Rex Banks
Part 1: Introduction
It is likely that Paul's letters to the Thessalonians date from about two decades after the Lord's ascension, and while there is much to commend in the local church, it is abundantly clear from these epistles that problems have arisen among the brethren because of misconceptions about the second coming. Evidently just two decades after the ascension, anticipation of Christ's imminent return had produced a restless excitement among certain local members, and this disturbed the apostle greatly. While he is grateful that the Thessalonians had "received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit..." (1:6) and thankful for their "work of faith, labour of love and steadfastness of hope," (1:3) Paul also worries that misunderstandings about the Lord's return has caused needless grief (1 Thess 4:13 ff) and led to irresponsible, reprehensible behaviour (2 Thess 5-15). Believing themselves to be living in the last days, some are living in an undisciplined manner, "doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies," (2 Thess 3:11) and this is such a serious matter that the brethren are forbidden to associate with those who refuse to heed Paul's corrective instruction (2 Thess 3:6, 14).
Unfortunately like the Thessalonians, many Bible believers throughout history have become convinced that their own generation was destined to witness this final act of the Christian era, and invariably the consequences of this belief have been harmful to all involved. For example not long after Paul issued his stern instructions to the brethren at Thessalonica, the second century "prophet" Montanus persuaded many believers throughout Asia Minor that heavenly Jerusalem was soon to descend upon the Earth in a plain between the two villages of Pepuza and Tymion in Phrygia. Of course Montanus also revealed that he himself was to have a leading role in the new kingdom. Closer to our own time, William Miller convinced thousands of his followers that the Lord was to return between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844, and many gave away their possessions and donned white robes in preparation for the event. Our Jehovah Witness friends repeatedly set dates for the Lord's return until deciding that His invisible "parousia" ("a being present, presence", "a coming", "an arrival") took place in 1914. The list goes on but, while differing in particulars, all such failed predictions have produced similar results: confusion, cynicism, disappointment, and ridicule of all things biblical.
Invariably such failed predictions also involve appeals to Jesus' words in the "fifth discourse" of Matthew 24, and it is fair to say that many fanciful theories about the Lord's return are built upon various erroneous interpretations of this portion of scripture. In the following paragraphs we will attempt to show that the Lord's words in Matthew 24, and in parallel passages in the synoptics, offer no support to the "date setters" the "latter day prophets" or to anyone else preoccupied with fanciful speculation about the Lord's return.
Context
a) A great deal of the teaching material in the Gospel of Matthew is contained in five discourses (i. 5:1-7:28; ii 10:5 -11:1; iii 13:1 - 53; iv 18:1 - 19:1; v 24:1 - 26:1) and the conclusion of each discourse is signalled by a formula: "The result was that when Jesus had finished these words ..." (7:28 cf 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1)
b) The fifth discourse occurs in the Climax of Matthew's Gospel (21:1 - 28:20). This section:
- begins with Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem for the final time (21:1) and ends with the post-resurrection giving of the Great Commission (28:18-20).
- covers mainly the final week of Jesus earthly life, beginning with His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, likely on Sunday. It includes an account of His resurrection on the next Sunday. (The closing verses of Matthew 28 record later events.)
c) Matt. 21:23 records that Jesus entered the Temple, likely on the Monday prior to the crucifixion, and Matt. 24:1 tells us that Jesus left the Temple.
Likely Jesus' words in 21:23 - 23:39 were all spoken at this time.
In 21:23 - 22:46 Jesus confronts the Pharisees and Sadducees
In 23:1-39 Jesus speaks to the people (23:1). Likely the leaders are not now present, despite vv 13 ff. Jesus is speaking to the people about the leaders.
Jesus describes the Jewish leaders as evil hypocrites, and He pronounces seven woes upon them (23:13-29).
d) To the Jewish leaders and their followers Jesus says:
"Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town" (23:34).
In the Book of Acts we see this prophecy fulfilled in the ongoing Jewish persecution of the early church (e.g. 13:45, 50; 14:2, 19; 17:5, 13; 18:12; 20:3; 21:27; 23:12; 24: 1-9).
"And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation" (23:34-36).
Leaving aside the question of Zechariah's parentage we simply note that Abel's murder was recorded in the Book of Genesis, (chpt 4) the first book of the Hebrew Bible, and that Zechariah's murder was recorded in Chronicles (chpt 24) the last book in the Hebrew Bible. Jesus is speaking of all the righteous men whose deaths were recorded in scripture.
