by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. We had seen that in Matthew 24:27-28, the Lord Jesus gives a rather transparent hint regarding his return. The sign of ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (“the coming of the Son of Man”) will be visible to all as it is likened to lightning blazing from one end of…
The Olivet Discourse (Before the Return – Matthew 24:23-28)
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Let us pause to review what we have studied so far. In the Olivet Discourse, we saw the verses that the Lord Jesus taught his disciples about the schedule of future events and period of the end times prior to his return. In Matthew 24:3 he was responding to their…
The Olivet Discourse (Tribulation Cut Short – Matthew 24:22)
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Last week we saw that θλῖψις was of 2 kinds, for us believers and for non-believers; but the 2 types of tribulation may and do overlap. The prophesied θλῖψις μεγάλη (“great tribulation”) would not be just a single event but a period of time. Furthermore, this troubled period for believers…
The Olivet Discourse (Great Tribulation – Matthew 24:21)
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Last time, we discussed “the abomination of desolation” (in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14). Now, we will take up the phrase “great tribulation” in Matthew 24:21. As a review, Matthew 24:16-20 are verses containing dire warnings that direct the disciples (and believers of their time) to escape Judea and to…
The Olivet Discourse (The Abomination of Desolation – Matthew 24:15)
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Last time, we encountered the following terms: “the abomination of desolation” (in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14); “great tribulation” (in Matthew 24:21); and “cut short” (in Matthew 24:22 and Mark 13:20). For now, we will just concentrate on the phrase “the abomination of desolation.” In Matthew 24:15 the Lord Jesus…
The Olivet Discourse (More Tribulation – Matthew 24:15-22)
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. After coming off the Holy Week observance, we continue with the Olivet Discourse in the Gospel of Matthew. We had earlier seen that the verses of the Olivet Discourse found in Matthew 24:4-14; Mark 13:5-13; and Luke 21:8-24 match up quite well and parallel each other regarding the sequence of…
The King Rides into Jerusalem – Revisited
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. We will pause for a while from the Olivet Discourse to consider some additions to an earlier topic related to our observance of Palm Sunday. As I have written earlier (see my Reflections for Jan. 30 and Feb. 6), the triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11) is one of the…
The Olivet Discourse (Tribulation for Believers – Matthew 24:9-14)
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. We have seen that the first few verses of the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:4-8; Mark 13:5-8; and Luke 21:8-11) are matched up quite well regarding the sequence of eschatological events with the first 4 seals of the scroll of God’s judgment broken open in Revelation 6:1-8 (the 4 riders on…
The Olivet Discourse Birth Pains with Revelation 6 and Zechariah 6
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. We saw earlier that the Lord Jesus in his Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24:4-8 (also in Mark 13:5-8 and Luke 21:8-11) foretold that there would be false messiahs; wars and rumors of war between nations and kingdoms; and famines and earthquakes in some places. He also tells the disciples that…
The Olivet Discourse – Part 3
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. As we saw from the previous discussion, Matthew 24:4-8 is backed up by the parallel accounts in Mark 13:5-8 and Luke 21:8-11. The Lord foretold that there would be false messiahs; wars and rumors of war between nations and kingdoms; and famines and earthquakes in some places. He also tells…