Commentary - Matthew 24:15-28

Bird's-eye view

In this critical section of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus provides His disciples with a specific, observable sign that will precede the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. This is not hazy, mystical speculation about the end of the space-time continuum; it is a direct answer to their question about the temple's demise. The Lord gives them a clear signal, the "abomination of desolation", and follows it with urgent, practical instructions for survival. Flee. Do not hesitate. This will be a time of unprecedented tribulation for the inhabitants of Judea, a localized but catastrophic judgment. Jesus then pivots to warn against the eschatological confusion that will accompany this crisis. People will claim the Messiah has returned secretly, but Jesus insists His ultimate coming will be as public and undeniable as a flash of lightning. The passage concludes with a grim proverb about vultures and a corpse, cementing the theme of judgment. The central thrust is that the coming judgment on first-century Jerusalem is a historical certainty, and the disciples are to be prepared for it, not by looking for a secret "rapture," but by obeying Jesus' explicit command to get out of town when they see the sign.

This entire passage is anchored in the historical events of A.D. 70. Jesus is functioning as a true prophet, giving His people a clear word of warning so that they might be delivered from the coming wrath. The "great tribulation" here is not a seven-year period at the end of time, but the horrific siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies under Titus. The early church understood this, and as history records, they fled to Pella and were spared. The warnings against false christs and the description of the Son of Man's coming serve to distinguish the A.D. 70 event from the final, glorious Second Coming, ensuring the disciples (and we) do not confuse a historical judgment with the final judgment.

Outline

Context In Matthew

This passage is the heart of Jesus' answer to the disciples' questions in Matthew 24:3, specifically, "When will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" Jesus has just predicted that not one stone of the temple would be left upon another (Matt 24:2). The disciples conflate this event with His final coming and the end of the world. Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, carefully disentangles these events. Verses 15-28 deal directly and graphically with the first question: "When will these things be?", that is, the destruction of the temple. This section follows the general "birth pangs" (wars, famines, earthquakes) of verses 4-14 and precedes the cosmic language describing the Son of Man's coming in judgment "on the clouds" (v. 30), which is also a description of the A.D. 70 event in the apocalyptic language of the Old Testament. The entire discourse is a prophecy about the end of the old covenant age, which culminated in the destruction of its central sanctuary. This passage provides the linchpin, tying the prophecy to a concrete, verifiable historical sign.

Key Issues

Let the Reader Understand

One of the most striking features of this passage is the parenthetical comment in verse 15: "(let the reader understand)." This is a direct address from the author, Matthew, to his audience. It's a nudge in the ribs, telling us to pay close attention. Jesus is speaking to the disciples, but Matthew is writing this down years later, likely in the decade just before the judgment fell. He is telling the church, "This is not just theoretical. This is for you. Read, understand, and be ready to act."

This little phrase confirms that the prophecy was intended to be understood and obeyed by its initial audience. It's not some esoteric code for a generation two thousand years in the future. It was an urgent, life-or-death warning for the Christians living in Judea in the first century. The "reader" was to understand that the prophecy of Daniel was about to find its climactic fulfillment, not in some distant future, but right in front of them. This is a divine command to take the Scriptures seriously and to apply them with wisdom to the circumstances at hand. It is a rebuke to all forms of eschatological escapism that would divorce this text from its historical, first-century context.

Verse by Verse Commentary

15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

Jesus gives a specific, visible trigger for the action He is about to command. The term "abomination of desolation" comes from Daniel (Dan. 9:27, 11:31, 12:11). It refers to a sacrilegious desecration of the temple that results in its desolation, or abandonment by God. There was a historical foreshadowing of this when Antiochus Epiphanes sacrificed a pig on the altar in 167 B.C. But Jesus is pointing to a final fulfillment. Luke's parallel account clarifies what this abomination is: "when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies" (Luke 21:20). The abomination was the pagan Roman armies, with their idolatrous standards, surrounding the holy city and standing in the "holy place," which refers to the sacred ground of Jerusalem and its environs. When the disciples saw the Roman legions invest the city, that was the final, unmistakable sign that judgment was imminent.

16-18 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his garment.

The response to the sign is not to fight, or to pray for a miraculous deliverance of the city, but to flee. Immediately. The instructions emphasize extreme urgency. People relaxing on the flat housetops are not even to go down through the house to the street but should use the external stairs and go. A worker in the field should not even run back to the edge of the field to grab his outer cloak. This is a picture of dropping everything and running for your life. There is no time to pack. This is not a prediction of a secret rapture that whisks believers away; it is a command for a frantic, cross-country run to the mountains for safety. This is precisely what the Jewish historian Eusebius records the Christians doing; they fled Jerusalem before its final siege and found refuge in the city of Pella, across the Jordan.

19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

Jesus expresses profound compassion for those whose circumstances would make this rapid flight especially difficult. This is not a curse, but a lament. A pregnant woman or a mother with a nursing infant would be severely hindered in a desperate flight to the mountains. This detail grounds the prophecy in the harsh realities of human life. It underscores that this is a real, historical event with tragic consequences for the most vulnerable. It is the language of a caring pastor, not an aloof speculator about the future.

