And Jesus answering, began to say to them: Take heed lest any man deceive you.
ο δε ιησους αποκριθεις αυτοις ηρξατο λεγειν βλεπετε μη τις υμας πλανηση
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Before addressing their inquiry, He assured their understanding to prevent any misleadings. In the onset of the tribulations, individuals emerged in Judea who claimed to be instructors; thus, the Lord warns, ‘Beware lest any man deceive you.’
The needs of the disciples and their current state did not necessitate a complete disclosure of the entire journey related to the establishment of His kingdom. Therefore, the Lord conveyed only what was essential for them to dispel their misconceptions and to caution them against the trials that lay ahead, simultaneously alerting other believers through them. "He shall return to His Father; in His absence, there will be others appearing in His name. Do not be deceived; this is not how He is to manifest on earth at this time. There will be conflicts, and the end of the age is not yet upon us. Strife will be widespread, plagues will afflict the land, famines and earthquakes will occur: these are merely the beginnings of tribulations (exercise patience).
The experiences of the Lord’s disciples, regardless of who they are, will be particularly arduous: they will face persecution, animosity, immorality, and temptation—dangers will surround them. Truth and love will grow scarce among them. All this will signify that the end is approaching, yet it will come when the Gospel has been proclaimed to all creation."
Although the fall of Jerusalem and the culmination of human history occur at different times, Jesus addresses both events simultaneously without correcting the disciples' current understanding, allowing the unfolding of events to clarify their meaning. He does this because there is a connection between the two occurrences, with the fall of Jerusalem serving as a foreshadowing of the end of the age. The prophecy regarding the first event is evident in the separation of Matthew 24:15-22, Mark 13:14-20, and Luke 21:20-24, where Luke particularly emphasizes the siege of Jerusalem and the suffering faced by the Jews during that period. Moreover, the speech also includes a prophecy concerning the final days of the world, as revealed in Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, and Luke 21:25-27.
Here, significant upheavals are prophesied, clearly pointing to the last days; additionally, the reference to the glorious return of Christ for judgment is unmistakable. The predictions are structured in such a way that the initial portion emphasizes the fall of Jerusalem, while the latter part focuses more on the end of the age.
In the context leading to the destruction of Jerusalem, the emergence of false messiahs is noted in Matthew 24:4-6, Mark 13:5-6, and Luke 21:8. According to all Evangelists, Christ's prophetic discourse begins with a warning against deceivers who would claim, "I am the Christ," and lead many astray. Luke preserves the phrase "and the time is near," indicating that this message closely relates to the events prior to Jerusalem’s destruction. In fact, many deceivers appeared in Palestine before this event, as also recorded in the New Testament (Acts 5:36). While none of these deceivers explicitly claimed to be the Messiah, they essentially positioned themselves as the rightful leaders of the people, taking on a significance within God's kingdom that rightfully belonged to Christ, thus presenting themselves as false messiahs in essence.
The apostles anticipated that the prophesied kingdom of the Messiah would commence following a period of destruction, expecting that Jesus Christ would return and that His glorious reign would coincide with the conclusion of the present age. They believed these events would unfold soon, while they were still living. It was necessary for them to be cautioned against these assumptions. In response to their inquiry, Jesus initially warned them: “Beware lest someone deceive you with false assurances about my coming and the coming end of the world. Many will come under my name and say, ‘I am the Christ’; many they will mislead, many they will deceive; and the time is near” (Luke 21:8). He instructed them not to place their faith in such claims.
There would be upheaval among nations, conflicts, and brutal wars; one nation would rise against another, and one kingdom against another. Famine, disease, and earthquakes would exacerbate the turmoil. Celestial signs would manifest, leading many to assure others of the imminent end of the world. Jesus cautioned, “Do not believe them! It is not the end yet; it will be only the beginning of punishment of the people of Israel, the beginning of their diseases.”
Let us examine the historical account regarding the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. The Jews, who considered themselves subjects only to God, harbored deep resentment against the Romans and seized every opportunity to rebel against their oppressive rule. The Roman procurators intensified this animosity through their cruelty and avarice. The situation became particularly dire during the reign of Florus. The Jews appealed to the Roman emperor to replace him, and when their request was denied, they revolted, slaying all the Roman soldiers maintaining order in Jerusalem and seizing control for themselves. Soon, other cities joined in the rebellion, and it spread throughout Palestine. Troops were dispatched to suppress the insurgent Jews; under Vespasian’s command, they invaded Galilee. Thus commenced the Jewish War, which has been detailed by Josephus Flavius, a Jewish historian and participant in these events.
Heeding Jesus’ warning, “Beware lest anyone deceive you, for many will come under my name” (Matthew 24:4), the Apostles were not swayed by the numerous false prophets and self-proclaimed Christs who arose. Josephus Flavius noted that the region was rife with deceivers and magicians, manipulating the people by claiming to perform miraculous works as if by divine authority. Among the notable impostors were Dositheus the Samaritan, who declared himself the Christ; Simon the Magician, another Samaritan, who claimed to be the son of God; Theudas, Menander from Egypt, and others. Having rejected Christ, the Jews of that time eagerly anticipated the coming of a conquering Messiah and readily followed any impostor claiming to fulfill that role. This phenomenon preceded the destruction of Jerusalem, which had to occur first, and indeed it did.
In addressing them, Jesus initiated his address, etc.: the words of the Lord are presented in Mark in a more concise manner compared to Hebrews. The account of the Lord's teaching is provided in Mark in a more succinct format than in Matthew. While the Lord's message in Mark is conveyed with similar wording to Matthew, it features a slight rearrangement of phrases and includes a few, very minor details not present in Matthew, who offers none. Regarding the nature and understanding of this discourse, we must apply the same considerations as noted in the interpretation based on Matthew’s account (refer to Matthew 23:3).
In the sight of the God-man, both near and far events converge into a unified and grand depiction. Numerous aspects of the city's and temple's ruin symbolize the terrifying events at the end of time. The Lord first alerted His disciples to the signs that would precede the fulfillment of divine judgments. He admonished, Watch ye, lest any man deceive you: many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and the time is at hand, and many shall deceive you: for ye shall not go out in their footsteps. Yet, when you hear of conflicts and upheaval, do not be troubled or fearful: these things must happen first, but they do not signify the end.
Nations shall clash, and there will be turmoil across various lands; there will be famine and pestilence, along with great signs and wonders in the heavens. All these occurrences mark the dawn of sorrows—the onset of calamities that will lead to a series of dire events culminating in the downfall of Jerusalem and its temple. The precise fulfillment of the Lord's words is evidenced by the credible accounts of those who lived at that time. From the moment of the Lord’s crucifixion until the prophesied destruction of the city and temple, Judea and the Roman Empire were engulfed in ceaseless conflict and strife, prompting a Roman historian to describe this period as filled with misfortunes, fierce battles, and unrest, dreadful even amidst tranquility. Exploiting the widespread anxiety for extraordinary occurrences, various false messiahs emerged among the Jews, leading astray the unsuspecting (Acts 5:36, 37).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 11 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS