|
The
Eschatological Discourse
WHEN AND
WHAT
_____________________
____By
Edgar Jones____
Introduction
You will know the
significance of our subtitle as you proceed. There
are two questions, a “When?” and a “What?”
The Lords Eschatological
Discourse in the Synoptic Gospels is one of the most misunderstood of
his utterances. Some know it as “The
Olivet Discourse” or “The Little Apocalypse.” This paper will examine
this discourse that consists primarily of prophecies of the Lord. It does not appear in the Fourth Gospel and we
confine our attention here to Matthew, Mark and Luke.
It is in the following table, from each of the three and
presented in parallel columns. We retain
the sequence of the verses in each gospel (with one exception) and
space them as required to
match corresponding verses. You will
notice that there are many differences in the three versions, but that
the sequence of the verses remains unchanged. Five
segments, to be explained later, are separated by strings of A’s, B’s,
C’s, D’s and E’s.
Another thing you will see
is that Matthew 10:17-22 has been inserted after Matthew 24:9. The reason for this is obvious.
When preparing the table, I noted a gap in Matthew's
column, for Matthew 24 does not contain a parallel to Mark 13:9-13/Luke
21:12-18. But lo! Go
back to Matthew 10:17-22 and there
are the missing verses, in the instructions given to the Twelve when he
sent them out to precede him to the villages and cities of Israel. That these verses are misplaced in that
context is clear. There is no parallel to
Matt. 10:17-22 in the same context in either Mark or Luke.
Most tellingly, however, is the fact that the content of
these verses does not fit this mission of the Twelve.
We have this from vs. 10:18 that does
not fit this assignment for several reasons.
[18] and you will be
dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony
before them and the Gentiles.
We have no record that the
Twelve encountered this experience during this period in the ministry
of the Lord; further, being dragged before a plurality of governors and
kings and giving testimony before the Gentiles is completely
inconsistent with his first instruction to them (vs. 10:5), to “go
nowhere among the Gentiles.” So, we have
not only a case of five different segments being separated and mingled
incorrectly, but also a portion of one segment being completely
misplace in a foreign context by Matthew!
The
Eschatological Discourse
|
Matthew 24
[1]
Jesus
left the temple and
was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the
buildings of the temple.
|
Mark 13
[1] And as he came
out of
the
temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what
wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"
|
Luke 21
[5] And as some spoke of the
temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, |
| [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." |
[2] And Jesus said
to
him, Do you see these great buildings?
There will not
be left here one stone upon another, that
will not be thrown down." |
[6] As
for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall 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, |
[3] And as he sat
on the Mount
of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and
Andrew asked him privately, |
|
"Tell
us,
when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the
close of the age?"
|
[4] "Tell us, when
will this be, and what will be the sign when
these things are all to be accomplished? |
[7] And they asked
him, "Teacher, when will this
be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?"
|
| SECTION A BEGINS |
SECTION
A BEGINS |
SECTION
A BEGINS |
| [4] And Jesus
answered them, "Take heed that no one leads
you astray. |
[5] And Jesus began
to say to
them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray.
|
[8] And he said, "Take heed that you are not led astray; |
| [5] For many will come in my name,
saying, `I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. |
[6] Many will come in my name,
saying, `I am he!' and they will lead many
astray. |
for
many
will come in my name, saying, `I am he!' and, `The time is at hand!' Do
not go after them. |
| [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] And when you hear of wars and
rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is
not yet |
[9] And
when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must
first take place, but the end will not be at once." |
| [7] For
nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, : |
[8] For
nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;
|
[10] Then he said
to them, "Nation
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; |
| and
there
will be famines and earthquakes in various places |
there
will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines; |
[11] there will be great earthquakes,
and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be
terrors and great signs from heaven. |
| [8] all
this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs. |
this is
but the beginning of the birth-pangs.
|
|
| [9] "Then they will deliver you up to
tribulation, and put you to death; |
[12] But
before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute
you, |
[12] But
before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute
you, |
BEGIN CHAPT. 10 INSERT
[17] Beware
of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their
synagogues,
|
delivering
you up to the synagogues and prisons, |
delivering
you up to the synagogues and prisons, |
| [18] and you will be dragged before
governors and kings for my sake, |
and
you will be
brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. |
and
you will be
brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. |
| to bear
testimony before them and the Gentiles.
