Clinton Wahlen
Matthew 24 and 25 are part of Jesus’ final discourse that began in Matthew 23.1 As He leaves the temple precincts for the Mount of Olives, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple. So several of the disciples (Peter, James, John, and Andrew, according to Mark 13:3) ask about the timing of this event and of His second coming. The twofold structure of Jesus’ answer reflects the twofold nature of the question.2 This can be seen “from the repetition of events at two different junctures of His discourse, including the appearance of false Christs (Matt 24:5, 23–24) and false prophets (vv. 11, 24), tribulation (vv. 9, 21), and various upheavals of nature (vv. 7, 29).”3 The nearer events in connection with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple are signaled by references to “these things” (vv. 2–3, 8, 33–34) and “this generation” (v. 34).4 The more distant events of the second advent and the end of the world are indicated by reference to “the end of the age” (v. 3) and “those days” (vv. 22, 29).5 Matthew 24 can be outlined as follows, describing recurring events that culminate with the second advent,6 followed by exhortations to be ready in the form of three parables that bracket a warning about the days of Noah:
A Events preceding Jerusalem’s destruction (Matt 24:4–8)
B Tribulation/deception: false christs/prophets (Matt 24:9–14),
C Abomination of Desolation (Matt 24:15–20; cf. Dan 9:26–27; Luke 21:21–24)
B’ Tribulation/deception: false christs/prophets (Matt 24:21–28)
A’ Events preceding the coming of the Son of Man (Matt 24:29–31; cf. Dan. 7:14, 27)
1. Parable of the Fig Tree (Matt 24:32–35): twofold application; end of Jerusalem/world
Like the Days of Noah (Matt 24:36–41): coming of the Son of Man
2. Parable of the Thief’s Coming (Matt 24:42–44): coming of the Son of Man
3. Parable of the Faithful and Evil Servants (Matt 24:45–51): exhortation to faithfulness
1. Verses 1–8
• The disciples were so enamored with the magnificence of the temple buildings that they failed to appreciate the truth of what Jesus had said about the “house” or temple being left “desolate” (Matt 23:38), so He had to reiterate the point in even stronger language: “not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matt 24:2). These words were heard by many and would later be misconstrued against Him (Matt 26:61; cf. John 2:19).
• Many will come in Christ’s name, with presumed messianic authority and false ideas (cf. 2 Cor 11:4). In fact, in first-century Israel such pretenders proliferated (Judas of Galilee, Theudas, James and Simon, Eleazar son of Dineus, and others).7 These continued even after Jerusalem’s destruction in AD 70, including Simon Bar Kokhba who led the second Jewish revolt (AD 132–135).
• Wars are often preceded by increased instability in society and in the world and such is what happened leading up to the first Jewish revolt in AD 66. Within Israel there were rivalries with different factions vying for power and, on a larger scale, AD 68–69 was the “Year of the Four Emperors” (Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespesian, who had led Roman forces against the Jews).
• Jesus urged His followers not to be alarmed as if the end had arrived, because more would need to take place first, including “famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places” (Matt 24:7). “All these are the beginning of sorrows [Gk. odinon],” He said (v. 8). The Greek word odinon means “birth pains.” In other words, just as labor pains come in waves, not all at once, so these types of events will recur repeatedly.
• In fact, an even closer parallel may be suggested: just as labor contractions increase in frequency and severity, natural disasters, wars, and pestilences can be expected to become more intense and widespread, some even having a global impact.
2. Verses 9-14
• Jesus’ prediction of persecution soon met fulfillment with the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:59), the execution of James (Acts 12:2), and the widespread Jewish opposition to the gospel. Nevertheless, despite being “hated by all nations” for their Christian witness (Matt 24:9) and even betrayed (v. 10) and “despised” (1 Cor 1:28), the disciples of Jesus would be successful in their mission to reach the world with the gospel (Matt 24:14).
