Introduction
‘Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. ‘Do you see all these things?’ he asked. ‘Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; everyone will be thrown down.’ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately.’ Matthew 24:1-3
The Destruction Of The Temple And The City, The Sign Of His Coming And The End Of the World
In the previous chapter, Jesus declared judgment on the city of Jerusalem, Matthew 23:38. He also said that this would happen in the generation of those He was speaking to, Matthew 23:36.
The apostles here, are obviously impressed with the physical structure, that is, the temple that Herod the Great had built and probably wondered why God was going to destroy the temple.
Jesus tells them that not one stone here will be left on another, and everyone will be thrown down, which I’m sure would have shocked the disciples.
Jesus was preparing the disciples for the final pronounced judgment upon Israel, Jerusalem and the temple, Matthew 13:3-9 / Matthew 13:36-43 / Matthew 21:33-46 / Matthew 22:1-14 / Matthew 23:29-39. The destruction would be great and final, Deuteronomy 28:15-68.
It’s at this point that Peter, James, John and Andrew later came to Jesus privately while He was on the Mount of Olives, Matthew 24:1-3 / Mark 13:1-4 / Luke 21:5-7.
The Disciples Question
In Matthew 24:3, we see that His disciples asked three questions.
1. There was a question concerning the destruction of the Temple and the City.
2. A question concerning ‘the sign of His coming’.
3. A question concerning ‘the end of the world’.
In Mark 13:4, we see the disciples asking two questions.
1. When will these things happen?
2. What will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled.
But in Luke 21:7, Luke only records Jesus’ response to the first two questions. Luke doesn’t record Jesus’ response concerning the end of the world. The AV has ‘the end of the world’, the primary meaning of the word translated ‘world’ is age, era, ‘aion’.
What Jesus is doing in Matthew 25:1-35 / Mark 13:1-31 / Luke 21:5-36, is predicting the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70.
After hearing Jesus’ harsh sermon, in Matthew 23, a long chapter where He just criticises and gives woe one after the other to the Jewish people. And right after that and He’s just walked out of the temple, the last time He’ll be there, He was leaving the temple forever.
The disciples may be concerned that He has been so harsh to the Jewish people lately and they’re trying to find some kind of a positive response.
They say in ‘look at how impressive these buildings are,’ Mark 13:1 / Luke 21:5. But we need to understand that there has been, all the way through the Gospel of Matthew a theme that a coming judgment against Israel is near.
John the baptiser is preaching, the Pharisees and Sadducees come out to see him, Matthew 3:7 / Matthew 7:10. So we have wrath that’s coming.
In Matthew 8, Jesus meets a Gentile soldier that wants Him to heal his servant, Matthew 8:7-10. And look what he said next, ‘Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?’ Matthew 8:11-12. He spoke about judgment.
Another example is where He tells this parable of tenants in Matthew 21. And the father sends servants to the vineyard, but the tenants kill him, then he sends his own son, and they kill him too. And so, the father says, “I am going to punish those wicked tenants,’ Matthew 21:41.
And look what he says, ‘therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit,’ Matthew 21:43. He speaks about judgment.
We begin to understand why the Jews were so angry with Jesus, they couldn’t have missed the point of His sermon. One more example, Matthew 23, this whole chapter is just one woe after the other to the Jews and again He speaks about judgment, Matthew 23:32-36.
What was the judgement that was to come on this generation of Jews? And how was Jesus going to prepare His church to escape the coming judgment upon Israel?
Before the end of the world, Jesus tells them the following.
‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.’ Matthew 24:4-8
1. Before the siege of Jerusalem, there would be many disturbing events, false messiahs, false prophets, battles in various countries, widespread anarchy, earthquakes, famine, and plagues. Matthew 24:4-8 / Matthew 24:23-26 / Mark 13:5-8 / Mark 13:21-22 / Luke 21:8-11.
These would be only the beginning of the many troubles that would all happen before the destruction of the temple, Matthew 24:8 / Mark 13:8.
‘All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.’ Matthew 24:9-13
2. The disciples to whom he was speaking would be persecuted by the Jewish religious leaders, be betrayed even by their close relatives, and killed. They would be hated everywhere, Matthew 24:9-13 / Mark 12:12-19 / Luke 21:12-19.
All this had to happen before the temple was destroyed, Luke 21:9. They were required to remain faithful throughout all those traumatic experiences, Matthew 24:13 / Mark 13:13 / Luke 21:18.
‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.’ Matthew 24:14
3. The Gospel will be preached throughout the earth. In Matthew 24:14 and Mark 13:10, we learn that the Gospel has to be preached to all nations before Jerusalem and the temple were to be destroyed.
The word ‘end’ in Matthew 24:14, refers to the destruction of the Temple. The apostles preached the Gospel ‘in all the world’, to ‘all nations’, Acts 1:2 / Acts 1:4 / Acts 1:8, to ‘every creature,’ Colossians 1:23.
Now there are about 40 years between the death of Jesus and the fall of Jerusalem. And I believe this was because Jesus was going to give the Gospel a chance to be preached all over the world to prepare Jews and Gentiles for what was coming.
Such a proclamation was going to let the world know of God’s justification for the destruction of Jerusalem. The Gospel is going to go into all the world, the story of how the Jews rejected and killed their own Messiah was going to go into all the world.
