Preterism Refutation (Part 04) - Olivet Discourse (Part B)
Submitted by Pastor Chad Wagner on Sunday, June 30, 2019.
iii. Whereas Jesus said that there would be warning signs which would give the disciples time to escape the destruction of Jerusalem, there will be no such warning signs which will allow men to know that the coming of Christ is imminent. a. As opposed to the destruction of Jerusalem, the time of which could be known if the warning signs were heeded, the Second Coming of Christ will happen "in such an hour as ye think not" (Mat 24:44). b. The sign of the Second Coming will be Jesus Christ Himself coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Mat 24:30). (i) At that time the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout to raise the dead (1Th 4:16). (ii) There will be a great sound of a trumpet (Mat 24:31; 1Th 4:16) which will be the last trump (1Co 15:52). 1. Sound n. - 1. a. The sensation produced in the organs of hearing when the surrounding air is set in vibration in such a way as to affect these; also, that which is or may be heard; the external object of audition, or the property of bodies by which this is produced. 2. Great adj. - II. Having a high position in a scale of measurement or quantitative estimation. 3. Trumpet n. - 1. a. A musical wind-instrument (or one of a class of such) of bright, powerful, and penetrating tone, used from ancient times, especially for military or other signals, and in modern times also in the orchestra; it consists of a cylindrical or conical tube, usually of metal (anciently also of horn or wood), straight or curved (or bent upon itself), with a cup-shaped mouthpiece and a flaring bell. 4. The trumpet of God is very loud and perceptible by the ear (Heb 12:18-21 c/w Exo 19:16-19). (iii) There is no evidence that any of this happened in 70AD. c. All the tribes of the earth shall mourn (Mat 24:30) because Jesus Christ will be coming to take vengeance on the wicked (2Th 1:7-9). (i) This cannot be referring to 70AD. (ii) This is not a localized event. (iii) Every eye shall see Him (Rev 1:7), not just those in Jerusalem. (iv) All kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him (Rev 1:7), not just the Jews in Jerusalem. (v) "That day" will be as a snare which "shall come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth" (Luk 21:34-35). (vi) More on this later. d. Jesus will then gather together all of His elect from the four winds of the earth (Mat 24:31). e. This will be the resurrection where all of God's elect will be caught up to meet Christ in the clouds (1Th 4:16-17). f. This day of the Lord will be as unexpected as a thief in the night (1Th 5:1-3). iv. See sermon: Olivet Discourse (Part 3) - Mat 24:23-31 E. Mat 24:32-35 i. This passage refers to 70AD. ii. Having explained what would happen in Mat 24:4-29, Jesus now explains when the temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed. iii. The time of the destruction of Jerusalem could be known (Mat 24:32-33). a. "ye know..." (v.32) b. "ye...know that it is near" (v.33) iv. Contrarily, the time of second coming and the end of the world cannot be known (Mat 24:36, 39, 42, 44, 50). a. "But of that day and hour knoweth no man..." (v.36) b. "...knew not..." (v.39) c. "...ye know not what hour your Lord doth come... (v.42) d. "...such an hour as ye think not..." (v.44) e. "...a day...that he is not aware of" (v.50) v. "These things" refers to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem (Mat 24:33-34 c/w Mat 24:1-3). vi. The temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed before the generation of Jews living in Jesus' day would pass away (Mat 24:34). vii. It happened within 40 years of Jesus saying those words. viii. See sermon: Olivet Discourse (Part 4) - Mat 24:32-51 F. Mat 24:36-51 i. This passage refers to the second coming and the end of the world. ii. Jesus just finished telling the disciples by way of the parable of the fig tree that when they saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies that they would know that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was near (Mat 24:32-33 c/w Mat 24:15-16 c/w Luk 21:20). iii. He told them that those things were going to happen within that generation (Mat 24:34). iv. Then he begins verse 36 with the contrasting conjunction "but." a. Jesus had spent most of the Olivet Discourse up to this point talking about "those days" (Mat 24:19, 22, 29) that would precede