The End of the Age, Part 1

Opening:

Good Morning again Connection Church. As I said earlier, I am so happy that you have decided to come and gather together for worship

Introduction of the Text:

This morning we will be starting Matthew 24. We have seen the hard sayings of Jesus to the Pharisees, and now we will see what is commonly called the Olivet Discourse. This morning we will cover verses 1-3 and 34-35. I would ask the congregation to stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.

Reading of the Text:

Matthew 24:1-3, 34-35 “1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He 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.” 3 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?””

“34 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

Behold the Word of God.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you and ask that you would be with us. We ask for guidance in this often confusing text. We ask that your Spirit would guide us. Lead us not into error, but into truth. Open our hearts to hear your Word. This is a challenging passage. May we be cautious in approaching it. May we dig deep into what you said. You said that these were your words. Heaven and earth will pass away, but these words will not. So please illuminate your Word in our hearts. And please help me. Help me to communicate this passage well and clearly over the coming weeks. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Introduction:

At the beginning of the week, I begin to break down how I want to cover the next text. Normally on Monday I begin reading the chapter that contains the text we are going to cover. I read it multiple times and begin to digest how I want to break it up. Some texts however, are a real pain. This text above all the other passages we have covered is a whale of a text. We have just finished chapter 23, which ended with Jesus pronouncing judgement against Jerusalem. Well, this text picks up right after that. And what follows is one complete thought from the first verse of chapter 24 to the last verse of chapter 25. So how will we cover it? Well, it has been said that the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. So we will cover this complete thought one bite at a time. But this sermon in particular will be slightly different. The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time, but some wisdom would be to set the table first. And that is what this sermon will be. This sermon will a setting of the table. This morning will be an overview of this passage.

This Sermon Will be an Overview of This Passage.

But why do we need an overview? Why do we need preparation before we begin covering this passage? We have covered many other challenging and dense passages in our study of Matthew. Well, this is likely the most controversial and confusing passage in Matthew.

Likely the Most Controversial Passage in Matthew.

Chapter 24 of Matthew contains what is known as the Olivet Discourse. This is the last of Jesus’ discourses. It is also His most confusing. This is a passage that has sparked much debate and dangerous heresy. It is a passage that can be twisted and manipulated. It is a passage that can be easily misunderstood. it is a passage that has many many different interpretations. But why is this? Why is this passage so confusing and divisive? This passage is a prophetic statement from Jesus. But it is not just prophesy. It is what is known as apocalyptic prophesy.

Apocalyptic Prophesy.

What does that mean? Well, Scripture contains many different genres. It contains historical narrative, poetry, dialogue, wisdom literature, epistles, prophesy, apocalyptic prophesy and more. It is very diverse book. But of the various genres contained within Scripture, apocalyptic prophesy is likely the most difficult to handle. Historical Narrative is fairly easy to handle. It says what happened. Epistles are letters written to specific people or groups of people. Poetry is poetry. And obviously the key to understanding those types of writing is to read them as what they are. Poetry is more symbolic than history. Therefore we read poetry in the natural understanding of it, whereas history, we read in a more rigid and wooden sense.

But what do we do with apocalyptic prophesy. Apocalyptic prophesy is prophesy that specifically speaks in very symbolic language about the end of an age or the end of the world. Some of the Old Testament writers gave apocalyptic prophesy regarding the great kingdoms of Egypt or Babylon, or the like. It is often dark and confusing. It is highly symbolic.

So how do we handle this type of literature? Well, we must be consistent in our interpretation.

We Must Be Consistent in Interpretation.

Sadly we tend to be very inconsistent in how we reach our understanding of what Scripture says. We must be consistent in this. To do this, we must make sure we are using sound methods to understand what Scripture is saying. These are known as methods of interpretation. We also must make sure we are consistent in these methods. We don’t switch how we understanding to fit our own whims. There are multiple solid methods to come to understand what is being said. I have taught you several. You have heard me say countless times that the three most important rules for interpreting Scripture are context, context, and context. What does this mean? Well, we must understand the context within the broader text.

Context Within the Broader Text:

It is okay to quote single verses, but it is only okay if we are using them correctly. We do not rip a verse out of context and twist it to say what we want it to say. I say we do not do this, but I ought to say we ought not do this. Sadly we do this often. But when we use a single verse, we should stop and examine what that verse is saying within the broader context. What are the surrounding verses saying? What is the chapter saying? What is the book saying? We should especially do this when we are confused by something said. When we are confused, we take a step back and examine the context.

After this, we look at the context of the whole of Scripture. What is the context throughout Scripture?

Context Throughout Scripture:

How does the passage fit in the whole of Scripture? This includes determining what genre of literature it is. But how does the passage fit with the rest of Scripture. Is it a gospel account? History? Poetry? This informs us how we ought to understand it.

After this, we can look at the context of the original audience.

Context of the Original Audience:

We don’t assume that the text is about us. All 66 books of Scripture were written to specific audiences for specific reasons. Also, many of these books contain accounts of sermons or discourses. We have to recognize who is being spoken to. We have seen much of this within Matthew. We have kept in mind who Matthew was writing to. We also have seen that it is important to keep in mind who Jesus is speaking to whenever He speaks. We don’t just assume that Jesus is directly speaking to us. We also don’t assume that Matthew is writing to us. True, it has application for us, but we must understand the meaning that the original audience would have understood.

Another fundamental tool to understand what a text is saying is to realize that the clear governs the unclear.

The Clear Governs the Unclear:

If there are multiple passages that teach on the same subject, we don’t go to the most confusing passage in order to understand it. We go to the clearest example we can find in Scripture that speaks on that subject. We determine what Scripture is saying about a subject based off of the clear passages, not the confusing ones.

But what do we do if there are confusing phrases or words? Well, we do a similar thing. We look for other usages in Scripture.

Other Usages in Scripture:

Is that same phrase or a similar phrase used in Scripture? Can that help us understand it better? Scripture uses similar language across all 66 books. This is helpful for us. Sometimes an author will use a phrase that is confusing to us but is common to Scripture as a whole. We must understand it in light of it’s other uses.

After this, we are open to use history. What are some historical understandings of confusing passages?

Historical Understandings:

Only Scripture is inerrant. Man is fallible. After we have done the work of seeking to understand what the text is saying, it is okay to look at what faithful men of the past have said. We have such a blessing in church history. We would be fools to ignore it. But we must use it wisely and correctly.

But why do I emphasize these things? What is so important about these things? Well, I am trying to show you the importance of consistency.

The Importance of Consistency.

Being consistent in understanding Scripture is vital to personal and church wide spiritual growth. Imagine if we just took Scripture to mean whatever we felt like it should mean. We don’t have to imagine very hard. I think we can all think of examples of this. I think we all have been here. We have all heard someone quote a verse to justify something they are saying weather or not it means what they are making it mean. I think we have all been guilty of it. This is what Satan did to Jesus in the wilderness.

But this is also important because we must accurately understand Scripture in order to judge what is truly important. Jesus has taught us that there are some issues that are more weighty than others. We use the language of primary, secondary, and tertiary issues.

Primary, Secondary, And Tertiary Issues.

How do we determine what is what? We must be consistent in understanding Scripture. Scripture has clearly spoken on issues regarding salvation. We know that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. The primary things are abundantly clear. When I say primary issues, I mean things that were they doubted, you would question that person’s salvation. For example, if you deny the true deity and true humanity of Christ, you aren’t a Christian.

When I say secondary, I mean things that divide us. These are things that we would say Scripture speaks to in a mostly clear and mostly obvious way. But they are things that divide us. If it is disagreed upon, it breaks fellowship. If I disagree with someone on a secondary thing, I would not say they are unsaved. I would not be able to fellowship with them, but I would admit they are likely a brother.

Tertiary things are different. These are things we can freely disagree on. They should not break fellowship. We can disagree on these things and maintain unity. But hear me, tertiary does not mean unimportant.

Tertiary Does Not Mean Unimportant.

We can disagree, but it does not mean it is unimportant. We ought to struggle together to come to the truth of Scripture. Not one word of Scripture is unimportant. But not every disagreement should divide us. But what we believe about tertiary things shapes much of our faith. The reason I bring this up is because issues of eschatology are mostly tertiary issues. What is eschatology? Eschatology is the study of last things. It is the study of the end times. And there are many views when dealing with this study. The passage we are studying over the next weeks deals with how we view eschatology. This ought not divide us. We ought to be able to study and disagree with one another. But we ought to see the importance of this study.

