[31] And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Is Matthew 24:31 about the end times, or could it be about the evangelization of the world?
In context, the entire passage leading up to verse 31 seems to be about the destruction of Jerusalem, and the events that took place during that time. Verse 31 seems to be describing what will happen after the destruction.
I believe this is the case because the passage begins in chapter 24:1, where it says that Jesus went out and departed from the temple. When his disciples showed him the buildings of the temple, he responded,
"Not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down".
The parallel passage in Luke's gospel says,
"Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, 'These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.'"
And the parallel passage in Mark says,
"Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, 'Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!'
"And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.'"
All three of the synoptic gospels agree that Jesus is referring to the destruction of the temple, which occurred during the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Jesus prophesied the temple's destruction here, and history reveals that it in fact happened within that generation, therefore fulfilling his prophecy.
Jesus's statement about the destruction of the temple stirred his disciple's curiosity, so Peter, James, John, and Andrew, later asked him privately, as they sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple,
“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3).
“Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?” (Luke 21:7).
"Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” (Mark 13:4).
Their questions were regarding the time period in which the temple was going to be destroyed, and what sign would be given, so that they would know when it was going to take place. Mark and Luke's accounts are clear that this is what they are referring to, but the language in Matthew's account has caused many Christians to believe that they are asking about Jesus's second coming, rather than the destruction of the temple. Matthew's version is different than the other two, in that the disciples asked him three questions, rather than two, which Mark and Luke recorded. Matthew's questions are:
• When will these things be?
• What will be the sign of Your coming?
• What will be the sign of the end of the age?
It is these last two questions that have caused Christians to think that the passage is about the second coming of Christ. However, we must keep in mind that the disciples were not aware of the second coming. They did not even fully understand when he told them that he was going to die and be resurrected. So, if they were not aware of his second coming, then why would they ask him about it? They seem to be asking about something else. When we read of his "coming" in the Bible, it is not necessary to automatically think that it is referring to his second coming. There are many times when it does not, but rather to God's judgement of a nation, or simply Jesus's return from a trip, or his coming to help his disciples. As modern day readers of the Bible, we need to understand that Jesus was speaking to people during his time, and that they would have understood it differently from what we do, because we are thousands of years removed, and in a totally different culture.
Furthermore, based on Mark and Luke's parallel accounts, it is clear that the disciples were asking about the destruction of the temple, and not the return of Christ. I do believe where Jesus addressed Matthew's third question in verse 35, is a transition from the destruction of Jerusalem to the end of the age, but I will not get into that now.
After being asked these questions by his disciples, Jesus goes on to describe the tragic events which would lead up to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. These events, or tribulations, would signify their destruction - the most devastating event Israel ever had experienced, or ever would experience. Luke refers to this time as "the days of vengeance" because God's judgement was being poured out on Israel.
The primary sign would be the "abomination of desolation standing in the holy place", as prophesied by Daniel. Luke tells us in his parallel passage what the abomination of desolation is - it is the armies that are surrounding Jerusalem. Jesus said, "When you see the armies surrounding Jerusalem, then know that its desolation is near. ". The armies surrounding Jerusalem would be the sign that "these things are about to take place", or in other words, that the time has come for the temple to be destroyed.
The destruction of the temple in AD 70 would bring an end to the sacrificial system, the abolishment of the old covenant, and the institution of the new covenant, as prophesied by Daniel:
“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” (Daniel 9:1-27).
There would be many other signs as well, which would occur leading up to the gathering of the elect, including the sign of the Son of Man. When this sign appears, all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. It is very probable that Jesus is referring to God's judgement coming upon Israel, because of other prophetic passages that use similar language. Jesus was not only the Son of God and the Messiah, but he was also a prophet. He was prophesying in this passage, and therefore he was using language that the prophets used when they spoke. In my mind it is an important fact that these prophecies came to pass just as Jesus said they would, because they prove that he is a true prophet.
Look how similar Jesus's language and imagery is to the prophet Isaiah's, which he used to describe God's judgement against Babylon, which he called, "The Day of the Lord":
[9] "Behold, the day of the Lord comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. [10] For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.
[11] “I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. [12] I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. [13] Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the Lord of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger." (Isaiah 13:9-13 NKJV).
Jesus used the prophetic imagery and language of "coming on the clouds", and "coming", to describe God's judgement of Israel, just as Isaiah used it to describe God's judgement of Egypt. Look how similar Isaiah's passage below is to Matthew 24:
[1] The burden against Egypt. Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. [2] “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom. [3] The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers. [4] And the Egyptians I will give Into the hand of a cruel master, And a fierce king will rule over them,” Says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. (Isaiah 19:1-4 NKJV).
These passages from Isaiah are not about God's judgement of the world in the end times, but rather God's judgement of nations who had come against His people Israel hundreds of years earlier.
It is rarely taught in church that Jesus was a prophet, but there are several passages in Scripture which say that he was a prophet. It was an important aspect of his ministry that is important for us to understand, because it helps clear up some of the water that has been muddied by teachers throughout the centuries.
This is how I understand Matthew 24:1-30, and now that the context of the passage is established, I will examine how verse 31 fits into it in the next article.
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