Numerous writings exist today on
the subject of Jesus' Olivet Discourse, and there are a number of differing
interpretations concerning how we are to understand these prophetic words of
Christ. The interpretations can be broken down into three major views,
namely,
a) It was all fulfilled in the 1st Century
AD (commonly called the 'Consistent/Hyper Full Preterist' view)
b) Most of it is to be fulfilled at the
very end of this age, which is still future (the 'Futurist' view, commonly
linked to Dispensationalism), and
c) Part of it has been fulfilled in the 1st
Century, while the rest will be fulfilled at the Second Advent of Christ
(Partial Preterist and Historicist views)
Of course, whichever view one
takes, this will decide how one interprets the vision of Revelation as well,
as Revelation is intimately linked to Christ's Olivet prophecies and the
book of Daniel (as well as all of the prophets really). [1]
Anyhow, the reason as to why
these variant interpretations of the Olivet prophecies exist is because of the
specific words
and phrases that Jesus used. On the one hand, he clearly referred to the
generation of His own day in the 1st Century AD ('this generation'), yet on the other,
He referred to His Second
Advent, which hasn't occurred as yet. The problem is where to draw the line
between one or the other.
The Full Preterist view, I
believe, makes the mistake of limiting the whole prophecy to the 1st Century
AD, which then makes it virtually irrelevant for the generations of
Christians ever since. I would go so far as to say that the Full
Preterist view on the Second Advent is totally in error because it denies
that there is yet a Second Advent of Christ, in the traditionally orthodox
sense.
The Full Preterist believes that Jesus Christ fully returned in the 1st
century AD! This undermines the goal and expectation of this present age for
the believer, as well as for the whole of creation - that Jesus will return visibly and bodily from the heavens
for all to see, followed by the resurrection and judgment of the living and
the dead, and He will fully manifest the Kingdom of God in a New
Creation.
On the other hand, the Futurist view then makes the opposing, yet
similar, mistake of placing these things in the distant future, which then
makes it virtually irrelevant for all the preceding generations of the
Church - until now!
The only reasonable and
satisfactory explanation is that the prophecy can apply to BOTH the 1st
century and the unfolding future. To put it another way, I would say that
this prophecy not only foretold the official ending of the age of the Old Covenant
in relation to the events of the First Coming of Christ, but it also
foretells the end of this present age in relation to the Second Coming of
Christ.
The first relates to Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple (i.e. a more
localised, contemporary fulfillment), and the latter relates to the whole
world and all nations (i.e. a universal fulfillment). The first relates to the ending of the
Times of the Hebrews, and the latter relates to the ending of the Times of
the Nations.
Many of the Old Testament
prophecies not only had a short-term contemporary fulfillment for Israel,
within a generation or so, but they could often be applied in a long-term
fulfillment. This was especially the case in the Messianic prophecies, which
often had a contemporary fulfillment, as well as a longer-term fulfillment
in relation to the coming of the Messiah. For further study of prophetic
patterns and cycles, see Midrash and Prophetic
Patterns.
I have come to believe, without a doubt, that view c) above
is the correct interpretation (the Partial-Preterist/Historicist view). Nevertheless, I do not believe that there is a clear line in the
narrative where the '1st century fulfillment' ends and the 'Second Advent'
fulfillment begins. There is a transition that can actually apply to both!
This will be made clearer as we progress. It's a matter of understanding
that there was an Old Covenant fulfillment concerning ancient Israel, and
there is a New Covenant fulfillment concerning the Christian Church and
all nations.
Paul was teaching this principle
in 1 Corinthians 10:6 & 11, that many of the things that applied to
ancient Israel can also be applied as types and shadows and examples to the
Christian Church.
Now
these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts
on evil things as they did...
...These
things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings
for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. (NIV)
I'm not going to laboriously delve into
all the various interpretations here,
but instead I'm going to attempt to give a simple straightforward study on
this subject. Hopefully I will show that Jesus' words are quite simple to
understand, for those who wish to see the truth in this matter, without
needing any fanciful interpretation to fit into some particular scheme. And
the evidence of history and of the writings of the Church Fathers are
clearly on my side here.
Some of what is written here can
also be found in the article The Day of The
Lord, The Return of The King. If one wishes to gain more understanding
on the subject of the Second Coming of Christ, then I would suggest you read
that article. Nevertheless, there are some further insights which are included
below that are not included
in that article.
As an accompaniment to this
article, I have provided a chapter from Philip Mauro's book The
Seventy Weeks on the subject of The Siege of Jerusalem As
Described By
Josephus which reveals the accuracy of many of Jesus' words having
been fulfilled in the 1st century AD.
So
let us
now take a look at the key passages that record these prophecies of Jesus in what has been called 'the
Olivet Discourse.' The reason for this description is due to the fact that He spoke these things to His disciples on the Mount
of Olives (or Olivet) overlooking the Temple in Jerusalem, only days before He was to
die in 33 AD, and it is the most detailed account that we have of Jesus'
prophecies about the then-future destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and
the desolation of Judea, to mark the end of the Old Covenant age, along with
the details of His Return at the end of this present age.
In
a sense, it is speaking of the end of the Times of the Hebrews (under
the Old Covenant), as well as the end of the Times of the Nations
(under the New Covenant).
There
are three accounts of this actual Discourse, which can be found in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13 and
Luke 21, though Luke also records some similar teaching on the subject at
other times in Luke 17 & 19. We need to consider
all of these accounts together to understand exactly what Jesus was saying.
As I've already mentioned above, there are many 'dispensational' interpretations out there that teach that
virtually all of the details of this Discourse are still to be fulfilled in
the future as part of 'a great 7-year (or 3 1/2
year) Tribulation' involving
a coming Antichrist. I was blinded by this very misleading interpretation for many
years, but the actual truth of the matter is a lot plainer than most people
think. If you are presently influenced by this kind of 'dispensational
thinking' then you will need to try and lay that aside for now so that you can
be more open to
what I'm
going to say, if you wish to learn the truth in this matter.
I shall quote the appropriate verses from each Gospel account as we progress,
using Matthew 24 as the main text for clarity.
