Matthew 24:1-14 The Beginning of Sorrows - Mr. J. Hay
Matthew chapters 24-25 contains what is commonly called the Olivet Discourse. This section introduces the sermon.
Verses 1-2: BACKGROUND.
The Departure and its Significance.
The Disciples and their Wonder.
The Destruction of the Temple Foretold. (Ultimately fulfilled in AD 70).
Verse 3: LOCATION: The Mount of Olives.
QUESTIONS. When and What. The “When” is passed over and the two aspects of the “What” are addressed. In His response, the Lord divulges the features of what we generally call, Danielʼs 70th Week (Daniel 9.27), a seven year period of time divided into two equal sections. An event will take place “in the midst of the week”. In our chapter, that event is highlighted at verse 15. Thus everything in the lead up to that relates to the first half of the week, with subsequent events relating to the second half of the week. So then, verses 4-14 contain the features of the first half of Danielʼs 70th week, a period described in the passage as “the beginning of sorrows” (v.8), the birth pangs that will give way to Messiahʼs kingdom.
FEATURES OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE 70th WEEK.
Verses 4 - 5 Religious Deception.
Verses 6 - 7a Warfare.
Verses 7b - 8 Natural Calamities.
Verse 9 Universal Persecution of the People of God of that Era.
Verse 10 Exposure of Spurious Believers.
Verse 11 Proliferation of False Cults.
Verse 12a Increasing Evil.
Verse 12b Subsequent Cooling of Affection on the Part of Many of Godʼs People.
Verse 13 Steadfast Endurance on the Part of Others.
Verse 14 The Universal Preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom.