THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND THE OLIVET DISCOURSE

De: Delbert Young

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

What is The Olivet Discourse? The Olivet Discourse receives its name from a section of Scripture where Jesus answered his disciples' questions about the great tribulation while with them on the Mount of Olives. The disciples asked three questions. First, how would they know when the great tribulation was about to happen. Second, they wanted a sign showing them Jesus, the Son of man, was coming. And, three, interestingly, they wanted a sign indicating the end of the world (KJV). It seems they would know if the world ended. Why would anyone need a sign to know the world ended? The discourse is Jesus answering their questions one by one in precise detail. During his answers, Jesus used the term "great tribulation." These are great questions and are the same questions asked, again and again, today. Understanding The Olivet Discourse is of extreme importance if we are to have proper end time theology (eschatology). Without a grasp of The Olivet Discourse, we will interpret the times and the scriptures with a newspaper, a television newscast, or by something someone told us a war in the Middle East means. We always find later the newspaper, television newscast, and people who told us what the war in the Middle East meant were wrong concerning the end of the world. The Olivet Discourse is where Jesus said, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Mat 24:21). Sadly, today's contemporary theology distorts the teaching of Jesus in The Olivet Discourse. Instead of researching and studying for themselves, preachers and theologians use what others say and teach. I believe it is fine to use what others say to verify what or disprove what I think, but I also believe every preacher and theologian should study the Word of God for themselves. We will go to great lengths using Scripture to prove without a doubt Jesus meant the great tribulation was to come upon the land and nation of Israel. It did come upon Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple. We will see Jesus did not mean the great tribulation would come upon us or any future generation. A statement like this today sounds like the proclamation of a heretic. However, I have no doubt anyone will see the Olivet Discourse clearly explains The Great Tribulation and The Great Tribulation did happen exactly as the Lord Jesus said it would. We will see the great tribulation was to come upon the land of Israel, Jerusalem, the temple for two primary reasons. First, the great tribulation ended the Old Covenant Law of Moses, temple worship, and the Levitical priesthood. Second, the great tribulation brought God's vengeance upon those who killed and persecuted the prophets, messengers, and servants the Lord sent during their generation (Mat 23:33-39). We will see Jesus said the great tribulation was to come and did come during the first century. It came upon the very ones who pierced Christ. They would see and experience his coming (Rev 1:7). Jesus told the leaders of Judaism this destruction would happen to them and their temple. Jesus warned his disciples of the coming of the Son of Man. He even told them when to flee Jerusalem to escape the great tribulation. We will clearly see all of this in our study. Without this knowledge, the student of the scriptures and the Book of Revelation will await the terrible events described in the Revelation. The believer will live frightened into believing those horrors may come upon him or her and their children. Our desire here is to show Jesus was specifically speaking of terminating the system of Judaism and God executing vengeance upon it. The Olivet Discourse is a necessary key to having a correct unshakable theology.