|
to
bear
testimony before them |
[13] This will be a time for you to
bear testimony. |
[19] When
they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you
are to say;
|
(see Verse 10 below)
[11] And
when they bring you to trial and deliver you up, do not be anxious
beforehand what you are to say;
|
[14] Settle
it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; |
| for
what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; |
but
say whatever is given you in that
hour,
|
[15] for I will give you a mouth and
wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or
contradict. |
| [20] for it is not
you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you |
for
it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. |
|
| [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; |
[12]
And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child,
and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;
|
[16] You
will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and
friends, and some of you they will put
to
death; |
| [22a] and you will be hated by all for
my name's sake. |
[13] and you will be hated by all for
my name's sake. |
[17] you will be
hated by all for my name's sake. |
|
|
[18] But not a hair of your head will
perish. |
| But
he who
endures to the end will be saved. |
But
he who
endures to the end will be saved. |
[19]
By your endurance you will gain
your lives. |
|
END CHAPTER
10
INSERT
(Vs. 22a duplicates the sense of Vs. 9b below) |
|
|
| [9b]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
nations; and then the end will come.
|
[10] And
the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
|
|
| SECTION
A ENDS |
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A ENDS |
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|
|
SECTION B BEGINS
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SECTION B BEGINS
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SECTION B BEGINS
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| [15] "So
when you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel,
standing in the holy place (let the
reader understand), |
[14] "But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up
where it ought not to be (let the
reader understand), |
[20] "But
when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then
know that its desolation has come near. |
| [16] then let those who are in Judea
flee to the mountains; |
then
let
those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; |
[21] 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; |
[15] let him who is on the housetop
not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything away; |
and
let those who are
inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country
enter it; |
|
|
[22] for these are days of vengeance,
to fulfill all that is written. |
| [18] and let
him who is in the field not turn back to take his mantle. |
[16] 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!
|
[17] And alas for those who are with
child and for those who give suck in those days! |
[23]
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. |
[18] Pray that it may not happen in
winter. |
|
| [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. |
[19] For
in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the
beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will
be. |
For
great
distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people; |
[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.
SECTION B ENDS
|
[20] And
if the Lord had not shortened the days, no human being would be saved;
but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.
SECTION B ENDS
|
[24] they will
fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations;
and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of
the Gentiles are fulfilled.
SECTION B ENDS
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|
|
|
| SECTION C BEGINS |
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| [23]
Then if any one says to you, `Lo, here is the Christ!' or `There he
is!' do not believe it. |
[21] And
then if any one says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!' or `Look,
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. |
[22] False Christs
and false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders, to lead
astray, if possible, the elect. |
|
| [25] Lo, I have
told you beforehand. |
[23] But
take heed; I have told you all things 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,
|
[24] "But
in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and
the moon will not give its light, |
[25] "And
there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, |
| and
the stars will fall from heaven, |
[25] and the stars
will be falling from heaven, |
|
|
|
and
upon the earth
distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the
waves, |
and the
powers of the heavens will be shaken; |
and the
powers in the heavens will be shaken. |
[26] men fainting
with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for 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; |
[26] And then
they will
see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. |
[27] And then
they will
see the Son of man coming in a cloud 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. |
[27] And
then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four
winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. |
|
|
|
[28] Now
when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads,
because your redemption is drawing near." |
SECTION C ENDS
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SECTION C ENDS
|
SECTION C ENDS |
|
|
|
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SECTION D BEGINS |
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| [32] From
the fig tree learn its lesson: . |
[28] "From the fig tree learn its
lesson: |
[29] And he told
them a parable:
Look at the
fig tree, and all the trees; |
| as soon as
its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that
summer is near |
as soon as
its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that
summer is near. |
[30] as soon as they come out in
leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. |
[33] So
also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the
very gates. |
[29] So
also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near,
at the very gates. |
[31] So also, when you see these
things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. |
| [34] Truly, I say
to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take
place. |
[30] Truly, I say to you, this
generation will not pass away before all these things take place.
|
[32] Truly, I say to you, this
generation will not pass away till all has taken place. |
| [35] Heaven
and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. |
[31] Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away. |
[33] 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. |
[32]
"But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in
heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. |
|
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D ENDS
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D ENDS |
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D ENDS |
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|
|
SECTION E BEGINS
|
SECTION E BEGINS |
SECTION E BEGINS |
| [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. |
[33] Take
heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come. |
[34] "But
take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with
dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come
upon you suddenly like a snare; |
| [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.
