Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Matthew 24

Mat 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

departed from the temple

Jesus leaves that which He abandons to judgment. See Scofield Mark 8:21, 23, note. In the light of Mat 11:21-22. Cf. Rev 18:4.

Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

There shall not be left here one stone upon another

1Ki 9:8; Psa 79:1; Isa 64:11; Luk 19:44.

Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

he sat upon the mount of Olives

Mar 13:3-37; Luk 21:7-37.

when shall these things be?

Mat 24 with Luk 21:20-24 answers the threefold question. The order is as follows:

• "When shall these things be?"—i.e. destruction of the temple and city. Answer: Luk 21:20-24.
• Second and third questions: "And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age?" Answer: Mat 24:4-33. Mat 24:4-14 have a double interpretation: They give
  1. the character of the age—wars, international conflicts, famines, pestilences, persecutions, and false Christs (cf. Dan 9:26). This is not the description of a converted world.
  2. But the same answer (Mat 24:4-14) applies in a specific way to the end of the age, viz. Daniel's seventieth week (Scofield Daniel 9:24-27, note 2. All that has characterized the age gathers into awful intensity at the end. Mat 24:14 has specific reference to the proclamation of the good news that the kingdom is again "at hand" by the Jewish remnant (Isa 1:9; Rev 14:6-7; Scofield Romans 11:5, note). Mat 24:15 gives the sign of the abomination (Scofield Daniel 9:27, note)—the "man of sin," or "Beast" (2Th 2:3-8; Dan 9:27; 12:11; Rev 13:4-7).
  This introduces the great tribulation (Psa 2:5; Scofield Rev 7:14, note), which runs its awful course of three and a half years, culminating in the battle of Scofield Rev 19:19-21, note, at which time Christ becomes the smiting Stone of Dan 2:34. The detail of this period (Mat 24:15-28) is:
  1. The abomination in the holy place (Mat 24:15);
  2. the warning (Mat 24:16-20) to believing Jews who will then be in Jerusalem;
  3. the great tribulation, with renewed warning as to false Christs (Mat 24:21-26);
  4. the sudden smiting of the Gentile world-power (Mat 24:27-28);
  5. the glorious appearing of the Lord, visible to all nations, and the regathering of Israel (Mat 24:29-31);
  6. the sign of the fig-tree (Mat 24:32-33);
  7. warnings, applicable to this present age over which these events are ever impending (Mat 24:34-51; Phl 4:5).
  Careful study of Dan 2; 7; 9; and Rev 13 will make the interpretation clear. See, also, "Remnant" (Isa 1:9; Rom 11:5).

Luk 17:20-37.

the sign of thy coming

Mat 24:30; 2Pe 3:4.

end of the world

consummation of the age.

Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

many shall come in my name

Mat 24:24; Jhn 5:43; 1Jo 2:18.

Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

wars and rumours of wars

Rev 6:2-4.

Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

nation shall rise against nation

Hag 2:22.

famines

Rev 6:5-6.

earthquakes

Rev 6:12.

Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

deliver you up to be afflicted

Mat 10:17-18.

Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

shall betray one another

Dan 12:10.

Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

false prophets shall rise

2Pe 2:1; Rev 13:11; 19:20.

Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

iniquity

i.e. lawlessness

Sin. Scofield Romans 3:23, note.

love of many shall wax cold

2Th 2:3-4; 2Ti 3:1.

Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

gospel

Gospel. Mat 26:13. (Gen 12:1-3; Rev 14:6.)

kingdom

Scofield Matthew 3:2, note.

world

oikoumene = inhabited earth. (Luk 2:1).

Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

the abomination of desolation

The Beast. Jhn 5:43. (Dan 7:8; Rev 19:20.)

spoken of by Daniel

Inspiration. Mat 24:15, 37-39; Mat 26:54. (Exo 4:15; Rev 22:19.)

Dan 9:27; 11:31; 12:11.

