ESV Study Bible | English Standard Version
Matthew 24:22
22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for e the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Matthew 24:24
24 For g false christs and h false prophets will arise and i perform great signs and wonders, h so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Matthew 24:31
My Notes
- Sign in or register to save your personal notes.
ESV Study Bible Notes
Sign in or register to access ESV Study Bible notes or save your personal notes and highlights.
Enjoy this free preview of the ESV Study Bible notes.
Matt. 24:1–25:46 The Delay, Return, and Judgment of Messiah. These two chapters are often called the “Olivet Discourse” because Jesus “sat on the Mount of Olives” (24:3) when he spoke these words. It is the fifth of Jesus' five major discourses recorded in the Gospel of Matthew (see Introduction: Key Themes; Literary Features). Addressed to his disciples, it is intended to give them a prophetic overview of the events to transpire in both the near and distant future.
Matt. 24:15–31 “Great Tribulation” and the Coming of the Son of Man. Jesus moves from the general characteristics of this age to describe the “great tribulation” (vv. 15–28) that will precede the coming of the Son of Man (vv. 29–31).
Matt. 24:22 if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. Some suggest this means that, if God's wrath were to continue unchecked against the wickedness of humanity, no one would survive the eventual destruction. Others see in this a reference to a cutting short of either the seventieth “seven” (week) of Dan. 9:27 or the 42 months of Rev. 11:2. It is evident that the reference is not to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70, since the unprecedented destruction described in Matt. 24:21 did not take place in 70. The elect includes all those who follow Christ during this period (cf. vv. 24, 31).
Matt. 24:24 signs and wonders. Supernatural signs and miracles will have the appearance of coming from God but that will actually be the work of Satan and his evil forces. (On testing false prophets, see notes on 7:15–20; 9:34; 1 John 4:1.)
Matt. 24:31 A trumpet call is associated in Jewish end-time thought (Isa. 18:3; 27:13) and also in Christian writings (1 Cor. 15:51–52; 1 Thess. 4:16) with the appearance of the Messiah. his angels . . . will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. The involvement of angels probably indicates that, when Jesus returns, he will not only gather to himself all believers alive on the earth but will also bring with him all the redeemed who are in heaven (cf. 1 Thess. 4:14; Rev. 19:11–16).
