What happened in A.D. 70? If you don't know, you are probably interpreting Biblical prophesies, the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, and absolutely not able to understand the Book of Revelation. But I have GOOD NEWS for you. Once you do understand, the Bible will begin to fall into place like the last several pieces of a puzzle.
Matthew 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him 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 anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the [c]elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
I'm sure most of you have heard this passage. most likely in a sermon on how to prepare for the "end times..." Many wonder, "what if there are no mountains around me?" Throughout history pregnant and nursing women have prayed "Lord, just wait until my kids are grown."
Matthew 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him 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 anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the [c]elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
I'm sure most of you have heard this passage. most likely in a sermon on how to prepare for the "end times..." Many wonder, "what if there are no mountains around me?" Throughout history pregnant and nursing women have prayed "Lord, just wait until my kids are grown."
Since “Moses and all the Prophets” point to the first century coming of Christ (Luke 24:27), we know the very “fulness of the time had come” (Gal. 4:4).
Luke 24:25Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Galatians 4 4But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Luke 24:25Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Galatians 4 4But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
To gain a proper understanding, we have to immerse ourselves into first century JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN LIFE. To understand passages like Matthew 24 &; 25, let's dive into history
From Eyewitness History: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/jewishtemple.htm
In the year 66 AD the Jews of Judea rebelled against their Roman masters. In response, the Emperor Nero dispatched an army under the generalship of Vespasian to restore order. By the year 68, resistance in the northern part of the province had been eradicated and the Romans turned their full attention to the subjugation of Jerusalem. That same year, the Emperor Nero died by his own hand, creating a power vacuum in Rome. In the resultant chaos, Vespasian was declared Emperor and returned to the Imperial City. It fell to his son, Titus, to lead the remaining army in the assault on Jerusalem.
 Roman Centurian |
The Roman legions surrounded the city and began to slowly squeeze the life out of the Jewish stronghold. By the year 70, the attackers had breached Jerusalem's outer walls and began a systematic ransacking of the city. The assault culminated in the burning and destruction of the Temple that served as the center of Judaism.
In victory, the Romans slaughtered thousands. Of those sparred from death: thousands more were enslaved and sent to toil in the mines of Egypt, others were dispersed to arenas throughout the Empire to be butchered for the amusement of the public. The Temple's sacred relics were taken to Rome where they were displayed in celebration of the victory.
The rebellion sputtered on for another three years and was finally extinguished in 73 AD with the fall of the various pockets of resistance including the stronghold at Masada.
"...the Jews let out a shout of dismay that matched the tragedy."
Our only first-hand account of the Roman assault on the Temple comes from the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius. Josephus was a former leader of the Jewish Revolt who had surrendered to the Romans and had won favor from Vespasian. In gratitude, Josephus took on Vespasian's family name - Flavius - as his own. We join his account as the Romans fight their way into the inner sanctum of the Temple:
"...the rebels shortly after attacked the Romans again, and a clash followed between the guards of the sanctuary and the troops who were putting out the fire inside the inner court; the latter routed the Jews and followed in hot pursuit right up to the Temple itself. Then one of the soldiers, without awaiting any orders and with no dread of so momentous a deed, but urged on by some supernatural force, snatched a blazing piece of wood and, climbing on another soldier's back, hurled the flaming brand through a low golden window that gave access, on the north side, to the rooms that surrounded the sanctuary. As the flames shot up, the Jews let out a shout of dismay that matched the tragedy; they flocked to the rescue, with no thought of sparing their lives or husbanding their strength; for the sacred structure that they had constantly guarded with such devotion was vanishing before their very eyes.
...No exhortation or threat could now restrain the impetuosity of the legions; for passion was in supreme command. Crowded together around the entrances, many were trampled down by their companions; others, stumbling on the smoldering and smoked-filled ruins of the porticoes, died as miserably as the defeated. As they drew closer to the Temple, they pretended not even to hear Caesar's orders, but urged the men in front to throw in more firebrands. The rebels were powerless to help; carnage and flight spread throughout.
Most of the slain were peaceful citizens, weak and unarmed, and they were butchered where they were caught. The heap of corpses mounted higher and higher about the altar; a stream of blood flowed down the Temple's steps, and the bodies of those slain at the top slipped to the bottom.
When Caesar failed to restrain the fury of his frenzied soldiers, and the fire could not be checked, he entered the building with his generals and looked at the holy place of the sanctuary and all its furnishings, which exceeded by far the accounts current in foreign lands and fully justified their splendid repute in our own.