• False prophets were a persistent problem in biblical history (e.g., Deut 13:1–3; Jer 14:14; 2 Cor 11:13), and perhaps it should be no surprise that false teachings generally appear whenever the truth becomes especially prominent (cf. 1 John 4:1–3). The “many” probably refer to deceivers both inside and outside the church as prophet-claimants generally attract widespread attention wherever they are.
• Lawlessness refers to either an attitude of indifference to or flagrant disregard of God’s law (cf. Matt 7:21, 23). It is the outward manifestation of an inner rebellion against the moral restraint the Decalogue provides.
• Since God’s law is based on love, rejection of that law leads to love growing cold and the death of a true heart-based spirituality. The positive counterpart to this is described as enduring “to the end” (Gk. telos), which may refer to the end of one’s life or to the predicted destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. A very similar thought is expressed in the Discourse on Discipleship (Matt 10:22).
• Although verse 14 is frequently applied to the completion of the gospel commission before the end of the world and is certainly applicable to our time, this verse probably also applies to the rapid spread of the gospel throughout the Roman world (Gk. oikoumene) by the apostolic church (cf. Col 1:23).
3. Verses 15-20
• Jesus now answers the disciples’ question regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, using the language of Daniel 9:26–27, which, quite astonishingly, predicts a future destruction of “the city and the sanctuary” following its restoration under Persian rule.8
• Although Daniel’s little horn prophecy (Dan 7:8, 11, 20–21; 8:9, 12) is often applied to Antiochus IV Epiphanes (cf. 1 Maccabees 1:54; Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 12:320–322), Jesus indicates its fulfillment is still future in His day.
• There is no reason to doubt Jesus’ application of “the abomination of desolation” to Jerusalem’s destruction following a Roman siege (Luke 21:20; cf. Dan 9:26). But this prophecy in Daniel has a broader signification (Dan 8:13; 9:27; 12:11), which Jesus also hints at (see below and comments on vv. 21–28).
• The Hebrew terms referred to in this prophecy, as well as their use in the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel regarding Jerusalem’s desolation by Babylon (e.g., Jer 7:10, 31; Ezek 5:11; 7:20; 8:6, 14; Dan 9:11–17), suggest that both that destruction and the one by Rome were a direct result of Israel’s persistent rebelliousness and committing of abominations prohibited by God. A similar situation led to the temple’s demise at Shiloh.9
• Jesus’ pronouncement of woes and His parting words as He departed from the temple seem to mark the time when the divine glory was again abandoning it to destruction (Matt 23:38; John 1:14; cf. Ezek 10:18; 11:23; Hag 2:9).
• The reference to “the abomination of desolation” mentioned by Daniel as a sign likely refers to the encroachment of Roman troops on “the holy city” (Matt 4:5; 27:53) in AD 66 by Cestius Gallus and their sudden, unexpected withdrawal (cf. Dan 9:26), 10as well as to the longer 1,260-year period of persecution (alluded to in Matt 24:20, 29; cf. Dan 12:7–11) that would precede the second advent (cf. 2 Thess 2:3–4).11
• The hasty retreat of Cestius and the pursuit after them by Jewish troops provided the golden opportunity promised by Jesus for Christians to flee the city. Josephus describes it this way: “Many of the most eminent Jews swam away from the city, as from a ship when it was going to sink.”12 According to Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History 3.5.3), Christians fled to Pella in Perea.
• The admonition to pray that one’s flight not be in winter or on the Sabbath refers to circumstances that would make escape from Jerusalem difficult, especially since this would largely be on foot with heavy rains making some routes impassable. Additionally, had it been necessary for Christians to flee on the Sabbath, its observance, finding shelter, etc. might have been difficult or impossible and would have drawn attention to them at a time when they could least afford it.
• Jesus consistently upheld obedience to the law, including the Decalogue (Matt 5:17; 19:18–19) and, as Luke 4:16 indicates, habitually worshipped in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Christians after Christ’s death and resurrection continued to observe it (Luke 23:56; Acts 13:14, 42, 44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4). In fact, nowhere does the New Testament suggest a change in how first-century Christians related to the seventh- day Sabbath.
