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The Olivet Discourse: a Resolution of Time1

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The Olivet Discourse: a Resolution of Time1 THE OLIVET DISCOURSE: A RESOLUTION OF TIME1 by Ron J. Bigalke Jr. Introduction Matthew 24–25 is crucial for every prophetic system. The key to understanding the Olivet Discourse is to interpret it consistently, noting the context and the Jewish understanding of the phrase the end of the age. Importing the church into this distinctly Jewish discourse confuses the interpretation. Asserting a past or present fulfillment of these future events also distorts the passage. Interpretative Issues Four possible views concerning the timing of prophetic events in the Olivet Discourse exist: preterism (past), historicism (present),2 idealism (timeless),3 and futurism (future). This article will consider the preterist and futurist views. Preterism. The preterist view of the Olivet Discourse is that most, if not all, of prophetic fulfillment has already taken place.4 J. Marcellus Kik, a preterist postmillennialist, believes verse 34 is the key to Matthew 24: We might term this key verse the “time text” of the Chapter. If the literal and well-defined meaning of this verse be accepted, then we shall quite readily perceive that the verse divides the 1 The author read an earlier draft of this article at the eleventh annual meeting of the Pre-Trib Study Group on 11 December 2002 in Dallas, Texas. 2 The historicist view sees prophetic fulfillment throughout the age of the church. Historicists interpret literal numbers like 2,300 days (Daniel 8:14) and 1,290 days (Daniel 12:11) as years (a day-age theory). 3 The idealist (spiritual or timeless) view teaches that the prophetic events of Matthew 24–25 apply to believers in any age. It almost completely divorces history from fulfillment. 4 Preterism must date Revelation during Nero’s reign (A.D. 54–68). The Olivet Discourse 107 entire Chapter into two main sections. Section One speaks of events which were to befall the contemporary generation of Jesus. Section Two relates to events that are to occur at the Second Coming of the Lord. Verse 34 thus is the division point of the two sections.5 Futurism. Futurists believe that prophetic fulfillment is in an eschatological period. Consistent futurists view the tribulation, Second Coming, and millennium as entirely future events for national Israel. The only future prophetic event for the church is the Rapture, which is imminent and without any signs. The fact that tribulational events will not occur during the present church age does not make world events insignificant. Present events may set the stage for fulfilling prophesies relating to the tribulation. Thomas Ice remarks: A good interpreter keeps the future in the future. If an event in a passage is to occur during the tribulation, then it cannot happen during the current church age. It is wrong to say that something is being fulfilled in our day when in fact, the biblical context sets it within the future time of tribulation. Having emphasized the point that we are not to commingle the future with the present, it does not mean that current events have no future meaning in the present. The issue is how they relate and have meaning. After all as a futurist, I do expect that God will one day fulfill His plan for the last days.6 Tribulational events have no fulfillment in the current church age. Consistent pretribulationism will not adopt a historicist interpretation of world events by quoting passages that clearly refer to future events as fulfilled. Chafer reminds his readers: 5 J. Marcellus Kik, An Eschatology of Victory (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1971), 60. 6 Thomas Ice, “Stage-Setting of the Last Days,” in Revelation Hoofbeats, ed. Ron J. Bigalke Jr. (Longwood, FL: Xulon Press, 2003), 284-285. 108 CTS Journal 9 (Spring 2003) [D]istinction must be made between the “last days” for Israel—the days of her kingdom glory in the earth (cf. Isa. 2:1–5)—and the “last days” for the Church, which are days of evil and apostasy (cf. 2 Tim. 3:1–5). Likewise, discrimination is called for between the “last days” for Israel and for the Church and “the last day,” which, as related to the Church, is the day of the resurrection of those who have died in Christ (cf. John 6:39–40, 44, 54).7 Each biblical passage relates to its appropriate era (either the church or Israel). Commingling eschatological events for the church and Israel confuses issues. The following chart shows how the various terms relate to the Church and to Israel. Last Things for the Church8 Last Things for Israel9 Singular Plural Singular Plural Last Time Last Days Last Day Last Days Latter Days Latter Days Last Times Latter Years The Rapture and Olivet Discourse The Olivet Discourse does not refer to the church age so it does not discuss the timing of the Rapture. Even so, the fact that so many insert the Rapture into the passage necessitates a brief discussion of this issue. 