General Introduction to the End of the Age Discourse

[Ray Faircloth]

14. 37​

Introduction to

the End of the Age Discourse



The Disciples’ Question in Matthew 24:3

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THE TEXT

“While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples approached him in private saying, “Tell us when this is going to happen, and what will be the sign of your coming to be present as king and of the end of this age?”



COMMENTS

24:3a “Tell us when this is going to happen.”

This is a reference to the destruction of the second temple, but here Jesus is very unlikely to know that this event will happen specifically in A.D. 70. However, he does know that it will be sometime between the 69th and 70th ‘seven’ of Daniel 9:26-27 as one of the two events to occur within this gap of time after his ride into Jerusalem prior to his execution. So, because he doesn’t know when the second temple will be destroyed, he ignores this aspect of the question in verse 3, but later he answers the more important part of the question, namely, in the future “what will be the sign of your coming to be present as king and of the end of this age?”



24:3b “what will be the sign of your coming to be present as king and the end of this age.”

This is Jesus’ visible Parousia. It is not merely Jesus’ “presence,” for which one would need no sign, but is as N.T. Wright translates the Greek: “what will be the sign that you are going to appear as king.” However, the term Parousia is not used in the parallel accounts given in Mark 13 and Luke 21.

Furthermore, this is not the end of a so-called Jewish age, but is the end of this entire “present age”—the time of this world-order and will occur at the same time as the future return of Jesus and so did not occur A.D. 70 or any time in the past.

Why Luke 17 and 21 Run Approximately Parallel

to Matthew 24/Mark 13​

Interestingly, scholars point out that Jesus’ prophecy in Luke 21, including his words in Luke 17, was not given on the Mount of Olives as was the case for Matthew 24:3ff/Mark 13:3ff, but given earlier in the temple. Indeed, the comments about the stones of the temple were made while Jesus and his disciples were still within the temple grounds and so Luke 21:5ff appears also to be a temple discourse rather than the one given on the Mount of Olives. Because of this detail and other differences between the accounts it has been stated by E. W. Bullinger, Robert Shank, and several other scholars that Luke 21:10-24 applies only to the events of A.D. 70. But is this correct?

Certainly, after the disciples have asked their question in Luke 21:7 of, “when will these things happen?” a careful reading of these two discourses shows that they are on precisely the same subject with one exception. This exception is that Luke 21:12 varies from Matthew 24:9 where Jesus says, “Then they will arrest you…,” whereas in Luke 21:12 Jesus says: “But before all these things they will lay their hands on you...” This gives the impression that the great tribulation comes before the events of, “Nation against nation etc” and is therefore out of sync with Matthew and Mark. This is solved when one realizes that the phrase, “But before all these things…” does take one back to the events of A.D. 70 concerning, “not one stone will be left on another” (vs. 6) to show how the disciples would be mistreated at that time. Nevertheless, this still concerns the future Great Tribulation. In other words, the A.D. 70 mistreatment of the disciples would become a pattern for the mistreatment of Christians during the Great Tribulation so that it is a double fulfilment of this persecution overview passage.

The following facts give sound reasons to believe that the temple discourse in Luke 17 and 21 concern the end-times:



Although expressed in a different order the details in Luke 17:23-37 closely parallel those in Matthew 24:23-41.



In Luke 21:20 Jesus says: “But when you see...Jerusalem surrounded by armies…” whereas Matthew and Mark put Jesus’ words as, “But when you see the sacrilege which causes desolation...” No doubt Jesus did say both sets of words but Luke has chosen the words that his Gentile readers would best understand; whereas Matthew’s and Mark’s Jewish readership would easily understand the reference to “the sacrilege which causes desolation.”



In Luke 21:21 Jesus says: “those in Judea must flee to the mountains” which is parallel to the Matthew 24 account. The pattern of Matthew 24:9-14 gives a general overview of the coming Great Tribulation and then verse 15 begins a detailed description of it, starting with “the sacrilege which causes desolation” as appearing at the mid-point of the Daniel’s 70th “seven” through to the end of this persecution (verse 28). Mark also follows this pattern.



Luke 21:22 shows, “that all things which are written will be fulfilled.” Although, the event that would be fulfilled in A.D. 70 was touched on in Daniel 9:26 the prophets generally concerned themselves with “the time of the end.” Daniel Chapters 8, 9, 11, and 12 are all primarily concerning the future Antichrist.

The Disciples’ Question in Luke 21:7​

THE TEXT

“Teacher,” they asked him, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to happen?”



COMMENTS

21:7a “Teacher, when will these things happen?”

Verse 7 is framed exactly as in Mark 13:4 and differs from the more detailed and precise version given in Matthew 24:3. However, this question in verse 7a is with reference to what Jesus had just commented on regarding the coming destruction of the Jerusalem temple, namely, “not one stone will be left on another” and which destructive event occurred in A.D. 70. Again, we note that Jesus is very unlikely to know that this event will happen specifically in A.D. 70, but does know that it will be sometime between the 69th and 70th ‘seven’ of Daniel 9:26-27 as one of the two events to occur within this undetermined gap of time before the 70th ‘seven’ begins. Please see the Appendix for the paper: The Destruction of the Second Jewish Temple.



21:7b “And what will be the sign when these things are about to happen?”

This is the more important part of the question to which Jesus responds through the rest of Luke 21. It corresponds to what is recorded in Matthew 24:3, namely, “what will be the sign of your coming to be present as king (Gk parousia) and of the end of this age?” i.e., the entire “present age”—the time of this world-order. It will occur at the same time as the future return of Jesus and so did not occur in A.D. 70.