4. Verses 21-28
• Reference to “great tribulation” (v. 21) in “those days” (v. 29) distinguishes this period of suffering from the tribulation the disciples will face (v. 9; cf. Matt 13:21) and assigns it to a later, more distant time. The unusual string of negative particles (“no, nor ever shall be,” Gk. oud’ ou mē genetai) suggests an especially horrific period of persecution such that God promises it will never be repeated.13
• In view of Jesus’ previous reference to Daniel’s prophecies and the importance of understanding them (v. 15), there is a likely allusion here to the long period of persecution by the little horn that would last 1,260 prophetic “days” or literal years (Dan 7:25; 12:7; Rev 12:6, 14), from AD 538 to 1798.14
• The parallel in Luke 21:23–24 confirms that reference is to a later period of persecution, following “great distress in the land and wrath upon this people,” the slaughter of Jews “by the edge of the sword,” and their dispersion “into all nations.” Only then is reference made to “Jerusalem” in a figurative sense. That is, God’s people “will be trampled” or persecuted by Gentiles (unbelievers) “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” This language matches the prophetic “trampling” of God’s people referred to elsewhere (Dan 8:10; Rev 11:2, referring to “forty- two months” of prophetic time).
• Deceptions will multiply in order “to deceive, if possible, even the elect,” including claims that Christ has appeared in some specific place, when, in fact, it is to be as visible as “the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from the east to the west” (Matt 24:27, GNT). The only explicit “sign” of Christ’s coming is given in verse 30: “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Such a sign cannot be counterfeited because it includes the righteous dead being raised and transformed with the righteous living to immortality and caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Cor 15:52– 53; 1 Thess 4:16–17; cf. 2 Pet 3:10). By contrast, the wicked will be destroyed by fire with the brightness and glory of His coming (2 Thess 1:8–10; 2:8).
• Prophecy, one of the more important gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:10, 28), is a special sign of God’s remnant church (Rev 12:17; 19:10) given to counteract the demonic deceptions designed to deceive and decimate God’s end-time people (2 Thess 2:9–11; Rev 16:13–14). The “elect” (those who remain faithful) will not be deceived because they understand, believe, and obey the teachings of Jesus (Rev 14:12).
5. Verses 29-35
• The signs mentioned of the dark day and the stars falling from heaven (Matt 24:29) occur near the end of this long period of persecution, which was shortened to some extent by the events of the Reformation (cf. Mark 13:24) and has been identified by Seventh-day Adventists as beginning in AD 538 and ending in 1798, based on several mentions of a 1,260 prophetic day-year period in Bible prophecy (Dan 7:25; 12:7; Rev 12:6, 14; 13:5). Importantly, “the sequence sun-moon-stars is the same everywhere these phenomena are mentioned” (see also Luke 21:25; Rev 6:12–13), suggesting that “a specific rather than a more general fulfillment is expected.”15
• Although these signs were centered primarily in North America,16 it was precisely this sparsely populated location prepared by God indicated in prophecy for the remnant’s appearance (Rev 12:15–17). Also not to be underestimated is the encouragement these signs gave to the study of Daniel and Revelation, leading to the rise of the Adventist movement with its focus on the fulfillment of the final and longest time prophecy in Scripture, the 2,300 day-years of Daniel 8:14, and to their conviction that the second advent of Christ was near.
• Daniel describes, as the result of the heavenly judgment (Dan 7:9–10), “One like the Son of Man” receiving “dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him” (Dan 7:13–14). So Jesus, having received the kingdom because those who will compose it have been identified through the judgment process, comes “with power and great glory” (Matt 24:30) “to give to every one according to his work” (Rev 22:12). The mourning depicted in verse 30 (cf. Rev 1:7) indicates regret by those who realize their eternal loss.
• The angels’ gathering of the elect (cf. Matt 13:41–43) is described as being “from the four winds” (cf. Rev 7:1)—that is, from the four directions of the compass and from across the globe.
