The Context Of The Olivet Discourse

This Olivet Discourse Deception study gives the proper context of the Olivet Discourse.

We cannot understand the fulfillment of Messiah’s prophecy in the Olivet Discourse, without understanding how it fits into the narrative of the prophecies in Daniel.

Daniel 2 foretold that the last beast kingdom would be Rome, which it was in Messiah’s day.

Daniel 9 foretold that Messiah would appear in the 70th week of Daniel, and would be ‘cut off’, killed by the hands of the Jews; and that their punishment would be that the ‘people of the prince‘, the Roman army, would be sent to desolate the temple and city; ending the Jewish nation.

Daniel 12 foretold the time of tribulation for the Jews, when they would be desolated and scattered.  It foretold that the Abomination of Desolation, the pagan Roman army, would appear; and then 1,290 days later the city would be flooded by the Romans, and that the siege would last 45 days.

With that in mind, Messiah proclaimed that the sign for the disciples and the Early Church to escape Judea and flee to the mountains; was the Roman army surrounding Jerusalem, where it should not be.

The context of the Olivet Discourse is the desolation of the temple, city and Jews; which history proves was fulfilled in 70 A.D., by Roman prince Titus and his army.

Here’s part one of the introduction to the Olivet Discourse.

Here’s part two of the introduction to the Olivet Discourse.

All of Messiah’s description of what would happen before the desolation of the temple, is book-ended between Matthew 23:36, where Messiah declared that all of the righteous blood would be poured out on that generation of Jews who He had just berated; until Matthew 24:34, where He proclaimed that all of the previous things that He described would happen in that generation.

It is greatly to be regretted that those who, in our day, give themselves to the study and exposition of prophecy, seem not to be aware of the immense significance of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, which was accompanied by the extinction of Jewish national existence, and the dispersion of the Jewish people among all the nations.

The harmful results are two fold; for first, we are thus deprived of the evidential value, and the support to the faith, of those remarkable fulfillments of prophecy which are so clearly presented to us in authentic contemporary histories; And second, our vision of things to come is greatly obscured and confused by the transference to the future of predicted events which, in fact, have already happened, and whereof complete records have been preserved for our information. (PM)

The desolation of the temple was foretold more than 500 years before it happened in 70 A.D.

The proper context begins with the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 prophecy, which explained that: the Jews would be released from Babylonian captivity; empowered to rebuild the city and temple; that the promised Messiah would appear in the 70th week; that He would be killed; and that the city and temple would be desolated.

Daniel 12 foretold the ‘time of Trouble’, during 3 1/2 years of tribulation; which was fulfilled between 66-70 A.D., when due to the Roman army, the people of the Prince from Daniel 9, surrounding the holy city of Jerusalem; 1.1 million Jews died from famine, pestilence, infighting, suicide, crucifixion and by the Roman sword.

Messiah joined Daniel 9 and Daniel 12 together when He proclaimed that the Jews should have known that He was the promised Messiah, based on the 70 weeks of Daniel prophecy. But since they rejected Him and would deliver Him up to be killed, they would be desolated.

“If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:42-44

Messiah’s visitation was foretold to happen in the 70th week of Daniel, which the Jews should have been able to trace to start in 27 A.D. Because they knew it not and delivered Him up to be killed, they were condemned to be desolated, just as Daniel 9:26-27 foretold.

Daniel 9:24 proclaimed that the Jews would “finish the transgression“, meaning to finish their apostasy against the Father and their killing of the prophets, by delivering their promised Messiah up to be killed.

Messiah proclaimed as much in Matthew 23, saying that just as their Fathers killed the prophets, so too would they kill Him and those that He sent to witness to them.

Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Matthew 23:31-32

Then Paul confirmed it in 1 Thessalonians 2:16

For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15

Messiah’s proclamation that the temple would be desolated fits into the context of those prophecies. And the historical record proves that all of these prophecies were fulfilled in the first century.

Malachi delineated between the wicked Jews who incited Elohim to curse the nation, causing Him to destroy it; and those Jews who welcomed the promised Messiah, on which the true nation of Israel is built.

Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Malachi 3:9

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Malachi 4:1

Malachi 4 contains an account of the destruction of the wicked Jews, and the happiness of the righteous by the coming of the Messiah; an exhortation to regard the law of Moses; and a description of John the Baptist and his work. The day of Messiah’s coming, reaching to Jerusalem’s destruction, is compared to a burning oven; the wicked Jews to stubble, whose ruin would be utter and complete.

And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:3

Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Malachi, all condemned the wicked Jews; and proclaimed that Elohim’s promises will be fulfilled in the righteous Jews.

This matches Daniel 12 which says that the wise will understand the timing of Messiah’s appearance and accept Him as Messiah; while the wicked ones will deliver Him up to be killed.

“Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” Daniel 12:10

During Messiah’s ministry, most of the Jews rejected Him and they were lost. But the kingdom of Messiah was built with those who accepted Him.

