Matthew 24:4

Sunday, 8 November 2026

 

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. Matthew 24:4

 

“And answering, the ‘Jesus’, He said to them, ‘You must look, lest anyone, you, he should ‘roam’.’” (CG)

 

In the previous verse, while Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, His disciples came to Him privately, asking when the things He referred to would be, and what the sign of His advent and the consummation of the age would be. Matthew next records, “And answering, the ‘Jesus’, He said to them, ‘You must look, lest anyone, you, he should ‘roam’.’”

 

In other words, Jesus warns them that they should be on guard to keep from being deceived. He uses the word planaó, to roam. In this case, He uses it in the sense of causing another to roam.

 

As seen a few times already, this word is the etymological root of our word planet. Just as a planet appears to roam in the sky, Jesus says that, as a star appears to remain fixed in the sky, His disciples should be grounded in their thinking and fixed in their thoughts concerning what He says. The way someone would fail at this would be for him to be led astray.

 

The specific means by which someone might deceive others in this manner will be explained in the coming verses. The words Jesus uses tell us that what He says is intended for those who will come later, not specifically the apostles themselves. 

 

Life application: The disciples came to Jesus because they were curious about the events of the consummation of the age. That certainly means something different to the church than it does to Israel. The church has a set age in which it operates. Israel had an age in which it operated.

 

However, almost like a cosmic clock that stopped, Israel’s age ceased running. Jesus will refer to the words of Daniel the prophet in verse 15. Daniel gives a specific timeline of events for the nation of Israel. However, no matter which way you interpret those verses, there will be a gap of time in them.

 

Some think the gap was a very short time, maybe a few years. Some think it was approximately forty years, referring to the destruction of the temple in AD70. Others who hold to the dispensational model (not hyperdispensationalism) say the gap began at the time following Christ’s crucifixion, and the age will only pick up again after the church age. That is a period that has lasted, so far, for two thousand years.

 

Those who hold to the shorter view of time claim that the Bible never speaks of such a long gap. That is actually incorrect, but setting that aside, it doesn’t matter if the gap is a week or two thousand years. From God’s perspective, both are just a blip –

 

“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8

 

The consummation of the church age is not the same as the consummation of the age the disciples have asked about. First, the church age didn’t exist at the time they asked their question.

 

As such, the disciples had as much understanding of the coming church age as they had concerning how to make a pineapple pizza, something that didn’t exist until 1962 when Sam Panopoulos stepped outside the bounds of traditional cuisine, taking a monumental risk on an untested blend of sweet and savory. His culinary audacity defied the rules of pizza purists, carving out an enduring legacy built on sheer creative bravery. He called his new delight Hawaiian Pizza.

 

Second, Jesus speaks about those in Judea. Although there are believers in Judea, that is not the focus of the church age. Rather, the entire world is. Judea is the land of the Jews. Jesus also speaks about observing the Sabbath, something set for the nation of Israel.

 

In the church, some sects observe the Sabbath, thinking they must do so in order to be saved and to remain in God’s favor, but the Sabbath is a requirement for neither. Standard, proper Christian theology understands that the Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ. Those who believe in the finished work of Christ enter into what the Sabbath only pictured. That is explicitly stated several times in the epistles.

 

These and other clues in Chapter 24 make it clear that what Jesus speaks of in this chapter is directed to Israel, the nation which is comprised of Jews. The church is a separate entity that has its own age, an age that will end before the time when the age of Israel under the law recommences. That period will last for seven years.

 

For now, despite Israel being back in the land and being prepared for what lies ahead, they remain Lo Ammi, Not My People, in God’s redemptive plan. Be sure not to mix the dispensations that the Bible presents. In doing so, you will do well. And if you have never tried pineapple pizza, give it a shot. You might like it.

 

Lord God, thank You that in the church, we are saved by grace through faith and that through this faith, we will be brought into Your presence at the rapture. We long for that day and pray for its coming. May it be soon. Amen.