Matthew 24:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In contrast, Mark indicates that the inquiry was singular concerning the temple, stating: Tell us when these things will happen; and what will be the sign when all these events are about to be fulfilled. Luke echoes this sentiment in his account. How do we interpret this? While Mark and Luke convey that the questions were unified, the disciples were inquiring about two interrelated topics: the temple's destruction and the Second Coming of Christ. Assuming these occurrences were connected, they framed one question encompassing both. However, Matthew, in illuminating their intent, separated the single inquiry into two distinct questions.

The conclusion of any labor is welcome to those who toil, and the traveler eagerly anticipates returning home; the hired worker often eagerly counts the days until year’s end, while the farmer patiently awaits the harvest. The merchant diligently checks his finances day and night, and expectant mothers are consumed with thoughts of their day of delivery. Similarly, the servants of the Lord yearn for the end of the age, as it is written, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). When one possesses cherished items in a chest, one’s first action upon returning home is to glance toward that chest. In the same way, the saints look towards the place where their reward awaits. Recognizing the end of the age is crucial, for the closer a traveler gets to home, the more urgency arises within him.

AND WHAT WILL BE THE SIGN OF YOUR COMING AND THE END OF THE AGE? As St. Chrysostom notes, they came in secret, eager to inquire about such significant matters, particularly yearning to understand the timing of His return, given their deep desire to witness the glory that would bring countless blessings. Moreover, they firmly believed in the constancy of the Old Testament laws, merging in their minds the events of the temple's destruction and the world's end as a single occurrence.

The Lord, however, did not provide a straightforward answer to their query. Following His resurrection, He later explained that it was not for them to know the times and seasons which the Father had reserved for Himself; at present, He merely indicated that His second coming and the culmination of the age would closely follow the destruction of Jerusalem. He made it clear that the Jews were mistaken in believing that the Messiah would come to save their sacred city: Jerusalem would not escape God’s judgment due to its transgressions. He conveyed through one statement that there would be a duration between the judgment of Jerusalem and that of the world, though only He knows the extent of that period. He declared, “Jerusalem shall be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). This guidance, while somewhat ambiguous, served to prepare the disciples for numerous challenges and trials ahead. The period of separation from the Lord was approaching, during which they would take on the roles of teachers and leaders for all believers in Christ’s Church.

The early Christians found solace in the anticipation of Christ's swift return amidst their hardships. It was crucial to alert them to avoid falling prey to false Christs and to prevent the unfulfilled hope of His coming from diminishing their faith, extinguishing their hope, or undermining the very foundation of the Church. The Lord offered these warnings and teachings in His prophetic message regarding both the destruction of Jerusalem and the final days. These two events in His discourse are depicted as interconnected: many events anticipated at the world’s end seem to coincide with the holy city’s downfall, as God's judgment on Jerusalem serves as a precursor of the ultimate judgment upon the world. This marked the conclusion of the Old Testament Church’s mission and would culminate in the final judgment, where the New Testament Church’s purpose would be fulfilled. The link between these significant events is inseparable, making it difficult at times to discern precisely which occurrence the Lord’s words refer to. Not all interpreters, even from ancient times, agree on the meanings of some of Jesus’s statements, highlighting this complexity. It is essential to remember that for the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The primary themes of this discourse echo through four key admonitions: Be vigilant! Stay alert! Exercise patience! Pray!

