The Harmony of the Olivet Discourse

© Kevin Lea, Dec 5, 2003, all rights reserved

Pastor, Calvary Church of Port Orchard, WA.

Updated Nov 14, 2015

The Lord Jesus gave some of the most detailed prophecies of future events just a couple days before His crucifixion.  This teaching by Jesus was recorded in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21.  Theologians refer to these sections of scripture as the Olivet Discourse because Jesus spoke these prophecies while on the Mount of Olives.

There has been much confusion and debate about this discourse over the centuries.  Much of the mystery has been removed with the rebirth of the nation of Israel, but views about who is being addressed and the timing of the events are still debated by sincere Christians.

After 35 years of pondering the different views and arguments, I feel it is time to contribute some thoughts in the form of this commentary.  I have put the three passages from the three Apostles’ writings side by side (using the New King James) so the entire context of Jesus words can be more easily compared and discerned.

MATTHEW 24	MARK 13		LUKE 21
1      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.”	1      Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!” 2          And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”		5      Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, 6      “These things which you see– the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”
This prophecy (and the one of Daniel 9) was literally fulfilled when Titus, and the Roman legions under his command, burned and destroyed the Temple and city of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The fire that destroyed the burnable material in the temple also melted the gold into the gaps between the stones.  In order to recover the wealth, Roman soldiers, and others seeking the spoils of the now destroyed temple, pushed every massive stone of the temple over so that they could recover the gold. Some of the stones were thrown over the southwest portion of the wall of the temple mount.  The stones landed on the road below and are there to this day.
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?”	3      Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4          “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”		7      So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?”
Jesus spoke to the crowd about the destruction of the Temple, but only four of the 12 Apostles came to Him for greater understanding.  Today, many Christians have read or heard about the prophecies concerning the Second Coming of Jesus, but many just listen without trying to understand.  There is a blessing for those who seek to understand what Jesus said.
As we study Jesus’ answer, we must remember that the four Apostles asked four questions: 1. When will these things [casting down of the stones] be? 2. What will be the sign of your coming [Second Coming]? 3. What will be the sign of the end of the age (Matthew)? 4. What sign will there be when these things [destruction of the Temple] are about to take place (Luke)?
When we read the Olivet Discourse, we must be careful to discern where Jesus’ explanations fit in relation to the four questions asked.  In other words, some of Jesus’ answers will address the things leading up to the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70 , while other parts will deal with the things leading up to His Second Coming.
In addition, some of Jesus’ answers could actually apply to both of these questions.  For example, Josephus records (Wars of the Jews, Book 6, Chapters 5-10) that false prophets and professing Messiahs were in Jerusalem during the siege of the Romans leading up to A.D. 70.  These false prophets were assuring the Jews not to fear the Romans, nor to leave the city, since God was going to destroy the Roman legions and set up the throne of the Messiah.
Therefore, when Jesus warned the future readers of His prophecy that they should not be deceived by false prophets who would say the Messiah is coming (see verses below), he was clearly speaking to those who would be living in Jerusalem in A.D. 70.  However, we also know from 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 2, and the book of Revelation, that the Antichrist and his false prophet are also going to deceive the Jewish people, and the Antichrist will declare himself to be God/Messiah. Therefore, Jesus’ warning also applies to a future Jewish people living in Jerusalem in the last days.
This dual understanding was very difficult for prophecy teachers of the past to understand, since it seemed impossible that the Jews would ever be in the land of Israel and in possession of Jerusalem again.  But it is now clear that some of Jesus’ answer will have near (A.D. 70) and far (yet future) fulfillment.
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.”	5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.”		8 – And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.”
As stated above, I believe these verses, which are almost identical in all three gospels, applied to the time immediately before A.D. 70, and will also apply to the future Jewish people who will be deceived by the Antichrist.
It is also clear that Jesus was not talking to Christians when He voiced this warning.  By definition, a Born-Again Christian KNOWS that Jesus is the Messiah, and therefore, it is impossible for a Christian to search for another Messiah.  Instead, Jesus is warning His chosen people (the Jews), not to be fooled by an imitation Messiah (both in A.D. 70 and in the future).
Tragically, many then and now have missed the first coming of their true Messiah because of the blindness over their eyes (Romans 11:25).  We mustn’t forget that the first Christians were believing Jews, but most of their countrymen rejected Jesus as the promised Messiah.  The scriptures say this blindness will, for the most part, continue until the Lord Jesus returns in glory.  Then (when He does) the Jews who are still alive will see that Jesus was their Messiah, and all Israel will receive Him and be saved (Zechariah 12:10, Romans 11:26, Isaiah 59:20).
In John 5:42-43, Jesus told the unbelieving Jews of His day that although they were rejecting Him as their promised Messiah, they would, in the future, embrace a man who would come in his own name as their deliverer (who would in fact be the Antichrist). John 5:42-43 “But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.” In Matthew 24, Jesus is warning anyone who would have ears to hear that they must not fall into the deception of the Antichrist
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.”	7      “But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8      “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.”		9      “But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” 10    Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11    “And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.”
When the Jews were hearing of wars and rumors of wars leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 , they would have been thinking, “This is the end of the Jewish people,” and rightfully so.  Josephus recorded the brutality of the Roman conquest.  Every man, woman, and child was killed in cities that put up resistance.  Most of the men were killed in cities that did not, and survivors were then taken from the land and sent into slavery throughout the Roman empire.  Jesus was promising the Jews who would see this coming destruction of the Jewish nation that “the end” was not yet, nor would the end come “immediately” after this destruction.
How perfectly His prophecy has been fulfilled.  The Jews were dispersed for almost 1,900 years.  They have been suffering wars and rumors of wars from the time of Jesus until now.  After the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, any hope of being in the land again would have seemed absurd to many.  But Jesus promised the Jews they would survive until His coming, with or without a homeland.
Today, the Jews have been faced with wars and rumors of wars that make some believe they could again be wiped off of the map of the Middle East and destroyed as a people. But Jesus assures them this is not the way it is going to end.
			20    “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21    “Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22    “For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23    “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24    “And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Only Luke records this portion of Jesus’ answer.  Jesus further explained to the four Apostles that the Roman army would surround Jerusalem, and when it did, those who were in the city should flee.  Those who listened to Jesus would have been spared the death that awaited all those who stayed.  Some historians have stated that there were no Christians in Jerusalem when it fell to the Romans.   The “Time of the Gentiles” that Luke refers to actually started in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed Solomon’s temple and Jerusalem.  Since then, the Jews have never again been in sovereign control of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.  When King Cyrus of Persia allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple in 539 BC, the Jews did so, but were still under the sovereignty of Persia.  Then the Greeks took control of Jerusalem and then the Romans until Jerusalem was again destroyed in 70 AD (because the Jews kept trying to fight to regain their own sovereignty).   The Gentiles have continued to “trample” Jerusalem to this day.  In 1967, the Jews took Jerusalem and the Temple Mount back from the Gentiles for the first time since 586 BC.  However, the next day their famous general, Moshe Dayan, foolishly gave control of the Temple Mount back to Jordan as a gesture of peace.   This act actually fulfilled prophecy and kept a portion of Jerusalem under the foot of the gentiles, where it will remain (according to Revelation 11:2) until Jesus returns.
