NOTES for Mat 24:1-31
Over the centuries these lines have been understood in different ways. At first they were seen as a prophecy of the imminent end and the coming of Jesus, which would take place before the generation of those who witnessed His life had passed away. Then came bewilderment over an unfulfilled promise. Then they became obscure words about catastrophes, then something like a memento mori, a reminder that no one knows his own hour. Now, for some, they are instructions for what to do in the event of the Second Coming; for others, material for calculating the “signs of the times” and the dates that must be fulfilled any day now; and for still others, a riddle they do not know how to approach. One way or another, they reflect the disciples' faith that the story of Jesus did not end with His death. More than that, it did not end with His Resurrection. It will never end at all—while this world stands... and after its end.