Matthew 24:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

NIV: and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

NASB: And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people.

CSB: Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

NLT: And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.

KJV: And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

NKJV: Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

Jesus is describing to the disciples what they should expect after He leaves (John 16:5–7) and before the end of the age (Matthew 24:3). The picture He has painted is not pretty. They will be delivered over to tribulation—to intense persecution and hardship—and put to death. They will be widely hated because of their association with Christ. Many apparent followers of Jesus will fall away in response to this persecution, and some will betray and hate those who remain faithful to Christ (Matthew 24:9–10).

In line with that same series of warnings, Jesus describes the rise of false prophets who will succeed in distracting people away from the truth about Jesus. False prophets are those who claim to speak for God, or even specifically for Christ, but who distort the truth. These liars may help bring credibility to the false messiahs Jesus described earlier in this passage. They will be convincing. Believing them will not bring the high costs associated with the name of Jesus. Those who only want to avoid hardship, and are not committed to truth, will want to believe these liars (2 Timothy 4:3).

Matthew 24:1–14 follows Jesus and the disciples out of the temple. This comes after His devastating criticism of the scribes and Pharisees in chapter 23. Christ predicts a moment when the temple will be destroyed without one stone left on another. Later, His disciples ask for more information about these future events. Jesus describes a season in which the world will be in turmoil but that alone will not be proof that the end has come. His disciples will be persecuted, killed, and hated for His name's sake. False prophets will rise and some with them will fall away from the faith.

Jesus makes a dire prediction about the destruction of the temple. Immediately after this, while seated on the Mount of Olives, Jesus responds to a question from the disciples. They ask when judgment will come and what signs will signal His return. Christ describes a season of unimaginable world turmoil and persecution. He points to a specific moment of defilement of the temple, at which point people should run for their lives. Jesus speaks of world-threatening tribulation which will be cut short right before He returns as King and Judge. Since nobody can possibly know when He will return, His followers must live in readiness.

Jesus has just left the temple area, after delivering a blistering criticism of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23). After predicting that the temple would be destroyed, He answers their questions about the end times. He speaks of a period when He will be gone from earth and they will be persecuted and killed. The world will be in turmoil, but the gospel will be preached everywhere. Nobody knows exactly when Jesus' return will be completed, so his followers should constantly be prepared. Jesus continues to teach on these themes in the next chapter.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.