Overview of Matthew 24 -- Part 1

Matthew 24 records the major eschatological events of Christ’s second coming to establish His kingdom. Christ was deliberately leaving the temple when He predicted its destruction. The Son of God saw what neither the Jews nor His disciples saw. The Jews could not see because of their empty formalism, and the disciples saw only the outward beauty of the temple. In essence, the disciples said to Christ, “Look at the temple.” Christ said to them, “You look at the temple’s destruction.” He proceeded to speak of future things.

In order to understand the teaching of Matthew 24, humanity must be viewed from its inception to its completion. All humanity not only descended from Adam but also became depraved in him. However, God the Father ordained His eternal Son to execute His purpose, fulfill His prophecies, redeem the ones He chose in Christ, and permanently pour out His Holy Spirit in the hearts of the elect (Rom. 5:1-21). Christ who knew no sin was appointed to be the representative on behalf of the sins of the elect. The Son of God became the Son of Man in order for the chosen sons of men to become the sons of God. Christ took the sins of the elect in order for them to partake of the glory of His grace. The eternal Son was born of woman in order for the elect to be born of God. Christ suffered the effects of the elect’s sins in order that they could experience the effects of His righteousness provided at Calvary. Christ was made a sin offering by the imputation of the elect’s sins in order that the elect could be assured of being made righteous by imputation and impartation of Christ’s righteousness. Jesus Christ was appointed to die for the elect in order for them to become righteous in Him. This righteousness even when perfected in eternity will not be identical with God’s unalterable character. It will be the completion of what Christ provided for the elect.

In the light of God’s eternal decree, which has been revealed, Arminian teaching denies the depravity of man; and it fails to distinguish objective from subjective reconciliation: “…there is a reconciliation which of itself reconciles no one, but which is the basis for the reconciliation of any and all who will believe. When they believe, they are reconciled experimentally and eternally, and become the children of God through the riches of His grace.”—Lewis Sperry Chaffer, D.D., Litt. D., ThD, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, page 192

Objective reconciliation presupposes a relation of alienation that has been satisfied by the death of Christ and enables God to look with favor on the elect for whom Christ died. Subjective reconciliation is understood only when the Holy Spirit regenerates the passive sinner. Therefore, both objective and subjective reconciliation are of God. The first is the fruit of Christ’s death. The second is the work of the Holy Spirit in a person who is spiritually dead, cannot believe until he is made alive, and is not only in darkness but is darkness (Eph. 2:1; 2:9, 10; 5:8; John 10:26).

Religious hatred is not new. It began with the firstborn of the first family, Adam and Eve (Gen. 4:1-7). Cain, the man of earthly desire, was the firstborn. Abel, the man of spiritual desire, was the second born. Humanity developed along the two lines of Cain and Abel. That which occurred in the family extends to society in general. Genesis 4:16-24 records the line of Cain. Genesis 4:25-5:32 portrays the line of Seth. Genesis 6:1-8:22 describes the blending of the two lines culminating in the flood on the one hand and the preservation of Noah and his family on the other.

Abel’s person was accepted before his offering. In the religious world, the gift makes way for the acceptance of the person. However, the way of grace is opposite. The Lord’s respect for Abel and his offering drove Cain to murder, and he went out from the presence of the Lord (Gen. 4:8, 16). The history of the Cainites began with murder and concluded with praise of murder (Gen. 4:8, 23, 24). The Cainite women came into prominence by spending their time adorning themselves and practicing feminine allurements.

General defection always precedes destruction: (1) Promiscuous lusts and unlawful marriages are in the family. (2) Tyranny, violence, and injustice are in the state. (3) Contempt for doctrine, abuse of patience, and ignorance of God’s warnings are in professing Christendom: “…they did not understand until the flood came…” (Matt. 24:39 NASB). There is no promise of improvement in moral conditions.

Genesis 9 records the beginning of the history of the new earth. New principles were brought forth under Noah. The old world was brought to a close, and the present world’s history began. Prior to this, Scripture says nothing about eating meat. The nature of blood foreshadows the atonement (Lev. 16; 17:11), and it points to Hebrews 9-10. Since blood is the life, it must not be eaten but poured on the ground (Deut. 15:23).

