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The temple will be destroyed
1 Then as He was going out from the temple, one of His disciples said to Him: “Teacher, just look! Such stones, such buildings!” 2 In answer Jesus said to him: “Do you see these great buildings? Here not a single stone will be left upon another; each one will be thrown down.”* This was literally fulfilled in 70 AD. The Jews used the temple buildings as their last bastion of defense. They themselves set fire to some buildings and the Roman soldiers finished the job. Apparently the gold on the dome melted and ran down the cracks between the stones. So the looters literally tore stone from stone to make sure they got all the gold.
The Olivet Discourse
The end of the age
3 Then as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple,† I take the point to be that He could see the temple from where He was sitting. Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately: 4 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign whenever all these things are about to be fulfilled?”‡ There are two questions: “When these things?” and “What the sign?” The answer to the first is given in Luke 21:20-24. The answer to the second begins here in verse 5. 5 So by way of an answer to them Jesus began by saying: “Take care that no one deceives you. 6 Because many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 But whenever you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not let it distress you; because happen they must, but the end is not yet. 8 Because nation will be raised against nation,§ The verb is in the passive voice, so the necessary question is, who does the raising? and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and tumults.* In our day we have seen violence and looting in the wake of earthquakes and food shortages. Perhaps 1% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit ‘and tumults’ (to be followed by NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). These things are the beginning of birth pains.† The Text has ‘birth pains’, so what is the ‘baby’? I suppose the ‘baby’ is the Messianic Kingdom.
9 “But watch out for yourselves, because they will deliver you up to councils and flog you in synagogues, and you will be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them. 10 Also, the Gospel must first be proclaimed to all the ethnic nations.‡ See the footnote at Matthew 24:14. 11 Now whenever they lead you away and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand nor premeditate what you will say;§ In Seminary I was taught that this instruction is for martyrs, not preachers! But churches today would be better off if their pastors got their messages from the Holy Spirit. rather, whatever is given to you in that hour, speak that, because it will not be you doing the speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12 “Further, brother will betray brother to death and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake,* It is already the case in many places that anyone who takes a public stand in defense of biblical values is vituperated by the media—some have gone to prison in what once were ‘Christian’ countries. yet he who endures to the end, he will be saved.† We must endure persecution, without denying the Lord—if you deny Him, He will deny you.
The Great Tribulation
14 “Now whenever you see the ‘abomination of desolation’, the one spoken of by Daniel the prophet,‡ Perhaps 1% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit ‘the one spoken of by Daniel the prophet’, to be followed by NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc. standing where he should not”—let the reader understand—“then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.§ I confess that I cannot imagine a situation where a few seconds would make any difference. Evidently the attack will be sudden. 16 Let him who is in the field not return to his things to get his cloak. 17 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18 And pray that your flight not take place in winter,* I find this instruction to be curious. Is the Lord really saying that by praying we can influence the time of year when the ‘abomination’ will take place? I wonder. 19 because those will be days of affliction such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation that God created until now,† The Lord Jesus Christ affirms that God created this world; anyone who embraces the evolutionary hypothesis of origins is calling Him a liar. and never again shall be.‡ There has always been affliction and distress in the world, but not like what is coming. 20 If the Lord did not cut those days short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He did shorten the days.§ The tense of the verb is definitely past. The Lord is evidently referring to something that has already been determined.
21 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ ‘Look, there!’ do not believe it; 22 because false christs and false prophets will be raised up,* Again, the voice is passive; I suppose it is Satan that does the raising up. and they will show signs and wonders so as to even mislead the elect, if that were possible. 23 So you watch out! See, I have told you everything in advance.
The return of Christ
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars of heaven will be falling, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.’† See Isaiah 13:10, 34:4. The reference is presumably to angelic beings, not literal stars (just one would demolish the planet). 26 And then they will see the Son of the Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.‡ Note that this Return will be visible, in contrast to the Rapture (as I understand it). 27 And then He will send His angels and gather together His elect from the four winds, from earth's extreme point to heaven's extreme point.§ I have difficulty understanding this statement, if it is to be taken literally. That the elect will be collected from all over the world, no problem, but from all over heaven? However, since resurrected saints will participate in the administration of the Messianic Kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:2, 2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 5:10, 20:6), perhaps they are included in this statement.
Example of the fig tree
28 “Now learn this example from the fig tree: whenever its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, one knows that the summer is near. 29 Even so you also, whenever you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors! 30 Assuredly I tell you that this generation* “This generation” could refer to the Jewish race (render ‘this race’), but I think it more probable that it refers to the generation that “sees all these things”. To be more precise, I think that those who were alive on the planet in 1967 (when the city of Jerusalem returned to the political control of the nation Israel) are the generation in question. will certainly not pass away until all these things happen. 31 The heaven and the earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away.† Jesus affirms that His words have eternal validity/authority.
Watch!
32 “Now concerning that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels who are in heaven, not the Son,‡ While He was walking this earth as Jesus, He didn't know, but presumably now He does. but only the Father. 33 Watch! Keep alert! Pray!§ Since the Return draws ever closer, of necessity, we, of all people, should be doing this. A mere handful (0.6%) of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit ‘pray’ (to be followed by NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). Because you do not know when that time will be. 34 It is like a man off on a journey, having left his house and given the authority to his slaves, and to each his work; and he commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35 Therefore be watchful, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming—at evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or early morning— 36 lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 The things I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”* To whom does the ‘all’ refer? Those who are not followers of Christ will not pay attention in any case (presumably).

