Historical fulfillments of Matthew 24.
DECEIVERS
Matthew: “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you, For many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive
many” (24:4, 5).
Mark: “And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive
you; For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive
many” (13:5,6).
Luke: “And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived; for many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ, and
the time draweth near; go ye not therefore after them” (2 1:8).
We notice that all three accounts warn about deceivers. But Luke’s account explains WHEN these things would happen. Jesus Said: “And the time DRAWETH NEAR: go
ye not therefore after them.” Jesus was not talking about something that would take place hundreds or thousands of years later! Jesus was warning his disciples about something that was drawing near
in their time! This is plain.
Did such deceivers or false Christs arise and deceive many in those years before the destruction of Jerusalem? Yes!
According to Josephus, the noted Jewish historian, twelve years after our Saviour’s death, a certain impostor named Theudas persuaded a great multitude to follow him to the river Jordan which he claimed would divide for their passage. At the time of Felix (who is mentioned in the book of Acts), the country of the Jews was filled with impostors who Felix had put to death EVERY DAY — a statement which indicates that there were “many” of such in those days!
An Egyptian who “pretended to be a prophet” gathered 30,000 men, claiming that he would show “how, at his command, the walls of Jerusalem would fall down.”
Another deceiver was Simon, a sorcerer, who led people to believe he was the great power of God (See Acts 8). According to Irenaeus, Simon claimed to be the Son of God and creator of angels. Jerome says that he claimed to be the Word of God, the Almighty. Justin relates that he went to Rome and was acclaimed as a god by his magical powers.
Origen mentions a certain wonder-worker, Dositheus, who claimed he was the Christ foretold by Moses. Another deceiver in those days was Barchochebas who, according to Jerome, claimed to vomit flames. Bar-jesus is mentioned in Acts 13:6 as a sorcerer and false prophet. These are examples of the deceivers of whom history says there were “a great number”, and of whom Jesus had prophesied that there would be “many.”
PERSECUTION AGAINST THE DISCIPLES
Matthew: “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another . . . And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (24:9-12).
Mark: “They shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten; and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony . . . whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost . . . And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake” (13:9-13).
Luke: “They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony . . . I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.. . and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake” (21:12-17).
The book of Acts gives a complete account of how the disciples were persecuted in the very ways Jesus had predicted. Let us take, for example, Acts 4: “And they laid hands on them [Peter and John], and put them in prison” (verse 3). They were brought before “rulers” (verses 5-7). And it turned into an opportunity to testify. Peter explained that “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (verse 12). They were given a mouth of wisdom which their adversaries could not gainsay, for the men of the council “marveled” (verse 13). They were then commanded “not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (verse 18). As Jesus had said, they were hated for his name’s sake!
The same things are seen in Acts 5. Certain authorities “laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison” (verse 18). Later they were brought “before the council” (verse 27) and told to answer for continuing to teach in the name of Jesus (verse 28). Again they had opportunity to testify (verses 29-32). They were “beaten” (verse 40). As they departed from the “council”, they rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer for his name” (verse 41).
Or take Acts 6. There arose certain ones of the “synagogue” that disputed with Steven. “And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke” (verses 9, 10). Persecution re suited and he was brought into the “council” and questioned (verse 12). Again there was the opportunity to testify, the words of that testimony being given in Acts 7. Steven was killed for his stand (verses 54-60). Jesus had said that some of them would be killed.
Notice Acts 8. “There was a great persecution against the church.” Christians were put in “prison”, but the result was that the word was preached (verses 1-4).
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were beaten and cast into “prison.” But it turned into an opportunity to testify and the Philippian jailor and his family were converted as a result (verses 22-34). In Acts 21, persecution resulted in Paul being beaten, brought before rulers, before whom he testified (Acts 22). In Acts 22:19 we read that Christians were “imprisoned and beat in every synagogue.”
In Acts 24, Paul was brought before Felix, the governor, and testified. He was given a mouth of wisdom which his adversaries could not gainsay — though they obtained an orator to speak against him. Paul’s words even made Felix to “tremble.” In Acts 25 and 26, Paul was brought before king Agrippa, the chief captains, and the principal men of the city. He was given a mouth of wisdom, for Agrippa said to Paul, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (verse 28).
Jesus said the disciples would be afflicted, beaten, imprisoned; they would be hated for his name’s sake and some would be killed; they would be brought before councils, rulers, and kings, for a testimony; they would be given a mouth of wisdom which their adversaries could not gainsay. Surely these things came to pass in those years — unmistakably fulfilled in every detail!
“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mt. 24:11, 13). Peter, who was present when Jesus gave this prophecy (Mk. 13:3), later wrote about “false prophets” that had risen and of “many” that followed their pernicious ways (
2 Peter 2). John, who also heard Jesus give this prophecy, recorded the fulfillment: “Many false prophets are gone out into the world” (l
John 4:1). “Many deceivers are entered into the world” (2 John 7).
Paul also spoke of “false apostles, deceitful workers” (2 Cor. 11:13). He mentioned Hymenaeus and Philetus who taught false doctrines and overthrew the faith of some (2 Tim. 2:17, 18). By the time of his epistle to Titus, there were “many . . . deceivers . . . who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not” (
Titus 1:10, 11).
Great Prophecies of the Bible
Ralph Woodrow
