It’s all of the futuristic deceptions of the enemy that make it hard to see the truth of the fulfillment.
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Understanding Messiah’s Olivet Discourse is very important, because of the truth of its fulfillment, and the deception which is based on it.
To see the truth, we have to put aside preconceived notions, as we’ve been conditioned to believe that it applies to the end times.
Throughout history the followers of Messiah believed in its first century fulfillment, but the enemy has been very effective in this end times disinformation age. I’m not asking you to be empty-minded, but open-minded; for it is when we think that we know the truth, that we are closed to other views.
Note: This is only a summary, to give you the big picture. Detailed explanations are provided in the separate studies.
Messiah proclaimed that all of the things that He described would take place in that generation, so we need to take Him at His Word, and look to see how those things were fulfilled in the first century.
He didn’t say ‘that generation’ as if He was pointing to the end times, He said ‘this generation.’ Too many people dismiss Messiah’s clear proclamation because they don’t understand the fulfillment of the prophecy. But when you take Him at His Word, we can see how it was all fulfilled in that generation.
Matthew uses the words ‘this generation‘ nine times prior to Matthew 24:34 and each time it is pointing to the Jews who lived during Messiah’s ministry.
The context of the Olivet Discourse is that Messiah had just rebuked the Jewish leaders, who sought to kill Him, and He said that all of the righteous blood that they shed would come upon on them, in that generation. “Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” Matthew 23:36
It’s very clear to see that Messiah was proclaiming that judgment would come upon that generation of Jews, and we know that a terrible time of tribulation came upon the Jewish nation forty years after Messiah proclaimed judgment on them, during the Jewish-Roman War of 66-70 AD.
After Messiah rebuked the Jewish leaders, He left the city and looking back, His disciples pointed to the beautiful temple; to which He replied with “See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
He proclaimed that the second temple would be desolated, which caused His disciples to ask about the sign of these things (the judgment of the Jews and the desolation of the temple) which were about to happen.
When they sat down on the Mount of Olives, which overlooks the city and temple, the disciples asked Messiah about when the desolation would take place and what would be the sign.
The proper context of the Olivet Discourse is the desolation of the second temple, not the end times.
Messiah’s disciples understood the prophecy in the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 that foretold that the temple and city would be desolated, because the Jewish leaders would deliver Messiah up to be killed; so they wanted to know more about when it would happen.
Jewish historian Josephus documented the fulfillment. Wars occurred around Judea, in the Roman Empire. There were times of famine and pestilence, and earthquakes. The disciples were delivered up to councils and all but John were killed. Many false prophets rose up during this time (Bar-Jesus, Simon Magus). Paul proclaims that the Gospel was preached all over the world (Romans 1:8, 10:15-19, 16:25-26, Colossians 1:4-6, 23), the earth of the Roman Empire.
The abomination of desolation is defined in Luke 21:20-21, “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains.“
Josephus says that in November 66 AD, Cestius and his army surrounded the temple and were ready to capture Jerusalem, and then suddenly they left for no explained reason. The Jewish rebels chased after the Romans, which gave the saints the opportunity to flee Jerusalem to the mountains for safety.
Messiah said to flee Judea, which only existed until 132 AD.
He said to not come down from the housetop, a typical design of a house in Judea. He said to pray that it doesn’t happen on the Sabbath, when the Jewish priests would have shut the city gates, keeping them in. All of those things isolate the prophecy to that generation in Judea. The saints fled to the mountains east of the Jordan River after seeing the abomination of desolation, to escape the time of tribulation.
The time of great tribulation that Messiah foretold was so horrific that at the end, there were 1.1 million dead Jews lying out in the open, in and around Jerusalem; with wild animals and birds feeding on their bodies.
- Hundreds of thousands of Jews died in Jerusalem during the civil war between three rival factions.
- They slit each other throats and tortured each other. They slew the high priest and his temple guards.
- They died from famine, pestilence, infighting and suicide.
- Hundreds of thousands of bodies were stacked in Jerusalem or thrown over the city wall into the valleys around it.
- Jews that tried to find food outside of the city were tortured and crucified, so that all of the trees around Jerusalem were filled with multiple bodies.
- Some Jews swallowed gold coins to protect their wealth and they tried to escape, but were caught and disemboweled to retrieve the gold.
- Then hundreds of thousands were killed the Roman sword and 97,000 taken captive and sold as cheap slaves in 70 AD.