Jesus affirms that the guilt of shedding this righteous blood would come upon those of "this generation". This is not because one generation inherits the guilt of earlier generations, but because this generation partook of the murderous spirit of the earlier persecutors. This is what Jesus meant by calling them "sons of those who murdered the prophets". (v. 31)
The meaning of the term "generation" (genea) in Matt. 24:34 is hotly debated and when we discuss this verse we will consider the suggestion that here the word has reference to the Jewish race. However there is little disagreement that here in Matt. 23: 36 it means "basically, the sum total of those born at the same time, expanded to include all those living at a given time generation, contemporaries". (Arndt and Gingrich)
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, `Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'." (23:37-39)
Jerusalem the city is addressed because Jerusalem is the very heart of all things Jewish, symbolizing the attitude of the nation as a whole. Some think that by "house" (v. 38) Jesus means the city itself, others think that Jesus here refers to Israel the nation, while still others believe He refers to the Temple. Likely all three are included, since the destruction of the city and the Temple saw the scattering of the nation.
The words "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" will be spoken at the Lord's return when everyone will acknowledge Him. (Phil. 2:9-11) Jesus' point is that after His earthly mission is accomplished, these Jewish hearers will not see Him again until judgment day when all will bow before Him, willingly or unwillingly.
e) Some four decades after Jesus spoke these words, in the year 70 A.D., the Romans besieged the city of Jerusalem for 134 days, from 14th day of the Jewish month of Nisan through to 8th of Elul. Vespasian commenced the siege and his son Titus captured the city after his father was recalled to Rome. Of course Jesus' prescience comes as no surprise to those who recognize Him as God in the flesh, (Isa. 42:9; 44:7) but still the details of His prophecy concerning Jerusalem are remarkable. The words "how often I have longed to gather your children together" (Matt. 23:37) indicate that this is not the first time that Jesus had sorrowed over the fate of Jerusalem, (e.g. Luke 13:34, 35) and in his account of Jesus' lament over the city on the summit of Olivet, Luke records some details which Matthew does not mention. Luke tells us that the Lord wept over the city saying:
"If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." (Lk. 19:42 - 44)
In his Wars of the Jews, the first century Jewish historian Josephus confirms the details of this amazing prophecy. Josephus tells us that as predicted, the Romans did indeed "build an embankment against...(the city) and encircle...(the inhabitants) and hem...(them) in on every side." He writes:
"(Caesar) also at the same time gave his soldiers leave to set the suburbs on fire, and ordered that they should bring timber together, and raise banks against the city; and when he had parted his army into three parts, in order to set about those works, he placed those that shot darts and the archers in the midst of the banks that were then raising; before whom he placed those engines that threw javelins, and darts, and stones, that he might prevent the enemy from sallying out upon their works, and might hinder those that were upon the wall from being able to obstruct them. So the trees were now cut down immediately, and the suburbs left naked." (5.6.2)
"And now the Romans although they were greatly distressed in getting together their materials, raised their banks in one and twenty days, after they had cut down all the trees that were in the country that adjoined to the city, and that for ninety furlongs round about, as I have already related. And truly the very view itself of the country was a melancholy thing; for those places which were before adorned with trees and pleasant gardens were now become a desolate country every way, and its trees were all cut down...(6.1.1)
"They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls" said Jesus, and Josephus records the horror of this indiscriminate slaughter:
"While the holy house was on fire, every thing was plundered that came to hand, and ten thousand of those that were caught were slain; nor was there a commiseration of any age, or any reverence of gravity, but children, and old men, and profane persons, and priests were all slain in the same manner; so that this war went round all sorts of men, and brought them to destruction, and as well those that made supplication for their lives, as those that defended themselves by fighting." (6.5.1)
"The soldiers also came to the rest of the cloisters that were in the outer [court of the] temple, whither the women and children, and a great mixed multitude of the people, fled, in number about six thousand. But before Caesar had determined any thing about these people, or given the commanders any orders relating to them, the soldiers were in such a rage, that they set that cloister on fire; by which means it came to pass that some of these were destroyed by throwing themselves down headlong, and some were burnt in the cloisters themselves. Nor did any one of them escape with his life." (6.5.2)
As predicted the Romans did not "leave one stone on another."
"Now as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury, (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other work to be done,) Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency...but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind." (7.1.1)
Concluding comment
Jesus' disciples are greatly confused and alarmed by His lament over Jerusalem, and as they leave the city they draw His attention to the temple, (Matt. 24:1)
remarking upon its massive stones and magnificent buildings (Mk 13:1; Lk. 21:5). It is this concern for the city and the temple, representing the very heart of
the Jewish system, that is at the forefront of their minds as they question Jesus about future events (Matt. 24:3) and it is very important to keep this fact in mind
as we prepare to discuss the Lord's response to these questions. (See
Part 2)