←
Explanation for:
Matthew
24
:
11
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall seduce many.
10
more explanations
& daily audio-books
spoken by
– enjoy in Theosis App –
Start your
Bible-journey
with explanations
& daily audio-books
only 4$* per month
{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"This tragedy is intensified when it is compounded by internal conflicts, and alongside this, there were numerous deceitful brethren. Are you able to perceive this triple conflict: with deceivers, adversaries, and false brethren? Observe how Paul, expressing sorrow over these issues, notes ‘outward threats, inward anxieties’ and mentions ‘dangers from false brethren’ (2 Cor. 11:26). He further states, ‘for such false apostles, deceitful workers, disguise themselves as apostles of Christ’ (2 Cor. 11:13)."},{"author-name":"Ambrose of Milan","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88871ceef8c96e0998cd0_Ambrose%20of%20Milan.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"This is an era filled with false prophets and famine. Reflect on the days of Elijah, where you will encounter the prophets of distress, Jezebel, as well as drought and hunger; the account of the prophet Elijah can be found in 1 Kings 17:1-19; 18; 1 Kings 21:17-28; 2 Kings 1:3-17; 2 Kings 2:1-18. What is the cause of this? It is due to the increase of transgressions and the waning of love. In this season, the righteous find themselves in desolation while the wicked thrive in power."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Previously, he mentioned individuals who would impersonate Christ, and now he addresses those who would masquerade as prophets. There were numerous such figures during the early days of preaching."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The Messiah predicts impending tribulations to fortify His followers. Often, it is the unforeseen that causes the greatest fear and bewilderment. Thus, Christ alleviates their anxiety beforehand by foretelling these future adversities: jealousy, hostility, trials, and deceivers, precursors of the Antichrist, who will mislead the masses and entice them into various forms of wickedness."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Numerous false prophets will emerge, both within the community of believers and among the Jewish people, leading many astray with their deceptive teachings and inaccuracies. The bonds of trust will weaken, and genuine friendship and love will become rare."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"\\"False prophets will emerge\\": these are distinct from the false messiahs previously mentioned (Matt. 24:5). They are individuals who will claim to be exceptional messengers of God, proclaiming new divine revelations that they assert have been shown to them. Such figures arose within the heart of the Christian community itself (Acts 20:30, 1 John 4:1), as well as among the Jewish populace during the period leading up to the siege of Jerusalem. Flavius notes that \\"the Zealots, who were then governing the city, appointed numerous false prophets, asserting that divine assistance was imminent for the people. They employed these prophets to deter the populace from escaping the city and to instill a sense of trust in God\\" (Bell. 6; 5, 2. 3)."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In the course of this persecution directed at you and my disciples, who will be drawn to faith by your teachings, many will forsake me due to their fear of suffering and death. Others will turn against each other because of me, betraying one another: within households, there will be both my followers and those outside the faith, leading to brother turning against brother, a father against his children, and children against their parents, leading to death sentences; false messengers will arise, misleading many; strife, animosity, and wickedness among people will increase to such an extent that love will find no place in their hearts. When the Christian faith was condemned as a threat and believers targeted for extermination, profound animosity erupted within families of mixed beliefs. Authorities demanded that Christians be denounced and surrendered for execution, resulting in brothers betraying brothers, fathers betraying children, and children betraying their parents. Deceit and hatred dominated, and love was forgotten, driven away; even the term Christian came to be despised by nonbelievers. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jesus Christ, who stated, “Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another” (Matt. 24:10); “and brother shall betray brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death” (Mark. 13:12); “and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matt. 24:12); “and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake” (Mark. 13:13)."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In revealing further omens of the impending tragic events, the Lord illustrated the futility of lofty hopes for the triumphant advent of an earthly kingdom, a vision not even his closest disciples could resist (Matt. 16:22; Matt. 20:21). He frequently declared that the Son of Man had come not to be served, but to serve and to lay down His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). Countless times He emphasized to His followers the necessity of embracing the path of the cross and self-denial rather than seeking worldly rewards (Matt. 16:24, 25), a path He Himself trod, establishing a redemptive example for them to emulate (John 12:26). Concerning the imminent separation, He wished to remind His disciples of the teachings they had often received from Him, even during His earlier preaching missions (Matthew 10:17-22), while simultaneously encouraging them with the assurance of divine aid amidst the forthcoming tribulations. \\n\\n\\"Beware of yourselves,” He warned, \\"for before all these trials, men will lay hands on you and deliver you to synagogues and prisons; you will stand trial before rulers and kings for my sake and for the sake of my name. This will serve as a testimony for you. When you are brought before them, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for at that hour, it will be given to you what to speak. For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. I will provide you with a mouth and wisdom that your adversaries will not be able to withstand or contradict.