June 06 2025

Friday June 06

Luke 21:5-7– Introduction to the Mt. Olivet Discourse

5 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, 6 "These things which you see--the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down." 7 So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"

Luke 20 ends with Jesus giving a scathing rebuke to the Pharisees, scribes, Sadducees, elders, and leaders of Israel about their religious hypocrisy. Matthew 23 gives this message of “Woes” that Jesus pronounced upon them in greater detail. Now in Luke 21, Jesus notices the poor widow giving her offering of two mites and compares her sacrificial heart to their greedy and selfish ones. Compared to the gifts of the rich men, her two copper coins seemed insignificant, but Jesus said that she gave more than all the others combined.

Now it was the disciples' turn to ask the questions! Their attention was on the temple in front of them which was a beautiful structure, embellished with many costly decorations that a poor widow could never give, and the disciples mentioned this to Jesus. But our Lord was not impressed, and He responds by telling them that the day would come when the beautiful Jewish temple would be demolished (Luke 21:5-6). Remember Jesus had already announced that the city would be destroyed in Luke 19:41-44, but now He specifically mentioned the destruction of the temple.

Jesus left the temple and went to the Mount of Olives, and it was there that Peter, James, John, and Andrew (Mark 13:3) asked Him three questions: (1) When would the temple be destroyed? (2) What would be the sign of His coming? (3) What would be the sign of the end of the age? (see Mark 13:3-4; Matt. 24:3) The disciples thought that these three events would occur at the same time, but Jesus explained things differently. Actually, the temple would be destroyed first, and then there would be a long period of time before He would return and establish His kingdom on earth (see Luke 19:11-27).

Our Lord's reply comprises what we call "The Mt. Olivet Discourse," the greatest prophetic sermon He ever preached. It is recorded in greater detail in Matthew 24-25 and Mark 13, and you will want to compare the three passages. We especially need to remember that since Luke wrote with the Gentile reader in mind, he omitted some of the strong Jewish elements of the sermon while retaining the essential truths that we must consider and apply.

We also need to keep in mind that this was a message given to Jews by a Jew about the future of the Jewish nation. Though there are definite applications to God's people today, the emphasis is on Jerusalem, the Jews, and the temple. Our Lord was not discussing His coming for the church, for that can occur at any time and no signs need precede it (1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We believe in the “imminent return of Jesus” when we are speaking of the “rapture of the church”.  We read in 1 Corinthians 1:22 that: "…the Jews require a sign"; while the church looks for a Savior. In Philippians 3:20-21 we read: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”

This “Mt. Olivet Discourse” focuses on a period in God's program called "the Tribulation" when God will pour out His wrath on the nations of the world. Many Bible students believe that the Tribulation will begin after the Lord comes in the air and takes His church to heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11). Time wise, the seven-year tribulation actually begins when the Anti-christ makes his peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:24-27). It will climax with the return of Jesus Christ to the earth, at which time He will defeat His foes and establish His kingdom (Rev. 19:1-20:6).

As we study Luke 21 over the next few days, we will find that Jesus answered the disciples' questions by discussing four topics relating to the future of the nation of Israel.

Today, as believers we should be looking up and at the same time doing all we can to prepare others for the Lord’s return!

God bless.