Matthew 24:32-44 "The Olivet Discourse: Parables of the End Part 1"

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Please turn in your Bible to Matthew 24…today we are covering VSS 32-44.

We are in the final week of Jesus’ life prior to the cross, and Jesus left the Temple after a go around with the scribes and Pharisees… as Jesus departs He laments, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...”

This was a lament over the Nation’s rejection of Him.

He desired to gather them… to care for them, to bring them close.

In this lament, in Matt 23:38, Jesus pronounced “See! Your house is left to you desolate...”

Their “house”… seemingly their city and Temple… also the focus of what Matthew draws his reader’s attention to next… beginning in Matt 24.

As Jesus leaves the temple, His disciples marvel over the Temple… it’s massive stones, the buildings, and adornments… according to the synoptic Gospels.

How could this house be left desolate? It was a building that should have stood for all ages?

Jesus tells His disciples, V2 “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

At this point in history, Herod the Great had been restoring Zerubbabel’s Temple for almost 50 years with thousands of laborers… and stones weighing tons. How could the temple be destroyed?

Judging by the disciples next questions… they seem to link the desolate house statement and the temple destruction prediction to Jesus’ second coming and the end of the age.

As Jesus settles on the Mount of Olives, in V3, the disciples ask, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

Jesus responds giving what we call “The Olivet Discourse”… Matthew chapters 24 & 25… almost all ‘words in red’… no commentary from the disciples.

Jesus gives them an eschatology they had never heard before.

He talked about a future time… what we call the “Seven Year Tribulation.” Elsewhere called “Daniel’s Seventieth Week” or “A Time of Jacob’s Trouble.”

Jacob… renamed Israel. This final week was a time for the Jews… and the context of Matt 24-25 is highly Jewish.

Jewish disciples… leaving the Jewish temple… at the time of Passover. Jewish concepts and places are mentioned… the “abomination of desolation” in the book of Daniel... the “holy place,”… “Judea,”… “Sabbath,”… “the elect”…

Jesus foretells what the beginning, middle, and end of this seven year tribulation will look like, and then foretells His second coming.

And, last week we closed with Jesus saying in Matt 24:31 “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Cross reference that with Isa 11:12 “He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.”

That verse had a near fulfillment in the days of the Major Prophets, and will have a final or far fulfillment during the Millennium.

This tribulation is purposed as a time for the Jews… to purge out non-elect… unbelieving Jews from the nation. Zech 13:8-9 mentions 2/3 “… shall be cut off and die...” Ezk 20:38 “I will purge the rebels from among you...” But, a believing remnant will remain.

As we move on into this next section of the Olivet Discourse… it’s important that we keep this in mind because there is a tendency to read the church and the rapture of the church into these parables.

Many Pastors and Scholars apply the church to Matt 24-25… especially into these parables, and while I think some of the points are strong… I think the Jewish context is stronger than the points for reading the church into this teaching.

But, hey… that’s my eschatology! Go and get your own! Be a Berean and don’t take my word for it!

Before we look at these parables today, a quick reminder about parables:

Parables Gk. root word paraballō means “to throw alongside.” A parable takes one truth and compares it to another truth… typically a natural or visible truth to a heavenly or invisible truth.

Parables are a teaching method to help the student relate difficult eternal concepts… to real-life events and observations.

A good teaching method is explaining a truth… then reinforcing that truth with a story.

It’s also important to understand that parables have several principles for interpretation. Two that stood out to me in Bible College: Find the “simple truth” to avoid over-allegorizing; and when no interpretation is given, be cautious interpreting. But, there are a lot of principles… context… audience… historical setting, and so forth.

The parables in Matt 24-25 are somewhat difficult in that they are either without interpretation or without specific interpretation.

So, while my position is that these parables apply primarily to Israel and people of the tribulation time… I won’t fully discredit other positions… they have some merit.

But, my position is better… I’m just saying…

The title of today’s message is “The Olivet Discourse: Parables of the End Part 1.”