\\" He foretold further turmoil, stating, \\"Many will be led into temptation, betraying and hating one another. Many false prophets will rise up and mislead many; and because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. You will be betrayed even by your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put you to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake, yet not a hair on your head will perish. In your endurance, you will gain your souls; and he who remains steadfast until the end will be saved. This Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.\\" \\n\\nThe persecution of those proclaiming Christ’s teaching, divisions between believers and non-believers that could sever even closest family ties, a decline in mutual love, and a rise in temptations from false prophets were afflictions amidst which a new age—a Christian age—would emerge from the ashes of the old world. The Lord's pronouncements, closely linked with the devastation of Jerusalem, were fulfilled with remarkable precision. Prior to Jerusalem’s fall, four Roman emperors were slain; civil wars erupted alongside multiple foreign conflicts; the provinces of Rome were ravaged in succession. Rome experienced devastating fires, and the land was awash with moral corruption, leading to the complete disintegration of virtue. During this period, a severe famine struck Judea (Acts 11:28), resulting in many deaths in Jerusalem according to the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, and under Emperor Claudius, famine afflicted Rome, Greece, and Palestine several times. Tacitus also recorded the occurrence of pestilences during this era. Significant earthquakes destroyed the cities of Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colossae, also affecting Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, and Samos. \\n\\nJosephus noted that during this period, Palestine was rife with deceivers and magicians who led people into the wilderness, claiming to perform miracles by divine power. Among these false messiahs were Dositheus the Samaritan, who asserted he was the Christ, Simon the Sorcerer, another Samaritan who called himself the son of God, and various others. The Jewish people, having rejected Christ, desperately awaited a conquering Messiah, eagerly accepting any impostor who arose. Josephus also recorded signs preceding the siege of Jerusalem: for an entire year, a star resembling a sword loomed over the city; at the feast of unleavened bread, bright lights shone around the altar and sanctuary as during the day; the temple's brass gates, which required great effort to secure, opened by themselves at night; and during Pentecost, priests entering the temple heard strange noises and voices saying, \\"Let us leave this place!\\" (*The Jewish War*, 17, 5).\\n\\nBefore Jerusalem's destruction, Christian persecution intensified. Following the Ascension of the Divine Master, the disciples began to spread the Gospel, facing opposition from both Jews and Gentiles, including rulers and authorities. Cruel oppressors imprisoned apostles (Acts 4:3), locked them up (Acts 5:18; Acts 12:4), brought them to trial (Acts 4:7; Acts 5:27), and inflicted beatings (Acts 5:40), resulting in executions (Acts 7:58; 12:2). Martyrdom befell apostles such as James the son of Zebedee, James the Lord’s brother, Peter, and Paul. Nevertheless, the Word of the Lord continued to spread (Acts 13:49), and even before the fall of Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul proclaimed that the message of the gospel had reached all the earth and its words to the ends of the world (Rom. 10:18) and was preached to every creature under heaven (Col. 1:23). \\n\\nThe Gospel flourished throughout the known world. During this time, numerous false prophets arose, against whom the apostles warned the faithful (1 John 4:1; Jude 1:4). All these signs that once heralded Jerusalem's fall will reappear before the end of the age, as foretold by the Lord, intertwining the distant future with imminent events. “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming, whose coming is in accordance with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish” (2 Thess. 2:8-10). In that time, the successors of the holy apostles, the shepherds and teachers of Christ's Church alongside all faithful followers of the Lord, will endure severe persecutions for the testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God (Rev. 20:4)."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The intensity of the tribulation will be notably highlighted by the fact that even family members will turn against followers of Christ, leading to a widespread animosity towards Christians. In addition to this, Matthew reveals that many will be led astray, or fall away from their faith, with the emergence of numerous false prophets within the Christian community. He also prophesies that many will face temptations to abandon their beliefs, as iniquities increase and the love of many will cool. However, the Savior foretold one encouraging sign for the final days of Jerusalem and the world: the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout all nations. A thorough understanding of church history shows how extensively this was already realized in the early church."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"This warning (Matt. 23:37-39) weighed heavily on the hearts of the disciples, who, despite their belief in its realization, felt compassion for Jerusalem and struggled to reconcile it with their understanding of the Messiah's reign. As they departed from the temple, the Lord overheard them admiring its grandeur, particularly visible from the Mount of Olives, their destination. He then disclosed to them that all this magnificence would be reduced to nothing in the impending destruction. Eager to understand more, the disciples, when they found themselves alone with Him on the Mount of Olives, inquired about the timing of this catastrophic event. Those who had not yet witnessed the inauguration of the Messiah’s kingdom, as they had hoped and anticipated, failed to recognize the signs indicative of the end of the current order of things—an order they believed would radically transform with the arrival of the Messiah’s reign. Consequently, they collectively asked: what signs shall indicate the opening of His kingdom and the conclusion of this age?"}]}
Support this project and get full access for only 4$/month
Commentarie text can’t be scrolled on PC at the moment. Please use your phone. We’re working on a fix.
