In this post I offer an exploration of Matthew 23 and 24— one that promises to challenge the accepted belief that Jesus will return in our near future. In this post, we embark on a quest to uncover the true meaning behind these often read passages, challenging popularly held interpretations and shedding light on their historical context. This consideration will be anchored in the events surrounding 70 CE—the pivotal moment in history when Jerusalem fell to the might of the Roman Empire. This isn’t a history lesson, rather, it is a general exegesis with thoughtful consideration of the historical context out of which these passages emerged.
I invite you to suspend your own judgment, set aside your presuppositions, open your mind, and attempt to fully understand what I present before judging it correct or not. Don’t worry; it’s only temporary suspension. You can pick it all back up when we’re done here. Any other approach is one of bias fueled by belief, tradition, and fear, and I’m asking for honest consideration. But, beware, in this brief post I will confront misconceptions, dispel myths, and engage with the text in a way that transcends tradition, offering new insights into the profound truths hidden by ages of dogmatic, accepted interpretation. Whether you’re a seasoned scholar or a curious seeker of truth, this exegesis promises to challenge your assumptions and invite you into a deeper understanding of the passage.
With that said, let’s dive in.
Woe to Who?
The entire chapter of Matthew 23 consists of Jesus denouncing the scribes and Pharisees, or in other words, the religious leadership of Jerusalem. No one has a problem recognizing that Jesus’ chastisement in context is concerning the Jewish leaders of the time. Believers today may read these stories and create a modern application in line with their own context and theology, but it’s generally acknowledged that the words in the story are being addressed to the religious leaders of pre-destruction 2nd temple Judaism in Jerusalem at that particular moment in history. For example, a Christian may read verse 5 which says, “they do all their deeds to be seen by others,” and moralize it to condemn hypocrisy of performing religious deeds in order to be recognized. Yet, the rest of the verse says, “for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.” Why does it specify these details? In the story, of course, Jesus is speaking, not to twenty-first century Christians who may be in danger of performing their deeds for recognition, but to the religious leaders who wore phylacteries and fringes.
It’s easy enough to recognize this historical context in verses like these, but for some reason, the historical context is entirely lost on the readers and interpreters of other passages, as we shall see.
Jesus continues the condemnation throughout the chapter, finally coming to the lament over Jerusalem.
Oh Jerusalem! Erm, I mean America!
The chapter ends with the lament in these words, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
In the story, Jesus implies that he is going away, and that they will not see him until he comes in the name of the Lord. It’s important to ask who it is that will see him again when he comes in the name of the Lord. So…who is it? If we listen to modern Christianity, they will say, “Well, the whole world will see him coming out of the clouds! There will be a trumpet! The sky will be rolled back as a scroll, and Jesus will descend to the earth!” However, let’s stay in this passage and ask the question of this particular story.
Who is the “you” in this story? Is it America in 2024? Is it even Jerusalem in 2024 (or whatever year in the future)? In the context of the story, let us not forget who Jesus has been speaking to, namely, the scribes and Pharisees! More specifically, the scribes and Pharisees of the pre-destruction Jerusalem temple.
Now, let’s re-read these verses with this in mind. I’ll italicize my own words for clarity: “Pre-destruction Jerusalem, pre-destruction Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children, these Jews standing here in the city now that I am speaking before, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you scribes and Pharisees whom I’ve been condemning this entire time were not willing! See, your house, the city and temple in which we stand, is left to you who I am addressing as I speak these words desolate. For I tell you who I’ve been addressing in this entire context of woes, you scribes and Pharisees, Jerusalem, will not see me again until you, scribes and Pharisees, pre-destruction Jerusalem in which I am currently standing and speaking, say ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'”
Jesus Left the Temple
Jesus had been in the temple speaking to the religious leadership, warning them that even though they claimed to be the covenant people of God, they were actually being rejected because of their rejection of the true religion/God they claimed to represent and belong to.
Jesus now leaves the temple. And, as he’s leaving, his disciples approach Jesus and point out to him the buildings of the pre-destruction temple that was of course still standing at this point in the setting of the story. His response sets the tone for the rest of the book.
