Matthew 24

Matthew 24 is the twenty-fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It commences the Olivet Discourse or "Little Apocalypse" spoken by Jesus Christ, which continues into chapter 25,[1] and contains Jesus' prediction of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.[2]

Matthew 24
Matthew 1:1-9,12 on the recto side of Papyrus 1, written about AD 250.
BookGospel of Matthew
CategoryGospel
Christian Bible partNew Testament
Order in the Christian part1
Gospel of
Matthew
Chapters

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:

Old Testament references

Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple

In the preceding chapters, Jesus has been teaching in the Temple and debating with the Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees. Jesus and his disciples leave the Temple (Matthew 24:1), or the temple grounds in the New Living Translation.[3] Theologian John Gill observes that Jesus was "never to return".[4] Jesus predicts that "not one stone shall be left here upon another". The prediction follows the sentiments expressed by Jesus in Matthew 23:37–38:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ... See! Your house is left to you desolate.

Methodist 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.[5]

Mount of Olives

Jesus and his disciples proceed to the Mount of Olives, where a "private" conversation takes place regarding "the end of the age". Jesus' words here are referred to as the "Little Apocalypse" or "Olivet Discourse". Jesus appears to have gone ahead of his disciples (Matthew 24:3), who come to him to enquire about the timing and signification of his parousia (Greek: παρουσιας, parousias). Mark 13:3 states that only Peter, James, John and Andrew came to speak with him.[1]

Verse 5
For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.[6]

'I am Christ', lacking the definite article, in the Geneva Bible (1599),[7] the King James Version,[8] and the New Matthew Bible [9] (a modernised version of the New Testament of William Tyndale).[10] Carr (1882 onwards) observes that "the Christ, the Messiah" is correct, departing from the King James Version then in use.[1]

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) [11]

The "abomination of desolation" is alternatively described as the "desolating sacrifice" in the New Revised Standard Version.[12] Citation from Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11

Verse 35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.[13]

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.[14]

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),[15][16] giving detailed explanations about the allegorical meanings of each phrase.[17]

"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."[18]

See also

References
  1. Carr, A., Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Matthew 24, accessed 10 October 2019
  2. Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook: an Abbreviated Bible Commentary. 23rd edition, Zondervan Publishing House. 1962.
  3. New Living Translation
  4. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible on Matthew 24, accessed 19 February 2017
  5. Wesley, J., Wesley's Notes on the Bible on Matthew 24, accessed 19 February 2017
  6. Matthew 24:5: NKJV
  7. Matthew 24:5: Geneva Bible
  8. Matthew 24:5: KJV
  9. Matthew 24:5: NMB
  10. BibleGateway.com, New Matthew Bible: Version Information, accessed 10 October 2019
  11. Matthew 24:15: NKJV
  12. Matthew 24:15: NRSV
  13. Matthew 24:35 KJV
  14. Isaiah 51:6
  15. Bahá'u'lláh (1931). Kitáb-i-Íqán: The Book of Certitude. Translated by Effendi, Shoghi. Baháʹí publishing committee. OCLC 603643768. Paragraphs 24-51, 66-87.
  16. Dunbar, Hooper C. (1998). A Companion to the Study of the Kitáb-i-Íqán. Oxford, United Kingdom: George Ronald. pp. 52–53. ISBN 0-85398-430-1.
  17. Buck, Christopher (1995). Symbol & Secret. Los Angeles, USA: Kalimát Press. pp. 120–126. ISBN 0-933770-80-4.
  18. King James Version
Preceded by
Matthew 23		 Chapters of the Bible
Gospel of Matthew		 Succeeded by
Matthew 25
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.