As the flames had not yet penetrated to the inner sanctum, but were consuming the chambers that surrounded the sanctuary, Titus assumed correctly that there was still time to save the structure; he ran out and by personal appeals he endeavored to persuade his men to put out the fire, instructing Liberalius, a centurion of his bodyguard of lancers, to club any of the men who disobeyed his orders. But their respect for Caesar and their fear of the centurion's staff who was trying to check them were overpowered by their rage, their detestation of the Jews, and an utterly uncontrolled lust for battle.
 Titus |
Most of them were spurred on, moreover, by the expectation of loot, convinced that the interior was full of money and dazzled by observing that everything around them was made of gold. But they were forestalled by one of those who had entered into the building, and who, when Caesar dashed out to restrain the troops, pushed a firebrand, in the darkness, into the hinges of the gate Then, when the flames suddenly shot up from the interior, Caesar and his generals withdrew, and no one was left to prevent those outside from kindling the blaze. Thus, in defiance of Caesar's wishes, the Temple was set on fire.
While the Temple was ablaze, the attackers plundered it, and countless people who were caught by them were slaughtered. There was no pity for age and no regard was accorded rank; children and old men, laymen and priests, alike were butchered; every class was pursued and crushed in the grip of war, whether they cried out for mercy or offered resistance.
Through the roar of the flames streaming far and wide, the groans of the falling victims were heard; such was the height of the hill and the magnitude of the blazing pile that the entire city seemed to be ablaze; and the noise - nothing more deafening and frightening could be imagined.
There were the war cries of the Roman legions as they swept onwards en masse, the yells of the rebels encircled by fire and sword, the panic of the people who, cut off above, fled into the arms of the enemy, and their shrieks as they met their fate. The cries on the hill blended with those of the multitudes in the city below; and now many people who were exhausted and tongue-tied as a result of hunger, when they beheld the Temple on fire, found strength once more to lament and wail. Peraea and the surrounding hills, added their echoes to the deafening din. But more horrifying than the din were the sufferings.
The Temple Mount, everywhere enveloped in flames, seemed to be boiling over from its base; yet the blood seemed more abundant than the flames and the numbers of the slain greater than those of the slayers. The soldiers climbed over heaps of bodies as they chased the fugitives."
Wow, this sounds so familiar, I can't put my finger on it...wait, I got it! This is almost identical to the Mt. Olivet prophesies where Jesus told his disciple things were about to get heavy...
The Olivet Discourse or Olivet prophecy is a biblical passage found in the Synoptic Gospels in Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13, and Luke 21
We've got to go there, Matthew 24...But first off I want to take you to a man I have come greatly respect, RC Sproul who wrote a book I highly recommend, The Last Days According to Jesus
Min 3:45 the #1 Crisis in Eschatology is CREDIBILITY! The past 200 yrs, since the Enlightenment there has been an assault of the credibility and believability of the Word of God and it's authority. From the inside and out
Eschatology (eschatos + logos - the "last word") refers to the last things or final events in God’s relationship with history and creation. In short, eschatology is teaching about the "end times" or more literally the doctrine of last things. A modern dictionary definition defines eschatology as "a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of mankind
2/3rds of the New Testament deals with Future prophesy! If that content is suspect, that undermines the nature and credibility of the Bible! Sproul says when he was in seminary, there was NO END TO PROFESSORS assaulting the trustworthiness of the Bible by going to these "end times" scriptures. When we examine Jesus' prophesies, they come to the conclusion that those prophesies did not come to pass in the time frame and that would mean Jesus is a false prophetBritish philosopher "Why I am not a Christian..." Bertrand Russell. "He, (Jesus) certainly thought that his second coming would come in clouds of glory to those people..." to that generation
Matt 10:23, And whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next. For truly I say to you, you shall not have completed the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
Matt 16:28 Truly I say to you, there are some of those standing here who shall not taste of death until they have seen the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
Mark 13:28 Truly I say to you that this generation will not have passed away until all these things shall have taken place.
The early Church had an expectation, that this coming would come quickly and yet atheists use this fact to attack the veracity of the Word
Min 3:00
The Temple Would be Destroyed and Jesus Clearly Predicted It!!! This should silence critics of Christianity forever, along with his prophesy of Jerusalem!
