day of the Lord.

‘Then, all who call on the name of the Lord 
Will be the ones that are saved, said Jehovah. 
For, to Mount Zion and JeruSalem 
Will come a person who saves 
Announcing good news to all those 
Who have been called by the Lord.’

And notice what Joel further wrote (at 3:12-17): 
‘Yes, awaken the gentiles and send them
To the Valley of JehoShaphat; 
For there, I will separate nations 
(Those that live round-about you), 
And then I’ll send for the scythes… 
For the crops are now ready for harvest! 
Climb in and tread, for the wine vat is full… 
The vats overflow with their badness!

‘Throughout the valley, [you will hear] the cries
Of those who’re about to be punished; 
For the Day of the Lord is at hand!

‘Then the sun and the moon will grow dark, 
And the stars will start to grow dim. 
And from Zion, the Lord will then shout…
From JeruSalem, his voice will be heard.

‘Then the lands and skies will be shaken… 
But the Lord will spare all his people. 
For I’ll make the sons of IsraEl strong, 
And you’ll know that I am Jehovah your God!’

In fact, if you read the whole book of Joel (it is interesting reading), you will see that this prophecy is in fact talking about the destruction of JeruSalem, which is the same thing that Jesus was foretelling in Matthew 24.

And thereafter, it changes focus and goes on to tell of God’s rage against those nations that did the attacking and of an Armageddon-like destruction of them ‘in the day of the Lord (Jesus).’ However, notice that this occurs after his people have been taken captive by them. So according to the prophecy in Joel which Jesus quoted, the coming of the Lord doesn’t happen ‘immediately after’ the destruction of JeruSalem, as the account in Matthew indicates, but rather, at some future time after his people have been carried off as captives. And from this we must assume that at least the word ‘immediately’ in Matthew 24:29 is also spurious.

Conclusions

Therefore, it is our (non-preterist) opinion that the accounts in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 all start off with Jesus discussing the signs that the Apostles had asked about… those which would lead up to the destruction of JeruSalem and its Temple. And it appears as though all these signs were fulfilled back in the 1stCentury. However, the signs that led up to that ancient destruction will likely have a second and greater fulfillment in ‘the Day of the Lord.’

So the point is: Jesus’ words (in the account at Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21) clearly show that he was referring to the prophecy in Joel. And from the words of the prophecy of Joel, we must assume that Jesus didn’t arrive ‘immediately after’ the destruction of JeruSalem, nor was he ‘present’ before its destruction. Rather, as the prophecy in Joel tells us; there is still to be a period of destruction, which will lead to the freeing of God’s people. This will happen after Jesus’ arrival, during which there will be great signs in the skies… which is yet future.