FOOTNOTES:

^a Compare this to Jeremiah 26:1-9. Jesus was speaking in the sacred grounds of the temple court throughout Matthew 21:23-24:2.

^b Literally, ‘he.’

^c Traditional ‘appearance’ or ‘coming,’ the word parousia means an arrival, and specifically, it was used to describe rulers arriving after having gone to war, then returning to reign after defeating their opponents in battle.

^d The phrase "completion of the Age" translates suntelia tou aiōnos. Here, suntelia combines sun- ("together") with telos ("end" or "goal"), meaning a culmination or bringing to fullness. It suggests not merely the end but the reaching of a designated purpose or fulfillment. The term aiōnos means "age" or "era," indicating a period characterized by particular conditions or divine purposes. Thus, the "completion of the Age" implies a transition from the current age to the Reign of God that Jesus inaugurates, a new era marked by restoration and justice. This phrase may also echo Isaiah 10:23, which speaks of God accomplishing a decisive act, completing or fulfilling a specific purpose. In both contexts, the language conveys a purposeful conclusion to an era, suggesting that Jesus’ "arrival" is not an isolated event but the catalyst for transformative change in the entire course of history.

^e The phrase is literally, ‘in my name.’ The concept of ‘name’ in scripture is more than the set of sounds or letters used to designate who is being discussed. It refers to their identity, character, and sometimes authority or cause which that person represents or leads. For instance, here, it could be loosely translated to mean something like “serve my identity, authority, and waying of being.”

^f Their question about his victorious arrival in verse 3 (parousia) shows they’re expecting him to be a military leader, anticipating he will lead soldiers into battle.

^g There is no ‘and’ here. Literally, it’s “see, not be afraid.” They are two separate imperative verbs. Most translations translate the first “see” as an imperative but treat the second as subjunctive or infinitive, translating it to “See that you don’t be afraid.” The context of Jesus’ repeated prediction of foreign aggression leading to the destruction of Jerusalem and the speakers’ clear expectation that Jesus plans to lead military action seems to suggest that they expect battles, not just that he’s informing them they will happen, and that they will happen but not in the way they expect, so when they see it, they should try not to be afraid.

^h See Isaiah 5:13-14; Haggai 2:6-7; Zechariah 14:4

ⁱ See Isaiah 13:6-16; 21:3; 42:12; 66:7-8

^j Or ‘persecution’ or ‘oppression’ or ‘affliction’

^k Traditionally, ‘Gentiles.’ The word ethnoi literally means ‘nations’ (like ‘nationalities’ not ‘countries’) or ‘people groups’ and is where the English word ‘ethnicity comes from. It is usually—but not always—used in the Bible to refer to people groups other than the one the speaker belongs to, so typically to people groups other than Jews since most speakers/authors are Jewish.

^l The phrase is literally, ‘because of my name.’ The concept of ‘name’ in scripture is more than the set of sounds or letters used to designate who is being discussed. It refers to their identity, character, and sometimes authority or cause which that person represents or leads. For instance, here, it could be loosely translated to mean something like “serve my identity, authority, and waying of being.”

^m Very literally, anomos means something like “not-law.” The Greek term nomos (here with the negating prefix a-) traditionally translated as "law," is rendered here as "Torah" because it is referring to the Hebrew "Torah"—the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, including teachings, stories, and instructions. "Torah" stems from a Hebrew root meaning "to guide" or "to throw," symbolizing divine guidance as instruction rather than a legalistic rule. This translation approach preserves the Jewish context and conveys Torah's role as a guiding revelation rather than a restrictive legal code.

ⁿ Traditionally, ‘saved.’ This word can be translated a number of ways, with all of them about taking action to create or protect wellbeing. Options include, ‘liberated,’ ‘restored,’ ‘healed,’ ‘protected,’ ‘rescued,’ and others. Matthew’s thematic focus is on restoring the people to their calling to represent God and live with love and justice, bringing them back to those things from where they’ve wandered in other directions.

^o Traditionally, ‘gospel’ or ‘good news.’ The word ‘gospel’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon term god-spell, which means ‘good story.’ The Greek euangelion literally means ‘good message’ and was used specifically of a message announced publicly, which fits the use of the word ‘news.’ The historical context comes from when rulers and military leaders returned to a city after victory in battle, and a herald would be sent ahead to announce the victory and the ruler’s impending arrival. The writers of the Bible took this word and applied it to Jesus’ victory of a different kind. The use of “triumphant message’ here is intended to communicate the full meaning of the word in context and not the narrow dictionary definition.

^p The Greek term oikoumene is different than kosmos (“world’). It refers specifically to “the known world,” essentially, the Roman Empire.

^q Traditionally ‘abomination of desolation’

^r Reference to Daniel 9:27, which describes the invasion of the Seleucid army led by Antiochus IV “Epiphanes” and the destruction of Jerusalem in 167 BCE, occupying Jerusalem, and people who did not follow the Path of God in charge of the temple.