The true nation of Israel has always been made up of those who believe by faith in the Father and the atoning work of the promised Messiah.

Jacob did not have a covenant relationship with the Father until he wrestled with Him spiritually and came to the end of himself, and professed his sins and his need for the Father.

Then he was renamed Israel.  And that is what the name Israel represents, someone who has a covenant relationship with the Father. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob/Israel, David, Daniel, John the Baptist, etc., all believed by faith; and they are the true Israel of Elohim.

In the context of the Olivet Discourse and the desolation of the city and temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. The true Israelites, the ones who believed in the Messiah, were saved, as they were led to escape to the mountains of Pella.  The Apostle Paul proclaimed, ‘and so all Israel shall be saved‘.  He was declaring that the remnant (Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: Romans 9:27) would be saved.

And those physical descendants of Abraham, who did not believe in the Messiah, were desolated.  Just as the Apostle Paul proclaimed, “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel“.

The unbelieving Jews were desolated.  The believing Jews were saved.

So now lets look at the context of the days before the Olivet Discourse, to get the proper context.

Before the Olivet Discourse, Messiah made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He looked over the city and wept over it because most of the Jews had not accepted Him as their promised Messiah, as they did not understand the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 prophecy, which told them exactly when their Messiah would arrive (27 A.D.)

Messiah told the parable of the Wedding Feast, which was about the Jews, as they were given first opportunity to accept Him as their Messiah, but most rejected Him.  The parable ended with Messiah proclaiming that armies would be sent against the unbelieving Jews to the destroy them and burn up the city.

But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Matthew 22:7

Then Messiah cleansed the temple, proclaiming that their temple had been left desolate.

Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Matthew 23:38

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Your house. The temple. The house of worship of the Jews. The chief ornament of Jerusalem.

Desolate. About to be desolate, or destroyed. To be forsaken as a place of worship, and delivered into the hands of the Romans, and destroyed.

The temple was profaned by evil leaders, and the Father can’t inhabit such a temple.

Messiah gave the parable of the Vineyard Owner, which told the Jews that because they killed the prophets and would deliver the Son of Elohim up to be killed, that He would destroy them.

They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Matthew 21:41

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

he will miserably destroy those wicked men: in saying which, they own that persons guilty of such crimes, as beating, killing, and stoning, servants sent to them by the proprietor of the vineyard, to receive his due and proper fruit, and at last murdering his son and heir, were very wicked persons, and deserved the severest punishments to be inflicted upon them, and that without mercy; nor could it be thought, but this must and would be unavoidably their case, when the Lord of the vineyard should come: thus tacitly did they condemn themselves as wicked men, and as deserving the worst of deaths, who in a few days after this, were concerned in the death of the Son of God:

Messiah proclaimed that the unbelieving Jews would be slain before Him.

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. Luke 19:27

Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible:

“Those – enemies – bring hither – the Jews, whom I shall shortly slay by the sword of the Romans.”

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible:

But those mine enemies, Meaning particularly the Jews, who were enemies to the person of Christ, and hated and rejected him, as the King Messiah; and rebelled against him, and would not submit to his government; and were enemies to his people, and were exceeding mad against them, and persecuted them; and to his Gospel, and the distinguishing truths of it, and to his ordinances, which they rejected against themselves:

This was fulfilled when Messiah come on the clouds, meaning He came in judgment against them, when He used the Roman army to desolate them.

Then Messiah gave His greatest condemnation of the Jewish leaders, with many “woe to you” accusations (Matthew 23).

He accused them of being the descendants of those who killed the prophets.

He told them to fill up the measure of their fathers, indicating that they would deliver the Son of Elohim up to be killed.

He prophesied that they would kill His prophets, which they fulfilled by stoning Stephen to death and killing many of the disciples.

And He said that all of the righteous blood of the prophets would come on their generation.

He said “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

He proclaimed to the Jewish leaders who were standing before Him:

“Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 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 23:32-36

Filling up the measure of their fathers’ guilt, was pointing to the fact that just as their fathers had killed the prophets, they would kill the Son; just as the parable of the Vineyard Owner foretold.

The Lord here speaks distinctly of a terrible retribution which was to come upon that generation; and He sums up the several items of the wickedness for which they were thus to be punished. He declared that, in putting Him to death they were about to prove themselves to be the children of those who killed the prophets; and they were also about to fill up the measure of their fathers. Nor would the wickedness of that “generation of vipers” stop there. For when the messengers of Christ should come to them with the gospel of God’s love and grace, they would scourge, persecute, kill and crucify them. Thus would they bring upon themselves a retribution of such terrible severity, that it would be as if they were visited for all the righteous blood that had ever been shed upon the earth. Most distinct and plain, and emphasized by His great “Amen” (Verily), are the Lord’s words, “Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” (PM)

Here we have then a clear explanation of the words of Daniel 9:24, “Seventy Weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression“; and also of the words of Daniel 12:10, “The wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand.” (PM)

He clearly proclaimed judgment against them in their generation.