Noah was the new head of mankind. After nearly 2,000 years, God instituted capital punishment as a deterrent to crime (Gen. 9:5, 6). Punishment by death for murder is a Divine decree. Death for murder is recognized from the beginning of sin in the human race. Death was required to cover Adam’s sin (Gen. 3:21). Death was written on the conscience of Cain, the murderer (Gen. 4:5-15). Those who oppose capital punishment say that God’s mark on Cain was to protect him, and it argues against capital punishment. However, they fail to see that God intervened for the protection of a principle concerning blood, which He would establish as a type of the atonement. God not only decreed capital punishment (Gen. 9:6), but He also gave reasons for it: (1) Man was made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26). (2) Murder is a sin against God—a capital sin. (3) Sin brought death on all men (Rom. 5:12). (4) Christ’s death on behalf of the elect was capital punishment.

The world’s history is stated in few words in Genesis 9:18-19—“Now the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth; and Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was populated” (NASB). Shem’s blessing was his descendent, Abraham. In Adam and Noah, God dealt with a race; but in Abraham, God worked through an individual as the founder of a nation, which in turn will bless the elect of God.

In the call of Abraham, God took a step toward setting up a visible kingdom on this earth. The kingdom assumed an outward form in the Jewish commonwealth under Moses, Joshua, the Judges, and the Kings down to the captivity of Israel. God reigned through those men under the form of a theocracy. Israel revolted against theocracy under the judgeship of Samuel, and Saul became the King as the people’s choice (I Sam. 7-8). This was followed by God’s choice of David. However, the misrule of David’s successors and the idolatry of the people caused the cessation of the theocratic reign, and the times of the Gentiles began.

In Abraham, God’s Divine purpose became more specific, detailed, definite, and certain. It was more specific in Abraham’s election, more detailed because of the particulars connected with salvation, more definite because of the covenant relationship, and more certain because the covenant was confirmed with an oath.

Analyzing the Abrahamic covenant will reveal the following things: (1) Certain individual promises were made to Abraham. (2) Certain national promises were given to Abraham respecting the nation. (3) Certain universal blessings that encompass all nations were given to Abraham. If these promises had conditions, they would never have been nor could be fulfilled because men in their depraved condition do not have the ability to keep any conditions. Therefore, the promises were made in grace without conditions. The promises are not contingent on what Abraham or his offspring might or might not do, but on the grace and purpose of the sovereign God.

God made a covenant with Abraham that was confirmed by an oath with Isaac (Gen. 22:16) and confirmed to Jacob for a law (Gen. 28:10-15). Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are called the covenant fathers. The covenant is called God’s word, oath, and law. The covenant included both a seed and a land. It is called an everlasting covenant. As the seed has been fulfilled in Christ, the land will be fulfilled in spite of Israel’s unfaithfulness. Israel will be renationalized and rehabilitated.

The following are ways the covenant fathers are viewed: (1) Abraham portrays God as the electing God (Ps. 105:9, 10). (2) Isaac depicts God as the redeeming God, the One who brings life out of death (Gen. 22:16; 26:2-5). (3) Jacob represents God as the overruling God. The man who was an intriguer became by undeserved grace a hero for God (Gen. 28:10-15).

God’s covenant of grace gradually unfolded. This unveiling is given in four periods of time: (1) From Adam to Abraham, those under the covenant were called the promised seed (Gen. 12:7). (2) From Abraham to Moses, the covenant was more than a promise. Circumcision clarified it. Abraham must take the knife to the flesh as a sign of his acknowledgement of God’s covenant (Gen. 17:1-14). The secret of his life was the “I will” of God. If God’s fixed purpose is denied, the basic truths of the Bible are impugned. (3) From Moses to Christ, the covenant was clearly revealed. It contained not only the promise that was sealed with circumcision, but also the paschal lamb and all the Levitical sacrifices. (Study Ex. 25-40; Lev. 1-5.) (4) Now, from Jesus Christ to the kingdom, the covenant of grace is most clear because it has been established by the death of the Testator Himself (Heb. 10:1-14).