Part 17: Birth Pangs of the Kingdom
Introduction
In the closing chapters of the Torah, Israel’s founding prophet delivered a sobering warning to the covenant nation: in spite of Yahweh’s great works to liberate them from slavery and bring them to their promised homeland, they would surely follow their ancestors’ footsteps in unbelief and rebellion. Their disobedience would ultimately result in Yahweh bringing upon them a time of affliction and desolation, driving them from their inheritance and scattering them among oppressive, pagan nations. Yet through this agonizing tribulation, Moses promised that all was not lost - the chastised and beleaguered people would be graciously rescued and regathered, their hearts would be changed and they would turn to Yahweh in genuine repentance and worship. Restoration would follow the time of wrath, and the people and land would be redeemed and healed.
Israel’s history from the days of Moses onward followed the prophetic script exactly. With occasional exceptions, the nation consistently fell into idolatry and rebellion, forfeiting the promised blessings of Yahweh and incurring the prophesied wrath. While the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles certainly were forerunners of the “last days” tribulation, they were not its ultimate fulfillment, as the nation never corporately repented and returned to Yahweh as Moses predicted. The promised day of vengeance, the “time of Jacob’s trouble”, loomed over post-exilic Israel like a dark cloud, lying between them and the blessed Messianic age of the Kingdom.
The arrival of Jesus Christ, and his messianic claims, heightened the tension and uncertainty surrounding the prophetic apocalypse. Jesus’ believing followers hoped that the Messianic kingdom was immediately around the corner, perhaps thinking the time of tribulation may not be realized after all. However, in alignment with the “perverse generation” of Moses’ day, Israel once again refused to repent, and rejected Christ’s Messianic claims. The prophet’s warnings were confirmed - the Messianic age would certainly come, but before it, the agony of “birth pangs” would wrack the nation and the entire world. Creation would be shaken to its core, and all other sources of hope would fail, in a fearsome display that would set the stage for the long-awaited coming of the Son of Man, the one who would bring in the time of refreshing and renewal in the glorious Kingdom of God.
The Old Testament Theology of The Tribulation
One of the challenges with a study like this one, where we trace the development of a Bible doctrine through the entire span of Scripture, is the sheer amount of concepts, themes, and details that need to be kept in view as we move forward through each successive chapter.
Over the course of the two years that we’ve been in this study together, we have accumulated a library of information about the doctrine of the Kingdom of God, it’s origins, its theology, its progress through Biblical history. It is sometimes overwhelming to recall everything we’ve learned as we continue through the pages of Scripture.
And yet I’m going to argue that we absolutely must endeavor to do just that, especially as we reach these sometimes controversial passages like the one we are studying this morning. In fact, if you remember nothing else from today’s message, please remember this: wherever you are studying in the Bible, Old or New Testament, everything that came before the place where you are reading, was put there to help you understand what you’re reading today. There is a critical principle to Bible study called “Progressive Revelation”, and it simply means that God didn’t give us the Bible all at once, available in a book store near you, rather this book was written over the course of a millennium, where God progressively revealed more and more of his plans, his expectations, and his heart to his people. And what this means is that wherever you are reading in God’s Word, was once the end of somebody’s Bible. Everything God had revealed up to that point was intended to, and I believe sufficient to, allow them to understand what God was doing and what God required of them. That’s why throughout Biblical history, even before the entire Biblical canon was complete, God could hold people accountable to read and believe what he had revealed through Scripture up to that point. Jesus rebuked the disciples on the road to Emmaus for this very reason - they had not believed all that the prophets had already spoken - they weren’t “off the hook” simply because they didn’t have the New Testament yet.