Let’s Pray!

Matt 24:32-35 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

So, V32… very short parable followed by a pretty loose… relatively non-specific interpretation in VSS 33-35.

And, this non-specific interpretation has led to many legitimate questions:

In the parable… what is the fig tree? Is is symbolic of Israel.. or just a general comparison?

In V33 “So you...” Who is you? The disciples, Israel, the Church, a future generation?

“All these things?” What things?

“Know that ‘it’ is near?” What’s ‘it?’ The second coming? Jesus? Most people don’t see this as the rapture.

Finally, “this generation.” A generation of people? A generation of time?

So, we will talk through these things.

Also, notice Jesus begins this section on parables with the word “now” in V32.

As Jesus was describing the specific events of the Tribulation in In VSS 4-26, He repeatedly used the word “then” taking the listener through a sequence of events during the tribulation time.

In V29, Jesus said, “…immediately after the tribulation of those days...” another time stamp… then He describes His second coming.

But, in V32, Jesus breaks from a sequence of events, and commands His listeners to “learn” (learn is a command… an imperative), and then He tells parables… a learning method. So, when Jesus says, “now”… I take this as a shift in His teaching method… breaking from the events of the tribulation, and now shifting to illustrations.

From the disciple’s perspective, a few things stand out to help us interpret these parables.

First, this was Tuesday of Jesus’ final week before the cross, and just one day prior… Jesus cursed the fig tree which scholars see as a pronouncement against unbelieving Israel.

In my Matt 21:18 sermon I cover some of the OT references of Israel being compared to a fig tree… there’s quite a few OT comparisons of Israel being likened to figs or a fig tree.

Jer 24 speaks about “two baskets of figs set before the temple of the LORD.” Jer 24:2-5 “One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten, they were so bad. 3 Then the LORD said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs, the good figs, very good; and the bad, very bad, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad.” 4 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah, whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of the Chaldeans.”

So, between these OT comparisons, and Jesus just cursing the fig tree the day prior… I’m not sure how the Jewish disciples would not have Israel in mind.

I believe this parable is a clear reference to Israel.

Now when Jesus refers to “this generation”, I believe He is speaking about the people of the generation that would go through the tribulation, just prior to His second coming… which was the topic He just finished talking about in the prior verses.

That word generation in V34 can refer to a generation of people (as in tribes or a race of people) -or- an interval of time.

Now, I don’t think this is an interval of time, because how long is a generation of time?

38-40 years? According to the Jewish wilderness wanderings? Num 32:13 “So the LORD’s anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone.”

Some people have said… Israel budded as a nation in 1948 (like the fig tree budded in Matt 24)… add 40 years… 1988.

Former NASA Engineer and Bible student, Edgar Whisenant, published “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988.” Obviously that didn’t happen… nor his 4 subsequent predictions and books for 1989, 1993, nor 1994.

Maybe a generation is 100 years! God said to Abram Gen 15:13 “… your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs [Egypt], and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.” Then, in V16, “But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

So, do we add 100 years to 1948?

Mark my words… there will be a book… “48 Reasons the Rapture Will Be in 2048.” (A likely title if the Lord tarries). I’d be 71 years old at that time.

I want to caution you to be careful giving too much heed to people who predict Jesus’ return. There have been many people, in numerous cultures, and in several religions who have attempted and failed to either predict when Jesus would return, or the end of the world:

Harold Camping, a biblical numerologist… was wrong numerous times. He had a book called 1994? And, really pressed May 21, 2011… which truly WAS the end… of his career.

The Mayan Calendar ended with NO Mayan Apocalypse… Dec, 12, 2021… wrong.

Y2K… the Computer Apocalypse… it wasn’t so.

I could go on an on, but...

Let me give you some solid advice… take it to the bank… because it’s not from me… it’s from Jesus... Look at V36 “But of that day and hour no one knows...”

