Matthew 24 35

Matthew 24:35 kjv

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Matthew 24:35 nkjv

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Matthew 24:35 niv

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Matthew 24:35 esv

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Matthew 24:35 nlt

Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

Matthew 24 verses

Matthew 24 35 Meaning

Matthew 24:35 declares the absolute and unyielding permanence of Jesus' words, contrasting them sharply with the transient nature of the physical heavens and earth. It signifies that while the material cosmos, as it currently exists, is destined for change and renewal, the spoken and taught divine truths from Jesus, who is the Living Word of God, possess eternal stability and will never fail to be fulfilled or stand true. This verse asserts Jesus' supreme authority and the unchallengeable reliability of His prophecies and teachings, particularly in the context of the momentous future events He describes in the Olivet Discourse.

Matthew 24 35 Context

Matthew 24:35 concludes Jesus’ prophetic discourse, known as the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25), given to His disciples on the Mount of Olives. This discourse responds to their questions about the signs of His coming and the end of the age (Matt 24:3). Jesus outlines a sequence of future events: signs preceding His return, the abomination of desolation, the great tribulation, and cosmic disturbances culminating in His glorious return as the Son of Man. Immediately preceding this verse, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree (Matt 24:32-33), instructing His disciples to discern the nearness of His coming. He then declares that "this generation" (Matt 24:34) will not pass away until "all these things" are accomplished. Verse 35 then serves as a powerful declaration of certainty and authority for everything He has just prophesied and will continue to reveal, grounding His entire discourse in the unshakable truth of His own divine words, in stark contrast to the mutable physical realm.

Matthew 24 35 Word analysis

• Heaven and earth (οὐρανός καὶ γῆ - ouranos kai gē): This phrase refers to the entirety of the created cosmos, representing all that is physical and visible. Its usage highlights the comprehensiveness of creation as something tangible, yet temporal. Historically, in Jewish cosmology, it signified the universe in its current form, subject to the Creator's will.
• will pass away (παρελεύσονται - pareleusontai): Derived from the verb parerchomai, meaning "to pass by, go by, pass away, come to an end." It does not necessarily imply annihilation, but rather a dissolution of their current state, signifying transience and ultimate renewal or transformation, as echoed in Old Testament prophecies and New Testament visions of a new heaven and new earth (e.g., Isa 65:17, Rev 21:1). It underscores the temporal and limited existence of the material world.
• but (δὲ - de): This Greek particle functions as a strong adversative conjunction, introducing a sharp contrast. It dramatically shifts focus from the impermanence of creation to the absolute permanence of Christ's words.
• My words (οἱ λόγοι μου - hoi logoi mou): Logoi is the plural of logos, which means "word," "utterance," "message," "teaching." Here, it encapsulates Jesus' entire body of teaching, prophecies, and commandments. The possessive pronoun "My" (μου) emphatically underlines His divine authority as the source of these words. For the original audience, understanding Jesus as "the Word" (John 1:1) reinforces that His words are the very utterances of God, carrying ultimate, eternal truth and power. This contrasts starkly with any human pronouncements or contemporary beliefs lacking divine backing.
• will by no means pass away (οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσιν - ou mē parelthōsin): This phrase employs a very strong double negative construction in Greek (οὐ μὴ), combined with the aorist subjunctive of parerchomai. This grammatical structure signifies an emphatic and absolute negation: "never, under no circumstances will they pass away." It assures the inviolable and perpetual endurance of Jesus’ teachings. It highlights that everything Jesus prophesied and taught will irrevocably come to pass or remain true, establishing an unshakeable foundation for faith in His words.
• Words-Group Analysis:
  • "Heaven and earth will pass away": This phrase, familiar from Old Testament prophetic traditions, establishes the temporal, perishable nature of the entire created order. It sets the stage for a dramatic contrast.
  • "but My words will by no means pass away": This antithetical statement positions Jesus' divine words as the singular, absolute, and unchangeable truth in a transient universe. It asserts Jesus' divinity and omnipotence: as the Creator who made the heavens and earth, He also stands over them as the sovereign who declares their fate and whose own words transcend all creation, confirming His identity as the authoritative "Logos."

Matthew 24 35 Bonus section

This verse reinforces Jesus' unique claim to divine authority. By placing "My words" as superior in permanence to the very heavens and earth, Jesus implicitly asserts His equality with the Creator, whose word brought the cosmos into being and whose decrees stand forever. It elevates the prophetic discourse immediately preceding it, from a warning to a guarantee, establishing the unwavering certainty that what Jesus predicts will absolutely occur. Furthermore, it underlines the enduring relevance and binding nature of all His teachings for believers of every age, making His word the ultimate source of truth, wisdom, and assurance.

Matthew 24 35 Commentary

Matthew 24:35 stands as a foundational assertion of Christ's divine authority and the immutable nature of His teaching. In the context of the Olivet Discourse, which unveils a tumultuous future, this verse provides a theological anchor, assuring disciples that amidst cosmic upheaval and societal collapse, Jesus' prophecies and ethical imperatives will endure without fail. His words are not mere human philosophy, but divine utterances that bear the seal of eternal truth. This statement implies that Christ’s word, because it originates from God, shares God's eternal nature, rendering it absolutely trustworthy. Believers are called to build their lives not on the shifting sands of the world, but on the eternal rock of Jesus' teachings, for they guarantee the fulfillment of God’s plan and stand as the unwavering standard for faith and conduct across all generations until the new heavens and earth appear.