The explanation in the first paragraph of Matthew 24 (verses 1 through 14) is a general description of events up to the end of the aeon. The sequel is a lot more detailed and talks about the relatively short period of Israel’s great tribulation until Israel’s conversion (verses 15 to 30). In the first section we find remarkable similarities with Revelation 6, the opening of seven seals.
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars (…)
agreement
In the previous verse we saw a parallel with the opening of the first seal in Revelation 6, because both passages speak of someone who pretends to be Messiah and a peacemaker and thereby deceives many. Here we find a similarity with the second seal. The first seal brought peace, but this peace is relatively short-lived and is being taken away. War is coming.
Revelation 6
3 And when He opens the second seal, I hear the second beast saying, Come!
4 And another horse, red of fire, went out, and to him who sat on it was given to take away the peace of the land, and that they should slay one another, and to him was given a great sword.
In what follows we will see that the opening of the other seals in Revelation 6 also parallels the description of the events in Matthew 24. See here for an overview of where this is schematically represented.
6 …Take heed, do not be alarmed, for it must happen, but it is not yet the end.
term unknown
These “wars and rumors of wars” do not yet concern the end of the eon (:3). The length of the great tribulation is stated in several places and in different ways. This is not known about the day of wrath, which begins afterwards (Rev.6:17). So when exactly the end of the aeon will be is unknown and that is the theme of much of these chapters. Including the parables in Matthew 25. We will come back to that.
it has to be done
The period of the great tribulation that is yet to come and the time afterward called “the day of wrath” (Rev.6:17) is a terrible time. But it has to be done. We should keep in mind that God’s judgments may be severe, but they are always relatively short and that their purpose is to ensure that good comes out of them. At the end of the great tribulation, Israel will be converted and restored. At the end of the day of wrath all nations will be subject to God and His Son, and the Kingdom will be established over this entire earth and the age to come will dawn.