St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:1–2
For inasmuch as He said, "Your house is left desolate," and had previously forewarned them of many grievous things; therefore the disciples having heard these things, as though marvelling at it, came unto Him, showing the beauty of the temple, and wondering, if so much beauty was to be destroyed, and materials so…
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:3
"And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Therefore did they come unto Him privately, as it was of such matters they meant to inquire. For they were in travail to…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:4
What then saith He? "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that ye be not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." For since they felt as being told of vengeance…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:5
"For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many." For the war, saith He, shall be twofold that of the deceivers, and that of the enemies, but the former far more grievous, as coming upon them in the confusion and turmoils, and when men were terrified and troubled. For indeed great was the…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:6
"And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that ye be not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." But of wars in Jerusalem is He speaking; for it is not surely of those without, and everywhere in the world; for what did they care for these? And besides, He would thus say…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:6–8
For the war, saith He, shall be twofold that of the deceivers, and that of the enemies, but the former far more grievous, as coming upon them in the confusion and turmoils, and when men were terrified and troubled. For indeed great was the storm then, when the Roman power was beginning to flourish, and cities were…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:7
"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." But by "wars and rumors of wars," He meaneth, what I before said, the troubles coming upon them. After this, because, as I have already said, they supposed after that war the end would come, see how He warns them, saying, "But the end is not yet. For…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:8
"All these are the beginning of sorrows," that is, of those that befall them. Seest thou in what a state things were then, and how manifold was the war? And this is the beginning, when each of the things to be effected most required quiet. In what state then were they? for nothing hinders us from resuming the same…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:9
"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you." In good season did He introduce their ills, having a consolation from the common miseries; and not in this way only, but also by His adding, that it is "for my name's sake. For ye shall be hated," He saith, "of all men for my name's sake. Then shall…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:9–14
"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you." In good season did He introduce their ills, having a consolation from the common miseries; and not in this way only, but also by His adding, that it is "for my name's sake. For ye shall be hated," He saith, "of all men for my name's sake. Then shall…
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
καὶ τότε σκανδαλισθήσονται πολλοὶ καὶ ἀλλήλους παραδώσουσι καὶ μισήσουσιν ἀλλήλους.
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:10–11
"Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and many false Christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many." This is the greater evil, when the war is intestine too, for there were many false brethren. Seest thou the war to be threefold? from the deceivers, from the enemies, from the…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:12–13
"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold; but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." After this again, what is more grievous than all, they shall not have so much as the consolation from love. Then indicating, that these things will in no degree harm the noble and the…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 25 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:14
This, we may observe, He saith elsewhere also; "This gospel shall be preached in all the world for a testimony to all the nations, and then shall the end come;" to the nations, to them that obey not, to them that believe not. Thus, lest any one should say, "And wherefore preach to all, if all are not to believe?"-it…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:14
For in proof that He meant this, and that before the taking of Jerusalem the gospel was preached, hear what Paul saith, "Their sound went into all the earth;" and again, "The gospel which was preached to every creature which is under Heaven." And seest thou him running from Jerusalem unto Spain? And if one took so…
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:15
Whence one may most marvel at Christ's power, and their courage, for that they preached in such times, in which most especially the Jewish state was warred against, in which most especially men regarded them as movers of sedition, when Caesar commanded all of them to be driven away. And the result was the same as if…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 75 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:15
For He brought in also a prophecy, to confirm their desolation, saying, "But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, let him that readeth understand." He referred them to Daniel. And by "abomination" He meaneth the statue of him who then took the…
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
τότε οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ φευγέτωσαν ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη,
St. John ChrysostomHomily 76 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:16
Having spoken of the ills that were to overtake the city, and of the trials of the apostles, and that they should remain unsubdued, and should overrun the whole world, He mentions again the Jews' calamities, showing that when the one should be glorious, having taught the whole world, the others should be in calamity.…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 76 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:17–18
Therefore them also that are on the housetop, He suffers not to enter into the house to take their clothes, indicating the evils to be inevitable, and the calamity without end, and that it must needs be that he that was involved therein should surely perish. Therefore He adds also, him that is in the field, saying,…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 76 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:19
"Woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck," to the one because of their greater inertness, and because they cannot flee easily, being weighed down by the burden of their pregnancy; to the other, because they are held by the tie of feeling for their children, and cannot save their sucklings. For…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 76 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:20–21
Then, to show again the greatness of the calamity, He saith, "Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be." Seest thou that His discourse is addressed to the Jews, and that…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 76 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:22
"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." By these things He shows them to be deserving of a more grievous punishment than had been mentioned, speaking now of the days of the war and of that siege. But what He saith is like…
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
τότε ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ, ἰδοὺ ὧδε ὁ Χριστὸς ἢ ὧδε, μὴ πιστεύσητε·
St. John ChrysostomHomily 76 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:23
Having finished what concerned Jerusalem, He passes on to His own coming, and tells the signs of it, not for their use only, but for us also, and for all that shall come after us. "Then." When? Here, as I have often said, the word, "then," relates not to the connection in order of time with the things before…
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
St. John ChrysostomHomily 76 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:24
But mark how here He saith nothing of war (for He is interpreting the doctrine concerning His advent), but of them that attempt to deceive. For some in the days of the apostles deceived the multitude, "for they shall come," saith He, "and shall deceive many;" and others shall do so before His second coming, who shall…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 76 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:26
And see how He secures them; "Go not forth into the deserts, enter not into the secret chambers." He did not say, "Go, and do not believe;" but, "Go not forth, neither depart thither." For great then will be the deceiving, because that even deceiving miracles are wrought.