Though more people have died in other times of tribulation, this grisly scene in the small city of Jerusalem, was so concentrated that Messiah proclaimed:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Of this period of great tribulation Josephus says, in the introduction of his ‘Wars of the Jews‘ historical documentary.
“It had come to pass that our city Jerusalem had arrived at a higher degree of felicity than any other city under the Roman government, and yet at last fell into the sorest of calamities again. Accordingly it appears to me that the misfortunes of all men from the beginning of the world, if they be compared to those of the Jews, are not so considerable as they were.”
Messiah’s reference to the ‘sun being darkened, the moon not giving her light, and the stars falling from heaven’; is not pointing to the literal heavens in the end times; but to the Jewish political hierarchy being cast down from power.
Isaiah used this same terminology when he referred to the judgment of Elohim against the leadership of Babylon in Isaiah 13:10. And indeed, the power of Babylon was destroyed by the Medo-Persian empire.
“For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.“
In the Olivet Discourse, Messiah is referring to the high priest, who was the sun; the Sanhedrin Council, who were the moon; and the many Rabbis, who were the stars; who were killed and cast down during the Roman siege. This is explained in the study The Sun, Moon And Stars.
‘Coming on a cloud in great power and glory’ is not referring to Messiah’s second coming, but to His presence as He caused the Roman army to desolate the city, temple and the Jews.
The term ‘clouds‘ can represent judgement, and in this instance it represented the judgment of the Jews who rejected Messiah and delivered Him up to be killed.
Messiah told the high priest who delivered Him up to be killed, that he would see Messiah come in power and glory. That took place in 70 AD as the high priest of Jerusalem witnesses Messiah’s judgment of the Jewish nation by the Roman armies.
Jewish historian Josephus recorded the witness of people who saw this in the clouds:
On the twenty-first day of the month of Artemisius [Jyar], a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared; I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sunsetting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities. (Josephus The Wars of the Jews 6.5.3.)
Daniel 12 described the great tribulation scene in Jerusalem from 66-70 AD, as the prophecies about the 1,290 and 1,335 days were fulfilled. From the time that the first division of the Roman army, the abomination of desolation, appeared in November 66 AD; until the next division flooded the city in 70 AD, was 1,290 days. The siege lasted 45 days and stopped abruptly when the last stronghold of Jewish rebels suddenly surrendered; fulfilling the 1,335 days. This is explained in the study Messiah Coming In The Clouds
‘Gathering together his elect‘ is referring to the leaders gathering together the early Church, which had retreated to the mountains for safety; to then send them out to preach the Gospel.
The Greek word for ‘angels‘ can refer to leaders in Messiah’s Ekklesia, His Church. Given the context, when the Roman siege of Jerusalem was over, the leaders blew a trumpet to gather an assembly of Messiah’s saints, who had spread out in the mountains for safety during the time of great tribulation in Judea.
Some returned to Jerusalem to minister to people there, others stayed in the Decapolis region to continue ministry there, and others went into the Roman Empire to proclaim the Gospel. This is explained in the study Gathering Together His Elect
The Jewish leaders wanted Messiah to setup His kingdom, to overthrow the Romans, and to exalt them up as the leaders of the kingdom.
Instead, the very opposite happened. Messiah caused the Roman army to desolate the Jewish leaders and their temple. This removed them from their power and effectively ended the Jewish nation.
In order to setup the kingdom of His Father, Messiah had to remove the old types, which had pointed to the true type.
- He removed the temple made with hands, to create the temple made without hands; of which Messiah is the cornerstone, the Apostles the foundation, and the saints the small stones that make up the walls; which Elohim indwells.
- He removed the Jewish high priest, as Messiah is our High Priest, who intercedes for us.
- He removed the Jewish priest system, as the saints (made up of believing Jews and Gentiles) are the priests who offer spiritual sacrifices to the Father.
- He desolated the city of Jerusalem, as the bride of Messiah is Holy Jerusalem.
The kingdom of Elohim was setup in the first century. This is explained in the study Messiah Setup His Kingdom
Here’s a one-page summary PDF of the fulfillment of The Olivet Discourse which you can save and print and share.
Here’s a two-page summary PDF of the fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse which you can save and print and share.
Click on this link to listen to The Olivet Discourse Decoded Bible Study Guide YouTube videos that cover key concepts about prophecy fulfillment, that I focus on in my book.
Click on this link to listen to The Olivet Discourse Decoded Bible Study Guide audios.
The Olivet Discourse Decoded book explains the fulfillment in detail.
The enemy has created many prophecy fulfillment deceptions to mislead the saints, so that they’re not prepared for how the end-times with play out.
