Arranged, with comments by Edgar Jones INTRODUCTION
This concludes a series of papers and charts that we recently posted, outlining the prophecies of the Lord that look to the end of the world and the Judgment of the last day. They include: The Eschatological Discourse The Eschatological Discourse (revised) The Harvest, # 1 - Who is First? The Harvest, #2 - The Great Tribulation Jesus on the Great Tribulation These were based on parallel presentations of his prophecies from the synoptic gospels -- Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is of great value to see how all these witnesses agree in their testimony to the prophecies of the Lord. The parallel presentation has served a good purpose and you will continue to have access to it. However, the whole is included in each gospel, so that we can refer to a single one without the complication of examining all three evangelists at the same time. That is what we do here, referring only to Matthew and to the four questions that the Lord addressed -- the two primary ones, and the two secondary ones. These prophecies were collected and presented by the evangelists in what has been variously termed The Eschatological Discourse, The Olivet Discourse, and The Little Apocalypse. In this discourse, the Lord addressed and answered two primary questions. These related first to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and related events, and then to the coming of the Son of Man at the end of the age. From some cause unknown, the answers to the two questions were similarly segmented and shuffled by all three of the evangelists so that we have to sort them and put the segments in the proper order. We identified these segments in the previous papers, but did not sort the parallel presentations. Here, by concentrating on the report of a single evangelist, it is appropriate to sort the segments, reassemble them and present them in the correct order. That is a second, valuable feature of this paper that should make the entire discourse much less confusing. Mixing the segments has indeed created much confusion through the ages past. An example of a misplaced text that has produced this confusion is this that, placed within and near words that speak of the end, leaves many perplexed (Matthew 24:34): Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place. Let us go on now to the introduction of the Discourse and recall the four questions, two primary and two secondary ones. We will see that the perplexing aspects of Matthew 24:34 disappear. THE
FOUR QUESTIONS
Matthew 24:1-3
[1] Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. [2] But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down." [3] As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" The questions are: 1. WHEN WILL THE TEMPLE BE DESTROYED, 2. WHAT WILL BE THE SIGNS OF THE TEMPLE BEING DESTROYED, 3. WHEN WILL THE END OF THE AGES / COMING OF THE SON OF MAN OCCUR, 4. WHAT WILL BE THE SIGNS OF THE END / COMING OF THE SON OF MAN? Questions #1 and #2 are addressed first, where we conbine the two segments that, together, give complete answers to them: JESUS WARNS HIS DISCIPLES ABOUT THE COMING WRATH ON THE NATION OF ISRAEL (DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE / CITY OF JERUSALEM IN 70 AD) & ANSWERS THE "WHEN" AND "WHAT" OF THAT TRAGIC EVENT WITH THE FIRST VERSE, AND GIVES THEM INSTRUCTIONS. Matthew 24:15-22 & 32-36 [15] "When you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), [16] then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; [17] let him who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house; [18] and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his mantle. [19] And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! [20] Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. [21] For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. [22] And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. [32] From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. [33] So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. [34] Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place. [35] Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. [36] "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. NOW THE SUBJECT CHANGES TO THE END OF THE AGE (OF THE WORLD) AND JESUS SPEAKS ABOUT WHAT WILL TAKE PLACE BEFORE THE END COMES AND GIVES THE ONE CONDITION FOR THE END IN VS. 14, THEN, BEGINNING WITH VS. 26, EXPLAINS WHAT HIS COMING WILL BE LIKE. BEGINNING WITH VS. 29, HE GIVES THE "WHAT" SIGNS THAT WILL OCCUR AT THE MOMENT OF HIS COMING AND THE END OF THE AGE. iN VS. 36, HE SPEAKS OF THE "WHEN" REGARDING EITHER THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM (70 AD) OR THE END OF THE AGE, OR PERHAPS BOTH. BEGINNING WITH VS. 42, HE WARNS HIS DISCIPLES TO WATCH AND TO BE READY AT ALL TIMES, ANSWERING THE "WHEN" OF HIS COMING AND THE END OF THE AGE. Matthew
24:4-14, 23-31, 37-44
[5] For many will come in my name, saying, `I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. [6] And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. [7] For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, :and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places; [8] all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs. [9] "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. [10] And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. [11] And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. [12] And because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold. [13] But he who endures to the end will be saved. [14] And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nation [23] Then if any one says to you, `Lo, here is the Christ!' or `There he is!' do not believe it. [24] For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. [25] Lo, I have told you beforehand. [26] So, if they say to you, `Lo, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out; if they say, `Lo, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. [27] For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man. [28] Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together. [29] Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven,and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; [30] then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; [31] and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. [37] As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. [38] For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, [39] and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. [40] Then two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. [41] Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. [42] Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. [43] But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. [44] Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. IN ANOTHER SEGMENT (MATTHEW 10) JESUS WARNS HIS DISCIPLES WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM ON THEIR MISSION TO THE CITIES OF ISRAEL, IN LANGUAGE THAT, LIKE THE ABOVE, ALSO APPLIES TO TRUE DISCIPLES IN THE WORLD TO THE END OF THE AGE. MATTHEW 10:17-22