As a side note, Moshe Dayan was quoted as saying the following about the orthodox Jews rejoicing that they had sovereignty over the Temple Mount for the first time in 2,500 years:   Wikipedia – Dayan in one recollection, having seen rabbis flocking on the Temple Mount shortly after Jerusalem was captured in 1967, he asked “what is this? Vatican?” Dayan later ordered the Israeli flag removed from the Dome of the Rock, and gave administrative control of the Temple Mount over to the Waqf, a Muslim council. Dayan believed that the Temple Mount was more important to Judaism as a historical rather than holy site.
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.”	8          “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.”		11        “And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.”
As discussed above, portions of these verses could easily apply to the time of the Romans around A.D. 70.  But some could only apply to the future signs of His coming.  Although there have been famines, pestilences (40 percent of Europe died in the plague), and earthquakes throughout history, Luke records that Jesus said “great earthquakes.”
The book of Revelation (16:18-21) predicts a future great, global earthquake, which results in “every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.”  Since the time Jesus spoke this warning in Luke, there have not been “great earthquakes” of this magnitude. Therefore, it must apply to a future event.
Evolutionary geology would say it is impossible to have a global earthquake.  But Jesus predicts there will be.  Therefore the evolutionary paradigm about the root causes of earthquakes must be wrong.   2 Peter 3:5-7, teaches that the world was once destroyed by the flood of Noah, and that the energy reserved in the crust and mantle from this cataclysm will someday burst forth to destroy again by fire (see Dr. Walt Brown’s hydroplate theory of the flood at www.creationscience.com for an explanation of how the flood of Noah occurred and how global earthquakes and magma eruptions are events waiting to happen).   Jesus also said that earthquakes would be in “various places”.  Currently, nearly all earthquakes are located in what is called the Pacific Ring of Fire.  However, we know that the inner earth is becoming more unstable due to the deep earthquakes (greater than 220 miles) which melt rock along the fault line creating magma that decreases in volume at these pressures.   The resultant instability will someday cause earthquakes to occur in “various places” ultimately becoming global.   For a complete explanation for why earthquakes will increase, show up in unexpected places, and ultimately be globally cataclysmic, search on “Earthquakes 2012 update” on Google or Youtube where you can watch my 1 hour, 36 minute teaching based on Dr. Walt Brown’s hydroplate theory.
Josephus also records that there were fearful sights and great signs from heaven when the city of Jerusalem was under siege in A.D. 70 (Wars of the Jews, Book 6, Chapter 5), and Jesus could have been talking about this event in A.D. 70.  However, Jesus goes on to explain that the signs in the heavens will include the sun and moon being darkened.  Because these things have never occurred in history, it is possible that this portion of His answer to the disciples had a near and far meaning.   Since 2008, some have taught that combinations of lunar and solar eclipses on Jewish feast days are what Jesus was talking about when he spoke of “great signs from heaven.”  However, solar and lunar eclipses are not “great signs” since they have occurred since the creation, are only seen by a small percent of the earth’s population, only last for short time during one night, and now (Nov 2015) that we are weeks past the last set of feast day eclipses, these speculations are proven to be false.  What Jesus was predicting is something so great that everyone on the planet will see it and will know.
As a final note, Jesus also talked of pestilence and famines in these passages.  If the world ever experiences a biological weapons attack, the full weight of this prophecy will sink into the hearts of the survivors.  Matthew and Mark record that Jesus said these things would be the “beginning of sorrows.”  The Greek word for sorrows actually refers to the birth pangs of a woman in labor.  Therefore, Jesus is saying that as the last days approach, earthquakes, pestilence, famines, etc., will grow in frequency and intensity, in the same way as the contractions associated with giving birth grow closer and closer together, with more and more intensity as the time of birth approaches.  For decades some have claimed that earthquakes are increasing in fulfillment of this prophecy.  But this claim is currently easy to challenge depending on how you graph the data (number of quakes?, number of earthquakes above a certain magnitude?, energy released by all earthquakes?, etc.).  However, the day is coming when earthquakes are so frequent, widespread and destructive that no one will dispute that Jesus’ prediction has been fulfilled.
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 [literally – fall away, i.e., from the faith], will betray one another, and will hate one another.”	9      “But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 10 “And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11    “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.   “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will 11       “But But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12        “Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13    “And you will be hated by all men for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”		12    “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. 13    “But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. 14    “Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; 15    “for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. 16    “You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17    “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. 18    “But not a hair of your head shall be lost. 19        “By your patience possess your souls.”
In the world today, there are two groups of people who are hated for no other reason but because of who they are – the Christians and the Jews.  Christians know that Jesus is the only truth whereby man can be saved (Acts 4:12).  Therefore, Satan wants to kill all true Christians (Jew and Gentile) so this message will not spread, but he has failed to do so.
The first Christians were Jews.  The book of Acts records how Jesus’ predictions were literally fulfilled in the early church when Jews who believed in Jesus as their Messiah were brought before the leaders of the synagogues and were persecuted and sometimes killed.  Jesus is also addressing the combined (Jew and Gentile) Christian church (then and now) which has also been persecuted and hated by all nations “for My name’s sake.”
Although Jesus was clearly talking about those who would be persecuted in His name, this warning also seems to apply to the Jews who believe in the name of God (YHWH) and the promise of the Messiah (even though for a season the unbelieving Jew is blinded so as not to see Jesus as their Messiah).  A poll taken in Europe in November of 2003 showed that 59 percent of the Europeans believe that Israel is the biggest global threat.  There is no logical basis for this fear. This irrational belief can only be understood spiritually.  God has called the Jews His chosen people, and Satan, in his demented attempt to prove that God cannot keep His promise to His witness people, wants to destroy them and those who believe in the Jewish Messiah.
Jesus told His disciples that Christians and Jews would be hated until the end of time as a sign of His coming.  He also predicts that some will fall away from the truth as a result of that persecution.  Certainly, this has been fulfilled in the centuries leading up to our day, and it will get worse in the future.  However, it is very likely that the betrayal that Jesus warns about (people turning their own relatives into the authorities for execution) will find its ultimate fulfillment in the last three and a half years of the Antichrist’s rule, when the Antichrist demands that the entire world worship him and receive the mark of his name in their hand or forehead.  Failure to worship the antichrist results in certain death and it is likely those who have taken his mark will be required to turn in those who have refused to do so, even if they are members of their own family.
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.”
It appears that Matthew alone records this second warning by Jesus of false prophets that will come in the last days.  Many New Testament prophecies by the apostles also talk about the false teachings that will come in the last days, and how people will turn their ears from the truth and believe a lie (2 Timothy 4:3-4); how people will go after doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1).  But Jesus defined the false prophets of this prophecy as being those who deceive people to go after false messiahs (Matthew 24:5), something that cannot apply to the church as explained above.  However, after the church is gone and the world government is established, the Jews will be deceived into thinking their time of peace has arrived.  They will also be easily deceived into believing the man who makes peace possible (the antichrist during his first 3.5 years of rule) is their long promised Messiah.  Jesus is emphasizing His warning again; don’t believe the false prophets who will be deceiving you in the last days!
Jesus also warned that in the last day’s kingdom of the antichrist, lawlessness will increase to the point that people will lose their ability to love one another.  Bribery, betrayal, treason, extortion, theft etc. will cause all people on earth to live in fear and suspicion rather than love.
There will be many Jews and Gentiles who will place their trust in Jesus during the 70th week of Daniel (The Tribulation).  They will be under great pressure to abandon their faith in Jesus and to instead put their trust in the global leader.  Those who hold onto the gospel of Jesus Christ to the end shall be saved.  Those who don’t, and are offended (fall away) by the Gospel of Jesus will show that they never truly believed and, like Judas, had other motives for calling themselves Christians.
14        “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”	10    “And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”
According to Revelation 14, an angel will literally fulfill this during the tribulation period.   Rev 14:6-7 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth– to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people– saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
God promises that the end will not come until He gives the inhabitants of the world one last chance to repent.  Tragically, most will ignore this angelic warning.
Some Christians who are not aware of the prophecy of Revelation 14 think Jesus was saying that the church must fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28 in order for Jesus to return.  Jesus did command us to go into all nations to spread the gospel, and the Holy Spirit has, for centuries, been leading those who are willing to heed the call.  But the Church has not, and probably will not, succeed in taking the gospel to every tribe, tongue, and nation before the Tribulation.  When the church is taken away at the Rapture, the Lord will continue spreading the message of the Gospel using an angel.  And only after all nations have heard will the final wrath of God be poured out upon the unbelieving world.
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.’	14    “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15    “Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. 16    “And let him who is in the field not go back to get his garment. 17    “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18    “And pray that your flight may not be in winter. 19    “For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. 20        “And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.’		Luke 17:31 “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. 32 “Remember Lot’s wife. 33 “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Notice that Luke does not record this portion of Jesus’ teaching in his chapter 21 record of the Olivet Discourse.  It appears that God wanted Luke to concentrate on the near destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies (covered in Luke 21:20-24 and fulfilled shortly after in 70 AD), but Matthew and Mark were commissioned to record what would happen in the distant future – yet future to us.  In chapter 17 of Luke, Luke does record a very similar teaching that Jesus gave in Jerusalem to those asking him about when the kingdom was coming.  The Luke 17 teaching could have been immediately before Jesus left Jerusalem and gave the Olivet Discourse, and is included here for completeness.
A background of the book of Daniel is critical to understanding this portion of the Olivet Discourse.  Jesus refers to the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, found in Daniel Chapters 9 and 12.  The following are the applicable verses from Daniel 9 and 12, with my interpretation/comments in bold brackets or indented.  For a more detailed teaching on the reasoning behind this interpretation, the reader can go to our website (calvarypo.org) and listen to the complete teaching of Daniel, Chapters 9 and 12, in MP3 format.   Daniel 9:24  – “Seventy weeks [in Hebrew literally reads, “seventy sevens” interpreted to be 70 times 7 years, or 490 years] are determined for your people [the Jews] and for your holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.   In other words, there will be a total of 490 years of prophetic time dealing with the Jews and Jerusalem until the Jewish Messiah comes to rule on Earth.  As we will see, this is not a continuous time frame.  Instead, the 490 years are broken into a 483-year and a 7-year time block, separated by hundreds of years.
Daniel 9:25 – “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.   A total of 483 years out of the 490 years will be used up in the time between a commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah of Israel comes.  Dr. David Reagan makes a strong case for how to calculate the starting and stopping point of this prophecy (http://raptureready.com/featured/reagan/dr31.html).  He contends that the commandment (457 BC) to rebuild Jerusalem is recorded in Ezra 9:9: Ezra 9:9 — “God has not forsaken us, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem“. Then, exactly 483 years later, Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue of Nazareth declaring that He was fulfilling the prophecies of the Messiah.   Luke 4:17  And He [Jesus] was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written [Isaiah 61:1] :  18  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed;  19  To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”  20  Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  21  And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  (NKJ)   The commandment to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem is the starting point, and Daniel says the end point of the 483 years is defined as “until Messiah the Prince” meaning the beginning of Jesus’ three years of ministry before He was crucified and risen from the dead on our behalf.  Then Daniel continues with his prophecy.
Daniel 9:26 – “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off [killed], but not for Himself [Jesus did not die on His own account, but for the sins of the world]; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.   Daniel clearly prophesied that the Jewish Messiah would be killed; then a people would destroy the Jewish Temple and the city of Jerusalem, which was fulfilled by the Romans in A.D. 70.   Daniel prophesied these events about 530 B.C., when the Medes and Persians were ruling the world.  The Roman Empire did not exist and could not be named.  Since “the people” who destroyed the city were the Romans, we can know “the prince who is to come,” a reference to the future Antichrist, must come out of a revived Roman Empire.
9:26—The end of it [the city and sanctuary] shall be with a flood [literally = dispersion] and till the end of the war desolations are determined.   Again, this was literally fulfilled in A.D. 70 and continues to this day as the Jews continue to be in dispersion and wars.   In the next verse, the prophecy skips to the future.  None of the Old Testament prophecies deal with the time of the Church; instead, they deal with the Jewish nation and people.  During this period of time (since Jesus was crucified, risen, and ascended into heaven), the progression of the 490-year prophecy has been put on hold.  Verse 27 records the event that starts the last seven-year period of history until the Messiah comes to rule and to be “anointed as the Most Holy” (verse 24), which means when Jesus returns in glory.
Daniel 9:27 – Then he [The Prince who is to come, from verse 26 – the future Antichrist] shall confirm [enforce] a covenant [contractual agreement] with many [nations?] for one week [literally one seven = one seven-year period of time, the last seven of the 70 sevens of verse 24]; but in the middle of the week [3.5 years into the treaty] he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate [the Antichrist will bring global destruction – the event Jesus was referring to], even until the consummation [until the end – when Jesus returns], which is determined, is poured out on the desolate [Jesus brings wrath to those making desolation].”   What does Daniel mean when he says that the antichrist will confirm a covenant with many for one week (of years or seven years)?  I think the answer is found in the words which immediately follow, when Daniel says the antichrist breaks the covenant by bringing an end to the reinstituted Jewish sacrificial system coinciding with the rebuilt Jewish temple.  Therefore, the covenant must have been an agreement between the rest of the world and Israel that the Jews would be allowed to reestablish Mosaic law animal sacrifice for the first time since their previous temple was destroyed in 70 AD.  It appears the rest of the world is required to join the global religion which does not tolerate any religious fundamentalists (no one is allowed to say their god is the only god).  If this is the case, the Jews alone will be allowed to return to the “fundamentals” of their faith, but only for a season of three and a half years, after which the antichrist rips up the contract.
There is one other place that Daniel speaks of a future abomination:   Dan 12:11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away [by the Antichrist, 3.5 years into a seven year peace treaty], and the abomination of desolation is set up [image of the Antichrist where he declares himself to be god – 2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 13], there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days [Until Jesus physically returns to rescue the remnant]. 12 “Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days [possibly meaning those who survive the “sheep/goat” judgment of Matthew 25:32-46]. 13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.” (NKJ)
Going back to Matthew 24:15-22 – Matthew and Mark record Jesus’ warning to the Jews who will be living in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas of Israel during the last days (during the seven-year “Tribulation” period).  According to Daniel 9, three and one half years into a seven year covenant, the Antichrist will break his agreement with the Jews.  He will also commit an abomination in the rebuilt temple (currently not possible since the temple has not been built).  Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 2, that the Antichrist will go into the Holy Place of the future rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, where he will declare that he alone is god, and will force the world’s inhabitants to worship him (or an image of him) as god (Rev 13).  It appears this is the abomination that Jesus was referring to.  Some think the Antichrist will also sacrifice a pig, as Antiochus IV (the Seleucid ruler over Israel) did in 167 BC.
Whatever actually happens to fulfill the “abomination of desolation,” it is clear from the warnings of Jesus that those Jews living in Israel at the time will need to immediately leave Jerusalem and Judea in order to escape a slaughter.  If they take the time to go to their houses, they will be killed.  Therefore, the urgency is such that they are to pray that the abomination does not occur on the Sabbath.  This would mean the Jews will become increasingly observant of the Sabbath law as the last days approach.  Notice that in Luke 21:20-24, there is concern for those who are nursing children, but not that the Jews pray that their need for flight doesn’t fall on a Sabbath.  Remember Luke was recording Jesus’ answer to the question of when the Temple of their day was going to be destroyed.  Jesus said it would be when the Jews saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies.  In the days and years leading up to the fall of Jerusalem, and destruction of the Jewish temple by the Romans in 70 AD, Jews living in Jerusalem would have had many days to flee the city; and thus there was no reason to pray that there need to do so would not come on a Sabbath.  Matthew and Mark record the need for Jews to flee Jerusalem in a future judgment of the Antichrist where it will be critical to immediately leave the city as soon as they see the abomination of desolation, with no time to spare.
For the sake of conjecture, assume the following has occurred to get to this point (as history unfolds, any errors in the following are the result of my lack of understanding of God’s word and not on the prophecies themselves):
(1) A future war in the Middle East results in the fulfillment of Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17.  Psalm 83 talks about (using modern names) Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza and Saudi Arabia and Egypt being burned as “the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire.” Isaiah 17 speaks of a future war were Damascus is destroyed and ceases to be the capitol of Syria.  Isaiah 17 also says that many other strong cities will be forsaken “because of Israel”.  At the same time, Israel’s northern military bases are destroyed, and Israel’s strength is greatly weakened.  This results in all of Israel’s immediate, Arab, Muslim neighbors being destroyed (apparently as a result of Israel using nuclear weapons).  I suspect that this will be fulfilled in a widespread nuclear war.  It is not hard to conjecture that such a global conflagration will result in a demand for global government and global nuclear (and other WMD) disarmament.  Israel will then become defenseless against their other neighbors who come to destroy her in the next prophetic war.
(2) Then (possibly soon after the Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 wars), the Arab/Muslim nations that surround the nations which were destroyed by Israel come to invade and destroy Israel behind the leadership of Russia, as prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39 (possibly as a result of Israel’s weakened military might after suffering the blows from Syria and because Israel has either expended her weapons on the immediate neighbors or has been disarmed).  It is clear from Ezekiel 38 that the other nations of the world do not offer to come to Israel’s defense as the invading armies approach.  This means something must happen to remove America’s pro-Israel influence in the Middle East.  It might even mean that other nations have also been destroyed as a result of a larger scale nuclear exchange when the Nuclear Jeanie was let out of the Middle East bottle.
(3) As the invading armies approach the mountains of Israel, God intervenes on Israel’s behalf and destroys the armies, as described in Ezekiel 38 and 39.  Ezekiel 39 prophesies that from that day forward, God will again pour His spirit on the house of Israel.  The church will be Raptured by this time, since God will be again dealing specifically with Israel.  Israel will have a revival back to God (but not toward their true Messiah, Jesus, yet).
(4) As the world’s survivors reel from the destruction caused by the fulfillment of Psalm 83, Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39, a man raises to power with a plan to put an end to wars in general and the Middle East conflict specifically.  The globalization process is accelerated and culminates in a seven-year treaty where Israel is allowed to realize her millennia’s long dream to reestablish temple worship, including animal sacrifices.  I believe this change in heart toward the Jews will be the result of a global recognition of Israel’s miraculous preservation during two separate conflicts, each of which should have wiped her off the map.  The world will know that this could only have happened as the result of divine intervention.
The enforcement of this treaty will signal the beginning of the last seven-year portion of Daniel’s 490-year prophecy, as discussed earlier.  The plan will include allowing the Jews to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem (Revelation 11:1-2), to reinitiate animal sacrifice (Dan 9 and 12), to enforce Sabbath observance (Jesus), and to recognize Israel land borders that are defensible.  This plan will be so favorable to the Jews that they will be deceived into thinking that the man behind its inspiration is none other than the promised Messiah (but in fact, he will be the Antichrist whom Jesus warned them about).  Jews from around the world will all flock to Israel to complete the fulfillment of the O.T. prophets about the re-gathering of Jews to the land, and the whole world will be saying “Finally! Peace and safety throughout the world!”  But their joy and hopes will soon be dashed as the Antichrist brings death to the world.  Then 1Thes 5:3 will be fulfilled: “For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”
(5) Three and a half years into the seven-year peace plan; the Antichrist will show his true colors and will commit the abomination of desolation.  Some think it is at this time that someone attempts to assassinate him, but he recovers from a deadly wound.   Rev 13:3 – And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast [Antichrist].  4  So they worshiped the dragon [Satan] who gave authority to the beast [Antichrist at this time will be possessed by Satan]; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”  5  And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months [for another 3.5 years, which is when Jesus returns and judges the antichrist (Revelation 19:20)].  (NKJ)
(6)  When the Antichrist miraculously recovers from his deadly wound, he goes on a demonically possessed rampage against the Jews.  Those Jews who heeded Jesus’ warning have already taken their families to the wilderness.  They realize they were deceived into thinking their Messiah was the Antichrist, and now, in repentance, they are following the teachings of their true Messiah, Jesus.  The Antichrist will try to annihilate these fleeing Jews, but God miraculously defends them.   Rev 12:13 Now when the dragon [Satan] saw that he had been cast to the earth [losing the battle to have access to heaven], he persecuted the woman [Israel] who gave birth to the male Child [the Messiah, Jesus.  Satan attempts this persecution against Israel by possessing the Antichrist and using him against the Jews].  14 But the woman [Israel] was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place [believed to be the rock city of Petra, in Jordan], where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time [three and a half years], from the presence of the serpent [Satan].  15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman [either literal flood of water or a flood of troops], that he might cause her [Israel] to be carried away by the flood.  16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.  17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ [those who during the tribulation period believe in the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, but were not among those fleeing to the wilderness and therefore not under complete protection by God]. (NKJ)
As a side note, it is clear that the Church must be gone before the abomination of desolation.  Jesus is warning the Jews living in Israel to flee to the wilderness.  But in His entire Olivet Discourse, Jesus never tells the Church what they are to do.  If the Christian Church were still on the earth, why does Jesus not warn them?  If Christians are still on the earth, what are they supposed to do when they see the Antichrist commit the abomination?  The answer must be that the church has been raptured.  According to Revelation, many Jews and Gentiles will become believers during the tribulation period and will be killed for their faith, but they are never referred to as the church, and since they were not believers before the Rapture, they missed the opportunity to be spared the tribulation events.
In Revelation 3:10, Jesus promises the church of Philadelphia that He “will keep them from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”  Although the church of Philadelphia was a literal church at the time John the Apostle was given the vision of Revelation, many believe this promise of Jesus had a broader meaning, since the literal church of Philadelphia in John’s day was never spared of a global time of testing.  Therefore, it is believed that the church of Philadelphia actually symbolized the Christian church in the last days, the church that would be raptured before the tribulation period begins.
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. 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.”		21    “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. 22    “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23    “But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.”	Luke 17:22 Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.23        “And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them.24        “For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.
