We’re continuing in the 20th century:

“24:9-14: “‘Then people will give you over to affliction (in the sense of persecution; compare Daniel 12:1) and kill you (compare 10:28; 21:35; 22:6; 23:34, 37), and you’ll be hated by all nations on account of my name.’ “

¹“Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.  ²And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. ³And those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those lead the many to righteousness, like stars forever and ever. 
(Daniel 12:1-3; NASB)

I added verses 2 and 3 to the above passage. These passages belong to a group of passages that foretell the rapture of the church, followed by the Great Tribulation. This is also followed by verse 4 (see further on for the actual verse), which is where Daniel is told to seal up the book until the “end of time,” and where he is told that “many will run to and fro” (or “roam about”), and “knowledge will increase”(or “evil will increase). I suspect we will run into these verses again.

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  
(Matthew 10:28; NASB)

But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.   
(Matthew 21:35; NASB)

while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 
(Matthew 22:6; NASB)

³⁴For this reason I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town…³⁷”Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather you children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!  
(Matthew 23:34,37; NASB)

“‘By all nations’ implies that worldwide evangelism has taken place (compare 10:18; 24:14; 28:19).”

and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the gentiles.    (Matthew 10:18; NASB)

And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. 
(Matthew 24:14; NASB)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit  
(Matthew 28:19; NASB)

This is a good point. We don’t really need to quibble about which nations Paul or any of the others were talking about, because it’s “all nations.”

“For ‘on account of my name,’ see the comments on 10:22.” 

and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.  
(Matthew 10:22; NASB)

The author’s comments under v.10:22 are:

“‘Because of my name’ refers to the use of Jesus’ name in prophesying, exorcising demons, and performing miracles…”

“¹⁰‘And then many will be tripped up and give one another over (to affliction) and hate one another.’ In other words, persecution by outsiders will lead the many false disciples to avoid persecution by apostatizing and betraying their true, fellow disciples to the persecutors. They’ll even hate their true, fellow disciples for provoking persecution with evangelism and righteous conduct. Through failure to condemn the loss of brotherly love, easygoing false prophets will exacerbate this problem of treachery in the brotherhood: ¹¹‘And many false prophets will arise and deceive many (into thinking it’s okay to cover up their profession of Christian discipleship).” 

I need to break in to say that, while what the author has said here may be true, it probably doesn’t tell the whole story. I doubt that “failure to condemn the loss of brotherly love” is the only problem with the teaching of the false prophets…there is certainly much more in the way of false gospels being taught already. 

In the same vein, Christians “thinking it’s okay to cover up their profession of Christian discipleship” is far from the worst path they can be led down. Matthew 10:23 says:

“But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.  
(Matthew 10:23; NASB)

The implication here, along with “shake the dust from your feet” (Matthew10:14), is that it’s okay to move along. That doesn’t mean denying Christ, but it does seem to mean that it’s alright to avoid trouble when possible, without denying Christ . Our brothers and sisters in North Korea or China, et al, don’t deny their faith, but if they don’t hide their faith, then they will be quickly gone. This doesn’t mean that they don’t proselytize, they do, but I imagine that they are pretty careful about it. So, this blanket statement about it being wrong to“think it’s okay to cover up their profession of Christian discipleship” is much more true about the easy time that Americans have had in their faith historically. As persecution increases, we may need to think about this more like our brothers and sisters overseas.

“¹²And because lawlessness (in the church) will be multiplied (compare Daniel 12:4), the love of the many will grow cold (compare 7:13-14, 21-23; 22:14, where false disciples are described as ‘workers of lawlessness’ and as ‘many’ in contrast to the ‘few’ who are ‘selected’ and find the narrow gateway into ‘life’). “Their lawlessness will make cold — that is, extinguish — their love of God and neighbor, especially of fellow disciples.”

But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and the book sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be running back and forth, and evil shall increase.”   
(Daniel 12:4; NASB)

¹³”Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few…²¹Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  ²³And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.”     (Matthew 7:13,14, 21-23; NASB)

For many are called, but few are chosen.”  
(Matthew 22:14; NASB)

The first issue is: the lawlessness is not limited to the church. The passage says “lawlessness will be multiplied,” it does not limit that lawlessness to any particular people or place, which makes it sound like it’s fairly universal. The word ‘lawlessness’ speaks of a time of a total loss of, and/or disregard for, all rules and laws that people usually agree to maintain. This word should send shivers up your spine; this word implies the release of man’s most base nature in dealing with his fellow man. It goes beyond ‘every man for himself,’ because you can have an ‘every man for himself’ situation where people are still acting in a basically civilized fashion. For example, if you were in a disaster area where relief will be a long time in coming, you would hoard and care for your family, you would fight another over a resource that your family is in immediate need of, like food if you’re starving; you might even kill for that resource. But, for example, you wouldn’t kill your neighbors because you just felt like it; you wouldn’t walk next door and rape their children. If a desperately needed resource was not involved, you would be polite and would follow at least the minimal rules of your society, and you would expect that everyone else would too. Eventually, law enforcement would be available, so, except in dire need, you would obey the usual laws. There would be those who took advantage and didn’t act as expected, but they would be the exception.