Now did that happen? I believe it did Acts 2:5 / Romans 1:8 / Colossians 1:6 / Colossians 1:23. And so in one generation’s time, everywhere, especially in the cities where Jews live, the Gospel was preached, and people were prepared for what God was about to do.
I believe that Jerusalem’s destruction signalled that the fuller dispensation was over and would never return. God was going to raise up a new Israel, consisting of the elect of every nation on earth.
The Abomination Of Desolation
‘So, when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand’ Matthew 24:15
The abomination of desolation, Matthew 24:15 / Mark 13:14, is a phrase out of the Book of Daniel that refers to a sacrilege that would be so detestable that it would cause the temple to be abandoned by the people of God.
Daniel mentions three different desolations.
1. That was previously caused by Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 9:17.
2. That was eventually caused by Antiochus Epiphanes, Daniel 8:13 / Daniel 12:11.
3. The series of desolations that would occur at the time of the Roman siege, from AD 68 to AD 70, Daniel 9:26-27.
Antiochus Epiphanies had come to Jerusalem and took a pig into the temple and sacrificed it on the holy altar. And all the Jews said, ‘that was the abomination of desolation,’ but Jesus comes along and says, ‘that’s not its complete fulfilment.’ There is still an abomination of desolation to come predicted by Daniel, now what is that?
People have gone everywhere suggesting what that will be and many think it will happen in this tribulation period. But I think the Bible tells us very, very clearly what Jesus is talking about. In the Jewish Gospel, Matthew says the abomination of desolation, Matthew 24:15-16, so does the Gospel of Mark, Mark 13:14.
But in the Gospel of Luke, you have the exact words right until those verses, and you have the same exact words after those verses. But in Luke, he doesn’t say watch out for the abomination of desolation. He says, ‘when you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near,’ Luke 21:20.
Now there’s Luke’s interpretation of what abomination of desolation means. And the present tense is used there, ‘when you see Jerusalem in the process of being surrounded,’ Luke 21:20.
So, what is the warning of Jesus? It’s very clear. They were to flee, Matthew 24:16-20 / Mark 13:15-17 / Luke 21:21-24.
‘Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equalled again.’ Matthew 24:16-21
Jesus basically says, ‘you get out of that city before it becomes encircled by that Roman ring of steel. Run across the rooftops, don’t go back down to get your cloak, help the pregnant women, pray it’s not in winter, and hope it’s not a Sabbath day. ‘You get yourself out of that town, the moment you see that army and don’t waste time doing it.’
Josephus who was a Jewish historian and Eusebius a Christian historian tell us that’s exactly what happened. What did most of the Jews do when the Roman army under Titus came?
They did the exact opposite of what Jesus said. When the Roman army showed up, they all gathered their belongings and ran into Jerusalem for safety. And what followed was, one of the most horrific accounts of suffering and desolation ever recorded.
Josephus writes about things that happened when that city was surrounded, that are so abominable, it’s hard to put in writing, it’s hard to describe how gruesome the suffering was, as one million Jews eventually lost their lives.
The Romans came in and literally like Jesus said, the gold in the temple was burned and melted into the cracks. They took stone by stone of that temple and that city apart and then they totally blazed the place. Josephus said, ‘When they were through, you couldn’t believe that anybody had ever lived there.’
But the Christians according to Eusebius, when they saw that army, they remembered Jesus’ words and they ran quickly out of town. Remember Jesus said, ‘run to the mountains’? Matthew 24:16 / Mark 13:14 / Luke 21:21.
They ran through the city up to the Transjordan Mountains called ‘Pella’, and the Christians were saved. We can’t imagine how the fall of Jerusalem was to Jews and Christians all over the world, it made all the headlines. I mean to a Jew, the fall of Jerusalem, that’s like the end of an age, if Jerusalem falls, God must be dead.
In Matthew 24:20, they are to pray that they would not have to flee on the Sabbath. This confirms that these predictions are to do with the Jews living then.
The horrors that would ensue would exceed anything else in history, either in the past or in the future, Matthew 24:19-22 / Mark 13:17-19 / Luke 21:26. They have nothing to do with the end of the world.
‘If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. “So, if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.’ Matthew 24:22-26
Jesus again reminds them, before the siege of Jerusalem, there would be many disturbing events, false messiahs, false prophets, battles in various countries, widespread anarchy, earthquakes, famine, and plagues. Matthew 24:4-8 / Matthew 24:23-26 / Mark 13:5-8 / Mark 13:21-22 / Luke 21:8-11.
These would be only the beginning of the many troubles that would all happen before the destruction of the temple, Matthew 24:8 / Mark 13:8.
‘For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.’ Matthew 24:27-28
The Lord gives a reason why they must ignore the false messiahs. They are to ignore them because when the Lord does come, it will not be in the desert or some obscure place, Matthew 24:27. He will appear instantaneously and will be seen by everyone who has ever lived, Revelation 1:7.
Jesus says when he comes to bring judgment upon Jerusalem and the temple, it will be clearly visible, as visible as lightening, Matthew 24:27. Matthew 24:28, is a proverb, the wicked, wherever they are, will not escape the administration of God’s justice.
