Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 35

 The Lesson of the Fig Tree

Verses 35-38: Verses 35 and 36 warn against attempts to set an exact date for Christ’s return at the end of the church age. To speculate that day and hour do not eliminate year is a gross oversimplification. The Father only knows the time of Christ’s return since it has been set by His authority (Acts 1:7).

However, we are given a comparison to the days of Noah (and the Flood), which illustrate and prefigure the condition of humanity at the time of Christ’s return. The last generation, like the one of Noah’s days, is pleasure-oriented and self-gratifying by eating and drinking.

The reference to marrying and giving in marriage may refer to carrying on the normal course of life without heeding the impending judgment.

Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

Heaven and earth... The heaven refers to the physical universe. Some scripture interpretations include the words with a roar. The roar connotes a whistling or a crackling sound as of objects being consumed by flames. God will incinerate the universe, probably in an atomic reaction that disintegrates all matter as we know it (see 2Pet. 3:10).

The elements will be destroyed with intense heat. The elements are the atomic components into which matter is ultimately divisible, which make up the composition of all the created matter. This means that the atoms, neutrons, protons, and electrons are all going to disintegrate.

Then the whole of the physical, natural earth in its present form, with its entire universe will be consumed (Isa. 24:19-20; 34:4).

This is called the Day of the Lord which is a technical term pointing to the special intervention of God in human history for judgment. It ultimately refers to the future time of judgment whereby God judges the wicked-on earth and ends this world system in its present form.

The Old Testament prophets saw the final Day of the Lord as unequaled darkness and damnation, a day when the Lord would act in a climactic way to vindicate His name, destroy His enemies, reveal His glory, establish His kingdom and destroy the world (Isa. 2:10-21; 13:6-22; Joel 1, 2; Amos 5; Oba. 15; Zec. 14; Mal. 4; 2Thes. 1:7; 2:2).

It occurs at the time of the tribulation on earth (Rev. 6:17), and again 1,000 years later at the end of the millennial kingdom before the creation of the new heavens and new earth (verse 13; Rev. 20:1 – 21:1).

not pass away... Pass Away

Greek: parerchomai, to change from one condition or state to another; pass away, as a person passes away in death, or as old things pass away at the new birth (2Cor. 5:17). It never means annihilation, but a change only. The heavens and earth are eternal (Psm. 72:5-17; 89:3-37; 104:5; Ecc. 1:4) and cannot pass out of existence. They will be changed (Heb. 1:10-12; 12:25-28; Rom. 8:21-23), be renovated by fire (2Pet. 3:5-13), and be renewed (Rev. 21:1), but never pass out of existence. They will be changed but My words will not be changed.

We know that somewhere in the future, the heaven and earth will pass away, because we read, we shall have a new heaven and a new earth. Jesus is the Word of God. He is also, eternal. By this, we know the Word is eternal.

This promise is sure, for it would be easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for Christ’s words to fail (cf. Mat. 5:18).