The Mount Olivet Discourse

The Mount Olivet Discourse is the last major discourse Jesus had with his disciples. It was also his most prophetic and apocalyptic as he described events that would take place in Jerusalem and the end of the world. "Some have noted that the Olivet Discourse is the key to eschatology, with 24:1-34 being the pivotal section and with much disagreement among commentators." [1] Therefore, we must understand the events that are recorded in the previous chapters of Matthew to comprehend the discourse Jesus had with his disciples fully. After Christ entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, he cleared the money changers out of the temple [Matthew 21:12-17], cursed the fig tree [Matthew 21:18-19], and pronounced judgment on the religious leaders [Matthew 21:33-23:39]. "Jesus’ judgment, condemnation, and rejection of Israel was due to their rejection of him" [Matthew 21:33-46, 22:1-14, 23:1-39]. [2] In context, the parables of the two sons [Matthew 21:28-33], the vineyard [Matthew 21:33-46], and the marriage feast [Matthew 22:1-14] function as three parables that sequentially depict Israel's indictment [21:28-32], sentence [21:33-46], and execution [22:1-14]. [3] 

Jesus' discourse with his disciples was in response to them pointing out the splendor and beauty of the temple buildings. To their dismay, Christ prophesied their impending destruction: "Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another" [Matthew 24:1-2 NLT]. That statement prompted his disciples to ask the following questions: "Tell us, when will all this happen? What will sign your return and the end of the world?" [Matthew 24:3 NLT]. Jesus answered his disciples' questions by giving them a series of signs they would see during their lifetime [Matthew 24:4-28] and distinguished them from the signs that will be seen by people living in the last days [Matthew 24:29-30]. 

The first sign Jesus gave his disciples was the rise of false prophets coming in his name, and deceiving people: "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying I am the Christ; and shall deceive many"[Matthew 24:4-5 KJV]. These false prophets will come in Jesus’ name, declaring Jesus is the Christ, and use signs and wonders to deceive people [Matthew 24:5,11]. 

It seems illogical for false prophets to deceive people if they come in Jesus' name and declare that Jesus is the Christ, but the deception will be in distorting the words of Christ and claiming the false gospel they preach is the word of God. This is exactly what Satan did in the garden. Satan didn't deny God; he distorted the word of God and made it appealing to the flesh "You will not die.....you will be like God" [Genesis 3:4-5]. Distorting the word of God is a tactic of Satan and the common thread that binds false prophets.

There are several examples recorded in the Old Testament of false prophets who prophesied lies in the name of the Lord, and God brought judgment upon them and on the people who believed them: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. Therefore, thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land:" By sword and famine, those prophets shall be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them—their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them" [Jeremiah 14:13-16]. 

Like Satan, false prophets twist scripture and preach messages that appeal to the flesh, but God told Jeremiah to tell the people: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, "It shall be well with you" and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, "No disaster shall come upon you" [Jeremiah 23:16-17]. A common trait of false prophets is to tell people who disregard the word of God, "It shall be well with you" instead of telling people they will be judged for their sins if they don't repent.

The New Testament confirms that false prophets would come and preach "another gospel" [2 Corinthians 11:4]. They appear as apostles of Christ: but "are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore,it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" [2 Corinthians 11:13-15 KJV].

After Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets, he told them they would “hear of wars and rumors of wars,” [Matthew 24:6] which indicates they would “hear” these things in their lifetime. In addition, Jesus states that “the end is not yet” and the rise of false prophets, news about "wars, and rumors of wars....famines and earthquakes in various places" [Matthew 24:7] should not be viewed as signs of a culminating event but “the beginning of sorrows" [Matthew 24:8]. Christ's reference to the disciples being "killed and hated by all nations" [Matthew 24:9] and the preaching of the gospel "In the whole world for a witness to all the nations" [Matthew 24;14] are reminders of the extended period between his first and second advents.

