Percey Shelly was a British writer in the early 1800s. But it was after his death, that many discovered his skill as a poet. In January 1818, he wrote a poem called Ozymandias; and it goes like this:

I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert…Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

The poem is about an ancient pharaoh. He boasts as “king of kings.” But the poem also pictures a traveler passing by centuries later, the king’s statue now buried in the sand. Alone, lifeless. Mighty as he thought he was, Ozymandias’s kingdom crumbled and came to an end. Such imagery sobers us—setting your hope in earthly powers will, in time, prove vain. The poem also touches a longing we have for someone to rule not with “sneer of cold command” but with generosity, love, and perfect justice; a longing for a good kingdom that lasts forever and never passes away.

Matthew’s Gospel answers these longings. Matthew reveals a King who’s righteous, gentle, and lowly. Jesus is that King and his kingdom is altogether good. Jesus also has a kingdom that one day will cover the earth and never pass away. Aspects of it have already arrived. But others are still future to us; and that future he explains in chapter 24. In chapter 24, Jesus speaks to the future of his kingdom—how it will come, and how we should live until Jesus returns.

We also learned how this passage challenges Christians. Some say the events Jesus describes are primarily future. Others say the events are primarily past. I argued that Jesus’ discourse moves in and out of both. But regardless of where you stand on timing, I said we could all unite behind the main point of verses 1-14, which was this: when the end is not yet, give yourself to levelheaded endurance and faithful proclamation. Today’s main idea is similar: as long as tribulation lasts, stay discerning, hopeful, and ready. Let’s read from verse 15…

¹⁵ So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, ¹⁸ and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ¹⁹ And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. ²² And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. ²³ Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you beforehand. ²⁶ So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸ Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. ²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. ³² From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁴ Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Let’s remember the setting. Jesus has cursed the temple. Jesus left the temple as a sign that God no longer dwells there. The disciples don’t get it. They’re still enthralled with the temple.[i] So, Jesus makes it plain in verse 2: “Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

The disciples don’t yet grasp the significance of Jesus’ words. But if such a day was coming, they want to know when. In verse 3, they want to know when these things will be (i.e., when will the temple fall); and they want to know the sign of Jesus’ coming and the end of the age. In their minds, surely the temple’s destruction and the end of the age go together. Jesus teaches otherwise. The temple will fall. But that fall belongs to a longer period of tribulation. Wars, natural disasters, persecution, apostasy—all kinds of tribulation. But none of it will stop the gospel from reaching all nations.

Jesus now addresses the temple again. He also clarifies the sign of his coming and what that means for us. Again, the main idea is this: as long as tribulation lasts, stay discerning, hopeful, and ready. Let’s see this develop in four parts…

An Age of Great Tribulation, But Not without Hope

First, the age we live in is an age of great tribulation but not without hope. In verse 15, Jesus focuses on that part of tribulation called “the abomination of desolation.” He also tells us that it comes from Daniel’s prophecy; and he exhorts readers of Daniel to seek understanding: “let the reader understand.” Now, others take that as a comment from Matthew to readers of his Gospel. Either way, Jesus intends for us to understand more than what he states, but we’ve got to read Daniel to figure it out.

But as some backdrop to Daniel, the word “abomination” usually appears in contexts of arrogant, willful disregard for the covenant Lord.[ii] “Desolation” was often the consequence of the people’s abomination.[iii] The curses of Leviticus 26 make this plain. If the people rejected him, the Lord threatened to lay their cities waste. He would make their sanctuary desolate. People would starve to the point of eating their children. And all this would happen at the hands of proud pagan armies.

Daniel lives in a day when that happened to Israel. Israel did abominations; and that led to their desolation. In Daniel 9, he prays about it: “make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.”[iv] Because of their abominations, God destroyed the temple in 586 BC at the hands of proud pagan kings that propped themselves up like a god. So, when we’re considering the “abomination of desolation” keep these things in mind. It involves total disregard for the covenant Lord, which then leaves the temple in ruins, usually at the hands of a pagan king who props himself up like a god.

Turns out, the first time this happened in Israel’s history wouldn’t be the last. Daniel 11:31 mentions another day this would happen. Daniel 11:31 is about a contemptible ruler. He rules a third beast-like empire, which in Daniel’s prophecy was Greece. But it says this about him: “Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm.”

Again, abomination appears in a context of covenant violation, which then leads to desolation at the hand of a proud pagan king. Daniel 11:36 shows how this king “shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods.” This prophecy was fulfilled in 167 BC by Antiochus Epiphanes (Epiphanes meaning “god manifest”). His troops entered the temple, stopped the sacrifices, erected an idol of Zeus, and then slaughtered a pig on the altar. But we also learn from Daniel’s prophecy that this wouldn’t be the only abomination of desolation. Rather, this event with Antiochus Epiphanes—once it played out in history—anticipated a greater abomination.

