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The continuation of lesson 46 of the Discipleship Making process, where in part one of this lesson we were left to consider the following question, “When will this time of false prophets and birth pangs be?”
In summary of part one, we found Jesus introducing the subject of end time events, in the first scene (leaving the Temple, with all of His disciples, walking up to the Mount of Olives) of His Olivet Discourse, in response to His disciples initial end time events questions, where we learned the prophetic events surrounding the destruction of the Temple (Matthew 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2, Luke 21:5-7) and the signs that lead up to its destruction (Luke 21:8-24). It is here that we pick-up where we left off, scene two of the Olivet Discourse, where we find Jesus now on the Mount of Olives answering three remaining end time events questions, posed by Peter, James, John, and Andrew, regarding the signs of His future return, and His corresponding commands to keep His disciples alert, aware, and expectant.
Scene 2: The Mount of Olives – (Matthew 24:3-28, Mark 13:3-23)
The Olivet Discourse: Matthew 24:3, Mark 13:3-4
- “the Mount of Olives”: this was probably the Garden of Gethsemane, which is located on the lower portion of the Mount of Olives directly across from the eastern (Golden) gate.
- “these things”: refer to the other events (wars, plagues, famines, etc.) that Jesus described while answering their first questions about the Temple: when it would be torn down and the sign associated with it. Like us these four disciples were curious about these “other things” and came to Him privately asking more questions.
- “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’”: some of those who claimed to be the Christ (messiah) after Jesus were: the Sicarii, Theudas (44-46 AD), Menahem ben Judah and Simon bar Kokhba (135 AD). In the five hundred year period from 1500 – 2000 AD there have been over forty individuals who claimed to be the Christ.
- “tribulation”: many people confuse two Biblical concepts: tribulation and God’s wrath. Tribulation is affliction or suffering endured by the saints in this world at the hands of men (John 16:33). The wrath of God refers to the anger of God poured out on the ungodly (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).
- “many will fall away”: the word used here is apostasy, which means defection from truth, falling away, forsake (Galatians 1:6-9, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, Hebrews 3:12, 6:4-6, 2 Peter 2:1-3, 2 Peter 3:17-18, 1 John 2:18-19, Jude 3-4).
- “many false prophets”: A prophet is one who is supposed to declare God’s will to people. In the Old Testament a prophet was considered false when he came in the name of the Lord and 1) told people to serve other gods or 2) the sign (miracle, prophecy, etc.) he declared did not come to pass. Jesus added another test when He told his disciples to discern the prophet’s fruit (character): was his behavior producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
- “standing in the holy place”: Many Christians confuse the Desolation of Jerusalem (conquering and controlling the City of Jerusalem by the Gentiles) prophesied in Daniel 9:26 with the Abomination of Desolation (desecration of the Holy Place by the Antichrist) in Daniel 9:27. Jesus even cautioned the readers to be discerning about this issue.
- “on a Sabbath”: this could indicate the weekly Sabbath (about 6 pm Friday evening until about 6 pm on Saturday evening or any one of the seven Sabbaths within the Feasts of the Lord (the Appointed Times of the Lord).
In part 3 of this lesson, we will look at scene two of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse on end time events, where He will answer the following, final two, questions for us:
- What will be the sign of your coming?
- What will be the sign of the end of the age?
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