Both the 70th week of Daniel 9 prophecy and Messiah’s Olivet Discourse, pointed to the desolation of the temple, Jerusalem and the Jewish nation; as punishment for their grievous sin of delivering Messiah up to be killed.
You need to know the fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse in order to understand Messiah’s apocalyptic vision in Revelation.
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Note: This is not a Preterist website which proclaims that all prophecy was fulfilled in the first century; as my Revelation Timeline Decoded website shows how Revelation has been in the process of being fulfilled since it was written in the 1st century, and won’t be complete until Messiah returns.
But history proves that many prophecies such as the 70th week of Daniel, the Olivet Discourse and Daniel 12, were fulfilled in the first century; as they were about the Jewish nation.
David Nikao Wilcoxson
Click Here For The Olivet Discourse Study List
First Olivet Discourse Study: The Context Of The Olivet Discourse
Reference For Further Study: The Witness of 70 A.D. – Let God Be True
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David Nikao Wilcoxson
Has this already happened?
Matthew 25:31 ¶ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Yo Thomas, either that’s not your real name or you didn’t write a book or google doesn’t like you. Which is it? Not a hater, just trying to find your book.
David, how can you be so convicted about these views? It seems to me that we can only make educated guesses when it comes to these things. The language is too difficult to decipher and the sources are just not old enough anyway. These “theologians” of the past didn’t have anywhere close to the resources we have today. And none of them had any clue about the true names.
Yoseff, I take Messiah at His word, that all of those things that He just warned about would take place in that generation. The main source of proof is Jewish historian Josephus, who documented it in the 1st century. He wasn’t a believer, but he was obviously used by our Father to witness and documents the events which took place; which match Messiah’s warnings in the Olivet Discourse.
Here’s a page with some of highlights of his notes http://theolivetdiscourse.com/the-witness-of-jewish-historian-josephus-validates-the-fulfillment-of-the-olivet-discourse/
Please check out svetasv.com for a new chiastic approach to the Olivet discourse and the 70 weeks of Daniel. Most of the common confusions regarding these passages are dealt with.
Tom, I reviewed the Functional Chiasmus article, the 70th week of Daniel and the Olivet Discourse article; and can see how this explanation of rearranging the text has been used to change the narrative of the prophecies. It changes the order of the 70 weeks, negating the clear understanding of 7 weeks/49 years to rebuild the city; a 62 week period until the promised Messiah appears; and then the 70th week in Messiah died for our sins as the Passover Lamb to ratify the everlasting covenant, ending the need for temple sacrifices; and the punishment of the Jews for delivering their promised Messiah up to be killed. http://70thweekofdaniel.com
The same is true with the explanation of the Olivet Discourse, which casts aside Messiah’s clear words that the disciples would see those things happen; that the temple would be destroyed; and the end of the Jewish nation would take place; IN THAT GENERATION. http://theolivetdiscourse.com/this-generation-of-matthew-24/
Dear David,.
I have been studying your writings for a year and a half now. At times I review several of your studies because there is so much information and scripture, it is well worth reviewing. I am immensely grateful for your studies. I stumbled accross them while looking something up on the internet. I also watched The Fuel Project video series on “Knowing Your Enemy”, which was also a lot of history and information. Your studies have helped me and my family come out of a lifetime of deception and continue to learn how not to be deceived. The more I study the truth, the greater the lies that are revealed. While it can be a lonely road, please know that your efforts are greatly appreciated. I have never been able to read scripture and have such a clearer understanding. I am a person who questions everything and everyone and I trust in your studies because they are historical and scriptural, not opinionated for the purpose of entertainment. While I appreciated The Fuel Project video series “Knowing Your Enemy”, other videos published tend to be more for entertainment purposes. I wish I were in a position to be financially supportive, but please know I pray for you and also give thanks to Yahuah for the guidance in truth.
Thank you for your comment, your encouragement and your prayers Sandra! I appreciate it very much! I’m blessed to know that the studies have helped you and your family.
It’s been an amazing journey these last five years, having to unlearn so many deceptions, and learning Scriptural truth. Learning the fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse was eye-opening for me. It’s amazing what we learn when we take Messiah at His Word.
Please feel free to contact my anytime with questions or insight about the studies.
Keep learning and growing in The Way!
David
Always a refresher
Ing drink of water studying here. BLESSINGS to you David. All praises to Yahuah and Yahusha. Your friends the Fullwoods
Thank you for your comment Peter! It’s a blessing connecting with like-minded people 🙂