Matthew 24 | Olivet Discourse – Second Coming of Jesus

Jesus stunned the disciples with his words found in Matthew 24, known as the Olivet Discourse. The disciples were compelled to ask the following questions to Jesus: When shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of your coming and the end of the age? Jesus gave an amazing answer that is still unfolding today.

The Olivet Discourse, also found in Mark 13 and Luke 21, derives its name from the location this discussion took place: the Mount of Olives. It’s here that Jesus gives the disciples insight into the events that will surround His second coming.

These portions of scripture contain a treasure trove of information that paints a picture of end times. However, the key is being able to properly understand everything Jesus says in this discourse. So I will do my best to dissect these scriptures, and examine how the foretold events tie into our current events.

The Destruction of the 2nd Temple

Matthew 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2, Luke 21:5-6

As Jesus and his disciples left the temple, Jesus told his disciples that a day was coming where not one stone would be left upon another. In other words, the temple would be destroyed...but when?

The disciples asked Jesus that very question, "When will these things be?" However, Jesus never addresses this question in the Olivet Discourse.

A study of Jewish history shows that the second temple was destroyed in 70 AD climax of the Great Revolt.

Ultimately, the combination of financial exploitation, Rome’s unbridled contempt for Judaism, and the unabashed favoritism that the Romans extended to gentiles living in Israel brought about the revolt. jewishvirtuallibrary.org

The Great Revolt lasted from 66AD to about 70AD, resulting in over one million Jews dead, the city of Jerusalem burned to the ground, and the second temple left in ruins. Israel would not recover as a nation until after the second world war in 1948, nearly 1900 years later.

The second temple and Jerusalem laid in ruins about 40 years after Jesus foretold of the destruction of the temple.

The Disciples Have Questions

Matthew 24:3, Mark 13:3-4, Luke 21:7

This prophecy spurred four of the disciples, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, to ask Jesus the following questions:

The first question is directly related to the prophecy Jesus just gave them about the destruction of the temple.

The next two questions are related and refer to the events leading up to the second coming of Jesus. However, it seems the disciples believed all three questions were related:

The disciples apparently thought that all three items, destruction of the Temple, the sign of Christ’s coming, and the end of the age would occur at the same time. Yet this is not the case. blueletterbible.org

You can see in certain scriptures like Matthew 16:22, Mark 10:35-41, and Acts 1:6-7 that the disciples were focused on an earthly kingdom and didn’t quite grasp the plan Jesus had.

Even though the disciples thought all three questions were related to the same event, Jesus did not answer their questions in that manner. Jesus focused on their last two questions, and gave a road map to understand the events that lead up to His second coming.

The Beginning of Jesus's Response

Matthew 24:4-14, Mark 13:5-13, Luke 21:8-19

A Warning

Jesus starts his response with a warning to the disciples to take heed, watch, and pay attention, because there will be many claiming to be the Christ.  Unfortunately, many will be deceived by these impostors.

Josephus, who was a 1st century Jewish historian, informs us that the land was overrun with magicians, seducers, and impostors claiming to be the Messiah.

That warning is as true today as it was then. You need to be watching, paying attention, and making sure you are not following anyone claiming to be Jesus Christ.

The Beginning of Sorrows | Matthew 24 & Mark 13

After the warning, Jesus gives the disciples a description of the types of events that would occur leading up to his second coming:

Jesus referred to these particular signs as the beginning of sorrows, and said to not be troubled over these events. Why not be worried? Jesus answered this question: "All these things must happen, but the end is not yet."

If Jesus was telling the disciples to not be troubled, then we can conclude the beginning of sorrows started while the disciples were still alive. But how can we gauge when Jesus will return based off these events?

The key is in understanding what is meant by the beginning of sorrows.

The Greek word for sorrows is odin, which specifically refers to the pain or throes of childbirth. In other words, wars, great earthquakes, famines, plagues/outbreaks, fearful sights, and great signs from heaven are all signs of the second coming of Jesus being birthed into our world.

Birth pains, also known as labor, both increase in frequency and intensity the closer it gets to the birth of the child. So when these signs start increasing in both frequency and intensity, you can tell it’s getting closer to second coming.

Roughly 2000 years later, are the birth pains more frequent and intense? Take a look at what is happening around us right now:

• A pandemic - coronavirus
• Conflict rising between US and China
• Locust plague of 2020
• Natural disasters on the rise: fires, earthquakes, floods

It is clear that these events are happening with more frequency and intensity, which means we are closing in on the second coming of Jesus. However, can we figure out how close based on these events alone?

Not exactly, but thankfully there is more to examine of the olivet discourse.

A Warning of Persecution

After Jesus described the signs that would lead up to his second coming and the end times, he gave the disciples another warning. If we examine Matthew 24:9, Mark 13:9-11, and Luke 21:12-15, we get a complete picture of the warning Jesus gave, and it seems to only be directed to the disciples.

Jesus also promised them help during this time of persecution. He said it would become an occasion for testimony, and He would give the disciples the wisdom and words to speak.

