Matthew Henry Commentary Matthew 24

Christ foretells the utter ruin and destruction coming upon the temple. A believing foresight of the defacing of all worldly glory, will help to keep us from admiring it, and overvaluing it. The most beautiful body soon will be food for worms, and the most magnificent building a ruinous heap. See you not all these things? It will do us good to see them in such a way as to see through them, and to see to the end of them.

Our Lord having gone with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, set before them the order of the times concerning the Jews, until the destruction of Jerusalem; and as to men in general until the end of the world.

The disciples had asked concerning the times, "When should these things be?" Christ gave them no answer to that; but they had also asked, "What shall be the sign?" This question He answers fully. The prophecy first concerns events near at hand: the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the Jewish church and state, the calling of the Gentiles, and the setting up of Christ's kingdom in the world. However, it also looks to the general judgment and, toward the close, points more particularly to the latter.

What Christ here said to His disciples tended more to promote caution than to satisfy their curiosity, and more to prepare them for the events that would happen than to give a distinct idea of those events. This is that good understanding of the times which all should desire, from which to infer what Israel ought to do. Our Savior cautions His disciples to stand on their guard against false teachers.

And He foretells wars and great commotions among nations. From the time that the Jews rejected Christ, and He left their house desolate, the sword never departed from them. See what comes of refusing the gospel. Those who will not hear the messengers of peace will be made to hear the messengers of war. But where the heart is fixed, trusting in God, it is kept in peace and is not afraid.

It is against the mind of Christ that His people should have troubled hearts, even in times of trouble. When we look forward to the eternity of misery that awaits the obstinate refusers of Christ and His gospel, we may truly say, "The greatest earthly judgments are but the beginning of sorrows." It is comforting that some will endure even to the end. Our Lord foretells the preaching of the gospel in all the world.

The end of the world will not be until the gospel has done its work. Christ foretells the ruin coming upon the people of the Jews; and what He said here would be of use to His disciples, for their conduct and for their comfort. If God opens a door of escape, we should make our escape; otherwise, we do not trust God but tempt Him. It becomes Christ's disciples, in times of public trouble, to be much in prayer. Prayer is never out of season, but it is especially seasonable when we are distressed on every side.

Though we must accept what God sends, we may still pray against sufferings. It is very trying to a good man to be taken by any work of necessity from the solemn service and worship of God on the Sabbath day. But here is one word of comfort: that for the elect's sake these days will be made shorter than their enemies designed, who would have cut all off if God, who used these foes to serve His own purpose, had not set bounds to their wrath. Christ foretells the rapid spreading of the gospel in the world.

It is plainly seen as the lightning. Christ preached His gospel openly. The Romans were like an eagle, and the ensign of their armies was an eagle. When a people, by their sin, make themselves as loathsome carcasses, nothing can be expected but that God should send enemies to destroy them. It is very applicable to the day of judgment, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in that day (2 Thessalonians 2:1). Let us give diligence to make our calling and election sure; then we may know that no enemy or deceiver will ever prevail against us.

Christ foretells His second coming. It is usual for prophets to speak of things as near and just at hand, to express their greatness and certainty. Concerning Christ's second coming, it is foretold that there shall be a great change, in order to make all things new. Then they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds. At His first coming, He was set for a sign that would be spoken against, but at His second coming, a sign that will be admired.

Sooner or later, all sinners will be mourners; but repenting sinners look to Christ and mourn in a godly way; and those who sow in those tears shall shortly reap in joy. Impenitent sinners shall see Him whom they have pierced, and, though they laugh now, shall mourn and weep in endless horror and despair. The elect of God are scattered abroad; there are some in all places and all nations. But when that great gathering day comes, not one of them shall be missing.

Distance of place shall keep no one out of heaven. Our Lord declares that the Jews would never cease to be a distinct people until all things He had been predicting were fulfilled. His prophecy reaches to the day of final judgment; therefore He here, in verse 34, foretells that Judah shall never cease to exist as a distinct people, as long as this world shall endure. Men of the world scheme and plan for generation after generation here, but they do not plan with reference to the overwhelming, approaching, and most certain event of Christ's second coming, which shall do away with every human scheme and set aside forever all that God forbids.

That will be as surprising a day as the deluge was to the old world. Apply this:

1. To temporal judgments, particularly that which was then rapidly approaching the nation and people of the Jews.
2. To the eternal judgment.

Christ here shows the state of the old world when the deluge came. They were secure and careless; they did not know until the flood came, and they did not believe.

If we rightly knew that all earthly things must shortly pass away, we would not set our eyes and hearts so much upon them as we do. The evil day is no further off because people put it far from them. What words can more strongly describe the suddenness of our Saviour's coming! Men will be at their respective businesses, and suddenly the Lord of glory will appear.

Women will be at their household tasks, but in that moment all other work will be laid aside, and every heart will turn inward and say, "It is the Lord! Am I prepared to meet Him? Can I stand before Him?" And what, in fact, is the day of judgment to the whole world but the day of death to everyone?

To watch for Christ's coming, is to maintain that disposition of mind in which we would be willing for our Lord to find us.

We know that we have only a little time to live. We cannot be certain that we have a long time to live, and we know even less about the time fixed for the judgment. Our Lord's coming will be happy for those who will be found ready, but very dreadful for those who are not.

If someone, professing to be a servant of Christ, is an unbeliever, covetous, ambitious, or a lover of pleasure, that person will be cut off. Those who choose the world as their portion in this life will have hell as their portion in the other life.

May our Lord, when he comes, pronounce us blessed, and present us to the Father, washed in his blood, purified by his Spirit, and fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.