Civilization requires rules and laws; ‘lawlessness’ is something that happens when civilization collapses; it’s not something that happens only in churches.

My other complaint here is that the author reframed ‘the love of many growing cold’ to be about the ‘wide gate’ vs the ‘narrow gate.’ I’m pretty sure that did not help anyone understand the concept of ‘the love of many growing cold.’ We’ve discussed the meaning of this before, and who it relates to (again, not just ‘disciples’), so I won’t take the time here.

“^13’But the one enduring to an end — this one will be saved (for which see the comments on 10:22 and Mark 13:13b).” 

This is the second reference to his notes on vs. 10:22. Here is verse 10:22 again, and a continuation of the author’s notes on it:

and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.  
(Matthew 10:22; NASB)

“…The treachery of non-disciples and false disciples toward true disciples in their own families expands into a general hatred of true disciples on the part of all. But Jesus promises salvation to those who hold out ‘to an end.’ Since he has just spoken of being ‘put to death,’ ‘the one enduring to an end’ is the disciple who endures persecution to the point of martyrdom. ‘This one’ gives special recognition to such a disciple. Jesus’ promise has the purpose of steeling disciples against treachery, hatred, and martyrdom.  Sticking true will demonstrate a genuineness of discipleship that ensures eternal salvation…”

Being “hated by all for my name’s sake” is not the same as “being hated by your family,” even if it expands to “all” later on. We can see this hatred starting to grow in this country even now; and many don’t include your family. For me, there are many in my family who find my faith obnoxious and avoid me. But the country isn’t starting to hate me because there are members of my family that won’t talk to me. When Jesus says “all,” He means all.

This author was doing his own translations, so somehow he ended up with “to an end.” I looked at all the translations on biblegateway.com and not one says “to an end.” They all say either: “to the end”, “unto the end”, “to the very end”,  “until the end”, or “till the end.” ‘The end’ could mean, ‘until death,’ but I don’t think that it must. I tend to think that it refers to one of two possible outcomes: ‘until death’, or ‘until rapture.’

“¹⁴And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited (earth) for a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (compare Daniel 11:35).’ “

And some of those who have insight will fall, to refine, purge, and cleanse them until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.   
(Daniel 11:35; NASB)

The meanings of these two verses are totally different. In Matthew, he is talking about the gospel being taught throughout the world before the end comes. In Daniel, he is saying that those who have “insight” (also translated as ‘understanding’, ‘wise’, ‘teachers’, ‘learned’, and ‘gifted’) will be severely tested “so that they can be made stronger and purer until the time of the end”(Daniel 11:35; Easy-to-Read Version). Two very different messages. 

In a not too distant future post, we will expand this Daniel passage and talk about it in depth.

“‘This’ identifies ‘gospel’ with the message in Matthew’s book (though not with the book itself). ‘Of the kingdom’ echoes 4:23; 9:35, gives the disciples assurance of divine sovereignty in the face of persecution and martyrdom, and reminds them of the authority under which they’re to live. ‘In the whole inhabited (earth)’ and ‘to all nations’ put a double emphasis on worldwide evangelism (compare 28:18-20). 

And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.   
(Matthew 4:23; NASB)

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity.   
(Matthew 9:35; NASB)

¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”   
(Matthew 28:18-20; NASB)

“This emphasis counteracts the withdrawal from evangelistic enterprise by false prophets and those deceived by them. To avoid persecution and martyrdom, not only will they have stopped living in open obedience to Jesus’ interpretation of the Law (as commanded in 5:14-16). They’ll also have stopped proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. ‘Then the end will come’ implies the necessity that the Great Commission be carried out for the end to come (28:18-20 [see above]).    [from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW (COMMENTARY ON THE NEW TESTAMENT BOOK #1), by Robert H. Gundry, 1994]

¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.     (Matthew 5:14-16; NASB)

“They” are already doing what the author describes. The only “threat” of persecution at this point is the annoyance of their family and friends. One of the reasons I write this blog is so that I can share the Gospel and the Word to those who are interested. I do still live in open obedience, but most of my family and old friends aren’t interested in hearing it anymore, and just avoid me. I don’t think that makes me deceived, or otherwise under the sway of a false prophet. I think it has more to do with “love growing cold;” not my love, but the world’s.

Gundry was writing at a time when people in America saw Christianity as the “norm,” though there was starting to be some push back against it. Severe persecution probably seemed to be the only reason a Christian would stop proclaiming the Gospel, so as to avoid that persecution.  He could not have foreseen the increasing social isolation that many live under today, causing a lack of proclamation…not due to fear of persecution, but just from a total lack of audience. 

We’ll stop here, and finish up the 20th century next time.