-3-
The Olivet Discourse
In the previous chapter we noted that Paul gave us a list of 18 items that are going to be prevalent in the last days. This was not a 'sequential' list. In other words it is NOT like this:
“In the last days … first there will be an increase of self-love, …. and next you will notice that people are lovers of money, and after this boasters will become prevalent, etc.
Paul's list is one where many of these behaviors can become evident at the same time and in any order.
But a sequential list would help us to establish a 'frame' into which to place all of the signs. And the bible actually offers 3 sequential accounts of the end time. It is only as we consider all three that we discover they can be 'super-imposed'. (In case you need it, the definition of super-impose is “place or lay (one thing) over another, typically so that both are still evident”.)
Revelation is a sequential account of the end time. The 'Olivet Discourse' is another. Daniel, the last few chapters also provides a sequential time line of the last days.
My intention, ultimately, will be to super-impose them for you. It is amazing what a clear picture develops as we use this process.
In this chapter we begin a study of 'end-time signs' as given by Jesus Himself as He sat at the base of the Mount of Olives and gave a prophecy to His disciples. This prophecy has come to be known as the 'Olivet Discourse' and has been recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke.
For the past two thousand years the church of Jesus Christ has been struggling to fulfill a commission: From the lips of Jesus, the church was given these words:
Mt 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
John 20:21 … Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Fulfilling this commission had become increasingly difficult in the second and third century as the church fell into doctrinal error. We could even be right in saying that the majority of the church fell into apostasy, but we really have no way of assessing the actual percentages. In a large segment of the church, the gospel message of grace disappeared. The addition of new doctrines such as worshiping Mary and 'saints' and many other 'doctrines' pushed the church further and further from essential and mainline gospel teaching.
Meanwhile a large portion of the church remained true to the gospel but was forced to operate in secret, totally separate from the visible church. The visible church became a massive, powerful machine, inflicting horrific persecution on any who dared to disagree.
The number of believers who had to function in secret was not small. We know this, because of the records kept by the visible church as they would apprehend the the 'dissenters' (the true Christians) who refused to be a part of their system. The records became available in the late 1500's. According to their 'court proceedings' they executed millions of believers. These believers had met in secret … but they continued to have an open faith. They continued to evangelize, in spite of knowing that it could lead to imprisonment, torture and death.
Writings of these believers have been also discovered. Many of them believed they were living in the tribulation period described in scripture. Many believed that the pope was the Antichrist.
The 'infamy' of this huge, powerful and controlling church has been greatly suppressed and is now referred to (by them) as 'a dark period in our history'.
The promise of Jesus, in the above scripture, And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.", kept this underground church going. This was their encouragement to carry on in spite of consequences.
In the days of the apostle Paul, Christians also suffered persecution. But it was not at the hands of the apostate church … because that did not exist yet. But at that time they suffered at the hands of the Jews.
The Apostle Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy from his prison cell. It was a Roman prison cell. This was the second time he was in prison. The first time it was because of the hatred of the Jews. The second time (we think) it was as a result of Nero's hatred of Christians. About a year later Paul was executed.
Matthew wrote his gospel about five or six years before Paul wrote to Timothy. If Paul ever read a copy of Matthew, we have no mention of it in scripture.
In the previous chapter we looked at Paul's prophecy of the last days, specifically as it applied to the degeneration of morals in the world.
The situation was grim for Christians in Paul's time. This puts a great emphasis on his words when he says that the last days are going to get bad.
Warnings are always given to serve a purpose. Paul has warned us. Now Jesus warns us. Here are just a few of the warnings from Jesus as given to us by Mark.
Mr 13:5 ¶ And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray.
Mr 13:9 "But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.
Mr 13:33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.
Mr 13:35-37 Therefore stay awake — for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning — lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake."
In this chapter we just barely skim the surface of the 'signs of the end' that Jesus told us to watch for.
Here is just a bit of a background to help provide the setting for Jesus' words in this 'Olivet Discourse'.
At the time of this incident recorded in chapter 24 of Matthew, Jesus has ministered for just over 3 years. During the first year He was becoming known. The second year of His ministry is often referred to as 'the Year of Jesus' Popularity'. The third year has been called, 'the Year of Jesus' Opposition'.
By Matthew chapter 26 we read about the last supper that took place the day before His death.
The prophecy given by Jesus in chapter 24 is just a few days before the crucifixion. Jesus will be returning to the Father very soon. He has told his followers that He would not leave them as 'orphans'. He said that He would send the comforter … the Holy Spirit, to stay with them to the end of the age.
