24:11 false prophets. In addition to the “false christs” (Matthew 24:5,24), there would be “many false prophets” throughout the Christian era, and this prophecy also has been abundantly fulfilled, more than ever in recent years.

24:13 endure unto the end. That is, those who endure whatever suffering and persecution the Lord allows to come their way without giving up their professed faith and denying the Lord are those who are truly saved. “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Timothy 3:12).

24:14 gospel of the kingdom. “The gospel of the kingdom” is simply “the gospel,” as it is recorded in the parallel account in Mark 13:10. The commission to His followers by Christ was to “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15) and to “be witnesses unto me…unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This has not yet been accomplished, so not yet has “the end come.” Through the worldwide missionary movement and the global preaching of the gospel by radio and literature, it must be close.

24:15 abomination of desolation. The “abomination of desolation” refers to the “image of the beast” (Revelation 13:14-15) which will be set up by the Antichrist and his “false prophet” as an object of enforced global worship, “so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (II Thessalonians 2:4). This will take place, according to Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks (Daniel 9:24-27), after the “prince that shall come” (that is, the Antichrist) has made a seven-year treaty with Israel to allow their ancient temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem and their worship rituals to be reestablished. He will break this covenant “in the midst of the week” (that is, after the first 3½ years of the treaty period), and erect his “overspreading of abominations”—his great idol image, with overstretching arms, mocking the cherubim in the original holy place—in God’s temple (Daniel 9:27; see also Daniel 11:31 and 12:11). This will signal the unleashing of his genocidal fury against Israel and all who refuse to worship him.

24:15 Daniel the prophet. The Lord here confirms that Daniel really was a “prophet,” in spite of the claim by some modern critics.

24:15 whoso readeth. This interesting parenthesis implies that this warning must be “read.” It could not apply to Christ’s immediate audience, both because they had heard it, and also because they would not be living at the time of its fulfillment. Other Scriptures indicate that all true Christians will already have been “caught up” by the Lord Jesus at the first event associated with His second coming (I Thessalonians 4:17), so that those still on the earth during this period must read these events in the Bible or Christian literature in order to learn of them. It is important, therefore, right now, for believers to blanket the earth with Bibles and sound books of Christian evidences and Bible exposition, to counter the evolutionary pantheistic humanism that will be the enforced world religion during this coming period.

24:21 great tribulation. Although the entire seven-year period will be a time of immense suffering on the earth, the great tribulation will be the final 3½ years, initiated by the placing of the “abomination of desolation” (Matthew 24:15). This is all described in detail in the book of Revelation, especially chapters 11–19.

24:24 signs and wonders. False christs and false prophets will have been present throughout the Christian era (Matthew 24:5, 11), but their number will be multiplied during the tribulation, when the New Age occultic demon-energized teaching will reach their zenith, including demonic miracles to authenticate their claims.