|
|
|
|
[34] It
is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his
servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to
be on the watch. |
|
|
[35] Watch therefore --
for you do
not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at
midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning -- |
|
|
[36] lest he come suddenly and find
you asleep. |
|
|
|
[35] for
it will
come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. |
|
[37] And what I say to you I say to
all: Watch." |
[36]
But
watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all
these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man. |
SECTION E ENDS
|
SECTION E ENDS |
SECTION E ENDS |
This constitutes a single
discourse of the Lord, and it is evident that the recollections of the
sources of each of these gospels differed significantly, yet without
altering the essence. The endings of the
discourse in each case are very different, containing little shared
material. This suggests one reason we have
three gospels -- to assure us that we have the complete discourse. However, the sequence of the verses is the
same. This means that it has not been
necessary, in the above table, to alter the sequence of the verses
(with the exception of Mark 13:10), in either of the gospels to obtain
correspondence between them.
Some
Anomalies
When we examine each of the
accounts closely, we also find ourselves confronted with what appear to
be a prophecy contradicted by history. When
we see that all three prophesy the coming of the Son of Man, understood
to be the Second Coming, or Parousia, that surely has not taken place
as of this
date, and also see this statement in the discourse (Matt. vs. 34, Mk.
vs. 30, Lk. vs. 32):
Truly, I say to you, this
generation will not pass away till all these things take place.
We have a serious and
obvious problem. Did the Lord prophesy
that his Second Coming would take place within his generation?
Contradictory instructions
appear when we examine what his disciples are to do when terrible
things are about to take place. He
instructs us to do this (Matt. vs. 16f, Mk. vs. 14f, Lk. vs. 21f)
[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.
Get
out of there! Flee to the mountains!
But
then, Matthew has him also say this:
[26] So, if they say to you, `Lo, he is in the
wilderness,' do not go out;
Do not get out of there! Do not flee to anywhere!
This has caused many to lose
confidence in Jesus as a prophet. On the
one hand, he seems to be telling us that his return in judgment and to
receive his own must occur within that generation; on the other hand,
we see evidence that the conditions for his return have not even yet
been met. He says (Matt. vs. 14, Mk. vs.
10):
And this gospel of the kingdom
will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all
nations; and then the end will come.
Was that condition met in
that generation? Surely not.
His true gospel has not been preached throughout the whole
world even today.
Can
all of his words here be
reconciled? Or must we concede that Jesus
was mistaken?
The Two
Questions
No, we concede nothing. Jesus was not mistaken, and the resolution of
these apparent contradictions is very, very simple provided only that
one is able to acknowledge that we have here, in this discourse, the
mingled answers to two separate questions. This
is the case in all three gospels so we need examine the introduction to
this discourse in only one of them. Here
it is from Matthew:
[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 two questions are:
- When will this be? And,
- What will be the sign of your coming and
of the close of the age?
Jesus had just foretold the
destruction of the great temple structures and the disciples want to
know when it will occur. Now, if we can
accept that, in the minds of his disciples, those
structures were built to stand to the end of the world, then we can
see why they asked their questions as they did. They
thought the “When?” and the “What?” begged a single answer. They are simply asking him to expand on the
answer to “When?” Jesus knew better and so he proceeded to answer two
questions, as listed. He tells them, and
us, when the destruction of the temple structures will take place. Then he also speaks of the signs of his coming
and the close of the age.
Two questions, two different
events and two different answers! Not
understanding these things, his disciples though they had asked but one
comprehensive question, begging a single answer.
When we look at the
discourse in this light, is it possible to separate the two different
answers so as to remove the contradictions? Yes,
it is. The points of division between them
may not be determined exactly but we can see, when we examine the
contexts in all three gospels, that the answers can be separated to the
exactness of a single verse or two, and that there is little need to
alter
the sequence of verses within them.
Distinguishing
the Answers
The discourse can be divided
into five consecutive segments in all three gospels.
These must then be separated and reassembled, again
without altering the sequence of verses within the segments. This will produce the different answers to the
two
questions. You should understand if we diagram
the process and
show the sorting . We
label the five consecutive segments A, B, C, D, and E as shown here.
___A___ + ___B___ + ___C___
+ ___D___ + ___E___
Then we separate and
reassemble them in two separate sequences. This
will separate the two answers to the questions.
