Jesus' Own Words on the End Times

[Dave L]

End of the age. The end spoken of in prophecy. Either he was telling them it would all happen in their lifetimes or some of the apostles are still alive today. Take your pick.

Matthew 24 covers from the time spoken to the end of the world. Other passages show the kingdom present then, and developing, to be fully developed at the end.

 

[Non-profit Prophet]

Matthew 24 is about the destruction of Israel in AD 70, not the end of the world.

So Jesus was describing events of AD 70? Most of what he said in Matthew 24 has never happened in all of history- if we look at what he said would happen, we can conclude that he was either very wrong or that he just added a bunch of weird things going on to make it seem greater than it was... great point, we should analyze Jesus’ accuracy in making prophetic statements....(or admit we are wrong about claiming Matthew 24 is solely about events in AD 70.)

 

[Josheb]

I really liked Demar's book though he saw everything as AD70 even Peter's writing about the last day.

His chapter on respecting God's time passages though, was excellent.

Yes, I find the Reconstructionsts' exegetical skills very impressive but their method dealing with Dispensationalists is often ill-mannered. It does no one any good to have great content if delivery method is poor.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

To escape the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans.


Matthew 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The same coming, the same event. This coming of the Son of Man is the event he's warning about that he said would happen before "this generation" passed.



There aren't two events. It's all the same event. He said this generation would not pass before all these things take place. The stars falling from heaven and the darkening of the sun are figurative pictures of the royal powers ceasing to have authority. God described the king of Babylon in the same way. As the 'morning star.' This isn't something to be taken literally.

It's not to be taken literally because it's an allusion to Lucifer.

 

[Redwingfan9]

Hi,

Most of what we are told to expect for the End Times comes from the Book of Revelation from what I understand, but what did Jesus HIMSELF say regarding the End Times?? (from my understanding, none of the content in the Book of Revelation actually came from Jesus...)

Thanks for any additional info!

All of scripture is written by God, so I'm not sure it matters whether Jesus uttered something about end times during his ministry or whether God spoke about it in Revelations or elsewhere in the canon of scripture.

I know a lot of folks look to Matthew 24 and claim Jesus was speaking about end times. This is a gross misinterpretation of the passage. Jesus was speaking to people in that day, warning them that Jerusalem would be destroyed and no stone would be left unturned. That happened in the Roman war against the Jews in 67ad, Jerusalem was destroyed and the Roman general ordered no stone to be left unturned in the city. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were killed but Christians were not killed because they listened to their Savior and fled in advance

 

[OldWiseGuy]

All of scripture is written by God, so I'm not sure it matters whether Jesus uttered something about end times during his ministry or whether God spoke about it in Revelations or elsewhere in the canon of scripture.

I know a lot of folks look to Matthew 24 and claim Jesus was speaking about end times. This is a gross misinterpretation of the passage. Jesus was speaking to people in that day, warning them that Jerusalem would be destroyed and no stone would be left unturned. That happened in the Roman war against the Jews in 67ad, Jerusalem was destroyed and the Roman general ordered no stone to be left unturned in the city. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were killed but Christians were not killed because they listened to their Savior and fled in advance

But that wasn't the worst calamity to be inflicted upon mankind in any sense. Even the one million Jews killed by the Romans pales compared to the Holocaust. And the Holocaust pales compared to the 30-60 million killed in WW2. And these events will pale compared to the tribulation that Jesus spoke of.

 

[Redwingfan9]

But that wasn't the worst calamity to be inflicted upon mankind in any sense. Even the one million Jews killed by the Romans pales compared to the Holocaust. And the Holocaust pales compared to the 30-60 million killed in WW2. And these events will pale compared to the tribulation that Jesus spoke of.

The tribulation Jesus was speaking of in Matt 24 clearly happened already. He is fore telling the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem, he is telling the disciples of the spreading of the gospel to the whole world, a fulfillment of the Great Commission.

 

[lsume]

Hi,

Most of what we are told to expect for the End Times comes from the Book of Revelation from what I understand, but what did Jesus HIMSELF say regarding the End Times?? (from my understanding, none of the content in the Book of Revelation actually came from Jesus...)

Thanks for any additional info!

Have you ever looked at the Old Testament prophets and the redundancy in some prophesies through time including some of what Christ Spoke. One of the many great beauties of being born again is having your eyes and ears opened to The Truth in God’s Word and to some of It’s depth. Trying to share The Truth is almost impossible today as I see it. So many different interpretations from Revelations from so many. This alone should scare so many because there is one Truth. If you are a student of The Word, you will know what I’m trying to say.


2Pet.1

1. [20] Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

 

[rhern]

This is not from Jesus, but Holy Spirit inspired, it is about end times.
2nd Thessalonians 2:

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

[Berean Tim]

All of scripture is written by God, so I'm not sure it matters whether Jesus uttered something about end times during his ministry or whether God spoke about it in Revelations or elsewhere in the canon of scripture.

