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
I read your information on the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION. Does this mean that the world already has had the tribulation that is the worst there has ever been as spoken of in the book of Matthew? There is so much confusion all around, it would be so good if other people could follow your studies. I am so appreciative for your information.
Thank you for your comment Suzanne! When Messiah said “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”; He was not referring to the number of people who died, but to the sheer horror of the scene.
1.1 million Jews died in and around the small city of Jerusalem from famine, pestilence, infighting, suicide, crucifixion and by the Roman sword. The dead are normally buried outside of the walled city, so during this period of tribulation, nobody was able to take bodies outside the city to bury them; as the Roman army was camped around the city.
That means that hundreds of thousands of dead bodies were stacked in piles in the walled city, and the tree around Jerusalem were full of crucified Jews who were captured when they tried to sneak out of the city to get food.
Then the Roman army flooded the city and killed hundreds of thousands of Jews.
The scene was horrifying. Here’s a study that gives more information.
http://theolivetdiscourse.com/the-great-tribulation-of-matthew-24/
So, the 6 million jews that were slaughtered in WWII is less of a “horror” to you? You are just trying to make your theory “right”. Alas, it’s just your opinion & a gross misinterpretation of the bible.
It’s not about my theory, it’s about what Messiah meant and what took place in the first century. The context of the Olivet Discourse was the destruction of the temple. That took place in 70 A.D., in that generation just like Messiah proclaimed that it would.
Messiah told us that all that He described, including the time of “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”; would take place in the first century, as he proclaimed in Matthew 24:34
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”
He was not talking about the end times, He was talking about the current generation; He was telling His disciples to flee to Judea when they saw the Abomination of Desolation, the Roman army surround Jerusalem (Luke 21:20-21).
So your opinion is the gross misinterpretation of the Bible, because it opposes Messiah’s clear proclamation, that all of those things would happen in the generation that His disciples were living in.
David, you didn’t answer the question “the 6 million jews that were slaughtered in WWII is less of a “horror” to you?”
If what the Messiah said about the great tribulation, that “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, NOR EVER SHALL BE.” was about what happened in 70 A.D., that means that what happened in 70 A.D. was WORSE that the holocaust of WWII, because if it wasn’t worse, that would make the Messiah lying when he said the words “NOR EVER SHALL BE”.
Now I am not an historian, but the same question is bothering me: Was what happened in 70 AD worse than the holocaust?
Marc, do some research and you will find out that 6 million is a fictitious number; and that it was about a half a million who died; not from gas chambers, but from disease. Experts have validated that those rooms could not have held gas to kill people, and that even if they could, they were not big enough to kill six million people in that amount of time.
Look at the worldwide jewish population numbers before and after the supposed six million died, and the number did not change, it did not go down.
So your example falls flat. Stop believing the lies set forth by Khazar Jews who used the story to justify creating the Zionist state of Israel.
And even if six million Jews had died in those gas chambers, no, it would not have been worse. They would have passed out from the gas and died a relatively painless death.
That is far different from experiencing the sheer horror of what was going on in Jerusalem from 69-70 A.D., when one man killed his parents, his children, his wife and himself; in order to avoid a worse fate.
That is far different from seeing the trees outside of Jerusalem filled with dead bodies, with the birds of the air feeding on their flesh.
That is far different from seeing hundreds of thousands of dead bodies stacked inside the Jerusalem walls, because nobody could go outside of the city to bury anyone.
Stop listening to the mainstream media, which gives you the perspective that they want you to know; and do research to see that truth about the Jews in Germany.
OK, I have read the page “the-great-tribulation-of-matthew-24” and now I understand. It look’s like that what happened in 70 A.D. WAS worse than the holocaust, if not in number of victims, in intensity of the sufferances.
Marc, I’m glad that you can see the perspective of what Messiah was proclaiming. It was the sheer horror of the scene, which our Pastors have not shared with us. It’s as if the fate of the Jews in the first century has been covered over. Messiah got His revenge over the Jews who rejected Him, spit on Him, hit Him, mocked Him, and delivered Him up to be killed. The Jewish nation was effectively ended; and the Holy nation, made up of believing Jews and gentiles, was setup.