1. When will this be?
___B___ +
___D___
2. What will be the sign . .
.? ___A___ + ___C___ + ___E___
If we separate the segments
correctly, we will have the answers to “When?” and to “What?” without
contradictions. By separating segments B
and D from the whole and reassembling them as shown, we will have the
Lord’s answer to Question No. 1, the “When?” question.
Then, by taking the
remaining segments, A, C and E, and assembling them without changing
their sequence, we will have the Lord’s answer to Question No. 2, the
“What?” question, “What will be the sign of your coming and the close
of the age?”
You have found the
partitions placed in the above table, where you can confirm that the
sequence is the same. Now we will show the
segments assembled from each gospel independently, without the parallel
table, so that you will not be distracted by gospel to gospel
comparisons. We also include here the
verses that are misplaced in Matthew Chapter 10.
So, what is the answer to
question No. 1?
From
Matthew Chapter 24
Question
No. 1 -- When Will the Temple be Destroyed?
1. When will the Temple be destroyed
so that its stones will be thrown down?
(Segment B)
[15] So 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.
(Segment D)
[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.
The
temple complex was destroyed and its stones thrown down in 70 AD,
before that generation passed away. Many
of those disciples who heard this prophecy from his lips were yet alive. They remembered and they fled Jerusalem just prior to its
destruction by the Romans under Titus, who were putting down Jewish
rebellion.
Some
will insist that vs. 36 belongs to Question No. 2.
I have also placed it there in times past.
But then, what is Question No. 1? It
is the “When?” is it not? If any verse in
this utterance pertains to the “When?” of the destruction of the Temple complex and the city of Jerusalem, this one surely does. It answers a “When” directly, by asserting
that no one knows the day and hour of that tragic event.
Jesus did know the generation, and he was absolutely
correct. Remember that the other question
is not a “When” question, but a “What.”
When
we read in Josephus, an eye witness to this
terrible disaster (The Jewish War, Book vi), most will agree that
Jesus did not exaggerate
the suffering that the Jews endured in their futile defense of Jerusalem. You
will find selected paragraphs from Josephus below.
Question No. 2 --
Signs of the Parousia
2. What will be the sign of
your coming and the close of the age?
Now
to assemble segments
“A,” “C,” and “E.”
(Segment A)
[4] And Jesus
answered them, Take heed that no one leads
you astray.
[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;
Insertion from Matthew Chapter 10
[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.
End of insertion from Matthew 10
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 nations; and then the end will come.
(Segment C)
[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.
(Segment E)
[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.
There
will be no signs! Everything will be
normal – all involved in their usual activities with no intimation
whatever that the end is at hand. There is
but one way to be prepared – be ready at all times!
We have the answer to Question No. 2, stated and
explained, with cautions against relying on signs. Yes, he does
descri 'signs' but they are not signs of his coming, except those
that appear at the very hour of his return. They are instead,
signs of his 'not coming.' The Lord indicates these so that we be
not deceived by those who will see certain signs and teach that they
are signs of his coming.
From Mark,
Chapter 13
We now do the same thing for
this discourse in
the Gospel of Mark.
Question
No. 1
1. When will the Temple be destroyed
so that its stones will be thrown down?
(Segment B)
[14] But when you
see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (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, nor enter his house, to take anything
away;
[16] and let him who
is in the field not turn back to take his mantle.
[17] And alas for
those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days!
[18] Pray that it
may not happen in winter.
[19] For in those
days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning
of the creation which God created until now, and never will be.
[20] And if the Lord
had not shortened the days, no human being would be saved; but for the
sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.
(Segment D)
[28] "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.
[29] So also, when
you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the
very gates.
[30] Truly, I say to
you, this generation will not pass away before all these things take
place.
[31] Heaven and
earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
[32] "But of that
day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the
Son, but only the Father.
Question No. 2
2. What will be the sign of
your coming and the close of the age?
(Segment A)
[5] And Jesus began
to say to them, Take heed that no one leads
you astray.
[6] Many
will come in my name, saying, `I am he!' and they will lead many
astray.
[7] And
when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must
take place, but the end is not yet.
[8] For
nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there
will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines; this is
but the beginning of the birth-pangs.
[9] But
take heed to yourselves; for they will deliver you up to councils; and
you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors
and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them.
[10] And
the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
[11] And
when they bring you to trial and deliver you up, do not be anxious
beforehand what you are to say; but say whatever is given you in that
hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
[12] And
brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and
children will rise against parents and have them put to death;
[13] and
you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the
end will be saved.