Preterists believe Matthew 24:29-31 describe the destruction of the Jewish temple and Jerusalem by the Roman army in AD 70 and concludes with Christ coming in judgment. [4] This view neglects to acknowledge the time indicators used by Jesus that differentiate the events of AD 70 when he told his disciples "when you see" [Matthew 24:15, 33] from the events he said "they" will see in the future when he returns [Matthew 24:30].

This research paper views the Mount Olivet Discourse as describing the entire period between Christ's first and second coming. "Some portions of the discourse deal with the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, and some portions deal with Christ's second coming at the end of the age. This view has always been the approach taken by the vast majority of conservative Christian scholars." [5] The early church also held this view as recorded in the Didache. [6]

Jesus reveals the eschatological significance of the events that will happen and precede his second coming. Notice he answered his disciples' questions in reverse order going last to first.

In verses 14, Jesus answered their last question. We can connect verse 14 to the third question with Christ's words: "Then shall the end come." Essentially the end will not come until "many....fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another and hate one another," [Matthew 24:10]. This will occur because "many false prophets rise and deceive many"  [Matthew 24:11] by preaching a false gospel, but God will protect his elect [Matthew 24:24]. The Lord will have faithful witnesses who will preach the true gospel "In all the world as a witness to all the nations" [Matthew 24:14].

The Apostle Paul also said before Jesus return many in the church would fall away and be deceived by false prophets and abandon their faith. The great apostasy (falling away) is a sign the church living in the last days would see to know Christ's second coming was near. "Now in regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to meet him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly unsettled or alarmed either by a [so-called prophetic revelation of a] spirit or a message or a letter [alleged to be] from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has already come. Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, for that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first [that is the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians"  [2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 AMP]. 

Many in the church [the temple of God] will be led astray by false prophets using the power of Satan to perform "signs and lying wonders" because "they would not receive the love of truth" [2 Thessalonians 2:9], but true believers will not be deceived. They know Jesus voice and "a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him" [John 10:1]. Sadly, some people in the church pretend to be faithful, but in their hearts, they do not love the truth. Therefore, they are eager to follow someone who appeals to their sinful fleshly desires while they simultaneously maintain an outward connection with the church. Some use the church to network and conduct business transactions while others use the church to gain a social advantage believing their outward identification as Christians will make them a partaker of his grace but God knows in their heart they love the false gospel for it justifies the desires of their heart [Jeremiah 5:30-31]. Therefore, God will send them a "strong delusion" [Greek error in doctrine] "so that they would believe the lie" [2 Thessalonians 2:11-12]. The Bible records several examples of God using false prophets as a sign of judgment to his people [1 Kings 22:19- 23; 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12].

The Abomination of Desolation  

Matthew 24:15-20 describes the events that occurred when Titus desecrated the temple. The passage starts with Jesus giving his disciples a sign to warn them about the impending destruction of the temple and then summarizes the whole interadventual period, "It cannot be a continuation because Matthew 24:14 brought us up to the end. It must be, to some extent, recapitulation." [7] Luke's version is centered around Jerusalem. However, Christ’s statement, "and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" [Luke 21:24], also encompasses the whole interadventual period until Jesus return. All the signs Christ said his disciples would see appeared before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and they saw them, “when you see all these things” [Matthew 24:33].

When Christ gave his disciples a sign and said, “When you see the abomination of desolation spoken by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place," he was referencing the defilement of the altar by Antiochus Epiphanes and prophesying about a future event that occurred when the Roman army led by Titus, desecrated the temple in Jerusalem [Matthew 24:15; Daniel 8:9-13, 11:31, 12:11]. Matthew 24:15 does not have a future fulfillment. Scofield, LaHaye and Hoekema teach Jesus prophecy was only partially fulfilled by Titus and will be fully completed in the last days. "In the Olivet Discourse Jesus refers both to the impending destruction of Jerusalem and to the end of the age, the former being a type of the latter. We may therefore expect that there will be a third major fulfillment of the "abomination that makes desolate" or "desolating sacrilage" prediction found in Daniel's prophecy. This final fulfillment will come at the end of the age, and will involve the antichrist who, in the words of 2 Thessalonians 2:4 will exalt himself "against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." [8]

