A brief overview of Matthew 24

Matthew 24, also known as the Olivet Discourse, is one of the most important prophetic passages in the New Testament. From an amillennial and reformed theological perspective, this chapter does not describe a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on earth, but rather presents a symbolic and covenantal understanding of redemptive history, culminating in the return of Christ and final judgment.

Jesus begins in verses 1–3 by predicting the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, a shocking declaration for His disciples. Their question in verse 3—“When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”—reveals their assumption that the destruction of the temple and the end of the age are one and the same. However, Jesus’ response indicates a partial near-future fulfillment (70 A.D.) and a greater, distant eschatological fulfillment (His second coming).

In verses 4–14, Jesus warns of false messiahs, wars, famines, earthquakes, and persecution—general signs that will characterize the entire church age, not just a final short period. This aligns with the amillennial view that we are currently living in the “last days,” a time stretching from Christ’s first coming to His second. The increase of lawlessness, global gospel proclamation, and spiritual deception are not confined to a future tribulation but mark the entire age of the Church.

Verses 15–22 reference the “abomination of desolation,” which is often linked to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. From an amillennial lens, this was a historical fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy and a covenantal judgment on apostate Israel, marking the definitive end of the Old Covenant order. The intense suffering described in these verses applies most directly to the Jewish people of that generation.

In verses 23–31, Jesus again emphasizes the rise of false christs and teachers. The “coming of the Son of Man” in verse 27 and the cosmic imagery of verse 29 are understood symbolically or apocalyptically in reformed amillennialism. These verses speak not of a secret rapture or literal celestial disruptions, but of the visible, glorious return of Christ at the end of the age in judgment and salvation. The "gathering of the elect" refers to the final resurrection and consummation of God's redemptive plan.

Jesus then exhorts vigilance through the parable of the fig tree (vv. 32–35), and emphasizes the unexpected timing of His return (vv. 36–51). The emphasis is not on constructing timelines but on faithful readiness. The warning that “this generation will not pass away” (v. 34) is seen as a reference to those alive in Jesus’ day witnessing the destruction of Jerusalem.

In summary, Matthew 24 in amillennial Reformed theology is both historical and eschatological. It addresses the fall of Jerusalem as a type of final judgment and portrays the church age as a time of tribulation and gospel witness. Christ’s return will be sudden, final, and universal. Believers are called to endure, watch, and remain faithful as they await the consummation of Christ’s kingdom—not in a future earthly millennium, but in the new heavens and new earth.