The setting for the scripture we are about to read takes place in the city of Jerusalem. When I first read the gospels, many many years ago … I had the mistaken impression that Jesus spent a lot of His time in Jerusalem. He didn't. He made His center of operations Capernaum. His times spent in Jerusalem were somewhat governed by the Jewish feast days which called for Jewish people from cities all up and down Israel to attend.
This explains the reason for the disciples' words which we are about to read. (Mark and Luke relay this same account. I will attempt to merge them so that we get the whole story.)
Mt 24:1 ¶ Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.
Mark 13:1 ¶ And one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"
Lu 21:5 ¶ And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said,
Mt 24:2 … "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."
Mr 13:3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
Mr 13:4 "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished and of the end of the world?"
The temple that they were admiring was called Herod's temple. It's construction began about 20 years before Jesus was born, and was in the process of being completed at the time that Jesus and disciples are now visiting Jerusalem here in chapter 24 of Matthew.
They had not previously seen the completed buildings that they are now admiring.
So that is the setting.
Going through the minds of the disciples were thoughts that Jesus would present himself as the Messiah/Ruler of Israel who would free the Jews from Rome … and Jesus would rule Israel (or so they thought) from this very temple... This MARVELOUS temple!
What a complete shock to these four disciples... not one stone left standing on another?!
As I have pointed out, this is early in year 4 of Jesus' ministry. In a few days He will be on the cross. This means that by now Jesus has taught many things to His small church. From the disciples' question we notice that Jesus obviously has told them previously that this world … this age, would eventually come to an end.
So what do we understand about this question asked by the disciples?
Mt 24:3 … “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
In plain English …
“When will the temple be destroyed?”
“Will you give any signs before this happens?” (“Surely it will be the end of the age when the temple is destroyed, right?”)
So they already knew from Jesus' teaching that there would be an end to this age. Now they have heard that this magnificent temple was to be destroyed. They want to know when.
Jesus answers their questions in such a way that it covered the whole span of time … from the actual destruction of the temple that occurred in the year 70 … all the way to the end of our present age. They certainly did not expect His answer to cover this long a period of time.
Jesus begins with a warning for believers to expect and be ready for deceivers. All three, Matthew, Mark and Luke begin with, "See that no one leads you astray.”
Does Jesus know something that we don't? Jesus is far more acquainted with Satan and his agenda than we will ever be. And Satan has an agenda. He has been the enemy of God ever since his having been 'deposed' over 6 thousand years ago. He is a liar and has been attacking God's truth from that first day in the garden to our very day, and he will continue to his 'dying breath' (or should I say, 'to his ultimate end'.?)
Let's continue, And he said, "See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. Lu 21:8
'Many will come …' Are these False Christs or False prophets? What is the difference?
A false Christ would be one who shows up and says, “I am Christ!” A false prophet would be one who shows up and uses the words “Jesus is the Messiah (or Christ)” as his opening words, but they are only words .. their intent is to grab your attention so that they can feed you with their own agenda.
Jesus warns us that there will be both.
Mr 13:22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
Every once in a while we hear of a 'false christ' appearing somewhere in the world. But this is not all that common. But Jesus said that 'many will come in my name'.
My inclination would be to understand that Jesus is talking more about false prophets ... men using the words, 'Jesus is the Christ', but they are insincere and deceived, and some are intentional deceivers. The danger that these men pose is that unsuspecting Christians could be taken in. They would hear them talking about Jesus as being the Son of God and assume that these men are genuine.
And how WOULD someone know the difference? Knowing the difference between the true and false involves several things.
Number one, We are being forewarned … so be on our guard.
Two, know the Word well enough that you will detect immediately that something is off.
Three, Do not be gullible but rather 'inspect' their lives. Mt 7:15, 16 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
The warning of Jesus has to be taken seriously. This will be a big part of staying on track, and it will not be easy. If it were an easy thing Jesus would not have made it into a warning.
Let's continue in this narrative.
Mr 13:7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, Lu 21:9 and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once."
The 'conflict' that loomed in the immediate future for these disciples would have been the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Whether this is what Jesus referred to depends on whether or not they heard rumors regarding it.
Most likely Jesus is looking 'way ahead' here, and referring to the many wars that would happen down through history. He especially might be referring to World Wars One and Two. The disciples vision of the world would not be the same as what Jesus would be able to see. Jesus was telling them that conflicts … even global ones, were on the way … but the 'end' would be still a ways off.