• The first of three parables constitutes a kind of summary by Jesus of what He has explained in answer to the disciples’ twofold question. The sign given by the fig tree in putting forth leaves, showing that summer is near, illustrates how the signs Jesus has just mentioned will signal the nearness of the two great events—the imminent destruction of Jerusalem and the second advent.
• By “this generation” Jesus refers to those in Israel who heard the gospel proclaimed by Jesus and the apostles and rejected it. In Matthew “this generation” is always a negative reference to faithless Israel (Matt 11:16; 12:39, 41–42, 45; 16:4; 17:17; 23:36) and recalls the wilderness generation that perished after forty years (Num 32:13; Ps 95:10). In a similar way, the judgment on Jerusalem would occur forty years after Jesus’ prediction, and is directly attributable to their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Hope remains for individual Jews who believe (Rom 11:23–24; Gal 3:27–29), but God’s purpose for raising up Israel as a nation could be clearly seen by this event as having come to an end.
• A secondary application may be seen in connection with the signs preceding the second advent. Just as the destruction of the temple was preceded by the sign of the abomination of desolation, so the second advent is preceded by the sun-moon-stars signs. In both cases, the signs were witnessed by a single generation, warning them that the predicted event was near.17
6. Verses 36-41
• The shift from near demonstrative pronouns (“this generation,” “these things”) to the far demonstrative pronoun (“that day and hour”) signals that the more distant events connected with the second advent are primarily in view.
• Interestingly, despite Jesus’ clear statement that “no one knows” the time of His return, not even Jesus Himself (cf. Mark 13:32), date-setting has never gone away. Countless predictions of a given year (rather than the day or the hour) being the year of Christ’s return have come and gone. Speculation regarding the time of the second advent distracts and detracts from the work Jesus’ followers have been given of spreading the gospel. Since Jesus, at least while on earth, did not know the time of His return, He could only answer the disciples’ question in a general way. To their more specific question after His resurrection, Jesus had to remind them that only the Father could reveal that (Acts 1:7). God reveals to us what is best for us to know at any given time (Deut 29:29).
• Although the time of the second advent has not been disclosed, we can know that it is near. One of the indications that Matthew has mentioned is in connection with the long period of persecution and the sun-moon-stars sign that came near the end of that time period. Another indication given by Jesus is that the world will resemble “the days of Noah” when people were blissfully unaware that God’s judgment on the world was imminent (Matt 24:37).
• Although there is no explicit reference here to the evil that existed in the antediluvian world, the description in Genesis no doubt underlies Jesus’ statement. Wickedness was so pervasive that “every intent of the thoughts of his [man’s] heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5). However, even worse, was the carrying on with everyday life (“eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage”) as if all this wickedness was normal. Thus, normalizing evil within the context of this human activity becomes the ironic prelude to sudden global destruction.
• Just as the people of Israel were given forty years to repent prior to the destruction in AD 70 prophesied by Jesus, and the antediluvians were given 120 years to heed the preaching of Noah (Gen 6:3; cf. 2 Pet 2:5), after the signs signaling the nearness of the second advent an even lengthier time for response to the final gospel proclamation may be expected.
• Jesus affirms both the historicity of Noah and the historicity of Noah’s flood. He also compares this event to His second advent, suggesting that both are global cataclysmic events (Matt 24:27, 37, 39). This conception is seen in other New Testament passages also (2 Pet 3:3–7 makes a similar comparison of these two events).18
• People are pictured peacefully going about their work, men in the field and women grinding at the mill, with everyone completely oblivious to their impending judgment. Those who are taken (being gathered by the angels, v. 31) are saved, while those who are left (as food for the eagles/vultures, v. 28) are lost and punished (Matt 24:40–41, as the antediluvians were who were left outside the ark in v. 39). The parallel in Luke 17:34–37 is preceded by the story of Lot: those who perish are left behind in Sodom, while angels take Lot and his family by the hand and lead them safely away (Luke 17:28–30; cf. Gen 19:16).
• Although some commentators applied the image of being “taken” to argue for a “secret rapture,” there is nothing secret about the second advent (vv. 27, 30–31); the point is that people will be taken by surprise and so we should always be ready.
