Matt 23:1-25:46, Jesus prophesies the future

TIMELINE CHART:

Purpose (of 70 7's)

1) To finish transgression (the rebellion)

2) To make an end of sins

3) To make reconciliation

4) To bring in an age of righteousness

5) To cause a cessation of prophecy, i.e., to bring to fulfillment

6) To anoint the most holy place

The decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah, 444 BC (Neh 2:1-8).  The fourth decree is the only one that gives permission to rebuild the city (7*7=49; 7*62=434; 49+434=483; gets to Mar 30, 33AD)

Requires use of prophetic year (360 days)

Dan 9:26 the end of the 69th seven?

• Jesus is cut off (crucified)
• In AD 70, 37 years later, the temple is destroyed as the Roman army comes and attacks.  When flood is used symbolically, it refers to an Army

Olivet Discourse

• Matt 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-36
• Final words of his public ministry are in Matt 23:1-39 where he denounces the leadership of Israel
• Matthew 23:37–39 (ESV) —

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

• Key: verses 37-39 lay down the precondition to the second coming

Basic Purpose:

• Answer the question: When and how would the Messianic Kingdom come into being
• Israel has rejected the offer so it will obviously be in the future
• His closing words of Mt 24 indicate the "when," but what will be the circumstances that cause this to happen?
• Need all three gospel accounts
• No one recorded the entire discussion
• Each author recorded only what was most relevant to his purpose or theme
• Basic presentation is chronological except where the text indicates otherwise

Setting:  Luke 21:5-6; Matt 24:1,2; Mark 13:1-2

• Matthew 24:1–3 (ESV) — 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 these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

• What sparks the discussion?
• Temple compound was begun in  20 BC and not finished to 64 AD
• Pretty impressive -- "Herodian" stones 10 to 12 feet in length and weigh several tons
• When the Romans burn the city down in 70 AD, the gold melts into the crevices, so literally the stones all have to be moved to get at the gold

Three Questions & Three Signs:  Matt 24:3; Luke 21:7; Mk 13:3-4

• What are the three questions?
• Matt:  Tell us when shall these things be?
• These things meaning the destruction of the temple
• Luke adds the question about the sign that this is to take place
• Matt:  What shall be the sign of your coming?
• Matt:  What shall be the sign of the end of this age?
• Rabbinic theology spoke of two ages: this age and the age to come (the messianic age)
• Answers the questions out of order: #3, #1, #2

Characteristic of the Church Age:  Luke 21:8-9; Matt 24 :4-6; Mk 13:5-7

• Matthew 24:4–6 (ESV) — 4 And Jesus answered them, “See 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.

• Before really answering the #3, he answered it in the negative by giving characteristics of the church which are NOT signs
1. Rise of false messiahs (… whole history of false messiahs …)
2. Existence of local wars
• Neither of the latter two events have anything to do with the end of the age ("but the end is still to come")

#3 The Sign of the end of the Age (third question):  Luke 21:10-11; Matt 24:7-8; Mk 13:8

• Matthew 24:7–8 (ESV) — 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

• So what does Jesus say the sign is / are?
• Birth pangs describe the last days of the age
• Local wars are not a sign but "Nation against Nation, kingdom against kingdom" is a sign
• Phrase has Jewish origins and is a Hebrew idiom for "World War"
• A number of non-Christian Jewish authors who use the same definition
• Probably World War I (and II which really is a continuation of I) are the fulfillment of this prophecy
• Growth of the Zionist movement
• Establishment of Israel

Personal Experiences of the Apostle: Luke 21:12-19 ; Mark 13:9-13a

• Key point:  What are we talking about now?  "BUT BEFORE ALL THESE THINGS …"
• There is a very slight difference in Matt 24:9-11 to suggest that it goes prior to the explanation of the great tribulation
• Jesus stops and goes back in time to what the Apostles would experience
1. Rejection by the Jews
2. Rejected by the Gentiles
3. Undergo persecutions providing opportunities to testify
4. Would succeed in proclaiming the gospel everywhere
5. Not to worry, given divine utterance
6. Rejected by family
7. Hated by all men to the point of death
8. Salvation is assured
9. Succeed in winning many souls

#1 Sign of the Fall of Jerusalem (first question):  Only Luke 21:20-24

• Luke 21:20–24 (ESV) — 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 women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

• What is the sign?
• Sign:  Jerusalem surrounded by Armies
• Jerusalem trodden down until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled
• AD 66: First Jewish Revolt
• Roman General Cestus Gallus marched on Jerusalem and surrounded the city
• Could not escape
• Gallus inexplicably withdraws
• Christians escape to Pella in the Transjordan
• AD 68-70:
• Roman General Vespasian and son Titus besiege city
• AD 70: City destroyed.  1.1 to 1.4 M people died
• No Jewish believers died

The Great Tribulation (setup to the answer of the second question):  Matt 24:9-27; Mark 13:14-23

• Wording is very similar to Luke 21:12-19 (what will happen to the apostles), but it doesn't mean he is talking about the same thing.  They are sufficiently different to recognize that it is a different subject.  Mark and Luke described events that will happen before the world war.

• Matthew 24:9–27 (ESV) — 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 lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation 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 the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants 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 cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, 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.

• Matthew uses the word "then" to describe events after the world war, and uses the word tribulation
• First half (5 Events) Matt 24:9-14
1. Tremendous persecution
2. Rise of false prophets
3. Rise of sin (no restraint - II Thess 2:6,7 )
• 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 (ESV) — 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.
4. Jews who survive to the end will be saved
5. 144,000 Jews will preach gospel
• Second half (8 events) Matt 24:15-20
• Signs of the Second Coming (#2, second question): Matt 24:29-30; Luke 21:25-27
• Matthew 24:29–31 (ESV) — 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 in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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.
• So what is the third sign?
• A total blackout of the earth
• Luke says there will be a great amount of perplexity

All three signs have been given

• AD 66
• 1914
• End of tribulation