A Study of Matthew Chapter 24, Part 3 -- Matthew 24:3(Stay tuned for more posts until study of Matthew 24 is completed.)
In this post I'll consider the first of the two questions the disciples asked Jesus in Matthew 24:3, which was: When will these things be? The disciples figured that the destruction of the temple about which Jesus had just spoken (Matthew 24:2) would usher in the prophesied kingdom. They were probably connecting it with the siege of Jerusalem prophesied in Isaiah 14:1-2. However, a careful reading of Isaiah Chapter 14 will clarify that there are major differences between the siege of Jerusalem in the book of Zechariah and the destruction of the temple Jesus described in Matthew 24:2, which was fulfilled in AD 70 by the Roman army. Christ will intervene with the Second Advent in the future siege described by Zechariah.
In Daniel 9:24, the angel Gabriel informs Daniel that there are 70 "weeks" prescribed for Daniel's people (the Jews). The word translated "weeks" is the plural of the Hebrew word shabua, which means a unit of seven. The seventy "weeks" are actually a period of 490 (70 x 7) years. At this time we won't engage in a lengthy study of this passage, but a comparison of this prophecy in the book of Daniel with a history of the Jews makes it clear that all but one of those units of seven has been fulfilled. There is now only one period of seven years remaining on the prophetic calendar before Christ establishes His kingdom on earth. That's why some (including myself) refer to this unique period of time as "Daniel's seventieth week."
We are not presently living in Daniel's seventieth week. God's offer to Israel for Messiah to return and establish His kingdom (Acts 3:19-21) was rejected by the nation of Israel, so Daniel's seventieth week has been projected into future. The prophetic calendar has been interrupted, and a surprise dispensation has been introduced by God that had been kept totally secret by God until revealed by the ascended Christ Jesus to the Apostle Paul. This secret was then revealed to the other apostles and New Testament prophets by the ministry of the Holy Spirit through Paul's teaching and writings. This great "mystery" (disclosed secret) is summarized in Ephesians 3:2-9. This mystery dispensation has introduced the Church, Christ's Body, into human history.
Now in Daniel 9:26, there are two events which Gabriel said would take place after the "seven weeks and sixty-two weeks" (483 years), which have now been fulfilled. A study of the decree involved (in Daniel 9:25) and the Jewish calendar suggests that the 483 years were fulfilled the day Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey in His presentation to Jerusalem. I call the two events of Daniel 9:26 "floating" events, because they are specified to take place after the 483 years, yet Gabriel does not fit them into a particular time table and does not say they will take place during Daniel's seventieth week! The two events are:
1. "Messiah will be cut off and have nothing..." Most commentators that I've read believe this refers to the crucifixion of Christ. This may be true, but I think it may actually refer to national Israel's rejection of God's offer (made after Christ's resurrection and ascension) for Christ to return to earth to set up His kingdom (Acts 3:19-21). In either case, this event specified by Gabriel was fulfilled after the fulfillment of the 483 years--but before the yet future seventieth week of Daniel.
2. "...and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined." The destruction of the city and the sanctuary (the temple) is also a "floating" event. It occurred in AD 70--well after the fulfillment of the 483 years, but, like the first event, prior to Daniel's seventieth week.
Christ's prophecy of the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:2), which He stated upon leaving the temple, was the second "floating" event in Daniel 9:26. It was fulfilled by Titus and the Roman army about 40 years after Christ predicted it. From the temple, Christ took a short walk to Mount Olivet, where some of the disciples approached Him privately. Beginning with Matthew 24:4, Christ's prophecy in this chapter--all of His prophecy--applies to the seven year period conveyed by Gabriel to Daniel--a period of time many Christians call the Tribulation. Absolutely no part of Matthew 24 is about the Church of the present dispensation or the Body of Christ. This is a hard pill for many believers to swallow, because of a lot of teaching within evangelical Christianity--teaching which has lacked specificity. If you continue through this study of Matthew 24, some very important things may be clarified for you. For the time being, let me simply assert (and I will back this up from the Scriptures as the study progresses) that everything that Christ describes in Matthew 24 is directed toward Israel, not the Church, Christ's Body. Believers of the present dispensation will be taken in the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) prior to everything that happens in Matthew 24.
Now there is a recent trend in evangelicalism that assumes that the major prophetic portions of Scripture, such as the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 and the Book of revelation, were fulfilled in the events connected with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. This viewpoint is called Preterism (from the Latin word praeter, which means "past"). On the other hand, Futurism holds that there is no (or very little) prophecy being fulfilled during the present dispensation, that most of the prophecy in Matthew 24, the book of revelation, and many portions of Scripture (including many Old Testament passages) will find fulfillment in future events: Daniel's seventieth week, a literal 1,000 year earthly reign of Christ, and the new heavens and earth.
During the past 150 years, Futurism has dominated much of Evangelical Christianity--but in the last decade, Preterism has been on the rise. I am a Futurist, because I believe this position is the one supported by the Scriptures. If you stay with this study of Mathew 24, you'll come to see why I embrace this viewpoint--and then you should develop your own convictions! Until next time...
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.http://www.lockman.org/
