Matthew 23-25

The woes of chapter 23 begin with an admission that the Pharisees still held authority over the people and that the people should obey them -- what they say, not what they do, of course. Their quest is for honor and respect, yet they will be humbled, as will all who exalt themselves.

The woes are for:
1) Keeping everyone out of heaven, not just themselves.
2) Corrupting those they convert to God.
3) By the method of swearing, they make the earthly more important than the eternal.
4) Ignoring the point of the Law and getting sidetracked on tiny matters.
5) Emphasizing outward appearances instead of a cleasing of the heart.
6) Hypocrisy -- appearing clean on the outside, but wicked on the inside.
7) Supposing innocence of the murder of God's prophets before.

The words of Jesus rain down like acid. He condemns the Pharisees and the people of "this generation" (23:36). That generation would see the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple which was their pride and joy. Jesus' final words in the chapter is a warning that Jerusalem will not be able to call on Him until they acknowledge Jesus' Messiahship. At that, Jesus walked away.

In chapter 24 Jesus gives us the Olivet Discourse based upon the disciples asking him three things:
a) "When will this happen?" (The stones of the temple being thrown down.)
b) "What will be the sign of your coming?"
c) "What will be the sign of the end of the age?"

All kinds of scholars have taken all kinds of directions from this jumping off point. Some claim that these things are three different occasions, while others claim that two are the same. My inclination is to say that (a) happened at A.D.70 with the destruction of the temple (most would agree) and that (c) is "the end of the world" as it has come to be known (most would agree here also). The bone of contention is (b). I have read convincing arguments that Jesus' coming on the clouds is judgment language which could make His coming at the same time as (a). The problem lies in determining if Jesus answers questions about His "coming on the clouds" or about His physical return.

The fulfillment of 24:14 with the Gospel being preached in the whole world could mean "all the known world" and if it does, all parts of the world known in Jesus' day have had the Gospel preached there, and have had for a long time.

The abomination that causes desolation of 24:15 is linked to the defilement of the temple just before it's destruction in A.D. 70. This need not be a future event. It seems the language blends from talking about (a) to (c) somewhere in the middle of chapter 24, yet when we reach 24:34 we see the sticking point to determining the meaning of the prophecy. "This generation" will not all have passed away until "all these things have happened." Frankly, there is no other way to interpret the text up until 24:34 except to mark it down as fulfilled almost 2000 years ago. That causes us problems because we don't know how to view "all the earth" mourning, and sending angels "with a loud trumpet call" and gathering "his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to another."

The warnings of one being taken while one is left behind seems to refer to the gathering of the elect in context. But can it refer to those who are taken for punishment? It would seem not, as those of us on earth are to rise first after the bodies of our deceased brethren. Whatever the interpretation, we are to be ready. Punishment awaits those who do not persevere.

Parables of judgment follow in chapter 25. The Parable of the Ten Virgins again calls us to be ready for the Lord's return. Coming to Him too late is not allowed. Those who preach a second chance during a tribulation period ignore this warning. The Parable of the Talents warns us not simply to wait by doing nothing, but to do the Lord's work while we await His return. Being ready is not just being available -- it is preparing oneself. Again the punishment is being cast out to a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Finally, we are to be ready, to use what we have been given, then as illustrated in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, we are to take care of those around us. Failure to do so means that we don't really know Him. This time the punishment is clarified to say "eternal punishment" and the reward is "eternal life".