2017/06/04 AM: The Olivet Discourse (Part 2) – False Signs of the Time (Luke 21:7-19)

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An Entirely Natural Question about the Temple’s Destruction
1. The question (v7) is understandable, given that the disciples have just been told that the cornerstone of their culture, religion & nation was going to be desolated.
2. The question is crucial in that in gives the context of Jesus’ answer. It has two elements:
  1. WHEN will the temple be destroyed?
  2. WHAT will be the sign of it’s imminent destruction.
3. An entire age is about to come to a violent end (Mt 24:3 – aion, not kosmos), and the age of the church/gospel/gentiles is about to begin (Lk 21:24).
A Prophetic Warning about False Christ/Prophets & False Signs of the Time
1. Jesus warns of false Christs/prophets (v8)
  1. Simon Magus (Acts 8) / Dositheus / many others mentioned by Josephus….
2. Jesus warns of false (misleading) signs that are not announcing the end of the Temple (v9-17)
  1. The misleading signs are found in v9-17
  2. The genuine sign is found in v20
3. The false signs which they are NOT to react to are:
  1. Wars (Armenia, Parthia, Seleucia, Celtic Britain etc)
  2. Tumults/Commotions (Caligula & the temple, the year of the Four Emperors, etc)
  3. Famine & Disease (Acts 11:28)
  4. Earthquakes (Crete, Smyrna, Rome, Pompeii, Judea etc)
  5. Signs in the heavens (Astronomical anomalies; possibly Halley’s comment in 66AD)
4. But even before all this….verse 12
  1. Beaten (Acts 5:40 / 16:22)
  2. Persecuted (Acts 8:1)
  3. Delivered up to authorities (Acts 8:3)
  4. Imprisoned (Acts 5:17 / 12:4 / 16:23)
  5. Brought before Kings & Governors (Acts 23-24)
  6. Put to death (Acts 7:59 / 12:1)
    - A whole generation of hardship & suffering…
5. “But aren’t these same violent commotions occurring in our own day too?”
6. Jesus words are an accurate reflection of many periods in the last 1900 years.
  1. (And for 1900 years Christians have repeatedly fallen into the mistake of misappropriating them for their own time & circumstances.)
7. But contextually Jesus is not at this moment describing those times, or His second coming.
  1. It is not His intention that we now apply His words to every news story that resembles some point of a prophecy that has already been fulfilled.
  2. He is describing the experience of the early church, at the end of THAT age.
The Commands for Jesus’ Disciples
1. See that you are not led astray…do not go after them (v8)
2. Do not be terrified (v9)
  1. For centuries there have been those who try to stir up panic, unsettling young Christians in particular, using predictions concerning current affairs. But Jesus Himself stands against such fearmongering (v8-9).
3. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom” (v13-14)
  1. And Jesus did fulfil this – c.f. Acts 4:5-13 / Acts 13:13
A Promise to Bear Them Through Persecution
1. Is Jesus contradicting Himself in v18-19?
2. No – He is speaking to the Resurrection of the Dead, and Eternal Life.