This principle becomes especially critical as we look today at one of the most fascinating and controversial passages in the Gospels, the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25. Many debates and many theories, related to the “end times”, have arisen out of these two chapters, and their parallels in Mark 13 and Luke 21. And I want to acknowledge that there are many difficulties and questions raised by this passage. However, as I’ve studied this text over the last months in light of everything we’ve already studied, I have become convinced that the majority of errors and pitfalls that trip people up over this passage are due to our failure to appreciate the incredible depth of the Old Testament revelation that informs and frames what Jesus is warning about in these chapters. Too many times, sincere believers and even teachers will read Matthew 24 and immediately begin jumping to the book of Revelation, or various passages from Paul or Peter, or even to extra-biblical sources like Josephus, the historian, to build out theories and scenarios around the fulfillment of Jesus’ words. In my humble opinion, this is exactly backwards. Much of Matthew 24-25 is Jesus expounding and expanding upon a sequence of “end-times” events, that the Old Testament prophets repeatedly predicted in their inspired proclamations. In fact, almost every line of Matthew 24 in particular, can be connected with an Old Testament referent or concept. As students of God’s word, we need to bring to this text everything that the Holy Spirit has already revealed and expects us to have in mind.
And this is the challenge I face this morning, because I really cannot accurately expound Matthew 24-25 without first showing you its Old Testament foundations and framework. So to the best of my ability, I’m going to briefly survey a few key texts (and refer you to your handout for additional references) that will help us understand the presuppositions that Jesus and his disciples would have had during that conversation on the Mount of Olives. I cannot possibly address every OT connection, so I’m going to limit myself to the central one, and that is the Old Testament theology and expectation of (what we often call) the “tribulation”.
And to do this, we must begin at the beginning! Mercifully, I won’t be taking us quite as far back as Genesis, but we must begin with the 5-books of Moses, and in particular the book of Deuteronomy.
Distress in the Last Days
Deuteronomy 4:30–31
LSB
“When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the last days you will return to Yahweh your God and listen to His voice.
“For Yahweh your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.
The word translated “distress” in this passage, and “affliction” in some other passages, is semantically equivalent to the New Testament word “Tribulation”. In fact, in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word “tribulation” (thlipsis, which Jesus uses in Matthew 24) is used in these texts. The word (tsar in Hebrew) carries the idea of pressure, or being tied up; the idea is that one’s options are being cut down, you are being backed into a corner with no way out, the “screws are tightening” might be a similar idiom in English.
Notice that this distress or “tribulation” takes place “in the last days”. In the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the OT, which are actually all part of a single work authored by Moses), this phrase always refers to the “end times”, the close of history (Gen 49:1, Numbers 24:14, Deuteronomy 4:30, 31:29). And in fact it usually is connected with the idea of the Messianic king figure (especially in Genesis 49 and Numbers 24).
Lastly, please note the result of the “tribulation” that Moses warns the people of - “you will return to Yahweh” and “listen to His voice”. The end of the tribulation in the Old Testament, and this idea is repeated in every Old Testament prophet, is that it brings Israel to the end of herself and results in her final and complete turning back to Yahweh her God. This is the the ultimate purpose of the tribulation - to discipline and bring Israel back into a proper covenant relationship with God. Notice how the promise of salvation in verse 31 is linked with God’s divine covenant - in this case, the Abrahamic covenant (which is unconditional, unlike the Mosaic or Sinaitic covenant which Israel will break).
This in a nutshell is “the tribulation” in the Old Testament. It will be expanded upon by the prophets, but this is the core theology of the tribulation.
Hosea 5:14–15
LSB
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away;
I will carry away, and there will be none to deliver.
I will go away and return to My place
Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
In their affliction they will seek Me earnestly.
Again, see how the affliction (or “tribulation) lasts until the point when Israel acknowledges her sin and seeks Yahweh earnestly. Deuteronomy 4:29 (the preceding verse to our last text) says that they will “search for me with [their] whole heart”. This is the outcome of the tribulation as foreseen in the Old Testament.
Jeremiah 30:6–7
LSB
‘Ask now, and see
If a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man
With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale?
‘Alas! For that day is great,
There is none like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s distress,
But he will be saved from it.
