Matthew 24 - The Second Coming
Introduction: The Hermeneutics of Prophetic Hope
Eschatology, the theology of final things, represents the culmination of redemptive history. In the Olivet Discourse, recorded in Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus Christ provided His disciples with an exposition of the events preceding His return. Seated upon the Mount of Olives, Christ answered the inquiries of His disciples regarding the destruction of the temple, the sign of His coming, and the end of the age.
Matthew 24:3 (NASB)
As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen, and what [will be] the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’
To properly comprehend biblical eschatology, one must employ a consistent literal, grammatical, and historical hermeneutic centered upon the person and work of Jesus Christ. When the Scriptures are interpreted through this lens, the overarching narrative of redemptive history unfolds with clarity—from creation and the fall, through the biblical covenants, to the establishment of the church, the climactic period of tribulation, and the glorious return of the Messiah.
The Divine Plan: Israel, the Nations, and the Church
To understand the culmination of the present age, one must first trace God’s historical dealings with humanity. Following the dispersion of languages and peoples at the Tower of Babel, God established an unconditional covenant with Abraham, promising land, seed, and universal blessing.
Genesis 12:1-3 (NASB)
Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’
This foundational Abrahamic Covenant is further elaborated throughout the Old Testament through the Land Covenant, the Davidic Covenant regarding an eternal throne, and the New Covenant of spiritual regeneration.
Deuteronomy 30:1-10 (NASB)
’So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call [them] to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. ’If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. ’The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. ’Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. ’The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. ’And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. ’Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.
2 Samuel 7:12-16 (NASB)
’When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. ’He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ’I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took [it] away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ‘Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.’‘’
Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NASB)
‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD. ‘But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD, ’I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ’They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.’
Throughout the Old Testament, the redemptive focus rested predominantly upon the ethnic lineage of Jacob, designated as Israel. When the Messiah arrived, His earthly ministry began among the lost sheep of the house of Israel. However, upon Israel’s formal rejection of their Messiah, a prophetic pivot occurred. Following the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, initiating the church age.
Acts 1:8-11 (NASB)
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’ And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’
The Gospel message, having been proclaimed to the Jew first, expanded rapidly to the Gentile nations. Through this sovereign design, Gentiles who were once far off were grafted into the rich root of God’s covenantal promises, not to replace ethnic Israel, but to provoke them to jealousy while the partial hardening of Israel remains.
Romans 1:16 (NASB)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 11:11-25 (NASB)
I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation [has come] to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will [their] acceptance be but life from the dead? If the first piece [of dough] is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, [remember that] it is not you who supports the root, but the root [supports] you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural [branches] be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery– so that you will not be wise in your own estimation– that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
The distinction between Israel and the church remains vital for understanding the end times. The church does not supplant Israel in the divine architecture. While the present dispensation focuses upon the gathering of a predominantly Gentile bride into the body of Christ, God’s unfulfilled promises to ethnic Israel necessitate a future season of divine dealing with the descendants of Abraham.
The Tribulation and the Preservation of the Remnant
Following the completion of the church age and the rapture of believers, human history enters a final seven-year period known as the Seventieth Week of Daniel or the Tribulation.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NASB)
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of [the] archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
This period serves a dual purpose: to pour out divine judgment upon an unrepentant world and to bring about the national conversion of Israel. During this time, God seals an elect company of one hundred and forty-four thousand Jewish evangelists from the twelve tribes of Israel to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom amidst intense global upheaval.
Revelation 7:4-8 (NASB)
And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand [were] sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand [were] sealed.
The apocalyptic imagery of the Tribulation reveals intense spiritual warfare. In the mid-point of this seven-year period, satanic wrath is directed specifically toward the Jewish people. This severe persecution, often referred to as the time of Jacob’s distress, forces the remnant to flee to the wilderness under divine preservation for a period of one thousand two hundred and sixty days, or three and a half prophetic years.
Jeremiah 30:7 (NASB)
’Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s distress, But he will be saved from it.
Matthew 24:16 (NASB)
then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Revelation 12:1-6 (NASB)
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads [were] seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. And she gave birth to a son, a male [child], who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Despite the wrath of the dragon and the severity of the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments, God preserves His covenant people from total annihilation, setting the stage for their national redemption upon the physical return of their Messiah.
Matthew 24:22 (NASB)
’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.
Cosmic Upheaval and the Appearing of the Son of Man
The climax of the Tribulation is marked by unprecedented cosmological disturbances. The natural order will be shaken as the lights of heaven are dimmed, providing a dark canvas for the luminous appearing of the King of Glory.
Matthew 24:29 (NASB)
’But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Immediately following the days of unprecedented distress, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens. Unlike His first advent in humility and obscurity, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be universally visible, majestic, and indisputable.
Matthew 24:30 (NASB)
’And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
When Christ descends on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, the nations of the earth will mourn. For the unbelieving world, His coming brings dread and imminent judgment. For the surviving remnant of Israel, His appearing evokes profound repentance and spiritual awakening as they gaze upon the one who bears the physical marks of His crucifixion.
Zechariah 12:10 (NASB)
’I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
Revelation 1:7 (NASB)
BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
At His command, angelic hosts will sound the great trumpet and gather the elect from every corner of the earth, consummating the redemption of those who persevered through the tribulation period.
Matthew 24:31 (NASB)
’And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
The Victorious Warrior: The Conquest of Revelation 19
The Apostle John provides a vivid narrative of this same climatic event, portraying the triumphant return of Jesus Christ as the righteous Warrior and King.
Revelation 19:11-13 (NASB)
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it [is] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes [are] a flame of fire, and on His head [are] many diadems; and He has a name written [on Him] which no one knows except Himself. [He is] clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
Christ is revealed riding upon a white horse, bearing titles of absolute integrity: Faithful and True. His eyes blaze like fire, signifying omniscient judgment, and His head is adorned with many diadems, symbolizing His ultimate sovereignty over all creation. His robe, dipped in blood, hearkens back to the prophetic imagery of the divine conqueror treading the winepress of God’s wrath.
Isaiah 63:2-4 (NASB)
Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? ’I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. ’For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come.
Accompanying the Messiah are the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure—representing the glorified church and redeemed saints returning with their Lord. Christ requires no earthly weaponry to execute His judgment; proceeding from His mouth is a sharp, two-edged sword, representing the authoritative and piercing Word of God that effortlessly slays His foes and establishes His sovereign rule.
Ephesians 6:17 (NASB)
And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Revelation 19:14-16 (NASB)
And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white [and] clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’
Conclusion: The Hope of the Coming Kingdom
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is not a figurative allegory, but the literal, historical climax of God’s eternal decree. It marks the termination of human tyranny, the vindication of God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel, and the ultimate triumph of the Lamb over the powers of darkness.
In this blessed hope, the believer finds enduring comfort and theological clarity. The same Jesus who suffered upon the cross and rose bodily from the grave will return in unmitigated glory to gather His redeemed, judge the nations in righteousness, and inaugurate an earthly kingdom characterized by peace, justice, and truth. The prophetic word stands as an unshakable testimony that history is moving unerringly toward the exaltation of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.