The Three Questions
The
majority of Matthew 24 (and Mark 13 and Luke 21) concerns things that were
fulfilled in the 1st century AD, in relation to the destruction of Jerusalem
and the Temple, and the end of the Old Covenant system, and of Israel's
place as God's nation in the flesh. (This is not saying that a Gentile Church
has replaced Israel, but it means that the true Israel of God is made up of
spiritual Jews and Gentiles in Jesus the Messiah, which is the true Church or
Ecclesia of God). In God's eyes, it was the end of the religion of Judaism and
the Old Covenant system of the Law of Moses, the latter having been fulfilled
in Jesus the Messiah and the establishing of the New Covenant.
Jesus
also gave warnings about the general condition of the last days, which would
last until His Return at the end of the age. These things would increase over
time in frequency and intensity, but they are not to be taken as specific
signs of His Coming in and of themselves. These things began to be fulfilled in the 1st
century AD.
During His final week of teaching in
Jerusalem, Jesus had already prophesied that the temple in Jerusalem would be
totally destroyed, along with the city itself, and that this destruction would
be witnessed by the generation living at that time (i.e. within about 40
years). This was to be a pivotal, and climactic, event in the history of the Jewish
people, and a fulfillment of all Biblical prophecy concerning them. That
is, after a period of over 1500 years, Israel and the Old Covenant were to
pass away, to be fully replaced by a New Covenant Israel in Jesus the Messiah
(i.e. Biblical Christianity and the Christian Church).
As
he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If
you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now
it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies
will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every
side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your
walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize
the time of God's coming to you."
(Luke
19:41-44 NIV)
A
large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed
for him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do
not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will
come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never
bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then
" 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on
us!"
and to the hills, "Cover us!" '
For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is
dry?"
(Luke
23:27-31 NIV)
"The
king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned
their city."
(Matthew
22:7 NIV)
"And
so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth,
from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,
whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the
truth, all this will come upon this generation.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have
longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under
her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you
desolate."
(Matthew 23:35-38 NIV)
Jesus
left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call
his attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?"
he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on
another; every one will be thrown down."
(Matthew
24:1-2 NIV)
Some
of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with
beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, "As
for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on
another; every one of them will be thrown down."
(Luke 21:5-6 NIV)
Now listen
carefully, because this is the key to correctly understanding this Discourse
of Jesus. It was in this context of Jesus' words about the destruction of the
temple and the city that the disciples Peter, James, John and Andrew came to
Jesus privately, while He was sitting on the Mount of Olives overlooking the
city, to ask Him some questions.
They actually
asked Him three questions:
1. When will
these things happen?
2. What will be
the sign that they are about to happen? and
3. What will be
the sign of your coming (or Presence) and the end of the age?
All three
Gospel accounts mention the first two questions, but only Matthew records the 3rd
question.
"Teacher,"
they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the
sign that they are about to take place?"
(Luke
21:7 NIV)
As
Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James,
John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will these
things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be
fulfilled?"
(Mark 13:3-4
NIV)
As
Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him
privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen,
and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
(Matthew 24:3 NIV)
The disciples'
questions were essentially about the coming destruction of the temple and the city, but
they also assumed that all of this was part of Christ's Return at the end of
the age - that is, the ultimate Day of the Lord. They were right in thinking
that this was a Day of the Lord for Israel and Jerusalem, but they were
mistaken for thinking that this judgment on Jerusalem was to be connected to
the ultimate Day of Christ's Return in power and glory, i.e. His Second
Advent.
Yet having said
that, this Coming of Christ in clouds (of judgment) over Jerusalem and Judea
was fulfilled in that generation, when those who pierced Him saw Him (in
judgment), and the tribes of the land mourned because of the wrath and
vengeance of God that was poured out upon them. These events confirmed the
prophecies of Jesus that He was indeed the Messiah who had come to them, and
that He was now ruling from the heavens at God's right hand. Nevertheless, this is not the
same as the Second Advent, for when that occurs, the great Resurrection and
Judgment Day are included, along with the passing away of the present heavens
and earth.
At the time of
the Olivet Discourse, the disciples did not
understand that there was to be an indefinite period of time
during Christ's absence in which God would be calling out His people from all
nations in an Administration of Grace. This was more fully revealed to
Paul some years later.
Now Jesus
answered them by giving them details of both events, beginning
with the then-future events of the 1st century, giving them details of what
was to come during the next 40 years (and beyond), particularly as it applied to Jews and
Christians in the land of Palestine, by the end of which time Jerusalem and
the Temple would be destroyed in the Jewish/Roman War of 66-70 AD. These
things are recorded in Matthew 24:4-25, Mark 13:5-23 and Luke 21:8-24.
Let us now
consider these texts a step at a time.
Deception,
Wars and Upheavals - Birth Pangs of the Last Days
Jesus
answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my
name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."
(Matthew
24:4-5 NIV)
Jesus
said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my
name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many."
(Mark
13:5-6 NIV)
He
replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my
name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them."
(Luke
21:8 NIV)
The first thing He warns them
about is false Messiahs or Christs, saying that many would arise to deceive
the people, claiming to be the promised deliverer. It is well documented in
the writings of the Jewish historian, Josephus, and others, that many false
messiahs and 'rebel leaders' arose in the land of Palestine alone in the
decades that followed (E.g. The Jewish War, Book VI). Even Acts 21:38 mentions one of these false messiah
figures, an Egyptian, whom Paul was mistaken for by the Roman commander.
And in accordance with the pattern
of prophetic cycles repeating themselves, false messiahs and deceivers have
continued to arise, not only in Palestine, but throughout the whole world, in
this present age.
"You
will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not
alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will
be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the
beginning of birth pains."
(Matthew 24:6-8 NIV)
"When
you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must
happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and
famines. These are the beginning of birth pains."
(Mark 13:7-8 NIV)
"When
you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things
must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
Then he said to them: "Nation
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful
events and great signs from heaven."
(Luke 21:9-11 NIV)
Jesus then warns them (and by
extension, all believers) about wars, battles, revolutions and general
upheaval in society and nature. He says that we should not be frightened or
surprised when these things occur, and He made it very clear that these things
are not signs of the end! There will be wars and news of wars, with
nation fighting nation, and kingdom fighting kingdom, with revolutions and
rebellions.
