The Olivet Discourse: Part Three

Matthew 24:15-28 – “The Need for Endurance” (part 2)

A sermon by Pastor Joe Haynes

Preached on September 1, 2024 at Beacon Church

Two days before the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, he prophesied about things that were going to happen from the lifetime of His original disciples until the very end of this world. You can see in verse 2, Jesus was preparing those disciples for the fall of Jerusalem. But this Scripture from Matthew’s pen also prepares you to endure whatever happens. I often listen to Al Mohler’s podcast “The Briefing.” This week he made an important observation that after the collapse of the USSR, people hoped for international peace but what we’ve got, a quarter-way into the 21st century, is as great a threat of nuclear war as ever.[i] And there are Christians today having to endure when their governments fall—when their countries collapse. It’s happening to Lebanon; in Yemen, Syria, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, Central African Republic, DRC, Chad, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. Others are teetering. You think it can’t happen here? What if our Canadian institutions fail? What if law and order breaks down? What if the Canadian dollar collapses and the banks close? What if the electrical grid fails and you can no longer charge your phone? What if war comes to Canada? If these things happened here, would you still believe in Jesus Christ? This was not a hypothetical scenario facing Jesus’ first disciples in the year 30, it’s not an abstract question for many Christians around the world right now.

In Matthew 24:2, the Lord Jesus told them the temple would soon be destroyed. He foreshadowed the fall of Jerusalem in Mat 21:18-21, 43; 22:7; and 23:35-36. Jews who believed in Jesus Christ were going to suffer much along with unbelievers. God was about to punish the Jews, and many thousands of Jewish Christians were of course impacted by what happened; swept up in those big events. What am I saying? Just this: your world might fall apart one day like it did for those first followers of Christ. What if it does? Don’t assume God would never let what happened to them happen to you—that what happened to Jerusalem could never happen in Canada. In Mat 24, the Lord gives a series of predictions that teach you to depend on Him no matter what the future holds. It is naïve, unbiblical, and historically ignorant to assume God would never let what happened to ancient Israel, or the Roman Empire, or Haiti, or Lebanon, happen here. Don’t assume Jesus will come back before that could ever happen. Jesus’ disciples assumed (Lk 19:11) that His Kingdom would come right away—they were wrong. And in this chapter, He tells them why they were wrong. He shows them why they will need endurance. God intends that what He taught them will teach Christians to endure with patience and courage and faith.

So look at Mat 24. We looked at vv1-14 last Sunday. Jesus gives a prophecy beginning in verse 4. He tells them “see” nobody leads you astray (v4); “see you are not alarmed” (v6)—we talked about that. The next 14 verses revolve around two more things to see: v15, “when you see,” and verse 25, “See, I have told you beforehand.” I have two points that hang on those two commands to “see,” in verses 15 and 25. In other words, no matter what happens, look with me and see how our Lord prepares you to endure and believe in Him.

How Jesus prepared His disciples for the coming desolation (15-20)

If you pay attention, in this prophecy, to the way Jesus on one hand speaks directly to His first disciples (“you”), and on the other applies this beyond them to others with more general statements about “many” and “the one who” and “those who” and so on, then you might see something wonderful about this prophecy: Our Lord was not just preparing His own disciples to endure; He was preparing them to pastor other Christians. I see this in how verse 15 and 16 are connected.

 15 "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),  16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house,  18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.  19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!  20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. (Matt. 24:15-20 ESV)

In verse 15, the Lord tells His first disciples “when you see the abomination of desolation,” and in verse 16 He finishes the statement, “then let those who are in Judea flee…” And He doesn’t just mean some of the Twelve might happen to be living in Judea at that time. Because in verse 17 He includes people who will be on their housetops when this happens; in verse 18, people working in their fields; in verse 19, pregnant women and nursing mothers. Jesus expects His disciples to pastor all these kinds of people in Judea so that when this happens, they will all know what to do. It is a duty of Christian pastors to tell their people whatever God’s Word says—not just to prepare believers to die, but also to equip them to live. So Jesus tells them in verse 15, to be ready for what they will see happen; and in verse 16, to make sure other Christians, including women and mothers, are also ready.

