Matthew 24:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.

NIV: You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

NASB: And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.

CSB: You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.

NLT: And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.

KJV: And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

NKJV: And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Christ's followers have asked when judgment will come on Jerusalem (Matthew 24:1–2) and what signs will point to the end of the age and His return (Matthew 24:3). He has warned that after He is gone from them (John 16:5–7), many men will claim to be the true Messiah (Matthew 24:5).

Now Jesus predicts that stories about violence, unrest, and chaos will come. However, just because there are battles or conflicting reports about them does not, itself, mean the end is near. These real and rumored wars are part of God's unfolding plan for the earth. They must take place, but they are not the signal of the end.

Since that moment, of course, many real and rumored wars have come and gone, bringing with them destruction and devastation. Unfortunately, many people seem to miss Jesus' words here—it seems every major conflict is accompanied by fears of Armageddon (Revelation 16:14–16) and the end of days.

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.

Accessed 5/6/2024 6:40:30 PM