(Segment C)
[21] And then if any one says to you, `Look, here is
the Christ!' or `Look, there he is!' do not believe it.
[22] False
Christs and false prophets will arise
and show signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
[23] But
take heed; I have told you all things beforehand.
[24] "But
in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and
the moon will not give its light,
[25] and
the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens
will be shaken.
[26] And
then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and
glory.
[27] And
then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four
winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
(Segment E)
[33] Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the
time will come.
[34] It
is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his
servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to
be on the watch.
[35] Watch
therefore -- for you do not know when the master of the house will
come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at
cockcrow, or in the morning
[36] lest he come suddenly
and find you asleep.
[37] And
what I say to you I say to all: Watch."
Mark’s
version of the answer to the What question is essentially the same as
that of Matthew. There will be no signs
preceding the coming of the Son of man. Just
be ready – and “Watch.”
From Luke, Chapter 21
We
have assembled the segments from Matthew and Mark.
Does Luke give the same result when similarly assembled?
Question No. 1
1. When will the Temple be destroyed
so that its stones will be thrown down?
(Segment B)
[20] "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by
armies, then know that its desolation has
come near.
[21] Then let those who are in Judea flee to the
mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not
those who are out in the country enter it;
[22] for these are
days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is
written.
[23] Alas for those who are with child and for those
who give suck in those days!
For great distress shall be
upon the earth and wrath upon this people;
[24] they will fall by the
edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem
will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles
are fulfilled.
(Segment D)
(31) . . . "Look
at the fig tree, and all the trees;
[30] as soon as they
come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is
already near.
[31] So
also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
[32] Truly, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away till all has taken place.
[33] Heaven
and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Verse 31 has this
statement:
[31] So also, when you see these things taking place,
you know that the kingdom of God is near.
It
is very unlikely that Jesus said this at this time because the coming
of the kingdom was at his death by crucifixion and the expression, “the
kingdom of God is near” is a phrase used
to emphasize the nearness of the coming. The
parallels in Matthew and Mark have a different and very appropriate
statement,
. . .you know that he is near,
at the very gates.
It was the Roman commander,
Titus, who was near. Therefore, it was the
kingdom of Caesar that was
near, not the kingdom of God. One can only speculate as to why Luke reads
differently here. Did Luke record it,
making an error in his accounting of the Word? Did
a later scribe insert it, thinking this signaled the coming of the kingdom of God?
Question
No. 2
Precisely as in Matthew and
Mark, assembling the A, C, and E segments produces the answer to
question No. 2:
2. What will be the sign of
your coming and the close of the age?
(Segment A)
[8] And he said, "Take heed that you are not led astray; for many
will come in my name, saying, `I am he!' and, `The time is at hand!' Do
not go after them.
[9] And
when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must
first take place, but the end will not be at once."
[10] Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom;
[11] there will be
great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and
there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
[12] But before all
this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you
up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings
and governors for my name's sake.
[13] This
will be a time for you to bear testimony.
[14] Settle it
therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer;
[15] for I will give
you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to
withstand or contradict.
[16] You will be
delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and
some of you they will put to death;
[17] you
will be hated by all for my name's sake.
[18] But not a hair of
your head will perish.
[19] By your endurance
you will gain your lives.
(Segment
C)
[25] "And there will be signs in sun and moon and
stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the
roaring of the sea and the waves,
[26] men
fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world;
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
[27] And
then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and
great glory.
[28] Now
when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads,
because your redemption is drawing near."
(Segment E)
[34] But take heed
to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and
drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly
like a snare;
[35] for it will
come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth.
[36] But watch at all times,
praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will
take place, and to stand before the Son of man."
Confirmation
We can now look to the two
answers to the two questions as sorted and assembled above and observe
that most of the anomalies within the Eschatological Discourse melt
away. This is a confirmation that the
sorting is
appropriate and necessary to make sense of the entire discourse. We comment next on some details of each
question.
Question
No. 1
Segment B, urging flight
from the city and prophesying that Jerusalem will be
trodden down by the Gentiles until their time is fulfilled sets this
segment in its proper place. There is no
need to flee when the Son of man returns. Where
to flee from an event that is to come upon the face of the whole earth?
There is a need to flee
prior to the destruction of the city. The
disciples must save their lives so as to remain and continue planting
the seed of the
Word in the world after their Lord has departed.