These future events concerning the “signs in sun and moon and stars” are also noted in Luke 21:25-28 and connect to the events described in the passage of verses 20-24 about, “when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies...” This means that the whole passage in Luke 21:8-36 is a single complex of events to occur in one time-period in the future. Similarly verse 27 begins with “and then they will see the Son of Man coming.” There is no good reason to interfere with the straightforward sequence expressed by Jesus in verses 20-28 by changing it to apply to A.D 70.

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[LeeB]

Ray, you bring out many good points. When speaking concerning the temple the events about the abomination of desolation, the nations surrounding Jerusalem and the temples total destruction along with the warning of a coming great deception are all yet future. Jesus did answer the question about no stone left upon another but it seems most immediately think of 70 AD when Jesus was not speaking of the second temple at all. What would the second temples destruction have to do with his return ? Jesus was referring to the third temple, not the second. Viewed this way makes the answers to the questions he was asked make sense. It is the third temple that must be overturned or ruined so that the true temple, the church, becomes his bride. Ezekiel 21:26-27 The temple was predicted to be destroyed three times all on the same day, Av 9th , the third temple destruction is by far the most important of the three and therefore the one Jesus was concerned with. Isaiah 2:1-4 is what was in the mind of Christ.

 

[LeeB]

Daniel 8:14 and Ezekiel 21:26-27 both refer to the temple. Daniel 8:14 gives this event at 2,300 days. The seven year covenant the man of sin makes with ten nations would be 2520 days total on the Hebrew calendar but the temple events in both Ezekiel and Daniel occur at 2,300 days, why not at 2520 days? Matthew 24:22
the return of Christ happens sooner to stop the tribulation by 220 days. Matthew 24:3 , these questions are tied together and both concerned the future. The second temple destruction was prophesied in Daniel 9:26 at 62 weeks and Jesus would have known this being expert in scripture. In his answer to the disciples the second temple is never mentioned only the third thus indicating that the second temple had nothing to do with his answer. This is a case where people assume it is the second temple but neglect to observe that event had nothing to do with the second advent. This is why the Apostle John never mentions the second temple destroyed in his writings because it was of no consequence.

 

[EasyPrompt]

The heavenly priesthood is not in place until the 144,000 are resurrected and take the places in the kingdom arrangement. The figurative "temple" will be a heavenly arrangement. That temple is not in place yet.

The questions Jesus answered in the gospels while sitting on the Mount of Olives were two separate questions. (1) When will these things occur (regarding the destruction of the literal temple in Jerusalem) and (2) When will the kingdom come; those were the two questions. Jesus answered both of them, but many people have mixed up his answers to those two questions and come to befuddled and incorrect conclusions.

The signs before the destruction of the physical temple in Jerusalem are clear. History has made clear that what Jesus said about those signs (war, earthquake, etc.) all happened.

There were some signs that didn't happen back then because they were referring to a future fulfillment. Jesus didn't receive the kingdom back then. The faithful ones were scattered instead of "gathered together from the four winds" as Jesus said would happen when his kingdom comes.

The book of Revelation makes clear that the great tribulation will be 3 1/2 years. This number is repeated as 42 months, 1260 days, and is also the "short period of time" the Devil is cast down before being locked up.

The visions of Daniel in chapters 2, 7, 8, 11/12 are four parallel visions depicting the progression of world powers from slightly different angles. Revelation chapters 13 and 17 show the last dominant world power will be the United Nations. The toes of the dream image in Daniel chapter 2 are the UN. The last part of the visions in Daniel chapters 7, 8, and 11/12 is also the UN. The visions are parallel visions.




Revelation shows that once all the 144,000 are sealed, Jesus takes the throne in heaven. The Devil is cast down, the UN is riled up, Jesus begins on his ride to execute judgment on religious institutions. The Devil has no further need for religious harlots since he failed in his attempt to prevent the 144,000 from remaining faithful. Jesus allows the nations to dissolve the religious institutions. This fulfills the illustration about the wheat and the weeds and the angels being sent forth to figuratively burn up the weeds, "this is where the weeping and gnashing of teeth" of the religious hypocrites will be, when their institutions are dissolved and they can no longer make money off fleecing the sheep or abusively lord it over others.

The UN will be permitted to rule for 3 1/2 years. Daniel's parallel visions in chapters 2, 7, 8, 11/12 show that the UN will make life difficult for religiously inclined people. It will be like living in the figurative "wilderness" without the structure of religious institutions to take refuge in. But just as God and his angels helped the Israelites survive the wilderness after the exodus, so they will help us stay spiritually strong during the 3 1/2 year "wilderness" of the great tribulation.

Christians will be refined during this time of tribulation. The false doctrines will be shown up as corruptions. We will be refined and follow Christ as leader rather than wolflike false shepherds who seek to take advantage of others for selfish gain.

At the end of the 3 1/2 years, the 144,000 who have died will be resurrected here on earth and materialize bodies like Jesus did before he ascended to heaven. Those of the 144,000 who have not yet died will be changed and all together the entire 144,000 will join Christ for the purpose of the final battle of Armageddon. Then the time of the millennial rule will begin.

(Just a side note: The Watchtower tries to twist Daniel chapter 4 into a secondary fulfillment, but there is no evidence of a secondary fulfillment for their twisted 1914 doctrine. There is also no evidence of a secondary fulfillment for the Daniel chapter nine 70 weeks of years prophecy that was already fulfilled in Jesus' appearance in the first century.)

While we do not know the day or the hour Jesus took the throne in heaven, it is apparent that he did at the very latest by December 2023. In that month the US/UK bent the knee to the UN at the UNSC Gaza meeting. In a similar action this month, the US refrained from using veto power in a similar outward show of submission to the UN.

The Devil has been cast down to the earth, and the religious institutions will be dissolved. The 144,000 are all sealed. The kingdom will replace all human governments no later than 3 1/2 years from December 2023. Jesus is king in heaven. Praise Jehovah!