Date: October 2005 Series: - “I Want to be Left Behind” (XII) Title: Matthew 24 - The Olivet Discourse

       Browsing the numerous volumes on "Bible Prophecy" in Christian bookstores for several decades, I am reminded of how well some baloney sells - decade after decade!  Although the alleged "signs of the times" continually fail to lead to the expected rapture, tribulation, etc. popularly associated with Christ's return, dispensationalism continues to be a big seller!  Along with mishandling Daniel 9:24-27, a second major perpetual error is applying Matthew 24:3-34 to the 2^nd Coming rather than to the first century A.D. generation of Jews that Jesus was addressing - "this generation" (Matthew 23:36; 24:34).

       Matthew 24 - Often the "prophecy expert in charge" begins with verse 3 and claims that the Apostles were asking about the "when" and "signs" of the 2^nd Coming.  Then, verses 4-34 are asserted to be the "signs of the times" that precede the Second Coming.  Oscar Meyer deserves some compensation for the baloney turned out on this passage.

       The entire Olivet Discourse deals with two specific issues and Jesus identified them clearly!  Topic #1 is judgment upon corrupt Judaism and Herod's Temple (23:29 - 24:34) and topic #2 is the end of Heaven/earth and the coming of the Son of Man (24:35 – 25:46).  Jesus knew exactly when Herod's Temple would be destroyed - he could already see it in His mind's eye as He approached Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) and He knew this event would fall upon the generation of Jewish folks that He was talking to (Matthew 23:36; 24:34) - in 70 A.D.!!!!!  Jesus shifted to the second topic, the "end of heaven and earth," at Matthew 24:35 and associated it with "the coming of the Son of Man" (24:37ff), but He had no idea when this would occur and said so (Matthew 24:36).  That is the main issue in a nutshell.

       The Setting - The whole context of the discourse spans Matthew 23-25.  While in the Temple area, Jesus delivered a scathing rebuke against Pharisaic externalism (23:1-28), followed by a warning of what was soon coming (23:29-39).  Long overdue judgment was about to fall on the generation that He was speaking to - "all these things shall come upon this generation" (23:36; 24:34)!  The true context for the question(s) in 24:3 is what precedes it - Jerusalem is the city that kills God's prophets and their House (the Temple) is being left desolate

       The Beef - Walking away from the Temple area, Jesus' disciples pointed out the magnificent Herodian Temple buildings, to which Jesus responded, "Yeah, I see them, but not one stone will be left upon another!" (24:1-2).  Their question had nothing to do with the 2^nd Coming (they don't even understand His approaching death and resurrection yet!), but working from what He just laid on them, they wanted to know more about the approaching destruction of "these things" - Herod's temple (23:3).  Everything in 24:4-14 applies to the period 30-70 A.D. and these things can be documented.  Why do interpreters take "the end" in 24:14 to be the end of the church Age?  The topic Jesus was addressing was the end of the Mosaic Age and Jerusalem/Temple-centered Judaism, already predicted to follow the Messiah's visit (Daniel 9:24-27; John 4:20-24).  In this context, I would paraphrase Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:14 as "The Gospel/New Covenant message will be well spread and established around the Roman world before the Mosaic Age Temple is destroyed."^[1]  Jesus associated what was soon coming with reference to Daniel’s "abomination of desolation" – from Gabriel’s message to Daniel that Jerusalem and Temple would again be destroyed after the Messiah appeared (Daniel 9:24-27).  Jesus was NOT here predicting the popular notion of a worldwide "tribulation period" just before His return, because the "great tribulation" (24:21) in view here would occur in "Judea" (24:16).  It would involve three Roman legions closing in on Jerusalem to put down the Jewish revolt that would start in 66 A.D. and would culminate in the destruction of Jerusalem and Herod's Temple (70 A.D.).  All that Jesus' followers would need to do to escape this "great tribulation" would be "leave Judea" (24:16) when they saw armies converging on Jerusalem (see: Luke 21:20-24).  Do not believe claims that Messiah has secretly returned somewhere, for when He does come it will be like lightning and cannot be missed (Matthew 24:23-27).  God's "vultures" will soon converge upon the corpse of dead Judaism (24:28), just as the "axe was already laid at the root of the tree" (Matthew 3:10).

       "Immediately after the tribulation of those days" (24:29) - Jerusalem's fall in 70 A.D. - then what?  Taken in a "literal-material" 2^nd Coming sense, verse 29-31 might suggest "signs" from heaven and the final gathering of God's people.  However, taking verse 34 and the context seriously, I think it more likely that this is apocalyptic language, similar to what earlier prophets used when they spoke of the downfall of ancient nations (Babylon, Edom, and Egypt).^[2]  I believe Jesus was associating Jerusalem's coming destruction in 70 A.D. with the end of the "Jewish nation" phase of God's plan as the international "Gospel" phase began.^[3]  Perhaps we should consider the earlier prophetic material concerning the "sign of the Son of Man in the sky" as the crucifixion!  "Christ crucified" is the prophetic "banner lifted up" by which the scattered people of God would be gathered.^[4]  Likewise, "the Son of Man coming on the clouds" is not necessarily a reference to the 2^nd Coming (Revelation 1:7), but more likely refers to Daniel 7:13-14 and Christ's heroic return to heaven to receive His kingdom (see Luke 19:12).  In connection with this, "Gospel" messengers are sent out and the gathering of saints proceeds throughout the rest of the Church Age.  Jesus said that only one more sign would be given to the generation rejecting Him - His death, burial, and resurrection (Matthew 12:38-40).  All of these things did come about by 70 A.D. and "Christ crucified" is central!  (to be continued)