I read Harold Camping repented and agreed with that verse.

When someone predicts a specific day and hour, take your calendar and put a big red “x” through that day… it’s not the one!

Be careful going down the rabbit trail of predicting a date for Jesus’ return. Many people have been duped. And, the sad thing is people walk away from God when they are duped.

Let’s look at the simple truth of this parable.

Jesus is comparing the season of when the fig tree sprouts to end times, and some people won’t venture any further than that interpreting this parable.

When the season of summer approaches, what happens to trees? They start to bud, and grow leaves during spring. We all know this. This is the natural truth.

When the signs of the tribulation sprout, Jesus’ return approaches. The spiritual truth.

In V33, “when you see all these things”… the generation of people who sees the signs of the tribulation that Jesus just spoke about, should know V33 “it is near” … His 2nd Coming is near.

In V34, Jesus said, “...this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”

We read last week that there would be great persecution of Israel during the tribulation, but a remnant of believing Jews will remain.

Zech 13:8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the LORD, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it...”

The generation of Jews in the Tribulation will be persecuted… 2/3 will fall… but believing Israel will not be completely wiped out before Jesus returns.

When Jesus was preparing to send His 12 disciples on their first missionary trip… He was likely looking beyond their trip, to this time of tribulation for the Jews.

Matt 10:21-23 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. (Matt 24:13… same words) 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Certainly, the disciples saw near fulfillments, but the far … the ultimate fulfillment is the Tribulation and 2nd Coming.

Those Jews of the future tribulation time may think they will be wiped out completely, but Jesus assures them in V34… they “will by no means pass away...”

And, then in V35 Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

That generation living through the tribulation will see Jesus come in glory. It’s easier for heaven and earth to fail before Jesus’ words fail. His words are eternal.

Ps 119:89 “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.”

Ps 119:160 “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”

Peter linked salvation to the eternal word of God. 1 Pet 1:23 “… having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever...”

The entirety of the Bible is the written word of God. It testifies and points to the living word of God… Jesus.

It’s eternal… sacred… the written word of God.

I had a humbling experience that helped that sink in a couple months ago when a biblical languages scholar came to town… Dr. Dan Wallace, senior professor at Dallas Theological Seminary… truly an expert on Biblical languages and manuscripts.

Many of you attended one or even all three of his lectures. I made it to two.

Well, after the first lecture, Dr. Brent Sandy… at Grace College who helped organize and invited us to the event, asked me if I would take Dr. Wallace back to his hotel. Quickly, I replied, “Yes!” I was excited to have some more time with Dan.

But then it dawned on me that my kids had trashed the car. So, in the few minutes I had… I tried to clean up a few things… and then I saw Dr. Wallace ready to be picked up.

Mortified, I drove over and apologized for the condition of the car, which he didn’t even notice.

But, I’ll never forget what happened next. In my frenzy, I had placed my wife’s Bible from the passenger seat to the floor behind me. He didn’t say a word, but I noticed he gently picked her Bible up, and placed it on the seat.

And, immediately there was conviction in my heart.

There was a reverence he held, that I had neglected. He treated the eternal word of God with greater sacredness than I had, and I’ll never forget that moment.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

The other part of that verse... “Heaven and earth will pass away...” Is that true? Yes it is.

Isa 51:6 states, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.”

2 Pet 3:10-13 states, “But the day of the Lord (beginning with the Rapture, culminating with eternity) will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth (Rev 21:1) in which righteousness dwells.”

Now, whether you see these passages in Matthew applying to the church, to people in the tribulation, or some other interpretation… it doesn’t really matter.

What does matter is time is short… even if we don’t see the rapture and the end in our lifetime… life is short.

James 4:14 says, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

Peter said, “...what sort of people must we be, conducting our lives in holiness and godliness…”

There is wisdom in living life like Jesus could return at any moment.

Because He could.

