The End According to Jesus: Matthew 24 Part 2

We went through the first part of Matthew 24 last week. Let’s summarize the order of events as we see them listed exactly in Matthew 24. And remember, Jesus Christ himself put these in this exact order as he speaks to us in the word of God.

1. The Temple Will Be Destroyed – Matthew 24:2
2. Deception Will Multiply – Matthew 24:4–5
3. Wars and Rumors of Wars – Matthew 24:6
4. Nation Against Nation; Kingdom Against Kingdom – Matthew 24:7a
5. Famines, Pestilences, and Earthquakes in Divers Places – Matthew 24:7b
6. Beginning of Sorrows – Matthew 24:8
7. Persecution and Hatred of Believers – Matthew 24:9
8. Offense, Betrayal, and Hatred Among People – Matthew 24:10
9. Rise of False Prophets – Matthew 24:11
10. Iniquity Abounds; Love Grows Cold – Matthew 24:12
11. Endurance Commanded During Tribulation – Matthew 24:13
12. The Gospel is Preached in All the World – Matthew 24:14
13. The Abomination of Desolation Appears – Matthew 24:15
14. Flee Judea Immediately – Matthew 24:16–20
15. Great Tribulation Begins – Matthew 24:21
16. Days Are Shortened for the Elect’s Sake – Matthew 24:22
17. More False Christs and Signs to Deceive – Matthew 24:23–26
18. The True Coming of Christ Is Like Lightning – Matthew 24:27
19. After the Tribulation: Sun and Moon Darkened, Stars Fall – Matthew 24:29
20. The Sign of the Son of Man Appears in Heaven – Matthew 24:30a
21. All Tribes of the Earth Mourn – Matthew 24:30b
22. Jesus Comes in the Clouds with Power and Great Glory – Matthew 24:30c
23. Angels Gather the Elect with a Trumpet – Matthew 24:31

Introduction to Part 2 of End Times Events

We’ve just walked through the most detailed timeline Jesus ever gave about the end of the world. He didn’t leave us in the dark. He told us what would happen, and in what order it would happen.

But now, starting in verse 32, Jesus shifts gears. He’s no longer just talking about events. He’s talking about how YOU respond.

It’s not just about prophecy anymore. It’s about preparation.

Not just timeline—but testimony.

Not just “what’s coming”—but “what will you be caught doing when the end comes?”

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1. The Fig Tree Is Talking

Matthew 24:32-35
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:  33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.  34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.  35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Jesus gives us a parable—simple, visual, and powerful. The fig tree puts forth leaves—a visible sign that a new season is near.

He says, “When you see all these things…” What things?

Everything from that Jesus has went over with us in detail in this chapter. Wars. Pestilence. Tribulation. The abomination of desolation. The darkening of the sun and moon. The sign of the Son of Man.

When you see these signs—you’ll know: it’s not far off. It’s at the doors.

He then says something powerful in verse 34:

“This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”

He’s not talking about the generation He was speaking to right there at that time, but the generation that sees the signs. When it starts, it will finish in that generation’s lifetime. Again, he’s speaking to the people that will be there when this is happening.

So What Does “This Generation” Mean?

Wrong View (Liberal/Critics/Preterists):

Many say, “Jesus was talking about the people standing there with Him. That generation.”
But that’s false. Why?

Because:

• The abomination of desolation didn’t happen then.
• Jesus didn’t come in the clouds then.
• The sun wasn’t darkened, and the elect weren’t gathered together at that time.

That generation did pass, and those things weren’t fulfilled in their day.

So it can’t be referring to the people physically present in approximately AD 30.

Right View (Based on the Text):

Jesus is referring to the generation that sees the signs He just described—starting with the beginning of sorrows and running all the way through His return.

“When ye shall see all these things…” (v. 33)

Then this generation—that sees those things—will not pass until everything is fulfilled.

In other words:

The generation that begins to witness the tribulation signs will live to see the second coming.

It’s not about calendar years. It’s about a prophetic window:

• Once the abomination of desolation happens…
• Once the sun and moon are darkened…
• Once the signs hit…

That generation will not die off until Christ returns.