7. Verses 42-51
• The two parables that conclude the chapter emphasize the importance of watching for the Lord’s return and working faithfully until then. We are commanded to watch (v. 42) because we cannot know the exact time. That is why His coming is likened to a thief—not because it is secret, but because it will be sudden and unexpected (vv. 43–44).
• The New Testament makes very clear that, when Jesus comes as a thief, everyone will know it. Destruction will come suddenly, like labor pains (1 Thess 5:2–3). Peter says, “The heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Pet 3:10). And the book of Revelation connects it with the seven last plagues (Rev 16:15) and says that “every eye will see Him” (Rev 1:7).
• The final admonition to “be ready” refers to a constant and perpetual state of readiness that results from living, not for this world, but for the kingdom of God and placing it first (Matt 6:33).
• In the parable of the faithful and evil servants, both are trusted because both are left unsupervised. But only the faithful servant proves trustworthy—feeding the household at the appropriate time and not misusing the master’s goods. Yet, faithfulness earns no merit. In the end, all the faithful will confess, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10).
• The wicked servant’s behavior shows that he/she experienced no real change of heart. Christian hypocrites are as bad, if not worse, than the hypocritical Pharisees because they claim to know Jesus and have received more light. Therefore, they will receive a similar punishment, summarized as “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 25:30; Luke 13:28) and suffering the destruction of “soul and body” (Matt 10:28) in “everlasting fire” (Matt 18:8; 25:41, 46)..
Some important lessons we may glean from Matthew 24 include:
1. Sometimes it is better to humbly listen and learn, especially when God is speaking to us through His Word. Otherwise, we may miss the message He has for us.
2. Protection from deception, satanic influence, and false ideas requires wisdom from God, gained primarily through a Spirit-guided study of the Scriptures (Matt 22:29; John 16:13).
3. While some societies offer comparative freedom of religious expression and safety from reprisals, this is never guaranteed in the Bible. As biblical principles become increasingly unpopular, it is even more important to find ways to express these principles convincingly and to have the courage to voice one’s convictions with love and wisdom rather than to compromise in order to fit in with the spirit of the times.
4. Jesus never suggests that the whole world will be converted, but that the gospel message will be given to all the world as a witness, just as the healed leper was a witness to the priests (Matt 8:4)—possibly part of the reason for “a great many” of them eventually becoming followers of Jesus (Acts 6:7). Similarly, what we say and, even more importantly, how we say it can make an important impact for the kingdom of heaven.
5. The prophecies regarding the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon and by Rome (recall the preceding comments on Matt 24:15) constitute a serious warning to God’s people today to avoid every form of sin and abomination, especially in light of the fact that one of end-time Babylon’s most prominent epithets is “THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Rev 17:5).
6. Miracles are not always a sure sign of God’s working but must be tested by whether the message accompanying them is in accordance with the Bible or not (Deut 13:1–4).
7. With the words, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matt 24:35), Jesus underscores the absolute and inviolable nature of the prophetic word. Prophecy is one of the surest indications of God’s existence and the truthfulness of the Bible (Isa 46:9–10; 2 Pet 1:19–21). As Jesus also affirmed, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). Thus, we are warned against any suggestion that parts of God’s word can be safely ignored.
8. Jesus says quite clearly, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” and therefore urges us to “be ready” (Matt 24:44). We should keep in mind that not only were the antediluvians surprised by the flood despite the preaching of Noah, Jesus’ disciples were also surprised by His suffering and death even though He had clearly warned them three times what was about to happen. It behooves us, then, to learn the lesson from their experience and take Jesus’ prediction here more seriously.
9. In the final parable of Matthew 24, Jesus makes clear that the way to be ready for His return is to be always faithful as His followers. The servant is wise because he is faithful to his master.
__________
1 See Clinton Wahlen, “Lessons from Matthew 23,” Reflections 82 (2023): 11.
2 The bulk of Matthew 24, sometimes called the “Synoptic Apocalypse” (Matt 24:1–44), is paralleled in Mark 13:1–37 and Luke 21:5–36. The question itself echoes the language of Daniel 12:6–7.