No matter the numbers slaughtered Gigi it’s still a horror, but since you bring up numbers how-about the fifty million plus true Christians murdered during the “Dark Age” at the orders of evil popes, in demonic ways that would make the gas chambers a much preferable choice of a way to die, but that’s not talked about, why is that taboo? BTW there is ample evidence there could not have been 6 millions Jews that died, there is evidence that a lot of those pictures weren’t Jews but German people that were purposely starved to death by our government, namely Eisenhower, who hated Germans with a passion. General Patton wouldn’t play their evil game so he was murdered. Had the government listened to Patton there would not have been a divided Germany but the Communist in our government made sure Russia got there first. We had the Communist beat, but by keeping Generals MacArthur and Patton from doing their jobs, it was a sure way to keep Communism alive and well, no Vietnam war, no maniac running a North Korea, I just mentioned this to show you how we Americans have been and still are lied to by the puppet media.
Thank you for sharing your insight Jack! 60 million people died during the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, which was carried out by Cryto-Jewish leaders; but that gets ignored by the media. As you said, many of the pictures of dead people in Germany were Germans. And look at how many Germans were killed at the end of the World War. As you said, it was about the sheer horror of the scene in Jerusalem, which has had no parallel. 1.1 million dead people in and around that little city would have a horrid sight!
This is a double fulfillment to me. I fear you are misapplying ‘This generation’ to mean the current generation at the time of the Olivet discourse, which is certainly one interpretation. More appropriate I believe, is to interpret ‘This generation’ as the final generation who will witness the fulfillment of ALL the events Messiah is describing including:
– Matthew 24:24, False Christs, false prophets…so many have come right up till the present including the antichrist…
– Matthew 24:37, But as the days of Noe were…we can clearly see this being fulfilled before our eyes right now at breathtaking pace, this statement cannot reasonably be confined to your particular interpretation
– Matthew 24: 50-51, clearly refers to the end of time
– Matthew 25: 30-46, clearly an end time judgement
Remember we are instructed to interpret the bible according to Isaiah 28:10 and everything is in harmony. Also remember that the second coming will be literal as stated by Messiah in Matthew 24:30 and confirmed in Acts 1:11.
God Bless.
I simply point to what Messiah said about ‘this generation’, which proves that He was talking about the generation in which His disciples lived, and in which the Jews were desolated.
The Olivet Discourse was preceded by Messiah condemning the Pharisees and Lawyers saying,
“Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” Matthew 23:34-36
He was saying that they will kill some of the Apostles and that they would pay for it, their generation, not some future generation, as that would not make sense.
Here are other examples of Messiah speaking to the current generation of Jews, whom He referred to as “this generation”.
“And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “THIS IS AN EVIL GENERATION. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon IS HERE. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah IS HERE.” Luke 11:29-32
“But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” Mark 8:12
Messiah proclaimed that the current generation would reject Him.
“But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” Luke 17:25
We know that generation did reject Him as their Messiah and they delivered Him up to be killed.
Messiah told the High Priest who condemned Him, that he would see Messiah come in power and glory.
“And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
So the context of what Messiah means when He says “this generation” is quite clear.
During Pentecost, Peter admonished the Jews who witnessed the Apostles being who were filled with the Spirit and speaking the Gospel in different languages, once again pointing to the current generation:
`Be saved from this perverse generation;’ Acts 2:40
I’ll trust Messiah’s simple proclamation, and this website proves how everything that He described took place in that generation.
http://theolivetdiscourse.com/this-generation-of-matthew-24/
Be careful David, your linked website does not PROVE anything conclusively – it is your interpretation. Do stay humble!
God bless.
Marie, answer me honesty. Did you read all of the studies on that website?
The 70th week of Daniel foretold that the promised Messiah would be delivered up to be killed by the Jews, and because they did that, the temple and city would be desolated.
And that is exactly the context of Messiah’s Olivet Discourse, as Messiah foretold the desolation of the temple, and the disciples asked for the sign that this was about the appear.
The sign was the Abomination of Desolation, the pagan Roman army surrounding Jerusalem, to desolate the temple, city and Jews.
Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies (the ‘people of the prince’ from Daniel 9:26), then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
That is the proper context of the Olivet Discourse, not the end times.
Everyone focuses on the narrative in Matthew 24, and they neglect Luke’s witness about what Messiah said in His Olivet Discourse, which was about the desolation of the temple.
Luke 21:5 And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,
Luke 21:6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Luke 21:7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
The disciples were asking about the desolation of the temple, not the end times.
I understand what you are saying here, David. You are correct. Keep up your good work! You are a blessing!
Thank you for your comment Barbara! Keep learning and growing in The Way! David
Here are my other prophecy websites:
Revelation Timeline Decoded http://revelationtimelinedecoded.com
The 70th Week Of Daniel Deception http://70thweekofdaniel.com