This Herodian Temple, one of the wonders of the world would be destroyed!! This was incredible!!! The problem is that there is another part to this discourse that has been used AGAINST Christians...That he would come in the clouds of glory.
1.When will all these things take place?
2. What will be the sign?
This Herodian Temple, one of the wonders of the world would be destroyed!! This was incredible!!! The problem is that there is another part to this discourse that has been used AGAINST Christians...That he would come in the clouds of glory.
1.When will all these things take place?
2. What will be the sign?
Matt 24 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
Okay, PAUSE...
1. Jesus and the disciples JUST LEFT THE TEMPLE of the Jews. Jesus had been preaching and teaching in the temples, later on, his disciples would as well, after his death and Resurrection, and as a result, they would be heavily persecuted, tortured, beaten, kicked OUT of the temples, and even killed.
Now, God was not happy about this, kinda not cool to kick out the very Son of God and the Gospel of the very Messiah. But Jesus knew this would happen and those people would be punished, I mean, REALLY PUNISHED...Like, the world has not seen punished. In fact in order to really figure out Matthew 24; 25, we have to back up to Matthew 23...
Now, God was not happy about this, kinda not cool to kick out the very Son of God and the Gospel of the very Messiah. But Jesus knew this would happen and those people would be punished, I mean, REALLY PUNISHED...Like, the world has not seen punished. In fact in order to really figure out Matthew 24; 25, we have to back up to Matthew 23...
Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees
23 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you [a]to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ 19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Jesus Laments over Jerusalem
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; (was it? yes!) 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
Okay, let's catch a breath, that was pretty intense, did you catch all of that? Jesus dropped the mic on the religious leaders of that day but he went on to really expose all the sinfullness that had been going on in his temple, the hypocrisy of the leaders, and he pronounced the worst punishment of all mankind.... "that on you may come ALL the righteous blood shed on earth...ALL, wow... from Abel to Zecharaiah (who prophesied of Jesus) and he said "yup, this generation is going to feel the pain of Divine Judgement..."
Now, recall what we just read about the destruction of Jerusalem, the very place all of these religious leaders found their careers, their purpose, their pride. Could it be that the destruction of the temple- a temple that has NEVER been rebuilt, the ending of the priestly line and sacrifices that have NEVER, TO THIS DAY, not been instituted. Many Bible scholars say that the temple has to be rebuilt and daily sacrifices started again for the "end of all things..." But I say, dear friend, those things have come to an end that Jesus was referring to. And I can prove it... Back to Matthew 24
Now, recall what we just read about the destruction of Jerusalem, the very place all of these religious leaders found their careers, their purpose, their pride. Could it be that the destruction of the temple- a temple that has NEVER been rebuilt, the ending of the priestly line and sacrifices that have NEVER, TO THIS DAY, not been instituted. Many Bible scholars say that the temple has to be rebuilt and daily sacrifices started again for the "end of all things..." But I say, dear friend, those things have come to an end that Jesus was referring to. And I can prove it... Back to Matthew 24
Now, remember, the disciples had just left the temple with Jesus... 24 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
3 Now 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?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all the nations as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Jesus was talking to his disciples!!!
Jesus is answering a specific question and answering it to specific people!
Were the disciples brought before the Sanhedrin
Jesus was talking to his disciples!!!
Jesus is answering a specific question and answering it to specific people!
Were the disciples brought before the Sanhedrin
Again, pause... Stick with me here, and let me insert something on the Gospel being preached to "all the world." Ken Gentry explains
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come” (Matt 24:14). How can we explain this statement? The “whole world” heard the gospel? This looks like a formidable objection against a first-century fulfillment. But looks are deceiving.
Actually, the meaning of the Greek word oikumene (“world”) here does not necessarily refer to the entire planet. We may glean many examples of a more restricted meaning from various Scriptures. For instance, in Acts 24:5 Luke records the Jewish opposition against Paul in that they charge him with causing dissension among the Jews “throughout the whole world.” Surely this means their world, the world of their experience, the Roman empire.
But even more significantly the New Testament informs us that the gospel is preached throughout the entire known world of that day: “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world” (Rom 1:8). Paul even writes that “the gospel . . . has come to you, just as in all the world” (Col 1:6, cp. v 23). Interestingly, in this statement he uses the word kosmos which can and often does speak of the entire world. Yet he declares that the gospel has come “in all the world.”
