PMW 2025-047 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.
I am an orthodox preterist. I believer that Matt 24:1–34 presents Christ’s great prophecy against the first century Jewish temple in Jerusalem. In that prophecy, known as the Olivet Discourse (or more technically: The Eschatological Discourse”), Jesus denounces the temple and warns of its soon-coming destruction (Matt. 24:2). I have argued in numerous writings that the Discourse as a whole deals with AD 70, as well as the end of history. I see the line of demarcation between AD 70 teaching and Second Advent teaching being drawn at Matt 24:34–36.
Nevertheless, a Second Advent intrusion appears in the near-term prophecy. Though I previously held that Matt 24:27 spoke of his judgment-coming in AD 70, I have come to realize I was mistaken. Read carefully in its context, it refers to the Second Advent. That statement reads:
“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
How can this be?
How can Jesus give a sustained focus on AD 70, then just 20 or so verses into his Discourse, speak of the Second Advent? I do not believe the dispensationalists have the answer in declaring that the entirety of Matt 24–34 speak of the future Rapture of the church and the consequent great tribulation, then the Second Advent. Matt 24:34 and the other issues I have dealt with in many of my writings preclude such an understanding.
Understanding the Olivet Discourse 
By Ken Gentry
This 5 DVD lecture set was filmed at a Bible Conference in Florida. It explains the entire Olivet Discourse in Matt. 24–25 from the (orthodox) preterist perspective. This lecture series begins by carefully analyzing Matt. 24:3, which establishes the two-part structure of the Discourse. It shows that the first section of the Discourse (Matt. 24:4–35) deals with the coming destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in AD 70. This important prophetic event is also theologically linked to the Final Judgment at the end of history, toward which AD 70 is a distant pointer.
For more educational materials: www. KennethGentry.com
Nor are the amillennialists correct when most of them argue that Christ mixes up AD 70 and Second Advent prophecies and it is up to us to sort them out. Such a hodge-podge approach to this well structured Discourse is simply not possible.
How then can I change my previous view and now hold that Matt 24:27 actually does speak of the Second Advent? After all this statement occurs before the transition passage! Actually it is quite easy, and most reasonable. And it was staring me in the face even while I held to my previous position. The context actually demands this! Let me explain.
In Matt 24:24–26 Jesus warns his disciples of “false Christs and false prophets” who “will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” He declares: “”Behold, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.” He is about to die and return to the Father in heaven; he will no longer physically be on earth.
This warning was quite necessary in those days. For as we see in Josephus, many men attempted to present themselves as prophets and messiahs. Josephus records for us the following incidents that occur before the outbreak of the Jewish War with Rome.
“There was also another body of wicked men gotten together, not so impure in their actions, but more wicked in their intentions, who laid waste the happy state of the city [Jerusalem] no less than did these murderers. These were such men as deceived and deluded the people under pretense of divine inspiration, but were for procuring innovations and changes of the government; and these prevailed with the multitude to act like madmen, and went before them into the wilderness, as pretending that God would there shew them the signal of liberty.” (J.W. 2:13:4 §258–59)]
“There was an Egyptian false prophet that did the Jews more mischief than the former; for he was a cheat, and pretended to be a prophet also, and got together thirty thousand men that were deluded by him; these he led round about from the wilderness to the mount which was called the Mount of Olives, and was ready to break into Jerusalem by force from that place.” (J.W. 2:13:5 §261–62)
As It Is Written: The Genesis Account Literal or Literary?
Book by Ken Gentry
Presents the exegetical evidence for Six-day Creation and against the Framework Hypothesis. Strong presentation and rebuttal to the Framework Hypothesis, while demonstrating and defending the Six-day Creation interpretation.
See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com
A false prophet was the occasion of these people’s destruction, who had made a public proclamation in the city that very day, that God commanded them to get up upon the temple, and there should received miraculous signs of their deliverance. Now, there was then a great number of false prophets suborned by the tyrants to impose upon the people, who denounced this to them, that they should wait for deliverance from God. (J.W. 6:5:2 §285–86)
The Lord is here cautioning his disciples: “If therefore they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go forth, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them” (Matt 24:26). We must recall Josephus’ report in Jewish Wars (2:13:5 §261–62) cited above, that recorded an episode in which an Egyptian false prophet arose in the wilderness claiming a great deliverance.
Jesus dismisses such by stating that when he actually physically return to the earth, it will be an unmistakable event: “For just as the lightning comes from the east, and flashes even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt 24:27). The “for” (gar) here shows that he is giving the reason why his disciples should not think he is off in some wilderness or in an inner room somewhere. When he does return it will be as visible and dramatic as lightning flashing.
GOODBIRTH AND THE TWO AGES
I am currently researching a technical study on the concept of the Two Ages in Scripture. This study is not only important for understanding the proper biblical concept of the structure of redemptive history. But it is also absolutely essential for fully grasping the significance of the Disciples’ questions in Matthew 24:3, which spark the Olivet Discourse. This book will be the forerunner to a fuller commentary on the Olivet Discourse in Matthew’s comprehensive presentation. This issue must be dealt with before one can seriously delve into the Discourse itself.
If you would like to support me in my research, I invite you to consider giving a tax-deductible contribution to my research and writing ministry: GoodBirth Ministries. Your help is much appreciated! https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4XXFLGKEQU48C&ssrt=1740411591428
Postmillennial Worldview 
First, thanks for your ministry which has been a help to me going on 20ish years now. As a critically-minded philosopher, eschatology always looked like gobbly-gook or science fiction until you and RC Sproul came along. As for this post, I’m not convinced at all (and not because I’m some full preterist either). It seems the wilderness/room dichotomy is just to cover all the places a human could physically be; hence, this passage is specifically ruling out a physical return. It’s not about secrecy either because people are announcing it. As further evidence consider that v28 and v27 are parallel reasons for support of v26, and clearly v28 is talking about Jerusalem’s metaphorical carcass surrounded by Rome’s metaphorical vultures/eagles. So v27 is probably talking about the same thing. That’s what the obviousness is all about. What could be more obvious concerning Jerusalem’s destruction than Rome coming to surround it? Another reason is that Jesus’s coming on the clouds contrasts with Him returning to the wilderness or some civilized area. He’s not returning to either of the latter because His return is non-physically on the clouds in judgment. If He were returning physically, it would have to be to a civilized area or out in nature. What other option is there besides literal trumpet sounds and lightning and thunder all over the planet? Now we’re back to sci-fi gobbly-gook. Also, this would be an awkward “aside” if it were one. Why would Jesus need to warn His audience of false prophets if it were so much further in the future compared to Jerusalem’s destruction? But as a “non-aside”, it fits right in with His argument and its relevance to His audience: “Don’t listen to the people that say I’m physically located anywhere on Earth because I’m coming in judgment like my Father did in the past. They will tell you I’m here; I’m telling you now that I’m in the clouds.” The topic of the end of the age is maybe a broader topic than just this one point, but it still seems to me that the end of the age is just that, not the end of history.
I highly recommend checking orthodox commentaries on Matthew, such as those by R. T. France, David Garland, and J. K. Brown and others. They explain the text more fully than I did in this brief posting.