Premillennialist and amillennialist both use Paul's prophecy to teach that an indiviual, known as the antichrist, will exalt himself in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. Therefore we need to carefully examine the passage to determine if there is any connection with the "abomination of desolation" Jesus referenced: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day will not come except there comes a falling away first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” [2 Thessalonians 2:3-4]. Paul prophesied that a time would come when the church would fall away, and man would exalt himself in the temple of God. The Greek word Paul used to describe the "man of sin" is Anthropos, a generic name for mankind. Greek scholar Spiros Zodhiates states: “It is used in the NT as a name of the species without respect to sex [Matthew 5:13, 16; 6:1]; a man as distinguished from a woman [Matthew 19:3, 5, 10]; every man, everyone, anyone" [1 Corinthians 4:1; 11:28; Galatians 3:12]. [9]

The temple Paul referenced is the church, the body of Christ. Hoekema, Scofield, and LaHaye claim the Apostle is referring to a temple the Jews will rebuild in Jerusalem in the last days before Jesus returns. Yet Paul always referred to the church, as the temple of God [1 Corinthians 3:16 and 2 Corinthians 6:16] and never referred to the temple of God as a physical building. Stephen also declared: “The Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands” [Acts 7:48].

Paul’s prophesy about the exaltation of man in the temple of God was initiated before the end of the first century when self serving church leaders deposed of the elder led model of church government that was established by Christ and the Apostles [see 3 John 1:9-10]. Clement also wrote a letter to the church at Corinth [1 Clement] to reestablish the authority of the elders. After the first century, one individual was elevated to the office of Bishop and placed over every congregation and man is still being exalted in the church today. The man of sin is not a personified world ruler many call the antichrist. The man of sin is any individual who exercises lordship and receives worship in the temple of God by deceiving people with signs and lying wonders [2 Thessalonians 2:9].

 When Christ gave his disciples a warning and told them, “When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet," he was signifying an event that would happen in their lifetime, not a last-day personification of Satan referred to as the Antichrist. Bible scholar Kenneth Gentry conveys what should be undeniable, "Surely Jesus does not denounce the first-century temple in which He is standing [24:1] by declaring it 'desolate' [23:38], prophesying its total destruction (24:2), then answering the question 'when shall these things be?' [v.3], and warning about the temple's 'abomination of desolation' [v.15] only to speak about the destruction of a totally different temple some two thousand years (or more) later!" [10]

The Eschatological Significance of the Temple Destruction

The Roman army invasion of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Jewish temple was a clear sign to the children of Israel that the Old Testament law and sacrificial system of worship were abolished. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple led to the formal separation of Judaism and Christianity. "After the formal separation from Judaism, Jewish Christians were no longer perceived by the Roman government as under the umbrella of Judaism and, therefore, faced the cruel dilemma of either forsaking Christ (if they were to be readmitted into the synagogues) or worshiping Caesar." [11] The fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy about the destruction of the temple also validated the words of Christ and the words of his Apostles written in the Epistles, which helped establish the church as God's chosen people to proclaim the Gospel. 

