Matthew 24

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 51 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

• Codex Vaticanus (AD 325–350)
• Codex Sinaiticus (330–360)
• Codex Bezae ( 400)
• Codex Washingtonianus ( 400)
• Codex Alexandrinus ( 400–440)
• Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus ( 450)
• Codex Purpureus Rossanensis (6th century)
• Codex Sinopensis (6th century; extant: verses 3–12)
• Papyrus 83 (6th century; extant: verses 1, 6)

Old Testament references

• Matthew 24:15: ;
• Matthew 24:35: Isaiah 51:6

Context

In the preceding chapters (chapters 21–23), Jesus has been teaching in the Temple and debating with the Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees. Jesus and his disciples now leave the Temple (), or the temple grounds in the New Living Translation. Theologian John Gill observes that Jesus was "never to return".

Arthur Carr reports that in descending the Kedron Valley, to the east of the temple, and then ascending the slope of the Mount of Olives, the disciples could look back and see "the Temple [rising] with its colonnade of dazzling white marble, surmounted with golden roof and pinnacles, and founded on a substructure of huge stones".

Verses 1–2

In this "introductory scene", Jesus predicts that "not one stone shall be left here upon another". The prediction follows the sentiments expressed by Jesus in : :O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ... See! Your house is left to you desolate.

Methodism's founder John Wesley says that the prediction was "most punctually fulfilled" in that the majority of the temple buildings were burned and then dug up on the orders of the invading Roman general Titus in 70 AD.

Mount of Olives

Jesus and his disciples then proceed to the Mount of Olives, where a conversation occurs about "the end of the age". Jesus's words here called the "Little Apocalypse" or "Olivet Discourse". Jesus appears to have gone ahead of his disciples (), who come to him to enquire about the time of the temple's destruction (Tell us, when will these things be?, verse 3) and the significance of his parousia (, parousias). states that only Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to speak with him.

Dale Allison divides Jesus' warnings into three groups:

• the beginning of the woes in the world at large (verses 3–8),
• the intensification of the woes in the church (verses 9—14), and
• the climax of the woes in Judea (verses 15—28).

Verse 5

:For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ', and will deceive many. This verse reads 'I am Christ', lacking the definite article, in the Geneva Bible (1599), the King James Version, and the New Matthew Bible (a modernised version of the New Testament of William Tyndale). Carr (1882 onwards) observes that "the Christ, the Messiah" is correct, departing from the King James Version then in use.

Verse 9

:Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. This foretelling of Christian suffering is concerned with making it bearable.

Verse 15

:Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation', spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand) The "abomination of desolation" is alternatively described as the "desolating sacrifice" in the New Revised Standard Version. Citation from ;

Verse 20

:Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. The hardship associated with escape during winter is likely to arise from bad weather. Allison notes the absence of any explanation as to why flight on a sabbath day might also be more challenging; he suggests that Matthew's community might still have observed the sabbath as a day of rest, with its traditional travel restrictions, and been both hesitant and unprepared for flight on such a day.

Verses 29–31

:"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, the moon shall not give its light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. :And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. :And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet." In the Bahá'í Faith, Bahá'u'lláh gives an interpretation of Matthew 24:29-31 in his major theological work Kitáb-i-Íqán (The Book of Certitude), giving detailed explanations about the allegorical meanings of each of these phrases.

Verse 35

:Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Jesus’ words refer to an Old Testament saying recorded in Isaiah 51:6: :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.

Verses 37-39

:37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Reference is made to Noah, the flood, as recounted in Genesis 7, and the experience of those who were unaware of the impending destruction. Johann Bengel holds that the account of "eating and drinking" incorporates "the arts of cookery, confectionary, and other matters connected with luxury", but Heinrich Meyer argues that the words refer "simply" to eating [and drinking], without any "unfavourable construction".

References

References

1. [[Jerusalem Bible]] (1966), sub-title for Matthew 24-25
2. Carr, A., [https://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/matthew/24.htm Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges: Matthew 24], accessed 10 October 2019
3. Halley, Henry H. ''Halley's Bible Handbook'': an Abbreviated Bible Commentary. 23rd edition, Zondervan Publishing House. 1962.
4. Jerusalem Bible (1966) at Matthew 24:1
5. "New Living Translation".
6. "Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible".
7. Allison, D., ''56. Matthew'', in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), [https://b-ok.org/dl/946961/8f5f43 The Oxford Bible Commentary]
8. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:2. NKJV
9. Wesley, J., [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/wes/matthew/24.htm Wesley's Notes on the Bible] on Matthew 24, accessed 19 February 2017
10. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:5. NKJV: [[New King James Version. NKJV]]
11. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:5. GNV: Geneva Bible
12. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:5. KJV: KJV
13. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:5. NMB: NMB
14. [[BibleGateway.com]], [https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-Matthew-Bible-NMB/ New Matthew Bible: Version Information], accessed 10 October 2019
15. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:9. NABRE: [[New American Bible Revised Edition]]
16. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:15. NKJV: NKJV
17. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:15. NRSV: NRSV
18. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:20. RSV: Revised Standard Version
19. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:20. EXB: Expanded Bible
20. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:29-31. KJV [[King James Version. KJV]]
21. Bahá'u'lláh. (1931). "Kitáb-i-Íqán: The Book of Certitude". Baháʹí publishing committee.
22. Dunbar, Hooper C.. (1998). "A Companion to the Study of the Kitáb-i-Íqán". George Ronald.
23. Buck, Christopher. (1995). "Symbol & Secret". Kalimát Press.
24. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:35. KJV: [[King James Version. KJV]]
25. {{bibleverse. Isaiah. 51:6. NKJV: NKJV
26. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:37-39. ESV: ESV
27. {{bibleverse. Matthew. 24:37-39
28. Bengel, J. A. (1742), [https://biblehub.com/commentaries/bengel/matthew/24.htm Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament] on Matthew 24, accessed on 23 January 2025
29. Meyer, H. A. W. (1880), [https://biblehub.com/commentaries/meyer/matthew/24.htm Meyer's NT Commentary] on Matthew 24, translated by Peter Christie from the German sixth edition, accessed on 23 January 2026