Matthew and Mark record this second warning to the last-days Jews to not believe in false Messiahs.  Luke recorded a similar teaching given to religious leaders who were questioning Him, as recorded in Luke 17:22-24 and included here for completeness.  As stated earlier, this cannot apply to Christians, now or during the Tribulation, since Christians know that Jesus is the Messiah.
Jesus is warning the tribulation period Jews not to accept a human Messiah who forces them to put his name in their hand or forehead.  John 5 seems to teach that many Jews will not heed this warning from their true Messiah, Jesus.
Jesus also makes it clear that His Second Coming will be like lightning in the sky.  There will be no need for the Jew to wonder if their Messiah has come – it will be for the entire world to witness.
28    “For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.			Luke 17:26      “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27        “They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28        “Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29        “but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30        “Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31        “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. 32        “Remember Lot’s wife. 33        “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34        “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. 35        “Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36        “Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” 37        And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”
I have again included Jesus teaching in Jerusalem as recorded in Luke 17:26-37 since it helps to give the context of Matthew’s record of the Olivet Discourse teaching.  These verses are possibly referring to the fact that if the Jews do not listen to Jesus’ warnings about the Antichrist, and thus fail to flee to the wilderness of Jordan when the abomination occurs, then they will be rounded up (one taken, one left – 50%) and killed in the following persecution of the Antichrist.  Jesus teaches that their dead bodies will be left outside for the vultures and eagles.  Zechariah 13:8-9 teaches that only one third of the Jews are going to survive this time of Jacob’s trouble.  Matthew also records Jesus teaching about one being taken and one left in verses 37-42 (below).  There are other theories about what this very difficult passage is trying to teach, but it seems clear from the context that this cannot be talking about the rapture of the church, as some believe.
Jesus’ teaching about “As in the days of Noah” also fits into this timeframe.  Those Jews who have embraced the antichrist as their Messiah are living the good life.  They have survived two wars of attempted annihilation of the Jews, the law of Moses is back in effect, their long dreamed of third temple is built and being used, and they have a contract with the global leader who has made it all possible.  The recent horrors are past and the future looks bright.  Then, in one day, their world comes apart when their “messiah” turns on them and the next three and a half years become a time of Jacob’s trouble (for them and the rest of the world).
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.”	24    “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25    “the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in heaven will be shaken. 26    “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”		Luke 21:25     “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26    “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. 27    “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28    “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
The end of the seven-year tribulation period will culminate in an outpouring of the wrath of God such as the world has never seen.  Revelation, Chapter 6, ties the dimming of the sun and the blocking out of the moon to a great earthquake. Rev 6:12-14 – I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.  Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.  (NKJ)
Is it possible that the earthquake coincides with eruptions of volcanoes, or super volcanoes, which spew ash into the air, thus blocking the sun and moon?  Scientists are speculating that the Super Volcano of Yellowstone Park would create such an event when it erupts again.  Recent land surveys indicate that portions of Yellowstone have bulged and uplifted several inches since the turn of the century.  Studies of earthquake seismic waves also reveal that about two thirds of Yellowstone National Park is sitting on top of a massive magma chamber about 10 miles below the surface.  If the bulging continues, it is only a matter of time until the lid blows off, releasing the unimaginable forces of the magma chamber.  The Earth would then be subjected to the effects of an eruption that is tens-of-thousands of times more powerful than the Mount Saint Helens eruption (perform a goggle search on “super volcanoes” for more information).
These kinds of eruptions could also hurl rocks into space that would then return, due to gravity, and fall all over the earth.  Could this be “the stars of heaven falling to the earth”?  And could this be why people of the Earth will be hiding in caves? Rev 6:15-17 – And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!  “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”  (NKJ)
Luke records Jesus’ warning that men’s hearts will fail them in the expectation of things that are coming on the earth.  This could possibly refer to the knowledge of an asteroid or comet on a collision course with the earth and people dying of heart attacks and anxiety because of the things literally coming upon the earth, knowing that when the asteroid hits they will die and there is no chance for them to escape to safety.
Close call – Asteroid near miss for Earth yesterday 7 11 2009  – http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/11/07/close-call-asteroid-near-miss-for-earth-yesterday/From NASA’s Spaceweather.com and NASA JPL Twitter feed. It only takes one missed space rock to ruin your day. Potentially Hazardous Asteroid – 3D rendering by Arlene Ducao On Friday November 6th at 2132 UT (16:32/ 4:32PM EST) asteroid 2009 VA barely missed Earth when it flew just 14,000 km above the planet’s surface. For comparison, Earth’s diameter is 12,756.1 km. That near miss was well inside the “Clarke Belt” of geosynchronous satellites.(35,786 km/22,236 mi). Friday’s (Nov 6) flyby of asteroid 2009 VA is the third closest on record. (That we know about.)  If it had hit, the ~6-meter wide space rock would have disintegrated in the atmosphere as a spectacular fireball, causing no significant damage to the ground. But the fact that there was so little warning is troubling.
2009 VA was discovered just 15 hours before closest approach by astronomers working at the Catalina Sky Survey.  While millions worry about CO2, there seems to be little worry nor action about this list: It is a threat we can actually develop technology for to do something about.
Others believe that Jesus’ prophecy about the sun being darkened and the moon turning to blood will be fulfilled in a total solar and lunar eclipse occurring in the days immediately preceding Jesus’ visible return to Earth (See www.calvarypo.org/HANDS/0574.pdf ).  This view is now out of favor following the hype of Sept 2015’s lunar and solar eclipses failing to live up to the book selling hype.
No matter how these warnings of Jesus’ are actually fulfilled, Matthew, Mark, and Luke make it clear the global cataclysms will be unprecedented and will immediately precede the second coming of the Lord Jesus.  They also make it clear that Jesus will come in a way that will be visible by all the inhabitants of the world (as He comes from the sky in 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.”	27    “And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.”
When Jesus returns, His angels will gather all those who have lived through the tribulation period and bring them to Israel for the judgment of Matthew 25:32-46 and Joel 3.  The gathering together of “His elect,” refers to those who are “sheep” as defined in Matthew 25.  They will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of God on Earth, where they will live under the rule of Jesus for 1,000 years (Revelation 20).  Those who fail the test of Matthew 25 are the goats (unelected), and they will be judged by God and sent to the Lake of Fire (See Matthew 25:32-46 teaching below).
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.”	28    “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. 29    “So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near– at the doors! 30    “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 31    “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”		Luke 21:29     Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30    “When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31    “So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32    “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. 33        “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
There has been much controversy about this prophecy.  Some (Preterists) believe that Jesus was saying that the prophecies of the Olivet Discourse would be fulfilled during the lifetime (generation) of the Apostles.  Thus, all these global cataclysms, the Antichrist committing an abomination in the temple, etc. were fulfilled prior to and during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.  However, the actual events of the Roman army’s destruction of Jerusalem and the temple do not fit with the prophecies of Jesus.  For example, the Romans did not cause an abomination in 70 AD.  In fact, Josephus, the Jewish historian, records (War of the Jews, Book VI, Chapter IV, paragraphs 6-7) that the Roman General (Titus) ordered his soldiers to put out the fire in order to preserve the temple which Titus considered a wonder of the world.  His orders could not be heard over the slaughter of the Jews that was taking place and the temple continued to burn (but was not defiled with an abomination).  Therefore, those who hold the “Preterist” view have to twist the scriptures to try and make them fit.  They also have to do the same to the book of Revelation which they also claim was fulfilled in 70 AD, even though the evidence is very strong that the Apostle John wrote Revelation 30 years after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.