The Admonition to Flee Judea

Jesus’ admonition to “flee to the mountains” is directly linked to the Jews revolt in Judea from 66-70 A.D., not something that will happen in the last days under Antichrist rule, as some suggest. “If it refers to the end of the world, what difference does it make whether that end is to come in the winter or in the summer?.......Unless these verses have reference to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, Christ has not truly replied to the inquiry from His disciples which provoked the discourse." [12] There is just too much evidence that connects Matthew 24:16-20 to the war of AD 66-70, and not a last day event. "Eusebius reports that the church at Jerusalem had been commanded by a divine revelation given before the war [evidently the Olivet Discourse] and therefore left the city and dwelt in the town of Pella beyond the Jordan. [13]

The Great Tribulation

In Matthew 24:21-22 Jesus spoke about the great tribulation that would come upon the nation of Israel for rejecting their Messiah [Matthew 24:21; 23:38]. Dispensationalists believe most of the signs and the great tribulation will occur following the rapture of the church before Christ’s second coming, but Jesus said his disciples would "see" the majority of the signs take place in their lifetime. Referring to the events surrounding the destruction of the temple and the great tribulation, Jesus said: “When you see the abomination of desolation....flee to the mountains....then shall be great tribulation” [Matthew 24:15-16; 21] which most scholars agree was referring to the invasion by Rome that occurred in 70 A.D. 

Luke's gospel includes Jesus saying: "When you see Jerusalem" [Luke 21:20]. Matthew adds: "There will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be" [Matthew 24:21]. Luke provides further background and states: “These are days of vengeance" connecting Hosea indictment against Israel for rejecting God with Jesus judgment of Jerusalem [Luke 21:22; Hosea 9:7; Matthew 23:37-38]. Luke reinforced that the destruction of Jerusalem was due to their rejection of Christ. "There have been greater numbers of deaths-six million in the Nazi death camps, mostly Jews, and an estimated twenty million under Stalin, but never so high a percentage of a great city's population so thoroughly and painfully exterminated and enslaved as during the fall of Jerusalem." [14] Considering scholarly consensus that Christ’s forewarning of "great tribulation" had already occurred, Christians should not expect an additional great tribulation with modern militaries encompassing Jerusalem, the Antichrist placing an "abomination of desolation" on the altar of a rebuilt temple, or Jews fleeing into the mountains. There is no biblical evidence that such an event would occur again in the last days.  

The Rise of False Messiahs and False Prophets

In Matthew 24:23-28 the Lord prophesied, "False Christs and false prophets would rise and show great signs and wonders."  The Book of Acts records that false messiahs and false prophets began to rise during the apostolic age. When the Sanhedrin Council questioned the apostles, A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, mentioned a false messiah named Theudas who "rose up claiming to be somebody; and a number of men about four hundred, joined him" [Acts 5:36]. Josephus, in his historical work, Antiquities, records around 45 AD, Theudas influenced “the majority of the masses to take up their possessions and to follow him to the Jordan River.” [15]. Theudas claimed that the Jordan River would part for them at his command. Of course, it didn't, and "He was killed, and all who obeyed him" [Acts 5:36]. 

Other false messiahs led revolts against Rome from around 66 AD through the second century. Most notable is Ben-Kosiba, a Jewish general who revolted against Rome in 115-132 AD and was initially successful in his military conquest. Ben-Kosiba was very popular in Israel and had thousands of Jewish followers. The Jews desperately wanted to be free from Roman occupation, and their zeal for freedom heightened their messianic expectations. As a result, Akiva Ben-Joseph, a Jewish Rabbi foolishly declared him to be "Bar Kokhba" which means "son of a star," a title recorded in Numbers 24:17 referencing the Messiah. When Rabbi Akiba applied the messianic scripture and prophecy to Shimon Ben-Kosiba, he was labeled a false prophet, and Kosiba a false messiah. [16]

False messiahs and false prophets have appeared performing "great signs and wonders"" since Jesus prophesied of their coming and they are prevalent in the church today. While "the signs and miracles they perform are indications of supernatural activity, believers must be careful not to be deceived into thinking that God stands behind them." [17] Yet, today many in the church believe these individuals are anointed with "the great power of God" [Acts 8:10] because they slay people in the spirit, speak in an unknown tongue or have a popular healing ministry. In addition, these false prophets have infiltrated the church preaching a false gospel. They are "corrupt in mind, and have been robbed of the truth, who think that godliness is a means of financial gain [1 Timothy 6:5 NIV]. Notice how closely the false gospel they preach will resemble the true gospel, "If it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect"  [Matthew 24:24].  "All of these things are characteristic of the entire period between Christ's two advents" [18] and not confined to the apostolic age as preterists believe. [19] 

In contrast to the signs of the false messiahs and false prophets, Jesus begins describing signs that will precede his second coming. "Although the emphasis in Matthew 24:27 is on the sudden and unmistakable nature of the parousia, the reference to lightning probably also conveys the idea of judgment since that is how the word is consistently used both in the OT and NT. The use of brq [Hebrew for lightning] in the OT relates to the theophanic [manifestation of God to people] presence of Yahweh, usually in the context of divine judgment, retribution, or warfare." [20]

Christ's reference to vultures [or eagles] in Matthew 24:28, also implies the judgment that will take place when Christ returns: "This proverb, rather more enigmatic than others in the Gospels, occurs also in Luke 17:37b, where it is spoken in response to the question "Where, Lord?" apparently concerning the location either of the one "taken" or the one "left." The imagery of flesh-eating birds is found elsewhere in the OT [Job 39:27-30; Habakkuk 1:8; and NT Revelation 19:17-21]. The most natural application of the imagery is to judgment." [21] 

The Second Coming of the Messiah

In Matthew 24:29 Jesus said "Immediately after the tribulation of those days" connecting this verse with the "great tribulation" he mentioned in [Matthew 24:21] which refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple. Luke's account of this passage adds: "Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" which confirms the Ashkenazi Jews currently dwelling in Jerusalem are Gentiles and not descendants of Shem according to scripture, and descend from the lineage of Japheth [Genesis 10:1-5]. The Lord will judge them for their lies [Ezekiel 38-39; Revelation 3:9]. 

Jesus concludes verse 29 using Old Testament signs and language to describe a major change of socio-political events."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." This language is a reference to [Genesis 1:14-18]. "Jesus words should bring us back to creation week where the sun, moon and stars' "the powers of heaven," are spoken of as 'signs" [1:14] that "rule" or "govern" [1:16-17] the world. The heavenly lights rule the day and the night, thus their function in nature becomes symbols for kings and political powers. In Genesis 37:9, Joseph had a dream that "the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to him," which represented his parents and his brothers bowing down to him [Genesis 37:10]. As he was the youngest, and his parents and brothers ruled over him, his dream would come to fruition, and he would rule over them." [22]

Now let's review another Old Testament passage. "In Judges 5:19-20, Hebrew parallelism employed in these two passages first tells us "the kings of Canaan fought at Tanach by the Waters of Megiddo," and then we see this depicted in verse 20 as "The stars fought from the heavens; the stars fought with Sisera. Milton notes, while there is not wanting evidence that the destruction of Jerusalem was accompanied by many awesome inspiring portents [foreshadows], signs, and supernatural agencies cooperating with the armies of men, the imagery indicates that God is moving in judgment against his enemies, bringing earthly authorities and rulers down, a social-political collapse, portrayed as a cosmic catastrophe. Such language, as Calvin observes, is "the modes of expression which were common among the prophets." It is "part and parcel of the genius of prophetic language." Wright affirms, noting it "is simply the way regular Jewish imagery, is used to bring out their full significance." [23]

