THE OLIVET DISCOURSE: PART II WARNINGS ABOUT COMING TROUBLED TIMES (24:3-22) INTRODUCTION In this lesson, we will be looking at the first section of the Olivet Discourse, a section that I have titled: Warning about coming troubled time. We will see that Jesus talks about four characteristics of these troubling times: 1. 2. 3. 4.
False messiahs War Persecution, and The preaching of the Gospel
While it is my belief that this entire section is talking primarily about the times preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, they instructions are just as valid for us today. I.
FALSE PROPHETS (VV. 4-5) “And Jesus answered them, 'See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray'” (Matthew 24:4–5, ESV). A. "See that," ESV ("Take heed," NKJV "Take care," NJB) This command encapsulates the purpose of the entire discourse. "Its aim not to gratify curiosity, but to guard against deception and terror (μὴ θροεῖσθε, ver. 6)—heads cool, hearts brave, in a tragic epoch" (Bruce, 1897, p. 289). B. The first characteristic of these coming troubled times is the presence of many false Messiahs. 1. According to Josephus, these false Messiah's were the main reason why Rome decided finally to crush Jerusalem. 2. These were not Messiahs like the true Messiah; these were claimed Messiahs in the popular sense of the word: insurrectionists who sought to throw off Roman subjugation by force of the people. This was not merely a hypothetical threat. The apostles themselves were already very tempted toward this thinking. Question: Who are the false prophets and false messiahs of our day?
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II.
WARS (VV. 6-8) “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matthew 24:6–8, ESV). A. Jesus is not talking about wars anywhere in the world, but to those in the Holy Land that will arise because of fanatic Messianic efforts to resist Rome. B. "See that you are not alarmed." 1. One scholar says this should be translated, "Don't be scared out of your wits." It also has the idea of "don't be surprised when this happens." 2. This is not about some far distant threat at the end of time; this is about the conflicts arising from false messianic uprisings that would lead eventually to the destruction of Jerusalem (the end). C. Far and wide “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” (Matthew 24:7, ESV) 1. This is the continuation of the theme of coming wars, perhaps now taking it to a wider range and more distant application. 2. The language is borrowed from OT prophecy such as Isaiah 19:2 "And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom” (Isaiah 19:2, ESV). 3. This is a general statement of things to come, with no necessary specific point of fulfillment. We will always hear of wars, rumors of wars, and natural disasters of many kinds. What Jesus is saying is that these do not necessarily signify that the end has come (whichever end you are talking about). 4. Note that famine was a normal result of ancient warfare as the invading army would lay siege to the walled city (remember Josephus' description of how the Roman soldiers found corpses stacked up in the houses). D. The Beginning of Pangs "All these things are but the beginning of the birth pangs" (v. 8).
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Such horrors might convince many that they were living in the end, but Jesus is telling them ahead of time not to fall into that way of thinking. Application: We too are living in a time of wars and rumors of wars. How does that make you feel? How would you feel if Jesus had told you that in a matter of 40 years, the white house would be rubble and the US would no longer exist? Are we prepared spiritually for such an eventuality? III.
PERSECUTION (VV. 9-13) "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:9–13, ESV). A. Not a Chronological Map of the Future I want to emphasize again: Jesus is not giving a detailed chronological map of the entire future from his day until the end of time. His main purpose is to prepare his disciples for the coming horrors so that the church will survive. So, the emphasis here should be on that final statement: "But the one who endures to the end will be saved." B. Hated by all nations 1. Sometimes the NT writers use the term "all" not in an absolute sense of "every single case," but as a way of saying, "all kinds of." a. For example: "The love of money is the root of all evil." We know in fact that the love of money is not the root or cause of every single manifestation of evil. b. In the same way, "all nations," should probably be understood as "all kinds of nations" 2. And "nations" should not be understood as we understand that word today, but rather as "all kinds of tribes or peoples." 3. In times like these, "many will fall away and betray one another." 4. Remember Jesus' words in Luke 14:26?
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"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26, ESV). a. Jesus would never advocate hatred of your mother and father--which would be a direct contradiction of the fifth commandment. b. But, this is how their adherence to the Christian faith would be interpreted by other non-baptized members of their family. And they needed to be prepared for that. 5. "lawlessness will be increased” (v. 12). When the political foundations of a society break down, the populace falls into a general moral decline. I saw this in Argentina. Question: Are we persecuted today? Do you think we have a persecution complex? Meaning that sometimes we assume that the unbeliever will respond antagonistically. IV.
PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL (V. 14) “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." A. Thus far, Jesus has been telling them how NOT to respond to the coming crisis. Now he is telling what they SHOULD be focused on: preaching the gospel to all the nations. Question: Must the term "the end," in this statement, refer to the end of the world? I don't think to. 1. For one thing, Jesus is not here giving signs so that we may predict the end of the world. This is primarily a statement of the business that the disciples are to be about during the coming period of upheaval. 2. I believe in this case, the end, refers to the end of the temple, the end of the nation of Israel at the hands of the Romans.
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B. But can we legitimately say that the Gospel had been proclaimed throughout the whole world by the time of the destruction of Jerusalem? Yes, we can. Note that Paul writes on several occasions that this goal had already been accomplished in his lifetime (Col. 1:6, 23; Rom 1:8; 10:18; 1 These 1:8). Application: Jesus wants us to go out and proclaim him to the unchurched. We cannot do that by merely inviting people to church. What must we do to be more faithful to this commission? CONCLUSION Even though Jesus was talking specifically to his disciples in that day and for a specific purpose, to prepare them for the impending disaster that was about to fall upon the Jewish people, the principles that he gives are applicable for all ages. In every age, there will be wars and rumors of wars, false prophets, persecution, and hardships of every type. Christians are not immune to these aspects of our fallen world. So, Jesus is also saying to us: Make sure you are not led astray. Don't panic when it seems the world if falling apart. Don't give up when you personally are faced with pain and injustice. Instead, focus on the mission. Keep your eye on the ball. Ignore the noise around you. Be God's spokesperson in a dark world.
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