Lu 21:10 Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
This sounds to me like the world wars of the past, and yet … we may see this all over again.
Jesus continues, Lu 21:11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
Earthquakes, as an endtime sign, have been talked about for years.
Earthquakes … Some people say that there are no more earthquakes in our day than there have been in the past, but now that we have ways of recording them that did not exist in previous times. They say it just seems that earthquakes are more frequent.
It is true that we have more sophisticated ways to monitor the frequency and the intensity of earthquakes in our time. But within the last hundred years of so, the number of real bad earthquakes has clearly increased.
We sometimes run across those (well-meaning) believers who take almost nothing literally. To some, these earthquakes could mean shake-ups in government .. or etc. etc. Jesus said they were earthquakes. John, in the revelation clearly says they are earthquakes and even mentions how many people get killed in one of them.
We must be careful to take the words of Jesus as literally as possible. There is a serious warning in the book of Revelation against removing or adding our own words to the prophecies.
Along with a marked increase in earthquake activity and intensity, Jesus mentions famines and pestilences.
Famines
Famines happen here and there, as they have throughout the centuries. So Jesus has to be referring to some really bad ones ... famines that would cover exceptionally larger areas than they have in the past. These would be famines that affect more people, and perhaps in areas that are not usually affected by drought.
I have heard recently that Ethiopia is building a huge dam on the head waters of the Nile1. The work started in 2011. As of 2019 it was 70% completed. It will take between 5 and 15 years to fill it up. This Dam would provide hydro power for them and also away to regulate irrigation. But at the same time, the countries 'down stream' who depend on the waters of the Nile will be devastated while the Dam fills up. The building of this dam has been the subject of huge controversy. Egypt is totally opposed to it, as are other down-stream nations.
I believe we are going to hear of huge famines in the next year or so.
Pestilences – Plagues of locusts have swarmed over parts of Africa and have moved over to Arabia as well. Are these the same as any plagues of the past? These are reported to be miles longer and wider. Are they signs of the end? We won't really know until we piece other things together.
Covid-19 is a pestilence. A lot of conflicting information has made the rounds. What we know for sure … it is a very serious, if not deadly disease. As to why is it here and was the lock-down really necessary … and other questions … we may not ever know the answer to these things.
Luke version adds these words … And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
Signs in the heavens
What are 'terrors or great signs from heaven'? This could be a clue regarding where we are in the sequential time-line that Jesus is giving. At this point, anything that we might say about the terrors and great signs from heaven would be pure conjecture. I certainly do not agree with any 'teacher' who would try to identify things that we are presently experiencing as 'terrors and great signs from heaven'. I am certain we will know it when we see it.
The next statement of Jesus refers back to the world wars, famines, earthquakes and pestilences. He says, Mt 24:8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Because of Jesus' words so far it would seem that we have found our place in the time line. We are in the time that Jesus calls the 'beginning of birth pains'. Paul uses a similar comparison when he talks about the last days. We will look at Paul's words at another time, but now I wish to point out a couple of comparisons of 'birth pains' with signs of the end.
Birth pains (contractions) are somewhat expected after 9 and half months of waiting. We even use phrases like 'So and so is expecting'. We are, and have, for a number of years, been 'expecting' the return of Jesus. His arrival would be compared to the arrival of the long awaited baby. But the arrival of the baby, although it is anticipated with excitement and preparation, does not come without some very serious pain.2
The time of the birth is announced by the onset of contractions (also called 'labor pains'. They start out slow and not too intense. But they soon increase in intensity. And the time between them gets shorter and shorter.
Nearing the time of the birth is the stage referred to as 'hard labor'. During this time, many a woman has sworn … That's it! No more! This is the last one! And this is the time that many a husband has passed out cold.
But … how soon we forget.
John 16:21 When a woman gives birth to a child, she knows grievous pain when her time comes. Yet as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers her agony for joy that a man has been born into the world.
We are in the generation experiencing the labor pains, the contractions. In coming chapters I will address other scriptures that will make this clear. How much pain is coming? Are we supposed to try to avoid it? What is the point of Jesus' warning us ahead of time?
Whatever the answers to our questions … after the travail … we will be with Jesus. All sorrows will be forgotten.
Allow me to close the chapter with this scripture,
And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 2Peter 1:19
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Ethiopian_Renaissance_Dam#:~:text=The%20Grand%20Ethiopian%20Renaissance%20Dam,in%20Ethiopia%20that%20has%20been
2 If you are of the 'pre-trib' viewpoint, you must realize that the rapture would not be a painful delivery at all. It would be more like a Cesarean birth.