There will also be great
earthquakes, famines and pestilences (or diseases) in the world, as well as
fearful events and great signs from heaven. All these things are said to be
the beginning of birth pains, which increase in frequency and intensity over
time.
These things began to occur in the
1st century AD, particularly as it affected the small land of Palestine, let
alone the rest of the Roman world. In relation to the Jewish/Roman war of
66-73 AD, there were many fearful events and great signs from heaven around
this time. Josephus records about 7 signs that took place at this time in his Jewish
Wars: Book 6.[2]
There were also great upheavals
and rebellions throughout the Roman Empire, and even Rome itself was brought
to the brink of collapse after the death of Nero Caesar, due to the civil wars
during 'the year of the four Emperors' from 68-69 AD. [3]
And these 'birth pangs' have also
continued to increase throughout this present age, in the same way as apostasy
and deception have. Birth pains become more frequent and more intense as the
actual birth becomes nearer, so in accordance with how Jesus used this
metaphor, we should expect to see more upheavals such as these in the world as
the end of the age draws near. It is interesting to note that some of the
greatest world wars and revolutions, atrocities and plagues, have occurred in
the past 100 years or so. Surely the birthing of the kingdom of God is near.
Persecution, Martyrdom and
Trials of Faith
"Then you will be handed over to
be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations
because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and
will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear
and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the
love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be
saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole
world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."
(Matthew 24:9-14 NIV)
"You must be on your guard. You will
be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On
account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to
them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand
about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is
not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit."
"Brother will betray brother
to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their
parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me,
but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
(Mark 13:9-13 NIV)
"But before all this, they will
lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to
synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and
governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being
witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you
will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of
your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict."
"You will be betrayed even by
parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to
death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head
will perish. By standing firm you will gain life."
(Luke 21:12-19 NIV)
Jesus goes on to warn them of the
coming persecution against His followers, who would be called Christians, and
the consequences of these trials, which for many would mean martyrdom. Yet
these persecutions would help bring God's true messengers before governors and
kings, and cause the gospel to be preached in the whole world as a testimony
to all nations, including Rome itself. Only then would the end come for
Jerusalem and Israel, and the full rejection of the Old Covenant system. His
disciples are encouraged to endure to the end of these trials as Overcomers, remaining loyal
to their heavenly King and the Faith they profess.
Yet Jesus warned that many would
also fall away from the Faith, and there would be great hatred and betrayal
against His disciples, even from friends and family. Lawlessness and
wickedness would increase, with little regard for the true Faith once held by
those who had rejected it. Many false prophets would arise also, leading many
into deception.
We don't have to look very far to
see how these things have been fulfilled. The book of Acts alone records something
of the persecution and trials of the early church, which initially was
instigated by the Jews, and it is well documented
in Roman history that from Emperor Nero onwards there were official
persecutions against the Christians, causing many families and friends to
betray their 'Christian' loved ones who they believed to be rebels and
heretics, defilers of 'the true faith' - whether Roman or Jewish.
Paul also reveals in his letters
that the gospel of the kingdom was proclaimed to the whole world, including
Rome, before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
All over the world this gospel is
bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since
the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth....This
is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every
creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a
servant.
(Colossians 1:6, 23 NIV)
But the Lord stood at my side and gave me
strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and
all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's
mouth.
(2 Timothy 4:17 NIV)
There is also ample evidence
within the New Testament writings that there were many false prophets and teachers within the
early church, particularly those who were Judaisers, as well as those who
belonged to the Gnostic sects. These things only increased as the decades and centuries rolled
by - and Jesus' words were fulfilled to the letter. On top of this, the
overall state of the Jewish nation by the time of the Roman War in the late
60's AD was utterly appalling, as Josephus recounts in his Jewish Wars (see
accompanying article by P. Mauro). It's no wonder that Paul said the following
about the Jews of his day when writing to the Thessalonian believers.
For you, brothers, became imitators of
God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your
own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who
killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They
displease God and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us
from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way
they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come
upon them at last (or fully).
(1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 NIV)
(The last sentence literally reads 'Yet
the wrath (of God) moves ahead on to them to a finality' meaning that
God's judgment was already being prepared to be shortly poured out upon
them, for they had 'filled up their sins to the limit' in their treatment of God's
Son and His messengers.)
Jesus had warned them that
that generation would eventually become seven times more wicked than what
they were before the commencement of His ministry - and sadly His words
were horrifically fulfilled by 70 AD.
"When an evil spirit comes out of a
man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then
it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds
the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and
takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in
and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the
first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."
(Matthew 12:43-45 NIV)
The
Jewish War and the Temple's Destruction
Now
read the following texts very carefully and notice the parallels between them
all.
"So
when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes
desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—
then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof
of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the
field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for
pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take
place in winter or on the Sabbath.
For
then there will be great distress (or affliction or tribulation),
unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled
again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for
the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
At
that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he
is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear
and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that
were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time."
(Matthew
24:15-25 NIV)
"When
you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does
not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee
to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the
house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak.
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing
mothers!
Pray
that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of
distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until
now—and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those
days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen,
he has shortened them.
At
that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there
he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear
and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible.
So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time."
(Mark
13:14-23 NIV)
"Now
whenever you may be perceiving Jerusalem surrounded by encampments, then
know that her desolation is near. Then let those in Judea flee into the
mountains, and let those in her midst be coming out into the country, and
let not those in the country be entering into her, for days of
vengeance are these, to fulfill all that is written. Yet woe to
those who are pregnant, and to those suckling in those days; for there will
be great necessity in the land and indignation on this people.
And they shall be falling by the edge of the sword and shall be led into
captivity into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trodden by the nations,
until the eras of the nations (or times of the nations) may be
fulfilled."
(Luke
21:20-24 CV)
These texts are
describing the horrific events of the Jewish/Roman War of 66-70 AD,
particularly in relation to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and
the region of Judea. Jesus described these days as 'days of great affliction
or tribulation'.
This war was primarily brought about by the rebellious violence of the various
sects of Jewish Zealots, who even fought against one another, besides their
Jewish brethren who wouldn't follow them. Jesus warned His followers to watch for the signs so
that they could get out of Jerusalem and Judea when the time was near.
In God's eyes,
it was to be the worst time that Jerusalem and the people would ever
experience, and there would only be survivors because the days would be
numbered precisely as God intended, and those days would therefore be cut
short, otherwise no one would survive the blood bath. [4]
It was for the sake of
the elect (the chosen ones) that the days were shortened (for many survivors
would become Christians after witnessing such an event).
Jesus also warned
them again about false messiahs and prophets arising at this time, and the
false signs and miracles that would accompany their leadership in order to try
and deceive the true chosen ones of God - if that were possible to do, for the
true chosen ones of God would not be tricked into following these charlatans
anyway, for they would heed the words of their Master! Yet sadly, many others
would be tricked, and would not heed the words of Jesus.
The
Abomination of Desolation and the Great Affliction
Now Jesus
essentially gave them two signs that would herald the coming desolation of the
city and the temple, although it is possible that these signs were, in fact,
one and the same!
1. Firstly, He
said that 'the
abomination of desolation' spoken by the prophet Daniel would be seen standing in the Holy Place
or standing where it ought not.
In the original
Greek grammar, the order reads like this: the abomination of desolation, spoken
by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, (let the reader understand).
Both Matthew and
Mark include the words in parenthesis 'let the reader understand' after
mentioning this abomination 'standing in the holy place.' So they were
emphasising the importance of the need to correctly understand Jesus' words of
warning. Jesus was using a kind of code language so that only those with wisdom
and scriptural knowledge would understand, while the rest would just ignore Him and suffer the
consequences.
Therefore we need
to understand two things here, namely,
a) what is 'the
abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel', and
b) what or
where is the holy place where this abomination would be seen standing?
There are at
least three places in the book of Daniel where this phrase is mentioned,
particularly in the Septuagint version, which is what Jesus was quoting from.
Most commentators would agree that it is generally referring to the deeds of the
Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the 2nd century BC. The book of
Maccabees also confirms this. For further study of this, see The
Vision of The Ram And The He-Goat.
Briefly stated,
Antiochus, as a foreign king, defiled the city of Jerusalem and the Temple via
war, persecution and pagan customs. He changed the temple of God into a pagan
shrine, and all sorts of detestable practices were committed there.
An 'abomination'
in the Scriptures is something that is detestable to God, something disgusting,
vile, defiling and unclean, and it also carries the thought of blasphemy. It is
usually associated with idolatry. A 'desolation' is that which is ruined or
empty due to destruction, usually because of the judgment of God.
So Jesus was
saying that a specific idolatrous, defiling act (which could be a thing or a
person - and in Daniel, this can be read in the plural), that would bring destruction to the city and the temple, would be seen
standing in the holy place. The 'holy place' was either the city of Jerusalem
itself or the temple, or both! This 'abomination of desolation' did not have to
be exactly the same as the previous one by Antiochus, but there is a similarity
and a connection here.
It is evident
that Jesus was specifically referring to the prophecy of the Seventy Sevens in
Daniel chapter 9, concerning the coming of the Messiah. In verses 26-27 of that
chapter, the
focus is very much on the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary, and its final
official destruction or desolations.
The final half of
verse 27 has proven a bit of a problem for most translators, but it is in this
portion of the text that 'the abomination of desolations' is mentioned in
connection with Jerusalem's judgment due to the rejection of her Messiah. Here
are a few renderings of this verse.
...and on
the temple shall be the abomination of desolations; and at
the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation.
(English
Translation of Septuagint)
...and by
the wing of abominations he is making desolate, even till the
consummation, and that which is determined is poured on the desolate one.'
(Young's
Literal Translation)
...on a
wing of the sanctuary shall be desolating abominations. Till the
conclusion of the era the decided conclusion will be poured forth on the
desolation.
(CV)
...and for
the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until
the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
(KJV)
The
one thing that is clear from these renderings of Daniel 9:27b is that abominations
and desolations were decreed for Jerusalem AND the temple as God's
judgment upon the people (the desolate or desolate ones). This was to be the
city's end (or conclusion or consummation) in accordance with the cessation of
the Old Covenant system. It's interesting to note that some
translations mention 'the wing' of the temple, which could've be referring to
one particular side of the temple courts. This has great significance if applied
to the Tower of Antonia (a Roman fortress) adjoining the Temple courts or, as we
shall see, to the advance of Cestius (For further study of this prophecy,
see The Prophecy of The Seventy Sevens).
We shall now see
that this 'abomination of desolations' of Daniel 9 is 'the abomination' that Jesus was referring to that was spoken by
the prophet Daniel that would stand in the holy place, which would serve to
bring about the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Now if we go to
Luke's account of Jesus' words, we are given the second sign.
"Now
whenever you may be seeing Jerusalem surrounded by encampments, then
know that her desolation is near."
2. Secondly, Jerusalem
would become surrounded by army encampments, and this would herald the
nearness of her desolation.
Now take note
here that where Matthew and Mark record only 'the abomination...standing in the
holy place (let the reader understand)' portion as the warning sign to flee, Luke's
account blatantly says 'when you see Jerusalem surrounded by army encampments'
i.e. ready for an attack or siege, that is the sign to flee! So the two signs are
intimately connected as one! Luke gives us the parallel meaning.
The details of
the Jewish/Roman War that began in 66 AD and lasted until 73 AD, with
Jerusalem and the Temple being destroyed in 70 AD, are well documented in the
writings of Josephus, and there are numerous articles available via the
internet that can be used to research these things. Here is how these things
were fulfilled.
The
Fulfillment of Jesus' Words
The war involving
Jerusalem truly began in the autumn of 66 AD, at the time of the feast of
Tabernacles, though skirmishes had already begun earlier in the year. This
Jewish rebellion was the greatest provincial uprising that the Roman Empire had
faced at that time. Numerous Jews were in Jerusalem and Judea for the Feast so that
they were able to witness the unfolding events. This is when the Roman Governor of Syria
(notice the Syrian link to Antiochus Epiphanes), Cestius Gallus, and the Twelfth
Legion, set up camp on Mount Scopus near Jerusalem in preparation to attack the
Jewish rebels who had taken over the city and the Temple, including the
Roman-occupied fortress of Antonia - which was situated on the northern wing
of the temple! (Recall Daniel 9:27)
Josephus records
(in Book 2 and 4 of his Jewish War) that these Jewish rebels were already
polluting the sanctuary at this stage, and for the whole three and a half years
of the war against Jerusalem, they continued to defile the temple with their
murders and their blasphemies, using the temple as their military base! This,
in itself, constituted an abomination of desolation! Adding to this, they
later invited the Idumeans (descendants of Esau) to join their murderous ranks,
as they continued to multiply their abominations! The temple courts became
soaked in human blood, with piles of corpses everywhere. Not only that, but even
Lake Galilee, the river Jordan and the Dead Sea became as rivers and lakes of
blood, full of decomposing bodies, during the War (Wars, Book 3:10:9; Book
4:7:5-6; Book 6:8:5). As Jesus had said,
'Wherever there's a dead body, there the vultures will gather.'
Cestius then
attacked Jerusalem and set up camp within the city near Herod's palace. The
Romans then besieged the temple wall on the north for a number of days. Here is
what Josephus said of this attack.
"...so
the soldiers undermined the wall, without being themselves hurt, and
got all things ready for setting fire to the gate of the temple....It
then happened that Cestius was not conscious either how the besieged
despaired of success, nor how courageous the people were for him; and so
he recalled his soldiers from the place, and by despairing of any
expectation of taking it, without having received any disgrace, he
retired from the city, without any reason in the world."
This Syrian/Roman
general and his army, complete with their idolatrous standards or ensigns, which
represented their pagan gods, were standing in the holy city attacking the holy
temple - with their encampments around, and in, the city. This also was the
abomination of desolation standing in the holy place. Yet this was not the
moment of desolation - it was a warning sign, hence, miraculously, the Romans
withdrew for no reason at all!
In fact, it is
recorded by the church historian, Eusebius, that the Jewish Christians
understood these events to be the signs that Jesus had predicted, and therefore
they subsequently fled into the Judean wilderness and mountains to travel across
the Jordan to Pella (Ecclesiastical History 3:5:3). As for the rest of the Jews, they were deceived by the
messages and fear tactics of the self-proclaimed prophets and messiahs who said
that God would fight for them and rescue them, especially as Rome (under Cestius)
had already turned away once! Instead of seeing this as a warning sign, they
viewed it as a sign of coming victory! Such was their blind zeal!
As the war
progressed, things just grew worse, until the Roman general, Titus, in the
spring of 70 AD, surrounded the city with encampments and laid siege to it,
until they broke through the walls. After about 5 months, they finally entered the temple
and then burned it. Amidst the ruins, the Romans
raised their standards and sacrificed to their gods and to Titus.
Many thousands of
Jews perished and the rest were taken captive and sold as slaves within the
Empire. These things fulfilled Jesus' words completely.
"Now
whenever you may be perceiving Jerusalem surrounded by encampments, then
know that her desolation is near. Then let those in Judea flee into the
mountains, and let those in her midst be coming out into the country, and
let not those in the country be entering into her, for days of
vengeance are these, to fulfill all that is written. Yet woe to
those who are pregnant, and to those suckling in those days; for there will
be great necessity in the land and indignation on this people.
And they shall be falling by the edge of the sword and shall be led into
captivity into all nations.
(Luke
21:20-24 CV)
As
he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If
you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now
it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies
will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every
side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your
walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize
the time of God's coming to you."
(Luke
19:41-44 NIV)
As we have
established, the Great
Tribulation or Great Affliction (or Distress) mentioned in these texts is
referring to the horrific days of the siege of Jerusalem ,which was unlike
anything that had previously happened in that city. It was an horrific
bloodbath - and most of the suffering and carnage was caused by the Jewish
warring factions within the city, not just by the Romans! If these days had not been
shortened, no flesh would've survived at all. The writings of Josephus in his
Jewish War make it very plain how bad things actually were in those days. All
of Jesus' words were fulfilled exactly has He had said.
Eventually,
all
the stones of the temple were taken apart and demolished by the Romans, who
were trying to get the melted gold out of the cracks. This fulfilled the words
of Jesus to the letter concerning the stones of the temple. Many of the Christians,
as well as some of the wiser Jews, escaped into the mountains, but those who remained were
either slaughtered
or taken into captivity and scattered throughout the Roman Empire.
All
the Old Testament prophecies concerning Jerusalem and Israel were fulfilled at
that time, particularly those that spoke of the Day of the Lord, for Jesus had
stated unequivocally "...for these are days of
vengeance, to fulfill all that is written." This is
especially true in relation to the prophecies of Daniel. A number of Jesus'
words quoted above were alluding to the prophecies of Daniel, including the
following.
"At
that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There
will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of
nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is
found written in the book—will be delivered..."
"...It
will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy
people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."
(Daniel
12:1,7 NIV)
And after the
sixty-two weeks, the anointed one shall be destroyed, and there is no
judgment in him: and he shall destroy the city and the sanctuary with the
prince that is coming: they shall be cut off with a flood, and to the
end of the war which is rapidly completed he shall appoint the city
to desolations.
And one week shall
establish the covenant with many: and in the midst of the week my
sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away: and on the temple shall
be the abomination of desolations; and at the end of time an end shall
be put to the desolation.
(Daniel
9:26-27 LXX)
The
divine timing of these events was remarkable in their accuracy. On the day of
Passover, in the Spring of 70 AD, the Roman armies began to encamp around
Jerusalem in preparation for the coming siege. This was 40 years from when
Jesus began His ministry. After 5 months, the Temple was burned and the city
destroyed. The temple was destroyed on the 10th of the Jewish month Ab. This
was the very same day that the temple of Solomon had been burned in 587/586 BC.
Certainly not a coincidence! Both the First and Second Temples were divinely
judged and destroyed on the same day! (Herod's Temple was essentially the
Second Temple that was built after the Babylonian captivity, only enlarged and
beautified.)
Then
on the Passover of 73 AD, the last group of Jewish Zealots were defeated by the
Romans as they made their final stand in the fortress of Masada. They committed
mass suicide rather than allow the Romans to kill them. This officially ended the
Jewish/Roman War of that period. It occurred exactly 40 years from the
crucifixion of Jesus (33-73 AD) - to the very day! Again,
certainly not a coincidence! These prophetic fulfillments heralded something
of great magnitude - the end of an official divine transition from the Old
Covenant to the New Covenant; from Israel after the flesh to the spiritual Israel
of God.
The
official, legal beginning of the War, when the Emperor Nero sent Vespasian to
subdue Palestine, occurred in February 67 AD. The city of Jerusalem was
finally subdued, and the temple destroyed, under Titus by August 70 AD. This
was a period of 3 years and a half - or put another way, 'time, times and half
a time.'
"...It
will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people
has been finally broken, all these things will be completed."
Be that as it
may,
Luke's account makes it even clearer that this Great Affliction for the Jews would
then go on to last the whole of this present age, which Jesus called 'the
Times of the Nations' (or Times of the Gentiles), as opposed to the previous
Times of the Hebrews. Take careful note of the words in this text.
"And they shall be falling by the edge of the sword and shall be led into
captivity into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trodden by the nations,
until the eras of the nations (or times of the nations) may be
fulfilled."
(Luke
21:24 CV)
This
was truly a pivotal, and a hugely significant, event in Jewish and Biblical
history. Jesus made it clear that it would be unparalleled, because these
'days of vengeance' would fulfill all that is written concerning
Israel and Jerusalem. And Jerusalem would then continue to be rebuilt, trodden
down, and destroyed by the various nations until the end of this age, and the
Return of Christ. Nevertheless, the era of ancient Israel under the Old
Covenant, which had lasted for over 1500 years, officially ended in 70 AD. The
focus is now on a New Jerusalem, a New Mount Zion, a New Creation, a New
Covenant, a New Promised Land - even a New Humanity that is not based on
fleshly ties, that which is the New Temple of God.
(For
the most part, what follows can also be found in the latter half of the article The Day of The
Lord, The Return of The King)
The
Coming of the Son of Man - Like Lightening
It is at this
point in the accounts that Jesus starts to talk about His Coming or Presence
at the end of the age, to answer the disciples' 3rd question. He begins to
bridge the gap, so to speak, between the judgment of Jerusalem in the 1st
century AD, and the ultimate judgment of the world at His Return (the Second
Advent). This is where the transition begins that I spoke of at the beginning
of this article. This is where some obvious problems begin to arise.
We must
also take note that Jesus doesn't give
any clue whatsoever here of the duration of this present age (i.e. the last
days). He just tells us
about the things that will occur on the Day of His glorious Return - and these
things have also had a fulfillment in His Judgment-Coming upon Jerusalem in
the 1st century AD.
"So
if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or,
'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that
comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the
Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there
the vultures will gather."
(Matthew
24:26-28; see also Luke 17:24 NIV)
Firstly, He
begins by declaring loud and clear that His Presence (Greek parousia)
or Coming will not be secret and invisible, but it will be just like the
lightening flashing across the whole sky. That is, it will be visible in
the sky to ALL on the earth as a glorious light in the darkness! There will be no mistaking it! Many false
prophets and false messiahs will come (including those teaching about false
comings of Christ), but they are not the true Messiah unless they fulfill this
criteria for the Day of the Lord. Even Jesus Himself has to fulfill this
prophecy eventually in it's ultimate sense, otherwise He will prove to be a false prophet and a false
Messiah!
Jesus was telling
them not to chase after the false messiahs who were to come, particularly those
who claimed that he was in the inner rooms (of the temple) or out in the desert
- and, of course, there were such false messiahs declaring such things in the
decades that followed! They proclaimed that God would deliver Jerusalem from the
Romans, but they did not heed the words of Yahweh Himself spoken through His Son.
There wasn't to be any deliverance for the city or the temple or the land.
Judgment and wrath was coming, and it was firmly decided (Desolations have been
decided - Daniel 9:26-27).
In the Prophets,
lightening and
thunder, as well as clouds, were common signs of God's judgment upon Israel and
the nations. The Roman historian Tacitus records that lightening flashed
over the city of Jerusalem during the siege, and Josephus records the following
signs,
mentioning clouds and angelic armies.
Besides these [signs], a few days after that feast, on
the one- and-twentieth day of the month Artemisius,
[Jyar,] a certain prodigious and incredible
phenomenon appeared; I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable,
were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that
followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals;
for, before sun-setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armour
were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of
cities. Moreover, at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests
were going by night into the inner [court of the] temple, as their custom
was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first
place, they felt a quaking, and heard a great noise, and after that
they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, "Let us remove
hence" (Wars, VI-5-3)
Tacitus, writing of the same
events, said:
"In the sky appeared a vision of armies in
conflict, of glittering armor. A sudden lightening flash from the
clouds lit up the Temple. The doors of the holy place abruptly opened, a superhuman voice was
heard to declare that the gods were leaving it, and in the same instant
came the rushing tumult of their departure" (Histories, 5:13).
Jesus also
indicated how much carnage would accompany Jerusalem's judgment by referring to the dead
bodies and the vultures - a very literal Gehenna - yet He also uses this phrase solely in relation to His
Return in Luke 17:37. This is because He is partially quoting from Isaiah 13
& 34 concerning the Day of the Lord. Nevertheless, as stated earlier, this
event was also a 'Coming of Christ in Clouds of judgment, like lightening,' to
those in Jerusalem and Judea - a Day of the Lord for Israel. So these things do
have a relation to one another concerning the events of Jerusalem's destruction
in the 1st century AD, and Christ's Return at the end of this age.
Jesus continued,
Immediately after the distress of
those days
'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its
light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be
shaken.' "
(Matthew
24:28-29 NIV)
"But
in those days, following that distress,
'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its
light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be
shaken.' "
(Mark
13:24-25 NIV)
And
there shall be signs in the sun and the moon and the constellations,
and on the earth pressure of nations in perplexity, at the resounding
of the sea and the shaking, at the chilling of men from fear and
apprehensiveness of that which is coming on the inhabited earth, for
the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
(Luke
21:25-26 CV)
Now this is
where the problem arises for most. In Matthew's account, the Greek word eutheos
is used, which generally means 'immediately, straightaway.'
"Immediately after the distress
(tribulation or affliction) of
those days."
First
and foremost, Jesus was linking what was to follow with 'the affliction of
those days,' and it was to follow straight away - not hundreds or
thousands of years later! He was talking about 'the great affliction' of the
Jewish/Roman War in 66-70 AD, especially the final months of the siege in 70
AD.
How dreadful it will be
in those days for
pregnant women and nursing mothers!...
...For
then there will be great distress (or affliction or tribulation),
unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled
again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for
the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
Now
evidently the physical sun, moon and stars didn't darken or collapse after 70
AD in a literal sense, but they did in a figurative, symbolic sense!
They are used in this symbolic sense in the Old Testament. Let us firstly consider the relevant prophetic texts that Jesus was clearly
alluding to from Isaiah and Ezekiel.
See, the day of the LORD is coming—a
cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land (or
earth) desolate and destroy the sinners within it.
The stars of heaven and their
constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give its light. I will
punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end
to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
I will make man scarcer than pure gold,
more rare than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I
will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at
the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.
(Isaiah
13:6-13 NIV)
Come near, you nations, and listen; pay
attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the
world, and all that comes out of it! The LORD
is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will
totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. Their
slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench;
the mountains will be soaked with their blood.
All the stars of the heavens will be
dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall
like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree...
...For the LORD has a sacrifice in
Bozrah
and a great slaughter in Edom...
...For the LORD has a day of vengeance,
a year of retribution, to uphold Zion's cause...
...there also the falcons (vultures)
will gather...
(Isaiah
34:1-4, 6, 8, 15 NIV)
" 'This is what the Sovereign LORD
says:
" 'With a great throng of people I
will cast my net over you, and they will haul you up in my net.
I will throw you on the land and hurl you on
the open field. I will let all the birds of the air settle on you and all
the beasts of the earth gorge themselves on you.
I will spread your flesh on the mountains
and fill the valleys with your remains.
I will drench the land with your flowing
blood all the way to the mountains, and the ravines will be filled with your
flesh.
When I snuff you out, I will cover the
heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the
moon will not give its light.
All the shining lights in the heavens I
will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land, declares
the Sovereign LORD.
I will trouble the hearts of many peoples
when I bring about your destruction among the nations, among lands you have
not known.
I will cause many peoples to be appalled at
you, and their kings will shudder with horror because of you when I brandish
my sword before them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble
every moment for his life.
(Ezekiel
32:3-10 NIV)
These prophecies of judgment have been fulfilled a number of times in the
ancient past in relation to Israel and Judah, as well as Egypt, Babylon and
other nations and Empires. The heavenly luminaries of the sun, moon and stars
often symbolise the leaders of the world, particularly as it relates to those
who are God's representatives in the earth, those who represent His kingdom
authority.
The nation of
Israel, God's chosen holy nation, was symbolised as the sun, moon and stars in
Joseph's dream (Genesis 37:9-11; cf. Revelation 12:1-6). And in Daniel 8:9-12,
24, the priests and rulers of Judah are seen as stars of the heavenly host who
are thrown down to the earth and trampled upon by the Little Horn (Antiochus
IV Epiphanes). Angelic messengers are also symbolised as stars (Job 38:7).
So,
figuratively speaking, Jesus was prophesying the great shaking of the Jewish
and Roman world, and the spiritual powers behind them, that would immediately
follow the end of the Old Covenant system. More importantly it was prophesying
that the world of Old Covenant Judaism was about to be destroyed, with all the
lights going out. This would give way to a New Creation.
Nevertheless,
in a greater sense, in relation to Christ's Second Advent, this is also describing something so cataclysmic that
nothing like it has occurred since the beginning of creation, or at least
since the time of the Great Flood of Noah's time.
The
Shaking of the Universe and the Glory Cloud
According to 2
Peter 3, these things will occur in a very literal manner, at the beginning of the Day of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And men will be frozen with fear and apprehensiveness
and great terror, wondering what the heck is coming upon the whole earth, for
the earth will be shaking and the sea will be roaring, and the whole heavens
will be combusting and dissolving with fire! But first, the sun and moon and
stars will go dark!
Not only are
these things spoken of in many OT prophecies, such as Isaiah 13 & 34, and
Joel 2-3, but
they are also referred to elsewhere in the NT. We shall see shortly that Peter
described this shaking and dissolving of the universe when he wrote
about the Day of the Lord in his second letter. The writer to the Hebrews was also referring to this awesome Day
when he wrote the following.
See to it that you do not refuse him who
speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on
earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from
heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised,
"Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."
The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be
shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may
remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a
kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God
acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming
fire."
(Hebrews 12:25-29 NIV)
These texts
also have reference to the events of the Jewish War and the close of the Old
Covenant system in a relative, figurative sense, yet they ultimately speak of
the end of this present age and the Return of Christ in an absolute, more
literal sense.
Returning to
the Olivet Discourse, Jesus continues with the events of that Day.
"At
that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and
great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up
and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
(Luke
21:27-28 NIV)
"At
that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and
glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the
four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens."
(Mark
13:26-27 NIV)
"At
that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the
nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And
he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his
elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
(Matthew
24:30-31 NIV)
The 'sign of
the Son of Man' that is mentioned by Matthew, I believe, is the great Glory
cloud of God, shining in all its brilliance. One of the common themes of some
of the prophetic passages concerning Christ's return is that of clouds,
that is, the glory clouds of God's presence. He will be in clouds, on
clouds and with clouds! This sign will appear in the sky as a
supernatural light, after the darkening of
the sun and the moon, which will cause all the nations of the earth to mourn
(or grieve or lament).
This phrase
'the nations of the earth' can also be translated as 'the tribes of the land'
(see also Revelation 1:7). In both Hebrew and Greek, land and earth
are interchangeable, depending on the context. In relation to AD 70, all
the tribes of the land of Judah, all those who pierced Him, mourned at the
sight of God's Judgment upon them through Christ. Yet in the greater sense,
all the tribes or nations of the earth will mourn when they witness the
judgment of Christ at His Second Advent.
All the peoples of the earth will see Christ Jesus
descending from the heavens with power and great glory, and He will remain in the
atmosphere of the earth (that is, in the sky or air) surrounded by clouds of
glory, clouds of angels - and clouds of believers - while He judges those who remain
on the earth! He will then send out His angels (heavenly messengers) with a
shout of command that will sound like a trumpet, and they will gather and
assemble His elect (or chosen ones) from the whole earth - and the
heavens!
As Luke
records, "When these things begin
to take place....your redemption is drawing near." This is clearly
saying that even true believers (that is, the Body/Bride of Christ, the
Ecclesia of the sons of God, the overcomers, etc) will experience the
beginning of these things just before our redemption (that is, our deliverance
or full salvation) occurs. It may only be for a matter of minutes, but this
becomes the test of our faith of whether we will seek to hold on to this world
or not. We shall look at this shortly.
When Jesus
ascended into the heavens (that is, entered the spirit realm) in 33 AD, this
is what happened.
After he said this, he was taken up
before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going,
when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of
Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This
same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the
same way you have seen him go into heaven."
(Acts 1:9-11 NIV)
Now this is so
simple that a child could understand it. The disciples were told that this
same Jesus would return from the heavens in the same way as He left! It's a
simple reversal of His ascension into the heavens. Now, how did He leave this
earth? He ascended visibly into the sky (for gravity had no hold on
Him) in a cloud (the Glory cloud of the Presence of God, not rain
clouds) until He disappeared from sight.
Therefore, in the
same way, He will
return from the heavens, visibly descending to the atmosphere of this earth
(that is, in the sky or the air) for all to see. And He will be surrounded
by glory clouds (and these are not rain clouds) as He appears like
lightening.
This is exactly
what Jesus described in the above texts! As we have seen, it can be said that
these things were fulfilled in a more figurative sense in relation to
Jerusalem's destruction in 70 AD, but that was only in relation to Judah and
Jerusalem and Israel. The Second Advent involves the whole world, all nations,
and it will occur in a very literal sense, involving supernatural happenings
that have never been witnessed before on such a great scale! It will also
include the ultimate Resurrection and Judgment Day!
Deliverance
and Destruction
Before we
continue, here are a few more scriptures
from the writings of the Apostles that speak of these very same things in
relation to the Second Advent - and
they need no explanation! And these words go way beyond the context of 70 AD
alone! The words of Paul, especially, are aimed at believers from all
nations throughout the world, not just those in Palestine - and, by extension,
they apply to all Christians of every generation throughout this present age.
"...and
to be waiting for His Son out of the heavens, Whom He rouses from among the
dead, Jesus, our Rescuer out of the coming indignation...for God did
not appoint us to indignation, but to the procuring of salvation through our
Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for our sakes, that, whether we may be
watching (those alive) or drowsing (those in death), we should
be living at the same time together with Him."
(1
Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9-10 CV)
"...thus
Christ also,...will be seen a second time, by those awaiting Him, apart
from sin, for salvation, through faith."
(Hebrews
9:28 CV)
"...Henceforth
you shall be seeing the Son of Mankind sitting at the right hand of power and
coming on the clouds of heaven."
(Matthew
26:65 CV)
"I
came to be casting fire on the earth, and what will I, if it were
already kindled?"
(Luke
12:49 CV)
"For
the Son of Mankind is about to be coming in the glory of His Father, with His
messengers, and then He will be paying each in accord with his practice."
(Matthew 16:27 CV)
"And I perceived, when It opens the sixth seal, and a great cataclysm
occurred, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as
blood, and the stars of heaven fall on the earth as a fig tree is casting its shriveled figs,
quaking under a great wind. And heaven recoils as a scroll rolling up, and
every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, and the magnates, and the captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every slave and freeman, hide themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. And they are saying to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him Who is sitting on the throne, and
from the indignation of the Lambkin, for the great day of Their indignation came, and who is able to
stand?"
(Revelation
6:12-17 CV)
"Now
we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are reposing,
lest you may sorrow according as the rest, also, who have no expectation. For,
if we are believing that Jesus died and rose, thus also, those who are put to
repose, God will, through Jesus, lead forth together with Him.
For this we are
saying to you by the word of the Lord, that we, the living, who are
surviving to the presence of the Lord, should by no means outstrip those who
are put to repose, for the Lord Himself will be descending from heaven
with a shout of command, with the voice of the Chief Messenger, and with the
trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall be rising first. Thereupon
we, the living who are surviving, shall at the same time be snatched
away together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And thus
shall we always be together with the Lord. So that, console one another with
these words."
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 CV)
'Yet
the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word (of
God), are stored with fire,
being kept for the day of the judging and destruction of irreverent men...the
Lord is not tardy as to the promise…Now
the Day of the Lord will be arriving as a thief, in which the heavens shall be
passing by with a booming noise, yet the elements shall be dissolved by
combustion, and the earth and the works in it shall be found.'
(2
Peter 3:7, 9-10 CV)
We shall be
considering these last two scriptures in particular a little later, when
dealing with the suddenness of that Day, which will occur 'as a thief in the night,' and the
awesome event commonly called the 'Rapture,' though it should be more accurately
called the Snatching and Transformation of the sons of God. These things are
revealed in type and shadow in the events of Noah and the Flood, and Lot and
the destruction of Sodom.
Returning to the Olivet
Discourse, Jesus continued by using the simple parable of the Fig Tree to tell
us that, in the same way as fig trees begin to bud and sprout leaves in the
spring, heralding the nearness of summer, so all these signs would herald the nearness
of the kingdom of God and it's King - particularly in its
relation to the 1st century events of the impending destruction of Jerusalem.
"Now
learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its
leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these
things, you know that it (or he) is near, right at the door."
(Matthew
24:32-33 NIV)
"Now
learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its
leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these
things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door."
(Mark
13:28-29 NIV)
He
told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When
they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even
so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is
near."
(Luke
21:29-31 NIV)
There is something more
to this parable, but so that we don't detract too much at this point, if you
wish to look into this matter further, see The Parable of the Fig Tree
in The
Secrets of the Parables book.
Jesus then
continued,
"I
tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until
all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will never pass away."
(Matthew
24:34-35 NIV)
So what did
He mean by saying that 'this generation will not pass away until
all these things have happened?'