Jesus and the End Time | End Time Texts in Gospel of Matthew
Introductory Notes

On this End Time prophecy website page the writer provides an introductory preview of the complete version of a document titled "End Time Texts in Gospel of Matthew" which shows and discusses End Times Teachings of Jesus described in the Gospel of Matthew in the King James Bible (or KJV Bible). By providing this preview, the writer enables readers to quickly find out whether this document contains information of a kind they are interested in and, if so, whether it presents this information in a fair and unbiased manner. Readers who are satisfied that it does can then read and/or download the complete version of this document that is located under the Main End Time Files heading of the Table of Contents page of this website.

On this page the writer presents the End Times teachings of Jesus by showing sets of King James Bible passages or verses ("texts" for short) that quote, describe or otherwise clarify or explain these teachings. To save time and space, the writer will distinguish Bible texts that present teachings of Jesus about the End Times from Bible texts that don't by referring to them as End Time texts. Similarly, he will distinguish Bible texts that present teachings of Jesus about a time of Judgment associated with the End Time (e.g., the Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, the Last Judgment, the Days of Vengeance, wrath to come, etc.) from Bible texts that don't by referring to them as End Time Judgment texts. Finally, he will distinguish Bible texts that present teachings of Jesus about a kingdom associated with the End Time (e.g., the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of the Son of man, the kingdom prepared for you, etc.) from Bible texts that don't by referring to them as End Time Kingdom texts. When the writer refers to or discusses such a Judgment or Kingdom in general terms, without referring to any particular Bible text, however, he will refer to them simply as the End Time Judgment or End Time Kingdom. These and other specifics of the writer's use of the terms End Time and End Times are discussed more fully on the Introduction page of this website.

Importantly, all End Time texts which include verses copied from the New Testament are followed by entries called Notes which cite and/or discuss other New or Old Testament texts that are related to them and, consequently, ought to be read and interpreted in conjunction with them. Especially important among texts of this kind are texts which include similar but differently worded accounts of things Jesus said on the same or similar subjects in other Gospels or in other parts of the same Gospel. Other examples of texts of this kind include Old Testament texts which underlie, support and help explain End Time prophecies of Jesus. Reading texts of these kinds in conjunction with one another also enables readers to study the End Time teachings or Eschatology of Jesus as a connected whole, and not just as a collection of separate stand-alone units.

 

End Time Teachings of John the Baptist in the Gospel of Matthew

Matt. 3:7-12
P 7 But when he [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. [end par.]
This text is included as an End Time text because v. 7 speaks of "the wrath to come", and because v. 10 and v. 12 speak of the very different future destinies that await those who have brought forth good fruit and those who have not. Together these verses clearly seem to refer to the event that the writer refers to as the End Time Judgment.
V. 7's use of "generation of vipers" and "wrath to come" seems to foreshadow Jesus' use of "generation of vipers" and "day of judgment" in v. 34 and 36 of Matt. 12:33-37. See also v. 33 of Matt. 23:29-39.
While the KJV Bible does not describe Jesus using the words "wrath to come" as such, it does describe him using arguably similar terms. See, for example, his use of "days of vengeance" in v. 22 of Luke 21:5-24 of Luke's End Time discourse and his use of both of the words "days" and "wrath" in the next verse of that discourse (Luke 21:23).
V. 10 above makes a statement similar to that made by Jesus in v. 19 of Matt. 7:15-20. See also v. 5-6 of John 15:1-6.
V. 12's statement about wheat parallels that made by Jesus in v. 30 of Matt. 13:24-30.
This text as a whole corresponds in part to v. 7-9 of Luke 3:1-9 and in part to Luke 3:15-17. See also v. 7-8 of Mark 1:1-11.