“In the last days … first there will be an increase of self-love, …. and next you will notice that people are lovers of money, and after this boasters will become prevalent, etc.
Paul's list is one where many of these behaviors can become evident at the same time and in any order.
But a sequential list would help us to establish a 'frame' into which to place all of the signs. And the bible actually offers 3 sequential accounts of the end time. It is only as we consider all three that we discover they can be 'super-imposed'. (In case you need it, the definition of super-impose is “place or lay (one thing) over another, typically so that both are still evident”.)
Revelation is a sequential account of the end time. The 'Olivet Discourse' is another. Daniel, the last few chapters also provides a sequential time line of the last days.
My intention, ultimately, will be to super-impose them for you. It is amazing what a clear picture develops as we use this process.
In this chapter we begin a study of 'end-time signs' as given by Jesus Himself as He sat at the base of the Mount of Olives and gave a prophecy to His disciples. This prophecy has come to be known as the 'Olivet Discourse' and has been recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke.
For the past two thousand years the church of Jesus Christ has been struggling to fulfill a commission: From the lips of Jesus, the church was given these words:
Mt 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
John 20:21 … Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Fulfilling this commission had become increasingly difficult in the second and third century as the church fell into doctrinal error. We could even be right in saying that the majority of the church fell into apostasy, but we really have no way of assessing the actual percentages. In a large segment of the church, the gospel message of grace disappeared. The addition of new doctrines such as worshiping Mary and 'saints' and many other 'doctrines' pushed the church further and further from essential and mainline gospel teaching.
Meanwhile a large portion of the church remained true to the gospel but was forced to operate in secret, totally separate from the visible church. The visible church became a massive, powerful machine, inflicting horrific persecution on any who dared to disagree.
The number of believers who had to function in secret was not small. We know this, because of the records kept by the visible church as they would apprehend the the 'dissenters' (the true Christians) who refused to be a part of their system. The records became available in the late 1500's. According to their 'court proceedings' they executed millions of believers. These believers had met in secret … but they continued to have an open faith. They continued to evangelize, in spite of knowing that it could lead to imprisonment, torture and death.
Writings of these believers have been also discovered. Many of them believed they were living in the tribulation period described in scripture. Many believed that the pope was the Antichrist.
The 'infamy' of this huge, powerful and controlling church has been greatly suppressed and is now referred to (by them) as 'a dark period in our history'.
The promise of Jesus, in the above scripture, And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.", kept this underground church going. This was their encouragement to carry on in spite of consequences.
In the days of the apostle Paul, Christians also suffered persecution. But it was not at the hands of the apostate church … because that did not exist yet. But at that time they suffered at the hands of the Jews.
The Apostle Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy from his prison cell. It was a Roman prison cell. This was the second time he was in prison. The first time it was because of the hatred of the Jews. The second time (we think) it was as a result of Nero's hatred of Christians. About a year later Paul was executed.
Matthew wrote his gospel about five or six years before Paul wrote to Timothy. If Paul ever read a copy of Matthew, we have no mention of it in scripture.
In the previous chapter we looked at Paul's prophecy of the last days, specifically as it applied to the degeneration of morals in the world.
The situation was grim for Christians in Paul's time. This puts a great emphasis on his words when he says that the last days are going to get bad.
Warnings are always given to serve a purpose. Paul has warned us. Now Jesus warns us. Here are just a few of the warnings from Jesus as given to us by Mark.
Mr 13:5 ¶ And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray.
Mr 13:9 "But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.
Mr 13:33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.
Mr 13:35-37 Therefore stay awake — for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning — lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake."
In this chapter we just barely skim the surface of the 'signs of the end' that Jesus told us to watch for.
Here is just a bit of a background to help provide the setting for Jesus' words in this 'Olivet Discourse'.
At the time of this incident recorded in chapter 24 of Matthew, Jesus has ministered for just over 3 years. During the first year He was becoming known. The second year of His ministry is often referred to as 'the Year of Jesus' Popularity'. The third year has been called, 'the Year of Jesus' Opposition'.
By Matthew chapter 26 we read about the last supper that took place the day before His death.
The prophecy given by Jesus in chapter 24 is just a few days before the crucifixion. Jesus will be returning to the Father very soon. He has told his followers that He would not leave them as 'orphans'. He said that He would send the comforter … the Holy Spirit, to stay with them to the end of the age.