Those who hold to the premillennial, dispensational view of the Olivet Discourse believe that since the events which Jesus prophesied have never literally taken place in the past, then they must still be future.  The following interpretations of the above scriptures fit into this “yet future” frame of reference.
Some teach that the fig tree is symbolic of Israel, and the budding of the fig tree was the reestablishment of Israel in 1948.  Those who hold this view use Jeremiah 24 and Matthew 21:19 as examples where God used the figs or the fig tree to symbolize Israel.  Therefore, they believe that when Jesus said, “When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves” he was saying when Israel puts forth leaves – that is, becomes a nation again.  The next statement by Jesus, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation…” is then interpreted as a reference to a generation period of time applying to Israel becoming a nation (variously interpreted).
This understanding has given rise to many speculations about dating the second coming of Jesus.  For example, some have taught that a biblical generation is 30 years long.  Therefore, if one adds 30 years to 1948 (the budding of the fig tree), we have Jesus returning to set up His kingdom in 1978.  In order to date the rapture, subtract 7 years, and the rapture should have occurred in 1971.  When 1971 passed, a generation was reinterpreted as 35 years.  Then a generation was assumed to be 40 years, and the time of the budding of the fig tree was reinterpreted as 1967 when the Jews gained control of most of Jerusalem. But again, the expected dates of the rapture and Second Coming have come and gone.  Reinterpretation of the above passages based on the birth of the nation of Israel, or Israel taking control of most of Jerusalem (1967) continues to this day, but it appears this interpretation of Jesus’ teaching is incorrect and has resulted in much confusion.  There are two alternative views offered below.
Both alternate views believe Jesus’ reference to the fig tree is not a symbolic reference to the birth of the nation of Israel.  Jesus was simply pointing out a fact about a fruit bearing tree; that is, when a fig tree is in bud, people can know that summer is near.  In the same way, when the Jews of the past saw the events leading up to A.D. 70, they would know that Jerusalem would soon be destroyed, but that the Jewish people would survive.
The first view holds that Jesus was also telling a distant future audience that the events leading up to His Second Coming (birth of the nation of Israel, rebuilding of the temple [allowing the abomination of desolation], global earthquakes, etc.) would reveal that the prophecies pertaining to His visible return would soon follow.  Therefore, the generation seeing the signs leading up to the tribulation period (all of them, not just the birth of the nation of Israel) would also be the generation seeing the visible return of Jesus.
In the second view, some also believe that when Jesus said,  “This generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” that He was not talking about a generation of time.  The Greek word for generation is “genea,” which, according to Thayers Greek Dictionary can refer to, “what has been begotten, men of the same stock, a family.”
In other words, Jesus was saying the “Jewish” stock would not pass away until all the prophecies of the Olivet discourse come true.  If this view is correct, then this statement by Jesus is the third time He is encouraging the Jewish listener not to be discouraged into thinking the Jewish people will be destroyed before their Messiah returns to set up His kingdom.
I have non-believing Jewish friends in Israel who are lamenting, at this moment, the current strategic conditions of their country.  They realize that the increasing strength of the surrounding hostile Muslim nations could result in the destruction of the Jewish nation.
If the Jews were to again be dispersed to the nations, it would be very likely that the Jewish race would soon after cease to exist as a “generation” or family that was distinct from the other nations of the world.  However, the prophetic scriptures do not allow for the Jews to be dispersed again.  Ezekiel, Zechariah and others make it clear that when the Jews are brought back into the land in the last days, they are there to stay until the Messiah comes.  The prophet David (Psalms 2) makes it clear the nations plot IN VAIN against the Lord and His anointed, Jesus.  As Jesus said, heaven and earth will pass away but His word will not pass away, and He will return before the Jewish nation and people would otherwise be destroyed.   I have discussed this last view (“generation” meaning the Jewish people rather than a period of time) with Dr. Tommy Ice.  He disagrees with Dr. Thayer’s dictionary stating that the Greek word “genea” can refer to a people group rather than a period of time.  Therefore, he holds to the first view that the generation (of time) that sees the beginning of the events described in the Olivet Discourse will be the generation that sees the second coming of Jesus.
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.”	32    “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33    “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.’		Luke 21:34     “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35    “For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36    “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke alone includes Jesus’ promise that anyone who watches and prays will be allowed to escape all these things that will come to pass.
If the listeners had watched the news and prayed with believing hearts about the warnings of Jesus prior to A.D. 70, then they would have escaped the Roman slaughter in Jerusalem.  If the future Jewish reader who is caught in the Tribulation reads this passage, watches the news, and prays with a believing heart, he/she will flee Jerusalem when the Antichrist commits the abomination of desolation.  Some will not flee and will be caught in the Antichrist’s cleansing campaign.  Those who take heed and flee will be protected by God in the wilderness (of Jordan?).
But how can one watch and pray to avoid global earthquakes and famines and other cataclysms written about in the Book of Revelation and here?  Why does Jesus warn the reader to “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming”?  Is He talking to Christians before the Tribulation?  Or is He talking to believers during the Tribulation?  Maybe He is talking to non-believing Jews during the Tribulation.
These are difficult questions to answer.  The prophet Daniel records that the Messiah will come 1,290 days after the abomination of desolation (Dan 12:11).  Therefore, anyone who is aware of the day that the Antichrist commits the abomination of desolation, and also lives through the remaining 3.5 years of the tribulation, and who is aware of Daniel 12, will also know the day when Jesus will physically return (as the lightning flashes across the sky).
But Jesus said to “watch”, because we don’t know the day of His coming.  If we can know the exact day of His glorious Second Coming, then Jesus must be referring to His coming for the Church in the rapture.  Paul said a future believing people will not die, but will be caught up to be with the Lord in the air (1 Thes 4:17).  When Jesus returns in glory, the scriptures record the saints are with Him (Zechariah 14:5, Jude 14, Revelation 19:13-15).  Therefore, the unknowable day of the rapture (where the Saints go to meet the Lord in the air) must precede, and be separate from, the knowable day of the Second Coming, where the saints are seen returning with Him.
Therefore, since two comings remain, it must be that the day no one can know is the day of His coming for the saints in the Rapture of the Church, when those who, “watch and pray will be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
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.”	34    “It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35    “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming– in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning– 36    “lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37    “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”		36    “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Today, many Americans who have professed to be Christians in the past are turning away from the faith (which is another sign of the last days – 2 Thes 2:3).  Their professions of faith were made with ulterior (hypocritical) motives.  Some profess faith in Jesus so they can enjoy the company of “good” people while enjoying life on Earth, not because they truly believe in Jesus as their savior.  Many count on the Christian “rapture” to get them to heaven before any hardship and persecution comes.  But as “the Lord delays His coming,” and as the persecution is worsening in the Western world, many are beginning to turn against true Christians and join in the drinking, drugs, and carousing of this wicked world, thus revealing their hypocrisy.  They are like Judas, who appeared to be a sincere follower of Jesus, but was actually motivated by the financial benefits he thought he would enjoy with Jesus as the Messiah (John 12:6).
I believe this is the final sifting phase, as Jesus prepares to take the true believers into heaven with Him, before plunging the unbelieving world into the tribulation period.
Jesus said He would spew the lukewarm out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16), and it appears that this is happening now, soon to be followed by the rapture of the Church.  I pray you are watching and praying, so that you “may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36).”