The case is different when
the Lord returns at the close of the age. If
the disciples attempt to flee then, so as to save their lives in the
world, they will be in violation of the Great Principle
according to which whoever seeks to save his life will lose it.
Mark 13:19 tends to
create an objection in our minds to the thought that this applies to
the
destruction of the Temple and city.
For in those days there will
be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation
which God created until now, and never will be.
Isn't that a little strong? Did that tribulation exceed that of the Nazi
Holocaust? Did it exceed that of the 2005
Tsunami? Perhaps, but when we learn just
how terrible was that tribulation, we can consider this comment to be
appropriate. We have the eyewitness
account written by the Jewish historian, Josephus,
which supports this prophecy of our Lord. You
may learn more of the severity of the condition of the Jews during the
siege of Jerusalem by following
the links at the beginning of each paragraph below where we have
excerpted brief statements from his history of the Jewish War. This is the unsurpassed suffering of which
Jesus spoke, that followed the appearance of the Roman commander Titus,
with his army, at the gates of Jerusalem as Jesus foretold when he said
to his disciples (Matt. 24:33, Mark 13:29).
[29] So also, when
you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the
very gates.
Excerpts
from Josephus
1.
Concerning the crucifixion of captive Jews by the Romans
SO now Titus's
banks were advanced a great way, notwithstanding his soldiers had
been very much distressed from the wall. He then sent a party of
horsemen, and ordered they should lay ambushes for those that went out
into the valleys to gather food. Some of these were indeed fighting
men, who were not contented with what they got by rapine; but the
greater part of them were poor people, who were deterred from deserting
by the concern they were under for their own relations; for they could
not hope to escape away, together with their wives and children,
without the knowledge of the seditious; nor could they think of leaving
these relations to be slain by the robbers on their account; nay, the
severity of the famine made them bold in thus going out; so nothing
remained but that, when they were concealed from the robbers, they
should be taken by the enemy; and when they were going to be taken,
they were forced to defend themselves for fear of being punished; as
after they had fought, they thought it too late to make any
supplications for mercy; so they were first whipped, and then tormented
with all sorts of tortures, before they died, and were then crucified
before the wall of the city. This miserable procedure made Titus
greatly to pity them, while they caught every day five hundred Jews;
nay, some days they caught more: yet it did not appear to be safe for
him to let those that were taken by force go their way, and to set a
guard over so many he saw would be to make such as great deal them
useless to him. The main reason why he did not forbid that cruelty was
this, that he hoped the Jews might perhaps yield at that sight, out of
fear lest they might themselves afterwards be liable to the same cruel
treatment. So the soldiers, out of the wrath and hatred they bore the
Jews, nailed those they caught, one after one way, and another after
another, to the crosses, by way of jest, when their multitude was so
great, that room was wanting for the crosses, and crosses wanting for
the bodies.
2.
The growing miseries of Jerusalem during the long siege
THUS did the
miseries of Jerusalem
grow worse and worse every day, and the seditious were still more
irritated by the calamities they were under, even while the famine
preyed upon themselves, after it had preyed
upon the people. And indeed the multitude of carcasses that lay in
heaps one upon another was a horrible sight, and produced a
pestilential stench, which was a hinderance
to those that would make sallies out of the city, and fight the enemy:
but as those were to go in battle-array, who had been already used to
ten thousand murders, and must tread upon those dead bodies as they
marched along, so were not they terrified, nor did they pity men as
they marched over them; nor did they deem this affront offered to the
deceased to be any ill omen to themselves; but as they had their right
hands already polluted with the murders of their own countrymen, and in
that condition ran out to fight with foreigners, they seem to me to
have cast a reproach upon God himself, as if he were too slow in
punishing them; for the war was not now gone on with as if they had any
hope of victory; for they gloried after a brutish manner in that
despair of deliverance they were already in.