The setting for the scripture we are about to read takes place in the city of Jerusalem. When I first read the gospels, many many years ago … I had the mistaken impression that Jesus spent a lot of His time in Jerusalem. He didn't. He made His center of operations Capernaum. His times spent in Jerusalem were somewhat governed by the Jewish feast days which called for Jewish people from cities all up and down Israel to attend.
This explains the reason for the disciples' words which we are about to read. (Mark and Luke relay this same account. I will attempt to merge them so that we get the whole story.)
Mt 24:1 ¶ Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.
Mark 13:1 ¶ And one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"
Lu 21:5 ¶ And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said,
Mt 24:2 … "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."
Mr 13:3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
Mr 13:4 "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished and of the end of the world?"
The temple that they were admiring was called Herod's temple. It's construction began about 20 years before Jesus was born, and was in the process of being completed at the time that Jesus and disciples are now visiting Jerusalem here in chapter 24 of Matthew.
They had not previously seen the completed buildings that they are now admiring.
So that is the setting.
Going through the minds of the disciples were thoughts that Jesus would present himself as the Messiah/Ruler of Israel who would free the Jews from Rome … and Jesus would rule Israel (or so they thought) from this very temple... This MARVELOUS temple!
What a complete shock to these four disciples... not one stone left standing on another?!
As I have pointed out, this is early in year 4 of Jesus' ministry. In a few days He will be on the cross. This means that by now Jesus has taught many things to His small church. From the disciples' question we notice that Jesus obviously has told them previously that this world … this age, would eventually come to an end.
So what do we understand about this question asked by the disciples?
Mt 24:3 … “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
In plain English …
“When will the temple be destroyed?”
“Will you give any signs before this happens?” (“Surely it will be the end of the age when the temple is destroyed, right?”)
So they already knew from Jesus' teaching that there would be an end to this age. Now they have heard that this magnificent temple was to be destroyed. They want to know when.
Jesus answers their questions in such a way that it covered the whole span of time … from the actual destruction of the temple that occurred in the year 70 … all the way to the end of our present age. They certainly did not expect His answer to cover this long a period of time.
Jesus begins with a warning for believers to expect and be ready for deceivers. All three, Matthew, Mark and Luke begin with, "See that no one leads you astray.”
Does Jesus know something that we don't? Jesus is far more acquainted with Satan and his agenda than we will ever be. And Satan has an agenda. He has been the enemy of God ever since his having been 'deposed' over 6 thousand years ago. He is a liar and has been attacking God's truth from that first day in the garden to our very day, and he will continue to his 'dying breath' (or should I say, 'to his ultimate end'.?)
Let's continue, And he said, "See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. Lu 21:8
'Many will come …' Are these False Christs or False prophets? What is the difference?
A false Christ would be one who shows up and says, “I am Christ!” A false prophet would be one who shows up and uses the words “Jesus is the Messiah (or Christ)” as his opening words, but they are only words .. their intent is to grab your attention so that they can feed you with their own agenda.
Jesus warns us that there will be both.
Mr 13:22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
Every once in a while we hear of a 'false christ' appearing somewhere in the world. But this is not all that common. But Jesus said that 'many will come in my name'.
My inclination would be to understand that Jesus is talking more about false prophets ... men using the words, 'Jesus is the Christ', but they are insincere and deceived, and some are intentional deceivers. The danger that these men pose is that unsuspecting Christians could be taken in. They would hear them talking about Jesus as being the Son of God and assume that these men are genuine.
And how WOULD someone know the difference? Knowing the difference between the true and false involves several things.
Number one, We are being forewarned … so be on our guard.
Two, know the Word well enough that you will detect immediately that something is off.
Three, Do not be gullible but rather 'inspect' their lives. Mt 7:15, 16 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
The warning of Jesus has to be taken seriously. This will be a big part of staying on track, and it will not be easy. If it were an easy thing Jesus would not have made it into a warning.
Let's continue in this narrative.
Mr 13:7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, Lu 21:9 and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once."
The 'conflict' that loomed in the immediate future for these disciples would have been the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Whether this is what Jesus referred to depends on whether or not they heard rumors regarding it.
Most likely Jesus is looking 'way ahead' here, and referring to the many wars that would happen down through history. He especially might be referring to World Wars One and Two. The disciples vision of the world would not be the same as what Jesus would be able to see. Jesus was telling them that conflicts … even global ones, were on the way … but the 'end' would be still a ways off.
Lu 21:10 Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
This sounds to me like the world wars of the past, and yet … we may see this all over again.
