9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:9–14 (ESV)
With every study of a particular biblical text, it is important to ask five fundamental questions. Those inquiries are fundamental to every devotional I write. The five questions, pertinent to any portion of Scripture, certainly and significantly apply to Matthew 24-25 in general, and to today’s text in particular.
Those five questions are as follows.
- What did the biblical text mean to the original audience?
- What are the differences/similarities between the biblical audience and people today?
- What is/are the principle(s) found in the biblical text?
- Are the principles(s) found in the particular biblical text found elsewhere in the Scriptures?
- How may we apply the biblical text in our lives?
“Matthew 24, often called the Olivet Discourse or the Little Apocalypse, is one of the most significant passages in the Scriptures on the subject of the signs of the times and the end of the age. It is also, however, one of the most difficult passages in Scripture to interpret,” explains Dr. Cornelius P. Venema, president and professor at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, Dyer, IN.
“The discourse of Matthew 24–25 can be divided into three parts: Matthew 24:4–14 describes the signs of the times that will mark the present period of history between the time of Christ’s first and second advents.”
In Matthew 24:4-8, Jesus proclaimed life and living, following His ascension to heaven and prior to His glorious return to the earth, would be characterized by false prophets claiming to be the Christ. It would also be a time of deception, wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, kingdoms rising against kingdoms, famines and earthquakes in various places. He compared these circumstances to the beginning of birth pains. Jesus continued by describing the same historical context as a time of tribulation, hatred and death for believers in Christ (Matt. 24:9).
Jesus then revealed a series of effects by this overall preceding cause. The first effect would be defection, betrayal and hatred by those who professed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, but who were not truly believers in Christ. “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another” (Matt. 24:10). Jesus then stated, “11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matt. 24:11-12).
In today’s text, the Lord offered two promises to His disciples; then and now. What then are those two, precious promises (2 Peter 1:3-4)?
To begin with, Jesus said, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” The word endures (ὑπομένω; hypomeno) means to bear-up, to continue, and to persevere despite persecution and suffering.
“As in Matthew 10:22 so also here the meaning is: he who, in spite of all these disturbances and persecutions, remains loyal to Christ shall enter into glory. For himself the period of persecution and trial will last until death delivers him from this earthly scene (John 16:33; 2 Tim. 3:12). For the church in general it will last until Christ’s return in glory (2 Thess. 1:7; Rev. 11:10–12),” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.
“The ones who persevere are the same ones who are saved—not the ones whose love grows cold (24:12). This does not suggest that our perseverance secures our salvation. Scripture everywhere teaches precisely the opposite: God, as part of his saving work, secures our perseverance. True believers “are being guarded through faith for a salvation” (1 Pet. 1:5). The guarantee of our perseverance is built into the New Covenant promise. God says: “I will put the fear of me in their hearts that they may not turn from me” (Jer. 32:40). Those who do fall away from Christ give conclusive proof that they were never truly believers to begin with (1 John 2:19,” states Dr. John MacArthur.
“To say that God secures our perseverance is not to say that we are passive in the process, however. He keeps us “through faith” (1 Pet. 1:5)—our faith. Scripture sometimes calls us to hold fast to our faith (Heb. 10:23; Rev. 3:11) or warns us against falling away (Heb. 10:26–29). Such admonitions do not negate the many promises that true believers will persevere (John 10:28–29; Rom. 8:38–39; 1 Cor. 1:8–9; Phil. 1:6). Rather, the warnings and pleas are among the means God uses to secure our perseverance in the faith. Notice that the warnings and the promises often appear side by side. For example, when Jude urges believers, “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21), he immediately points them to God, “who is able to keep you from stumbling” (Jude 24).”
Believers in Christ are to persevere in our trust in, commitment to, dependence upon and worship of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We persevere knowing God will preserve His people.
Soli deo Gloria!
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