Transcript The Desolation of Jerusalem and The Coming of the Son of Man

The Desolation of Jerusalem
and
The Coming of the Son of Man
Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21
Three Views
1. All talking about the end of the world and
the second coming
2. All talking about the destruction of
Jerusalem
3. Talking about both the destruction of
Jerusalem and the second coming
Apocalyptic Literature
• A prophecy of an event which will soon
take place.
• A prophecy of an event in the distant
future.
• An exhortation to live faithfully for God.
Near and Far Prophecies
•
•
•
•
•
Some Ezekiel -- Restoration of Israel and
Future Temple
Daniel -- Chiasmus of Nebuchadnezzar and
Future Kingdoms
Joel -- Locust Plague and Outpouring of Spirit
Zechariah -- Rebuilding Temple and Coming
of Messiah
Revelation -- Destruction of Rome and Second
Coming
The Setting
Matt. 24:1-3; Mark 13:1-4; Luke 21:5-7
• The disciples pointed out the stones and
buildings of the temple: “What wonderful…”
• Jesus said, “You see all these things, do you
not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left
here one stone upon another, that will not be
thrown down.”
• Then they went to the Mount of Olives
where the disciples asked him two questions.
Two Questions
• “When will these things be?”
– Destruction of the Temple
• “What will be the sign …
Matthew
Mark
Luke
of your advent
[parousia] and
of the full end
of the age?” –
Second Coming
when these
things are all
to be fully
ended?” –
Both – S.C.
& D.O.T.
when these
things are
about to
happen?” –
Destruction of
the Temple
Daniel 9:27b LXX
• “… and on the temple [the] abomination of
desolation will be until [the] full end; and
[a] full end will be given on the desolator.”
• Based on this scripture the disciples
apparently thought that the temple would be
destroyed at the end of the world.
Synoptic Differences
• Matthew alternates blocks of destruction of
the temple and the second coming
• Mark interweaves the two themes
• Luke moves most of the second coming
material to Luke 17:22-37
Matthew’s Blocks
24:4-8
24:9-25
24:26-28
24:29
24:30-33
24:34
24:35-25:46
Not Second Coming
Destruction of the Temple
Not Second Coming
After Destruction of the Temple
Second Coming
Destruction of the Temple
Second Coming
Warnings About Misunderstanding
Matthew 24:4-14; Mark 13:5-13; Luke 21:8-19
• Against Being Led Astray
– Wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues
– “The end is not yet”
– “The beginning of birth pangs”
• Against Falling Away
– persecution
– love grow cold
Call for Endurance
• Matt. 24:13 — “But he who endures to the
end will be saved.”
• v. 14 – “And this gospel of the kingdom
will be preached throughout the whole
world, as a testimony to all nations; and
then the end will come.”
Abomination of Desolation
Matt. 24:15-16; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20
• When you see (in the lifetime of apostles)
• The abomination of desolation (the hated
thing that destroys) (Luke: armies [neu. pl.]
surrounding Jerusalem)
• Standing in a holy place (holy ground-NAB) (not “the holy place” in the temple)
• where they [neu. pl.] must not (Mark; ASV he)
• Spoken of by Daniel (9:27; 12:11)
• Then FLEE
The Armies Surrounding Jerusalem
• In AD 66 the Jews rebelled against Rome.
• The Roman general Cestius Gallus
surrounded Jerusalem with the 12th Legion.
• They pushed to the temple gates before
retreating.
• The Jews destroyed the retreating 12th
Legion.
• The Christians fled to Pella.
Great Tribulation
Matt. 24:16-22; Mark 13:15-20; Luke 21:21-24
• This will be the time of the Great
Tribulation -- no other time like it
– Don’t try to save possessions
– Woe to the pregnant and nursing
– Pray not in winter or on sabbath
– Shortened for the sake of the elect
– Don’t believe “Here is the Christ”
– False Christ and false prophets
Tribulation in Jerusalem
A.D. 70
• Three Rival Messiahs
– In temple, city, and outside
• Food destroyed
– Burnt each other’s grain
• Robber bands abound
– Broke into people’s houses
– Beat them if they had food or if they
didn’t
Tribulation in Jerusalem
A.D. 70 (cont.)
• No way to escape
– Arrows shot at those escaping
– Syrian forces met and disemboweled
escapees looking for gold coins
• Woman ate her own child
– Mary daughter of Eleazar from Bethezob
– Roasted and ate her infant son
• A million Jews died; 90,000 captives
The Parousia
Matt. 24:23-28; Mark 13:21-23
• Presence; arrival; advent
• Technical term for the second coming
• Christ not in the inner room
• Christ not in the wilderness
• As obvious as lightning in the sky
• As obvious as vultures circling a dead body
The Coming of the Son of Man
Matt. 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:25-28
• Immediately after that tribulation
– signs in the sun and moon and stars
– symbolic for political upheaval
(Isaiah 13:1, 10, 17; Ezekiel 32:2, 7, 11)
• Then they will see (not apostles)
– The sign = the Son of man in heaven
– Answer to the second question
The Coming of the Son of Man
• On the clouds of heaven
– Clouds are a symbol of divinity
– Ex. 16:10; 19:9; 34:5; Num. 11:25; 12:5;
Is. 19:1; Ezek. 30:3; Dan. 7:10-13
• With power and great glory
• Send out His angels
• With a loud trumpet call
– I Thess. 4:16; I Cor. 15:52
• They will gather his elect (II Thess. 2:1)
Symbolic or Second Coming?
• Not Symbolic for Jesus coming in
destruction on Jerusalem
• The coming happens “after the tribulation
of those days”
• Same coming as Matthew 25:31 – “When
the Son of man comes in his glory, and all
the angels with him, then he will sit on his
glorious throne.”
Parable of the Fig Tree
Matt. 24:32-33; Mark 13:28-29; Luke 21:29-31
• When you see fig leaves
– Summer is near
• When all these things happen
– He is near (Luke: the kingdom of God)
• Note that all these things do NOT include
the second coming; they precede and point
to it
Fig leaves
All these things
Summer is near
He is near
Statements about Time
Matt. 24:34-36; Mark 13:30-32; Luke 21:32-35
• This generation [the people then alive] will
not pass away until all these things happen
– Not include the second coming
– Answer to the First Question
• Of that day and hour [when heaven and
earth pass away] no one knows, except the
Father
– It will come “upon all who dwell upon
the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:35).
Exhortation to Watch
Matt. 24:37-25:46; Mark 13:33-37; Luke 21:36
• Like days of Noah
• People unaware
• So we must be ready
• He will come when we do not expect
• Mark concludes with Jesus saying, “What I
say to you I say to all: Watch.”