Matthew 24:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

NIV: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

NASB: Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

CSB: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

NLT: Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

KJV: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

NKJV: Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

The natural areas described by biblical phrases such as "the heavens and the earth" are the most permanent structures human beings can imagine. From our perspective, they seem unchanging and indestructible. They are not, of course. God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), and God can end them.

Thus, for Jesus to say that His words are more unchanging, solid, trustworthy, and permanent than the heavens and the earth is one of His strongest claims yet to be an eternal being (John 8:58). Christ is declaring His ability to speak directly for the eternal God in heaven (John 8:38). Jesus was there when they began (John 1:1), and He will oversee their future state (Revelation 22:1–5).

After describing difficult-to-understand events of the future, Jesus is reassuring His followers that His words are absolutely reliable and cannot be thwarted in any way. We should never attempt to dismiss the words of Christ by saying, "yes, but that was back then…" What Jesus said would happen, did happen, and will happen (Revelation 19:11–15).

Matthew 24:32–35 begins with Jesus' instructions to learn from the example of a fig tree. When the leaves appear, people know summer is coming. In the same way, when mankind sees all these predicted signs, they should know Christ's return is near. The generation who sees those signs will not pass way until all the predicted signs have been completed. Nothing will change this since Jesus' words will not pass away even though heaven and earth may pass away.

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.

Accessed 4/30/2024 7:40:34 PM