Matthew 24:35 - Heaven and earth will pass away (1st century imminence & fulfillment?)

Matthew 24:35 (1st century historical fulfillment?)


Matthew 24:34 - This generation will not pass away (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:35

Matthew 24:36 - No one knows about that day and hour (1st century understanding & imminence?):
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Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:33 - When the time is (1st century imminence & historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:35: "Heaven and earth will-pass-away, but My words by-no-means will-pass-away."


Summary:

Jesus said "HEAVEN AND EARTH will-pass-away" (Matthew 24:35). 

The meaning of the terms "HEAVEN AND EARTH" (Matthew 24:35) can be interpreted according to its expected timing and similar passages for further clarifications. 

The passing away of "HEAVEN AND EARTH" (Matthew 24:35) could have been apprehended as imminent in the 1st century AD.

There is evidence to suggest that "heaven and earth" passed away several times in the Old Testament, often in conjunction with the destruction of a kingdom or cities. There is also evidence that inside a "new heaven and earth" (after heaven and earth pass away) there can be people described as "dying" and even as "accursed" in it. 

The passing away of heaven and earth in Matthew 24:34, as well as the one referring to in 2 Peter 2 described to pass away by fire could be understood as being correlated with the destruction of the entire city of Jerusalem by fire and the entire "land" (or "earth") of Israel by fire. Around AD 70, during the First Jewish-Roman War, the city of Jerusalem and many other cities were destroyed by fire at that time throughout the entire land (or "earth") of Israel.

You can find more details below:


1st century audience & imminence in Matthew 24 in correlation with de-creation language?

Jesus said: "HEAVEN and EARTH WILL-PASS-AWAY" (Matthew 24:35).

A few verses earlier, Jesus used decreation language, which may be correlated in some way to heaven and earth passing away. 

Jesus said 6 verses earlier: "the SUN will-be-darkened, and the MOON will not give its light, and the stars will-fall from the heaven, and the powers (of) the heavens will-be-shaken" (Matthew 24:29). 

Jesus then addressed 4 verses later His 1st century disciples, saying to them: "when YOU-see all these (things), YOU know that (it) is NEAR, at (the) doors. Truly I-say (to) YOU that this generation by-no-means will-pass-away until all these (things) take-place" (Matthew 24:33-34).

The parallels passages of Matthew 24 found in Mark 13 and Luke 21 also contains this order. For more information:
Matthew 24 - Parallel passages in Mark and Luke:
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1st century audience in 2 Peter 3 for the new heavens and new earth?

PETER was among the 1st century disciples who heard what Jesus said in Matthew 24, including the saying that "HEAVEN and EARTH WILL-PASS-AWAY" (Matthew 24:35). In the parallel account to Matthew 24 found in Mark, it is written about Jesus that "PETER and James and John and Andrew were-questioning Him privately" (Mark 13:3-4, parallel to Matthew 24:3).

The same "PETER" (2 Peter 1:1) wrote later in the 1st century to his audience that "the HEAVENS WILL-PASS-AWAY" (2 Peter 3:10). Peter then added: "WE-are-looking-for new HEAVENS and (a) new EARTH" (2 Peter 3:13). Peter wrote to his 1st century audience: "WE-are-looking-for" (2 Peter 3:13), using a verb in the 1st person plural (which would include a "WE").

For more similarities between Matthew 24 & 2 Peter 3: 


1st century imminence in Revelation 21?

Jesus said: "HEAVEN and EARTH WILL-PASS-AWAY" (Matthew 24:35).

It is written in Revelation in the 1st century about "(The) revelation (of) Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to-show His slaves (the things) which must take-place in quickness" (Revelation 1:1). This "revelation" (Revelation 1:1) is showing "(the things) which must take-place in quickness" (Revelation 1:1).

In Revelation, at a later chapter, it is written: "I-saw (a) new HEAVEN and (a) new EARTH, for the first HEAVEN and the first EARTH passed-away" (Revelation 21:1). 

For more similarities between Matthew 24 & Revelation 21: 


Heaven and earth described as having passed away several times in the Old Testament?

Jesus said: "HEAVEN and EARTH WILL-PASS-AWAY" (Matthew 24:35).

