From the ESV Study Bible

24:1–14 The Beginning of Birth Pains. Jesus previews the general conditions of the earth, which in some sense characterize the entire age, before he returns: sufferings throughout the world (vv. 4–8), the suffering of his disciples (vv. 9–13), and the preaching of the gospel to all nations (v. 14).

24:3 The disciples ask two questions: (1) when will these things be, and (2) what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age? Jesus’ answer to these questions apparently intertwines prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and his second coming. The near event (the destruction of Jerusalem) serves as a symbol and foreshadowing of the more distant event (the second coming). The discourse can be divided into three parts: (1) a generally chronological description of events preceding Christ’s return (vv. 4–31); (2) lessons on watching, waiting, and being prepared for Christ’s return (24:36–25:30); and (3) a warning of judgment and a promise of reward at the time of Christ’s return (25:31–46). On the Mount of Olives, see notes on 21:1 and 24:1. Matthew’s version of this question, with explicit mention of the second coming, is more developed and detailed than the question in the parallel passages in Mark 13:4 and Luke 21:7.

24:8 Birth pains indicates that there will be a time of suffering prior to the messianic age (cf. Rom. 8:22–23). OT prophets use the metaphor to depict terrible suffering in general (cf. Isa. 13:8; 21:3; 42:14; Jer. 30:5–7; Hos. 13:13) as well as suffering that Israel will endure prior to her deliverance (cf. Isa. 26:17–19; 66:7–11; Jer. 22:23; Mic. 4:9–10).

24:11 false prophets. Deception both from the world and from within the church will be prevalent (1 John 2:18–27; 4:1–6). Disciples must “test the spirits” to determine whether or not they acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah (1 John 2:22; 4:2–3).

24:13 end. Either the end of the persecution when the Son of Man returns (cf. 10:23), or the end of one’s life. will be saved. Not from physical death (cf. 24:21–22), but from divine wrath and human persecution, to experience the full blessing and peace of salvation when Jesus returns.

24:14 One distinct indicator that will signify the nearness of Christ’s return is when the gospel of the kingdom is proclaimed throughout the whole world, that is, to all nations (plural of Gk. ethnos, “nation, people”), a task that began with Jesus’ command in 28:19.

24:15–31 “Great Tribulation” and the Coming of the Son of Man. Jesus moves from the general characteristics of this age to describe the “great tribulation” (vv. 15–28) that will precede the coming of the Son of Man (vv. 29–31).

24:15 Daniel 9:27 tells of the abomination of desolation. Several times in Jewish history it was thought that this prophecy was being fulfilled—most notably during the days of the Maccabees when Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid king, ordered that an altar to the Greek god Zeus be constructed in the temple (167 B.C.). He also decreed that swine and other unclean animals were to be sacrificed there, that the Sabbath was to be profaned, and that circumcision was to be abolished. But Jesus clarifies that the complete fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy will be found in (1) the Roman destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 and (2) the image of the Antichrist being set up in the last days (cf. 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:14).

24:16 flee to the mountains. The ancient church historian Eusebius reports that, during the Jewish revolt (A.D. 67), Jesus’ warning was fulfilled when Christians fled to the mountains of Pella (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.5.3).

24:17 on the housetop not go down. There will be no time to gather provisions.

24:20 not … in winter or on a Sabbath. They should pray that the harshest conditions and most revered traditions not be a hindrance to fleeing.

24:21 great tribulation. The time of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was horrible, but the vision Jesus paints will have an even more horrific fulfillment in the future (see note on 24:1–25:46).

24:22 if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. Some suggest this means that, if God’s wrath were to continue unchecked against the wickedness of humanity, no one would survive the eventual destruction. Others see in this a reference to a cutting short of either the seventieth “seven” (week) of Dan. 9:27 or the 42 months of Rev. 11:2. It is evident that the reference is not to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, since the unprecedented destruction described in Matt. 24:21 did not take place in 70. The elect includes all those who follow Christ during this period (cf. vv. 24, 31).

24:24 signs and wonders. Supernatural signs and miracles will have the appearance of coming from God but that will actually be the work of Satan and his evil forces. (On testing false prophets, see notes on 7:15–20; 9:34; 1 John 4:1.)

24:26–27 Look, he is in the wilderness … Look, he is in the inner rooms. The Messiah will not come secretly to a select group and stay hidden from public view. Rather, he will appear like a flash of lightning—sudden and visible to all.

24:28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. It seems best not to “over-interpret” this striking proverbial expression. It probably means simply that, just as people from far away can see vultures circling high in the air, Christ’s return in judgment will be visible and predictable. A similar view is that the vultures suggest the widespread death that will accompany the return of Christ to judge those who have rejected his kingdom. In either case, it will be impossible for people not to see and recognize the return of Christ.

24:29 sun … moon … stars … powers. It is possible that this is entirely literal language (with “stars” perhaps referring to a large meteor shower). Others take it as a mixture of literal and figurative language, and still others take it as entirely figurative, pointing to political judgment on nations and governments. The argument in favor of a figurative interpretation is that this verse echoes possibly figurative language about heavenly disturbances in the OT prophets, such as Isa. 13:10; 34:4; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:10; and Amos 8:9. Those arguing for a literal interpretation point to biblical accounts of actual darkness: cf. Ex. 10:21–23 and Matt. 27:45. The idea of the stars falling and the heavens being rolled up is mentioned elsewhere in the NT as well (see Heb. 1:12; 2 Pet. 3:7, 10, 12; Rev. 6:13–14). Whether these events are to be understood as being primarily literal or primarily figurative, it is clear that these will be “earth-shattering” events, through which all creation will be radically transformed at the return of Christ. (Regarding the “new heavens and the new earth,” see Isa. 65:17; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1.)

