Matthew 24 : 1 - 5 The Olivet Discourse : The Signs of the End of the Age.

The Last Discourse in Matthew  The Coming Judgement and the way to act.

Introduction.

Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple as he takes his final leave of it, and teaches what were the signs of His coming. These predictions are also recorded in Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38. Barnes Notes

So here we have two judgments in view. First the A.D.70 destruction. Many have dogmatically argued that this shows that Matthew was written after AD 70. This is not the case as that does not take into account Jesus Prophetic Vision of the future and His Omniscience as Divine.

Leon Morris comments, “ We may well argue that there is a Theological Unity between the two Judgements and that some of what Jesus says could apply equally well to both. The first of these is a  judgement that  followed the REJECTION of JESUS in His earthly Ministry by the Jewish Leaders, and the second is the judgement that will follow the Preaching of the Gospel throughout the World. We should not  approach these  chapters with the conviction that everything in them applies to only one of these judgements.”

1. The Destruction of the temple. 24: 1-2

Mat 24:1  Jesus had left the Temple and was going on His way, when His disciples came and called His attention to the Temple buildings.

Mat 24:2  "But You see all these?" He replied; "in solemn truth I tell you that there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be pulled down." WNT.

http://www.jesus-story.net/images/Temple_reconstr.jpg

All three of the Synoptic Gospels mention this import discourse.

Mat 24:1  Jesus had left the Temple and was going on His way, when His disciples came and called His attention to the Temple buildings.

Notes

Jesus had gone out of the Temple and was his way to the Mount of Olives, when His disciples came and called His attention to the Temple buildings.

After the Lament over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37-39 they may have asking how such a magnificently built Temple could ever be destroyed. There were some very large stones in the building which Herod built weighing up to forty tons.

Map of the layout of Jerusalem at the time of Christ, showing the Temple and Herod's palace.

The site of Caiaphas' residence and the Upper Room is conjecture; its exact location is unknown.

From Life of Jesus Christ  Buildings He knew. http://www.jesus-story.net/buildings_NT.htm

It was a beautiful building in Jerusalem white marblestone with its Gold overlays.

Mat 24:2  "But You see all these?" He replied; "in solemn truth I tell you that there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be pulled down."

Notes

“But You see all these things?” He relied;    BUT  is adversative conjunction in the force of its expression. Instead of the admiration for the beautiful buildings which He calls “all these things” Jesus solemnly declares their total destruction.

Instead of appreciating the Architecture Jesus prophesies its destruction. The disciples were probably expecting something positive but Jesus knew the reality.

"in solemn truth I tell you that there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be pulled down."

This is a very emphatic double negative statement::  there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be pulled down." The Disciples were told not  caught up with the beauty of the Building because they were doomed.

Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem

It is more important  that  we live Godly Lives and not get caught up with admiration of Temples, Cathedrals & churches.

2. The Beginning of Troubles 23: 3-14

Mat 24:3  Afterwards He was on the Mount of Olives and was seated there when the disciples came to Him, apart from the others, and said, "Tell us when this will be; and what will be the sign of your Coming and of the Close of the Age?"

Notes.

Afterwards He was on the Mount of Olives and was seated there

Jesus and the disciples left the Temple, cross the kidron Valley and ascended the Mount of Olives. http://pamelagellercom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/MountOlives10s.jpg

...when the disciples came to Him, apart from the others, and said, "Tell us when this will be; and what will be the sign of your Coming and of the Close of the Age?"

Jesus had prophesied the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem forty years before it happened.

They wanted to know Two things privately. When this was going to happen and Jesus Coming and the Signs of the End of the age.

Jesus knew he was about to leave them. This was His last few days with them. He explained Eschatology to them. [the last events of History of this age]

Mat 24:4  "Take care that no one misleads you," answered Jesus;WNT;     And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray. R.V.

Notes

In the History of the church Eschatology is an area of Theology where it is easy to be lead astray. Look at the SDAs. In 1843 Jesus was supposed to return as they were all assembled on a mountain. It didn’t happen. They made a new calculation and went up in 1844. He still didn’t return according to their date. So the so called prophetess said Jesus had entered the sanctuary in heaven to examine their sins. This is completely non - Biblical and Blasphemous.

Even today their are very strong views of Pre-; Post; and A-millenialism.

These are prophecies to help believers discern the Times.

How can we be lead astray?

Mat 24:5  "for many will come assuming my name and saying 'I am the Christ;' and they will mislead many.

Notes

Take heed that no man deceive you. By pretending to be Christ. As they yet believed that Christ would surely return to reign at Jerusalem, this admonition was needed.

Come in my name. As the Messiah. We learn from Josephus that enthusiasts did come about the time of the end of Jerusalem, claiming to be sent of God. Bar-cocheba, "the son of the star," appeared in A. D. 120. From time to time other deceivers have appeared.

The Muslim False - Messiah, the MAHDI.

In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi (Arabic: مهدي‎,(or Imam Mahdi) ISO 233: mahdī "guided one") is the prophesied redeemer of Islamwho will rule for seven, nine, or nineteen years (according to differing interpretations)[1] before the Day of Judgment (yawm al-qiyamah / literally, the Day of Resurrection)[2] and will rid the world of evil.[3]

There is no explicit reference to the Mahdi in the Qu'ran, but references to him are found in hadith (the reports and traditions of Muhammad's teachings collected after his death). According to Islamic tradition, the Mahdi's tenure will coincide with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Isa), who is to assist the Mahdi against the Masih ad-Dajjal (literally, the "false Messiah" or Antichrist).[4]Differences exist in the concept of the Mahdi between Sunni Muslims and adherents of the Shia tradition. Wikipedia.com

Mat 24:6  And before long you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. Do not be alarmed, for such things must be; but the End is not yet.

Notes

And before long you will hear of wars and rumours of wars.

See that ye be not troubled (horate mē throeisthe). Asyndeton here with these two imperatives as Mar_8:15 orate blepete (Robertson, Grammar, p. 949). Look out for the wars and rumours of wars, but do not be scared out of your wits by them. Throeō means to cry aloud, to scream, and in the passive to be terrified by an outcry. Paul uses this very verb (mēde throeisthai) in 2Th_2:2 as a warning against excitement over false reports that he had predicted the immediate second coming of Christ. RWP

Destruction of Aleppo in Syria

But the end is not yet (all' oupō estin to telos). It is curious how people overlook these words of Jesus and proceed to set dates for the immediate end. That happened during the Great War and it has happened since. RWP

"The Bible predicts a downward spiral of catastrophes, human sin, and religious apostasy before Christ returns. Paul writes, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. . . . evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:1, 13). The world will continue to reject God, His Word, and His people. ... The erosion of peace and increase of turmoil that precedes the Rapture will reach epic proportions when untold numbers of people disappear from earth."

I believe the world has been in pangs since Jesus ascended, though like contractions are wont to do, start off mild and unnoticeable, increasing terribly as the birth nears. Then the water breaks, and I believe the rapture is that event we can liken to water breaking. When the water breaks, things really get serious in the labor pains and birthing process. The birth is near once the water breaks. What is being birthed? The Kingdom of Jesus Christ that will last 1000 years. (Revelation 20:2-7; Luke 1:32-33' Ezekiel 43:7).

http://the-end-time.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/wars-and-rumors-of-wars.html