Anticipation for the End Times

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Olivet Discourse- 3

 

TITLE: Anticipation for the End Times

TEXT: Matthew 24:29-35

TONE: Encouragement

TARGET: Believers

TASK: To encourage believers to live with anticipation of Christ imminent return.

TEACH: If you would imagine a child on the night before their birthday, waiting with eager anticipation. The house is a buzz of preparation -decorations subtly hinting at the celebration to come. Inside, a locked cupboard hides a wonderous surprise: a gift long wished for; a promise long awaited. The child can hardly sleep for the expectation of what tomorrow will bring, replaying visions of previous birthdays when surprises were revealed, and joy overflowed.

 

Now, consider an engaged couple awaiting their wedding day. They count down the months, the weeks, and the days. Each moment brings them closer the culmination of longing, to the joy of union, and the new life they will begin together. Everything they do is imbued with purpose and hopeful anticipation as they prepare for this monumental event.

 

As powerful as these human experiences are they barely scratch the surface of the deep sense of anticipation believers experience regarding the second coming of Christ. Christians are like the expectant child or the eagerly awaiting couple, inspired by love, longing, and eager hope. Christ has promised to return, and this imminent return instills in them a sense of urgency and readiness.

 

TRUTH: Leon Morris, I believe accurately stated Jesus true intent when he wrote, “The remainder of the chapter is taken up with the coming of the Son of man back to this earth and with the kind of conduct required in his followers in view of the certainty of that coming. No indication is given as to the time of that coming, and indeed Jesus specifically says that he does not know this (v.36). But He does know that many people will go on living as though this life is all that there is, and their personal success is all that matters. Such attitudes are not for the followers of Jesus. They are to have much more of a sense of purpose.[1]

 

In an under dramatized display William Hendrickson wrote, “The picture is very vivid. While the earth is drenched with the blood of the saints in the most terrible tribulation of all time, all at once the sun becomes darkened. Naturally the moon now also ceases to give her light. The stars deviate from their orbits and race to their doom; they “fall from the heaven.” The powers of the heavens are shaken. Terrifying sounds are heard…however, he does say in connection with the apocalyptic picture strict literalness must be avoided. Until this prophetic panorama becomes history, we shall probably not know how much of this description must be taken literally and how much figuratively.[2] To this point, Grant Osborn wrote, “All of this is commonly called ‘the shaking of the heavens’ and is most likely symbolic rather than a series of actual events. It was a common OT symbol for critical moments of history.[3] Others have suggested that heaven bows in humility at Christ return.

 

Getting a hold of the text:

 

Historically speaking in Matthew 24, Jesus is responding the disciple’s question about the destruction of the temple, which He had just predicted. This prophecy is fulfilled historically in AD 70 when the Romans, under General Titus, besieged Jerusalem and destroyed the city and temple. The language used here finds its roots in the OT Scriptures: Isa.13:10; 34:10 (Babylon/Edom) Ezek.32:7; Joel 2:10; Amos 8:9. So it’s hard to identify these heavenly signs as literal or figurative (metaphors of judgment). Either way, all judgments in Scripture, including the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, all point to the final judgment which takes place at Christ Parousia.

 

I think it is important to realize that Jesus did not tell them what they wanted to know, but instead, He told them what they needed to know. This is the task of every preacher.

 

I.                             Acknowledge the Appointed Arrival (vv.29-31)

Explanation: Recognize that Christ’s return will be unmistakable and glorious. There will be (1) Astronomical Disturbances: The cosmic sings announced in verse 29 remind us that the natural world will profoundly react to God’s timeline. There will also be an (2) Awesome Display: In verse 30, the appearance of the Son of Man coming on the clouds signifies a majestic and undeniable return. Next, (3) Assemble the Elect: Verse 31 describes the gathering of the faithful, assuring believers that they will be united with Christ. Therefore, we can conclude that the Parousia of Christ will be globally visible.

 

Application: Maintain a prayerful perspective. Keep on praying.

 

II.                         Accept the Allegorical Assurance (vv.32-33)

Explanation: Understand that Christ’s parables provide clarity about His coming. Thus, we are called to (1) Anticipate the Fig Tree: The parable in verse 32 uses the budding fig tree as a metaphor for perceiving the signs of the times. This passage parabolically expresses the nearness of Jesus’s coming (24:32–33) and solemnly affirms its certainty (24:34–35),[4]which in turn call us to (2) Alertness and Awareness: In verse 33, we are called to be aware and ready, recognizing the signs of the times as indicative of the nearness of the end. From this we can conclude that the Parousia of Christ  truly imminent. “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming…. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matt. 24:42; 25:13). It could happen at any moment without any additional fulfillment.

 

Application: Cultivate a faithful focus. Keep on believing.

 

III.                      Affirm the Absolute Authority (vv.34-35)

Explanation: Trust in God’s word as infallibly true and everlasting. We can affirm this for several reasons (1) Assurance of the Generation: Jesus’ emphasis in verse 34 indicates that those signs will occur within a discernable period of promised fulfillment. In the meantime, we are to (2) Abide in the Word: Verse 35 reassures us that while heaven and earth may change, Christ’s words are eternal and unchanging. We can conclude that the Parousia of Christ is ultimately final. He will come in final judgment, and it will be unalterable. The first time He came as a babe in the manger gentle and humble. However, Revelation 19:11-16 paints an altogether different picture of Him at His Parousia.

 

Application: Walk in hopeful holiness. Keep on repenting.

 

What then does a wise person do? Let’s recap.

 

1.        Maintains a prayerful perspective.

2.        Cultivates faithful focus.

3.        Walks in hopeful holiness.

 

TAKE-AWAY: At the return of Christ, every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bend to His sovereign majesty and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:10-11). He will come as true judge to reward his saints and judge the wicked (Rev. 11:18). It is the day when, according to Paul’s gospel, “God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Rom. 2:16). Jesus will culminate His rule and set all things right. The date of this coming is unknowable (24:36, 42–44; 25:13; cf. Acts 1:6–7), but Jesus’s disciples dare not assume that it is in the distant future (24:39, 48). Rather, they must alertly expect Jesus and serve him faithfully until they see him.[5] Waiting for His return is not passive, but active.

 

Toward the end of John Calvin’s life, when his friends wanted him to work less for the sake of his declining health, he would often reply to them, “Would you have my Master find me idle?”[6]


[1] Leon Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992), 609.

[2] William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Matthew (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1973), 863.

 

[3] Grant R. Osborne, Matthew, vol. 1, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 893.

 

[4] David L. Turner, Matthew, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 585.

[5] David L. Turner, 583.

 

[6] Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth, ed. R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013), 723.

 

© 2012 - 2025 Blake Gideon. All rights Reserved 
 

Location: Edmond, OK, USA

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