“You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
As the disciples are pointing out the buildings of the temple, Jesus tells them plainly that all of the buildings they are pointing out would be utterly destroyed. “All will be thrown down.” While the importance and weight of this may be lost on the common reader of the story, it is not lost on those who have given it the proper consideration. The temple had been destroyed once before. This was the second temple that Jesus was referring to. In all of Israel’s history, the temple had only been destroyed once! This was a major event! The political and existential ramifications cannot be overstated. The first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians over 500 years before. This event marked the end of the Kingdom of Judah and resulted in the exile of many Israelites to Babylon. It was the end of an era, of an age, and an incredibly important event in the history of the Hebrews (and this is an enormous understatement).
The reason given by the Old Testament for the first temple destruction? According to Isaiah 1 it was because of the rulers (he calls them rulers of Sodom), their hypocrisy (meaningless sacrifices), and blood on their hands. Sounds like the woes of Jesus to the scribes and Pharisees does it not?
So, when Jesus says the current second temple would be destroyed, this would have been earth shattering for the disciples!
When Will These Things Be?
Jesus goes out and sits on the Mount of Olives, when the disciples come to him privately. It’s important to note that it’s written that this was a private conversation. What follows in Matthew was not spoken to the crowds. It was not spoken in public. In the story, what follows was spoken to the disciples. The disciples ask him a very specific question: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Cross-reference with Luke 21, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” The sign of what is about to take place: “Your coming and the end”. Realize that Jesus’ coming and the end, according to the text, was about to take place!)
When will these things be? What things are these things? Are the disciples asking Jesus about mysterious things that will take place potentially thousands of years in the future? Not according to the story. “These things” are the things Jesus was just speaking about. “These things” refer to the “house being left desolate”, the “coming in the name of the Lord” (that the scribes and Pharisees will see), and the “throwing down of the temple”. They craft their question accordingly. “When will these things be, and what is the sign of your coming, and end of the age?” When the disciples shockingly heard “these things” that Jesus had been speaking, they had two questions… When will they happen, and how will we know?!
Back to the Future
For the entire book of Matthew, and certainly in our passage being considered, Jesus is speaking to those standing there in that historical context. At this point I want to stress that he never leaves this historical context! For purely theological reasons from belief, and in an effort to salvage the doctrine of a distant future second coming of Jesus, many Christian pastors, teachers, and believers suddenly jump into the eschatological DeLorean DMC-12 and rush Jesus and his words off to the future with the next few passages in chapter 24 (and then return again to the historical context a few passages later)! Yet, one who is well versed in the Old Testament Scriptures along with the rest of Matthew, and one who lets the story speak for itself without forcing one’s own theological necessities upon it, stays within the context in which we find the words being spoken.
Almost But Not Yet
Jesus begins to tell them of things that will happen leading up to “these things” they’ve just asked him about. He says, “Beware, that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’, and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”
Many at this point suddenly begin to read these verses as though we’ve taken the DeLorean into the future. But who is the “you” being addressed here? Remember that Jesus is speaking privately with the disciples! He’s still addressing the disciples standing there with him in private. It is the disciples standing there with him that will need to beware that no one leads them astray by claiming that they are the true messiah (as this was a high messianic expectation period of time with many actually claiming to be the messiah). It is the disciples that will hear of wars and witness nation rising against nation and famines and earthquakes.
He then goes on to tell the disciples standing there with him in private (again “you”) that they will be persecuted, tortured, and hated for his sake. That they’ll witness false prophets and an increase in lawlessness. (How many times have you heard futurist believers mention the “lawlessness” of our times as a sign that the end is near? This lawlessness in context is something those to whom Jesus was speaking would witness!)
Then he mentions the end about which the disciples are curious! He tells them that in spite of all of what he’s told them that they will see, if they endure to the end they will be saved. If they endure in the true religion avoiding being lead astray, they would be saved. If who endures to the end? In this story Jesus is still addressing the you who are the disciples standing there with him in private!
The Gospel of the Kingdom
When we get to verse 14, many use this verse to prove that the end couldn’t possibly have come about in the past, because the gospel hasn’t been proclaimed throughout the whole world. But, upon closer examination of this verse, once again in its own historical context, a more precise and relevant meaning emerges.
Jesus says (as literally as I can make it), “And will be preached this the gospel of the kingdom in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.”
Does this verse mean that until the gospel has been preached to every nation including, for instance, the Sentinel Islands which are still unreached by the gospel today, Jesus won’t return? (Speaking of the Sentinel Islands, I recommend the National Geographic documentary The Mission, a story about John Chau’s attempt to reach the island people with the story of Jesus.) Let’s ask the question what would Jesus mean by these words in the context of speaking with his disciples standing there with him in private in pre-destruction Jerusalem of the first century CE.
Firstly, what is “this gospel”? Ask any Christian today in any denomination what is the gospel, and they’ll almost certainly respond with something having to do with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. But, what is the gospel in this context? It’s what Jesus has been telling his disciples all along, that the temple is going to be destroyed, but before it is, there will be incredibly hard times, yet the one who endures through it all and stays faithful to the true religion will be saved. In other words, the leaders of Israel with its corruption will be judged and covenantally cut off, but those who remain faithful through it all to the end will remain God’s people.
The Whole World
Next, what is the whole world in this context? What would the disciples Jesus is privately addressing understand by the words “in the whole world?” The disciples standing there with Jesus were receiving this information for themselves. They would hear that the gospel of the kingdom would be preached in the whole world, and would understand it to be something possible and within their reach. He’s already admonished them (the disciples being addressed in private) to endure to the end, so they would understand this to be something attainable prior to the end they would witness in their own lifetime. The Greek οἰκουμένῃ refers to the inhabited world known to the disciples at the time. But it doesn’t refer to the whole world including the yet to be discovered portions. Throughout the gospels (and elsewhere) οἰκουμένῃ refers to the world occupied by the Roman empire. So, Jesus is telling the disciples that the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the Roman empire as a testimony (or witness) to the nations.
This doesn’t mean that every single person will hear this gospel of the kingdom either. Earlier in Matthew 10:23 Jesus tells his disciples “When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” In our passage this is the very question they’ve asked Jesus…When is your coming? His answer includes that the gospel will be preached in the whole world, which his disciples would have understood completely. They were already aware that he would come before the disciples even got through all the towns of Israel!
So, in context, once this preaching occurs in the world, not to every soul including those in the Sentinel Islands, “then will come the end.” Meaning, this message will reach those outside of Jerusalem. I won’t go into detail here, but it seems to me this is meant to be directed as a sign to those “Jews” living outside of Jerusalem (the diaspora) as a confirmation that they are God’s people. (That would be for another post.)
The Great Commission
Before moving on, let’s consider the great commission found at the very end of the gospel of Matthew which will shed even more light on our passage. At the end of the story, Jesus is resurrected. He appears to the Mary’s (in this account at least), and then later meets his disciples in Galilee. He tells them he has all authority in heaven and on earth, and then gives them a mission.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” Matthew 28:19-20.
Do you recognize a particular phrase here? “To the end of the age!” Back to the disciples’ question to Jesus in private: “When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” In both verses the exact same Greek phrase is used, “συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος”.
Again, who is Jesus addressing in private (in both circumstances), and who will he be with to the end of the age? The same disciples! This is not a mission given to future Christians in 2024! This is not a mission given to anyone outside of the immediate context in which Jesus is speaking. The end of the age would be witnessed by those to whom Jesus was speaking. They were to carry this gospel of the kingdom to the nations outside of Jerusalem, before the end of the age, which was coming in their own time.
When Is the End?
