The Glory of His Olivet Discourse

The Prophecies of Christ · AD 30

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen.

Deuteronomy 18:15

Ages past, Moses prophesied a prophet greater than himself. Christ prophesied throughout His ministry, but never more clearly about the future than in the Olivet Discourse on Tuesday evening, April 4, AD 30. This unit follows His warnings about two coming judgments — the destruction of the temple within a generation, and the judgment of the whole world at the end of the age — and His call to be ready.

Read: Matthew 24:1–35; Matthew 25:1–46; Luke 21:5–36

Weeping over Jerusalem and the Temple's Fall

After pronouncing the seven woes upon the leaders of Israel, Christ wept over Jerusalem. He grieved because He knew destruction was coming upon the city within forty years — a generation — and a greater judgment of hell at the end of the age. While they judged Him with hate, He judged them with sorrow in His heart.

As they left the temple, a disciple marveled at its wonderful stones and buildings. But the Lord turned and foretold that not one stone would be left upon another. Sitting on the Mount of Olives overlooking the temple, Peter, Andrew, James, and John asked Him privately about two things: when the temple would be destroyed and what would signal His coming and the end of the age.

Christ kept the two events distinct. The destruction of the temple would be God's judgment on the Jews who rejected Him; the destruction of the world will be His judgment on all rebellious humanity. Though the first may foreshadow the second, they must not be confused, for the timing and the signs of each are different.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

Matthew 23:37

Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.

Matthew 24:2

The Signs of Jerusalem's Destruction

Christ laid out signs that judgment on Jerusalem was near — all of them localized events in and around Judea. False christs would arise and lead many astray. There would be rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, and pestilences, and terrifying signs in the sky. These, He said, were only the beginning of the birth pains.

His followers would be persecuted — delivered to synagogues and prisons, brought before kings and governors, betrayed even by family. As lawlessness increased, the love of many would grow cold. Yet before the end came, the gospel of the kingdom would first be preached to the nations. Christ told them not to be anxious, for the Spirit would give them words their adversaries could not withstand, and by endurance they would gain their lives.

The final signs were a siege of Jerusalem, the abomination of desolation set up in the holy place as Daniel had foretold, and great tribulation against the Jews such as had never been. When they saw the abomination of desolation, the disciples were to flee at once to the mountains and not turn back for their belongings — and by heeding Christ, they escaped when Jerusalem fell.

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.

Luke 21:20

The Signs of His Second Coming

The judgment on Jerusalem must not be confused with the coming judgment on the world. The signs before the temple's fall were all local; the signs of Christ's second coming will be global — universally seen and experienced. No one will need to search for Christ in some corner of the earth, for His return will be like lightning flashing from east to west, and every eye will see Him.

That day will be cosmic in scope: the sun darkened, the moon like blood, the stars falling, the heavens rolled back like a scroll. The whole earth will be gripped with panic as the kings and the mighty hide in caves, crying for the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. But when the Son of Man appears in the clouds with power and glory, He will send His angels to gather His elect from the four winds.

As for the timing of that day, Christ said no one knows it but the Father. It will come as in the days of Noah, when people ate and drank, married and were given in marriage, with nothing unusual to warn them — sudden and unexpected. Therefore we are to stay awake and watchful, ready like a servant waiting for his master's return.

Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

Luke 21:28

Ready for His Return

Christ closed His discourse by calling His people to live ready. As the fig tree's budding branches show that summer is near, the coming signs would show that God's kingdom was advancing. He told two parables of preparedness: the ten virgins, five wise with oil for their lamps and five shut out of the wedding, and the talents, in which faithful servants who invested their master's wealth were rewarded and the fearful, idle servant was cast into outer darkness.

Finally Christ described the last judgment: when the Son of Man comes in glory with all His angels, every nation will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the sheep from the goats. To the sheep on His right He gives the kingdom, for as they served the least of His people they served Him; the goats on His left He sends into eternal fire. Even as He foretold these judgments, the elders were plotting in the high priest's palace to arrest and kill Him by stealth.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

Matthew 25:31

For Reflection

Down, down, down the Lord Jesus continued to tread in His condescension. He who must stoop even to look upon fallen man became a prophet to warn and prepare us for the future. And we can be confident that what He prophesied about His second coming will come to pass, because what He prophesied about the fall of Israel was fulfilled in AD 70. Because an even greater judgment is coming upon the world, we should ready ourselves by believing every prophecy from the mouth of the greatest prophet who ever lived.