THE GREAT OLIVET DISCOURSE

PART #2

In Part One of The Great Olivet Discourse we learned that the apostles wanted Jesus to be impressed by the magnificent gold trimmed, white marble temple as they were, but to their utter amazement he warned them that the building woud be so destroyed that there would be no stone left on top of the other.  William MacDonald in his previously mentioned Bible Believers Commentary gives a vivid picture of the fulfillment of this warning.  He writes, "Titus tried unsuccessfully to save the temple, but his soldiers put it to the torch, thus fulfilling Christ's prophecy.  When the fire melted the gold trim, the molten metal ran down between the stones.  To get at it, the soldiers had to remove the stones one by one, just as our Lord predicted.  The judgment was executed in AD 70 when the Romans under Titus sacked Jerusalem."
    In Matthew 24:3-14 we find the first half of the tribulation period.  Verse three states that after Jesus had crossed over to the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, and asked Him three questions:  (1) When would these things happen; that is, when would the temple be destroyed?  (2)  What would be the sign of His coming; that is, what supernatural event would precede His return to the earth to set up His kingdom?  (3) What would be the sign of the end of the age immediately prior to His glorious reign?  (The second and third questions are essentially the same.)  We must remember that the Jewish disciples' thinking revolved around the glorious age of the Messiah on earth.  They were not thinking about the Rapture of the Church for they knew little, if anything, about this phase of His coming.  Their expectation was His coming in power and glory to destroy His enemies and rule over the world.  Also, we should be clear that they were not talking about the end of the world (as in the KJV), but the end of the age.
(V.4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you.  (V.5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many (Jeremiah 23:21).  (V.6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  (V.7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  (V.8) All these are the beginning of sorrows (V.9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.  (V.10)  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."  (Read 2 Timothy 1:15; 4:10, 16). 
 (Read Romans 10:18; Colossians 1:6, 23).