THE OLIVET DISCOURSE

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on November 10, 2021 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: November 10, 2021 from Luke 21:5-36 (Introduction)

Theme: Our Lord gave us a broad description of end-times events so that we will watch and be ready.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

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Our Lord was the greatest Teacher who ever lived. On the very day before He would yield Himself to those who would then arrest Him, try Him and hand Him over to be crucified, He was found teaching His disciples. And what He taught them on that day was among the greatest of themes that could ever be considered.

Bible scholars refer to the lesson He taught as “The Olivet Discourse”; because our Lord taught it on the slopes of the Mount of Olives—just east of Jerusalem as He looked upon the city. This great lesson is also found in Matthew 24 and in Mark 13—with Matthew’s account being the longest, and Mark’s account the next longest. The account in Luke’s Gospel is the shortest of the three; and we find it in Luke 21:5-36.

It begins in much the same way as the other accounts do. Luke tells us, in Luke 21:5-6;

Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, “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” (Luke 21:5-6).

The enormous stones of the temple would have made it seem impossible to knock down. It would have impressed them greatly as something that would stand throughout the ages. And so, after hearing this astonishing announcement from our Lord, the disciples wanted to know more;

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?” (v. 7).

But there is a difference in the way that Luke’s account begins. In the other accounts—after hearing this announcement from our Lord—the disciples also ask, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? (Matthew 24:3); and “what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” (Mark 13:4). In other words, in the other two accounts, they included questions that concerned the culmination of the age. But in Luke’s account, their question is only centered on the immediate event of the destruction of the temple. For that reason, Luke’s account of this story—while it definitely touches on events focused on the end of the age—seems particularly focused on the events of the imminent destruction of the temple.

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The Bible sometimes uses a unique way of presenting future events to us. On the one hand, it reveals details about immediate events that are going to be fulfilled in the near future. And on the other hand, within the same prophetic promise, it sometimes contains details about related events that will be fulfilled in the distant future. Often, there is an undisclosed period of time that stands between the two events; and yet, because that period of time is undisclosed, they are presented almost as if they are one event. Theologians often refer to this as a ‘telescopic view’ of prophecy.

We have a great illustration of this in Oregon. We enjoy the beautiful ‘Three Sisters’—a series of mountains of a common mountain range. They are three separate mountains—with their peaks spaced from one another by several miles. But if you were to stand in a certain spot, you would see the peak of one distant mountain over the top of another nearer mountain over the top of yet a third closer mountain. Altogether, they would look like one mountain—but with three distinct peaks. It’s only when you get to the side of them—and away from the combined view of peaks together—that you see that they are separate mountains with a vast space separating them.

Biblical prophecy can appear to us in much the same way. The Bible sometimes presents separate but related prophetic events to us in such a way that they seem like one event. But in reality—though they share some common features—they are actually different events separated by an undisclosed amount of time. We often can only know this by the fact that one of those events has already obviously occurred, but leaving unfulfilled elements of the prophecy clearly pointing ahead to yet another event in the future.

In our Lord’s instruction in this passage, we see two events—separated by an undisclosed amount of time—but combined in ‘telescopic view’ as if they were one. We know this because we have the advantage that the disciples didn’t have. We already know that one of those events has already occurred, when the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army in 70 A.D. The remaining elements of the prophecy are yet to occur in the future. Our Lord speaks these words of instruction to those disciples who were present with Him on the Mount of Olives. But there’s a sense in which His words are intended for all His followers throughout the centuries—including those who were present with Him when He taught.

We can divide our Lord’s instructions into five sections. We will look at these divisions in greater detail later. But let’s begin by looking at them all together. The first involves …

1. WHAT ARE NOT SIGNS OF THE END OF THE AGE (vv. 8-19).

There will be many troubles that will come upon the earth; and as followers of Jesus, we will experience the pain of them. But our Lord does not want us to mistake these troubles as a sign that the end has come. He said;

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. 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.” Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. 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. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls” (vv. 8-19).

You’ll notice that three events being described. They have to do with the life of the followers of Jesus throughout the centuries. First, there will be many false Christs that will arise and deceive people. Second, there will be wars and commotions in the world. Third—even before these things (as an immediate experience of the believers after our Lord ascended)—Jesus’ followers would be persecuted and betrayed, and dragged before courts and officials to give a testimony of Him. Note that we’re told, in verse 9, “these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” These events precede the times of the end; but their occurrence is not an immediate sign of the end.

That leads us then to …

2. WHAT IS THE SIGN THAT PRECEDES IMMEDIATE DESOLATION (vv. 20-24).

The ‘desolation’ of the temple was what the disciples had most on their minds. And so, Jesus said;

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are 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. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 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. 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” (vv. 20-24).

When Jesus said in verse 24 that Jerusalem would be “trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled”, He was clearly making a reference to the event of the immediate future—when Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed by the Roman army. It would sit in ruins for at least twenty centuries. (It was only in 1948 A.D. That the Jewish people returned to their land.) But there is also a look to the distant future; when He says that “these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled” (v. 22). The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. in the near-immediate time was a necessary precursor to the fulfillment of distant future events.

How long a span of time would there be between the two events? This isn’t told to us. But Jesus then goes on to tell us …

3. WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT PRECEDE THE END OF THE AGE (vv. 25-28).

The events that our Lord now goes on to describe did not occur at the desolation of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. They speak of what will happen in the future. Our Lord goes on to say;

“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; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (vv. 25-28).

Notice that, whenever in history that these events will begin to happen, our Lord’s followers should look up, for their redemption draws near. This is because our Lord’s return is about to occur. So; as you can see, our Lord’s teaching in this passage covers an undisclosed amount of time. It begins with one prophetic event that was in close proximity to the time He spoke—that is, the ‘desolation’ of Jerusalem. And it culminates with another prophetic event that was in the far distant future from the time He spoke—that is His glorious return. There is a great span of time between the two events—although they may seem to appear as one. And because that span of time—at least nineteen-and-a-half centuries so far—is undisclosed to us, the second great event may be very near to our time. It draws closer every day.

This leads to what our Lord then goes on to tell us about …

4. HOW SWIFT AND CERTAIN THE END-TIME EVENTS WILL BE (vv. 29-33).

Our Lord uses a familiar phenomenon to teach a prophetic truth;

Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near” (vv. 29-33).

In saying in verse 32 that “this generation will by no means pass away until all things take place”, our Lord wasn’t referring to the generation of the first event. He wasn’t saying that the generation that was then alive at the time when He spoke these words would see all these things happen; because if that were the case, then our Lord was mistaken. Rather, He was speaking of the generation that would be alive at the time when the future events of verses 25-28 will begin to happen. These events would all transpire very quickly—within the span of one generation’s time. And what’s more, they will all most certainly occur. Heaven and earth would pass away before any of His promises about the end of the age would fail. He definitely will return.

Now, the fact that the first promised event occurred—that is, the desolation of Jerusalem and the temple—should serve as a confirmation to us that the second promised event will also occur. And that leads us to a final and very practical lesson from our Lord; …

5. HOW WE SHOULD LIVE IN THE LIGHT OF THESE PROMISES (vv. 34-36).

The fact that this second great event will occur at any time—and will most certainly come—that the events surrounding it will all occur very quickly—means that Jesus’ followers must be on constant alert. Jesus went on to say;

“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. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 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” (vv. 34-36).

This constitutes the practical call from our Lord in the light of His prophetic teaching.

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Let’s remember what our Lord told His followers on another occasion:

And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:42-48).

May He find us ready—and faithfully doing His work!