Jesus continues, Lu 21:11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
Earthquakes, as an endtime sign, have been talked about for years.
Earthquakes … Some people say that there are no more earthquakes in our day than there have been in the past, but now that we have ways of recording them that did not exist in previous times. They say it just seems that earthquakes are more frequent.
It is true that we have more sophisticated ways to monitor the frequency and the intensity of earthquakes in our time. But within the last hundred years of so, the number of real bad earthquakes has clearly increased.
We sometimes run across those (well-meaning) believers who take almost nothing literally. To some, these earthquakes could mean shake-ups in government .. or etc. etc. Jesus said they were earthquakes. John, in the revelation clearly says they are earthquakes and even mentions how many people get killed in one of them.
We must be careful to take the words of Jesus as literally as possible. There is a serious warning in the book of Revelation against removing or adding our own words to the prophecies.
Along with a marked increase in earthquake activity and intensity, Jesus mentions famines and pestilences.
Famines
Famines happen here and there, as they have throughout the centuries. So Jesus has to be referring to some really bad ones ... famines that would cover exceptionally larger areas than they have in the past. These would be famines that affect more people, and perhaps in areas that are not usually affected by drought.
I have heard recently that Ethiopia is building a huge dam on the head waters of the Nile1. The work started in 2011. As of 2019 it was 70% completed. It will take between 5 and 15 years to fill it up. This Dam would provide hydro power for them and also away to regulate irrigation. But at the same time, the countries 'down stream' who depend on the waters of the Nile will be devastated while the Dam fills up. The building of this dam has been the subject of huge controversy. Egypt is totally opposed to it, as are other down-stream nations.
I believe we are going to hear of huge famines in the next year or so.
Pestilences – Plagues of locusts have swarmed over parts of Africa and have moved over to Arabia as well. Are these the same as any plagues of the past? These are reported to be miles longer and wider. Are they signs of the end? We won't really know until we piece other things together.
Covid-19 is a pestilence. A lot of conflicting information has made the rounds. What we know for sure … it is a very serious, if not deadly disease. As to why is it here and was the lock-down really necessary … and other questions … we may not ever know the answer to these things.
Luke version adds these words … And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
Signs in the heavens
What are 'terrors or great signs from heaven'? This could be a clue regarding where we are in the sequential time-line that Jesus is giving. At this point, anything that we might say about the terrors and great signs from heaven would be pure conjecture. I certainly do not agree with any 'teacher' who would try to identify things that we are presently experiencing as 'terrors and great signs from heaven'. I am certain we will know it when we see it.
The next statement of Jesus refers back to the world wars, famines, earthquakes and pestilences. He says, Mt 24:8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Because of Jesus' words so far it would seem that we have found our place in the time line. We are in the time that Jesus calls the 'beginning of birth pains'. Paul uses a similar comparison when he talks about the last days. We will look at Paul's words at another time, but now I wish to point out a couple of comparisons of 'birth pains' with signs of the end.
Birth pains (contractions) are somewhat expected after 9 and half months of waiting. We even use phrases like 'So and so is expecting'. We are, and have, for a number of years, been 'expecting' the return of Jesus. His arrival would be compared to the arrival of the long awaited baby. But the arrival of the baby, although it is anticipated with excitement and preparation, does not come without some very serious pain.2
The time of the birth is announced by the onset of contractions (also called 'labor pains'. They start out slow and not too intense. But they soon increase in intensity. And the time between them gets shorter and shorter.
Nearing the time of the birth is the stage referred to as 'hard labor'. During this time, many a woman has sworn … That's it! No more! This is the last one! And this is the time that many a husband has passed out cold.
But … how soon we forget.
John 16:21 When a woman gives birth to a child, she knows grievous pain when her time comes. Yet as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers her agony for joy that a man has been born into the world.
We are in the generation experiencing the labor pains, the contractions. In coming chapters I will address other scriptures that will make this clear. How much pain is coming? Are we supposed to try to avoid it? What is the point of Jesus' warning us ahead of time?
Whatever the answers to our questions … after the travail … we will be with Jesus. All sorrows will be forgotten.
Allow me to close the chapter with this scripture,
And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 2Peter 1:19
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Ethiopian_Renaissance_Dam#:~:text=The%20Grand%20Ethiopian%20Renaissance%20Dam,in%20Ethiopia%20that%20has%20been
2 If you are of the 'pre-trib' viewpoint, you must realize that the rapture would not be a painful delivery at all. It would be more like a Cesarean birth.