End Time Teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew

Matt. 4:12-17
P 12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. P 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. [end par.]
This text is included as an End Time text because v. 15-16 quote v. 1-2 of Is. 9:1-21, and because v. 6-7 of the same text relate to a kingdom that will last for ever (Is. 9:7). Since a kingdom that lasts for ever (forever in American English) must be a kingdom that comes with (or at least survives) the End Times, it is reasonable to think of this kingdom as an End Time Kingdom. Moreover, since v. 17 immediately follows v. 15-16, it is reasonable to think that this End Time Kingdom is the kingdom Matthew describes Jesus referring to as the kingdom of heaven. See also v. 7 of Matt. 10:5-23.
V. 17 above is the first verse in the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus uses the word "kingdom". In the accompanying Auxiliary Sense file titled "Senses of the Word Kingdom", the writer describes the senses in which the Bible uses this word and gives examples of Bible verses that use it in these senses.
V. 17 is also the first verse in the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus uses the word "heaven" as such. In the accompanying Auxiliary Sense file titled "Senses of the Word Heaven", the writer describes the senses in which the Bible uses this word and gives examples of Bible verses that use it in these senses.
The Gospel of Matthew uses the phrase "the kingdom of heaven" not only in v. 17, but also in more than thirty other verses. The other Gospels do not use this phrase as such even once, and instead use "the kingdom of God". In spite of this, there are five verses in which Matthew also uses the latter term, i.e., in Matt. 6:33, Matt. 12:28, Matt. 19:24 and Matt. 21:31 and 21:43.
This text seems to be a longer account of the events described at Mark 1:14-15. In Mark, however, the Gospel writer uses the phrase "the kingdom of God" rather than the phrase "the kingdom of heaven". In addition, Mark uses this phrase as a part of the longer phrase "the gospel of the kingdom of God", a phrase that Matthew also uses, in an abbreviated form, in Matt. 4:23-24 below.
The idea that the kingdom of heaven Jesus speaks about in v. 17 is an End Time Kingdom is confirmed by the fact that, in v. 34 of Matthew's description of the End Time Judgment (Matt. 25:31-46), Jesus describes the End Time Kingdom as "the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:". Since only God can provide such a kingdom, this kingdom must be a kingdom which is of (or from) heaven or, in other words, of (or from) God.
Special Note on "the Kingdom":
The Bible often uses the phrase "the kingdom of God" interchangeably with phrases like "the kingdom of heaven" and "the kingdom of the Lord". It also often abbreviates phrases of this kind to any of several shorter phrases, such as "the kingdom", "his kingdom" and "thy kingdom". As explained in the Auxiliary Sense file titled "Senses of the Word Kingdom", the Bible may use phrases of this kind in senses in which it means things as different as a people (Exod. 19:5-6), a place on the earth (1Chron. 28:5), a place not on the earth (John 18:36) and God's kingship over any and all places (Ps. 103:19).

Matt. 4:23-24
P 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. 24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
This text is included as an End Time text because v. 23 above describes Jesus preaching "the gospel of the kingdom", and because v. 14 of Matt. 24:1-22 of Matthew's End Time discourse describes Jesus teaching that "the end" will come after "this gospel of the kingdom" has been preached in "all the world". The latter "end", in turn, seems to refer back to the end of the world that the disciples ask him about in v. 3 of that text. See also, however, the most nearly corresponding verses of Mark's End Time discourse, v. 10 and 13 of Mark 13:1-20.
While v. 23 does not describe the teachings included in the gospel that Jesus preached, these teachings would seem to be essentially the same as those described only a few verses earlier, in v. 17 of Matt. 4:12-17 above, i.e., that people should repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. See also v. 7 of Matt. 10:5-23, Mark 1:14-15 and v. 9 and 11 of Luke 10:1-16.
V. 23 is repeated, in almost the same words, in Matt. 9:35 below.

