A major step in understanding the Olivet Discourse and the New Testament as a whole is audience relevance and time factors.
A poor understanding of the Olivet Discourse and a lack of respect for the inspiration of scripture, audience relevance, and the time factors, have the majority of the Church calling Christ a liar.
Pride also keeps many well-meaning Christians too ashamed to admit they could be wrong- and or at least taught wrong, simply due to traditions, and this is what my Pastor or Dad taught me and I’m sticking to it.
Prior to the Olivet Discourse, there’s a parable of the householder that shows Christ as the Son who gets killed and He then asks the religious authority this – When the Lord therefore of the vineyard comes, what will He do unto those husbandmen” (Matt. 21:40)?
They answered rightly by saying “He will miserably destroy those wicked men and let out
the vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render Him the fruits in their seasons.
Even the Chief Priests and Pharisees were smart enough to figure out Christ was speaking of THEM!
“Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them” (Matt. 21:45).
They knew Christ was speaking about those there that would be directly involved in Crucifying him!
They are same the ones who would mourn at His coming because they were responsible for killing their Messiah.
“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Rev. 1:7).
To deny this is to deny the inspiration of scripture and the timing and its 1st-century audience to whom it was intended.
The Olivet Discourse Matthew 24 begins-Do you not see all these things?
1)Four Apostles Peter, James, John and Andrew (Mar. 13:3) stand next to Jesus and He asks, “Do you not see all these things?”
2)Ask yourself were they props for us in the 21st century? Who is He asking this (audience relevance)?
- Were you there?
- He’s saying this to whom?
- When?
3) Take heed no man deceives you.
Who’s the YOU here?
4) You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars.
Who would hear of wars and rumors of wars?
5)They will deliver you up to be afflicted.
If this didn’t apply to the Apostles, who would be afflicted for Christ?
6)See that you are not troubled.
Who was Christ concerned about being troubled?
7) Shall kill you.
Surely this didn’t apply to the Apostles who were martyred.
8) Scourge you in the synagogues.
Are Christians or Jews for that matter being scourged in synagogues today?
9)You shall be hated.
Christ didn’t mean this for the Apostles?
10)When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation.
Of course, this meant they wouldn’t see the temple left desolate, not one stone standing upon another?
11-12) Pray that your flight.
This did not apply to their flight/escape?
13)Shall say unto you.
It is supposedly affecting a far distant generation?
I wonder why Christ didn’t say “Shall say unto THEM?
14) I have told you before.
How can anyone living beyond the time of Christ who wasn’t there actually state, believe, and teach that this applies to you and me?
15) They shall say unto you.
So, the Apostles wouldn’t have people trying to fool them into believing Christ had returned before they knew it?
Matt.24:32-34” Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves,
16)YOU know that summer is nigh:
17)likewise YOU
18)When YOU shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Why would Christ tell THEM to watch for something that didn’t apply to them? See (James 5:8-9)!
19)Therefore be you also ready.
Who was to be ready?
19)As you think not.
This should be getting easier now.
20) Verily I say unto you.
Yes, these messages were for THEM–THEN & THERE!
Those who believe in Fulfilled Covenant Eschatology like me believe in the inspiration of scripture, audience relevance, and that the time statements reveal the prophetic fulfillment of bible prophecy in the 1st century.
A direct summation of the question the Apostles had just asked Jesus.
Christ affirmed that “all these things” everything in Matthew 24 (not some or part) would be fulfilled before the generation of His contemporaries passed away.
Did Jesus say “that generation” which sees?
Matthew 24:34” Verily I say to you, this generation may not pass away till all these may come to pass.
Yes Olivet was fulfilled!!