This is a vital chapter that describes the terror and distress of the tribulation. In particular we see the metaphor of “childbirth” being used, and other prophets expand on this with the phrase “birth pains” or “labor pains”. In Rabbinical literature, the phrase “birth pains” became a title for the “last days” tribulation that was expected, prior to the coming of the Messiah.
Again, we see the sequence of distress/tribulation, followed by salvation. And note that the subject in this text of both the tribulation and the salvation, is Israel - it is Jacob’s distress. At the same time, Jeremiah and many prophets begin to expand upon the idea of “tribulation” to include the idea of the “Day of Yahweh” (“that day”), or Day of the LORD in most English Bibles. We’ve spent a lot of time looking at the Day of the Yahweh in this study, and what we’ve found is that it describes a time of great terror and judgement upon Israel and the nations, and culminates in the coming of the Messianic kingdom. This text in Jeremiah (among many others) show us that the Day of Yahweh encompasses the last days “tribulation”. The thematic nuance between the terms seems to be that the “Day” is a more broad term that refers to divine judgement, especially judgement upon the nations (in addition to, or in contrast with, Israel), however the “Day” clearly includes the time of tribulation - they are overlapping terms and describe the same time period.
Daniel 12:1
LSB
“Now at that time, Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will stand. And there will be a time of distress such as never happened since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.
Note the incomparability of the tribulation - it will be the greatest time of distress in history. We see the angelic forces are involved in this period, and again we see tribulation followed by salvation for “your people” - Daniel’s fellow Israelites (specifically those who are “written in the book” - note the idea of “the elect”).
A Perverse “Generation”
Now we’ve seen the end result of the tribulation, but what is its cause? Why does Yahweh bring this unprecedented time of distress and wrath upon his own people, as well as the nations of the world? In order to understand this, and to appreciate the logical and emotional force of the Olivet Discourse, we must turn to the end of the book of Deuteronomy, to the famous “song of Moses”, in chapter 32.
Deuteronomy 31:29
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“For I know that after my death you will act corruptly and turn away from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the last days, for you will do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh, provoking Him to anger with the work of your hands.”
Moses forewarns the people that he has prophetic insight into their future, up to and including the “last days” that we have already read about in chapter 4. And what he sees is not pretty - he sees corruption and apostasy (turning away from God), and as a result, evil (in the sense of calamity or disaster) will come upon them. Israel’s moral character has not changed since the Golden Calf disaster at Sinai, and there will be consequences.
Notice how Moses speaks into the distant future while using the second person pronouns, “you”, “your” - there is a corporate identity to Israel that is consistent across time.
Deuteronomy 32:5–6
LSB
“They have acted corruptly toward Him,
They are not His children because of their defect;
But are a perverse and crooked generation.
“Do you thus repay Yahweh,
O people who are wickedly foolish and without wisdom?
Is not He your Father who has bought you?
He has made you and established you.
The entire song of Moses should be required reading for any study of the prophetic books, because here Moses lays out the template for every prophetic indictment ever made in the Old Testament. In fact, the structure of Deuteronomy 32 has been found to follow the pattern of 2nd century BC lawsuit proceedings; the “song” is actually a legal document filed by Yahweh against his people for their covenant unfaithfulness (“corruption”).
Please notice the term “perverse and crooked generation”. As you read through this chapter, it is very clear that Moses is characterizing past, present and future Israel as the “perverse generation”. He is not speaking merely of the people alive at that time; we know this because he includes the deceased ancestors (who had died in the 40 years of wilderness wanderings), the present population, and those alive in “the last days” in this category of “perverse generation”. This is a phrase that Jesus will repeat and allude to multiple times in Matthew’s Gospel, and it plays a key role in the Olivet Discourse as well.
Deuteronomy 32:9–11 ““For Yahweh’s portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance. “He found him in a desert land, And in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him; He cared for him; He guarded him as the pupil of His eye. “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, That hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them; He carried them on His pinions.”
Notice the motif of a bird brooding over its chicks as a picture of Yahweh’s care for his people. He wants the people to be close with him, he desires relationship with them. This is important to bear in mind when reading some of the intense and even disturbing verses in this chapter (as well as in Matthew 24).
Deuteronomy 32:20–21
LSB
“Then He said, ‘I will hide My face from them;
I will see what their end shall be;
For they are a perverse generation,
Sons in whom is no faithfulness.
‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God;
They have provoked Me to anger with their idols.
So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people;
I will provoke them to anger with a wickedly foolish nation,
Again, the entire nation is being indicted as a “perverse generation”. It may be helpful, for us English speakers, to have in mind the word “lineage”, which is actually very close to the meaning of the original language here. “Generation” is describing a moral quality of the people across time, not a group of contemporaries as it does in our usage (like “generation X”)
The “hiding” of God’s face from the people refers to the future time of affliction and tribulation (cf Deut. 31:17-18, Micah 3:4). It is God’s lack of favor towards them that brings upon them the distress and destruction of this future judgement.
Deuteronomy 32:43
LSB
“O nations, cause His people to shout for joy;
For He will avenge the blood of His slaves,
And He will render vengeance on His adversaries,
And He will atone for His land and His people.”
The song closes with a glimmer of hope, promising that the tribulation will end and that Yahweh will provide atonement for Israel, both land and population. The nations are also involved in this happy reversal of fortunes. “Vengeance” will be accomplished against all that opposed God and oppressed his people.
Bible Text
Deu. 4
Jer. 30
Dan. 9
Dan. 12
Matt 24/Mk 13
Event
Tribulation (v. 30)
Tribulation (v. 7)
7-year covenant (v. 27a)
Tribulation (v. 1b)
Tribulation (v. 24:21/13:19)
Time. Reference
Latter days (post-exile)
Great day [of Yahweh]
70th week (v. 27)
End time (v. 11:40)
“Those days”, immediately prior to 2nd Adv. (vv. 22, 29)
Scope
“Has anything been done like this?” (v. 32)
Complete destruction (v. 11),
“None like it” (v. 7),
Complete destruction (v. 27c)
“Such as never has occurred” (v. 1)
Such as never occurred nor ever shall (v. 24:21/13:19)
Religious Failure
Idolatry (vv. 25, 28)
False prophets (v. 29:24-32)
“Prince that will come” / Abomination of Desolation (v. 27)
The self-worshipping king (v. 11:36-45); wicked (v. 12:10)
False prophets; signs & wonders; persecution of saints (v. 24:24 /13:22)
Temple Activity
Promise of spiritual restoration (v. 30)
Promise of spiritual restoration & kingdom (v. 9)
Temple desecrated (v. 27)
Temple desecrated (v. 11)
Temple desecrated (v. 24:15/13:15)
Salvation Message
Gathering; “You will return” (v. 30)
Saved from time of distress (v. 7)
Desolator will be destroyed (v. 27)
The elect are rescued (v. 1)
The elect are gathered & saved (v. 24:22; 31/13:20)
Of course we don’t have time to for a full exposition of the Old Testament theology of the tribulation, but I think it would be helpful to plot out on our chart exactly what the Old Testament expectation and framework looks like for this time of tribulation, in the last chapter of pre-Messianic history. To do that, we’re going to zoom in on the last section of our Kingdom Expectation chart…
[transition]
We begin with the two “bracketing” events of the Old Testament prophets - the exile of Israel from her land, and the coming of the Messiah and his kingdom.
[transition]
Theologically what we need to keep in mind here is that Israel’s tribulation begins with her removal from her land, because of rebellion and unbelief
[transition]
and it comes to a close when Israel, in the midst of intense affliction, repents and is saved by the coming of Messiah.
