Matthew 24:3
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While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS. (Mat 25:1-13) Then--at the time referred to at the close of the preceding chapter, the time of the Lord's Second Coming to reward His faithful servants and take vengeance on the faithless. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom--This supplies a key to the parable, whose object is, in the main, the same as that of the last parable--to illustrate the vigilant and expectant attitude of faith, in respect of which believers are described as "they that look for Him" (Heb 9:28), and "love His appearing" (Ti2 4:8). In the last parable it was that of servants waiting for their absent Lord; in this it is that of virgin attendants on a Bride, whose duty it was to go forth at night with lamps, and be ready on the appearance of the Bridegroom to conduct the Bride to his house, and go in with him to the marriage. This entire and beautiful change of figure brings out the lesson of the former parable in quite a new light. But let it be observed that, just as in the parable of the Marriage Supper, so in this--the Bride does not come into view at all in this parable; the Virgins and the Bridegroom holding forth all the intended instruction: nor could believers be represented both as Bride and Bridal Attendants without incongruity.
Open source ↗24:3 The Greek term translated return is parousia, which can mean coming or appearing. • end of the world (or end of the age): This expression refers to the climax and end of an epoch in salvation history (see 13:39-40, 49; also Heb 9:26). Jesus’ second coming will bring normal history to a close with decisive judgment. The disciples assumed that the destruction of the Temple and the end of history were closely connected.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.
As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous,
“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,
For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.