[17] Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, [18] and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. [19] When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; [20] for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. [21] Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death [22] and you will be hated by all for my name's sake,.but he who endures to the end will be saved. Now let us look at the four questions again: 1. WHEN WILL THE TEMPLE BE DESTROYED, It will be when they see the desolating sacrilige standing in the holy place, spoken of by the Prophet Daniel. 2. WHAT WILL BE THE SIGNS OF THE TEMPLE BEING DESTROYED, The sign will be the desolating sacrilege standing in the Holy Place. That was in AD 70, when the Roman general, Titus, destroyed the city and the temple and desecrated the Holy of Holies in the temple. The Jewish historian, Josephus, was eyewitness to this event -- the long siege of Jerusalem and its final destruction. No one kinows. Listen to the utterance of Matthew 24:42: Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 4. WHAT WILL BE THE SIGNS OF THE END / COMING OF THE SON OF MAN? Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven,and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Lo, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, `Lo, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out; if they say, `Lo, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. CONCLUSION
The Lord Jesus is everywhere perfectly consistent in his prophecies and indications of what will transpire on the earth until the end comes. These indicators can be discerned in the Fourth Gospel as well as in the synoptics. Among many other things, the Fourth Gospel provides this (Chapter 5): 24 Truly truly I say to you that the [one] hearing my word and believing the [one] having sent me has eternal zoe-life , and does not come into judgment, but is moved out of death into zoe-life. 25 Truly truly I say to you that [the] hour comes and now is when the dead will hear the cry of the son of God and those having heard will live. 26 For as the father has zoe-life in himself, likewise also to the son he has given zoe-life to be having in himself. 27 And he gave him authority to be doing judgment, because he is [a] son of man. 28 Be not marveling at this, that [the] hour comes in which all those in the graves will hear his voice, 29 and those having done good will come out to [the] resurrection of zoe-life, [but] those having done [as a practice] worthless [things] will come out to [the] resurrection of judgment. Therefore, what is going on now, and will continue until the end, is this process according to which those who hear and believe are being moved out of death and into zoe (life). This is perfectly consistent with the prophecies of the Eschatological Discourse. The parables often are set so as to provide clues to what is taking place in the world and will continue until the end that Jesus describes in the Eschatological Discourse. One of the most pertinent is the Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13): 24 Another parable he placed before them saying: The kingdom of the heavens is like [a] man sowing good seed in his field. 25 But while the man sleeps his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and left. 26 So when the grass sprouted and bore fruit, then the tares also became manifest. 27 So when the slaves of the householder came they said to him: Lord, did we not sow good seed in the field? Whence therefore does it have tares? 28 But he told them, [An] enemy did this. So the slaves say: Do you wish therefore when we go that we gather them? 29 But he tells them, No, lest gathering the tares you uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow them to grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the harvesters: Gather first the tares and bind them into bundles in order to burn them, but the wheat gather into my storehouse. Going on, he explained this in its details, but its essence is that the world consists of a mixture of the wheat and weeds, and no one is to do anything about it. Vs. 30 reveals what is transpiring at this moment -- they are growing together until the harvest, which is the time of the end and of the Judgement at the Last Day as described by the Lord in Matthew 25. These are just examples; in the gospels you will find many others indicators of what is transpiring in the world and will continue until the end. Please understand, therefore, that there is to be nothing in our future, from now until the end, remotely resembling a coming of the Lord to reign bodily on the earth for a thousand years -- no millennium! There is to be no special "great tribulation." There is nothing other than this growing together of the wheat and the weeds until the harvest. Look at the past time since the resurrection of the Lord, and you will know the future until the resurrection of the wheat and tares at the last day. Here is the story as it has been, and will be (Luke 21 FNT): Be seeing that you be not deceived, for many will come upon my name saying: I am [he], and, The opportune-time has drawn nigh Do not go after them. 9 But when you hear wars and disorders, be not frightened, for it is necessary these [things] come to pass first, but not straightway [is] the end. 10 Then he was saying to them: Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, 11 and there will be great earthquakes and in various places pestilences and famines, and [a] fearful [thing] will be [a] great sign from heaven. 12 But before these [things] they will lay their hands on you and persecute [you], delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, being brought before kings and governors on account of my name. 13 It will prove to be to [a] witness for you. 14 Place therefore in your hearts not to prepare to defend yourself. 15 For I will give to you mouth and wisdom, which all those opposing will be unable to resist or to contradict. 16 But you will be delivered up by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and [some] will be killed among you, 17 and you will be hated by all because of my name. 18 And [a] hair on your head they will not destroy. 19 In your endurance will you acquire your psyche-lives. As it is, so has it been, and so will it be! No Great Tribulation, no premillennial reign, no glorifying of the earth, no future coming of the kingdom. Just resurrection and judgment for the dead, life for the living. The kingdom is here. Can't you see it? |