Back to our passage of consideration in Matthew 24, Jesus continues to answer the disciples’ question of when and what will be the sign of Jesus’ coming and the end of the age. He tells them (the same disciples in private) that they will see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place. When this occurs he tells the disciples that those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Those in Judea! Again, I emphasize the immediate historical context here. This isn’t a message for those in the Americas or in Africa to flee to the mountains. Those who are in Judea when the temple is being desolated should flee to the mountains! (Cross reference Luke 21, “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains…”)
Jesus then goes on to warn of other false, competing messiahs, then launches into lofty apocalyptic language about the sun being darkened and stars falling from heaven and trumpet calls. But, don’t let the apocalyptic language fool you and cause you to lose the context! Ages of conditioning have taught you to jump into the DeLorean when this language comes about. Drop the conditioning, and return to the context. To whom is Jesus speaking? Yes, still the disciples in private! In the story, they will see all that he is speaking take place.
(This type of lofty apocalyptic language is used throughout the Old Testament to speak of physical judgments in history. See Isaiah 13, for example, speaking of the judgment of Babylon in much the same language used in our passage! “See, the day of the Lord is coming — a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger— to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.” Therefore, there would be no temptation on the part of the disciples to interpret this language as being literal. A literal reading of apocalyptic language is not in line with how it would be originally understood in light of their own scriptures.)
Then, the often cited parable of the fig tree (24:32): “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.”
When you see all these things… Who? By now you know exactly who it is that will see all these things. And, if there is an ounce of doubt left, the very next verse clears it up (verse 34): “Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.”
This generation, the people living at the time of Jesus’ supposed earthly mission, the contemporary Jewish generation to whom Jesus was speaking, will not pass away until all of the things we have just worked through in the passage take place! The generation living at the time would witness the taking place of all of the events described by Jesus in the story. About the exact day or hour, Jesus seems to suggest that he doesn’t know. But what he makes certain is that the disciples standing there, and “this generation”, will see it all in their own lifetime.
What is the End?
As the majority of Christians today are still awaiting some end to take place, and for Jesus to literally descend from the clouds in the sky, we have now seen that they are indeed waiting in vain. Most today have believed due to ages of indoctrination that the end is a world-shattering event that involves a judgment that overwhelms the world, stops time, and gathers the entire human race to stand before God to be sorted into either heaven or hell. This is not the vision of Matthew’s gospel!
According to the Jesus of Matthew (as well as the rest of the synoptics outside the scope of this post), the end and his coming is nothing more than the destruction of the temple. The second temple was destroyed in 70 CE by the Roman army. Jerusalem was once again devastated, the temple once again utterly destroyed, and most of the surviving Jews once again lead into captivity.
Nothing to Come
Let me end this post by stating that I do not believe that the stories in Matthew’s gospel are true (I’ve written more on this elsewhere). In my research I’ve concluded that the stories are written with an agenda. Matthew’s gospel is a product of its own historical context which was following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. The stories are the products of human beings giving a theological interpretation of why the temple was destroyed. It’s answering the question “Why would God allow the Roman empire to devastate his people, his city, and his temple?” It’s an attempt to carry on a physical religion in a spiritual way apart from its physical hub and system. It’s an attempt to give a reason to continue to believe in Yahweh after such world ending devastation.
“Why should we, Jews and anyone else, continue to believe in this God that seems to have been absent during the devastation of his people?” The answer from Matthew is that the destruction itself was the very hand of God in judgment against his people for their unfaithfulness. A covenantal judgment that involved war, destruction, and captivity, just as it had in the stories of Israel’s past. This would make sense to the believing Jews. It would be theologically sound. It had happened before, and it happened again. Once again they needed hope, a reason to continue to believe. Hence, the writings of the gospels.
Believe It or Not
From here you can choose to believe Jesus was a miraculous messiah who foretold the destruction of Jerusalem. But, what is not in line with the text we’ve considered is that Jesus will be returning again at some point in the future. Let no one again point at least to Matthew 24 to prove a future second coming of Jesus. Furthermore, if you continue to consider the historical context out of which the New Testament emerged without jumping into the DeLorean, I am certain that you will find just as I have that the entire New Testament is nothing more than the product of human beings in their own historical context with their own agenda having to do with their place in history, having nothing to do with the future at all.