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ ἀστραπὴ ἐξέρχεται ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ φαίνεται ἕως δυσμῶν, οὕτως ἔσται καὶ ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου·
St. John ChrysostomHomily 76 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:27–28
Having told them how Antichrist cometh, as, for instance, that it will be in a place; He saith how Himself also cometh. How then doth He Himself come? "As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there also will…
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
St. John ChrysostomHomily 76 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:29–30
Then He tells of fearful prodigies. What are these prodigies? "Immediately after the tribulation of those days," saith He, "the sun shall be darkened." Of the tribulation of what days doth He speak? Of those of Antichrist and of the false prophets? For there shall be great tribulation, there being so many deceivers.…
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
St. John ChrysostomHomily 76 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:31
And then again, "He will send His angels with a great trumpet, and they shall gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other." But when thou hast heard of this, consider the punishment of them that remain. For neither shall they suffer that former penalty only, but this too. And as above He…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 77 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:32–33
Forasmuch as He had said, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days;" but they sought of this, after how long a time it should be, and desired to know in particular the very day, therefore He puts also the similitude of the fig tree, indicating that the interval was not great, but that in quick succession would…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 77 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:34
After this, that they might not straightway return to it again, and say, "When?" he brings to their remembrance the things that had been said, saying, "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled!" All these things. What things? I pray thee. Those about Jerusalem, those…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 77 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:35
Then to lead them on more in faith, He saith, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away;" that is, it were more easy for these firm, fixed, and immoveable bodies to be blotted out, than for ought of my words to fall to the ground. And he who gainsays these things, let him test His sayings,…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 77 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:36
"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." By saying, not the angels, He stopped their mouths, that they should not seek to learn what these angels know not; and by saying, "neither the Son," forbids them not only to learn, but even to inquire. For in…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 77 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:37–39
And that thou mayest learn by another thing also, that the silence is not a mark of ignorance on His part, see, together with what we have mentioned, how He sets forth another sign also. "But as in the days of Noah they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that the flood came, and…
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
τότε δύο ἔσονται ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, ὁ εἷς παραλαμβάνεται καὶ ὁ εἷς ἀφίεται·
St. John ChrysostomHomily 77 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:40–41
Then again He sets another sign, by all which things He makes it evident, that He is not ignorant of the day. And what is the sign? "Then shall two be in the field; one shall be taken, and one left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, one shall be taken, and one left. Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour…
St. John ChrysostomHomily 77 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:42–44
After this again, that they may not ask about it, He added, "Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." He said not, "I know not," but, "ye know not." For when He had brought them well nigh to the very hour, and had placed them there, again He deters them from the inquiry, from a desire that they…
But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
St. John ChrysostomHomily 77 on Matthew · on Matthew 24:45–51
Then, as He had fallen upon the mention of the judgment, He directs His discourse to the teachers next, speaking of punishment and honors; and having put first them that do right, He ends with them that continue in sin, making His discourse to close with that which is alarming. Wherefore He first saith this, "Who then…
Every note is a real passage, quoted word for word from a published English translation, with its source. Nothing here is summarised or written by us. Some verses have many notes and some have none, because the Fathers wrote more on some passages than others.
St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888–1889).
Scripture: the King James Version (1611); the Greek (tap Ελ) is the 1904 Patriarchal text of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
All of these translations are in the public domain. The passages were matched to their verses by the Historical Christian Commentaries project, which also hosts the full texts we link to. The Fathers are a treasury of the Church's mind, and they are best read alongside the life of the Church: if a passage raises a question, bring it to your priest.