[transition]
During this time of Israel’s distress or tribulation, the Gentile nations are ascendant and will also rebel against Israel’s God (and often oppress his people in the process). This will also continue until the Messiah comes and humbles the nations. Ezekiel 36-39 tell us that this corresponds with God pouring out his spirit upon man.
[transition]
The prophets build upon this basic sequence and speak of a particular time period at the close of history, where an unprecedented time of affliction and distress will come upon Israel and the nations. This includes the Day of Yahweh that we’ve talked much about in this study. Out of this intense phase of wrath, the Messianic kingdom will finally emerge - a process that the prophets repeatedly liken to “birth pangs” or “labor pains”.
[transition]
The last few pieces of this Old Testament model of the tribulation come from the prophet Daniel. In Daniel 2 and 7, we learn that there will be 4 great world empires that will be ascendant in sequence, before the Messianic kingdom arrives and destroys them utterly.
[transition]
The last kingdom, the legs and feet of iron/clay in Daniel 2, and the terrifying 4th beast of Daniel 7, is the one that will be in power at the time the Messiah arrives, and will feature the “little horn” that will bring special persecution upon the “saints” for the last 3.5 years of the tribulation.
[transition]
Daniel 9 brings us the famous 70 weeks prophecy which we studied before. What is critical to remember is that these 70 weeks cover the remainder of Israel’s discipline for transgressing (breaking the terms of) the Mosaic Covenant. They are derived from the covenant curses, especially in Leviticus 26, where God says he will require the missing “sabbath years” where Israel failed to let her land “rest” as she was commanded. Yahweh promised that he would multiply Israel’s punishment “seven times” (cf Lev 26:18, 21, 24, 28), and this is likely where the 70 weeks (490 years, 7 x 70) come from. This time period is defined by God as the time needed to “finish” Israel’s transgression, and to ultimately bring about the atonement and salvation that he had promised.
[transition]
As we discussed when we covered Daniel 9, there is an implicit “gap” between the 69th and 70th week. There are a number of reasons why we know this, but for now let’s just stipulate that the Messiah arrives at the 69th week, is cut off “after” it, and this is followed by the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. We have a period of “desolation” decreed, with no known length. This is the prophetic gap we have talked about before.
[transition]
The final 70th week begins when this false “prince”, who we learn is the same character as the “little horn” of Daniel 7, forms a covenant for 7 years with the people of Israel. This “starts the clock” again on the last 7 years of history before the Messianic age.
[transition]
As we saw previously, this 7-year period is divided in half by two key events - the false prince puts an end to temple services, and sets up the “abomination of desolation” at the same time.
[transition]
In the Old Testament eschatology, this “abomination” (whatever it is) is the climax of human rebellion against Yahweh during the tribulation period, and as such it is followed by those more intense phase of tribulation, something so horrific it cannot be compared to any other calamity in history.
[transition]
Finally, and mercifully, the tribulation comes to an end with the destruction of the little horn/false prince, the rescue of Israel, and all of the blessings we have seen previously associated with the Messianic kingdom.
Now I know that was a lot of information, and I promise there isn’t a test at the end. But please notice this: we were able to assemble this chart, and this sequence of events, entirely from the Old Testament, and from almost exclusively plain statements of the prophets. We’ve had to do absolutely no speculation or use any creative license here. Of course there are even more details that could be included, but the basic framework of the Old Testament expectation of tribulation in the last days, fits together in a coherent whole. This is what believers in the Old Testament had to go off of when Jesus arrived on the scene. And this framework is the “grid” that Jesus’ prophecies in the Olivet Discourse will be laid upon, as we will see next.
Israel’s Expectation of Tribulation in the Last Days
Israel would face distress (tribulation) in the last days - likened to birth pains
Tribulation results from Israel’s corporate rebellion & unbelief - “perverse generation”
Yahweh desires to “gather” the people like a bird gathers its young - but Israel is unwilling
At the culmination of tribulation (ending in Daniel’s 70th Week complex), Israel will be rescued & regathered by the Messiah - the Davidic ShepherdKingPriest
Israel will repent and seek Yahweh “with all their heart and all their soul”
The Olivet Discourse
The Setting
Matthew 23:34–36
LSB
“On account of this, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,
so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
“Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Matthew 23:37–39
LSB
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you did not want it.
“Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!
“For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Matthew 24:1–3
LSB
And coming out from the temple, Jesus was going along, and His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.
And He answered and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
Now as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
“from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus first uses the term “generation” to describe the unbelieving cities (11:16) and leadership (12:39) of Israel. Three times (12:39, 16:4, 17:17) Jesus uses the phrase “evil” or “adulterous generation”, using the same formula as Moses did in Deuteronomy. In fact, over the course of Matthew’s narrative, Jesus interacts with the “generation” of unbelieving Israel as a sort of character in the story, the same lineage of rebellion and unbelief that Moses contested with in the wilderness. It is in this context that Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and scribes as representatives of the “perverse generation” of Israel, speaking of them as having corporate guilt of the blood of Yahweh’s prophets throughout history.
This climactic dispute with Israel’s leadership is the backdrop of the Olivet Discourse - the nation had rejected Jesus as her Messiah at every level, from the popular to the political. Now there was no escaping the coming judgement.
"I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you did not want it.” - Notice the use of the bird and gathering motif from Deuteronomy 32.
“from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’” - Jesus is affirming the basic sequence of the Old Testament tribulation; Israel would be desolated and afflicted until the time comes when she seeks Yahweh with her whole heart, and welcomes Jesus as her rightful Messiah and king.
“Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
We are still in the same narrative flow from chapter 23. Jesus leaves the temple, clearly in an emotional state following his heart cry of 23:37-39. The disciples perhaps hoped to cheer him, or at least change the subject, by drawing his attention to the temple’s great foundation stones. Jesus darkly warns that these would be torn down, stone by stone. Without going into detail on the historical record, we know for a fact that this literally took place only a few decades later, during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in AD 70.
The Disciples’ Two Questions
Matthew 24:1–3
LSB
And coming out from the temple, Jesus was going along, and His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.
And He answered and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
Now as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
Q1: When will these things happen? 24:3a
Q2: What will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age? 24:3b
A2: Do not be deceived… the end is not yet… the fig tree 24:4-35
A1: No one knows the day/hour… be ready… stay awake 24:36-25:30
“End of the age” - used 3 times in the parables of Matthew 13, associated with the coming of the Kingdom.
The End is not Yet
Matthew 24:4–8
LSB
And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one deceives you.
“For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
“And you are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
“But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.
In this section Jesus describes the character of events that, while not part of the “end”, will characterize the time leading up to the tribulation.
“Merely the beginning of birth pangs.”
The End Shall Come
Matthew 24:9–14
LSB
“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
“And at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
“Many false prophets will arise and will deceive many.
“And because lawlessness is multiplied, most people’s love will grow cold.
“But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
With verse 9, Jesus first introduces the term “tribulation” into the discourse. This time period is marked by apostasy, persecution of the righteous (for Christ’s sake), betrayal, false prophets, as well as the proclamation of the “gospel of the kingdom”. Recall that “this” gospel was clearly defined in Matthew 3-10 with the message: “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”. As the tribulation period begins, this is once again the gospel call, but rather than being limited (as in Matthew 10) to “only the lost sheep of the house of Israel”, it is now proclaimed to “all the nations”, a final opportunity to get oneself right with God before the endgame begins.
The Coming of the Son of Man
Matthew 24:15–35
LSB
“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.
“Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house.
“And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his garment.
“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
“But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.
“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.
“And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him.
“For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
“Behold, I have told you in advance.
“Therefore, if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.
“For just as the lightning comes from the east and appears even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
“Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
“And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near;
so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.