And this one, readers of Daniel would’ve already learned about in Daniel 9:24-27. It’s a beautiful prophecy because it comes to Daniel as an answer to prayer in tribulation. Basically, the prophecy anticipates a stretch of 490 years from the rebuilding of the temple to the ministry of Jesus; and at that point in history God would act to atone for iniquity. We pick up there in verse 26, “After the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one [i.e., the Messiah] shall be cut off and shall have nothing [or better: shall be cut off but not for himself].” In other words, this is how the Lord would atone for our sins—by the substitutionary death of the Messiah.

But it then goes on to add, “And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.” Verse 27 then reiterates what was covered in verse 26: “He shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”[v]

There’s our phrase again, “the abomination [that makes] desolate.” In short, this prophecy looks to a day when the Messiah would die for his people. But that death begins a series of end-time events that includes the destruction of the temple. Jesus wants us to understand the destruction of AD 70 in light of Daniel. The Jewish leaders will have committed the greatest abomination by rejecting the Lord Jesus; and it will lead to the desolation of their city and their temple.

Once again, the Lord would send a proud pagan king to destroy it. Nearly 40 years after Jesus spoke these words, the proud Roman general Titus besieged Jerusalem. He starved the people, just like the curses of Leviticus 26 promised. He massacred much of the population. He scattered the rest. He also toppled the temple to the ground.

Jesus depicts the severity of this desolation in the words of verses 16-20. “Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what’s in his house, and let the one who’s in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath; for then there will be great tribulation…” Jesus’ knows the desolation must come. But do you see in these words the compassion he still has for Jerusalem. The lament of chapter 23 spills into chapter 24 as he imagines and rehearses the horrors to come.

Jesus wants the disciples to understand the events of AD 70 as fulfilling Daniel’s prophecy. The harder question is whether that’s all he meant. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 draws from Daniel to show how “the man of lawlessness” must come first before Jesus returns. Revelation 13 draws from Daniel to picture a coming ruler who combines the evils of all rulers who’ve gone before—the ultimate Antichrist. Also, verse 21 expects a “great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” So, some would say, perhaps the abomination of desolation in AD 70 foreshadows still a greater desolation to come.[vi] But that’s the harder question to sort out; and I won’t pretend like I’ve got all the answers for that.

More immediately relevant to the disciples is the coming destruction on Jerusalem; and how to understand it from Daniel’s prophecy. It’s a judgment that falls because of covenant unfaithfulness; and it serves as a warning for all of us. If we reject the covenant Lord, we too will find ourselves judged. Do not reject the Lord Jesus. God sent him as your atonement. That means he came to cover your sins and give you access to God. But if you reject Jesus, then your end will be desolation like these Jews. If you put off Jesus and stay indifferent, you can be sure that judgment will fall on you too.

But something else to note here is the hope Jesus offers the disciples. Jesus never leaves his disciples without help in tribulation, without guidance in tribulation. He cares for his disciples; he cares for you. His word is a light for your path in tribulation. Notice, too, how he reminds the disciples to pray. Just as the Lord heard Daniel’s prayers in tribulation, he will also hear your prayers in tribulation.

Also, by telling us to read Daniel’s prophecy, we come to understand that Jesus’ death sets in motion the true victory over sin and evil. We can go through tribulation knowing that we are loved by the Lord, knowing that the sting of death has been removed, knowing that evil will not ultimately win. Daniel’s prophecy said the end of the desolater will come; and that is certain as Jesus’ death which already happened.

Notice, too, the encouragement from verse 22. “And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” Some people balk at the doctrine of election—God choosing his own. But it’s meant as a comfort. God intervenes on behalf of his elect. He will not leave us or forsake us. He will not allow tribulation to snuff out the faith or testimony of his elect. As hard as tribulation will get, it’s not a day without hope. God has promised. God has sent his Son. God hears our prayers. God preserves his elect. God will end tribulation for good.