 

Only Matthew records (in Chapter 25) the final portion of Jesus’ teaching on that day.  Jesus emphasized several times the need to watch and pray.  The following parables in Chapter 25 were given to further emphasize the need for perseverance until the end.  Jesus knew that God’s mercy and grace will tolerate more of man’s wickedness than His believing saints would want Him to:

2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.  (NKJ)

Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”  11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.  (NKJ)

He also knew that many would become burdened under the weight of persecution and would question whether Jesus was really going to come as He promised.  Matthew 25 becomes a strong encouragement that true Christians must persevere till the end, trusting in Jesus’ promise that His Kingdom will come, His will, will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

CHAPTER 25

 

1          “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2          “Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3          “Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,

4          “but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

 

These virgins knew that they would need the light of their lamps in order to navigate to the wedding feast in the dark.  Therefore, all of them took lamps.  The wise ones took their lamps AND enough extra oil to last late into the night if necessary.  The foolish ones brought the lamps but no extra oil.  Today, it would be like carrying a flashlight without any extra batteries in case you needed the flashlight for the entire night.  It seems obvious from the rest of the parable that the reason they didn’t bring the extra oil was because they were only interested in getting to the wedding feast if they were not inconvenienced by a delay which lasted late into the night.

It should also be noted that oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.  Those who took no extra oil were like those who receive the word of God gladly and seem to follow Jesus, but when the persecution or the cares of this world distract them, they wither and die (parable of the sower – Matthew 13).  They were not filled with the Holy Spirit in a way that allowed them to be witnesses for Jesus until the very end.  In John 7:38-39, Jesus said,

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

If one does not believe in Jesus as the scriptures say, then they will not have the Holy Spirit.  Today, many believe in a Jesus that is not the Biblical Jesus.  They call themselves Christians and attend church, but they don’t know Him.  More importantly, Jesus goes on to say in verse twelve (below) that He doesn’t know them, and in Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says that He never knew them (people who profess to do things in Jesus name but in fact are workers of iniquity).

5          “But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

6          “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’

7          “Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

8          “And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

9          “But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’

 

Notice that the foolish virgins awoke and realized they did not have enough oil to safely navigate to the wedding feast.

Implied in this parable is the fact that it is not possible for us to give the Holy Spirit to others.  It must be obtained from the source, which in this case is God Himself.  The foolish virgins were told to go buy the oil.  If the oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, then how does one go to “buy” it?  Isaiah teaches about buying from God.

Isaiah 55:1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  2  Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.  (NKJ) 

 

But Isaiah also makes it clear that this water, wine and milk it is not bought with money.  There are many passages which teach that we receive the Holy Spirit and everlasting life in exchange for having humble faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior.  Dying to our own life is the PRICE we pay in order to live our lives for Jesus.  Those who hold onto their lives will lose them, but those who offer their lives as a living sacrifice to God will gain everlasting life.

 

Matt 10:38  “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  39  “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.  40  “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  (NKJ)

 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  (NKJ)

 

Gal 2:19  “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.  20  “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  (NKJ)

10        “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

Jesus is teaching that those who have the oil (Holy Sprit) necessary to endure till the end will be allowed into the wedding feast (of the Lamb).  In order to have “oil” that lasts, each person must have faith in Jesus as their Savior, sacrificing their own futures in exchange for being a humble bondslave of Jesus.

 

11        “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’

12        “But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

13        “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

 

Those who do not have true saving faith in Jesus, but have instead pretended to be like the ones who were anxiously awaiting the Bride Groom, will be locked out of the wedding feast because God does not KNOW them.  Jesus’ encouragement to watch must mean that the unbeliever must be fully aware of their fallen condition and receive (by faith) the gift of true salvation (and the Holy Spirit) in order to be prepared for the day of Jesus’ return for His church.   In that day, many church-going people who professed themselves as Christians will be wondering why they were left behind when the rapture comes.

 

14        “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

15        “And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

16        “Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

17        “And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.

18        “But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.

19        “After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20        “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’

 

This servant invested the money in the name of his Master and did so to increase the assets of the Master.

21        “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Jesus is teaching that in the eternal kingdom His servants will rule over “many things.”  Those who have allowed their gifts (given to them by God) in this life to further the Kingdom of God will be given “many things” to rule over in the kingdom of heaven.  The degree to which they rule in heaven is based on their faithfulness during their time on earth.  Revelation 22:5 teaches that this reward is eternal.

 

Rev 22:1  And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.  2  In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  3  And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.  4  They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.  5  There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.  (NKJ)

 

22        “He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’

23        “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

 

The one who was given less gifting still rules over “many things” because He/She used what was given them to glorify God.

 

24        “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

25        ‘And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

26        “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.

27        ‘So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.

28        ‘Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

29        ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

30        ‘And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

 

The unprofitable servant did not have a relationship with the Master.  He considered the Master to be a hard man.  Today, many consider the biblical God to be narrow-minded.  They disagree with God’s salvation plan, thinking it shouldn’t matter what someone believes about God as long as they believe in a god.    This is exactly what the emerging church leaders are doing as they redefine God and Christianity (see Brian McLaren’s book, A New Kind of Christianity where Brian describes the exclusivity of historical Christianity as being too narrow and harsh).

 

These deceived people also believe that everyone who is “good” should be able to go through the pearly gates into heaven.  In doing so they fashion their own god, a god of their liking, thus putting another god before the true God, which is idolatry.   As such, they are violating the first two of the Ten Commandments and fall into the same trap as Eve did in the Garden.  This is why the unprofitable servant will find himself in the lake of fire for eternity.

