I've been looking through some of my books on the Olivet Discourse in preparation for this week's Bible stud. I'm going to teach Matthew 24 as punishment for last week, and because it seems to be a climax of sorts after the last few chapters. I spent the better part of a year studying the various prophetic texts during 05-06, but was hesitant to do a study on it but have kind of stumbled into that direction anyway. It is a passage that was important enough to be included in all three synoptic gospels. When I googled this passage I was able to find links to people using it to support their theories about Barack Obama, black helicopters, UFOs, socialism, and a super computer in Belgium that apparently can suck your brain out. In other words, things that could not have less to do with this passage. I don't know if anyone in my group is succeptible to this kind of sensationalism, but if so this might give them something to think about. Hopefully we can attach some spiritual principles to this rather than have it turn into me giving an hour-long lecture on the history of Roman involvement in 1st century Judea (but I'm prepared to do that if I have to). Here are some thoughts I've had refamiliarizing myself with this topic over the last week.
-I'll probably breifly summarize the events that immediately preceded this since a lot of people missed the last two weeks.
-I will start the actual study with 23:37, which looks like it would have been a better place for the chapter break.
-Note that "My Father's house" is now referred to as "your house". I think this sets the tone for the entire 24th chapter.
-There is a ton of language here that closely resembles the Old Testament prophets. This appears more in Matthew than in Luke. This makes sense since Matthew's Jewish audience would have been familiar with the OT, as opposed to the Gentiles Luke was writing to. This is why I'm using Matthew instead of Luke, because there is more that has to be explained.
-A lot of the passage, the spectacular stuff especially, is extremely similar to accounts of the Babylonian invasion, as well as the fall of Babylon.
-The "not one stone" prophecy is probably the most specific and easily verified prediction in the entire Bible. A lot of prophecies are not really understandable until after the fact.
-I don't think the disciples are asking about the physical second coming. They seem oblivious to a "first going" much less a second coming. I think the "coming" language is one of the bigger stumbling blocks in this passage. I may also tie in statements used in Matthew 10 and 17.
-The destruction of the temple and end of the age would not have been thought of as separate events by the disciples, in all likelyhood. I may need to get into the word aion and the word "age".
-verses 4-13 could apply to almost any period of history, hence they are always "being fulfilled".
-I'll need to point out Paul's statements as well as Luke 2:1 on the whole "entire world" (oikumene) thing.
-"the reader" will probably NOT understand the Abomination of Desolation thing. There are several theories about what this refers to, but I think the way it is stated by Luke makes it easier to understand. I have a parallel listing of the passage in all 3 gospels from one of the appendices of R.C. Sproul's book The Last Days According to Jesus that I will use in case I need to have 3 versions in front of me. Not sure if this will be necessary, but I don't know what to expect from a discussion like this.
-If I had to pick a song that this passage reminds me of, it would be "Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden.
- I don't think verse 21 is literal, because from our perspective even 2/3 of the earth dying would not be worse then the flood. Similar language is used to talk about the Babylonian captivity. I'll probably also mention how Hezekiah and Josiah are both referred to as being "better than any king who came before or after". The same with 22, in regards to Babylon.
-I wonder if "vultures" or "eagles" is the better translation. Most modern ones use "vulture", I think it's cooler with "eagle" with regard to the Roman legions, but the metaphor works either way.
-The sun, moon, and stars language is something that occurs throughout the OT with regards to nations being destroyed.
-"coming on the clouds" is the same way". Easily confusing. Matthew 26:64 is a good one to use to explain the meaning
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