3. Some details of the famine in the city
Now of those
that perished by famine in the city, the number was prodigious, and
the miseries they underwent were unspeakable; for if so much as the
shadow of any kind of food did any where appear, a war was commenced
presently, and the dearest friends fell a fighting one with another
about it, snatching from each other the most miserable supports of
life. Nor would men believe that those who were dying had no food, but
the robbers would search them when they were expiring, lest any one
should have concealed food in their bosoms, and counterfeited dying;
nay, these robbers gaped for want, and ran about stumbling and
staggering along like mad dogs, and reeling against the doors of the
houses like drunken men; they would also, in the great distress they
were in, rush into the very same houses two or three times in one and
the same day. Moreover, their hunger was so intolerable, that it
obliged them to chew every thing, while they gathered such things as
the most sordid animals would not touch, and endured to eat them; nor
did they at length abstain from girdles and shoes; and the very leather
which belonged to their shields they pulled off and gnawed: the very
wisps of old hay became food to some; and some gathered up fibres, and sold a very small weight of them for
four Attic [drachmae]. But why do I describe the shameless impudence
that the famine brought on men in their eating inanimate things, while
I am going to relate a matter of fact, the like to which no history
relates, (15)
either among the Greeks or Barbarians? It is horrible to speak of it,
and incredible when heard. I had indeed willingly omitted this calamity
of ours, that I might not seem to deliver what is so portentous to
posterity, but that I have innumerable witnesses to it in my own age;
and besides, my country would have had little reason to thank me for
suppressing the miseries that she underwent at this time.
4. Mary's story
– just one of more than a million of those that perished
There was a
certain woman that dwelt beyond Jordan,
her name was Mary; her father was Eleazar,
of the village Bethezob, which signifies
the house of Hyssop. She was eminent for her family and her
wealth, and had fled away to Jerusalem
with the rest of the multitude, and was with them besieged therein at
this time. The other effects of this woman had been already seized
upon, such I mean as she had brought with her out of Perea, and removed to the city. What she had
treasured up besides, as also what food she had contrived to save, had
been also carried off by the rapacious guards, who came every day
running into her house for that purpose. This put the poor woman into a
very great passion, and by the frequent reproaches and imprecations she
cast at these rapacious villains, she had provoked them to anger
against her; but none of them, either out of the indignation she had
raised against herself, or out of commiseration of her case, would take
away her life; and if she found any food, she perceived her labors were
for others, and not for herself; and it was now become impossible for
her any way to find any more food, while the famine pierced through her
very bowels and marrow, when also her passion was fired to a degree
beyond the famine itself; nor did she consult with any thing but with
her passion and the necessity she was in. She then attempted a most
unnatural thing; and snatching up her son, who was a child sucking at
her breast, she said, "O thou miserable infant! for
whom shall I preserve thee in this war, this famine, and this sedition?
As to the war with the Romans, if they preserve our lives, we must be
slaves. This famine also will destroy us, even before that slavery
comes upon us. Yet are these seditious rogues more terrible than both
the other. Come on; be thou my food, and be thou a fury to these
seditious varlets, and a by-word to the world, which is all that is now wanting to complete the calamities of us
Jews." As soon as she had said this, she slew her son, and then roasted
him, and eat the one half of him, and kept
the other half by her concealed. Upon this the seditious came in
presently, and smelling the horrid scent of this food, they threatened
her that they would cut her throat immediately if she did not show them
what food she had gotten ready. She replied that she had saved a very
fine portion of it for them, and withal uncovered what was left of her
son. Hereupon they were seized with a horror and amazement of mind, and
stood astonished at the sight, when she said to them, "This is mine own
son, and what hath been done was mine own doing! Come,
eat of this food; for I have eaten of it myself! Do not you pretend to
be either more tender than a woman, or more compassionate than a
mother; but if you be so scrupulous, and do abominate this my
sacrifice, as I have eaten the one half, let the rest be reserved for
me also." After which those men went out trembling, being never so much
aftrighted at any thing as they were
at this, and with some difficulty they left the rest of that meat to
the mother. Upon which the whole city was full of this horrid action
immediately; and while every body laid this miserable case before their
own eyes, they trembled, as if this unheard of action had been done by themselves. So those that were thus distressed by
the famine were very desirous to die, and those already dead were
esteemed happy, because they had not lived long enough either to hear
or to see such miseries.
5. The surpassing magnitude of the misery
It is therefore
impossible to go distinctly over every instance of these men's
iniquity. I shall therefore speak my mind here at once briefly: - That
neither did any other city ever suffer such miseries, nor did any age
ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness than this was, from
the beginning of the world.
6. The great numbers of those that perished
Now the number
(32)
of those that were carried captive during this whole war was collected
to be ninety-seven thousand; as was the number of those that perished
during the whole siege eleven hundred thousand, the greater part of
whom were indeed of the same nation [with the citizens of Jerusalem],
but not belonging to the city itself; for they were come up from all
the country to the feast of unleavened bread, and were on a sudden shut
up by an army, which, at the very first, occasioned so great a straitness among them, that there came a
pestilential destruction upon them, and soon afterward such a famine,
as destroyed them more suddenly.