Then during the Olivet Discourse, after describing all of the things that would happen, which would lead up to the desolation of the Jewish leaders, the city and the temple; Messiah proclaimed:

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Matthew 24:34

Once again, Messiah is clearly proclaiming that those things would happen in that generation.

His description of the events which would take place was a warning to His disciples; not to future generations.  They are things that they would see, not us.

We have sought to impress upon our readers the fact that the destruction of Jerusalem, and the final breakup of the Jewish nation, was a matter of immense importance in the history of the world, as divinely viewed and written. We would now call attention to the fact that God, in marvellous forbearance and goodness, did not execute His righteous judgment upon the nation at once, but gave them a final period of probation, which lasted just 40 years, from A.D. 31, when the Lord was crucified, to A.D. 70, when the city was destroyed and the nation exterminated. (PM)

The number 40 appears to be the measure of full probation. The Israelites were tested for 40 years in the wilderness at the beginning of their national career. That was under the Law. And at the end thereof, God gave them another probation of 40 years, under the Gospel. (PM)

The sins of the Jewish leaders condemned that generation to the same type of judgments.

They delivered Messiah up to be killed, when the Jewish nation was assembled to celebrate the Passover;

And then when the Jewish nation was gathered to celebrate the Passover, Roman Prince Titus shut them up within the walls of Jerusalem.

The rejection of the true Messiah was their crime;

And then they followed false Messiahs, which caused them to revolt against the Romans, and led to their punishment of being desolated by the Roman army.

They paid 30 pieces of silver for Messiah to be delivered up to them as a slave;

And then they themselves were afterwards sold by the Romans as slaves at the lowest prices.

They chose a murderer (Barabbas) to Messiah, whom they crucified between two thieves ;

And then they themselves were afterwards infested with bands of murderers and thieves, who slit people’s throats, even in the temple.

They put Messiah to death, lest the Romans should come and take away their place and nation;

And then the Romans came and took away their place and effectively ended their nation; by desolating the city, destroying the temple, and causing the High Priest and His Sanhedrin to lose power.

They delivered Messiah up to be crucified outside of the walls of Jerusalem;

And then outside the walls of Jerusalem, they themselves were crucified in such numbers, that the Romans ran out of trees and crosses; and that many had multiple bodies hung on them.

We can see a direct correlation between what the Jewish leaders did in regard to Messiah; and the matching judgments which came upon them in that generation.

“Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.” Matthew 27:25

We simply must take Messiah at His word.

To assign the fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse to a future generation, is to change the context of Messiah’s proclamation.

Just like the 70 weeks of Daniel prophecy was about the Jews, and not about the end times; the Olivet Discourse is about the Jews of Messiah’s day.

It is the fulfillment of the condemnation in the 70th week of Daniel, that because the Jewish leaders would deliver Messiah up to be killed; they would be desolated along with their temple.

Daniel 9, Matthew 24 and Daniel 12 are connected, and fit together to tell the whole story:

Daniel 9 foretold that Messiah would appear in 27 A.D., that He would minister for 3 1/2 years, and then be killed.  It foretold that because the Jewish leaders delivered Messiah up to be crucified, that the temple and city would be desolated, ending the Jewish leadership system.

The Olivet Discourse follows Messiah’s condemnation of the Jewish leaders.  In it He foretold that the temple would be desolated, and the Jewish leadership system would be cast down from power.

Daniel 12 foretold the 3 1/2 years of Great Tribulation, known as the time of Jacob’s Trouble, which occurred from 66-70 A.D.; during which the temple was desolated, and 1.1 million Jews died in and around Jerusalem from famine, pestilence, infighting, suicide, crucifixion and by the Roman sword.

Is there a dual fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse?

Of course I believe that there are many fulfillments of times of famine, pestilences, wars, false prophets, etc.;

But I believe that in the Olivet Discourse Messiah was specifically speaking of what would happen leading up to, during, and after; the desolation of the temple, city and Jews, in the first century.

I believe that it is the fulfillment of the prophecy in the 70 weeks of Daniel, and Daniel 12.

How and when did it get taken out of context?

We know that the enemy doesn’t want believers to know the truth about prophecy fulfillment, so that they are not prepared for the end times.

In the 19th century, through John Nelson Darby’s ‘Dispensationalism,’ and William Miller’s Adventism, the significance of what happened in the first century was downplayed and the historical record of prophecy fulfillment, removed.

In it’s place futuristic explanations took hold, which assigned the fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse to the end times, to be fulfilled by the supposed one-man antichrist.

But that is just another deception of the Jesuit’s of Rome, the false prophets, who created the concept of futurism to deflect blame away from the Popes of Rome; whom the Protestant Reformers had rightly identified as the Little Horn of Daniel 7, the Son of Perdition of 2 Thessalonians 2, and the antichrist beast of Revelation 13.

By saying that Messiah’s prophecy in the Olivet Discourse was not fulfilled, they are removing Messiah’s judgment of the Jews, and His setting up His kingdom.

David Nikao Wilcoxson

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