Thus, in the Matthew 24:14 Jesus simply states that the gospel will be preached in the entire known world of that day before these events reach their climax. That is, it will not be limited to Israel, as was his ministry (Matt 10:6; 15:24). https://postmillennialworldview.com/2020/06/30/postmillennialism-the-great-tribulation-5/#more-13942
moving on...The Great Tribulation
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him 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 anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
Now, the elect sake were those Jews who had come to know Jesus. While God used Rome to bring the hammer down on those Jews and Jewish leaders who soiled the Temple and rejected the very Son of God, who persecuted His people for excepting His very Son, God had to put a lid on the destruction least all the newly born again Jews would also be caught up in the madness. Now, side note, Jesus and the apostles knew this was going to happen, and many epistles warn everyone to be on guard, to be ready to move out of Jerusalem quickly. This was not a hidden thing. They weren't sure exactly what they were looking for for their cues to high tail it out of Jerusalem, but when the city started to burn and the Temple was ransacked, smoke billowed up in the air... Yup, this is what they were looking for, waiting for, time to run. And side note, brother did give up brother to the Roman authorities as they planned their Jewish rebellion.
What about the abomination of desolation. Many say this is a person, but in reality, it is the complete annihilation of Jerusalem...
(1) This “abomination” stands in the “holy place,” i.e., the temple standing immediately before them (cp. Matt 23:38—24:2). (2) His audience could imagine no other locality, for Jerusalem is the “holy city” (Neh 11:1, 18; Isa 48:2; 52:1; Dan 9:24; Matt 4:5; 27:53) (3) Christ is responding to questions pertaining to that very temple (cf. Matt 24:1). He even points to the temple as he answers (Matt 24:2). That holy place will be dismantled by the Roman soldiers within forty years, a generation.
The “abomination of desolation” is the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by pagan Roman armies. Luke’s parallel account makes this clear. He takes Matthew’s Hebraic language and interprets it for his Gentile audience: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand” (Luke 21:20). He tells us what the abomination is: Jerusalem being surrounded by Roman armies for the purpose of decimating her temple.
The Romans encircle Jerusalem on at least two occasions: under Vespasian in the initial siege and later under Titus not long before the Temple’s final destruction. Of Vespasian’s siege Josephus comments:
“And now the war having gone through all the mountainous country, and all the plain country also, those that were at Jerusalem were deprived of the liberty of going out of the city; for as to such as had a mind to desert, they were watched by the zealots; and as to such as were not yet on the side of the Romans, their army kept them in, by encompassing the city round about on all sides.” (Jewish War 4:9:1 §490)
He writes that later Titus builds “a wall round about the whole city” (Jewish War 5:12:1 §499).
After the first surrounding, the Christians are to flee from Judea. In God’s providence, Vespasian withdraws from the siege when Nero dies; the Christians then had the opportunity to escape. The early church father Eusebius notes that:
“The people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation, vouchsafed to approved men there before the war, to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called Pella. And when those that believed in Christ had come thither from Jerusalem, then, as if the royal city of the Jews and the whole land of Judea were entirely destitute of holy men, the judgment of God at length overtook those who had committed such outrages against Christ and his apostles, and totally destroyed that generation of impious men.” (Ecclesiastical History 3:5:3; cp. Matt 24:16; Epiphanius, Of Weights and Measures, 15) When the Roman soldiers finally obtain the upper hand in the temple, Josephus records how they raise their ensigns in the temple, bow to their to pagan deity, and offer incense to Caesar:“The Romans upon the flight of the seditious into the city, and upon the burning of the holy house itself, and of all the buildings lying round about it, brought their ensigns to the Temple, and set them over against its eastern gate; and there did they offer sacrifices to them, and there did they make Titus imperator, with the greatest acclamations of joy.” (Jewish War 6:6:1 §316)Thus, we see what the Lord means by “the abomination of desolation.”https://postmillennialworldview.com/2020/06/30/postmillennialism-the-great-tribulation-5/#more-13942
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
I feel like this is a fantastic place to chime in...hey, modern Christians, not everything is about YOU! Jesus was warning those he loved about a really real and imminent event that would take place. He spelled it out for them. Be ready, look, it will be me! I am destroying the Temple
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
The Coming of the Son of Man
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear 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 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.
Now, what about those signs? Well, let's take a look at previous uses of such language in the Bible that ALREADY CAME TO PASS
Here, God uses this kind of language to describe the destruction of Babylon, which HAS COME TO PASS. This is a literary prophesy
Isaiah 13 6Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand!
