As a continuation of the previous chapter, this chapter concerns the prophecy concerning the kingdom based on Matthew 24 and 25. These two chapters in Matthew are divided into three sections. The first section is 24:1-31, the second section is 24:32—25:30, and the third section is 25:31-46.
Throughout church history some have thought that Matthew 24 and 25 were spoken for the Jews only, but others have thought that this portion was spoken to the church. However, according to the light that the Lord has given us, we see that these two chapters are divided into three sections directed to three groups of people—the first section to the Jews, the second to the church, and the third to the nations. This understanding is based on the three questions the disciples asked (24:3). First, they asked when the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem would be. Second, they asked what the sign of Christ’s coming would be. Third, they asked what the sign of the consummation of the age would be. Since the disciples asked these three questions so clearly, the Lord surely would not give them a vague answer. Sometimes even when the disciples asked questions in a foolish way, the Lord still answered them clearly. Here the Lord in His answer had to address at least these three matters. Concerning the destruction of the temple, He said that it has nothing to do with the church or the Gentiles; concerning His coming, He said that it is related not only to the church but also to the Jews and the nations; concerning the last days of the world, He spoke of the destiny of the nations, the unsaved ones who are living when the Lord returns. The Bible shows that there are three groups of people in the world: the Jews, the church, and the nations (1 Cor. 10:32; Rom. 1:16). Hence, the Lord’s word covers these three groups, on which the aforementioned three sections of Matthew 24 and 25 are based.
Matthew 24 mentions the Holy Place, those in Judea, the Sabbath, and the chosen, indicating that this word was spoken to the Jews (vv. 15-16, 20, 22). However, some say that this word was spoken to the disciples, that is, to the church, because the Lord said “you” (v. 15). Actually, the disciples at that time had a dual status. On one hand, they were disciples; on the other hand, they were Jews. Hence, the Lord said “you” in the first and second sections, but He did not say “you” in the third section. This is because the Jews in the first section and the church in the second section are both represented by the disciples in their dual status.
Matthew 24 also concerns the church, because the most important matter mentioned is the rapture (vv. 40-41). This matter is related only to the church. The matter of rapture does not relate to the Jews and the Gentiles. Furthermore, this second section mentions the Lord’s coming, His going, and His coming again, the focus of this section being on the events that would take place between the Lord’s going and His coming again (24:32—25:30). This portion is not related to the Jews but to the church; it reveals that the church would begin with the Lord’s ascension and end with the Lord’s second coming. The first section is in plain words. For instance, winter signifies the actual season of winter (24:20). The second section, however, is mostly in parables. For example, the summer signifies the time of the (restored) kingdom (vv. 32-33). Since the church is a mystery, the word concerning the church also is a mystery. However, because the Jews are not a mystery, the speaking concerning them is in plain words.
The third section concerns the nations, the Gentiles. In Matthew 10:5 the Lord mentioned “the way of the Gentiles.” The Greek word for Gentiles is the same as that for nations in 25:32. Hence, the Lord clearly was speaking of the Gentiles. Finally, in the third section, instead of speaking only in parables, the Lord spoke in plain words with parables.
Since the Lord had already spoken concerning the church, Christianity, and the reality of the kingdom in chapter 13, why did He need to mention the church again in the prophecy in chapters 24 and 25? The Lord mentioned the church again because chapter 13 concerns mainly how the church comes into being and what the constitution of the church is. It shows that the church grows out of the seed of life and was produced by Christ on the cross, but it does not mention the responsibility the church should bear before the Lord. Hence, the prophecy in chapters 24 and 25 is needed in order to cover the matter of the responsibility of the church.
The emphasis of the parables in chapter 13 is on the constitution, the element, of the church, but the emphasis of chapters 24 and 25 is on the responsibility of the church. Chapter 13 does not cover the responsibility of the church, and chapters 24 through 25 do not cover the constitution of the church. In order to see the producing, constitution, and content of the church, we need to know chapter 13; in order to see the responsibility of the church, we must delve into chapters 24 and 25.
The responsibility and obligation of the church, or of Christians, are of two aspects. One is the aspect of life, that is, of being watchful and prepared in life; the other is the aspect of service, that is, of being faithful in work and service.