the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. b. Now He returns to their second question of "what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Mat 24:3) c. Jesus then goes on to say, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man..." (Mat 24:36). (i) He didn't say "of those days", but "of that day." (ii) Preterists try to say here that the distinction being made is not between two separate events, but only that the specific day and hour of His coming would not be known, though the general time would be. (iii) But Mark's account includes the general time as an unknown factor (Mar 13:33). (iv) This obviously cannot refer to the destruction of Jerusalem. (v) The general time of that event would be obvious from the signs which preceded it. d. There would be an extremely significant difference between the time of the destruction of the temple and the time of the second coming of Christ. (i) The first would take place over many days ("those days") (about 3.5 years) (Mat 24:19, 22, 29). (ii) The second would happen on "a day" (Mat 24:50), on "that day" (Mat 24:36). (iii) The timing of the first could be known by signs (Mat 24:33). (iv) The timing of the second could not be known by anyone (Mat 24:36). v. The second coming of Christ will be like it was in the days of Noah. a. In Noah's time men were going about their normal lives and had no idea that the earth was going to be destroyed until "the day" that Noah entered the ark (Mat 24:37-38). (i) It will be exactly the same when Christ returns (Mat 24:39). (ii) How could this possibly describe the events associated with the horrors of the Jewish war? (iii) When Jesus returns, it will be a time when men shall be saying "peace and safety" (1Th 5:1-3). (iv) Thus, it will be sudden and unexpected. b. Prior to the second coming the wicked and the righteous will dwell together until the last day when Christ returns to sever the wicked from the just (Mat 13:49-50), just as happened on the day of the flood (Mat 24:39). (i) This did not happen in the destruction of Jerusalem wherein the righteous were delivered from Jerusalem 3.5 years prior to the destruction of the city. (ii) 70AD cannot be when Jesus returned, for in the day of Christ's return the righteous and the unrighteous will be working TOGETHER side by side, even sleeping TOGETHER in the same bed up until the last moment (Luk 17:34-36; Mat 13:30, 39)! (iii) At the second coming, the wicked will be taken away first, and then the righteous will be delivered (Mat 24:39-41 c/w Mat 13:30). (iv) This did not happen in the destruction of Jerusalem wherein the righteous were first delivered from Jerusalem years prior to the destruction of the wicked. c. In 70 AD, God used the instrument of the Roman army to destroy the ungodly. (i) But, on the day of Christ's return, the Lord HIMSELF (1Th 4:16) shall come to destroy the wicked by a direct sovereign intervention into the natural course of this planet, just like in the days of Noah and Lot (2Pe 3:10-12). (ii) The method of these two destructions are very different. d. The second coming is likened to the flood in Noah's day because the entire earth and all of the wicked in it will be destroyed at the second coming as it was in the flood (2Pe 3:3-7, 10-12). (i) The destruction of the ungodly in Noah's and Lot's day was utter and complete: none of the intended doomed survived! (ii) "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed (Luk 17:30)." (iii) But, in 70 AD, there were survivors of the doomed city who were "led away captive into all nations (Luk 21:24)." (iv) Obviously, two different events are under consideration: (v) Christ did not return in 70 AD. vi. "Here is a great contrast: one event whereof the Lord was speaking was then close at hand; it was to happen within THAT generation, and it would be immediately preceded by a SIGN, which His disciples could not fail to recognize. But the other event (His own coming) would be at a time UNKNOWN EVEN TO HIMSELF, and moreover there should be NO SIGN to apprise His people of its approach, for which reason He impressed it upon them that they were to WATCH 'at every season' (Lu.21:36 Gr.). Concerning the first event He said, 'Behold, I have foretold you all things;' but of the second He said, 'But of THAT day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father' (v.32)." (Mauro, Philip, The Seventy Weeks and The Great Tribulation, p. 262) vii. See sermon: Olivet Discourse (Part 4) - Mat 24:32-51