It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
7Therefore all hands will be limp,
Every man’s heart will melt,
8And they will be afraid.
Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them;
They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth;
They will be amazed at one another;
Their faces will be like flames.
9Behold, the day of the Lord comes,
Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
To lay the land desolate;
And He will destroy its sinners from it.
10For the stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not give their light;
The sun will be darkened in its going forth,
And the moon will not cause its light to shine.
11“I will punish the world for its evil,
And the wicked for their iniquity;
I will halt the arrogance of the proud,
And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold,
A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13Therefore I will shake the heavens,
And the earth will move out of her place,
In the wrath of the Lord of hosts
And in the day of His fierce anger.
Events that took place, without a literal manifestation.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
No One Knows the Day or Hour
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant
45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Go and read Matthew 25 next For time sake I will sum it up. ch 23 was a proclaimation of Judgement on the Jews who rejected Jesus and their vicious leaders, ch 24 was explaining how it would physically manifest, and ch 25 are several parables on the coming of the kingdom and judgement to give people a deep understanding that they could feel inside their bones just how massive this would be, how final... Jesus came and he put his sheep (disciples, those who heard his words) on one side and the goats (religious leaders, those who rejected Jesus) on the other.
Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Here's a question, do the wicked go to enteral punishment and the righteous to eternal life? Yes, absolutely. To be apart from the body is to be present with the Lord. Again, Jesus told the thief on the cross TODAY you will be with me in paradise. Those who anxiously waited for the coming of Christ were caught up to meet the Lord in the Heavens and ushered into their rightful place to worship the Lord in Heaven. Those who did not were sent to eternal punishment.
What if many of the scriptures that refer to the "last days, latter days, end of days, " didn't refer to the actual end of the entire world, or life after the second and final coming of Jesus Christ, but to the end of the Mosaic age and the entering in or ushering in and dawning of the Messianic Age. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven..." We KNOW that whatever we ask in His name, if it is according to his will we have it. We know this is God's will, that God's kingdom "come..." more on that special word in just a second, but that word is very important, it means to "show itself" or to "establish itself..." So, in other words "your kingdom establish itself in the earth as it is established in Heaven." What we see in both Old Testament and New Testament scripture is a KINGDOM that is like a grain of mustard...it starts out as a very small seed but GROW and establishes itself, or like a teeny tiny bit of yeast, it can leaven and EXPAND a whole loaf of bread. Indeed, Jesus likens the kingdom to exponential growth over and over again in the Gospels.
So, back to the end of things, what if the first resurrection and the subsequent reigning as kings and priests is not in some distant future and only lasts for 1,000 yrs, but is a time frame, an era, where the Church begins to establish herself, and grow, and add to her numbers through triumphs and victories, trials, and tribulations, and what if the tearing down of the veil in the Temple, and the time period between Jesus' Resurrection and the destruction of Jerusalem were indeed, the end of days?
1 Peter 4
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
The word for "of all things" has nothing to do with time at all, it's actually more of an adjective πάντα (panta)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter PluralStrong's Greek 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.
As in 1 Corinthians 13:7 "Love beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
What we see here is Peter pointing to the destruction of the Temple, of the daily sacrifices, of the Jewish laws and traditions of man and what a groaning and grieving and historic, world changing manifestation of the Divine Plan of God to say "That's it, the time is NOW." Now I will dwell with mankind in a temple not made with hands. If you grew up Jewish, holding to the law, the traditions, and now Jesus comes to get rid of all those things that are not needed under his new covenant made with the blood of the Lamb, that would indeed but the "end of all things..."
Suffering for Being a Christian
1 Peter 4:12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,
“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
Judgement, referring to the destruction of the Temple in AD 70...
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
A case can be made that the period of time between Christ’s resurrection and the destruction of the temple in 70 AD was a period of transition, and that this event brought about a culmination of the Old Covenant dissolving in favor of the New Covenant. Hebrews 8:13 seems to indicate this when it uses the present perfect tense to say, “In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”
Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
TO COME ἔρχομαι is so so sooo important here, here is a link to the word study at Blue letter Bible
It is a verb but a very special one, Root Word (Etymology)
Middle voice of a primary verb (used only in the present and imperfect tenses, the others being supplied by a kindred [middle voice] eleuthomai {el-yoo'-thom-ahee}, or [active] eltho {el'-tho}, which do not otherwise occur)
- to come
- of persons
- to come from one place to another, and used both of persons arriving and of those returning
- to appear, make one's appearance, come before the public
- metaph.
