What the Bible Says about the End of the World Matthew 24:1-2
Many believers have heard sermons on Matthew 24 and 25, yet confusion often surrounds Jesus’ end-time teaching. Why did the disciples connect the destruction of Herod’s magnificent Temple with the end of the world? In this Light on Life episode, we uncover four essential keys to properly understanding the Olivet Discourse, revealing how Matthew and Luke work together to provide a complete prophetic picture. Jesus’ stunning prediction of the Temple’s destruction—fulfilled in A.D. 70—demonstrates the absolute reliability of God’s Word and reminds us that prophecy unfolds through faith and patience. When interpreted correctly, these passages move us from speculation to clarity, calling believers to spiritual discernment, endurance, and confidence in Scripture.
This Week: Four keys to understanding Jesus’ teaching on the end of the world—and why fulfilled prophecy anchors our faith in God’s Word.
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Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 37 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.
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Podcast Notes:
The Olivet Discourse: Herod's Temple
Matthew 24:1-2 (ESV) 24 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
In Matthew 24:1, the disciples approached Jesus to show him the Temple.
This building was Herod’s temple and it was an absolutely magnificent piece of first-century architecture.
The construction of it was a massive undertaking.
It took eight decades to finish.
Some of the stones in the temple building measured ninety-four feet in length.
The width of these same stones?
Thirteen feet wide and ten and one-half feet tall.
All of these dimensions are per Josephus.
One hundred and sixty-two marble columns held up the fifty-two-foot-tall porch.
It was absolutely one of the wonders of ancient times.
Jesus stunning prophetic utterance predicted that all these stones would be dismantled.
When He prophesied these words, it was at the forty-six-year mark of the building project.
John 2:20 (ESV) — 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”
Remember, it took eighty years to complete the Temple.
They continued building Herod’s Temple thirty-four years after Jesus prophesied it's destruction.
So after Jesus utterance, thinks just kept on going like normal, nothing changed.
You would be tempted to think that 'Ah Jesus just missed it or He was referring to something else.'
Learn something about faith and the Word of the Lord.
Everything doesn't come to pass in twenty-four hours or by the end of the week.
There is a standing period.
Hebrews 6:12 (ESV) — 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
By faith and patience, you inherit the promises.
Through the vehicle of faith and patience, you drive to the fulfillment of prophetic words.
In year eighty, two years after it's ribbon cutting 'Grand Opening' the Temple was destroyed by the Roman army.
And, it was demolished to the very last piece of mortar and straw in 70 A.D. approximately forty years after Jesus prophecy.
After Jesus gave out this discourse, the scripture says He left the Temple and went away.
Notice it says, ‘He left, AND He went away’, double emphasizing His departure.
Why the extra descriptive?
Why not one or the other?
Because this was Jesus final trip to the Temple.
He never returned to teach after this.
It is worthy of note that the first sermon after Jesus left the Temple for the last Temple Sermon was on end-times.
To more fully understand Matthews version of Jesus end-time sermon, you should read Luke’s version of the same message, in chapter twenty-one of his gospel.
Keys to Understanding Matthew 24 in Living Color
Key Number One: Matthews Account is Incomplete, Luke's Account Fills in the Gaps
Matthew 24:3 (ESV) — 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”Luke 21:7 (ESV) — 7 And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”
There are 3 questions asked of Jesus by the disciples.
Notice that in Luke's account of this only two of the questions are recorded.
The questions are as follows:
When shall these things be? (referring to the temple destruction)
What shall be the sign of thy coming? (referring to the Second Coming)
What shall be the sign of the end of the world?
All of Matthew 24 and 25, and Luke 21 consist of Jesus answering these three questions.
The first question, ‘When shall these things be?’ is answered in Luke’s account only.
Matthew doesn't cover question one 'when shall these things be'.
He only reports on the other two questions, ‘What shall be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age.'
So, you need Luke's account in order to get the answer to the disciple's first question.
Key Number Two: The ‘TIME’ Words in Matthew 24 Indicate Chronological Sequence
There are many 'time' words in Matthew twenty-four.
The words indicate a sequence of events.
Here are some of the words which indicate a time reference or event sequence.
The word ‘Then’ found in verses 9, 10, 16, 21, 23, 30 and 25:1.
The words ‘When you shall see’ in verse 15.
And, the words ‘Immediately after’ in verse 29.
The 'time' words show that Jesus is not just jumping around giving out bits and pieces of information.