3 Clinton Wahlen, “Have the Signs in the Sun, Moon, and Stars Already Happened?,” in Interpreting Scripture: Bible Questions and Answers, ed. Gerhard Pfandl, rev. ed., Biblical Research Institute Studies 2 (Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute, 2017), 285.
4 All biblical quotations are from the New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated.
5 See Richard M. Davidson, “‘This Generation Shall Not Pass’ (Matt 24:34): Failed or Fulfilled Prophecy?,” in The Cosmic Battle for Planet Earth: Essays in Honor of Norman R. Gulley, ed. Ron du Preez and Jiří Moskala (Berrien Springs, MI: Old Testament Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Seminary at Andrews University, 2003), 312–313, 316, suggesting a difference in verse 19 (cf. Luke 21:23) based on the demonstration adjective preceding the noun (en ekeinais tais hēmerais) rather than following it as it does in verses 22 and 29.
6 Francis D. Nichol, ed. The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1980), , 497: “It is worthy of note that DA 628–633 applies the signs enumerated in vs. 4–14 primarily to the fall of Jerusalem and some of them secondarily to our time, and those of vs. 21–30 quite exclusively to events leading up to the Saviour’s second coming.”
7 Josephus, Jewish War 2.60–65, 118; and Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 20.97, 102, 161.
8 The Greek phrase for “the abomination of desolation” (to bdelygma tēs erēmōseōs, Matt 24:15) matches the Septuagint translation of Daniel 12:11, which seems to point to a broader and more developed manifestation implied already by “the consummation” referred to in Daniel 9:27.
9 Paul J. Ray, Jr., “The Abomination of Desolation in Daniel 9:27 and Related Texts: Theology of Retributive Judgment,” in To Understand the Scriptures: Essays in Honor of William H. Shea, ed. David Merling (Berrien Springs, MI: Institute of Archeology/Siegfried H. Horn Archeological Museum, 1997), 208–209.
10 Josephus, Jewish War 2.535–540; cf. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1911), 25: “When the idolatrous standards of the Romans should be set up in the holy ground, which extended some furlongs outside the city walls, then the followers of Christ were to find safety in flight.”
11 See Ray, 211. Ángel Manuel Rodríguez, “Daniel,” Andrews Bible Commentary (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2020), 1059, applies Daniel 12:7 specifically to “the 1,260 years (three and a half times) of papal supremacy and persecution.”
12 Josephus, Jewish War 2.556.
13 Despite frequent attempts to link this period to the “time of trouble” referred to in Daniel 12:1 (the LXX translation of which has different wording in Greek), the Hebrew expression (‘et tsarah) often refers to a period of distress caused by enemy forces from which God’s people will be delivered (e.g., Ps 37:39; Isa 33:2; Jer 14:8; 15:11; 30:7).
14 For historical justification for these dates, see Heinz Schaidinger, Historical Confirmation of Prophetic Periods, Biblical Research Institute Release 7 (Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute, 2010), 28–29, 33. Cf. Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1898), 631: “For more than a thousand years such persecution as the world had never before known was to come upon Christ’s followers. Millions upon millions of His faithful witnesses were to be slain. Had not God’s hand been stretched out to preserve His people, all would have perished. ‘But for the elect’s sake,’ He said, ‘those days shall be shortened’ [Matt 24:22]” (brackets supplied).
15 Wahlen, “Have the Signs in the Sun, Moon, and Stars Already Happened?,” 287.
16 Ibid. (referring to the “Dark Day” of May 19, 1780, and the great Leonid meteor shower of November 13, 1833).
17 See J. Robert Spangler, ed., “Questions and Answers on Doctrinal Issues,” Ministry (October 1980), 30.
18 Further, see Clinton Wahlen, “Matthew and the Genesis Creation,” in The Genesis Creation Account and Its Reverberations in the New Testament, ed. Thomas R. Shepherd (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2022), 168.