Wherever the body is, there will the ‘vultures’ be gathered together. Some translations use the word, ‘eagles’, but it probably refers to vultures.
‘Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ Matthew 24:29
The sign language in Matthew 24:1-35 / Mark 13:1-31 / Luke 21:5-36, are actually Old Testament judgement language.
Jesus is using a language which some call apocalyptic and it was very familiar to students of the Old Testament. We’re not familiar with it because we’re Gentiles and so sometimes we think they’re talking about the second coming when they aren’t necessarily doing so.
For example, in the apocalyptical language, you often announced judgement by saying the whole cosmic structure, sun, moon, stars, were going to be shaken, Matthew 24:29 / Mark 13:24-25 / Luke 21:25. In fact, that was just an Old Testament way of saying God was about to judge a nation.
Three Examples
In Isaiah 13:10 we read about a judgement against Babylon, that’s not to be interpreted literally, that’s a figure of that particular style of writing saying that God is going to judge Babylon.
In Isaiah 34:4 we read about a judgement against Edom, again, that’s not to be interpreted literally, that’s a figure of that particular style of writing saying that God is going to judge Edom.
In Ezekiel 32:7-8 we read about a judgement against Egypt, again, that’s not to be interpreted literally, that’s a figure of that particular style of writing saying that God is going to judge Egypt.
What I’m saying is, when a Jew heard language like, the stars are going to be darkened, the moon is going turn to dark, the sun is going to fall. When they heard talk like that, they didn’t think, that the ‘end of the world,’ they thought, ‘what nation is God judging now?’
And when Jesus uses that kind of language in His sermon, He’s saying that God is sending judgement upon Israel. Just like He did on Egypt, just like He did on Edom and Babylon.
‘Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.’ Matthew 24:30-31
People say, ‘well what about Matthew 24:30-31 / Mark 13:26-26, where Jesus says, ‘He is going to come on the clouds of the sky’. Again, I’m going to say that’s judgement language.
Let me give you an example from Isaiah 19:1, “An oracle concerning Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.”
Remember Jesus said, ‘all these things will happen in this generation’, Matthew 23:36. He also said, ‘truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened,’ Matthew 24:34 / Mark 13:30 / Luke 21:32.
What I believe He did, He used the judgement language that the Jews understood to say this, ‘all those things that have happened to Babylon, all those things that have happened to Egypt and Edom, now its Israel’s turn.’
Look at Matthew 26:64, I used to think this referred to the second coming of Christ but I’m not too sure now. Remember when Jesus was before Caiaphas the high priest in trial and Caiaphas says, ‘You tell me if you are the Son of God?’
And Jesus says this, ‘yes, it is as you say,’ ‘But I say to all of you: In the future, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven,’ Matthew 26:64.
Now is that a reference to the second coming? Notice it says, ‘He’s sitting at the right hand.’ It doesn’t say He’s standing or He’s riding a horse, it says, He’s sitting.
I think what Jesus is saying there is, “Caiaphas, this day you are my judge, you and your people are judging me, but the day is coming and you’re going to see it when I’m sitting at the right hand of God and I’m sending my judgement to you.” And Caiaphas’ generation saw that prophecy come true.
In this text, Jesus is bringing the news of the passing of one era and the establishment of another in which the glory of God isn’t going to be in the temple made by hands anymore.
We’re so far removed from this text at this time, we don’t understand why this text is so important. In the 1st century world, before you could ever preach the Gospel of Jesus, you had to explain what happened to Israel.
Why is the dispensation of Israel, the way God is working? What is all this, Gentiles are included in the kingdom? What is all this, the Messiah has come, and they crucified Him, but He rose again?
You had to explain that God had ended an era and judged Israel and now the kingdom is going to be made up of the elect of every nation. Because most Jews saw the end of the temple, as the end of the world.
Jesus is using the language that they understood, and He was trying to explain to them, ‘listen the destruction of Jerusalem, is really the work of God.’
What Jesus was trying to prepare the church for was this, ‘something is about to happen in about 40 years that going to shake your world, the holy city is going to be wiped out, the temple is going to be gone but God is behind it, God is doing it, and God is in control.’
‘Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’ Matthew 24:32-35
The sign events of Matthew 24:1-35 / Mark 13:1-31 / Luke 21:5-36, have already been fulfilled.
And I think the key to understanding Matthew 24:1-35 / Mark 13:1-37 / Luke 21:5-36, is in Matthew 24:34 / Mark 13:30 / Luke 21:32, ‘I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.’
‘These things’ is an interesting phrase. We will never understand sign language unless we ask someone what it means. And that’s what Mark and Luke did in their Gospels, where we have the parallel passages with this particular sermon, the disciples ask Jesus, ‘Tell us what are the signs of these things?’ Matthew 24:3 / Mark 13:4 / Luke 21:7.
At the end of all three Gospels, He says, ‘This generation will not pass away until these things happen,’ Matthew 24:34 / Mark 13:30 / Luke 21:32.
The real question is, what does Jesus mean by the word ‘generation’? So, there are different views, and one view says, ‘well that’s talking about Israel, Israel the nation will not pass away until this happens.’
Or it’s talking about the race of the Hebrews. Or it means the generation that’s alive when the tribulation starts, they won’t pass away until this happens.