“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
This section begins with a critical time indicator that anchors Jesus’ teaching in the Old Testament chronology we have already seen. The appearance of the “abomination of desolation” is the mark of the most horrific and intense period of trouble, aka “the great tribulation”. The immediacy of this terrible time is underscored by the urgent instruction to flee from Jerusalem and populated areas.
Note the locale of the text is squarely Israel and the ANE - housetops, Sabbath, the Holy Place, etc.
Also note Christ’s heart and concern for the weak and vulnerable in this moment.
“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will” - language of incomparability - unprecedented tribulation
“unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved” - the phrase “cut short” has been used by some to argue that the Great Tribulation will not last the entire 3.5 years42 months1260 days that Daniel’s prophecies predicted. However, this reads too much into the word “cut short” (kolobos). In this context it simply emphasizes that this time period will be terminated or “cut off” (which is the literal meaning of the word) - had it been allowed to continue indefinitely, no life would escape. What is being emphasized is the severity of the tribulation, not an adjustment of the chronology.
As an aside, the timeframe of the Great Tribulation (3.5 years) is repeated in the book of Revelation, which also demonstrates that no adjustment has been made to Daniel’s prophecy (Rev 11:2, 13:5, etc).
The ultimate coming of the Son of man is marked by the most intense display of cosmic signs and disturbances. All of surviving humanity will observe this glorious event.
Upon the Messiah’s appearing, angels are dispatched to gather together “the elect” from across the world. This is clearly the long-prophesied regathering of Israel (the chosen - or elect - people), for judgement and for restoration, as Moses and all the prophets foresaw. “Great trumpet” referenced in conjunction with this gathering in Isaiah 27:13
“This generation” - this text has been used to argue that Jesus expected all of his predictions to come to pass within the lifetimes of his contemporaries. But as we have already seen, this is not how Jesus uses the word “generation” in the book of Matthew. In every other instance of the word, Jesus uses it in the same sense that Moses did in Deuteronomy 32, as a reference to the unrepentant and corrupt nation of Israel still in unbelief. In fact Jesus directly cites Moses’ language on multiple occasions. “This generation” is the same generation - the evil and perverse generation - that Jesus has been contesting with throughout his ministry. Just as Moses and the prophets foretold, the perverse generation of Israel would remain - preserved not on account of their merits, but on the basis of God’s covenant faithfulness - until the time of tribulation when they would finally repent and seek Yahweh’s face with their whole hearts. Jesus is directly affirming the words of Moses, with judgement inextricably wedded to mercy and the hope of restoration.
Luke 21:31
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“So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
Luke 21 is a parallel passage to Matthew 24, and here Luke’s version makes it explicit that the “nearness” of the Son of Man in Matt 24:33 is equatable with “the kingdom of God”. The Kingdom will once again be “at hand”, when these events take place.
Luke 17:20–21
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Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed,
nor will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘There!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Luke 17 contains a very interesting passage that is associated with some of the same material we find in Matthew 24, and I think it needs to be given a bit of attention.
These two verses have often been understood to teach that the kingdom of God is both invisible (not coming with observation), and that it is inward (within you, in some translations). I think it should be fairly obvious by now that neither of those things fit the picture we have been seeing as we studied the Old Testament expectation, nor the teaching we find in Matthew’s Gospel. Is Luke giving us a different picture.
I don’t think so. First we need to recognize who Jesus is speaking to: the Pharisees, who already at this point were seeking to kill Jesus. Certainly Jesus was not claiming that these apostates carried his invisible kingdom within themselves! In fact, the word for “observation” here is not a synonym for “visible” or “seen”, as it might be in English. The word is only used once in the NT, but in extrabiblical Greek it is used with the sense of “scrutiny”, “spying”, even “lying in wait” (to ambush). Jesus is rebuking the Pharisee’s false expectation that they could spot the coming of the Messiah through their careful observations, when in reality the Kingdom - in the form of the King, Jesus - was standing literally “in their midst”, and they failed to recognize him. The Pharisees “observations” would do them no good - their scrutiny would never be rewarded.
