by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
The Olivet Discourse, the 5th great and last discourse in the Gospel of Matthew, takes its name from the location where the Lord Jesus gave this all-important teaching about the End Times/Last Days. The site of this discourse was the Mount of Olives. Its time frame follows his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and comes right before his passion, death and resurrection. Chapters 24 and 25 of the Gospel of Matthew encompass the Olivet Discourse. For Matthew 24:1-51 parallels are found in Mark 13:1-37 and in Luke 21:5-38.
We must remember that the preceding chapter 23 forms an integral part of the context for the discourse. Some verses within the Seven Woes, pronounced with a mixture of judgment (because the issues almost certainly guarantee God’s anger) and perhaps sorrow (because of the misdirected religious zeal), bear special attention. Matthew 23:33 has the Lord Jesus rhetorically asking the scribes and Pharisees whom the Lord describes as “serpents” and a “brood of vipers” how they can escape the sentence of γέεννα (“Gehenna” meaning the final destination of punishment for the ungodly; https://biblehub.com/greek/1067.htm). Another verse within the 7 Woes section is Matthew 23:36, which quotes the Lord saying with finality that judgment will come upon their generation. Then Matthew 23:37-39 has the Lord prophesying the fate of the Temple (and Jerusalem). In verse 38, he explicitly foretold its destruction.
The Lord’s discourse is introduced in Matthew 24:1 when he and his disciples came out of the Temple and the disciples, in appreciation remarked at and pointed to the massive and beautiful structures in the Temple complex. He then tells them in verse 2 that all the stones comprising the Temple would be torn down!
According to Flavius Josephus in his work, The Antiquities of the Jews, these were no ordinary sized stones; they were massive white limestones, some of them 37 feet long, 12 feet high, and 18 feet wide. Most stones weighed between 2 to 8 tons each. I had an appreciation of how huge these stones were (referred to by our Lord Jesus in Matthew 24:1-2; Mark 13:1-2; Luke 21:5-6; and also Luke 19:41-44) that were torn down when the Romans finally destroyed the Temple in 70 CE. In a past pilgrimage to Israel, we were able to see the underground part of the Temple’s retaining wall. Some stones were really huge (one was the size of a whole tourist bus at more than 13 meters/44 feet long and much heavier at an estimated 570 tons). The engineering knowhow the ancient builders employed to quarry, transport and put these big stones on top of one another was truly impressive. See my pictures below:
Massive Stone in the Temple Mount’s Western Retaining Wall
In Matthew 24:3, when they were at the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked the Lord privately 2 related questions: when these things will be; and what is the sign of his coming and the consummation of the age. The Greek word παρουσία, (“parousia” meaning coming/arrival/advent; https://biblehub.com/greek/3952.htm) used for coming is also the Greek word used to refer to the Lord’s 2nd coming throughout the New Testament (NT). The Greek word συντέλεια, (“sunteleia” meaning completion/end/consummation; https://biblehub.com/greek/4930.htm) is only found in the Gospel of Matthew (5 times) and once in Hebrews. In all its occurrences, it is always used in the context of the end of the age.
In the parallel version in Mark 13:3-4, the disciples Peter and James and John and Andrew privately ask the same 2 questions: when will these things be; and what is the sign when all these things are fulfilled. The Greek word used in Mark 13:4, σημεῖον (“sémeion” meaning sign, indication; https://biblehub.com/greek/4592.htm) is the same word used in Matthew 24:3. In Mark 13:4 the Greek word used for fulfilled, συντελέω (“sunteleó” meaning completed, accomplished, fulfilled or come to an end; https://biblehub.com/greek/4931.htm) is similar to συντέλεια, (“sunteleia”) above, used in Matthew 24:3.
Also in the parallel version in Luke 21:7, the same 2 questions are asked: when will these things be; and what will be the sign when these things happen or come to be. The Greek word for sign, σημεῖον (“sémeion”) is exactly the same word used in Matthew 24:3 and Mark 13:4. Luke does not use συντέλεια, (“sunteleia”) or συντελέω (“sunteleó”). The Greek verb used is from γίνομαι (“ginomai” meaning to come into being, to happen, to become; https://biblehub.com/greek/1096.htm). We can see that even with different words used for the 2nd question by the 3 Gospel writers, they essentially mean the same: the disciples want to know what sign will be shown when the destruction of the Temple with the Lord’s coming judgment is about to happen.
Coming from the previous pronouncements of judgment in Matthew 23, we can understand more clearly why the disciples were asking such specific eschatological questions. The Lord’s answers to them open up future events for the disciples’ (and our) understanding. The ensuing teachings from these answers comprise the meat of the Olivet Discourse. We will see later that the discussion refers back to the Old Testament (OT) prophetic tradition and also resonates with (the then future, to the disciples) visions given by God through the Holy Spirit that would be disclosed in the Book of Revelation.
We will continue next week.
God bless us all.