Category Archives: Olivet Discourse

THE DISCIPLES’ CONFUSION AT OLIVET (2)

AD 70, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse March 10, 2020 Leave a comment

PMW 2020-019 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is the second in a series on the confusion of Jesus’ Disciples when they ask him about his prophecy of the temple’s destruction. They assumed that the temple would last until the end of the world. Thus, they understood Jesus’ prophecy of its destruction to be a prophecy regarding the end of the world.

Jesus’ prophecy and the Disciples’ questions are found in the following verses:

Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” (Matt. 24:1–3)

I will be highlighting Matthew’s emphasis on their continual confusion throughout Jesus’ ministry. But I must point out, first, that their assumption of the temple’s indestructibility was common among first-century Jews (despite the fact that Solomon’s temple had been destroyed in the OT!). Consider the following. Continue reading →

THE DISCIPLES’ CONFUSION AT OLIVET (1)

AD 70, Olivet Discourse March 6, 2020 Comments: 6

PMW 2020-018 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

A year ago I published a three-part series of articles noting that the Disciples were often confused about Jesus’ teaching (PMW 2019-002; PMW 2019-003; and PMW 2019-004). This observation is significant for properly understanding the nature and implications of their question, which prompts the Olivet Discourse. Their question appears in Matthew 24:3:

“As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the Disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’”

I noted — as do a great many orthodox, evangelical scholars — that the Disciples mistakenly assumed the destruction of the temple prophesied by Jesus in v. 2 would occur at the end of the world, when Jesus returns in judgment. Their confusion explains their double question, which leads Jesus to divide their double question. His division of their question has him present the near-term fulfillment of the temple’s destruction in AD 70, which serves as a distant adumbration, a typological harbinger of the Second Advent/Final Judgment conclusion of world history. Continue reading →

MATTHEW 24:3 AND OLIVET’S STRUCTURE

Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse, Preterism June 11, 2019 Comments: 5

PMW 2019-047 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Matthew’s version of the Olivet Discourse is significantly different from Mark’s. It does not differ, however, through contradiction, but by supplementation. Thus, it does not conflict with Mark’s version, but augments it.

This is not unusual in the Gospels. For we know that in the Gospels, recorded sermons do not appear verbatim in word-for-word fullness, but are summaries. Otherwise, Jesus would be traveling from place-to-place delivering one-minute messages, as in Matt. 11:20–24; Matt. 11:25–30; and 13:1–9. And sometimes after crowds were with him for three days (Matt. 15:32)! Furthermore, John the Baptist would have people coming from all over Judea (Matt. 3:5) to hear a sermon that lasted for only two sentences (Matt. 3:2–3). Continue reading →

DANIEL 7:13, MARK 9:1, AND ESCHATOLOGY (3)

AD 70, Christ, Olivet Discourse, Temple March 5, 2019 1 Comment

PMW 2019-019 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

I am engaged in a short series on the use of Daniel 7:13 by Jesus in Mark, particularly regarding its influence on Jesus’ statement in Mark 9:1.

In the first article I focused on the meaning of Daniel 7:13, which is widely misunderstood among evangelicals today. It is an enthronement vision that shows Christ entering into heaven to receive his kingdom. It does not refer to Jesus’ Second Coming to earth, as so many believe. The language itself will not allow it, for it says the Son of Man “came up to the Acient of Days / And was presented before Him.”

In my second article I dealt with the use of Daniel 7:13 in three key eschatological texts in Mark’s record of Christ’s teaching. Those verses include Mark 13:26 (in the Olivet Discourse) and 14:62 (Jesus’ statement before the high priest during his trial). Continue reading →

ORTHODOX PRETERIST DANIEL COMMENTARY

Books, Daniel, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse, Revelation February 8, 2019 Comments: 6

PMW 2019-012 by Various Authors

For all those interested in eschatology, three biblical texts stand out as essential for our study: Daniel, the Olivet Discourse, and Revelation. I have written a commentary on Revelation (which should be available this Spring, 2019). I am writing a commentary on the Olivet Discourse in context, covering Matthew 21–25 (which should be available in early 2019). But regarding Daniel, I have only written a brief commentary on Daniel 9 (which is available in my book Perilous Times).

Thus, I am pleased to announce the publication of Jay Rogers’, In the Days of These Kings: The Book of Daniel in Preterist Perspective (740 pages). Rogers’ work is a fully-orthodox preterist analysis of Daniel. I highly recommend this book to my readership. Thus, in this blog article, I will list the endorsements to In the Days of These Kings, which I hope will whet your appetite. Continue reading →

THE BEST COMMENTARIES ON MATTHEW

AD 70, Interpretation, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse January 18, 2019 Comments: 3

PMW 2019-006 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

I am working on a commentary on Matt. 21:1–25:46, tentatively titled The Olivet Discourse in Context. As I engage the research, I am investigating a number of commentaries on Matthew (I do not fly by the seat of my pants as some preterist enthusiasts do!). I have found help in many of them, even when they do not hold to a preterist understanding of Olivet. Yet, several commentaries have become absolutely essential in my investigation. And I highly recommend them to my reader.

In this brief article I will recommend some good commentaries for you. If you are interested in the Olivet Discourse in particular (which is also found in Mark and Luke) or the Gospel of Matthew in general, you really need to get hold of these (legally, of course). Continue reading →

THE DISCIPLES’ CONFUSION AT OLIVET (4)

AD 70, Matthew 24, Olivet Discourse January 15, 2019 Comments: 15

PMW 2019-005 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

This is my fourth and final presentation in demonstrating that the disciples’ question to Jesus in Matt. 24:3 shows that they are confused. You might say that this is my “final judgment” on the matter.

When the disciples ask their double question in response to his short prophecy on the destruction of the temple, they bring in concepts that are not related to his prophecy. We have been seeing that they are often confused and how Jesus in the Olivet Discourse is seeking to dispel their confusion.

In the preceding article I noted that Jesus directly interacts with their confusion. In this one I will briefly demonstrate that he will clearly distinguish the events that they have merged. Continue reading →