Jonathan Menn provides further evidence and adds: "The OT prophets frequently described political crises and regime changes metaphorically as cosmic upheavals or the overthrowing of creation itself. When Jesus refers to "the sun being darkened, the moon not giving its light, and the stars falling" in Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25; Luke 21:25-26, he is quoting from or alluding to several OT passages that use similar language for political events: Isaiah 13:10, 13 (the Medes' defeat of Babylon); Ezekiel 32:7-8 (Babylon's defeat of Egypt); Amos 5:20; 8:9 (Israel's defeat by Assyria); Joel 2:10 (a great locust plague); Zephaniah 1:15 (Babylon's destruction of Jerusalem); Psalms 18:7-15 (David's deliverance from Saul); Haggai 2:6-7, 21-22 (encouragement to Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple). The roarinng of the sea and of the waves [Luke 21:15] quotes or alludes to Isaiah 17:12-13 [an oracle concerning Damascus and tamult among the nations]. Similar figurative language of physical or cosmic destruction is found at Judges 5:4; Psalms 114:3-6; 144:5-7; Isaiah 5:25; 64:3; Micah 1:4-6; Nahum 1:5; Habakkuk 3:6-7, 10-12. Wright maintains, "This is simply the way regular Jewish imagery is able to refer to major socio-political events and bring out their full significance." It is possible, therefore, that Jesus is using the figurative language which the prophets often employed to signify that his return will be the last and greatest "regime change" and manifestation of God." [24] 

In verse 30 Jesus answered the disciple's second question using the word "sign" to connect them together. Christ described his second coming, by blending deep Old Testament passages that referenced the coming Messiah. He used several Messianic passages, Isaiah states, "The Lord is about to come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth" [Isaiah 26:21] and references the resurrection, you're dead men shall live [Isaiah 26:19]. Along with the events preceeding the resurrection, So, it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown” and assemble the outcast and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem” [Isaiah 27:13]. Commenting on this passage, Glasson states: "If we put together the various items, the picture that emerges is that the Lord will descend from heaven with the sound of a trumpet; he will be accompanied by hosts of angels; his people will be gathered; there will be resurrection and judgment. Anyone familiar with the New Testament will immediately recognize that this is precisely the picture presented in its pages of the parousia of the Lord Jesus." [25]

In addition, it should be noted that Christ used a different pronoun in Matthew 24:30 ["they"] instead of ["you"] which he used in Matthew 24:33 to refer to his disciples that were present, and in doing so made a clear distinction between believers living in the first century and those living in the last days who will witness his return. 

In Matthew 24:31, Jesus said: "He will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." The trumpet sound in verse 31 is a time mark for the events described in 24:29-31 which begins with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Another event is the resurrection and is described with the same trumpet sound by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:52. We know it is the same trumpet sound because John 6:39, 40, 44, 54 and 11:24 teach that the resurrection occurs on the last day. Also, Paul's prophecy recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 connects the trumpet with the return of the Lord, the resurrection, and the rapture. In addition, Revelation 11:15-18 links the seventh and the last trumpet, the same trumpet mentioned in Matthew 24:31, with the judgment of God on the last day. This view is also supported by John 12:48.

In summary, we can conclude that the return of the Lord, the resurection, the rapture, the end of the world, and judgment day are essentially the same events. Insomuch as these events are beyond time, we can view them as happening without any sense of sequence or order that we can comprehend with our limited physical frame of reference. Menn agrees, "When Christ comes he will bring both judgment on his enemies [Luke 21:26] and redemption for those who are his [Luke 21:28]. [26]

The Eschatological Significance of the Fig Tree

In verses 32-35, Jesus answered their first question about "when shall these things be" by telling them to "learn a parable of the fig tree. Israel is always depicted as a fig tree throughout scripture [Joel 1:7; Jeremiah 24:1-10; Luke 13:6-9]. "When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout you know summer is near." This is a time reference "When you shall see all these things, know that he is near, even at the door" [Matthew 24:32].

Notice, in the Parable of the Fig Tree, Jesus made no mention of fruit on the tree just leaves. Israel was operating under the works based on Old Covenant Law and rejected the New Covenant gospel of grace. Christ used the Parable of the Fig Tree to illustrate this point. Just as the fig leaves in Genesis 3:7 represent man's attempt to cover his sin, so too did the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant [Hebrews 10:4]. 