 

31        “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

32        “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

33        “And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

 

Chapter 25:31-46 ends with the final teaching by Jesus about His return.   It is commonly referred to as the “Sheep and Goat” judgment.  I rarely hear a teaching of this passage that keeps the context in mind.  If the context is not maintained, the result is a twisting of what Jesus said, which also leads to false doctrine.  To prevent misunderstanding or misinterpreting, we must emphasize the context of verse 31.  Jesus starts by defining the timing of when verses 32-46 apply; “When the Son of Man comes in His glory.”  This is clearly a reference to His coming at the end of the tribulation period when He sets up His kingdom on earth.  Therefore, any teaching about the “Sheep and Goat” judgment (of the following verses), which does not apply this judgment to the time when Jesus visibly returns to earth, is in error.

 

It is important to compare Jesus’ teaching about His coming with other prophecies pertaining to the second coming of the Messiah.  The following scriptures cover some of these Old Testament prophecies which give details on how the Messiah sets up His kingdom.  By understanding these passages first, we will lay the groundwork for understanding the final text of Matthew 25.

 

Zechariah 14

 

Zechariah 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst.

2          For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem (BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON); the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

 

In Matthew 24, Jesus warned the Jews to flee from Jerusalem into the wilderness when they saw the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel.  But here, at the end of the tribulation, the city of Jerusalem is being attacked and the Jewish people who did not flee, but survived the other horrors of the seven-year tribulation period, are being raped and killed by the armies of the Antichrist.

 

3          Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.

 

Zechariah doesn’t give a detailed account of how the Lord Jesus fights, but revelation 19 does and it is worth taking a look at before going back to Zechariah.

 

Revelation 19

Rev 19:11  Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.  12  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.  13  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  14  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

 

Here we see the “Saints” returning with Jesus.  Clearly the Church is already in heaven (the rapture) and is now following her Master as His Kingdom comes and His will is done on Earth as it is in heaven..

 

15  Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

 

Jesus will destroy all the armies of the nations that have been gathered for the battle of Armageddon and then rule the nations with a rod of iron.  Who will these be that He rules over?  Matthew 25 answers this question.

 

16  And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  17  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,  18  “that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” 19  And I saw the beast (ANTICHRIST), the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

 

This scripture indicates that the Antichrist is actually directing the forces that have been gathered for Armageddon to attack Jesus and the Saints who are visibly coming from heaven to earth.

 

20  Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

 

The first two souls to enter the Lake of Fire will be the Antichrist and the False Prophet.  This proves that the “Beast” is not symbolic of a revived government system (as some suppose and teach), since a government system cannot be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

 

21  And the rest [of their gathered armies] were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse [the spoken word of Jesus].  And all the birds were filled with their flesh.  (NKJ)

 

Back to Zechariah 14

 

3          Then the LORD (JESUS) will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.

4          And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.

 

This is a perfect parallel with Ezekiel 43:1-7:

 

Ezekiel 43

 

Ezek 43:1  Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east.  2  And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.  3  It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw– like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.  4  And the glory of the LORD came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east.  5  The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.  6  Then I heard Him speaking to me from the temple, while a man stood beside me.  7  And He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name, they nor their kings, by their harlotry or with the carcasses of their kings on their high places.  (NKJ)

 

In 1541 the Muslim warrior, Sultan Suleiman “the Magnificent” sealed up the East Gate of Jerusalem to prevent any Jewish messiah from entering.  They also established a graveyard along the East wall in order to spiritually defile this area for the same reason.  The sealed wall and the graveyard are there to this day.  How foolish for the Muslims to think these actions will prevent Jesus from returning to establish His kingdom.  Zechariah prophesies that the temple mount will split in two creating a valley.  The bricked wall and graveyard will also be split and Jesus will enter Jerusalem with the wrath of God falling upon the vile.

 

 Back to Zechariah 14

    

4          And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.

5          Then you [The Jews trapped inside the city being rapped and hunted down for killing] shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with You.

 

Jesus is telling those who are aware of this prophecy to get out of Jerusalem as His wrath is poured on those who are killing His people.

 

6          It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; the lights will diminish.

7          It shall be one day which is known to the LORD– neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen that it will be light.

 

God will work a miracle on that day as He did in the days of Joshua 10.

 

8          And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; in both summer and winter it shall occur.

 

See Ezekiel 47:8-13 for a parallel passage

 

9          And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be–” The LORD is one,” and His name one.

10        All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananeel to the king’s winepresses.

11        The people shall dwell in it; and no longer shall there be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

12        And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.

 

It appears that this will be true for those who see Jesus.  Others will be killed but their flesh will be eaten by birds.

 

Rev 19:21  And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

 

Go to verse 16  And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

This verse is so important when trying to understand the meaning of the Matthew 25 Sheep and Goat judgment.  We see in this verse that there will be people (left of all the nations – gentiles) who will survive the Tribulation period and will be allowed to live on the earth as Jesus rules from Jerusalem.  These survivors will be required to come to Israel and worship Jesus once a year during the Jewish feast of Tabernacles (September or October time frame).

 

17        And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain.

 

This verse makes it clear that there will be sin on Earth during the time that Jesus is ruling with a rod of iron over the nations of the earth.  How can this be?  Who are these sinners?  These questions are answered by Matthew 25.

 

Matthew 25

 

31        “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

 

Jesus returns, kills all who have fought against Him, and sets up His throne in Jerusalem.

 

32        “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

The survivors of the Tribulation period will then be gathered by the angels (see Matthew 24:31 commentary above).

33        “And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

The right hand is the side of honor, the left hand the side of judgment.

34        “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35        ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;

36        ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

The sheep will be allowed to continue living on Earth under the rule of Jesus as King.

37        “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?

38        ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?

39        ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

40        “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

What defines these survivors as sheep rather than goats is by their actions towards what Jesus refers to as His brethren.  But who are these?  Jesus answers this question in Matthew 12:

Matt 12:46  While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  47  Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”  48  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”  49  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!  50  “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”  (NKJ)

 

It is clear from this passage that Jesus considers those who “do the will of His Father” as being His brethren.  Therefore, Jesus declares that the sheep are those who ministered food, clothing, hospitality, and compassion to those who were doing the will of the Father during the tribulation period.  What is the will of the Father during this time?  Not taking the Mark of the Beast, not bowing to the image of the Antichrist, obeying the commandments of God, etc.  But these are precisely the people who are being hunted down and beheaded by the Antichrist during his last 3.5 years of Tyranny.

But anyone who assists those who refuse to take the Mark of the Beast will also be hunted down and must themselves also be resisting the rule of the Antichrist.  Therefore, it appears these sheep are refusing to take the Mark also but are willing to assist others with food, shelter and water; rather than turn them away as they maintain their own survivalist mentality.

41        “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

It is important to note that the Lake of Fire was made for the Devil and his angels, not for man.  It is man’s foolishness for joining in Satan’s rebellion that causes him to go to the same eternal punishment.

42        ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;

43        ‘I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44        “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

45        “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

46        “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Those who were survivalists without any motive to serve Jesus or to have compassion on others were will not be allowed to live into Jesus’ one thousand year reign on Earth.  Since they are being judged by Jesus, they now join the Antichrist and False Prophet in the Lake of Fire.