I’m going to challenge that view, even though it’s very popular. It became very popular among the dispensationalists when Israel in 1948 became a state.
They said, ‘well, that’s a sign,’ the fig tree is budding, and, in this generation, Jesus has to come back. And so, when this didn’t happen, they changed their mind and said that Jesus will definitely come back before 2048. And that’s a common view among a lot of people, let me challenge that view.
I don’t think the mention of the fig tree is talking about a re-established state of Israel. Sometimes the fig tree in the Bible refers to Israel, but he said in Luke, ‘look at all the trees,’ Luke 21:29.
And the point I think He’s making is, ‘you know when trees begin to bud, you know summer is near.’ Summer is on its way when the trees start to bud.
So, the thing that Jesus is predicting is, ‘when you see those signs, you know it’s near.’ Remember when Jesus after the triumphant entry went to the temple and He cleansed the temple, and He came out of the temple, and He saw a fig tree.
And it had lots of leaves, and He went to get some fruit, but it didn’t have any, and He cursed it, and said, ‘may you never bear fruit again,’ Matthew 21:19 / Mark 11:14. Now almost all scholars see that as an allusion to Israel. I don’t think that three chapters later He’s talking about Israel.
If you look at the word ‘generation’ in Matthew, Mark and Luke, every single time it’s used, it’s talking about the current hearer. I don’t see a reason to make it mean something different in Matthew 24 / Mark 13 / Luke 21.
I think what Jesus is saying is, ‘everything that I have just told you, is going to happen, is going to happen in this generation’s lifetime.’ What Jesus was saying, was going to happen in the lifetime of that generation.
I think it would be useful to point out some important truths. When it comes to Matthew 25:1-35 / Mark 13:1-31 / Luke 21:5-36, it’s clear they are interesting and obviously a difficult passage of text, and people have had many different extreme views of it.
For example, liberal theologians use this text as proof that Jesus was mistaken. They say, ‘see, he says quite clearly that He would come back in this generation, and He didn’t, so he was mistaken.’
And so, they detract from the Deity of Jesus using this text. Others say this is talking about, ‘a tremendous 7-year tribulation, still to come, that we haven’t seen yet, but these signs are going to let us know when it’s near’.
Let me share with you three arguments against those ideas.
Many of the signs that people use to predict His return aren’t signs at all. In troubled times people are very eagerly looking to the signs of the last days. I believe we have been in the last days ever since the coming of Jesus.
In Acts 2:17, Peter said what happened with the outpouring of the Spirit happened, ‘in these last days.’ In Hebrews 1:1-2 it says, ‘in the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.’
We’re in the last days, but people talk about all the wars that are going on, but these wars haven’t been any worse than they have before. Famines aren’t new, a famine was recorded in Acts 11, and there were famines before the destruction of Jerusalem, earthquakes aren’t new things.
We need to be very careful that you aren’t convinced by all these signs that people are talking about that proves the very end is near. ‘These things’, Matthew 24:6-7 / Mark 13:7 / Luke 21:10-11, have been going on since the days of creation and they will continue to go on until Jesus returns.
When people get into an end of time frenzy, they hunger for someone who will stand up and say, ‘I can make sense out of it.’ Jesus said before the fall of Jerusalem people are going to do that.
They’re going to stand up, and He said, ‘for false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect’, Matthew 24:24 / Mark 13:5 / Luke 21:8.
And they’re going to say, ‘I’ve got it all figured out, come follow me and I’ll explain it all to you.’ Jesus says to be careful about that, be suspicious of people that have inside information about the end that the rest of the church doesn’t have.
Do the world’s catastrophes and problems indicate the imminence of the Lord’s return? Are these ‘Signs of the Times’?
We’ve all been in this situation, haven’t we? There’s a knock at the door and two people are standing with tracts in their hands. The moment I opened the front door and saw the two men who stood before me, I knew who and what they were, as surely as if they had their identity branded on their foreheads.
They were ‘servants’ of the ‘Watchtower Organization’, that religious body which, in 1931, became guilty of the offence of ‘Identity Theft’ when it took upon itself the name that God had used to describe His ‘unfaithful’ ancient people, Israel, Isaiah 43:9-10 / Isaiah 44:8-9.
In other words, these two men were so-called, ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’. They were smartly dressed and very friendly, and it came as no surprise to me when, in an affable, conversational style, one of them asked me what I thought of the current world situation.
‘Tsunami. Earthquakes. Volcanic action. Flooding. Epidemics. Global warming. Destruction of the ozone layer. The collapse of the world’s financial system’ Did I think that we are living in the ‘end times’?
Also, did I think that all the world’s catastrophes and problems indicate the imminence of the Lord’s return? Are they ‘signs of the times’?
Now, I don’t claim to be well-versed in what ‘The Watchtower’ organisation teaches, and I am aware of the fact that its ‘servants’ have been instructed by their leaders, to radically change their approach when they go ‘door to door’.
They are no longer to present themselves in the old, uncompromising, and rather a superior manner which often left people feeling angry and antagonistic towards them. Instead, they must seek to engage their contacts in friendly discussion.