An Age that Requires Great Discernment

Next, this age also requires discernment. Verse 23, “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ don’t believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I’ve told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he’s in the wilderness,’ don’t go out. If they say, ‘Look, he’s in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

False teachers don’t let a crisis go to waste. Tribulation rattles people. It leaves people vulnerable and afraid and desperate. False teachers prey on people’s anxieties and despair, claiming to offer hope, claiming to know the messiah’s whereabouts. They offer false saviors of all stripes. Some even back their message with signs and wonders. Signs and wonders were sometimes used to authenticate the gospel. But it’s also true that the powers of darkness can sometimes mimic God’s powers.[vii]

But Jesus says, “Don’t believe them.” Why? Because his coming will not happen in some secret place. It’s like lightning flashing across the sky. It’s as obvious as buzzards circling above a carcass. Everybody will know. Still, this emphasis on false teachers keeps coming up. He mentioned it in verse 5 and 11—also in chapter 7. So, perhaps we should pause and sharpen our ability to discern false teachers.

Here are three crucial tests: doctrine, character, purpose. What’s their doctrine like? Does what they teach align with Scripture? Do they believe in God as Trinity? Do they preach the cross of Christ? Or do they preach a different Jesus, a false Jesus divorced from the cross? Do they preach a Jesus who comes in secret? Or a Jesus whose coming is public and unmistakable? Someone once said, “The truth of a teacher’s words is determined not by the feats he can perform but by the orthodoxy of what he teaches.”[viii]

What’s their character like? Jesus said that we’ll know a false teacher by their fruits. They will be workers of lawlessness. Matthew 7 says, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

And finally, what’s their purpose? Is the purpose of the miracle to bring God glory? Revelation 13 says the Beast performs miracles too, but his miracles lead people to false worship. Do their signs produce true worship or just draw a crowd? Does their teaching draw people to the exclusive worship of Jesus? Or do they compromise the worship of Jesus? Are they treating God like a cosmic Genie to get whatever they want? Or is the goal faithfulness, even in the face of suffering and lack? As long as tribulation lasts, we must stay discerning.

An Age That Ends with Glory

Third, this age is also one that ends with glory. Verse 29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Not all Christians read these verses as the second coming of Jesus. They view these words as symbols of earthly realities. Also, since Jesus didn’t return “immediately after” the fall in AD 70, it must be describing another event. That event, they’d say, is the heavenly enthronement of Jesus; and they base that on the use of Daniel 7 in verse 30. It’s only a heavenly presentation, not a return to earth. The angels, then, in verse 31 represent in heaven what’s happening on earth as the gospel spreads.[ix]

I don’t take that approach—I love my brothers and sisters who do. I’d even agree that Daniel 7:13 depicts a heavenly presentation; but the rest of Daniel 7 shows Jesus defeating earthly rebel kingdoms.[x] Verses 27 and 28 have also prepared us to hear more about Jesus’ visible, earthly return. Verse 29 uses imagery of cosmic upheaval, which usually appears with the Lord’s final day of judgment.[xi] Notice, too, how verse 30 describes the universal impact of the Jesus’ coming: “all the tribes of the earth.”[xii] And three times already in Matthew—twice in chapter 13 and once in chapter 16—Jesus has mentioned angels coming with him on the last day to gather for judgment.[xiii]

So, when it says “immediately after the tribulation of those days,” I take him to mean the tribulation that characterizes the whole of this present age (one aspect of which was the fall of Jerusalem). If you’re a Christian, this should bring you much joy. We have the ultimate hope! The world sometimes speaks of hope, but much of the time it amounts to wishful thinking. There’s no solid basis to count on. But we have every reason to count on the return of Jesus. He already fulfilled God’s promise by dying and then rising from the dead. He already judged Jerusalem and the temple. He already sent the Spirit as a guarantee. His gospel is going to all nations. Our Savior is coming back!

Tribulation has an end, beloved. Every yearning you have for a good and righteous judge—Jesus is the one! Every longing you have for a King to end evil and right all wrongs—Jesus is that King! Every hunger for someone with power to transform the world—Jesus is it! Every desire to see goodness, beauty, and truth prevail on earth—Jesus will make that happen! Every prayer you’ve made for healing and joy and peace and new creation—he’s the one to answer them!

So, when you read the next news headline about international conflict or natural disasters, when you feel like the enemy is winning, when you don’t think the church’s mission will prevail, meditate on Jesus’ return. He’s coming back for his elect. He will not miss one. All of them, from every tribe, tongue, and nation—he will save them. As long as tribulation persists, stay hopeful. Jesus is coming back for us.

An Age That Calls For Readiness

Also, stay ready—this is an age that calls for readiness. In verse 32 Jesus tells a parable of a fig tree; and from that fig tree we must learn a lesson. “As soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.” The words “he is near” refers to Jesus’ return. Which means that “all these things” looks back to the events covered in verses 4-31 except for those that refer to Jesus’ return.