He is instead giving us a chronological order of events.
Key Number Three: The References in Matthew Are Jewish
Jesus message has special meaning to the Jewish people.
In Matthew twenty-four, He speaks of Jewish things.
Jesus uses Jewish symbols.
A Gentile wouldn't understand what He alluded to.
The following Jewish symbols are used.
In Matthew 24:15 - 'The abomination of desolation...’
A Gentile wouldn't understand this phrase.
The Abomination of Desolation wouldn't mean anything to them.
In verse sixteen, ‘Let them which be in Judea flee...’
The Gentiles are out in the world.
They are not crammed up in Judea.
They are in China, Africa, Australia, Scotland and on and on.
Verse twenty has ‘Pray that your flight be not....on the Sabbath day.’
Gentiles do not celebrate the Sabbath.
The Sabbath is a Jewish thing, not a Gentile thing.
And so, we try, as Gentiles, to read and apply these Jewish laced verses, and we mess it all up.
Key Number Four: The Church is Not Mentioned in Matthew Twenty-Four
The disciples knew nothing about the Church age.
The Church is not mentioned anywhere by name in this prophetic chapter in Matthew.
The disciples of Jesus knew nothing about it and consequently knew nothing of the Rapture of the Church.
Jesus never taught on it.
If you desire to know about the Rapture, you have to read about it in the Epistles.
Jesus the Jew is speaking to His disciples, who were, of course, Jewish about Jewish things.
So then, if we take these statements which were addressed to the Jewish people and then try to apply them to the church, then we get things out of context.
There are references to the Tribulation in Matthew twenty-four.
If you believe the Rapture takes place before the Tribulation, the Church would be gone in Matthew 24.
But, if you believe the Rapture happens at the mid-point of the Tribulation period, it still isn't mentioned here in Matthew 24.
If you believe the Rapture happens at the end of the Tribulation period, there still is no mention of it here in Matthew 24.
These statements may indicate the church is already gone. 1) ‘Then shall be great tribulation...’ verse twenty-one. 2) ‘Immediately after the tribulation of those days....’ - verse twenty-nine.
Remember, Jesus is answering three questions here.
To try and use these verses like 'because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will wax cold' and apply that to the Church is a misapplication of these verses and violates both the timeline and the Jewish flavor of these passages.
Just these facts discount ninety-nine percent of the sermons I have heard on these passages.
Okay so let's review these keys again.
Matthews Account is Incomplete, Luke's Account Fills in the Gaps
The ‘TIME’ Words Indicate Chronological Sequence
The References in Matthew Are Jewish
The Church is Not Mentioned
Question One - ‘When Shall These Things Be?’
Again, let's go back to the three questions, the disciples asked Jesus.
When shall these things be?
What shall be the sign of thy coming?
What shall be the sign of the end of the world?
With that thought here is the question of the day.
Why do you think the disciples went from asking questions about the Temple to asking questions about the end of the world?
Because they thought that after having such a magnificent Temple to call their own surely the only way this Temple could be destroyed is if the End of the World was taking place.
The first question the disciples asked Jesus is answered in Luke's gospel chapter 21.
Luke 21:5–12 (ESV) — 5 And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7 And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8 And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake.
Look at the beginning words of verse twelve, ‘But before all these...’ is a time phrase.
That is before the happenings of verse eight through eleven happen, what's described in verses twelve through nineteen take place.
So, Luke's version of answering these questions is not in sequential order.
Luke 21:12–19 (ESV) — 12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.
So then after you read down through verse nineteen in Luke twenty-one, Jesus answers question number one.
Luke 21:12–24 (ESV) 20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
These verses describe the destruction of Jerusalem.
They were fulfilled when the Romans compassed the city of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Jesus, by the Word of Wisdom, describes exactly how Jerusalem will be captured in Luke 19:41-44.
Luke 19:41–44 (ESV) — 41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
Exactly how Jesus describes it is how it happened.
In A.D. 66, the Jews revolted against Roman control.
Three years later, Titus son of the Roman Emperor Vespasian was sent to crush this rebellion.
The Roman soldiers attacked Jerusalem.
They broke through the north wall but despite this were not able to take the city.
Finally, they did just what Jesus said they would do.
They encompassed the city on every side.
The Romans laid siege to it and literally starved the Jews into submission.
In. 70 A.D. they took the severely weakened city and burned it to the ground killing 600,000 Jews in the process.
No wonder why Jesus cried.
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