I know a lot of folks look to Matthew 24 and claim Jesus was speaking about end times. This is a gross misinterpretation of the passage. Jesus was speaking to people in that day, warning them that Jerusalem would be destroyed and no stone would be left unturned. That happened in the Roman war against the Jews in 67ad, Jerusalem was destroyed and the Roman general ordered no stone to be left unturned in the city. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were killed but Christians were not killed because they listened to their Savior and fled in advance

Jesus was only speaking to 4 people , not all the people at the Temple.
Mark 13 -3And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5And Jesus began to say to them,

 

[DavidPT]

Matthew 24 covers from the time spoken to the end of the world. Other passages show the kingdom present then, and developing, to be fully developed at the end.

I like the way you put this. This sums it up nicely.

 

[DavidPT]

The tribulation Jesus was speaking of in Matt 24 clearly happened already. He is fore telling the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem, he is telling the disciples of the spreading of the gospel to the whole world, a fulfillment of the Great Commission.

Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Who do you take the very elect to be meaning here? It obviously has to be meaning someone not already deceived, in order, insomuch that, if it were possible, that these false Christs, and false prophets, shall deceive them.

Whoever you take the elect to mean in verse 24, to remain consistent, that is who the elect has to mean in verse 22 as well.

Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

These same elect are mentioned yet again below.

Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

 

[Al Touthentop]

I think he said no man knows the date or hour only the season

He said that for sure. And the Last Day is also like that according to Peter. But he gave them signs that they could watch for so they could escape the tribulation of those days and recognize that they were near. Think about it. How often in the past 2000 years have there been earthquakes and wars and rumors of wars all over the world? If that were a useful sign to us now, then we are constantly to be whipped up into expectation of this event happening. Then you have the statement that everything was to happen in that generation. Some of them standing there would still be alive when it happened. Are some of the apostles still alive?

He told them these things so they wouldn't be caught in Jerusalem when Titus came to destroy it. His instructions to them was that they flee Jerusalem and go into the hills. And history tells us that this is exactly what they did. The Christians who heeded his words escaped the destruction of Jerusalem. Tradition has it that not one Christian was lost.

 

[Al Touthentop]

Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Who do you take the very elect to be meaning here? It obviously has to be meaning someone not already deceived, in order, insomuch that, if it were possible, that these false Christs, and false prophets, shall deceive them.

Would this then indicate a time long in the future because he's talking about the elect? He's obviously talking about Christians. The judgement was going to be delivered to the Jews who rejected their Messiah. So he didn't want Christians to get caught up in that. They escaped in fact. His angels or messengers "gathered them" and got them out of Jerusalem.

 

[Al Touthentop]

If you don’t believe the whole scripture to be inspired by God (meaning Jesus as a member of the trinity inspired all of it) then there really is minimal benefit to making distinctions between which characters said which things regarding eschatology. The gospels weren’t even written for decades after the crucifixion, and the Bible wasn’t compiled and canonized until 400 years after the resurrection.

The bible was canonized by the church long before any so-called authoritative council ever sat down. Even the council of Nicea, which did not attempt to dictate canon, used the 27 books that had already been accepted as holy writ to settle the question of Jesus' divinity. The 27 books were listed as authoritative by about 120-140.

A great book which touches on this is Shelley's 'A Brief History of the Church in Plain Language.'

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Would this then indicate a time long in the future because he's talking about the elect? He's obviously talking about Christians. The judgement was going to be delivered to the Jews who rejected their Messiah. So he didn't want Christians to get caught up in that. They escaped in fact. His angels or messengers "gathered them" and got them out of Jerusalem.

Did they see Jesus coming in power and glory?

"and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

 

[Al Touthentop]

It's not to be taken literally because it's an allusion to Lucifer.

That idea was born from a novel written by Milton. It's not a real thing. God through his prophets spoke of certain rulers as astral to represent how high they were in authority over men.

Lucifer - a latin word - is not a proper noun. It's not even a name. It means 'star' in that context. The entire passage is referring to the king of Babylon, not the devil.

 

[DavidPT]

The tribulation Jesus was speaking of in Matt 24 clearly happened already. He is fore telling the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem, he is telling the disciples of the spreading of the gospel to the whole world, a fulfillment of the Great Commission.

Clearly it is the elect that the tribulation comes upon. Who is it that you take the elect to be meaning in the Discourse?

Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Mark 13:19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

Matthew 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Mark 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

It seems pretty clear from these passages that the elect can only be meaning the church.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

That idea was born from a novel written by Milton. It's not a real thing. God through his prophets spoke of certain rulers as astral to represent how high they were in authority over men.

Lucifer - a latin word - is not a proper noun. It's not even a name. It means 'star' in that context. The entire passage is referring to the king of Babylon, not the devil.

The allusions go far beyond human kings. Lucifer has become the de facto name of that spirit being. The devil, thought to be the fallen angel aka 'Lucifer', is the power behind the thrones of those ancient kings. This is evident in the discourse against the king of Tyrus, which clearly alludes to a spirit being.

 

[Al Touthentop]

Did they see Jesus coming in power and glory?

"and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

Which they did. But you leave off that he said earlier this wasn't him literally coming in person. They would see the sign of the son of man. Jesus wasn't answering a question they didn't ask. He gave them a clear set of signs to help them escape the tribulation that was coming.

They asked, essentially, "When is the temple going to be destroyed." And in Luke it says clearly that the abomination of desolation written of by Daniel was armies surrounding the holy city. Gentile armies. "As a flood."