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Matthew 10:23-When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Some teach that this passage in Matthew demonstrates that Jesus believed the Second Coming would occur in the first century.
But is that what this text affirms?
And if not, then what is the meaning of Jesus’ words here?
Let’s study.
The first thing to point out about this text is its context. Jesus has been instructing His Apostles to go forth and preach and teach His Word to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He wants them to understand that at times they will suffer persecution for following Him. Yet they must endure to the end to be saved! They will not have completed preaching and teaching in the towns of Israel “before the Son of Man comes.”
The second thing to observe about this text is that the language of the “Son of Man” coming is drawn from the Book of Daniel. Matthew refers constantly to the Old Testament Scriptures. Please carefully observe what the Prophet Daniel writes:
Daniel 7:13-14-I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
This quotation from Daniel 7:1:3-14 suggests to us that Jesus is not talking about His Second Coming in Matthew 10:23. Notice that in Daniel 7:13-14 the Son of Man is not coming to the Earth in judgement: He is coming to the Father to receive His kingdom!
As France points out:
“It is widely agreed that the wording of these passages is based on Dan 7:13, “one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven.” The vision of the “one like a son of man” in Dan 7:13–14 was probably the major source of Jesus’ chosen self-designation, “the Son of Man,” and the language of that vision recurs several times in the synoptic tradition, but especially in seven passages in Matthew (10:23; 16:27–28; 19:28; 24:30; 25:31; 26:64; 28:18). Daniel’s vision is of one who is brought before God’s throne in heaven and there given an everlasting kingship over all peoples.…In Dan 7: 13–14 this “son of man” comes before God to be enthroned as king. There is nothing in the imagery of Daniel to suggest a coming to earth, as Christian interpretation has traditionally found in these passages; he comes in the clouds of heaven to God. The verb used both in Daniel and in the NT allusions is the very ordinary verb “come,” which is not related to the more technical NT term for Jesus’ eschatological return, parousia. The term parousia in fact occurs only four times in the gospels, all in Matthew 24, where we shall see that that future parousia is carefully distinguished from the “coming in the clouds of heaven” described in Matt 24: 30. This means that, despite centuries of later Christian interpretive tradition, when the gospels speak of “the Son of Man coming” the presumption must be that they are speaking not of an eschatological parousia but of a heavenly enthronement, the vindication and empowering of the Son of Man after his earthly rejection and suffering, when God will turn the tables on those who thought they had him in their power. This emphasis will emerge clearly in several of the passages listed above where the vision of Dan 7: 13–14 has molded Matthew’s language, perhaps most clearly in 26: 64, where Jesus stands before his supposed judges and predicts that instead God will make him “from now on” the judge over them. “The coming of the Son of Man” is thus not a description of a particular historical event but evocative language to depict his eventual vindication and sovereign authority.” (R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew (New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT), 396 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)
Now, when were these prophecies in Daniel 7:13-14 and Matthew 10:23 fulfilled?
When did Jesus receive His kingdom?
This all happened on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, when the church (the kingdom of Christ-see Matthew 16:18-19) was established. Therefore, Matthew 10:23 is assuring His Apostles that their mission would not be fulfilled even when He was coronated as King! This all was fulfilled on Pentecost of Acts the second chapter when Jesus (the Son of Man) ascended to the Ancient of Days (God-see John 20:17) with the clouds of Heaven (Acts 1:9-11), and when all peoples, nations, and languages (Acts 2:4-13) began to serve Him as His kingdom was established (Acts 2:41-47).
Third, the same language is used by the Lord again later in Matthew.
Matthew 24:30-Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
In this passage, the Lord is discussing how the city of Jerusalem will be destroyed by the Romans forty years after this prophecy is made. He tells us that when this happens, He will be shown to be vindicated and justified as the Son of God. Thus, this “coming” of the Son of Man in judgment on the city of Jerusalem may also be hinted at in our passage in Matthew 10:23. As another author has noted:
“The real problem lies in the term, “till the Son of man be come.” It is believed Jesus is referring to His coming in the sense of judgment on Jerusalem, as a prefigure of the final day of judgment when He does return to the earth. For example, Jesus told the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2: 5, “or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Jesus was not talking about coming physically to the church at Ephesus, but He would come in the way of judgment. The disciples would travel throughout many of the cities of Israel during the first century, but not before “the Son of man be come,” meaning the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and the Jews would then be scattered into the world. This makes more sense within the historical context. All of the disciples would be martyred before 70 AD except for the apostle John, who would live until around 100 AD.” (Carroll Roberson, Matthew the Hebrew Gospel, 209-210 (Kindle Edition): Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press)
How did the events of the destruction of Jerusalem serve as a vindication of Jesus?
Gentry clarifies:
“It is important to note that “the sign” is what “shall appear.”4 It is misleading to understand the phrase as meaning “then shall appear the Son of Man in the sky.” The Son of Man does not appear; the sign appears.5 Then Christ defines what the sign signifies: it is the sign that the Son of Man is now in heaven. That is, this sign (whatever it is) will signify that Jesus is in heaven above — despite the Jewish authorities and rulers of the temple killing him (Matt 16:21; 20:18; 26:3–4, 59, 65–66; 27:20), sealing his tomb (27:62–66), and denying his resurrection (28:11–15).…“What Christ teaches here is extremely important, not only regarding Matthew’s unfolding story-line, but also regarding the divinely-ordained flow of redemptive history. The Temple’s final destruction (the main topic of the Discourse, Matt 23: 38–24: 3) serves as the sign that the Son of Man is in heaven. Gibbs expresses it well: “That sign will be the destruction of Jerusalem, for in that event the implied reader perceives the truth that God has vindicated Jesus over his enemies, the religious leaders of Israel.” 7”. (Ken Gentry, The Olivet Discourse Made Easy: You Can Understand Jesus’ Great Prophetic Discourse, 2140-2157 (Kindle Edition): Apologetics Group, Inc).
Finally, it is clear that Matthew 10:23 is not saying that Jesus would return in the Second Coming in the first century because Jesus did not know when He would return!
Matthew 24:36-But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
Indeed, the Lord seems to indicate that-while He did not know the exact time of His Return-there would be a long interval between His Ascension and the Second Coming.
Matthew 24:48-But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’
Matthew 25:19-After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
Jesus did not teach that the Second Coming would occur in the first century.
What to take from all of this?
First, Jesus is Who He claimed to be-the Son of God! One of the evidences of this may be demonstrated in that He is a true Prophet. Open up your Bible and read Matthew 24:4-34, and pull up the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus regarding the siege of Jerusalem. You will be amazed at how the prophecies of Jesus were fulfilled in the most exacting and incredible ways.
Second, consider that many alleged discrepancies in the New Testament are based on a misunderstanding of the Old Testament background information. We need to be diligent students of the Old Testament (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:1-12).
Finally, understand that one Day, Jesus WILL Return. We had best be getting ready for that great Day.
Acts 2:38-Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 2:10-Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Lord, we thank You and ask for Your longsuffering and guidance. Give us a heart of wisdom to number our days. Amen.