A few verses earlier, Jesus used decreation language, which may be correlated in some way to heaven and earth passing away. Jesus said 6 verses earlier in Matthew 24:29: "the SUN WILL-BE-DARKENED, and the MOON will not GIVE its light, and the STARS WILL-FALL from the HEAVEN, and the POWERS (of) the HEAVENS will-be-shaken".

For example with the destruction of Babylon (by the Medes) in the sixth century B.C: "behold! The day of the LORD is coming with incurable wrath and anger, to make THE WHOLE INHABITED EARTH DESOLATE, and to destroy the sinful people out of it. For the STARS of the HEAVEN, and Orion, and all the host of the heaven, will not GIVE (their) light; and IT-WILL-BE-DARKENED (at the) rising of the SUN, and the MOON will not GIVE its light" (Isaiah 13:9-10), "I will SHAKE the HEAVENS, and the EARTH shall be REMOVED out of its place, in the wrath of YHWH of Hosts, and in the day of the heat of His anger" (Isaiah 13:13 (Masoretic)).

Another example with the destruction of Edom (by the Babylonians) in the sixth century B.C: "all the POWERS (of) the HEAVENS shall-melt-away. And THE HEAVEN WILL-BE-ROLLED-UP like a scroll; and all the stars WILL-FALL like leaves from a grapevine, and as leaves FALL from a fig-tree" (Isaiah 34:4). 

Another example with the destruction of Israel (by the Babylonians) in the sixth century B.C: "I looked on THE EARTH, and behold, IT WAS FORMLESS AND VOID; And to THE HEAVENS, and THEY HAD NO LIGHT. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down" (Jeremiah 4:23-26). 

For more information:
Matthew 24:29 - Sun, moon, stars (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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"Sinful" people can be described as "dying" and "accursed" in a new heaven and new earth:

Jesus said "HEAVEN AND EARTH will-pass-away" (Matthew 24:35).

It is written in Isaiah 65: "there will be the NEW HEAVEN and the NEW EARTH; and by no means shall they be reminded of the former" (Isaiah 65:17 (LXX)), and in it a description was given 3 verses later: "the SINFUL (person) DYING (at) a hundred years will even be ACCURSED" (Isaiah 65:17 (LXX)).

Here a "SINFUL (person)" is described as "DYING" at a certain age and is described as "ACCURSED". All these elements were described as being possible within a "NEW HEAVEN and the NEW EARTH" (Isaiah 65:17 (LXX)).


Destruction of a city:

Similarities in language in Hebrews 12 with the destruction of a city:

There are similarities between Matthew 24 and Hebrews 12. For example:

Jesus said in the 1st century: "HEAVEN and EARTH WILL-PASS-AWAY" (Matthew 24:35). 

The author of Hebrews wrote: "I WILL-SHAKE once more not only the EARTH, but also the HEAVEN”. And the (phrase) “once more” indicates the REMOVAL (of) the (things) BEING-SHAKEN" (Hebrews 12:26-27). 

For more similarities between Matthew 24 & Hebrews 12: 

Such similar description of the HEAVEN and the EARTH being SHAKEN as its REMOVAL can be found in connection with the destruction of a city in the Old Testament. 

For example with the destruction of the city Babylon (by the Medes) around the sixth century B.C: "I will SHAKE the HEAVENS, and the EARTH shall be REMOVED out of its place, in the wrath of YHWH of Hosts, and in the day of the heat of His anger" (Isaiah 13:13 (Masoretic)).


Correlation in 2 Peter 3 with the event mentioning how the city Sodom was destroyed by fire in Luke 17:28-29?

Luke 17 contains similar passages to Matthew 24. 

Jesus said 3 verses after mentioning that "Heaven and earth will-pass-away" (Matthew 24:35) in Matthew 24:38-39: "For as in those days before the FLOOD they-were eating and drinking, marrying and giving-in-marriage, until which day NOAH entered into the ark, and did not know until the FLOOD came and took-away everyone, so also will-be the coming (of) the Son (of) Man."

A similar account in Luke reads: 

Luke 17:26-27: "“And as it-happened in the days (of) NOAH, so it-will-be also in the days (of) the Son (of) Man — they-were-eating, drinking, marrying, being-given-in-marriage, until which day NOAH entered into the ark and the FLOOD came and destroyed everyone." 