Biblical Precedent for “Generation”:

In Scripture, the word “generation” can mean:

• A group living at a particular time (Psalm 78:8)
• A type of people, like “a perverse generation” (Philippians 2:15)
• Or a time period tied to a prophetic cycle (usually 40–70 years)

So Jesus is saying:

“Once the end-time events begin, they will unfold within a single generation’s lifespan. It won’t drag on for centuries.”

Why It Matters:

This clears up two dangerous errors:

1. It wasn’t fulfilled in 70 A.D. as preterists teach. Preterists believe that most or all Bible prophecy, especially the events in Matthew 24 and Revelation were already fulfilled in the past. Specifically, they mean around 70 A.D. when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.
2. It doesn’t mean Jesus could come at any random time. You must see the signs first (vv. 4–31), and then the generation clock starts ticking. The signs begin to occur. Jesus gives us those signs. Then the generation clock starts ticking.

The generation that sees the beginning of tribulation will still be alive to see the return of the Son of man. It starts fast—and ends faster. Once the signs begin, the countdown begins. And we know it doesn’t last many generations.

Jesus seals his words with this thunderous line:

Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

His words will NEVER pass away. Heaven and earth will pass away, but his words are forever.

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2. The Exact Hour Is Unknown—but the Signs Are Not

Matthew 24:36
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

What is “that day and hour”?

Some claim this verse isn’t talking about the rapture or second coming. But that’s dead wrong. Let’s look at the context:

• In verses 29–31, Jesus just described:
  • The tribulation ending
  • The sun and moon going dark
  • The sign of the Son of man in heaven
  • Jesus coming in the clouds with power and great glory
  • And the gathering of the elect (the rapture)

Then in verse 36, He says:

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man…”

Clearly, “that day” refers to the same day He just finished describing: The day He returns after the tribulation to gather His people.

It’s not a new subject. It’s a continuation. He didn’t change topics. He’s clarifying that while you can know the season, you still won’t know the exact moment.

False Views Refuted

1. “This is about heaven and earth passing away.”

Wrong. That doesn’t happen until after the 1,000-year reign of Christ (Revelation 20–21).
Jesus doesn’t mention heaven and earth passing away until verse 35, and He says it to emphasize that His words will stand forever—not that the day in verse 36 is about that event.

2. “This isn’t about the second coming or rapture.”

False. The entire chapter is about the timeline of His return. This verse follows the description of His coming in the clouds.

People twist this so they can keep teaching pre-trib lies or vague spiritual nonsense. But the context is crystal clear: this is the day of His return in glory. It’s a day he gathers together his elect.

3. “This means we should never talk about end-times signs.”

Total lie. Jesus just spent 31 verses giving signs! This verse doesn’t say “don’t look for signs.” It says, you won’t know the hour—so keep watching.

In fact, one of the very next verses says: “Watch therefore…” (Matthew 24:42)

What the Verse Really Teaches

1. You won’t know the exact timing of his second coming and rapture.

Jesus says the exact day and hour are unknown. That doesn’t mean we don’t know the season. He just talked about the fig tree and knowing the signs.

Matthew 24:33
So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

You can know the nearness. You just won’t know the precise clock time.

2. Only the Father knows the timing.

Not the angels. Not man. At that moment, even Jesus in His earthly submission to the Father (Philippians 2:6–8) chose not to exercise that knowledge. Jesus took upon him the form of a servant at his first coming.

This shows Jesus’ humility and obedience—not a lack of divinity. Jesus is God in the flesh.

Now that He is glorified and ascended, He clearly knows the time, but He was emphasizing that no one on earth can predict the exact moment. No MAN knoweth the day or the hour.

Application: Why This Matters

1. Don’t fall for date-setters.

Anyone who puts a date on Jesus’ return is a false prophet—period. If you attempt to twist his words into saying he is talking about heaven and earth passing away, you are deceiving people. Set your dates, and it never happens as you say. This means you are a false prophet.

Harold Camping, William Miller, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, and many more have done this—and all were wrong. There’s some people doing it right now. They need to stop.

“Ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:42)

Jesus said no man knows. If you say you know—you’re calling Him a liar. Don’t act as if you follow Jesus while calling him a liar.

2. Use this verse to stay ready—not lazy.

This verse is not an excuse for ignorance. It’s a command for watchfulness.

“If you don’t know when He’s coming, then live like the end times events could begin at any minute.”

That’s Jesus’ logic in the rest of the chapter:

• Watch
• Be faithful
• Don’t say “My Lord delayeth His coming”

You don’t need to know the hour—you just need to be ready. If Jesus wanted you to know the exact time, He would’ve told you. But if you ignore the signs, you’ll be caught off guard. If you love His appearing, you’ll be watching—not guessing.

Verse 31 is where many people stop studying. They say, “See, we can’t know anything about the end!”

But Jesus just gave us a full chapter of signs. The only thing we don’t know is the exact day and hour.

And please hear me clearly right here: some people try to say that verse 31 is not talking about the rapture—that it’s not the catching away of God’s saved people. They say it’s about Israel, or angels, or some vague symbolic gathering.

But Jesus couldn’t be more direct.

Matthew 24:31
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

That is a global event. This is the same gathering Paul talks about in 1 Thessalonians 4—when the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.

So if Matthew 24:31 isn’t the rapture, then explain what happens next, because Jesus continues the same thought:

Matthew 24:37–41
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Let’s break that down.

“As the days of Noe were…”

People were living like nothing was coming. They were enjoying life, marrying, drinking, working, ignoring the warnings.

And then what?

The judgment of God fell—and it was too late.

Verse 39 says, “and took them all away.”

That’s judgment. Just like the flood took the wicked away.

But Jesus flips the application. In verses 40 and 41, two are together—one is taken, one is left.

This is not the wicked being removed in judgment like some false teachers claim. This is the elect being gathered like verse 31 already said!

The one taken is taken to be with the Lord. The one left is left to face the wrath of God. After the rapture, the day of God’s wrath is come. You can see that exact moment in Revelation.

Revelation 6:17
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

And that happens after the sixth seal when the sun and moon are darkened. All of this goes together perfectly. This is the moment of separation—the dividing line between the saved and the lost. The saved are taken. The lost are left to face the wrath of God. They rejected God, his Gospel, and his Son so they now face the wrath of God.

So again—if this is not the rapture in verse 31, what is it?

It matches perfectly:

• Trumpet sounds (v.31)
• Elect gathered (v.31)
• Sudden coming (v.37)
• Normal life interrupted (v.38–39)
• Instant separation (v.40–41)

That’s not a coincidence. That’s the same event described multiple ways—so we don’t miss it.

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Conclusion: Will You Be Watching or Wandering?

We’ve now studied Matthew 24 all the way through verse 41—and Jesus didn’t stutter.

He gave us the exact timeline. He showed us the order of events. He told us what must happen before He returns.

We are not waiting for a random rapture. We are watching for the signs He clearly laid out:

• Tribulation first
• The abomination of desolation
• The sun and moon darkened
• The sign of the Son of Man in heaven
• Then the trumpet sounds—and the elect are gathered

Not before. Not anytime. But after.

So let me ask you today:

Will you be watching—or wandering? Will you be gathered—or left behind?

Jesus said,

Matthew 24:25
Behold, I have told you before.

You’ve been warned. You’ve been shown. You’ve been taught—by the Word of God Himself.

And when this begins to unfold, it will move quickly.

The generation that sees the signs will not pass until it’s all fulfilled. So the moment that clock starts ticking—it will be fast, and it will be final.

And you won’t get to change sides once the trumpet sounds.

Matthew 24:40-41
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

That’s not poetic. That’s prophetic. It’s a true prophecy. We know it will happen. When Jesus comes, he will come like lightning.

And if you’re not saved—you will be left. And if you are saved—then stay faithful. Stay watching. Stay ready.

Because when those signs start, the end times are here. And you’ll know as that day and hour approaches. Watch the signs and know. Where will you be when the trumpet sounds?

Let’s pray.