The essence of these verses is to show that even though Israel was blessed by God, their blessings were only seen outwardly. The branch "puts forth leaves” but there was no fruit. There was no inner change or repentance. Israel had no real desire to turn from her sin or submit to the gospel of grace. They had a "form of godliness" but it was not the work of the Holy Spirit, because they "denied the power thereof" [2 Timothy 3:5]. Therefore, judgment was soon to follow [Matthew 24:33-35]. The warning of these verses is that every person must be ready for Christ's return. They must be sure they are saved because when he returns it will be too late to seek his mercy.

Jesus provides insight about the fig tree in the Gospel of Luke: “He also spoke this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground? But he answered and said to him, Sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down” [Luke 13:6-9].

The Fig Tree is a picture of Israel: “He has laid My vine and ruined My fig tree; He has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white” [Joel 1:7]. Israel was under God’s judgment because of its rebellion against God, and so God speaks of Israel as a fig tree that has been stripped. Removing the bark from a tree will certainly kill the tree. So, a stripped tree signifies that the nation of Israel was under God’s judgment. Likewise, in Jeremiah 24:1-10, God presents Israel using the figure of a fig tree and speaks of the nation of Israel’s obedience to God. Those obedient to God are likened to good figs, whereas those who are disobedient to God are likened to very bad figs. Figs are the fruit of a fig tree. Therefore, God is likening Israel to a fig tree that produces either bad or good fruit.

Jesus made a statement in the Parable of the Fig Tree, that differentiates events that will occur in his disciples' lifetime [the invasion of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple] from his Parousia [second coming]. "Once we understand “this generation”  to be first-century believers, it solves the problem of how the disciples were expected to be able to know when the time was near, even "right at the door" [Matthew 24:32-34, but not able to know when Jesus would return as a thief in the night” [Matthew 24:36-44]. [27] 

This also reinforces the idea that the Mount Olivet Discourse refers to the complete age between Jesus’ first and second advents. While certain aspects of the discourse describe the destruction of Jerusalem, others relate to Jesus’ second coming that will occur at the end of time. This view is supported by most conservative Bible scholars. While there are dissimilarities among them how the various aspects of the discourse sync with each other, this view is clearly what Christ is teaching in this passage. 

The Faithful and Wise Servant

In the last section of Matthew 24 verses 36-51, Jesus tells his disciples and those living in the last days [Mark 13:37] to remain faithful and watchful for the signs of his second coming. "The disciples were expected to live to see the events leading up to the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, spoken of in the parable of the fig tree, but they are not expected to see Christ return." [28] He starts by saying, "Concerning that and hour no one knows, not even the angels is heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only" [Matthew 24:36 ESV]. "In the New Testament, "that day" is a well defined eschatological denotation to designate the day of the Lord, the last day [cf. Matthew 7:22; Luke 10:12; 21:34; John 6:39, 40, 44, 54, 11:24; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:12, 18, 4:8]. [29]

The Noachian Flood and The Rapture

In Matthew 24:37-41, Jesus used the Noachian Flood to describe the events that will occur when he returns which includes the rapture of the church and judgment day. "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left" [Matthew 24:37-41 NKJV]. In this passage, God sets up parallel language that relates the flood that destroyed the world of Noah's day to Jesus return. This parallelism, indicates that the destruction of the world in the Noachian Flood was a type or figure of Judgment Day.

When we look at the flood account recorded in Genesis 7:1-4, seven days before the flood, God told Noah to go into the ark because the flood would come in exactly seven days. The flood did indeed come seven days after God commanded Noah [Genesiss 7:10]. The Bible then records the precise date of the flood, and states that Noah and his family entered the ark the same day the flood came [Genesis 7:11-13]. Thus, Christ teaches that the people of Noah's day continued eating and drinking until the day Noah entered the ark and the flood swept them away [Luke 17:27].