Even if Jesus does not return in your lifetime, and you live a life of holiness and godliness… that’s not a wasted life… that’s a rich life.

Of James… the half-brother of Jesus… early church father Eusebius wrote, “he... was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel, in consequence of his constantly bending them in his worship of God, and asking forgiveness for the people.”

James has been nick-named “Old Camel Knees” for the intense amount of time he spent with his brother in prayer… with His Lord.

Not a wasted life.

Jesus continues…

Matt 24:36-44 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. [If Jesus, when in His humanity, and eternal angels have limited knowledge… how much more does any person?] 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

So, two main camps, that I’m aware of, in interpreting this parable…

Camp 1: This speak about the days during the Seven year tribulation leading up the the second coming of Christ (which I think is contextually correct).

Camp 2: This speaks about the days in which we presently live leading up to the rapture of the church.

Now, I will say… the previous parable was easier to apply to believing Israel during the Tribulation. This parable and the next have strong cases for application to the rapture and days in which we live (and I understand the points for this view, but I think they break from context.) A good sermon in support of this rapture view is by Pastor Joe Focht at Calvary Chapel Philly.

But, what I think is the correct view, is Jesus remains in Jewish Context and focuses on that believing Jewish remnant during the tribulation time... leading up to Jesus’ second coming. So, here’s that view...

Jesus begins, V36, “But of that day and hour no one knows...”

And, those who support the Rapture view… love this verse because no legitimate scholar is going to violate Jesus’ words and give a specific date to the rapture. We do not know the date of the rapture.

How about the Second Coming of Christ? We do know that date… right? ......Sure we do…after the Abomination of Desolation, there remains 1260 days … 3.5 years.

So, is this 1,260 days a problem point for this view? Potentially yes, but maybe not.

We are Christians who read both the Old & New Testaments. Our eschatology is expanded because of the Book of Revelation, Matt 24-25, 1 & 2 Thes, and so forth.

For Jews, they don’t read the NT. Their OT eschatology comes mostly from Daniel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah.

And, many of the time markers... 1260 days … forty-two months… are only mentioned in the NT.

Daniel speaks about a “time, times, and half a time,” but will it be enough?

Will a believing remnant of Jews connect the dots of the 1260 days from Abomination to Jesus’ Second Coming if they are just reading the Old Testament? Even if they read the New Testament, will they connect the dots?

They certainly misunderstood the first and second coming of Christ.

Jesus continues, V37, with a comparison to the days of Noah. Turn with me to Genesis 6… (39 books to your left… or the 1st book in the Bible… whichever is easier).

Let’s read a few verses in Gen 6, and keep in mind the comparison. Jesus is saying that the time of tribulation will be like the time right before the flood (and I sadly do see many parallels also... to our world today).

Gen 6:1 “Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them,...”

Note there was a population explosion. Answers In Genesis has an article that estimates the pre-flood population at 750 million people, but considering the longer life spans, they say that number could have been up to 4 billion people.

Today, the world population is at 7.9 billion. I have a slide of the population explosion we are experiencing.

It took from the flood until 1803 for the population to reach 1 billion,

Then only 124 years to reach 2 billion (1803-1927).

Then even less… only 33 years to reach 3 billion (1924-1960).

And since.... about every 12-15 years, the population grows by 1 billion.

So, during the tribulation who knows what the population will be… 9 billion?… 12 billion?

Population explosion.

Gen 6:2 “...that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.”

A lot of thoughts on who these “sons of God” were. The line of Seth mixing with the line of Cain… Angels… powerful rulers who are demon possessed… whatever the case… God took issue with a wrong sexual union that was taking place…

And, today and in the time of tribulation, that will be even more pronounced. After the Sixth Trumpet we read, Rev 9:20-21 “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.’”

And Gen 6:5, we read “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." [continuous evil motivations]

The Tribulation is going to be a time of wickedness, sexual depravity, and population explosion.