Some of us remember that, years ago, they met with wide resentment, because of their manner of approach, but they accepted resentment and the rejection of their message quite happily, because they regarded themselves as being ‘persecuted for righteousness’ sake’, and, therefore, they went on their way rejoicing!
But, these days, they adopt a more diplomatic, conciliatory tone, and ask such questions as those to which I have already referred, ready, when the opening presented itself, to introduce their ‘gospel’ of a Renovated Earth, dry cleaned and sanitised, free of all problems, and providing a Paradisiacal life for the ‘great multitude’ who accept the ‘Watchtower’s’ message when Christ returns.
So, in these days, they constantly look for ‘signs of the times’, a phrase, the definition of which is given as, ‘Evidence of the imminence of the Return of Christ and the End of the World’.
The ‘Watchtower’ isn’t alone in its search for ‘signs’. Throughout the centuries of ‘church history’ men have preached and made predictions concerning the Lord’s return, but we don’t have the space here to deal with that aspect of the subject but let me give you a few examples of misguided predictions from more modern times.
Ellen. G. White was converted by William Miller in 1842, the year when he was attracting popular attention, predicting that the Return of the Lord would occur in 1843. Within a year, he claimed 100,000 followers, and, when his prediction failed, he said there had been a slight miscalculation and Christ would return in 1844.
Some believed him, but when Christ didn’t return Millerism went to pieces, and it was later, in 1863 that Mrs White established the Seventh Day Adventist Church on the remnants of the Miller movement by simply adding the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath.
‘Chamber’s Biographical Dictionary’ confirms the dates, and, if I took the time to examine my notes or my library, I am sure that I could supply you with other statements in the same vein.
The information relating to Joseph Smith comes from the Mormon official ‘Doctrine and Covenants Commentary’ Section 130, which begins on p.1001 and which is headed, ‘Important Items of Instruction, given by Joseph, the Prophet. April 2nd, 1843’.
The commentary on this ‘revelation’, tells us that on the 2nd of April, Smith had heard Orson Hyde, one of the first ‘Apostles’ of Mormon, refer to the return of the Lord when speaking at a meeting.
Later, at dinner, Smith called the attention to Hyde to his statements and said he would ‘offer some words of correction’.
Verse 14ff of this ‘revelation’ records Smith saying, ‘I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the Coming of the Son of Man when I heard a voice repeat the following – ‘Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man; therefore, let this suffice and trouble me no more on this matter’. ‘I was left thus, without being able to decide whether this coming referred to the beginning of the millennium or some previous appearing, or whether I should die and thus see his face’.
Smith was 38 years old, born in 1805 at this time. Verse 13 in the same ‘revelation’ says that it was received when he was ‘praying earnestly’ 11 years earlier, on December 25th, 1832. Had he lived. He would have reached the magical age of 85 in 1890, but he died in 1844, shot whilst attempting to escape from the jail in Carthage.
Then Charles Taze Russell came along, in 1874 he published a pamphlet entitles, ‘The Object and Manner of the Lord’s Return’ and according to the ‘official history’ of the Watchtower movement, the same year he came down to breakfast and announced to those present, ‘The Lord is now present, although His presence has been graciously veiled from mortal view’.
Russell continued to say that the Lord had been on earth for three and a half years, but invisibly. In 1918, the year following the death of Russell, His successor, the so-called Judge Rutherford, published a book, which declared that ‘The world has ended. Millions now living will never die!’
And, one final example of this religious folly, 50 years ago, there appeared a monthly religious magazine bearing the name, ‘The Signs of the Times’, and, as the title indicates, it was dedicated to identifying any event on earth, that might be seen as a ‘sign of the times’, and, therefore, as a sign that the Second Coming was at hand.
In fact, I think that this magazine is still published in parts of the world where ‘Seventh Day Adventism’ seem strong, for example, in Australia and the U.S.A.
Furthermore, although they do not share the views of the ‘Watchtower’ concerning what will happen before or after the return of the Lord, there are other religious groups who also love to talk about ‘the signs of the times’ and whose ideas are just as erroneous as those of the self-styled ‘Witnesses’.
These groups, also, are convinced that His return will be preceded by the ‘signs.’ Indeed, the teaching of certain denominations on the subject of the ‘Second Coming’ is the foundation that underpins everything else that they believe and teach, so that it has become nothing short of an obsession.
It is recorded that, on one occasion, C.H. Spurgeon, said, ‘Ye men of Plymouth, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? Get on with your work!’
It’s sad, therefore, that it seems never to occur to these people that they may not be on biblical ground when they look for such ‘signs’ or that they may be guilty of teaching error when they claim that the Lord’s return will be preceded by ‘signs’.
I say this because, when we examine the particular passage of Scripture in which the phrase ‘signs of the times’ are mentioned, it becomes quite clear that the ‘signs’ to which the passage refers, have nothing whatsoever to do with the end of the World, or to the Lord’s return.
Let me state this simply, there is not a single verse in the Word of God that instructs, or encourages, believers, to look for ‘signs of the times’ in connection with the Lord’s return, or with the end of the Age.
The expression, ‘signs of the times’, occurs only once in the New Testament scriptures. It is found in Matthew, where we read about an unlikely alliance of traditional enemies, the Pharisees, and Sadducees, who came to Jesus ‘tempting’ Him, that is, ‘testing Him’.
They asked Him for a ‘sign from heaven,’ Matthew 16:1-4. They had already raised the issue earlier, in, when they said, ‘Master, we would see a sign from you,’ Matthew 12:38.
Incidentally, it is significant that they didn’t treat him with anything more than mild politeness. They merely called Him ‘didaskale’, which means ‘teacher’.
In John 3:2, Nicodemus also called Jesus ‘Master’, using the title ‘Rabbi’, which also means ‘teacher’, but which is a much more respectful and honourable title.
But notice what the Jewish leaders asked for. They asked for a ‘sign’, but a sign of what? There’s no mention of His ‘Return’ or the end of the World. Why not?
The reason is surely obvious, it would never have occurred to them to ask such questions, and they would even have regarded any suggestion that He may be the Messiah as outrageous and blasphemous. Only those who believe Him to be the Christ would talk about such subjects.
So, what sort of ‘sign’ were they seeking? And why did they want a sign? They demanded a sign because the issue was one of authority. They were challenging His authority Because His authority depended on His identity. Had He, in fact, appeared on the scene with a message from God. In other words, was He a true prophet?
This was something that Nicodemus, himself a Pharisee, had already settled for himself and which he acknowledged when he said to Jesus, ‘We know you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do the signs you do unless God is with him’, John 3:2.
Notice, please, that, although the ‘A.V.’ uses the word ‘miracles’, John consistently uses the word ‘signs’. Later, when the faith of Nicodemus had grown stronger, he appears to have become a true ‘believer’, John 19:38-39.
Now, when the Jewish leaders asked for a ‘sign from heaven’ they thought they were setting Him a test that they were confident He would fail. They were demanding a demonstration of miraculous power as proof that He was a true prophet of God.
We need to bear in mind that, because the Jews were a Theocracy, a people governed by God, at least, in theory! They were never surprised when men came claiming to be prophets sent by God.
But they invariably demand that anyone claiming to be divinely commissioned should give proof of his heavenly calling by performing a miraculous act. Such an act would be accepted as the ‘sign from heaven’, that is, of ‘heavenly’ endorsement.
So, they said to Jesus, ‘what sign do you show?’ ‘we would see a sign from heaven.’ Yes!, you and I know that the Lord had already performed enough wonderful deeds to have convinced unbiased people that He had come from God, but, behind their opposition to Him we must see the fact that these religious leaders were actually concerned about their own authority which they felt He was undermining, they were resentful of His growing influence among the ordinary people who ‘heard Him gladly’, and they wilfully, and quite deliberately, refused to recognize and acknowledge the miracles He had already performed.
Matthew 12:34-43 tells us that He had performed a miracle of healing which had amazed the common people, but the Pharisees dismissed the miracle, saying, ‘He casts out devils because he is in league with the Devil!’
This is why He called them, ‘a wicked and adulterous generation’ when they asked for a sign. He accused them of refusing to see the ‘signs of the times’, that is, the signs of those times, and warned them that no special sign would be given to them.
The ultimate proof of His identity and His authority was one which had already been determined by ‘heaven’. It was the sign of the prophet Jonah. Now, we know that he was speaking about His death, burial, and resurrection on the third day.
Romans 1:4, states that He was ‘declared to be the Son of God, by the resurrection from the dead’ and it is this, the ultimate sign, which Jesus describes as ‘the sign of the prophet Jonah’.
He declared that the acts of power that He had already performed endorsed His identity and proved that He had come to do the will of the Father. But these men shut their eyes against the evidence.
More than this, they wickedly described His ‘signs’, performed by the power of the Holy Spirit, as the work of the Devil, and in so doing, they were actually committing the unforgivable sin.
This wasn’t the only occasion when the Jewish leaders showed they were dishonest men. On another occasion, when Jesus was in the Temple teaching the people, the Jewish leaders descended on him in full force, Matthew 21:23-27.
The chief priests and elders of the people, backed, no doubt, by members of the Temple Guard who had the responsibility of maintaining order in the Temple courts, came and demanded to know ‘By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?’
They knew that the previous day He had cleansed the Temple for the second time, and the words, ‘these things’ refer to the evens of that day. that is, to His cleansing of the Temple court and His teaching of the people. The priests were indignant.
Firstly, because He had disrupted the business of buying and selling that went on in the Court of the Gentiles, an enterprise which they allowed, and of which approved because it made them a great of money, Matthew 21:12.
Secondly, because He frequently taught the people in the Courts of the Temple, without first acknowledging their authority and obtaining their permission, Matthew 21:23.
In their view, Jesus was not a qualified and authorised teacher, and they, therefore, concluded that He acted with an authority He did not possess, Mark 11:27-33 / Matthew 21:23-27 / Luke 20:1-8. Hence, their challenge, ‘by what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?’
We see, then, that nothing in these Scriptures concerns ‘signs of the times’ such as those for which my two ‘Watchtower’ visitors were looking.
When the Priests and Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign they were concerned about His identity and authority at that time, during His earthly ministry. They were concerned about his First Coming, not about His Second, concerning which they knew nothing, and understood nothing.
The Day And Hour Unknown
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.’ Matthew 24:36
If Jesus Was God, Why Didn’t He Know When He Was going to Return?
