What is the Olivet Discourse?

But in Matt. 24 He does give the sign of His coming, and of the consummation of the age. He is meeting the inquiries of the disciples from their own Jewish point of view; He enters into full particulars respecting Jerusalem, Judea, the temple, wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, etc., which were but the beginning of sorrows. The end was not yet, nor should it come before the gospel of the kingdom was preached in all the habitable earth for a witness to all the nations. Then He describes minutely the particular marks of the closing crisis, up to His manifestation to all the tribes of the earth, or land, and the complete ingathering of His elect (Israel) from the four winds.

179 The true temple indeed was His body, as He said to the Jews: still He owned the temple as His Father's house, though they had made it a den of thieves. Now the sad word came, "your house is left unto you desolate." The Lord now predicts present judgment, in the destruction of it; and when they took this as the end of the age, and as the same time as His coming, He unfolds all God's ways as to their testimony in Israel, and then of the power of evil, and judgment at the end when He should come to the deliverance of His servants. The Lord had merely said their house would be desolate till He came. When His disciples, still possessed with the thought of the temporal glory of Israel, boasted in what they could shew Him, the buildings of the temple, He declares that not one stone of it should be left upon another.

Then, on the disciples inquiring when the sign of His coming and of the end of the age would be, He unfolds the whole course of events as far as concerned Jerusalem, the disciples' testimony amongst that people when He was gone, and the state the Jews would get into, and the testimony such as He then could render it in the whole world; and, finally, in a distinct portion, the last events as they concerned them or those who might believe as they did.

The disciples connect what the Lord had already said with the end of the age and the hoped-for arrival of Messiah in glory which they awaited - were obliged in such case to await, and they looked for signs. This last point He does not touch till verse 30. In verse 29 He tells of overwhelming judgments and the subversion of all things supposed to be regular and stable, but no previous sign is given. These are after the tribulation and usher in His coming when it takes place. From Luke we learn that there is anticipation of judgments, at least terror as to what is coming when they take place as far as Judaea goes.

The disciples follow Him to the Mount of Olives. They will accompany Him to the same place again, ere long; and that, too, on a more solemn occasion. Now they wait on Him there, as "the poor of the flock," and He, as "the Word of the Lord," instructs them. Matt. 24, 25.

He discloses to them secrets of coming days, such secrets as concerned Israel. He tells them of the beginning of sorrows, of the troubles that should come on the earth, through wars, earthquakes, and pestilences. He tells them of the trials and perils of the faithful ones in Israel, whom He warns and advises and encourages, according to their circumstances. He forewarns them of the great tribulation, of the carcase and of the eagles, of the ordinances of heaven giving fearful notes of preparation; and then of the sign in heaven, the mourning of the tribes of the earth and of the coming of the Son of man. He tells them, moreover, of the gathering of the elect from the four ends of heaven, and of the settlement of the kingdom under the throne of glory. And, by the way, He delivers, in the parables of the Ten Virgins and of the Talents, judgment upon those who had, during His absence, professed either to wait for Him or to serve Him; distinguishing between those with whom this waiting and this service had been a reality, and those with whom such things had been profession merely.

At the close of Matthew 23 the Lord Jesus grieves over Jerusalem, saying, "Ye shall not see Me, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord" (verses 37-39). When the Lord spoke of the impending destruction of the temple, the disciples asked Him, "When shall these things be? and what is the sign of Thy coming, and the completion of the age?" (Matt. 24:3). In reply the Lord tells us of the events that will take place at the close of the present age, and of His coming to usher in the age to come. These instructions are especially for the remnant of God's earthly people, who will have to pass through the tribulation of those awful times of wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes, with antichrist ruling in the land of Israel and idolatry defiling God's temple.