The fall of Jerusalem, the wars and rumors of wars, the false teachers, the persecution, the spread of the gospel—Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” Jesus’ point isn’t to draw such a tight chronology—as if to say, “As soon as this generation experiences all these things, I’m coming.”[xiv] He will soon follow this lesson with words about how not even the Son of man knows the day nor the hour of his return.[xv] But what we do learn from the fig tree is that events like the fall of Jerusalem and “the beginning of birth pains” and the spread of the gospel are all pointers to the coming day of Jesus’ return and final judgment.

So, stay ready. If you’re not ready, get ready. Prepare to meet the true King of kings. You will never find his statue buried with the sands of time. He’s already reigning in heaven, and one day his rule will come on earth as it is in heaven.

If you’re not a Christian, you should consider it a mercy from God that you heard Jesus’ words today. In his love, God has warned you. He will hold you accountable. The world will tell you everything will continue as always—eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die. But Jesus is taking the world to judgment. Set aside your bias against the truth. The return of Jesus is not just a religious idea that pacifies us till we die. His resurrection body will one day touch this earth again. Jesus’ claim is sweeping and universal. Indifference isn’t an option. Turn from your sins, and trust in Jesus Christ.

If you are a Christian, let these words become a sweet reminder to persevere. In Return of the King (the movie), there’s a scene where Sam and Frodo draw near to Mount Doom. They’re hungry, thirsty, weak, barely hanging on. Frodo says to Sam, “I can’t recall the taste of food, nor the sound of water, nor the touch of grass. I’m naked in the dark.” Our path in tribulation is often like that—marked with suffering, trial, failure, darkness. We hunger and thirst for life as it’s supposed to be, full of joy and peace, yet so often we’re hit with things that drain us and leave us barely hanging on.

But do you remember what Sam tells Frodo in that moment? “Remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It will be spring soon. And the orchards will be in blossom.” This passage says something like that to us: “It will be spring soon.” In the grand sweep of God’s story, Jesus is almost here. The fig tree is already budding. So, as long as tribulation lasts, stay discerning, stay hopeful, and stay ready to meet Jesus.

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[i] Matt 24:1; Mark 13:1; Luke 21:5.

[ii] E.g., Lev 18:22; 20:13; Deut 7:25; 17:1; 18:12; 25:16; Prov 6:16.

[iii] Lev 26:34, 35; 2 Chron 30:7; Dan 9:18.

[iv] Dan 9:2, 18; cf. 8:13; 9:26.

[v] For this interpretation of Daniel 9:26-27, see the arguments by Peter Gentry in Kingdom through Covenant (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 531-64.

[vi] E.g., David Turner, “The Structure and Sequence of Matthew 24:1-41: Interaction with Evangelical Treatments,” Grace Theological Journal 10.1 (1989): 3-27.

[vii] E.g., Deut 13:1-3; Exod 7:11; 2 Thess 2:9; Rev 13:13-14.

[viii] “False Signs and Wonders,” TabelTalk (October 10, 2016), accessed at https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/false-signs-and-wonders.

[ix] R. T. France, Matthew, NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007), 919-28.

[x] Dan 7:11–12, 22, 27. Further, that Jesus comes with the clouds in heaven does not mean he will never come with the clouds to earth (cf. Mark 13:26; Acts 1:9–11).

[xi] E.g., Isa 13:19; Joel 2:31; Rev 6:12ff.

[xii] See the arguments in Bret Rogers, Jesus as the Pierced One: The Use of Zechariah 12:10 in John’s Gospel and Revelation (Eugen: Pickwick, 2020). Revelation 1:7 uses the same language and more clearly applies it to Jesus’ return, when “every eye will see him.”

[xiii] Matt 13:41, 49; 16:27. The connection between angels and trumpet blast reminds us of imagery the Bible elsewhere associates with Jesus’ final return (e.g., 1 Thess 4:14–17; 2 Thess 1:7–10; Rev 19:11–16).

[xiv] “This does not mean that the distress must end within that time but only that ‘all these things’ must happen within it. Therefore, v. 34 sets a terminus a quo for the Parousia; it cannot happen until the events in vv. 4-28 take place, all within a generation of AD 30. But there is no terminus ad quem to this distress other than the Parousia itself, and “only the Father” knowns when it will happen.” D. A. Carson, Matthew (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 569. For a different take on “this generation,” arguing that the phrase recalls a “kind of people characterized by Matthew as…an unbelieving people who deceive and persecute the disciples of Christ until the time of the parousia,” see Neil D. Nelson, “‘This Generation’ in Matt 24:34: A Literary Critical Perspective,” JETS 38/3 (September 1996), 369-85.

[xv] David Wenham, The Parables of Jesus (Downers Grove: IVP, 1989), 68-70.