Even of God’s Holy City, Jerusalem, we read this Tribulation description, Rev 11:8 “And their dead bodies [the Two Witnesses] will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.”

Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem… and in the tribulation Jerusalem will become a city compared to the wicked and idolatrous cities of Sodom and Egypt.

Next in Matt 24:38, Jesus states people will be eating, drinking, and getting married in the days prior to the flood.

Some people who support the rapture interpretation of this segment, state that during the time of the Tribulation people are not going to be thinking about life and marriage because of all the tribulation judgments.

After all… Rev 6:15 states, “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains...”

And, I think that’s a point, but, even with the tribulation time being horrible, they don’t hid in the caves continuously… there are other passages in Revelation that indicate some semblance of life will go on...

We just read in Rev 9 that people did not repent and continued with idolatry, murder, sorcery (perhaps drug abuse), sexual immorality, and theft. So, they are doing bad things, but they are out in society.

When the Two Witnesses are killed, Rev 11:10 states, “And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another…”

Happy Dead Witnesses Day!

In Rev 14, people who have the mark of the beast are able to “buy and sell.” Rev 13:17 “... no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast...”

So, commercial buying and selling is occuring during the tribulation.

Rev 18 pictures the political and economic powers of the Tribulation time, and we read about the kings of the earth and the merchants of the earth who become rich, lived in luxury, and sold precious goods during this Tribulation time.

Some semblance of life will exist during the Tribulation time.

Continuing in Matt 24:38-39 people were living life “…until the day that Noah entered the ark 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Believing Israel, like Noah, will be preserved through the tribulation.

A better type for the raptured church is Enoch, who was taken up prior to the tribulation.

And, just like Noah’s day… all the wicked people of the tribulation will be taken away as well. Some through the seal, trumpet, bowl and other various judgments, and the rest at the Sheep Goat Judgment.

There will be a total cleansing of the Earth.

Matt 24:40-41 “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.”

If you want to see the rapture here… more power to you. “… one will be taken and the other left”… is that a picture of the rapture? Sounds like it could be.

But, I think if you just read to the end of chapter 25, you’ll read about the Sheep Goat Judgment… the Judgment of the Nations... at the end of the tribulation...

...where the righteous and wicked are separated… the righteous will inherit the kingdom… enter into the Millennium… to eternal life, and the wicked to everlasting fire.... to everlasting punishment.

“… one will be taken and the other left...”

Jesus concludes (and so will I) exhorting, Matt 24:42-44 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

What I love about the present age & rapture interpretation is the application of urgency… Live like Jesus can come back at any moment! V42 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”

It’s a great application. Very similar to what Peter said in 2 Pet 3 “...what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God...”

Great application for our lives today, and you should be living that way, because “… the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

And, I think that’s the simple truth for the people of the tribulation time as well, they need to be ready. Jesus will return.

How do you get ready for Jesus’ return? Get saved.

Jesus said, Jn 6:29 “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

In the OT salvation came by faith. In the NT salvation came by faith. And, during the tribulation time, salvation will come by faith.

You don’t need a bunker and 7 years food supply… you need a Savior… and His name is Jesus Christ. Be ready.

Let’s pray!

We are now going to take communion. A time to reflect back on what Jesus did for us…and a time to get right with God. If Jesus came back right now, is there anything you would want to confess to Him and be cleansed of?

Communion Reading: 1 Cor 11:23-29

“...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

Please distribute the elements...

As the communion elements are being distributed, please take a moment to praise Jesus…remembering His broken body and shed blood for you on the cross. And, examine yourself…take communion in a worthy manner. Is there anything you need to confess privately to God and ask forgiveness for?

Once you have prayed, go ahead and take the communion elements, when you are ready. Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer.

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If you are not saved, if you have never confessed Jesus is your Lord, you have a couple options, either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option... accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today. Pray to God and tell Him you believe in Jesus and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and then take communion. If you pray that prayer today, if today is your day of salvation, tell us that great news afterwards.