It is important. And if we are not careful, even the smallest issue can become a primary issue.

Even the Smallest Issue Can Become a Primary Issue.

How we handle things can raise them to be primary. Imagine if someone said, “Baptism is what saves you, not faith in Christ.” Now, normally, I would put baptism in the second category. But if someone says that, I am now worried about their understanding of salvation. Now it is a primary issue. Or what of those people who say “You must speak in tongues to be saved.” Normally, your view on the sign gifts are tertiary. But if we elevate them to the highest priority, then I begin to worry about that person’s salvation. Do they really understand that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone? Anything can become a primary issue.

And this highlights the dangers of inconsistency in handling apocalyptic prophesy.

The Dangers of Inconsistency in Handling Apocalyptic Prophesy.

It is not uncommon to have issues of eschatology raised to the primary degree. Someone has a differing view of the millenium or the rapture and it is common to have people elevate it to the primary category. Why is this? I believe it is because handling passages like the chapter we are in today inconsistently leads to many bad things. I think, at best, it leads to an unhealthy obsession.

At Best, It Leads to an Unhealthy Obsession.

How many horrible end times Christian movies have been made. Those movies are awful. But they highlight how obsessive people can become over these things. I have lost track of the amount of people I have heard say that Russia invading Ukraine is the fulfilment of Ezekiel’s prophesy about Gog and Magog. There is no Scriptural president for this. But in an obsessive attempt to read modern headlines into the Bible, people do this. And honestly, that is one of the better outcomes. How many people obsess over horrible authors and teachers. How many people become obsessed with blood moons and omens of coming trouble. They do this in disregard of Scripture’s warning of seeking omens. It is so easy to become obsessed with end times study.

At worst, misusing and inconsistently interpreting passages like this have lead to many cults.

At Worst, It Has Lead to Many Cults.

How many cults have started because of someone making wild claims about the end times and end time related passages? One must only think of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. Joseph Smith said Jesus would return in his generation. What about the Jehovah’s Witnesses? They believe they are the 144,000 spoken about it revelation. Both are cults. Think of David Koresh. There have been many. And many many cults have started from twisting this passage and many like it.

But why is this? Well, this is the difficulty of this chapter.

The Difficulty of This Chapter.

It is not a necessarily easy chapter. This is why I highlighted the verses I did. Jesus speaks of phenomenal things and then claims they will all happen within that generation.

Jesus speaks of phenomenal things, and claims that they will happen within that generation.

Jesus gives a detailed prophesy about the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, and then He begins to speak of incredible things happening in the sky, and finally speaks of His return on the clouds. Then Jesus says all this will happen within one generation. The obsessive and cultists aren’t the only ones who have a field day with this passage. The skeptics also have a field day with this passage.

The Skeptics Have a Field Day With This Passage.

Many atheists have pointed to this passage and claimed Jesus was a false prophet. They say, “Jesus said that the sun would go dark, the stars would fall, and Jesus would come within one generation! Jesus gave false prophesy!”

Well, this is a huge accusation. It is one we ought to take seriously. Was Jesus a false prophet?

Was Jesus a False Prophet?

Well, a false prophet is anyone says anything against the previous revelation of God.

Deuteronomy 13:1-4 “1 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 “You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.”

Or, a false prophet is anyone who says something will happen and then it doesn’t happen.

Deuteronomy 18:22 “22 “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”

Clearly the skeptics are claiming Jesus violated Deuteronomy 18:22. But did He?

Transition:

Well, that is primarily what we will be examining in this chapter. We will be looking at the claims of Jesus and how we are to respond to them. So let’s look at what Jesus said.

What Jesus Said.

Let’s take a quick 30,000 foot view of what Jesus said. We start the chapter by seeing that Jesus said the temple would be destroyed.

Jesus Said that the Temple Would Be Destroyed.

Matthew 24:1-2 “1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He 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.”