^s Literally, ‘any flesh would not be protected.’ The word for ‘cut off’ is literally the word for amputation. I think there is an intentional pairing of those words: If the length of time weren’t amputated, the whole body would be lost.

^t I think the metaphor of amputation and saving part of the flesh/body is continuing here. The days/period of time will be amputated/cut off to save the part that’s still well. The word translated as ‘selected’ (traditionally, ‘chosen’) can also mean ‘to be possessed of excellence,’ so the ‘choosing’ here seems not to be a matter of ‘picking’ based on the chooser’s desire but rather of identifying which are still healthy and able to serve the intended purpose.

^u Traditional ‘appearance’ or ‘coming,’ the word parousia means an arrival, and specifically, it was used to describe rulers arriving after having gone to war, then returning to reign after defeating their opponents in battle. Jesus is referring back to the students’ question in verse 3.

^v i.e. visible to all who are looking

^w The "body" in this verse has been interpreted by early Christian theologians like Irenaeus and Origen as a reference to Christ’s crucified body. In this reading, the eagles symbolize the faithful or divine agents who will gather to Christ at his arrival. The eagle is often used as a symbol of power, swiftness, and divine action in biblical and apocalyptic literature, sometimes representing divine messengers or even the Roman armies. Here, it emphasizes the inevitability of justice and the gathering of those who belong to Christ. The imagery points to both the reality of Christ's sacrifice and the universal gathering that will occur at his return, emphasizing that the cross is the focal point of both justice and restoration.

^x The Greek word for sun, helios, is also simply the name of the sun god, Helios. It was also sometimes used as a symbol for Caesar, though it was not a formal connection until 274 CE.

^y The Greek word for moon, selene, is also simply the name of the moon goddess, Selene.

^z The Greek word for stars, asteres (pl.) or aster (sg.), is linked to Asteria, goddess of the stars and night sky.

^aa Literally, the ‘powers of the sky.’

^bb Reference to Isaiah 13:10; Isaiah 34:4; Joel 2:10

^cc See John 12:32-33.

^dd Reference to Daniel 7:13-14

^ee This is traditionally ‘much glory’ (doxes polles).

^ff Traditionally, ‘his chosen’ or ‘his elect.’ This word is being used here not about choosing versus rejecting but about calling for a specific moment or purpose. The word is eklektos, a compound of ek- (out of/from) and lego (to say/speak), selecting specific people from among many to participate in a calling. ’ Additionally, what is traditionally translated as ‘church,’ ekklesia, shares the same root and means those assembled together, having been called out from their homes, for example, for a town council meeting.

^gg Literally, ‘from the edge of the sky to its edge.’

^hh Previous reference to a fig tree: Matthew 21:18-22

ⁱⁱ Or ‘generation’ or ‘lineage’ or any ‘group of people’ that has a shared characteristic or origin, including gender.

^jj This verb is singular, treating ‘sky and land’ as a unit, a way to say ‘all creation, top to bottom.’ This is a common linguistic structure in Hebrew called a merism, and it shows up in Greek when Hebrew and Aramaic speakers wrote in Greek.

^kk The word angelos means ‘messenger,’ possibly used for spirit beings, but also used for human agents of God (or other people) and sometimes even for natural phenomena. It conveys the meaning of someone authorized to speak—or act—on behalf of another. If the reader wants to read these messengers (acting on God’s behalf) as celestial beings, great. If as humans, great. The word angelos, even for spirit-beings, is a job title, not a ‘species’ classification. The work of Michael S. Heiser is a great source of information on this topic.

^ll Reference to Genesis 6-9

^mm The Greek term paralambanetai (commonly translated as "taken" or "received") suggests being seized or brought alongside someone. In this passage, "carried off" likely implies separation for accountability or exile rather than a rescue. The surrounding verses (Matthew 24:36-42) emphasize vigilance, suggesting that those "taken" are removed to face justice, contrasting with those "let go" who remain through this period.

ⁿⁿ The Greek verb aphietai (translated here as “let go” and traditionally as “left”) conveys a sense of release or being allowed to leave. It is often used of releasing debts or deviations in forgiveness. Here in “one will be carried off and one let go,” aphietai implies being left to remain or endure. This term is often used in the New Testament to describe situations where something or someone is allowed to stay or continue as they are (e.g., Matthew 19:14, where Jesus says to let the children come to Him).

^oo The word is for a manual millstone that took two people operate.

^pp The whole speech Jesus makes in Matthew 23-25, but especially starting here with his discussion about what the difference is between the faithful and unfaithful, just and unjust, seems to draw heavily on Isaiah 51-59.

^qq The word doulos is ‘one who serves as a slave’ or ‘an indentured servant.’

^rr Traditionally, ‘master’ in this context; however, it is the same word used elsewhere for ‘lord’ (kurios).

^ss The Greek term oiketeia means "household" or "domestic service," and typically refers to the collective members or duties of a household, particularly in relation to servitude or those living under the authority of the head of the home.

^tt Or ‘harmful’ or ‘hostile’

^uu Or ‘in half’

^vv Literally, ‘portion’