Matthew 24. This gives rise to the prophecy of 24 and 25. For, on the Lord announcing to the disciples the total destruction of the Temple, they connect it with His coming and the end of the age, and ask when and what will be the sign of it. In His answer He tells them nothing more as to the destruction of the Temple, but takes up immediately the position, in relation to Israel and the nations, of the true remnant of His people, and His testimony connected with them, in view of the events that were coming; passing on rapidly to the end of the age because the judgment upon the Temple and city would for the time being break up that relation; and furnishing principles for their instruction both up to the time of the suspension of such relation, and when it should be renewed at the end. This will be to verse 28, only that at verse 15 there is a definite point of time marked, according to Daniel, by the setting up of the abomination of desolation in (the) holy place. Up to this the instruction is general, suited to the then position of the testimony (broken up by the destruction of Jerusalem — which thus, though not alluded to, has an important bearing upon the instruction) or whenever at the time of the end the disciples will find themselves in similar circumstances. Men coming falsely in the name of Christ; false Christs and prophets would be one of their dangers; wars, famines, and earthquakes would be but the beginning of sorrows; they would be delivered up to and hated and killed of the nations — and this by one another — and under the testing and by reason of prevailing lawlessness the love of "the many" would wane, making the path of faith more trying: but he that has endured to the end should be saved. (Cp. the issue for the innumerable multitude who come out of the great tribulation in Rev. 7:9 et seq.) Still the testimony would go forth — "this gospel of the kingdom" — "for a testimony to all the nations "in the whole oikoumene, before the end shall come. From verse 15, as a fixed date is given, 1290 days before all is finished according to the prophecy referred to, and that connected with a "holy place" (anarthrous I suppose because of verse 2 announcing the destruction of what was then there as an object that could be particularized) the focus of trouble is Judea: their flight was to be instantaneous — no clinging to the defiled place nor turning back to it for even clothes. And the Lord in His grace thinks of the weak, and exhorts to prayer that their flight may not have to take place in the cold of winter or be limited by the Sabbath; for the tribulation should be such as had never been or ever would be, but shortened for the elect's sake. As in the beginning of sorrows so at the end, false Christs would be a snare; but the coming of the Son of Man would be in no sense such as they affected, but as lightning flash upon the object of judgment — succeeding immediately upon the tribulation and the convulsion of the hierarchical powers — the sign of the Son of Man, — and it would be Himself — shall appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn at His advent upon the clouds with power and great glory. Then, by the ministers of His providence and with trumpet sound, His elect of Israel would be gathered from the utmost parts into the land.

Let us now return to Matthew's Gospel. In the twenty-third chapter, we have a record of the conclusion of the public ministry of our blessed Lord. "Woe, woe, woe!" were the solemn words that chiefly characterized that last discourse. His own people had refused to receive him as the promised Messiah, and he finishes the dread series of judicial denunciations, with the following words (ver. 38, 39), "Your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." The concluding clause of the verse, namely, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," that is, of Jehovah, is the well-known prophetic, national welcome, which will be given to Messiah by repentant Israel in the latter day. (See Ps. 118:26.) On a previous occasion a great multitude of people had actually so used the words (see Matt. 21:8-11); but Jerusalem refused her King, and sentence was pronounced by the Lord upon the nation. He immediately left the temple, and did not enter it again. He went out, and departed to the Mount of Olives. When seated there, the disciples, full of anxiety as to what had fallen from his lips, came to him privately and said, Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" That is, of the coming of which he had just been speaking; when, as he had intimated, the nation should see him once more, and say, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Now, the disciples do not ask the Lord respecting the end or destruction of the world, as is sometimes incorrectly and vaguely imagined, but they inquire of him as to the end of the age, for "aion" is the word used; that is, as to the end of the age or period when Jerusalem was to be "left desolate." You observe it is the same word that is used here as in the thirteenth chapter, and, as scholars admit, it has reference to time or duration rather than to matter. Further, the close of the period here referred to is spoken of by Christ himself as the time of Israel's conversion, which must be at the commencement of the millennium, and not at the end of it. Now, dear friends, mark what follows in Matt. 24. The Lord goes on to answer the other question that had been put to him, as to "the sign of his coming." "The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." (See verses 29 and 30.) Such is the Lord's own description of his return, which he himself had declared should take place when the Jewish nation shall repent; that is, at the commencement of the millennium. Do consider well the bearing of this Scripture. Examine thoroughly the whole of the magnificent prophecy of which it forms a part. It is related, not only in this and the succeeding chapter of Matthew, but also in Mark 13 and Luke 21. Read the whole carefully. I am aware that it is said, that the advent mentioned here means, mystically, the coming of the Romans to destroy the city. But let me ask of any one who may say so, what then, in such case, is meant by the words, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened — and then shall they see the Son of Man coming"? If you say the coming here spoken of means the coming of the Romans to destroy the city, and that the tribulation resulted from the siege and the taking of it by them; how is it that this coming is said to be "after the tribulation"? By your own interpretation you place this coming before the tribulation; but the Lord says it shall be "immediately after" it. Do you not see, then, that since this coming is after the tribulation, it cannot possibly be intended to denote the coming of the Roman armies?