This is a bold statement. The Herodian Temple was considered to be one of the wonders of the ancient world. Jesus just gave a shocking prophesy that no Jew would have been able to comprehend. And the disciples respond well.

The Disciples Response.

They are likely shocked, but have their heads on their shoulder’s enough to know what to ask. Matthew 24:3 “3 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?””

They ask two very important questions. First, When will this happen?

When Will This Happen?

This is a good question. If the temple and Jerusalem are going to be destroyed, when is it going to happen? The second question they ask is what will be the sign of Jesus’ coming and the end of the age?

What Will Be The Sign of Jesus’ Coming/ End of the Age?

This is also a good question. But I want to highlight something for you to keep in mind. Jesus had not ascended yet. What did they mean by His coming? When we say Jesus’ coming, we are speaking of His return. He hadn’t left yet. They didn’t even know He was going to leave. What did they mean by coming? We will get more into that over the next weeks. But it is something to ponder.

Jesus then tells of terrible things leading up to worse things.

Jesus Tells of Terrible Things Leading Up to Worse Things.

Jesus in answer to His disciple’s question warns them to be on guard against being led astray. He then warns of terrible things. There will be false Christ’s who will attempt to lead them astray. There will be wars and rumors of wars. Nation will rise against nation. There will be great famines and earthquakes. Jesus warns the disciples that they will be betrayed and handed over by their own loved ones. Jesus says that there will be false prophets and that sin will increase. Many will fall away.

Jesus then tells of worse things.

Jesus Tells of the Worse Things.

Jesus tells of “The Abomination of Desolation.” He says when they see this, they are to flee from Judea to the mountains. They are not to waste any time, but to flee as fast as they can. Then Jesus warns of a great tribulation. He warns of more false prophets and more false Christ’s. Things will be so bad that if it were possible, even the elect would be led astray.

Then Jesus tells of Bizarre things.

Jesus Tells of Bizarre Things.

He has already used a confusing phrase, “the Abomination of Desolation.” But Jesus speaks of flashes of lighting in the sky. He says the sun and moon will go dark. Jesus says the stars will fall from heaven. He speaks of His coming with His angels. And He speaks of a gathering of the elect. These are great and mysterious things.

But Jesus is less ambiguous about the timing. Jesus says when these things will happen.

Jesus Tells When This Will Happen.

Remember, Jesus is answering the disciples questions. They asked about the timing and the signs. Jesus have given the signs, and now He is giving the timing. Matthew 24:34-35 “34 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

Jesus says that all this will happen within one generation. So how do Christians handle this?

How Do Christian’s Handle This?

What is to be said about this? How can we understand this? Well, there are three main options among those who claim to be Christians. Option 1. Jesus was mistaken.

Option 1. Jesus Was Mistaken.

There are more than I would like to admit who claim that Jesus was simply mistaken. He was speaking wishfully. He was giving His opinion rather than actually speaking authoritatively.

This is a load of hot garbage. Clearly Jesus was giving a prophesy. To say He was mistaken, is to say Jesus is a false prophet. You cannot make this claim within Christian orthodoxy.

So what are the other two options? Well, they fall into the understanding that Jesus is saying some things literally and some things symbolically. Option two. The images Jesus uses are symbolic.

Option 2. The Images Jesus Uses Are Symbolic.

The second option is that Jesus is using symbolic language. This does not mean all of it is symbolic, but with regard to some of the language, it is symbolic. This does not answer all of the issues, but it is a reasonable option.

Option three is similar. The time-frame Jesus gives is symbolic.

Option 3. The Time-frame Jesus Gives Is Symbolic.

With this position, it is said that the language Jesus uses is mostly literal, but the time-frame is symbolic. This would be the modern majority report. This is the more common view in our day. This also leaves some hard questions and fails to answer everything, but it is a reasonable option.

There are Various Differences Within These Three.

Obviously there are variations within these camps. We will explore some of these over the coming weeks, but one thing is sure. We can reject option one.

Clearly We Reject Option One.

Jesus was not mistaken. Jesus did not accidentally give a false prophesy. He was speaking authoritatively. There is no room for option one. However, there are orthodox Christians within both option two and three.

There Are Orthodox Christians Within Options 2 and 3.