In studying the book of Acts, you will notice the disciples were persecuted, beaten, thrown in prisons, brought before rulers, and many were killed. In fact, only one disciple died of natural causes, John the Beloved.

• Saul/Paul’s persecution of the Church (Acts 8; Acts 9)
• Peter and John were imprisoned (Acts 4)
• Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned (Acts 16)
• Paul was brought to Felix, Gallio, and Agrippa (Acts 24, Acts 18, Acts 25)
• Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 7)
• James was killed by Herod (Acts 12)

Despite this level of persecution, Jesus did give them the words, the wisdom, and the testimony to not only grow the early church, but turn their world upside down.

Social Signs of the End Times

In the next part of Matthew 24, Jesus paints the picture of the social climate during the last days. The accounts of Mark and Luke also add to this picture, which can be summed up with one word: division.

Read the list below and think about what it reminds you of.

• Many will be offended
• People will betray one another
• Hate for one another will spread like wildfire
• Lawlessness will be wide spread
• Love will grow cold
• Many false prophets will rise and deceive many
• Family and friends will betray one another

When I was studying these scriptures for this article, this is the exact thought that came to me: This perfectly describes the climate in the US and around the world right now.

Look at our country: it's divided politically, economically, and socially. The west coast is basically one big fire, riots are wide spread, some cities are actually trying to defund the police, too many people are easily offended, and I could go on.

This type of behavior is taking place all over the world, and it will only get worse. Without question, we are currently in the midst of these words spoken by Jesus nearly 2000 years ago.

Hatred, The Gospel, and Endurance

Jesus says three more things to wrap up this section of the discourse:

• You will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake
• The gospel will be preached to all nations
• He who endures to the end shall be saved

You can see the hatred of the nation of Israel and the church clearly in our world today.  The democrats and some republicans have been trying hard to shut down churches, remove Jesus from the schools, and turn this nation into another Sodom and Gomorrah.

Now consider what Jesus said about the Gospel: It will be preached to all nations, then the end will come. If "the end" refers to the second coming of Jesus, then does that mean the church will be here until the second coming?

I think that has to be an option because who else will preach the Gospel if the church doesn't do it? I know that flies in the face of the teaching of a pre-tribulation rapture, but a post-tribulation rapture needs to be considered.

The other statement Jesus made in this section of the discourse (He who endures to the end...) also seems to point to the church being here until Jesus returns. Of course, that hinges on what Jesus means by "the end", which we will take a closer look at in an article solely dedicated to the rapture.

The Great Tribulation

Matthew 24:15-22, Mark 13:14-20, Luke 21:20-24

In this portion of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus describes an event that hasn't occurred yet known as the Great Tribulation. Jesus states in verse 21 that this tribulation time will be like no other, and there will never be another like it.

From that description, we can deduce that this period of time will be very bad for the Israelites and the church, if we are still here. There are several scriptures concerning the great tribulation, which we will dive deeper into in another article. For now we will focus on the description in this discourse.

How Long will the Great Tribulation Last?

Jesus gives us a clue to answer this question in verse 15: "when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place..."

In other words, once we see the abomination of desolation take place, then we know the great tribulation has begun. However, what exactly is the abomination of desolation?

To answer that, we need to go to the book of Daniel. The first time the book of Daniel mentions the abomination of desolation is in the ninth chapter.

"He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."Daniel 9:27

This particular prophecy of Daniel is short (only spanning three verses), but is packed full of meaning, which we will further explore at a later time. For now, we will focus on the abomination of desolation.

What Does Daniel 9:27 Mean?

I found a good explanation from TheGospelCoalition.org:

The Bible “abomination” refers to major covenant violations, especially idolatry (in Deuteronomy see 7:25, 13:6-16, 17:2-5, 18:9-12, 27:15, 32:16). In the historical books, “abomination” always describes idolatry, often with child sacrifice (1 Kings 11:7, 2 Kings 23:13).

In other words, the abomination of desolation will be an idolatrous event that takes place in Israel's temple. Since the 2nd temple was destroyed, and the abomination of desolation spoken by Jesus hasn't happened yet, we can conclude there will be a third temple built.

Now that we better understand what is meant by the abomination of desolation, lets examine how this helps us determine the length of the great tribulation.

Daniel 9:27 | The 70th Week

Daniel 9:27 talks about one week or one seven. We can determine how long Daniel's 70th seven or 70th week is by examining Daniel 12 and a few other scriptures (which we will do extensively at a later time). In studying those scriptures, we can conclude that each of Daniel's weeks is equivalent to seven years.

According to Daniel 9:27, the abomination of desolation is supposed to occur at the midpoint of these seven years. So the great tribulation will be a period of three and one half years.

Let's review what Jesus told us about the great tribulation:

Run For The Hills!

In verse 16-20 Jesus basically says “run for the hills!” This warning is directed to the Jews that will be living in Judea at the time the great tribulation starts. Jesus gave them instruction to flee for the mountains, and don’t even bother getting any thing from their house.

Jesus also gives a couple of warnings:

• A warning to pregnant women and moms with infants
• A warning to pray this doesn’t take place in their winter or Sabbath

I believe these warnings were given by Jesus to emphasize just how fast they need to get out of town once the abomination of desolation takes place. Little children, pregnant women, winter, and the Sabbath tradition would slow down an escape attempt.

