The Olivet Discourse

The next section of prophecy in scripture I want to write about is popularly known as “The Olivet Discourse.” It is found in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21. This is the last major teaching that Jesus shared with His disciples before His crucifixion. I think it is important because in it, the Lord tells believers how to recognize the signs that indicate that His second coming is near. Many people in the church seem to think that it isn’t necessary for Christians to be knowledgeable in this area. I am convinced they are wrong. Jesus was very clear in His first coming that the religious leaders in particular should have recognized Him from the teaching of the prophets.

Matthew 16:1-4 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

We need to be able to recognize that time is short and share the message of salvation with as many as possible as soon as possible.

Again, I am going to summarize my understanding of these sections of scripture using Matthew as the base text. A more detailed parallel verse-by-verse study can be found at my website.

I think it is important to note that Jesus is talking to His disciples about His second coming to earth to establish His earthly kingdom—not the rapture. The teaching of the “rapture” was introduced by the Apostle Paul. “Rapture” is the term applied to the time when Jesus will come to take the church, His bride, home to the Father’s house (as described in John 14) before expending His wrath on the inhabitants of planet earth. Although there are no signs given that are associated with the rapture, common sense dictates that if we are seeing the signs of the second coming, the rapture is to be expected prior to that. Though the rapture could occur at any time, I believe it will not occur until just prior to the last seven years before Jesus establishes His earthly kingdom. God never leaves mankind without a witness to His message of salvation. The true church is God’s witness at this time. Once it is removed, He will send the two witnesses we learned about in Revelation 11 and will raise up the 144,000 Jewish witnesses we learned about in Revelation 7.