Matthew 24:23

23 . Then ] The transition is marked by this word, it was possibly also marked by a pause in the Saviour’s discourse. 23–31 . The Second Coming of Christ Mark 13:21-27 ; Luke 21:24-28 The following scheme, intended to shew a parallelism between the two Predictions, is borrowed from an interesting monograph by the Rev. W. Sherlock, who argues for the division of the prophecy at Matthew 24:22 : the fall of jerusalem ( Matthew 24:5-22 ). the second advent ( Matthew 24:23-31 ). 1. False Christs and false prophets ( Matthew 24:5; Matthew 24:11 ). 1. False Christs and false prophets ( Matthew 24:23-24 ). 2. Persecution and apostasy ( Matthew 24:9-10; Matthew 24:12 ). 2. Dangers even to the elect ( Matthew 24:24 ). 3. Wars, famine, pestilence ( Matthew 24:6-7 ). 3. Distress of nations ( Matthew 24:29 ). 4. Great tribulation ( Matthew 24:21 ). 4. The sun and moon darkened ( Matthew 24:29 ). 5. The abomination of desolation ( Matthew 24:15 ). 5. The sign of the Son of man ( Matthew 24:30 ). 6. The escape of the Christians ( Matthew 24:16-18 ). 6. The salvation of the elect ( Matthew 24:31 ). 24 . shall deceive the very elect ] Compare this with the less dangerous influence of false prophets before the siege of Jerusalem, “shall deceive many.”

Matthew 24:23-26 . If any man say, Lo, here is Christ, or there — During the terrible calamities here foretold, the expectations of the nation were all turned toward their Messiah; for they thought if ever he was to appear, it would be then, to deliver them from the impending destruction. Hence many arose, pretending to be the Messiah, and boasting that they would deliver the nation; the effect of which was, that the multitude, giving credit to these deceivers, became obstinate in their opposition to the Romans, whereby their destruction was rendered both the more severe and the more inevitable. Our Lord, it must be observed, had cautioned his disciples against false Christs and false prophets before, (see Matthew 24:5 ,) but what he here says is not to be considered as a repetition of that, but relates to those impostors who should appear during the time of the siege. And, in fact, many such impostors did arise about that time, as we learn from Josephus, (lib. 6. cap. 5, § 2,) and promised deliverance from God, being suborned by the tyrants or governors, to prevent the people and soldiers from deserting to the Romans; and the lower the Jews were reduced, the more disposed were they to listen to these deceptions, and the more ready to follow the deceivers. Hegesippus also, quoted by Eusebius, mentions the coming of false Christs and false prophets about the same time.

And shall show great signs — As it was to little purpose for a man to take upon him the character of the Christ, or even of a prophet, without miracles to vouch his mission; so it was the common artifice and pretence of these impostors to show signs and wonders, σημεια και τερατα , the very words used by Christ in this prophecy, and by Josephus in his history. Behold, I have told you before — Behold, I have given you sufficient warning. If they shall say, He is in the desert — It is surprising that our Lord should not only foretel the appearance of these impostors, but also the manner and circumstances of their conduct. For some he mentions as appearing in the desert, and some in the secret chambers; and the event, in all points, answered to the prediction. Josephus says ( Antiq., lib. 20. cap. 7, and Bell.

(23) Lo, here is Christ, or there. —Better, Lo, here is the Christ. The narrative of Josephus, while speaking of many “ deceivers” claiming divine authority ( Wars, ii. 13, § 4), is silent as to any pretenders to the character of the Messiah. It is scarcely conceivable, however, that this should not have been one of the results of the fevered dreams of the people, and the reticence of the historian was probably a suppressio veri connected with his own recognition of Vespasian as a quasi Christ ( Wars, vi. 5, § 4).

Matthew 24:23 . τοτέ , then ) sc. at the time of the fall of Jerusalem.— μὴ πιστεύσητε , do not believe ) For from that time forth the Son of Man will not be seen until His Advent. His coming to judgment, therefore, is mentioned incidentally in Matthew 24:27 , and professedly in Matthew 24:29 ,[1048] 30.— ὧδε , here ) sc. where any one is who calls himself the Messiah. [1048] Bengel means, that until His final Advent, which all must recognise when it takes place, Christ shall not be visible; and that, therefore, any who says he is Christ before then, is ipso facto an impostor. The coming, accordingly, in Matthew 24:27 , is not a personal one, but a virtual coming in the judgments inflicted on Jerusalem and Judea : therefore it is only incidentally dwelt on as His coming. But the coming, in Matthew 24:29 , is the personal, visible , and final coming; and therefore it is described professedly as such: “Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man—they shall see the Son of man.”—ED.

Matthew 24:23 ff. Τότε ] then , when the desolation of the temple and the great θλίψις shall have arrived, false Messiahs, and such as falsely represent themselves to be prophets, will again come forward and urge their claims with greater energy than ever, nay, in the most seductive ways possible. Those here referred to are different from the pretenders of Matthew 24:4 f. The excitement and longing that will be awakened in the midst of such terrible distress will be taken advantage of by impostors with pretensions to miracle-working, and then how dangerous they will prove! By such early expositors as Chrysostom and those who come after him, Matthew 24:23 was supposed to mark the transition to the subject of the advent, so that τότε would pass over the whole period between the destruction of Jerusalem and the second advent; while, according to Ebrard (comp. Schott), the meaning intended by Jesus in Matthew 24:23-24 is, that after the destruction of the capital, the condition of the church and of the world, described in Matthew 24:4-14 , “ in posterum quoque mansurum esse .” Such views would have been discarded if due regard had been paid to the τότε by which the point of time is precisely defined, as well as to the circumstance that the allusion here is merely to the coming forward of false Christs and false prophets. Consequently we should also beware of saying, with Calovius, that at this point Christ passes to the subject of His adventus spiritualis per evangelium .

He is still speaking of that period of distress, Matthew 24:21 f., which is to be immediately followed , Matthew 24:29 , by the second advent. ψευδόχριστοι ] those who falsely claim to be Messiah; nothing is known regarding the historical fulfilment of this. Jonathan (Joseph. Bell. vii. 11. 3) and Barcochba (see on Matthew 24:5 ) appeared at a later period. ψευδοπροφῆται ] according to the context, not Christian teachers ( Matthew 24:11 ), in the present instance, but such as pretended to be sent by God, and inspired to speak to the people in the season of their calamity ,—deceivers similar to those who had tried to impose upon their fellow-countrymen during the national misfortunes of earlier times ( Jeremiah 14:14 ; Jeremiah 5:13 ; Jeremiah 6:13 ; Jeremiah 8:10 ). Comp. Joseph. Bell. ii. 13. 4 : πλάνοι γὰρ ἄνθρωποι καὶ ἀπατῶντες προσχήματι θειασμοῦ νεωτερισμοὺς καὶ μεταβολὰς πραγματευόμενοι , δαιμονᾷν τὸ πλῆθος ἀνέπειθον , κ . τ . λ . Others suppose that the reference is to such as sought to pass for Elijah or some other prophet risen from the dead (Kuinoel), which would scarcely agree with the use of a term so general as the present; there are those also who think it is the emissaries of the false Messiahs who are intended (Grotius). δώσουσι ] not: promise (Kypke, Krebs), but: give , so as to suit the idea involved in σημεῖα . Comp. Matthew 12:39 ; Deuteronomy 13:1 . On σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα , between which there is no material difference, see on Romans 15:19 .