Matthew 24:25 kjv
Behold, I have told you before.
Matthew 24:25 nkjv
See, I have told you beforehand.
Matthew 24:25 niv
See, I have told you ahead of time.
Matthew 24:25 esv
See, I have told you beforehand.
Matthew 24:25 nlt
See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.
Matthew 24 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 13:1-5 | If there arises among you a prophet… who gives you a sign… and says, “Let us go after other gods…” you shall not listen… | Warning against false prophets and their signs |
| Jer 14:14 | The prophets are prophesying lies in My name… | Prophets of lies, not sent by God |
| Jer 23:21 | I did not send these prophets, yet they ran… | False prophets act without God's command |
| Matt 7:15 | Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing… | Warning to discern false prophets |
| Matt 24:4 | See that no one deceives you. | Initial warning about deception |
| Matt 24:5 | Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. | Specific warning about false Christs |
| Matt 24:11 | Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. | Deception by false prophets |
| Matt 24:23 | If anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. | Specific instruction not to follow false Christs |
| Matt 24:24 | False Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. | Powerful deception to mislead even believers |
| Mark 13:21-23 | Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’… do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will rise… | Parallel warning in Mark |
| Luke 21:8 | Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name… | Parallel warning in Luke |
| John 14:29 | And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. | Jesus tells things beforehand for faith |
| John 16:1, 4 | These things I have spoken to you, that you should not stumble. …these things I have told you beforehand. | Jesus warns about future trials for their benefit |
| Acts 20:29-30 | After my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things… | Warning about internal false teachers |
| Rom 16:17-18 | Note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine… | Warning against divisive and deceitful teachers |
| 1 Cor 11:19 | There must be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized. | God allows trials for discernment |
| 2 Cor 11:13-15 | Such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. | False apostles transforming themselves |
| Col 2:8 | Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit… | Warning against philosophical deception |
| 1 Tim 4:1 | Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits… | Future apostasy due to deceiving spirits |
| 2 Tim 3:1-5 | But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves… | Description of perilous times and ungodly people |
| 2 Pet 2:1-3 | But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you… | Prediction of false teachers among believers |
| 1 John 4:1 | Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. | Command to test spirits and discernment |
| Jude 1:4 | For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation… | Warning about ungodly infiltrators |
| Rev 16:13-14 | And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. | Demonic spirits using signs to deceive |
Matthew 24 verses
Matthew 24 25 Meaning
Matthew 24:25 declares Jesus' foresight and care for His disciples by providing an advance warning about the deceptive signs and false Christs that will arise, enabling them to recognize and resist such imposters.
Matthew 24 25 Context
Matthew 24, often called the Olivet Discourse, presents Jesus' response to His disciples' questions about the timing of the temple's destruction and the sign of His coming and of the end of the age (Matt 24:3). Jesus elaborates on the future, describing a period marked by wars, famines, earthquakes, persecutions, false prophets, and increased lawlessness. Within this prophetic overview, verses 23-26 specifically focus on guarding against deception concerning the presence or coming of Christ, emphasizing that His true return will be unmistakable and universally visible, not clandestine. Verse 25 serves as a direct, preemptive warning by Jesus, ensuring His disciples are prepared and not surprised by such deceptions.
Matthew 24 25 Word analysis
- Behold (ἰδοὺ, idou):
- Meaning: An interjection calling for immediate attention, equivalent to "Look!" or "See!"
- Significance: It alerts the listener to something highly important or surprising about to be stated. It acts as an exclamation, emphasizing the gravity and certainty of the following warning. Its use here highlights Jesus' deliberate intention to draw the disciples' full focus to this crucial truth.
- I (ἐγὼ, egō):
- Meaning: The personal pronoun, "I."
- Significance: Placed emphatically in the Greek. It underscores Jesus' personal authority and divine omniscience as the speaker. He is not relaying hearsay but declaring a truth from His own knowledge. This adds immense weight and trustworthiness to the warning; it is He, the Son of God, who reveals these things.
- have told (προείρηκα, proeirēka):
- Meaning: Perfect active indicative of the verb προλέγω (prolegō), meaning "to speak before," "to say beforehand," or "to forewarn."
- Significance: The perfect tense signifies a completed action with ongoing results. Jesus has already told them, and this truth remains valid and protective. This reinforces that His warning isn't a spur-of-the-moment utterance but a considered, authoritative disclosure of future events given specifically to arm His followers.
- you (ὑμῖν, hymin):
- Meaning: Dative plural pronoun, "to you," referring to the disciples.
- Significance: This specific address reminds the immediate audience (the disciples) of their privilege in receiving this direct prophetic insight. By extension, it includes all who follow Jesus through their teachings, offering the same protective knowledge to His Church throughout history.
- beforehand:
- Meaning: Implied within the perfect tense verb "have told" (προείρηκα, proeirēka), as "pro-" in Greek often denotes "before" or "in advance."
- Significance: It explicitly states the preventative nature of Jesus' warning. This foresight provides His followers with a shield against deception. They are forewarned so that when the false Christs and false prophets emerge, they will not be taken by surprise or misled, having already been equipped with knowledge from their Lord.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Behold, I have told you beforehand": This phrase functions as a direct, emphatic divine warning. "Behold" commands attention to the certainty and importance of the statement. "I" emphasizes Jesus' unique authority and omniscient power to know and declare future events. "Have told you beforehand" highlights Jesus' love and grace in preparing His disciples, preempting the deceptions that will arise. This foresight is given not to frighten but to equip believers with discernment and confidence in His ultimate truth.
Matthew 24 25 Bonus section
- The preemptive warning in Matthew 24:25 reflects Jesus' character as the "Good Shepherd" (John 10:11, 14), who guides and protects His sheep from wolves and deceivers. He gives this specific knowledge as an act of divine provision for their spiritual safety.
- The perfect tense "προείρηκα" (I have told) also implies a completed prophecy with an enduring validity. Jesus’ words are eternally true and relevant for believers in every generation, providing guidance on how to respond to various claims about His presence or spiritual leaders.
- This verse underpins the need for discipleship centered on biblical truth. Without this clear instruction and an understanding of what Jesus has already told, believers are vulnerable to any compelling personality or spectacular sign that contradicts God's established Word.
Matthew 24 25 Commentary
Matthew 24:25 serves as a compassionate and crucial declaration from Jesus, ensuring His disciples are not caught off guard by the intense deceptions characteristic of the end times. This verse is not merely a statement of fact but an act of grace; Jesus, out of His infinite wisdom and love, equips His followers with prior knowledge of impending spiritual dangers. He reiterates His earlier warnings about false Christs and false prophets (vv. 4-5, 11, 23-24), essentially saying, "I have given you this crucial intelligence ahead of time, so you have no excuse for being deceived." This advanced warning emphasizes Jesus' ultimate control and omniscience over future events, contrasting starkly with the chaotic and confusing claims of imposters. The practical implication is a call for continuous spiritual vigilance and a firm reliance on the revealed Word of Christ as the ultimate standard for truth, rather than relying on impressive signs or human pronouncements.