For the Elect's Sake

Jesus wraps up his discussion about the great tribulation period with a verse that is challenging to understand and interpret. Matthew 24 and Mark 13 make mention of it:

"And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened."

So lets take this scripture line by line.

Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved

"Those days" is obviously referring to the days of the great tribulation. Jesus also gave a reason why the great tribulation days needed to be shortened: no human would be left alive.

The big question is how are the great tribulation days shortened?

The amount of time the great tribulation will last is established in Daniel chapter 12 as 1,290 days, or 3.5 years. So the actual number of days wont be less.

What did Jesus mean by shortening the days? Let's take a look at three possibilities.

Three Possible Explanations

Jesus was referring to the time frame already in place in Daniel. Meaning if the great tribulation were allowed to continue indefinitely, then there would be no one left alive. So a time frame of 3 and a half years was placed on the great tribulation.

The 7 vials of God's wrath being poured out upon the Antichrist and the people who take the mark. At some point during the great tribulation, the book of Revelation says the seven vials will be poured out on the world, which would shorten the amount of the Antichrist could effectively persecute the elect.

Another possibility is the length of the days will be shortened. This is supported by Revelation 8:12-13, which is concerning the 4th trumpet. It states that a third of the sun is struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, which causes a third of the day to not shine and likewise the night.

But for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened

The question here in the Olivet Discourse is: Who are the Elect?

I think there are three possibilities to the identity of the elect:

• The nation of Israel
• The church
• A combination of both

In my opinion, the elect is either referring to the church or a combination of the nation of Israel and the church. Here is why:

• Jesus was talking to the disciples, the very foundation of the Church
• The Church is referred to as the elect several times throughout the New Testament
  • Romans 11
  • Colossians 3:12
  • 1 Peter 1:2
  • Romans 8:33
  • Titus 1:1

A Second Warning About Fake Messiahs

The next portion of the Olivate Discourse, in Matthew 24 and Mark 13, Jesus gave a second warning to not be fooled by false prophets or false christs. He also stated that the false prophets will show great signs and wonders, which will deceive many, possibly even the elect.

This is the reason Jesus gave the warning two times in the Olivate Discourse. Make sure you take heed and don't be fooled by anyone claiming to be the second coming of Jesus.

The Second Coming of Jesus

Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28

So how will we know that the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, has returned? This next portion of the Olivate Discourse gives us the answer.

Jesus wont come to Earth unnoticed by most, like he did the first time. This time when Jesus comes to Earth, everyone will notice it. Look at those events listed above! Jesus is making sure that there is no mistaking his second coming.

Jesus also stated this would be when He gathers together his elect from all corners of Heaven and Earth (Matthew 24:31, Mark 13:27, Luke 21:28). Is this referring to the rapture? If so, could that mean the rapture and the second coming of Jesus are the same event?

The Parable of the Fig Tree

Matthew 24:32-35, Mark 13:28-31, Luke 21:29-33

Jesus uses this parable as an analogy to sum up everything he just said to the disciples. Just as you can deduce the season by the signs of fruit from a fig tree, you can deduce the second coming of Jesus is near by examining the current events.

After Jesus finished his parable, he stated this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. In other words, for the generation that witnesses all these events described in the Olivet Discourse, that will be the generation to witness the second coming of Jesus.

By examining the events we are currently seeing take place in our world, I feel very confident in saying we are the generation that will experience the second coming of Jesus.

No One Knows the Day AND Hour

Matthew 24:36-44, Mark 13:32-37, Luke 21:34-38

Jesus said no one knows the day and hour of "that day." Is that referring to the rapture, the return of Jesus, or possibly both? By looking at the context of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, I think it is reasonable to conclude Jesus is referring to his second coming.

Why do I emphasize the word "and"? because we can figure out the day of His return by reading the other prophetic clues about the second coming of Jesus. There is no way to nail down His return to the hour. However, once we see the abomination of desolation, Daniel 12 gives us the exact number of days to the end (the return of Jesus).

Like the Days of Noah

Jesus uses an analogy to compare His return to the days of Noah. No one was taking the building of the ark seriously, the warnings went unheard, people just went about their day to day lives either ignoring Noah, or mocking him.

That is exactly how people will be at the second coming of Jesus. That is the whole point of this section of the Olivate Discourse: to wake you up.

One Left One Taken

Jesus paints a picture to fully describe what the gathering of the elect would look like. These verses are usually interpreted to be the rapture of the church. However, Jesus keeps the "Comming of the Son of Man" theme throughout this portion of scripture.

Regardless of whether or not this is referring to the rapture, the whole point is TO WATCH.

Wrapping Up the Olivate Discourse

In Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, Jesus gave us a great blueprint to understanding the events of the end times and the second coming of Jesus. I consider this to be a general overview of the events surrounding the return of Jesus and the gathering together of the elect (church/Israel).

Even though this is a great place to start a study of the end times, there is still plenty to uncover and study about the return of Jesus and the end of the age.

So I Encourage You To...