Olivet Overview

THE DAILY DE-VO  by Pastor Steven  episode#9

Olivet Overview   

Welcome to the Daily Devo…  I’m Pastor Steven McAbee.  We are studying Signs that are Significant.  With all these cover conversations out there i thought we should look at what Jesus had to say in his 1 century conversation with the disciples as they left the temple. 

I believe that what he said about his return is important, most important!   So we will embark to study eschatology and we will take this verse by verse.   Im attempting to give you bite size pieces for you to study, and review.

I told you in episode 8 there are terms you need to know!  

Amillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Premillennialism.   

I will teach you from a Premillennialism viewpoint.   That is who I am and what I believe. 

However, We must be careful not to be swept completely into a futuristic viewpoint.  Why you ask?  I will explain later, but I believe that many of the prophecies we will examine have a double fulfillment.  Meaning at times these prophecies require us to look back and at times we must look forward. Looking back will give to us great insight into what will happen ahead of us.   

What I will seek to do is balance the prophecies that have a direct fulfillment close at hand and understand that many of these prophecies have had or will have  a double fulfillment or even a future greater fulfillment…   This is important as you begin to understand this, and as we get into this you will see why.

I have much to share about this discourse  but let me begin by giving an Overview:

1.  Matthew 24 and 25, the Olivet discourse, is THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE PROPHETIC TRUTH in all of the New Testament.   

It is not the longest section, because that’s Revelation, but arguably it is the most comprehensive.   This passage deals with the future that God has planned for his people.  The Olivet Discourse centers around Israel and her future, and just about every prophetic theme that you can imagine is either mentioned or alluded to in these 2 chapters.

2.  It’s not only the most comprehensive, but it’s also THE MOST COHESIVE PROPHETIC TRUTH in the entire Bible.  In other words, try and put all of the events together, the book of Revelation is very confusing to a lot of people when we read it - because it doesn’t always take things in the order in which they’re going to occur.  And the prophecies in Daniel are the same way.  

But here in the book of Matthew in chapters 24 and 25, we can begin to see how all of these events that we’ve heard so much about:  the battle of Armageddon, the tribulation period,  the 1000 year reign, and others we can see how all of these things will fit together, and how one flows into another.  So it is we read these chapters as we study these verses we will begin to get a sense of what God has planned in the prophetic calendar. 

But, I think the most important reason for us to study these chapters is this:

3.  These 2 chapters are THE MOST CONCLUSIVE ANSWERS TO PROPHETIC TRUTH. 

For those who wish to set dates this passage clearly speaks to that.   How do we know that we can’t know?  

I want to survey these 2 chapters for a moment today…  Let me try and point out some verses, that will help us the next time someone wants to set a date, or someone ask you the question about a date of the Lord’s returned.  

Look with me at Matthew 24:36…

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

I want you to look at Matthew 24:42…

v42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

Matthew 24:44

v44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Matthew 24:50

 v50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.

Mathew 25:13

v13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

There are two other passages in the New Testament where the Olivet discourse is referred to, Luke 21 & Mark 13.

Turn with me to Mark 13:32 

v32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

In Mark 13 there is one phrase added that’s not in all of the manuscripts of Matthew 24. In Mark 13:32 he tells us the Angels do not know and that the father is the only one who knows.  But Mark her team 32 adds this phrase:  “not even Jesus knows” the Son of God does not even know. So these passages that are related to the Olivet Discourse, that tell us about how you can know that the Lord is coming and when you can know. Obviously these are referring to the Second Advent not to the rapture.  These verses remind us of a very important truth that we need to make sure remains as a foundational understanding

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH NUMBER 1:  No man knows the time of Christ return. 

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH NUMBER 2:  The Bible says that the Angels do not know of the time of Christ return.

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH NUMBER 3:  Even the Son of Man Jesus Christ does not know!  

This is in the Mark 13:32… That says the Son doesn’t know, because somebody is going to say how can Jesus be omniscient if he doesn’t know, how can he be God and not know something? 

The best way I know how let me try to answer this question.  I think it’s important that we keep in mind that when Jesus said these words, he was walking on this Earth and he was the Son of God and the Son of Man and according to Philippians chapter 2, He voluntarily emptied himself and when he came to this Earth he came to live as a man.

Keep in mind he chose not to know.  Furthermore, when he rose from the grave I think in that very moment everything changed.  I think in that very moment, in his glorified body, he knew.  I believe that he is at the right hand of the father right – and now he knows and looks forward to that day!  

Statement of Truth!  If Jesus says we can’t know than we can’t know!  

Are you okay with that?   I hope we learn and remind ourselves that there is a great value in not knowing!  

I came across something rather interesting while I was studying for this series.   A quote from C.S. Lewis.

“Many people find it difficult to believe in this great event without trying to guess its date, or even without accepting as a certainty the date that any quack or hysteric offers them.  To write a history of all these exploded predictions would need a book, and a sad, sordid, tragicomical book it would be…Clearly no one wishes to say anything that will awaken such mass hysteria.  We must never speak to simple, excitable people about ‘the Day’ without emphasizing again and again the utter impossibility of prediction.  

We must try to show them that impossibility is an essential part of the doctrine.  If you do not believe Our Lords’s words, why do you believe in His return at all?  And if you do believe them must you not put away from, utterly and forever, any hope of dating that return?  

His teaching on the subject quite clearly consisted of three propositions: (1) That He will certainly return; (2) That we cannot possible find out when; (3) And that therefore we must always be ready for Him, {to come}.”