Matt. 5:17-20
P 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. [end par.]
This text is included as an End Time text because it describes Jesus teaching that righteousness is a criterion that will be used to determine who will and will not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus makes the applicability of this teaching to the End Time Judgment and to entry into the End Time Kingdom even more clearly in Matt. 13:36-43.
The passing of heaven and earth that Jesus speaks about in v. 18 may allude to one or both of v. 17 of Is. 65:6-25 and v. 22 of Is. 66:15-24. This passing may correspond to the passing he speaks about in Matt. 24:35, Mark 13:31 and Luke 21:33.
In v. 19-20, Jesus seems to make a point similar to the one he makes in v. 29-31 of Luke 16:19-31, i.e., in the Parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

Matt. 5:21-26
P 21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. [end par.]
The judgment that Jesus speaks of in v. 21 and 22 above seems to refer to the Day of Judgment or Judgment Day. If this is true, then v. 21-26 above provide important information about the End Time Judgment.
V. 22 is the first verse of the King James Bible version of the New Testament that uses the word "hell" as such. In the accompanying Auxiliary Sense file titled "Senses of the Word Hell", the writer describes the senses in which the KJV Bible as a whole uses this word and gives examples of Bible verses that use it in these senses.
V. 22 is one of only three Bible verses that combine the words "hell" and "fire" into the phrase "hell fire". The other two verses are v. 9 of Matt. 18:2-9 and v. 47 of Mark 9:41-48.
V. 26 describes a teaching similar to v. 32-35 of Matt. 18:23-35 and v. 59 of Luke 12:54-59, i.e., that the punishment decreed for a person at the judgment will continue until it reaches its appointed end. See also v. 27 of Matt. 16:24-28 and v. 47-48 of Luke 12:35-48, which suggest that this punishment will reflect the seriousness of the wrong done. It is not clear how these teachings are to be reconciled with Matt. 25:31-46 of the Matthean End Time discourse, which describes the teachings of Jesus about everlasting punishment. Some possible ways of reconciling these teachings are discussed in the Main End Time File titled "Notes on Everlasting Punishment".

Matt. 5:27-32
P 27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. [end par.]
Verses similar to v. 29 and 30 appear again at v. 8 and 9 of Matt. 18:2-9, but in a very different context. In addition, the latter verses use the phrases "hell fire" and "everlasting fire" where v. 29 and 30 above use the word "hell".
Other verses similar to v. 29 and 30 appear, one more time and in still another context, in v. 43, 45 and 47 of Mark 9:41-48. There, however, these verses are separated by identical verses that all seem to be based on v. 24 of Is. 66:15-24.
V. 31-32 above seem to generally correspond to Mark 10:11-12. They also generally correspond to Luke 16:18, which occurs immediately before Luke 16:19-31, a text in which Jesus gives what is arguably the most graphic description of hell in the Gospels.

Matt. 6:9-15
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. [end par.]
This text is included as an End Time text because v. 10 speaks about the coming of a kingdom that belongs to God and/or has God as its king or, in other words, about the coming of the kingdom of God. If, as appears likely, this kingdom is the same as the kingdom Jesus speaks about in v. 31 of Luke 21:25-37 and v. 34 of Matt. 25:31-46 of the Lukan and Matthean End Time discourses, then this kingdom is reasonably regarded as an End Time Kingdom.
The prayer that Jesus prays in v. 9-13 above is generally similar to the one he prays in Luke 11:1-4.
V. 14-15 are important because they describe Jesus teaching that forgiveness of others is one of the criteria that will be used when a person is judged, a teaching he reiterates in the wicked servant parable of Matt. 18:23-35. The teachings of Jesus about a related criterion, anger, are described in Matt. 5:21-26 above. These criteria clearly seem to be in addition to the righteousness he calls for in Matt. 5:17-20 above and in his description of the End Time Judgment, Matt. 25:31-46.
V. 14-15 generally correspond to Mark 11:25-26 and v. 37 of Luke 6:35-42.