Matt. 24. In this chapter we find the plain teaching of Jesus to His little flock of Jewish disciples. It is the same subject as the seven parables, only in plain words, not in parables. In the first few verses Jesus foretells the destruction of the Jewish temple — which, we all know, came literally to pass. He was seated on the Mount of Olives — the very spot where His feet shall stand when He comes to reign. The disciples came and enquired privately, “Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (or age)?” Now read carefully from the fourth to the last verse, and mark, there is not one thought of the world’s conversion. He foretells there will be false Christs — deceivers — wars, and rumours of wars — famines, pestilences, earth quakes — persecutions, sorrows, death — iniquity abounding, and the love of many waxing cold. And instead of the world receiving the gospel, it is preached for a witness; and then the end comes. Much has been fulfilled; and much in this chapter has yet to be fulfilled. Bear in mind, that all these words of Jesus were spoken to His Jewish disciples, and have special reference to what shall befall that nation. In the fifteenth verse He says to them, “When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him understand,) then let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains,” &c. This evidently proves that the temple at Jerusalem has to be rebuilt; for the abomination of desolation is to stand in the holy place. And if you read Dan. 12:11-13, and compare it with 9:27, you see the fearful act of the head of the Roman power, who causes the sacrifice and oblation to cease in the midst of the week — then mark when the abomination stands in the holy place. Then the words of Jesus will be most valuable to the godly Jews, who believe His testimony in that day. The moment they see this take place, they take it as the signal to escape. They have not even time to go into the house to fetch their clothes. Then takes place “the great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time — no, nor ever shall be.” The remnant who have escaped may count the days that are shortened, 1290 to 1260, or half a week of years. The angel, speaking to Daniel of these days, says, “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time: and at that time thy people (that is, the Jews) shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (12:1-2.) Clearly, then, the setting up of the abomination of desolation, and the time of tribulation, are both future. And in proof of this, our blessed Lord says, what will take place immediately after, the tribulation: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Ver. 29, 30.) Most certainly, then, all tribes of the earth are not converted; or why do they mourn when Jesus comes? Jesus says, “Verily I say to you, This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.” How remarkably this is so before our very eyes! Though scattered among all nations, the generation or race of the Jews still exists, and waits the fulfilment of all these things. The Lord then goes on to state, “As the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.” Oh, what a solemn thought, that this world is to go on eating and drinking — rejecting Christ, just as the world despised the preaching of Noah, “and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be!” The most solemn warnings to watch and be ready are then given: “for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man comes.” Terrible will be the doom of that servant who shall say in his heart, My Lord delays his coming. Yes, he calls Him, “My Lord;” but his portion will be with the hypocrites, “where there in weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.” Such are the solemn words of the Son of God. Oh! that my reader may be awakened to the solemn enquiry, Am I ready, and waiting for the Lord?

Jesus departs from the temple, and that for ever — a solemn act, which, we may say, executed the judgment He had just pronounced. The house was now desolate. The hearts of the disciples were still bound to it by their former prepossessions. They draw His attention to the magnificent buildings that composed it. Jesus announces to them its entire destruction. Seated apart with Him on the Mount of Olives, the disciples inquire when these things were to happen, and what would be the sign of His coming and of the end of the age. They class together the destruction of the temple, the coming of Christ, and the end of the age. We must observe, that here the end of the age is the end of the period during which Israel was subject to the law under the old covenant: a period which was to cease, giving place to the Messiah and to the new covenant. Observe also that God's government of the earth is the subject, and the judgments that should take place at Christ's coming, which would put an end to the existing age. The disciples confounded that which the Lord had said of the destruction of the temple with this period. The Lord treats the subject from His own point of view (that is to say, with regard to the testimony which the disciples were to render in connection with the Jews during His absence and to the end of the age). He adds nothing as to the destruction of Jerusalem, which He had already announced. The time of His coming was purposely hidden. Moreover the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus put an end, in fact, to the position which the Lord's instructions had in view. There was no longer any cognizable testimony among the Jews. When this position shall be resumed, the applicability of the passage will also recommence. After the destruction of Jerusalem until that time the church only is in question.

Now, it is of the utmost importance that the reader should recognize and understand the position of this remnant, and that it is with it our Lord is occupied in His marvellous discourse on the mount of Olives. To suppose for a moment that the persons here addressed were on Christian ground would involve the abandonment of all true thoughts of what Christianity is, and the ignoring of a company whose existence is recognized throughout the Psalms, the Prophets, and various parts of the New Testament. There was, and there always is, "a remnant according to the election of grace." To quote the passages which present the history, the sorrows, the experiences, and the exercises of that remnant would demand a volume, and hence we shall not attempt it; but we are extremely desirous that the reader should seize the thought that this godly remnant is represented by the handful of disciples which gathered round our Lord on the mount of Olives. We feel persuaded that if this be not seen, the true scope, bearing, and application of this remarkable discourse must be lost.

"And Jesus went out and departed from the temple; and His disciples came to Him for to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say to you, there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. And as He sat upon the mount of Olives the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (or age, aionos.)

The Olivet discourse is a great prophecy, the King's last, great utterance. It was spoken, as we shall see later, in answer to the question of the disciples. He had just predicted the destruction of the magnificent temple buildings, and while He sat upon the Mount of Olives, where in the future His glorious feet shall stand in the hour of His manifestation, they asked Him: "Tell us when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the Age?" We shall find later that here in Matthew, the Spirit of God in giving us the discourse does not give us the words which relate to the destruction of the temple, which was then standing. He omits here certain words, which, however, are given in the Gospel of Luke. All this and much else our exposition will bring out.