Matthew 24 (WEB)

Explanation of the Son of Man in Olivet Discourse
Explanation of the Son of Man in Olivet Discourse Matt 24:27, 37, 44 ×

Dr. House speaks at Capernaum to his tour group about the term "Son of Man." The term refers to a divine figure in the vision of Daniel 7:13-14, and is applied by Jesus to Himself in the gospels.

Matthew 24, a great passage, talks about what is called the second coming of Christ, the coming of the Son of Man.

In my understanding of the Scripture, this is not talking about what is called the rapture of the church, which is 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, but what is called the coming of the Son of Man in judgment.

Son of Man is a title that we get our first glimpse of in the book of Daniel, where the Ancient of Days is approached by one called the Son of Man.

All through intertestamental literature you have this concept of Son of Man.

It's also used in the Book of Enoch, which is an important book in the beginning before the first century and after the time of Christ.

The Son of Man was a figure of judgment.

It was a divine figure.

So when Jesus, before the high priest in Mark 14, says, "You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power," it did not escape his understanding.

He knew exactly what Jesus was saying.

Jesus was declaring himself to be God himself.

And that's why the high priest at that point says, we don't have any more need of any witnesses.

He's already condemned himself.

He's declared himself to be God.

So Son of Man to us may sound like a figure as, well, he's talking about his humanity.

No, actually, Son of Man in Enoch, Son of Man in Qumran, Son of Man in intertestamental literature, Son of Man in Daniel is a divine figure.

And so when Jesus takes and says, I am the Son of Man — do you realize that nobody ever in the entire New Testament, gospels, ever calls Jesus the Son of Man?

He calls himself the Son of Man.

It's important.

But when he said it, they knew what he meant by it.

So in Matthew 24, talking about his coming, he says, "But as the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man.

As in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage."

I used to have people argue, I'll say, this is terrible.

No, no. He's saying people were going about their daily routines, not giving consideration to the fact that God was going to judge them in his coming.

They lived their lives without consideration of God, really.

They're just going about the routine.

"They were doing this until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away."

It's important to read those words.

If you don't read these things in context, you get bad theology.

The flood came and took who away?

Those that didn't go into the ark.

Right?

The fact is, they came and took them all away, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man.

"Two will be in the field.

One will be taken away and the other will be left.

Two women will be grinding at the mill."

If you look at these right here, you'll see there's one side and another side.

You put something in it and you would turn it.

Two people would go around and turn it.

And as it did, it grinded the wheat a little bit.

And you'll see more about that in a minute.

Well, now think about that in just a moment.

One is taken away and one is left.

Sometimes we've taken that to mean, well, they're taken away in the rapture and the other is left on the earth.

No, the taking away here is a statement of judgment.

They're taken away into God's judgment with the coming of the Son of Man.

"Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would be coming, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour when you do not expect."

Be aware that God is coming to execute judgment in the world.

Matthew 24 (WEB)

1Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. 2But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.”

3As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. 5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. 8But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.

9“Then they will deliver you up to oppression and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake. 10Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. 11Many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray. 12Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. 13But he who endures to the end will be saved. 14This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15“When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house. 18Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. 19But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! 20Pray that your flight will not be in the winter nor on a Sabbath, 21for then there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. 22Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.

23“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There!’ don’t believe it. 24For false christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.

25“Behold, I have told you beforehand.

26“If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; or ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it. 27For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together.

29“But immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; 30and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

32“Now from the fig tree learn this parable: When its branch has now become tender and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near. 33Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors. 34Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

36“But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37As the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, 39and they didn’t know until the flood came and took them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left. 42Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. 43But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.

45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season? 46Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes. 47Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has. 48But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’ 49and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards, 50the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it and in an hour when he doesn’t know it, 51and will cut him in pieces and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.

Explanation of the Son of Man in Olivet Discourse