Matt 7:1-5
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. [end par.]
This text is included as an End Time text because it describes still another criterion that will be used when a person is judged: whether he judged others by the same standards he used to judge himself. Other criteria that will be used when a person is judged are described in Matt. 5:21-26 (anger) and Matt. 6:9-15 (forgiveness of others). Criteria like these appear to be in addition to those mentioned by Jesus in his description of the End Time Judgment (Matt. 25:31-46).
V. 1-2 are generally similar to v. 37-38 of Luke 6:35-42, while v. 3-5 are generally similar to v. 41-42 of that text.
V. 2 above is also arguably generally similar to v. 24 of Mark 4:21-25.

Matt. 7:13-14
P 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. [end par.]
V. 13-14 are included as an End Time text because they describe Jesus teaching that each person has one of two future destinies, being destroyed or entering into life. This, in turn, seems to presuppose the existence of a time of judgment at which these destinies will be decided or put into effect, i.e., the time the writer refers to as the End Time Judgment. These destinies seem to be the same as those Jesus speaks of in v. 27 of John 6:26-29 and v. 28 of John 10:24-31.
V. 13-14 seem to be similar to v. 23-24 of Luke 13:22-30. See also v. 14 of Matt. 22:1-14 and v. 16 of Matt. 20:13-16.

Matt. 7:15-20
P 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
[end par.]
The warning about false prophets in v. 15 above is repeated, with some differences in wording, in Matt. 24:5 and Matt. 24:23-24 of the Matthean End Time discourse, Mark 13:5-6 and Mark 13:21-23 of the Markan End Time discourse and Luke 21:8 of the Lukan End Time discourse.
The words Jesus speaks in v.19-20 are similar to those spoken by John the Baptist at v. 10 of Matt. 3:7-12 and v. 9 of Luke 3:1-9. They are also roughly similar to the words that Jesus himself speaks in v. 5-6 of John 15:1-6.
V. 16-18 and 20 are similar to Luke 6:43-45. The latter text, however, does not say anything about fire.
V. 16-17 and 19 together generally parallel parts of the Parable of the Tares, i.e., Matt. 13:36-43 and 13:47-50. In the latter, however, Jesus explains how texts like v. 16-20 may be understood as veiled descriptions of the end of the world and the End Time Judgment.

Matt. 8:10-12
10 When Jesus heard it [the centurion's expression of faith], he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This text is included an End Time text because it seems to describe Jesus teaching that people have one of two mutually exclusive future destinies, i.e., entering the kingdom of heaven (v. 11), or being cast out into outer darkness where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (v. 12). It is also included because the kingdom Jesus mentions in v. 11 and the outer darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth he mentions in v. 12 seem to be the same as those Jesus describes in v. 34 and v. 30 of his description of the End Time Judgment, Matt. 25:31-46. See also v. 51 of Matt. 24:37-51.
The phrase "the children of the kingdom" in v. 12 appears in only one other verse in the Gospels, v. 38 of Matt. 13:36-43. Other phrases of this kind include "the children of God" that Jesus uses in Matt. 5:9, Luke 20:36 and John 11:52, the "children of light" that he uses in Luke 16:8 and John 12:36 and the "children of the Highest" that he uses in Luke 6:35.
Surprisingly, while the Old Testament does not use any of the phrases mentioned in the previous Note as such, it does use the phrase "children of Israel" hundreds of times. It also includes a few verses in which God speaks to the people of Israel using words of this kind. See, for example, v. 6 of Ps. 82:1-8 ("…you are children of the most High.") and v. 1 of Deut. 14:1-2 ("Ye are the children of the Lord your God:").
The phrase "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (or "wailing and gnashing of teeth") is an unusual one which, except for Luke 13:28, appears only in the Gospel of Matthew. Verses other than v. 12 that use one or the other of these phrases include Matt. 13:36-43/42; 13:47-50/50; 22:1-14/13; 24:37-51/51 and 25:14-30/30. All verses of this kind seem to be based on v. 10 of Ps. 112:1-10.
V. 11 and v. 12 seem to correspond v. 29 and 28, respectively, of Luke 13:22-30.

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