The next verses Luke 17:28-29 then mentions the following description: "Likewise, just-as it-happened in the days (of) LOT, they-were-eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. But (on) that day LOT departed from SODOM, it-rained FIRE and sulphur from heaven and destroyed everyone."

The apostle "Peter" (2 Peter 1:1) who was present when Jesus spoke those words in Matthew 24 wrote to his 1st century audience something similar to Luke 17:26-29 (which is a similar passage to Matthew 24:38-39). Notice the similarities of themes in the same order:

Luke 17:26: "NOAH".
Luke 17:27: "FLOOD".
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Luke 17:28: "LOT".
Luke 17:29: "SODOM".
Luke 17:29: "FIRE".
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Luke 17:30: "that DAY".


2 Peter 2:5: "NOAH".
2 Peter 2:5: "FLOOD".
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2 Peter 2:6: "SODOM".
2 Peter 2:6: "having-reduced(-them)-to-ashes".
2 Peter 2:7: "LOT".
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2 Peter 2:9: "(the) DAY (of) judgment".

One chapter later, Peter mentioned again the FLOOD, but then instead of references to LOT & SODOM ready for FIRE, this time he mentioned the present heavens and earth stored up for FIRE! Notice the similarities with both Luke 17 and the previous chapter 2 Peter 2:

2 Peter 2:5: "NOAH".
2 Peter 2:5: "FLOOD".
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2 Peter 2:6: "SODOM".
2 Peter 2:6: "having-reduced(-them)-to-ashes".
2 Peter 2:7: "LOT".
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2 Peter 2:9: "(the) DAY (of) judgment".


2 Peter 3:6: "having-been-flooded".
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2 Peter 3:7: "the present heavens and earth".
2 Peter 3:7: "FIRE".
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2 Peter 3:7: "(the) DAY (of) judgment".

Here is a summary illustrated:



It is possible that Peter may have used interchangeably the destruction of SODOM with FIRE with the destruction of the present heavens and earth with FIRE. Could these two mentions refer to the same event as they would be interchangeably mentioned?

For more similarities between Matthew 24/Luke 17 & 2 Peter 2: 

For more similarities between Matthew 24/Luke 17 & 2 Peter 3: 


1st century events of destruction with fire resembling the destruction with fire of Sodom:

Jesus said in the 1st century: "HEAVEN and EARTH WILL-PASS-AWAY" (Matthew 24:35). 

Peter who was present when Jesus said this wrote later in the 1st century about "the present HEAVENS and EARTH have-been-stored-up (for) FIRE" (2 Peter 3:7), adding that "the HEAVENS WILL-PASS-AWAY with-a-roar, and (the) elements will-be-destroyed (while) BURNING" (2 Peter 3:10) as "(the) HEAVENS will-be-destroyed, BEING-SET-ON-FIRE" (2 Peter 3:12).

The 1st century historian Josephus recorded that in the 1st century around AD 70 the Romans armies attacked Jerusalem and destroyed it. It is likely that the Romans launched FIREBRANDS into the city when attacking it. As a consequence, people in the city on would have seen FIRE raining from HEAVEN/the sky to destroy them with FIRE on the EARTH. 

For more details:

Matthew 24:37-39 & Luke 17:28-29 - Just as the days of Lot & Sodom it rained fire (1st century historical fulfillment?): Click here


The "land" (or "earth") of Israel was burned with fire around the time of the First Jewish-Roman War in the 1st century:

Many cities in the LAND of Israel were BURNED WITH FIRE around the time of the First Jewish-Roman War in the 1st century (which led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple by fire). The "LAND" (or "EARTH") of Israel could have been described as having been DESTROYED BY FIRE around that time.

The 1st century historian Josephus wrote in "The Wars of the Jews":

(3.4.1): "[N]or did the Romans [...] leave off either by night or by day, burning the places in the plain [...] so that Galilee was all over filled with fire and blood"

(4.8.3): "Now this country [Jericho] is then so sadly burnt up that nobody care to come at it"

(5.6.2): "He [the Roman general] also at the same time gave his soldiers leave to set the suburbs on fire. [...] So the trees were now cut down immediately, and the suburbs left naked"


More evidence regarding heaven and earth passing away:

There are more evidence regarding heaven and earth passing away. You can find them here:

Matthew 24:35 - "Heaven and earth": More evidence
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