And in fact, Jesus immediately turns to the disciples after this interaction and warns them of very visible signs of the coming of the Kingdom - “like the lighting…”
This text does not at all contradict the consistent picture that we have been given in the prophets and in the Gospels of the coming of Christ’s kingdom, a kingdom that will indeed be “seen” by those who believe (cf Mark 9:1, Luke 9:27, John 3:3, etc).
You Do Not Know the Day or the House
Matthew 24:36–51
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“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone…
Matthew 25:1–30
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“Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom…
We don’t have time to exposit Jesus’ answer to the disciples first question, “when will these things be”, nor the two parables (of the Ten Virgins and the Talents) in any detail. But the main idea of this section, and these parables, is relatively simple: no one knows when these events will begin to take place. It is of course true that, given the detail of Daniel and the prophets revelations about the Tribulation, that those within it would be able to piece together where they currently stood on the timeline. The emphasis of Jesus’ warnings here is about the onset of the Tribulation (and the Day of Yahweh); it will come without warning, when humanity leasts expects it. Those who follow Jesus are to be constantly alert and ready.
The Son of Man Will Sit on His Glorious Throne
Matthew 25:31–46
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“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
“And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left…
This scene at the end of the Olivet Discourse is unique in that it takes place after the establishment of the Messianic kingdom. This is the moment when the Son of Man at long last takes his rightful place on the throne of his father, David. The elect nation has been regathered and restored. And the first job is to sort out among the nations those who belong to the King and those who are rebels (as described in the parable of the Wheat and the Tares in Matthew 13).
This event was also predicted in the Old Testament, in Joel 3:1-2:
““For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will gather all the nations
And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
Then I will enter into judgment with them there
On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations;”
The end result of this judgement is that only those who demonstrated their faith, by allying themselves with God’s people during their time of tribulation, are allowed to enter into the blessings of the Messianic kingdom.
Summary
So as we close this message I hope you can appreciate that Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, is not introducing anything dramatically new or surprising to anyone who knew the Old Testament expectation of tribulation, before the Messianic kingdom. At each point, we can see that Jesus is pulling from concepts, motifs, and even direct quotations and references to the prophets. More details are added, but they all fit into the framework established by Yahweh’s revelators from centuries before.
And this shouldn’t surprise us; Jesus is Yahweh, and his revelation is always consistent across space and time. Israel and the nations would indeed face the unrestrained wrath of God for their sin and unfaithfulness. Israel’s rejection of the Messiah demonstrated that she was still the “perverse generation” that had tried God over the course of two millennia, and her promised judgement - and final repentance and restoration - was inevitable. The Jewish people themselves, when they paid attention to the prophets, knew that this was coming, and looked toward the coming of Messiah with both hope and dread. To get to the longed-for kingdom, one must first endure the wrath.
But there is one detail in this Old Testament expectation that the vast majority of Jewish interpreters, even believing ones, seem to have missed. Because the Old Testament didn’t merely promise that tribulation and wrath were coming before the Messianic Kingdom. Buried in Daniel’s mysterious 70 weeks was the small detail: the Messiah would come - and be cut off - before the time of wrath.
And this detail is where we find the incredible mercy and grace of God on full display. He could not simply stand aloof until his righteous wrath fell upon an unsuspecting and fallen world. His holiness demands that judgement must be made - his love and grace guaranteed that he would provide a means of salvation, no matter the cost. And it was a great cost.
He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our peace fell upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.
Brothers, sisters, we have a God who has literally gone before us. A God who humbled himself to the point of death, who held himself to the tree and bore the overwhelming weight of the wrath that was due to us. As horrific and terrifying as the Tribulation will be, and it will be terrifying, we can have confidence and rejoice that the God of our salvation has already endured the Tribulation on our behalf.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” (Romans 5:8-9)