This proclamation caused deep sorrow among the disciples, who were devout followers of Jehovah and His sanctuary, leaving them bewildered: how could they fathom that the eternal stones of the temple might be destroyed (Mark, Luke), or that its grand structures, renowned around the world (Matthew, Mark), sustained by abundant resources (Luke), could come to ruin? Troubled and sorrowful, they (as noted by Mark, one of the disciples, and by Luke, some of them) approached the Lord, urging Him to admire the splendor and magnificence of the temple, as if to question whether all of this must come to an end. In response, Christ predicted the complete devastation and ruin of the temple. Later, when Christ, accompanied by His twelve disciples, went to the Mount of Olives and was in private with them, the disciples (Mark notes Peter, James, John, and Andrew) posed the question: "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?" (Matthew). This inquiry illustrates how the disciples were still rooted in the Old Testament, firmly believing in the permanence of the established divine order, such that for them, the destruction of Jerusalem signified the end of the world. They also associated this with the second, glorious return of Christ, possibly drawing from His earlier words (Matt. 23:38-39), where, after foreseeing the temple’s desolation, He promised a glorious return to those who would be left desolate.

They anticipated that Jesus Christ would return, ushering in His glorious reign simultaneously with the conclusion of the world, expecting all of this to occur while they were still alive. It was from these misconceptions that they were meant to be cautioned.

To the east, beyond the arid, rugged hills of the Judean wilderness, the Moabite mountains appeared in shades of purple, shimmering at sunset like a necklace of precious gems. In a sunken, scorched basin, the murky waters of the Dead Sea stirred gently. From this high point, the Savior perceived the evidence of divine displeasure and human transgression all around Him. The Dead Sea reflected a somber brightness, its tainted waves serving as an unending testament to God's judgment against moral decay, while below lay the notorious city, which had spilled the blood of countless prophets and was destined for even graver consequences for its egregious sins. Christ felt sorrowful and introspective. The closest and most cherished apostles—Peter, James, John, and Andrew—approached Him, and upon noticing His gaze lingering on the temple, they quietly inquired, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” Their question seemed to stem from the belief that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was to coincide with the world’s conclusion.

At that moment, the disciples perceived these two concerns—the devastation of the temple along with Jerusalem and the second coming of Christ in relation to the end of the age—as interconnected in time. The disciples believed that the destruction of Jerusalem would coincide with the end of the world. Their question reflects this thought: "When will this be," referring to the destruction of Jerusalem, and "what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?" (Chrysostom). Consequently, the Lord addresses these inquiries not as entirely separate matters, but rather intertwines His responses regarding Jerusalem's destruction with His second coming. This sometimes complicates the interpretation of His words, making it challenging to discern the specific event He references. Thus, this discourse is particularly intricate, with ancient commentators themselves often providing differing interpretations, leaving it up to individual readers to choose how to understand certain aspects. This blending of immediate and distant topics within the Lord’s speech reflects the prophetic nature inherent in such discourse: in prophetic vision, events that are near and far can be perceived as coalescing into a single image, especially when a nearby occurrence symbolizes a more distant one. For instance, Isaiah (Is. 40-66) illustrates the deliverance of the Jews from Babylonian captivity alongside the redemption of all humanity by the Messiah from the dominion of darkness, where the former serves as a foreshadowing of the latter. Similarly, the events surrounding Jerusalem’s destruction also act as a representation of the eventual end of the world. Although the Lord does not correct the disciples' misunderstanding regarding the timing of His return post-destruction, stating that it is not for them to know the times or seasons which the Father has placed under His authority (Acts 1:7), He clearly indicates that His second coming and the consummation of the age would not follow immediately after Jerusalem's downfall.

On the opposite side of the valley rose the city walls and the temple structures, beyond which lay the very city that encapsulated the entirety of God’s people’s history. Peter, James, John, Andrew, and the other disciples seized a moment to seek understanding about the divine plans for the future. Approaching the Lord, they inquired, “Teacher, when will these events occur? What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age, when all things shall be concluded?” In response, the God-Man provided a prophetic exposition that spanned from immediate events to the distant end times and His glorious return for the solemn judgment. He laid out the future with such clarity that the disciples found solutions to all their concerns within His discourse. They received an impressively accurate answer about the temple's destruction, while concerning the end of the world and the return of Christ for the final judgment, the response served not merely to sate idle curiosity but instead to urge them toward spiritual alertness, prayer, and a deep commitment to the will of the Heavenly Father.