*13:2 This was literally fulfilled in 70 AD. The Jews used the temple buildings as their last bastion of defense. They themselves set fire to some buildings and the Roman soldiers finished the job. Apparently the gold on the dome melted and ran down the cracks between the stones. So the looters literally tore stone from stone to make sure they got all the gold.

†13:3 I take the point to be that He could see the temple from where He was sitting.

‡13:4 There are two questions: “When these things?” and “What the sign?” The answer to the first is given in Luke 21:20-24. The answer to the second begins here in verse 5.

§13:8 The verb is in the passive voice, so the necessary question is, who does the raising?

*13:8 In our day we have seen violence and looting in the wake of earthquakes and food shortages. Perhaps 1% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit ‘and tumults’ (to be followed by NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.).

†13:8 The Text has ‘birth pains’, so what is the ‘baby’? I suppose the ‘baby’ is the Messianic Kingdom.

‡13:10 See the footnote at Matthew 24:14.

§13:11 In Seminary I was taught that this instruction is for martyrs, not preachers! But churches today would be better off if their pastors got their messages from the Holy Spirit.

*13:13 It is already the case in many places that anyone who takes a public stand in defense of biblical values is vituperated by the media—some have gone to prison in what once were ‘Christian’ countries.

†13:13 We must endure persecution, without denying the Lord—if you deny Him, He will deny you.

‡13:14 Perhaps 1% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit ‘the one spoken of by Daniel the prophet’, to be followed by NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.

§13:15 I confess that I cannot imagine a situation where a few seconds would make any difference. Evidently the attack will be sudden.

*13:18 I find this instruction to be curious. Is the Lord really saying that by praying we can influence the time of year when the ‘abomination’ will take place? I wonder.

†13:19 The Lord Jesus Christ affirms that God created this world; anyone who embraces the evolutionary hypothesis of origins is calling Him a liar.

‡13:19 There has always been affliction and distress in the world, but not like what is coming.

§13:20 The tense of the verb is definitely past. The Lord is evidently referring to something that has already been determined.

*13:22 Again, the voice is passive; I suppose it is Satan that does the raising up.

†13:25 See Isaiah 13:10, 34:4. The reference is presumably to angelic beings, not literal stars (just one would demolish the planet).

‡13:26 Note that this Return will be visible, in contrast to the Rapture (as I understand it).

§13:27 I have difficulty understanding this statement, if it is to be taken literally. That the elect will be collected from all over the world, no problem, but from all over heaven? However, since resurrected saints will participate in the administration of the Messianic Kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:2, 2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 5:10, 20:6), perhaps they are included in this statement.

*13:30 “This generation” could refer to the Jewish race (render ‘this race’), but I think it more probable that it refers to the generation that “sees all these things”. To be more precise, I think that those who were alive on the planet in 1967 (when the city of Jerusalem returned to the political control of the nation Israel) are the generation in question.

†13:31 Jesus affirms that His words have eternal validity/authority.

‡13:32 While He was walking this earth as Jesus, He didn't know, but presumably now He does.

§13:33 Since the Return draws ever closer, of necessity, we, of all people, should be doing this. A mere handful (0.6%) of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit ‘pray’ (to be followed by NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.).

*13:37 To whom does the ‘all’ refer? Those who are not followers of Christ will not pay attention in any case (presumably).

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD