Turmoil often accompanies the inauguration of a new government. Even stable nations sometimes experience disruptions to the social, economic, and political order during transitions of power. As contrasts between the new and the old become starker, the protests against the change become more severe.
Jesus’ disciples understood how the inauguration of his government in the Messianic age would bring disturbances. Writing centuries earlier, the prophet Jeremiah portrayed the Messianic age as Israel’s “expected end.” He described how, during the new age, the nation would seek the Lord with all their heart. God would gather her from all nations. She would enjoy his presence in unprecedented ways (Jeremiah 29:11–14).
Jeremiah also predicted a great upheaval associated with the inauguration of the Messianic age. He described it in this manner: “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it” (Jeremiah 30:7).
Knowing this background information, the disciples asked Jesus about the sign that would precede the inauguration of the new age. Young’s Literal Translation puts their question like this: “what is the sign of thy [Messianic age] presence, and of the full end of the [Mosaic] age?” (Matthew 24:3, brackets mine).
Jesus’ prophecy of the Temple’s fall (Matthew 24:1–2) alerted his disciples to the fact that the age transition was near. Their request for the sign (v. 3) flowed from this prediction.
Jesus answered their request for a sign related to the soon-coming inauguration turmoil. He did so in a systematic, chronological, and climactic way. He created a crescendo of signs that ended with the standard apocalyptic images of Israel’s prophets.
Let us examine this progression of signs of the inauguration. We will divide them into three groups: preliminary signs (Matthew 24:4–14), later signs (vs. 15–26), and immediate signs (vs. 27–31). These group titles describe how the signs relate chronologically to the destruction of the Temple and the coming of the new age.
We will glance at the first group here. If the Lord wills, we will examine the remaining sign groups in future posts.
Preliminary signs
Jesus first gave a set of signs not associated directly with the inauguration of the Messianic age (Matthew 24:4–14). As these signs unfolded, the disciples must remember “the end is not yet” (v. 6) and that these were but “the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:8, ESV). When these signs ran their course, “then shall the end come” (v. 14).
The signs in this group provided the disciples with insight regarding what would happen between the Olivet Discourse (around AD 30) and the destruction of the Temple (AD 70). They must not allow these events to hinder the work Jesus would assign them for this period. “The end” would come soon enough, they had an important mission to fulfill in the meantime.
Generic Signs
Jesus divided the preliminary signs into two sub-groups. The first (Matthew 24:4–8) included general signs that could occur in any period. Religious deception (vs. 4–5), political and military unrest (vs. 6–7a), and physical disturbances—famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes (7b) were not unique to the inauguration of a new age. The disciples should expect them during the transition period and remain focused on their kingdom work.
Ministry Signs
The second sub-group (Matthew 24:9–14) of preliminary signs pointed more directly toward the Temple’s fall. These signs would affect the disciples’ ministry during the forty-year transition period. This distinguished them from the more general signs Jesus gave. Even though these signs were not immediate precursors of the new age, the end of the old age would not come until they occurred (v. 14). The disciples would experience intense Jewish persecution (v. 9) and see widespread apostasy (vs. 10–13). On a more positive note, they would preach the gospel of the kingdom to all nations.
The last sign in this group deserves elaboration. What did Jesus mean when he said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; then shall the end come” (v. 14)?
The “gospel of the kingdom” announced judgment against Israel. When John the Baptist announced “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2), he also described “the wrath about to break at any moment” (v. 7, Weust). Judgment fires would soon consume the Jews who rejected the kingdom gospel. Even as John spoke, God had already laid his axe unto the root of the trees. He would soon hew down every one not bringing forth good fruit and cast it into the fire (Matthew 3:8–10).
The nations had witnessed as God established his covenant with Israel. Moses had said, “Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” (Deuteronomy 4:5–6; emphasis added)
Moses also said the nations would witness Israel’s “latter end.” The Lord would “judge his people” and command the nations to rejoice because of his judgment on them (Deuteronomy 32:29–43).
Now, as Jesus spoke the Olivet Discourse, Israel had reached this “latter end.” He said “the end” would not come, however, until the disciples had announced the judgment to all the nations. Then the event designed to end the old age and inaugurate the new would come.
Did the disciples succeed? Did this sign come to pass? The New Testament Scriptures answer with a clear affirmative. Paul, for example, writing around AD 57,1 said,
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 16:25–27, NASB; emphasis added)
We should differentiate between this sign and the Great Commission found, for example, in Matthew 28:18–20. There, the task was to “make disciples of all the nations” (NKJV). This work would occupy the entire Messianic age and fulfill prophecies like Psalm 72:11 and Psalm 110:1 (cp. 1 Corinthians 15:23–26).
The preliminary sign Jesus gave the disciples involved preaching “for a witness unto all nations” (Matthew 24:14; emphasis added). This witnessing to the nations did not require making disciples of them. And, as we have seen, the disciples finished the witnessing work of which Jesus spoke before the destruction of the Temple in AD 70.
With the preliminary signs finished, we can examine the later signs and the immediate signs associated with the destruction of the Temple. We will learn more about the turmoil that would accompany the inauguration.
Footnotes
- D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo, and Leon Morris, An Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 242.