Many Christians acknowledge that Jesus is God, but wrestle with the question if Jesus was God, why didn’t He know when He is going to return? Matthew 24:36 / Mark 13:32.
If Jesus really was God in the flesh and all-knowing, 1 John 3:20, then surely, He would have known when He was going to return!
It shouldn’t surprise us that the angels in heaven don’t know when Christ was to return because they are not all-knowing. They are created beings, Colossians 1:16, but not all-knowing. Remember these created beings didn’t even understand the Gospel, 1 Peter 1:3-12, never mind knowing the date when Christ will return.
Many people make the mistake of forgetting that Jesus was also human. Throughout His life, we see glimpses of both natures. Because He was human, He got thirsty, John 19:28, but because He was God’s Son, He could turn water into wine, John 2:1-13.
Because He was human, He got hungry, Mark 11:12, but because He was God’s Son, He could feed 5,000 hungry people, Mark 6:30-44. Because He was human, He became weary, John 4:6, but because He was God’s Son, He was raised from the dead, Matthew 28:1-15.
Jesus was fully God but also fully man, John 1:1-3 / John 1:14 / Titus 2:13. When He came to earth as man, He voluntarily chose to restrict some of His divine attributes, Philippians 2:6-8.
Paul tells us that Jesus ‘emptied Himself and He humbled Himself.’ He emptied Himself so that He could serve, ‘He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.’
When the Bible says, ‘that he emptied himself’, it doesn’t mean He became less than God, when He was on earth, it means He became more than God. He was God, but now He was also a man. He didn’t get rid of deity, He emptied deity into humanity.
He could never stop being God because God is His nature. But do you know what He did? He relinquished His glory; He concealed it in human flesh.
Every now and then we got a glimpse of it. He was up on a mountain one time, with three disciples and He was transfigured, and they saw his glory, Mark 9:2-3. Paul saw it on the Damascus road, Acts 9:3, and John saw it in his vision, Revelation 1:12-16.
And someday we’re going to see the bright brilliant glory of Jesus. But when He was on earth as a man, He concealed that glory.
In other words, Jesus didn’t manifest His divine attributes unless the Father told Him to do so, John 4:34 / John 5:30 / John 6:38. He displayed His all-knowingness on many occasions, John 2:25 / John 3:13, but He voluntarily restricted that all-knowingness to only those things which God wanted Him to know during Jesus’ earthly life as a man, John 15:15.
This is the reason why Jesus said, only the Father knew about the date and time when Jesus would return, Matthew 24:36 / Mark 13:32.
We must also remember that He voluntarily ‘humbled Himself’, Philippians 2:8, in other words, Jesus lived a life which was in complete submission to the Father, so set us the supreme example of what sacrifice is all about.
When we read of Jesus doing things that only God can do, and knowing things that only God can know, it’s because, at those moments, the Father was telling Him what to say, and showing Him what to do.
He submitted to the Father but still remained One with the Father, Matthew 26:39 / Matthew 26:42 / John 5:30 / John 6:38 / John 8:28-29 / John 10:30 / John 12:49 / John 14:28 / John 14:31.
Jesus was indeed God in the flesh, but He voluntarily chose to restrict some of His divine attributes, Philippians 2:6-8, which include His all-knowingness, while He was a man.
When He declared that only the Father knew the time of His coming to His disciples, Matthew 24:36 / Mark 13:32, He didn’t know when that time was because the Father hadn’t revealed that to Him.
However, after He was resurrected, He resumed His full divine status, which includes His all-knowingness, Matthew 28:18 / Acts 1:7.
Jesus didn’t know at the time He spoke to His apostles when He was going to return, but now He has been exalted in heaven, Philippians 2:9-11, He will certainly know, He knows when He will return. So, we must be prepared, Mark 13:32-33 / 1 Thessalonians 5:2 / 2 Peter 3:10 / Revelation 16:15.
The End Of The World
From Matthew 25:36-51 / Mark 13:32-37, Jesus discusses the end of the age.
In response to their first question, the Lord gave them detailed information and instruction from Matthew 24:4-35 / Mark 13:5-31, then we read Matthew 24:36 / Mark 13:32, we find this unmistakable statement, ‘but about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.’
The main sign of His return is the absence sign. Notice how Jesus shifts gears starting in Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32.
In Matthew 24:1-35, He keeps talking about ‘those days’ in Matthew 24:19 / Matthew 24:22 / Matthew 24:29 and from Matthew 13:5-31, He keeps talking about ‘those days’, Mark 13:17 / Mark 13:19 / Mark 13:20 / Mark 13:24. But from Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32, He starts talking about ‘that day’.
And in the New Testament, any time you talk about ‘that day’, singular day, the day, it’s talking about the day that Jesus returns. Nothing could be more clearly stated than these warnings, that we cannot know when the Lord will come.
‘As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:37-39
The Lord warns that, as it was in the time of Noah before the Flood came and the people were going about their lives in the usual way, so it will be when He returns, Matthew 24:37-39.
In those days, they neither knew nor suspected that anything usual was about to happen. They paid no attention to Noah’s warnings and were unprepared when the flood came and swept them all away.
