I'm not brushing aside anything. This is just the way people talk, even in our own language and today. You are so focused on your own view of this Discourse that you're utterly unable to understand what I'm saying, even though it's completely logical. I'm not even saying I have to be right--you obviously just don't understand the argument.
This has nothing to do with brushing aside all of the issues in the Olivet Discourse. I fully agree that Christ's 2nd Coming is included in this Address because it was one of the questions being asked of Jesus. However, my main point, and I'm sure of it, is that Jesus had set out to focus on the imminent destruction of Jerusalem in his generation. The other matters are not being brushed aside--they are just secondary to what Jesus happened to be focused on at that time.
I could, for example, be talking about who the rider on the White Horse is in Revelation, and someone asks me about when Eternal Life is going to be given to the Church? If I am focused, at present, on who the rider on the White Horse is, then I'm not brushing aside the importance of when Eternal Life is going to be given to the Church. No, I'm just delivering a message on who the rider on the White Horse is as a matter of priority at that time, and not brushing aside the importance of other issues.
The same thing is true here. Jesus was focusing upon the fact the Temple was going to be annihilated, and that Jerusalem was going to be defeated in that generation. He was also asked about the 2nd Coming. Jesus did not brush aside the importance of his 2nd Coming when he continued to focus on the main issue he was dealing with, which was the destruction of Jerusalem. Rather, he focused on that 1st, while relating how his 2nd Coming was not less important but not part of the central point.
So when Jesus spoke of the preliminary Birth Pain signs leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus was not dismissing the importance of his 2nd Coming. Rather, he was referring to his main point and answering the question of "when" to that point 1st. It would take place in that generation, with these signs being preliminary to it. "All these things," ie the signs preliminary to it, would take place 1st, but would not yet be the end of the age. They would lead to the destruction of Jerusalem in that generation, whereas his 2nd Coming would be far off, after a long age of Jewish exile.
What you're saying is that all of these questions and all of these signs must be fit into the category of the last days, which is typical of Futurism. Futurists tend to make everything about the Last Days because they love to predict how contemporary events and past predictions are focused on what will happen next--a kind of prophetic hysteria.
Well, I'm a Futurist, but not an hysterical one. I recognize that some prophecies are past and some are still future. We need to put them into their proper categories. And this is not Preterism vs. non-Preterism. The Early Church Fathers recognized that the Olivet Discourse was focused on Jesus' generation as a matter of priority.
So this is the problem, I'm absolutely convinced. Jesus was focused on the big event of his generation, which was the destruction of the Temple. And the signs he focused upon, therefore, were the signs not of the endtimes, but rather, of the events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in his generation. We know this because Jesus said these preliminary signs would happen, "but the end is not yet."
Therefore, his reference to "all these things" did not include everything Jesus mentioned, some of which had to do with Israel's continuing exile, and with his 2nd Coming. These were not "brushed aside" as less important, but rather, relegated to secondary status since Jesus had been focusing primarily on the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. But he did explain the relationship of the events of his generation to the events to take place in the future. These things need to be understood separately, and not mashed together.
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Jesus is giving a prophecy specifically for the nation of Israel, anticipating the NT age in which Israel's place will be diminished while her Christian Disciples will have to endure the fall of their nation and the persecution of unbelievers. The "Great Distress" therefore consists of the punishment of the Jewish People in the NT era, while believers at that time were not to expect the end of the age, but rather, the judgment of Jerusalem. Instead of expecting an immediate return of the Messiah, they could expect the invasion of the Roman Army, depicted as "vultures," leading to an age long tribulation of the Jewish People, a punishment upon their sins.
Matt 24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” [70 AD]
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen [70 AD], and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? [endtime]”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. [distractions from 70 AD judgment] 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed [a sign of the impending Roman invasion]. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come [preliminary to the endtimes]. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places [signs of divine displeasure with Israel]. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains [preliminary to 70 AD].
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me [the sins of Israel causing the 70 AD judgment]. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come [endtimes].
15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[70 AD] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— [Dan 9] 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress [the Jewish Diaspora of the NT age], unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened [Jewish extinction avoided in the endtimes]. 23 At that time [70 AD] if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man [endtimes]. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather [70 AD].
29 “Immediately after the distress [Jewish Diaspora of the NT age] of those days
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven [endtimes]. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things [Birth Pain signs], you know that it[70 AD] is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things [Birth Pain signs] have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Please note that even though endtime matters are brought up Jesus continues to maintain his focus upon the event about to take place, the destruction of Jerusalem. This was a prophet's burden, to warn of impending judgment so that the people can choose to repent beforehand.