Mat 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

them which be in Judaea flee

Cf. Luk 21:20-24. The passage in Luke refers in express terms to a destruction of Jerusalem which was fulfilled by Titus, A.D. 70; the passage in Matthew to a future crisis in Jerusalem after the manifestation of the "abomination". See "Beast" (Scofield Daniel 7:8; Revelation 19:20); and "Armageddon" (Scofield Rev 16:14; 19:17). As the circumstances in both cases will be similar, so are the warnings. In the former case Jerusalem was destroyed; in the latter it will be delivered by divine interposition.

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

great tribulation

Tribulation, (the great). Mat 24:21-22; Rev 3:10. (Psa 2:5; Rev 7:14).

world

i.e. earth.

Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

there should no flesh be saved

Isa 65:8-9; Dan 9:27; Zec 13:8-9; Rev 12:6-17.

Mat 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

as the lightning cometh

Isa 30:30; 1Th 5:1-3.

the coming of the Son of man be

Gen 7:11; Luk 17:26-27; 1Th 5:3; 2Pe 2:5; 3:6.

Also Mat 24:37, 39, 44. See Scofield Matthew 8:20, note.

Mat 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

the carcase

Armageddon (battle of). Rev 19:17. (Rev 16:14; 19:21.)

Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

the tribulation of those days

Day (of Jehovah). Mat 24:29-31; Mat 25:31-46. (Isa 2:10-22; Rev 19:11-21).

Mat 24:30 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.

the Son of man coming

Christ (Second Advent). Mat 24:36-50. (Deu 30:3; Acts 1:9-11.)

Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

he shall send

Psa 50:4-5; Mat 13:41.

angels [See also Mat 24:36.]

Scofield Hebrews 1:4, note

shall gather together his elect

Israel (prophecies). Luk 1:31-33. (Gen 12:2, 3; Rom 11:26.)

Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

parable of the fig tree

Parables (N.T.). Mat 24:32-33; Mat 25:1-13. (Mat 5:13-16; Luk 21:29-31).

Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

ye shall see all these things

Mat 24:15; 1Th 5:1-5.

it

Or, he.

Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

This generation

Greek genea, the primary definition of which is, "race, kind, family, stock, breed)." (So all lexicons.) That the word is used in this sense here is sure because none of "these things," i.e. the world-wide preaching of the kingdom, the great tribulation, the return of the Lord in visible glory, and the regathering of the elect, occurred at the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, A.D. 70. The promise is, therefore, that the generation—nation, or family of Israel—will be preserved unto "these things"; a promise wonderfully fulfilled to this day.

Mat 12:45; 23:35-36.

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

my words shall not pass away

Psa 119:89, 160; 138:2; Isa 51:6; Mat 5:18; 1Pe 1:23, 25.

Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

that day and hour knoweth no man

Mat 24:42, 44; Act 1:7.

Mat 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

as the days of Noe

Gen 6:5-8; 1Pe 3:20.

Mat 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

the coming of the Son of man

Christ (Second Advent). Mat 24:36-50; Mat 25:31-46. (Deu 30:3; Acts 1:9-11.)

Mat 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Watch therefore

Mat 25:13; Rev 3:3.

what hour

on what day.

Mat 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

be ye also ready

Mat 25:10; Luk 12:35-40, 43; 21:34-36.

Mat 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

faithful

Luk 12:42-46; 1Co 4:2. It is faithfulness, not ability, in the Lord's service that is first approved by Him.

to give them meat

Jhn 21:15; 1Pe 5:2.

Mat 24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

My lord delayeth his coming

Heb 10:37; 2Pe 3:4, 9; Rev 22:7, 12, 20.

Mat 24:50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

shall come in a day when he looketh not

Kingdom (N.T.). Mat 24:29-51; Mat 25:31-46. (Luk 1:31-33; 1Co 15:28).

Mat 24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

with the hypocrites

Mat 7:21-23; 25:3, 11-12; 2Pe 2:20-22.