Jesus didn’t say, ‘the days before I come, there’s going to be turmoil all over the world, there will be famine and distress.’ He said, ‘do you know what is going to characterise the world before I come back? Normal things, people are going to be planting their fields, people are going to be planning weddings, they will never notice.’
If you know someone who is getting married soon, that’s a sure sign that Jesus is coming. The only sign before the flood was the preaching of Noah, Genesis 6:5 / Genesis 7:6-23 / Matthew 24:37-39.
It’s not wrong to have a wedding or to plan a party, that’s not what He’s saying. What He’s saying is, ‘the tragedy is going to be that when God comes back, what’s going to characterise the world is an exceeding casual world.’
And the only warning the world is going to get is the witness of the church. I guess there would have been some people around in Noah’s time thinking to themselves, ‘I believe in God, I believe what Noah said is going to happen, but I’ll wait just before he finished building that ark before I step onboard.’
We can’t do that with God and the reason we can’t do that with God is because like Noah we have already been warned about what’s going to happen. And just like the people in Noah’s time, if you chose to ignore that warning you’re going to drown in the flood.
‘Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.’ Matthew 24:40-41
In Matthew 24:40-41, He’s telling them that He would arrive unexpectedly, and He would find many people who weren’t prepared for it. We must always be prepared for the Lord’s sudden appearance.
“Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Matthew 24:42-44
Jesus proceeds to teach how believers should behave in view of the fact that there will be nothing to warn that His Coming is imminent, Matthew 24:42-43 / Mark 13:33-37. He says that it will be unheralded, like the coming of a thief, in the night.
Jesus gave signs to warn the church of the destruction of Jerusalem and it saved their lives. And it helped the kingdom all over the world to understand that God has judged Israel and now the kingdom is made of Jews and Gentiles.
He gave signs for that, but He didn’t give any signs for His return, He said, ‘My return is as a thief,’ Matthew 24:42-44 / Mark 13:32-35. Thieves don’t give signs, thieves don’t send cards saying, ‘hope you’re not home next Monday night, we’re hoping to drop by.’
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour, he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:45-50
To illustrate what is involved in watching and being ready, Jesus contrasted two servants. The first servant is described as ‘faithful and wise’, he had fulfilled his responsibilities while his master was away, and he would receive a great reward when his master returned. So, it is with those disciples who remained faithful and wisely understand their duties to serve the Lord.
The second servant is described as ‘wicked’, he wasn’t faithful, he was not wise, and he didn’t fulfil his responsibilities while his master was away. And so, he would be punished when his master returned.
Coffman, in his commentary, says threw following.
‘The ‘weeping and the gnashing of teeth’ are expressions used by Jesus to convey some idea of the anguish and despair of the condemned who shall be cast into the outer darkness.’
What does all this mean to us? It means that what Jesus said came true. He said that the temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed. He said that the Christians of that time would live if they followed Jesus’ instructions. He said if they ran back into Jerusalem they would certainly die, and many people did.
There’s a time coming when everyone in heaven and on earth and every demon in hell is going to bow down and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, it’s just a question of when, Philippians 2:9-11.
Matthew continues with three parables illustrating the need to always be prepared for the Lord’s appearing, Matthew 25, emphasising that we cannot know when He will come, Matthew 25:13. Mark has an additional warning, Mark 13:34-37.
The Lord has not left us ‘in the dark’ that He will appear suddenly, without warning. So, by always being prepared we will not be caught out, 1 Thessalonians 5:4. The Lord Jesus says, ‘I am definitely coming suddenly.’ Can we with confidence and with joy say, ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus’? Revelation 22:20.
And then He tells these three parables about the servants that were given assignments, about the ten wise and foolish virgins, about the parable of the talents, Matthew 25.
All three parables have two things in common, in all three parables, the master is gone longer than they expected and in all three, when he came back, everybody was surprised. The people who are ready for Him and the people who weren’t ready for Him.
It’s not like the wise virgins knew He was coming back and so they were ready, Matthew 25:5, tells us that they were sleeping too. They were just as surprised as the foolish virgins. When Jesus comes back, we’re not going to have a clue that He was coming on that day.
What Jesus is doing, isn’t giving us clues to date His return. He said to us, ‘you need prepared lives because you don’t know the date of My return, so you stay ready.’ We talk a lot about what signs we’re looking for, but Jesus closes by saying, ‘you know I’m looking for a sign too.’
The sign Jesus is looking for is ‘faithfulness’. He’s attempting to get spiritually long-distance runners. Jesus said, ‘when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’ Luke 18:8. That’s the sign Jesus is going to look for.
There is no special evidence of His imminent appearance! Instead, a solemn warning which every one of us should take seriously and think about more frequently, ‘watch, therefore for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come,’ Matthew 24:42 / Mark 13:35-37.
Practical Lessons
1. We should not believe anyone who claims to be able to predict the date of the Lord’s return.
If Jesus didn’t know, surely no mere man does. Anyone who claims to be able to discern the time of Jesus’ return by a careful study of prophetic texts is claiming to know more than the Lord Himself and should not be taken seriously.
2. Since we don’t know when the Lord will come back, we should always be ready.
If you knew for sure that the Lord would come back today, would you change some things in your life?
Then why not just assume that He is returning today, for He might, and make the changes immediately. It is utterly foolish to procrastinate in our repentance.