For me, I discovered that it isn’t the product of a deity, nor the inspired words from a god of any kind. The Bible is a book of religious, socio-political writings that has become absolutely irrelevant for human beings in the 21st century CE. Those who believe it to be the words of a god do just that, simply believe it. All things considered, it is nothing of the sort. Essentially, they are believing the beliefs of others.
I invite them, or you, to drop these beliefs, and go on a new path of self-discovery apart from the beliefs of others. Apart from beliefs at all! You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the freedom and peace you’ll discover along the way.
Interact
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Comment below or reach out via the contact form, or submit a question over at Ask Rick, and I’ll reply in a video response!
Rick… I’m not sure how anyone could read that and not give it some deep thought!
To me.. It’s all about stepping out of the box that the Bible is the only truth. Once I allowed myself to consider other possibilities, it all became very clear. People are afraid it’s disobedience to question anything pertaining to the Bible or actions of God Almighty!
But why???
We encourage critical thinking in life, relationships, and personal development. But we are supposed to shut that down when it comes to the Bible? Wake up already!!!
Exactly Taysha. And they’re made to be afraid to question, think critically, and consider other things as potentially being true. And those who do question are villainized and accused of being insincere and sinful with some underlying sinful motive behind it. Nonsense! This is cult thinking. “Don’t step out of the lines or be damned!” But those of us who have gone out of the lines have found not damnation, but freedom and peace!
Hiya Rick!
I saw your article earlier…in my ol’ Preterist Perspectives Discussion & Debate FB Group…just finished reading it (around 5:30 a.m. now).
We’ve been discussing these very things the last little while…specifically ex-Full Preterist Sam Frost saying that “the end is not yet” refers to our future etc.
I’ve been debunking that, Don Preston just shared a new piece…and now I find your GEM!😛
It really doesn’t get any BETTER, imo…don’t even think a typo…just flawless AND brilliant…easy to read AND understand, as well.
Folks really have ‘no excuse’ after this…can return to their old beliefs/traditions etc. (keep on with the Maranatha’s etc.), or realize that they’ve been indoctrinated into something that isn’t even there…whether wishing to believe it’s inerrant/divinely-inspired, or not!
After 30+ years as a Futurist, then a FP…I’ve recently said that my position is now officially “Neutral” (yeah, a goofy word-choice…probably😂, but am sticking with it, until more comfortable with something else).
Thanks so very much for sharing this, bro…is an all-time grrrrrrreat one, and much appreciated, too, Rick! (^___^)
Hey Barry!
I appreciate this so incredibly much! I have Preston’s article you tagged me in open in my browser to read as soon as I get a few minutes today. Thanks for the tag!
I love what you’ve said about your position. You were a Futurist, then a Full Preterist, and now “Neutral”. Love it! I’ve written a brief post on labels like this called “Beyond the Dance of Atheism and Theism” (https://rickquestionsthings.com/beyond-the-dance-of-atheism-and-theism/). I came to a place where I simply stopped labeling myself altogether. Neutral is a great term!
Your comment is so encouraging. I wrote this post intending it to be much shorter lol! It kept going and going, and I finally had to cut it off. I could have gone into all kinds of other directions as well, including cross referencing Mark and Luke which adds a tremendous amount of weight to the argument! But, when I cut it off, I actually thought to myself, “I wonder if this will even ever be read…” And so far it’s had a relatively shocking amount of traffic! I’m thankful it’s resonating with you and others! I hope it helps others see what we’ve come to see!
Hiya Rick, and Thank You more…W😬W, and my 15 Minutes of Fame = *Fulfilled*, as well…thanks to you!😛🤣😌
I’ll be checking out your ‘Beyond the Dance’ article today, too…look forward to it.
Yes, the cross-referencing adds even more weight…4 sure (like, how could Luke’s Olivet be anything but 70 AD?)!😆
To me, the length ended up perfect…very readable, and a real GEM! I can’t think of anything even close to this good!!!
I’m not sure about my ‘Neutral’ lol…but was all I could think of…& hate labels hahaha…and this one kinda gives me a pass from being bashed etc.🤪
Have a gr8 one, bro., & thanks a LOT again, Rick!😊