The Destruction of Sodom and The Rapture

Luke also records another parallel passage that Jesus used as a type for judgment day. "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And Likewise, the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot's wife, Whosoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whosoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left" [Luke 17:28-36 NKJV].

In Luke's gospel, Jesus used the destruction of Sodom as a figure or type for the judgment that will occur on the last day. The Lord even links the rescue of Lot and his family as type of the rapture [Luke 17:34]. Just before the destruction of Sodom, God sent two angels to rescue Lot and his family [Genesis 19]. On the heels of this rescue operation, God rained down fire and brimstone upon Sodom and the other wicked cities, utterly destroying them. Jesus said "Even shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed" [Luke 17:30]. Thus, Christ links the destruction of Sodom to Judgment Day.

The parallesim that exist between the destruction of Sodom and the Noachian Flood with the end of the world is clearly evident. Christ is teaching that the rapture comes simultaneously with Jugdment Day. There is complete agreement between the examples Jesus used to prove that the return of the Lord, the resurection, the rapture, the end of the world, and judgment day are essentially the same events. This is view the church held for almost two thousand year's. "Until dispensationalism was invented in the 1800's, all Christians understood that the church will be present during any end-time "tribulation" and that Christ's second coming will entail the resurrection of the dead and the rapture of living believers. Dispensationalism claims that there will be a pretribulational rapture of the church, which takes place seven years [or three and a half years for midtribulationists] before the second coming itself." [30]

The Mount Olivet Discourse concludes with several parables in Matthew chapters 25-26. Collectively, they reveal believers living in the last days won’t know when Christ will return. Furthermore, the parables are more concerned with what the disciples should be doing while they wait for Christ to return, not if they know when he will return. "The premium of discipleship is placed not on predicting the future but on faithfulness in the present, especially in trials, adversity, and suffering." [31]  Christ said believers in the last days would not know "that day and hour" (Matthew 24:36). His statement insinuates the phrase “that day and hour” is referencing the totality of his second coming, but not the exact time in which it will occur. In addition, only prideful individuals think they can know or predict when Jesus will return. Think about it: if neither Christ nor his angels knew the exact time or date, how can mere men?

[1] Brian J.Orr, The Olivet Discourse (Troutdale, OR: Kingdom Press, 2024), 9.

[2] Jonathan Menn, Biblical Eschatology (Eugene: OR: Resource Publications, 2018), 112.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid., 111.

[6] Ibid., 119.

[7] Ibid. 

[8] Anthony Hoekema, The Bible and the Future (Grand Rapids, MI: Edermans, 1979), 156.

[9] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study New Testament: Bringing the Original Text

to Life (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1992), 887.

[10] Jonathan Menn, Biblical Eschatology (Eugene: OR: Resource Publications, 2018), 124.

[11] Ibid.,117-118.

[12] Ibid., 124.

[13] Ibid., 125.

[14] Ibid., 127.

[15] Flavius Josephus, The Complete Works, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers,

1998), 637.

[16] Lindsay Powell, Bar Kokhba, The Jew who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might

of Rome , (Harvertown,PA: Pen and Sword Books, 2021), 71.

[17] Michael J. Wilkins, The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004), 781.

[18] Jonathan Menn, Biblical Eschatology (Eugene: OR: Resource Publications, 2018), 131.

[19] Brian J.Orr, The Olivet Discourse (Troutdale, OR: Kingdom Press, 2024), 3.

[20] Jonathan Menn, Biblical Eschatology (Eugene: OR: Resource Publications, 2018), 133.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Brian J.Orr, The Olivet Discourse (Troutdale, OR: Kingdom Press, 2024), 76-77.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Jonathan Menn, Biblical Eschatology (Eugene: OR: Resource Publications, 2018), 135.

[25] Ibid., 132.

[26] Ibid., 139.

[27] Ibid., 141.

[28] Ibid., 142

[29] Ibid., 142-143.

[30] Ibid., 149.

[31] Ibid., 148