7 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, 8 vols. (Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1947; reprint in 4 vols., Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1993), 4:374–75. 8 The italicized phrases refer to the church in the following passages: (1) last days in 2 Timothy 3:1; Hebrews 1:2; James 5:3; 2 Peter 3:3; (2) latter days in 1 Timothy 4:1; (3) last time in 1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 2:18; Jude 18; and (4) last times in 1 Peter 1:20. 9 The italicized phrases refer to Israel in the following passages: (1) last day in John 6:39–40, 44, 54; 11:24; 12:48; (2) last days in Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1; Acts 2:17; (3) latter days in Deuteronomy 4:30; 31:29; Jeremiah 23:20; 30:24; 48:47; 49:39; Ezekiel 38:16; Daniel 2:28; 10:14; Hosea 3:5; and (4) latter years in Ezekiel 38:8. The Olivet Discourse 109 The Nature of the Tribulation. The word tribulation is not a technical term. It can refer to general suffering,10 to the seven years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week,11 or to the second half of that week, the great tribulation.12 The Seventieth Week does not relate to God’s purpose for the church. The tribulation will come upon a world that is in rebellion against God (Revelation 15:1; 16:1–21; 19:15) and will reveal Satan’s nature (12:7–12). During the tribulation, national Israel will come to repentance and faith in the Messiah in preparation for the millennium (Jeremiah 30:7–9; Zechariah 12:9–14:5; Revelation 19:1–6). It will also be a time of evangelism (Matthew 24:14; Revelation 6:9–11; 7:1–17; 11:2–14; 12:13–17; 13:7; 14:1– 5, 12–13). The Prophetic Time clock. The next prophetic event, from our standpoint, is the Rapture (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:51–54). Living Christians will be caught up in the air to meet Jesus Christ. The Rapture will reunite living saints with those who previously died in Christ. Both will receive their glorified bodies and go to the Father’s house (John 14:1–3). Second Chances. Some suggest that pretribulationism offers a second chance of salvation, claiming that it “undermines the gospel” and may “cause indifference to the gospel.”13 The 10 John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Romans 5:3; 12:12. 11 Jeremiah 30:7–9; Daniel 9:24–27; 12:1. 12 Matthew 24:21 refers to the last half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week as the great tribulation, while Matthew 24:8 uses beginning of sorrows for the first half. Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. 13 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), “Between Millennia: What Presbyterians Believe About the Second Coming of Christ” (1989): 8; Ronald L. Siegenthaler, “What’s Behind Left Behind: Part Three,” Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church Communicator 11 (April 2001): 16; W. Fred Rice, “The Not So Secret Rapture,” rev. ed. [article on line] (Center For Reformed Theology and 110 CTS Journal 9 (Spring 2003) sentiment that an unbeliever can reject the gospel, be left behind14 at the Rapture, and then later believe in the gospel does not presume upon God’s grace, but magnifies His grace. Scripture testifies, Now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). For an unbeliever to presume that he may be reconciled with the Creator tomorrow (or in the years to come) is presumption since no man knows his last day on earth. Pretribulationism could only be accused of offering a second chance if it taught that an unbeliever could trust in Christ after death (it does not) since that would be the only true sense of a second chance. After death will be the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Is it not grace that God allows unbelievers, at any time, opportunity to believe the gospel even after initially rejecting it? Furthermore, it is grace that those following the Rapture may still believe. Rapture Terminology. The word Rapture does not appear in English Bibles. It derives from the Latin rapere and the Vulgate uses it in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 to translate @arpazw (“to snatch, take away”). Jesus will come in the clouds to snatch away His saints from the earth, while at the Second Coming, Jesus will come to the earth with His saints to establish the millennial kingdom. Logically, then, the Old Testament does not reveal the Rapture, because this is a concept for the church.
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