24:30 sign of the Son of Man. Some suggest that this is a type of heavenly standard or banner that unfurls in the heavens as Christ returns in “power and great glory,” while others understand it to be the arrival of the Son of Man himself as the sign of the end-time consummation of the age (cf. 16:27; 26:64). mourn. Either a sorrow that produces repentance, or a great sadness of regret in light of coming judgment. they will see the Son of Man (see note on 8:20) coming on the clouds of heaven. This most clearly is end-time language that recalls Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 7:13–14) and points to Jesus’ return at the end of the age (cf. 2 Thess. 1:7–10; Rev. 19:11–16). with power and great glory. Christ will be revealed as the eternal ruler of the kingdom of God, designated by the Ancient of Days to receive worship and to exercise dominion over the earth and all of its inhabitants (cf. Dan. 7:13–14). The return of Christ is a literal event, in which Christ “will come in the same way” that the disciples “saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

24:31 A trumpet call is associated in Jewish end-time thought (Isa. 18:3; 27:13) and also in Christian writings (1 Cor. 15:51–52; 1 Thess. 4:16) with the appearance of the Messiah. his angels … will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. The involvement of angels probably indicates that, when Jesus returns, he will not only gather to himself all believers alive on the earth but will also bring with him all the redeemed who are in heaven (cf. 1 Thess. 4:14; Rev. 19:11–16).

24:32–41 The Nearness and Time of Jesus’ Coming. Jesus moves from describing future events to dealing with the attitudes that should characterize his followers as they prepare for the end (vv. 32–35), knowing that his return is imminent (vv. 36–41).

24:34 this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Several interpretations have been offered for this difficult passage: (1) Some think “this generation” refers to the disciples who were alive when Jesus was speaking, and “all these things” refers to the beginning but not the completion of the sufferings described in vv. 4–25. (2) Others see in “all these things” a prediction with multiple fulfillments, so that Jesus’ disciples will be both “this generation” that sees the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 and also those at the end of the age who see the events surrounding the “abomination of desolation” (v. 15). (3) Since “the generation of …” in the OT can mean people who have a certain quality (cf. Ps. 14:5; 24:6; cf. Gk. genea in Luke 16:8), others understand “this generation” to refer either (a) to “this generation of believers” throughout the entire present age, or (b) to “this evil generation” that will remain until Christ returns to establish his kingdom (cf. Matt. 12:45; Luke 11:29). (4) Others, particularly some dispensational interpreters, understand “generation” to mean “race” (this is another sense of Gk. genea) and think it refers to the Jewish people, who will not pass away until Christ returns. (5) Others understand “this generation” to mean the generation that sees “all these things” (Matt. 24:33), namely, the generation alive when the final period of great tribulation begins. According to this view, the illustration of the fig tree (v. 32) shows that when the final events begin, Christ will come soon. Just as “all these things” in v. 33 refers to events leading up to but not including Christ’s return, so in v. 34 “all these things” refers to the same events (that is, the events described in vv. 4–25).

24:35 my words will not pass away. Jesus attributes divine authority and permanence to his own teaching—it is greater even than heaven and earth.

24:36 In response to the disciples asking, “when will these things be?” (v. 3), Jesus says no one knows, not even … the Son, but the Father only. In his incarnate life, Jesus learned things as other human beings learn them (cf. Luke 2:52; Heb. 5:8). On the other hand, Jesus was also fully God, and, as God, he had infinite knowledge (cf. John 2:25; 16:30; 21:17). Here he is apparently speaking in terms of his human nature. This is similar to other statements about Jesus which could be true of his human nature only, and not of his divine nature (he grew and became strong, Luke 2:40; increased in stature, Luke 2:52; was about 30 years old, Luke 3:23; was weary, John 4:6; was thirsty, John 19:28; was hungry, Matt. 4:2; was crucified, 1 Cor. 2:8). Taking account of these verses, together with many verses that affirm Christ’s deity, the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451 affirmed that Christ was “perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man.” Yet it also affirmed that Jesus was “one Person and one Subsistence.” With regard to the properties of his human nature and his divine nature, the Chalcedonian Creed affirmed that Christ was to be “acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved.” That meant the properties of deity and the properties of humanity were both preserved. How Jesus could have limited knowledge and yet know all things is difficult, and much remains a mystery, for nobody else has ever been both God and man. One possibility is that Jesus regularly lived on the basis of his human knowledge but could at any time call to mind anything from his infinite knowledge.

24:40–41 taken … left. The description may indicate that one is taken away to final judgment (cf. v. 39) while the other remains to experience salvation at Christ’s return. Or possibly the one who is taken is among the elect that the Son of Man will “gather … from the four winds” (v. 31).

24:42–25:30 Parabolic Exhortations to Watch and Be Prepared for the Coming of the Son of Man. Jesus gives four parables to explain to his disciples how and why they should be prepared for his coming: the homeowner and the thief (24:42–44), the good and wicked servants (24:45–51), the 10 virgins (25:1–13), and the talents (25:14–30).

24:42 stay awake. Christians should not merely keep looking for the coming of the Son of Man. Instead they should be completing the work of the Great Commission (28:19–20), as well as being prepared and expectant, because the time of Christ’s return is unknown (24:36). On readiness for Christ’s return; cf. 1 Thess. 5:1–11; 1 Pet. 4:7; 2 Pet. 3:2–18.

24:48–51 delayed. The behavior of the wicked servant indicates he is a false disciple (cf. Gal. 5:19–21) and is deserving of that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, a description of hell (cf. note on Matt. 8:11–12).

Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (1873–1875). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.