For what? That’s the big question in verse 15. What is this “abomination of desolation?” Does anyone actually listen to the instructions of the flight attendants on an airplane? Tell me, in the event those oxygen masks drop down, what do you do? A) First put the mask on your child, then put on your own mask; or B) First put on your own mask, then put on your child’s mask. Of course B. If you pass out, how can you help someone else? Well that’s what Jesus is saying in verse 15. First those disciples need to make sure they understand what he means by “the abomination of desolation” before they will be able to help the Christians they pastor. That’s why Jesus says this is something prophesied by Daniel, and then why Jesus commands them, “let the reader understand.” Or “The reader must understand.” He’s talking to men like the apostles or after them, pastors and teachers, who read the book of Daniel out loud for a congregation—in other words, preachers. Exactly that word for “the reader” is in Rev 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear…” The same word in Luke 4:16, when Jesus “stood up to read” the Scriptures, out loud, for those people, in the synagogue. The same word is used for those who taught the Bible in the synagogues in 2 Cor 3:15, and in Christian churches in Col 4:16 and 1 Thess 5:27. In other words, when Jesus says, this is written about in the prophecy of Daniel, and that “the reader must understand,” He is saying it is the preacher’s responsibility to study Daniel’s prophecy so that he can then explain this to his hearers. It’s a top priority of every pastor to study in order to preach.

So what does the prophet Daniel say about the “abomination of desolation?” This phrase first comes from a phrase in Daniel 9:27 that means, “abominations making desolate.”[ii] Or “abominations causing desolation”. I’ve studied that prophecy for many years. I’ve spent a great deal of time translating the whole passage from Hebrew word by word, researching how each word is used in the rest of the Hebrew Old Testament, and studying the work of many better scholars than myself.[iii] And I’ve reached two conclusions: First, the abominations Daniel predicted are all the ways the Jews corrupted God’s temple, confused people about the Word of God, and killed the Messiah God sent. It’s the reason Jesus wanted to cleanse the temple in Mat 21; why He condemned the Priests and Pharisees in Mat 21-23; and why He said in Mat 23:38, “See your house is left to you desolate.” And second, the “desolation” Daniel predicted in Daniel 9:27 is the same desolation Jesus predicted in Mat 21:41 and 43—that God was about to punish the Jews for what they did to his prophets and then to His own Son; in Mat 22:7, that God was about to put them to death and burn their city; in Mat 23:38, that when Jesus walked away from them, “their house was left desolate,” and in Mat 24:2, that the temple itself, along with Jerusalem, was going to be destroyed. The abominations of the Jews in the place, the city and temple that was holy to God, is why God poured out desolation on Jerusalem.

Now in verse 15, Jesus told those first disciples, “When you see [it]…” what Daniel predicted in Daniel 9:27, then those in Judea must flee. Luke’s account of Jesus words in verse 15 confirms what I’m saying this means. Because Luke puts it this way in Luke 21:20, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.” Jesus was telling His disciples to watch for a time when the desolation of Jerusalem arrived in the form of Roman armies laying siege to the city. Here’s how verse 15 was fulfilled: 36 years after this, the Jews began to revolt against the Romans. From 67-68, General Vespasian conquered most of the country. The Jewish historian, Josephus, describes how Vespasian conquered the whole area around Jerusalem and then closed in on the city: “the whole country was now overrun, and all exit from Jerusalem prevented… [the Roman army] hemmed in the city on all sides.”[iv] He then says that as Vespasian was preparing to make his move on Jerusalem, he received word that the Emperor Nero was dead and stopped the attack. Vespasian returned to Rome and in December ’69, was made Emperor. Joseph adds that he immediately “sent his son Titus with elite troops to crush Jerusalem.”[v] The siege lasted 5 months. In the destruction of that city, Josephus says 1.1 million people died, many of them from starvation.[vi] Jesus told His disciples to study Daniel’s prediction and watch for it to come; Luke says they watched for Jerusalem to be surrounded by the Roman army; then Jesus says (16) everyone in Judea must flee. And that’s what Christians did. Before Titus came back to crush Jerusalem, the Jewish Christians who were taught this prophecy, fled Judea. Because the Lord prepared His disciples for what was coming, and they pastored believers with His words.

Think about why God prepared them to escape when so many did not. V14: so they could spread the Gospel wherever they went (14) “as a testimony to all nations.” Everyone faces death eventually. But if God saves your life, you should ask “what for?” Well, I said that the Lord gives a series of predictions that teach you to depend on Him no matter what the future holds. First, Jesus prepared His disciples for the coming desolation. Next, He prepared those believers, and all believers since, to endure what came after…

How Jesus prepared believers to endure the desolation (21-28)

The first words of verse 21 predict an era of suffering worse than the siege of Jerusalem. " 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.  22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short," (Matt. 24:21-22 ESV). That word “tribulation” means affliction, distress, suffering, and trouble. And while this great era of tribulation was precisely what God had warned would happen if they refused to repent (He warned them through Moses, Solomon, Jeremiah, and Daniel), the tribulation and desolation of the Jews also affected the lives of Jewish Christians. They were forced to flee. This was catastrophic for Israel but it was painful for Christians in Israel. They lost their homes; they lost family members; they lost their country. But because Jesus prepared them, they kept their faith and stayed faithful. They took the Gospel with them “as a testimony to the nations” (14). History says Christians did escape to the hills on the other side of the Jordan River.[vii] [viii]Because they listened to Jesus’ words and obeyed.

That’s essentially what you are called to do if you follow Jesus. Keep His Word. Obey what the Bible says. When the world is falling apart, trust and obey. When you lose everything, trust and obey. When you are about to die, trust and obey. And if God spares your life—what is it for? Share the hope you have in Jesus—spread the Good News, the Gospel. Well to do that,  you’re going to need courage. What Jesus says here is meant to encourage you.

The Lord gives His first disciples two things here that I think you need to take to heart. First, what does Jesus say in verse 21? He told them there was an era of awful suffering coming, beginning with the catastrophe they saw happen to Jerusalem. (Notice the words: “when you see [Daniel’s prophecy happening] (15) then those in Judea must flee… (16) for then, there will be great suffering [like never before or since]…”) That’s the first thing Jesus said that you need to take to heart. The second is this: in verse 22, Jesus says it won’t last forever. Again, look at the words: the days will be cut short. By who? By God. Another way of saying all this is what Jesus already said in 23:38-39—“God was about to desolate Jerusalem but God will eventually have mercy again on the Jews.” Jesus held out hope: “…you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” If God never showed mercy to the Jews, none of them would survive this. So two things you need to take to heart, from Jesus’ words in vv21-22, are the severity of God’s anger, and the kindness of God’s mercy. Because of His wrath, we all need a Saviour. Because of His mercy, we have one. So do the Jews, so do you, if you turn to Him.

Now what does Jesus mean at the end of verse 22? "But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short," (Matt. 24:22 ESV). If you keep Matthew 23-24 together, Jesus’ final prediction in chapter 23 shines very good light on chapter 24. God’s wrath was about to fall on the Jewish nation (“your house is left to you desolate”). But God has chosen to save the Jewish people in the future, and on that day they will bless the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah of God (“until you say, ‘blessed is He…!’”). Looking back over the history of the Jews since the destruction of Jerusalem in 70, it was a long, dark, and very great era of tribulation and desolation for their people. It lasted over 1900 years. It included the Holocaust. But then when it seemed the worst, God cut it short. Hitler’s plans failed. The genocide was not total. Their suffering is not quite ended but their tribulation is no longer so total, so global, so “great.” God has spared a remnant of the Jewish nation in order to save every survivor of ancient Israel when Jesus comes again. The elect. His chosen ones. Why? Verse 14: as a witness to all nations. “Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness,” (Rom. 11:22). The Lord gives a series of predictions that teach you to depend on Him no matter what the future holds. 1st, Jesus prepared His disciples for the coming desolation. 2nd, He prepared believers to endure the desolation of Israel. What for? To give the Gospel to the world.

In verses 23-26, Jesus comes back to the warning He began with in verse 4. See that nobody leads you astray. 

 23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it.  24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.  25 See, I have told you beforehand.  26 So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.  (Matt. 24:23-26 ESV)

Someone might try and tell you another way to be saved; someone might say there is another Saviour you need to listen to. But what does the Lord Jesus say? Don’t believe them. Don’t listen to them. Don’t go with them. Don’t trust anyone who tells you there is a way out of this fallen world. Don’t believe a different Gospel that says there is hope in any other message than the message of Jesus Christ. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you to listen to him because he knows when God’s Kingdom is coming. Nobody knows—Jesus was very clear about that (v36). Only God knows. So trust God.

And if you trust God; if you wait with patience, and courage, and faith in Jesus Christ, you know what? You won’t fail to enter the Kingdom. It’s like what happened to a Spanish athlete at a European championship 20km race in Rome, back in June. Laura Garcia-Caro was almost at the finish line after 20km, overcome with joy that she was about to win her first medal. She raised her fist in victory and then watched in horror as a Ukrainian athlete passed her right at the finish line.[ix] She came 4th. So the Lord Jesus tells His first disciples not to let anyone tell them the race is over until it’s over. Well, how will you know when it’s over? One of two ways. When you die, your wait is over. Paul says, “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” And, “whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.” (2 Cor. 5:8-9) The other way is when the Lord Jesus Christ returns in victory, and the time of His Kingdom comes. And how will you know when He comes? You’ll know. You won’t be able to miss it. " 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather,"  (Matt. 24:27-28 ESV).

Jesus ends this section of his prophecy, not on a note of triumph but ominous warning. So that you don’t assume you will be spared from suffering but are prepared to endure it. Lighting in the sky is visible, yes. So are vultures circling overhead. See what Jesus has predicted; see how he prepares His first disciples, and equips them to pastor others. See that everything Jesus said would happen has happened as He said. And see how many go astray, fail to reach the end, and stop trusting the Lord. See how their apostasy is a warning to everyone: but see that way ends in death. The vultures are circling. The world is dying. You see it everywhere on earth today. But Jesus Christ is coming again. Wait for Him.