20 But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.

He continues with practical concerns. A flight in winter would mean facing cold and rain, and swollen rivers, making the journey treacherous. A flight on a Sabbath would present its own problems for observant Jews, as travel was restricted and the city gates might be closed. While Christians were free from the ceremonial law, the surrounding culture would still present significant obstacles. Jesus tells them to pray about the timing of these events, demonstrating that while God has ordained the events, prayer is still a meaningful part of navigating them. God's sovereignty does not negate our responsibility to pray.

21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

Here is the reason for the urgency: the severity of the coming judgment. This will be a "great tribulation." The language of "unequaled" distress is common prophetic hyperbole in the Old Testament to describe a uniquely catastrophic event (e.g., Ex. 10:14; Joel 2:2). Jesus is not saying this will be the worst event in all of future human history until the end of time. He is saying that for the nation of Israel, for the city of Jerusalem, this judgment will be the climactic and most devastating catastrophe in their entire history. The historian Josephus, an eyewitness, describes the siege of Jerusalem in language that fully matches this description, detailing horrific famine, cannibalism, crucifixion, and slaughter on a scale that is almost unimaginable.

22 And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

The destruction would be so total that if it were allowed to run its full course, it would annihilate everyone. The phrase "no life" (literally "no flesh") refers to the inhabitants of the land, not every human on the planet. But God, in His sovereignty, sets a limit to the carnage. He "cuts short" the days of tribulation. Why? "For the sake of the elect." This refers to the Christians, the Jewish believers who had heeded Christ's warning and fled, as well as perhaps a remnant of non-Christian Jews whom God intended to spare. God's purposes of judgment are always intertwined with His purposes of salvation. He preserves His people in the midst of wrath.

23-24 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Jesus now switches from the physical danger to the spiritual danger that will accompany the collapse of the old order. In times of great crisis, people look for saviors. Josephus records that numerous messianic pretenders and false prophets arose during the siege, promising miraculous deliverance and leading many to their deaths. Jesus warns His disciples not to be taken in by them. These deceivers will even perform "great signs and wonders," tapping into demonic power to lend credibility to their lies. The danger of deception will be so great that even the "elect" will be targeted and tested. The phrase "if possible" indicates that ultimately, God will preserve His true elect from final apostasy, but the seduction will be powerful and real.

25-26 Behold, I have told you in advance. Therefore, if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.

Jesus emphasizes that His warning is a grace. "I have told you in advance." Forewarned is forearmed. He gives them specific examples of the lies they will hear. Some will claim the Messiah is mustering an army in the desert, a common expectation for a military deliverer. Others will claim He has appeared secretly, perhaps to the leadership in the private chambers of the temple. The command is simple: don't believe any of it. Don't even go out to investigate. His true coming will not be a localized, secret, or questionable event.

27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and appears even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

This verse is crucial. The "coming of the Son of Man" is contrasted with the secret appearances of the false christs. His coming will be like lightning that flashes across the entire sky. It is public, sudden, dramatic, and undeniable. Now, we must be careful. This is not describing the final Second Coming at the end of history. In the context of the Olivet Discourse, the "coming of the Son of Man" is his coming in judgment against Jerusalem. This is Old Testament language. God "coming" on the clouds was a standard way to describe His judgment against a nation (e.g., Isaiah 19:1). Jesus' coming in judgment in A.D. 70 was not a secret event in the wilderness. It was as visible and obvious as the Roman armies, the instruments of His wrath, flashing across the land from east to west.

28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

Jesus concludes with a stark proverb. The word translated "vultures" can also mean eagles, which was the symbol of the Roman legions. The meaning is plain: judgment is not arbitrary. Just as vultures are drawn to a dead body, so judgment is drawn to spiritual corruption and death. The corpse was the apostate, spiritually dead nation of Israel, centered in Jerusalem. The eagles, or vultures, were the Roman armies, sent by God to consume the carcass. It was an inevitable and natural consequence. Where there is profound covenant unfaithfulness, there will be profound covenant judgment.

Application

First, this passage teaches us to read our Bibles with our feet on the ground. Jesus gave His disciples concrete, practical, life-saving instructions for a real-world crisis. Our eschatology should not be an excuse for escapism or wild speculation, but should equip us for faithful obedience in the here and now. We must learn to read the signs of the times, not by looking for newspaper headlines to match Bible verses, but by understanding the great movements of God's covenant dealings in history.

Second, we are reminded that the greatest danger in times of turmoil is often spiritual deception. When things fall apart, people are desperate for answers, and false prophets are always ready to provide them. The only safeguard against deception is a firm grounding in the words of the true Christ. We must not be gullible. We must not chase after every new spiritual fad or supposed miracle worker who claims to have a secret insight. Christ's work is public and His word is clear.

Finally, we see the terrible reality of God's judgment and the beautiful reality of His salvation. The judgment on Jerusalem was a fearsome thing, a picture of the final judgment to come. God does not trifle with sin. But in the midst of that wrath, He made a way of escape for His people. He told them exactly what to do, and those who listened to His voice were saved. In the same way, He has warned us of a final judgment and has provided a way of escape through the cross of Jesus Christ. The command for us today is not to flee to the mountains of Pella, but to flee to the mountain of Calvary. We are to abandon all self-reliance and run to Christ, for He is our only refuge from the wrath to come.