- to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence
- be established, become known, to come (fall) into or unto
- to go, to follow one
Check out what an imperfect verb means... it's CONTINUOUS! érchomai, er'-khom-ahee; middle voice of a primary verb (used only in the present and imperfect tenses
The imperfect (abbreviated imperf) is a verb form which combines past tense (reference to a past time) and imperfective aspect (reference to a continuing or repeated event or state). It can have meanings similar to the English "was walking" or "used to walk". It contrasts with preterite forms, which refer to a single completed event in the past. English has no general imperfective and expresses it in different ways. The term "imperfect" in English refers to forms much more commonly called past progressive or past continuous (e.g. "was doing" or "were doing"). These are combinations of past tense with specifically continuous or progressive aspect. In German, Imperfekt formerly referred to the simply conjugated past tense (to contrast with the Perfekt or compound past form), but the term Präteritum (preterite) is now preferred, since the form does not carry any implication of imperfective aspect.
"Imperfect" comes from the Latin imperfectus "unfinished",[2] because the imperfect expresses an ongoing, uncompleted action. The equivalent Ancient Greek term was paratatikós "prolonged".
Peter is referring to the same "end of things" the same exact word Jesus used in Matthew 24. The ending of the Temple. The end of the Mosaic Age and the ushering in the the KINGDOM age!
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), in his work titled “Miscellany #1199, directly tied Christ’s predictions of His coming as recorded in the gospels to the events of 66-70 AD:
Luke was writing to a Greek audience ...Tis evident that when Christ speaks of his coming; his being revealed; his coming in his Kingdom; or his Kingdom’s coming; He has respect to his appearing in those great works of his Power Justice and Grace, which should be in the Destruction of Jerusalem and other extraordinary Providences which should attend it [So in Luke 17:20 – 18:8].
Luke 17 20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you (or within) .”
- within you i.e. in the midst of you
- within you i.e. your soul
Jesus was saying, the coming of the kingdom is an internal, spiritual process and that Jesus had to be rejected by the current generation, they ALL had to have the opportunity to accept to reject the Messiah. So, we have a time period of groaning, creaking, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Romans 8 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
What are they waiting for? The growth of the kindgom of God. Where mankind sings the praises of God alongside the rocks and trees and birds
Jonathan Edwards, though, in his work titled “History of Redemption,” called this event the “final end to the Old Testament world,” and added that “the dissolution of the Jewish state was often spoken of in the Old Testament as the end of the world.” According to Edwards, this was an “instance of removing those things which [were] ready to vanish away, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain,” a reference to Hebrews 8:13 and 12:27-28.
Edwards’ position was that the Old Covenant was rendered obsolete because of Christ’s work on the cross, yet it was still “becoming” obsolete at the time Hebrews was written because the worship life that centered on Jerusalem and the temple was still alive (though meaningless) as long as the temple stood (Dennis Todd, 2009 [1]). These things did vanish away in 70 AD, and it became abundantly clear to anyone with eyes to see that all types and shadows had been replaced by the reality, Christ Himself. Judaism has never been the same since that time. With this interpretation John Piper (1996), the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, agrees. He states that it “is almost impossible to exaggerate the importance of what happened in A.D. 70 in Jerusalem. It was an event that, for Jews and Christians, was critical in defining their faith for the next 2000 years.”
Now, why is it important to know whether prophesies were fulfilled in AD 70 or we are waiting on them to be fulfilled. Well, one view, that is relatively new to the game, really coming on the scene in the 1800's says that the world must get worse and worse and go into terrible tribulation before Christ comes back and we have all authority and dominion. But if you can see much of Revelation as already done and over, and the Great Tribulation as suffered through but wonderful brothers and sisters before us, then we are BUILDING the kingdom with power and might, each generation with the opportunity to take more ground for Christ! It's not just that I like this position better, but scripture backs it up!!!
Take the Great Commission, given to all believers in Mark 16 12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.
The Great Commission
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
side note: the pharisees were called snakes, evil men, people in authority are snakes that shall no hurt you
Christ Ascends to God’s Right Hand
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
https://postmillennialworldview.com/2020/06/30/postmillennialism-the-great-tribulation-5/#more-13942
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