Now this vast
multitude is indeed collected out of remote places, but the entire
nation was now shut up by fate as in prison, and the Roman army
encompassed the city when it was crowded with inhabitants. Accordingly,
the multitude of those that therein perished exceeded all the
destructions that either men or God ever brought upon the world; for,
to speak only of what was publicly known, the Romans slew some of them,
some they carried captives, and others they made a search for under
ground, and when they found where they were, they broke up the ground
and slew all they met with.
I will not expose you to
more of the terrible nature of the disaster that came upon the Jews at
the siege of Jerusalem by the
Romans. However, this is only a small
sampling of the terrors of the siege and the famine that resulted. If you have an appetite for more, just follow
the links to the works of Josephus who, as I have stated, was an
eyewitness to the tragedy. This is enough,
I think, to confirm for us that our Lord was not exaggerating when he
described the terrors in Mark 13:19.
For in those days there will
be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation
which God created until now, and never will be.
Question
No. 2
What are the signs of “your
coming and the close of the age.”
In Segment A, we read words
directed personally to the disciples who had asked the questions. This tends to mislead us because it seems to
place this segment during their lifetimes and that generation. When the Lord states (Luke 21:18),
Not a hair of your head will
perish,
we may misunderstand the
entire segment to refer to their generation. But
there is good reason to doubt that this verse belongs in this position
because it is inconsistent with vs. 16 preceding:
You will be delivered up even
by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they
will put to death;
This is hardly consistent
with the promise that no hair will perish. But
apart from this, when we recall that the segment describes persecutions
that will be common throughout history, and that will begin in their
generation, we see that this statement belongs to the answer to
Question No. 2. It also specifies wars,
famines, earthquakes and the rise of many false prophets that suggest
we are dealing with the full span of history from that day forward. The final confirmation of the placing of this
segment comes with the statement of Matthew 24:14:
And this gospel of the kingdom
will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all
nations; and then the end will come.
This calls for activity that
extends far beyond the day when the Romans destroyed the Temple and city of Jerusalem.
Segment C likewise can be
shown to belong to the longer period extending to the end of the world. When we read this from Luke 21:26,
men fainting with fear and
with foreboding of what is coming on the world;
We know that the focus is
something more than the destruction of a single nation or city. This is coming on the world.
Segment E, with its clear
focus on the coming of the Son of man, repeats this scope of the
prophecy in similar words (Luke 21:35).
. . it will come upon all
who dwell upon the face of the whole earth.
The destruction of their
temple, city and nation in 70 AD was the ultimate disaster for the
Jews, but it was not one that extended to all who dwell on the earth. This segment, without a doubt, answers
Question No. 2.
It has, for me, been an
interesting thing to review the two answers to the two questions, in
isolation the one from the other, and check each verse and assertion
for accuracy. I urge you to do the same;
it will confirm and support your confidence in the Lord’s prophecies.
How did the
answers become mingled?
We do not know, but the
evidence is too strong to deny the obvious. At
some time very early, prior to the writing of our earliest manuscript
witnesses, the answers to the two questions were mingled and we do no
service to the Word or to the Lord by non acceptance of a fact. Persisting in thinking otherwise will only
veil the Truth from our minds and hearts.
That Matthew, Mark and Luke
all make the error suggests very strongly that they used a single
source when composing their gospels, or that one of them (Mark?) used a
source containing the error
and the others used Mark as a source.
My speculation is that the
early disciples all misunderstood Jesus’ answer to this question to be
one answer to one question, and so reported it as such when the first
written records were created. It seems
certain that they all misunderstood on the day that Jesus answered them. In that case, there was never a manuscript
devoid of the error.
The question immediately
arises concerning the ability of the Holy Spirit to maintain the
integrity of the Word through the centuries. There
are two points of application for the teaching task of the Holy Spirit
– the writing and the reading of the Word. If
he did not correct the error in the writing, it remains for Him to
correct it in the reading, which is the case with me, and I have
earnestly sought to hear his
teaching in my reading, and in the present
writing.
Other
Records
One finds
yet other utterances of the Lord recorded in the gospels that are
relevant to the one discussed above. It is my intention to
present a second paper in which we will investigate them and their
relationship to the Eschatological Discourse as presented herein.
Look for it!
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