If we differ on this point, it should not divide us. One may say that the time-frame was symbolic, while another will say that the images are symbolic. We should not divide over this. It is clear that Jesus is giving a mix of literal and symbolic language. We can disagree over what is what. I believe there is a consistent answer. But I would not divide over someone’s disagreement with me. But how do we determine what is what?

Clearly Jesus is giving a Mix of Literal and Symbolic. But What is What?

I said that I believe that there is a consistent answer. I hope to prove my point. But how do we determine this? Well, we determine this by being consistent in how we interpret the passage.

We Determine This By Being Consistent in How We Interpret This Passage.

We use the methods I opened describing. We look to Scripture and ask questions. We will examine the context of the passage. Who was Jesus speaking to? How would the original audience understand it? How does this fit into the whole of Scripture? Clearly Jesus is using some symbolic language. Is the same language used elsewhere in Scripture? If so, how is it used? We will not shy away from this text. We will lean in and discover the beautiful truth that Jesus is a true prophet. He was not mistaken. He did not lie. He is Lord and all things have happened and will happen based off of His Word. Heaven and Earth will pass away, but Christ’s Word’s will never pass away.

Transition:

You may be wondering what to do with this? This morning I have challenged your consistency in how you understand the Bible. I hope you take that to heart. I have tried to lay the groundwork for how we will approach this text. But really it is how we ought to approach ever text of Scripture. We should examine the context. We should ask questions of the text in order to understand it better.

Application:

But if I could give you some specific application, to walk away from here with, I would start by telling you to be in prayer.

Be In Prayer.

When approaching a difficult or confusing text, our first step should be prayer. We should lead into any difficulty with prayer. But when it comes to Scripture, we have a promised helper. The Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture to us. What does that mean? It means that the Spirit of God who dwells within all believers works to bring about correction where we are misunderstanding and bring us into understanding of Scripture. The Spirit of God helps us understand the difficulties of Scripture. So we ought to start in prayer. We need the help of the Spirit. So spend this week in prayer. Pray that He would give us understanding. Pray that He would give us wisdom. Pray that He would be with me. I don’t know if you know this, but studying and preaching texts like this are difficult. Pray for me. Pray God would give me wisdom. Pray God would keep my mind from wandering away from what He has said. Pray for the church. Pray that we would grow together through coming to understand this. Pray for everything! Pray without ceasing. But I digress.

After prayer, look to Scripture.

Look to Scripture.

When you pray for the Spirit to help you understand, don’t neglect going to Scripture. Remember that Scripture is what you are asking the Spirit to illuminate. Don’t just pray and do nothing. Pray and go to Scripture. Scripture is true and trustworthy. Study the text. Study the Word of God. Have confidence in what God has spoken.

And I pray that you see the reliability of Christ.

See The Reliability of Christ.

Jesus is our Lord. He is a true prophet. He is not mistaken. His Word will never pass away. Heaven and Earth may pass away, but His Word will never pass away. I pray that this week, as you pray and read Scripture, you are encouraged to see the reliability of Christ. I pray that as we study His Words here over the coming weeks, you see the reliability of Christ’s Words.

If I could give a little spoiler into the coming weeks, I want to encourage you by saying that Jesus was not wrong. He is the true prophet. His Words did not pass away. In fact, it is so clear that Jesus was correct that early Christians and non Christians alike pointed to the fulfilment of this prophesy as proof that Jesus was THE true prophet.

Early Christians and Non-Christians Pointed to The Fulfillment of Jesus’ Prophesy Here.

Early writers like Josephus and Eusebius write about how this prophesy was fulfilled. Roman writers document this. The early church pointed at this when skeptics would question Jesus and say “Look, He said it and it happened.” Perhaps that tips my hand as to my position somewhat, but we will get into that in the coming weeks.

But as we go from here, I pray you recognize the importance of peaceful disagreement.

Recognize the Importance of Peaceful Disagreement.

As we study this, your neighbor may say “I think this was symbolic!” And you may be in strong disagreement. But we must have grace with one another. We must love one another and disagree well.

Closing:

Now, let’s close in prayer and ask the Spirit to help us.

Prayer:

Communion:

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 “23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

Closing Doxology:

Closing Benediction:

Matthew 24:34-35 “34 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”