1 Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24–25 I Matthew’s Main Source Was Mark It is virtually certain that Matthew used Mark as a source for his own Gospel. So, the OD in Matthew will be examined to see if something similar to the structure observed in Mark 13 obtains also for Matthew 24–25. II A Structure for Matthew 24–25: ταῦτα, πάντα, πάντα ταῦτα 1 The phrases ‘these things’ (tauta, verse 3) and ‘all these things’ (panta tauta, verses 8, 33, 34) essentially follow Mark’s outline. 2 Note one appreciable difference between Mark and Matthew regarding ‘these things’ and ‘all these things.’ A Mark 13:23 reads “I have told you everything [“all things”—panta] ahead of time” B Matthew 24:25 has only “I have told you ahead of time” C Nevertheless, it is clear that Matthew is following the same outline as Mark 13. D In Matthew 24:33–34, ‘all these things’ [panta tauta] reappears, which is very close to Mark 13:29–30. 1) Mark 13:29–30 29 Even so, when you see these things [tauta] happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things [tauta panta] have happened. 2) Matthew 24:33–34 23 Even so, when you see all these things [panta tauta], you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things [panta tauta] have happened. 2 These terms in Matthew—‘these things’ and ‘all these things’—have the same referents as their Markan counterparts. 3 Thus: A Matthew 24:1–31 basically follows Mark 13:1–27. B Matthew 24:32–35, 36 (= Mark 13:28–31, 32) continues to adopt Mark’s outline. C Matthew 24:37–25:30 may be considered a blow-up of Mark 13:33–37. D The following comparison shows that Matthew 24-25 follows Mark 13 as his source. Mark Matthew 13:1–2 24:1–2 13:3–4 24:3 13:5–8 24:4–8 13:9–13 24:9–14 13:14–20 24:15–22 13:21–23 24:23–25 ——— 24:26–28 13:24–27 24:29–31 13:28–31 24:32–35 13:32 24:36 13:33–37 24:37–25:30 ——— 25:31–46 Notes 1) The closer parallel to Mark 13:9–13 is Matthew 10:17–22. 2) Parallels to theses verses are: Matt. 24:26 = 24:23; Luke 17:23 Matt. 24:27 = Luke 17:24 Matt. 24:28 = Luke 17:37b 3) This is not so much a parallel, though certain parts of Matthew’s text here exhibit verbal parallels to its Markan source, but rather is an elaboration of the main point of Mark 13:33–37, that is, the unknowability of the time of Jesus’ return. 4) Neither 25:1–13 nor 25:31–46 has a parallel in the Gospels. 3 4 From consideration of these key terms, the structure of Matthew’s OD may be discerned: A The Temple 1) Fascination with the temple: v 1 2) Prediction of its fall: v 2 3) Questions that follow: v 3 B Answer to the questions: vv 4–37 1) Relating to the generation between Jesus and AD 70: vv 4–28 2) Relating to the coming of the Son of Man on the clouds: vv.29–31 1)’ Relating to the generation between Jesus and AD 70: vv 32–35 2)’ Relating to the coming of the Son of Man on the clouds: vv 36–51; chapter 25 5 Regarding “signs” and “timing” consider the following: A Signs 1) Relating to the generation between Jesus and AD 70 (verses 4–28, 32–35), Jesus mentions specifics such as messianic pretenders, wars, pestilences, persecution, and the desolating sacrilege. 2) Relating to the coming of the Son of Man on the clouds (verses 29–31, 36–51; chapter 25), Jesus says nothing that would serve as a precursor. B Timing 1) With regard to the generation between Jesus and AD 70, Jesus said, “when you see” (verse 33). 2) With regard to the coming of the Son of Man, Jesus said, “no one knows,” (verse 36). C This structure will be the basis for the interpretation of Matthew’s OD. 4 III OT Background for Jesus’ Prophecy of the Temple’s Overthrow According to the OT, many of Israel’s people throughout much of its history, and especially its leaders, were disobedient to Yahweh, or, put another way, unsubmissive to his rule. This repeated rebellion brought about judgment from Yahweh. Yahweh had originally established a relationship with the Hebrew nation, recently redeemed by him from bondage in Egypt, in terms of a covenant that was very much like a second millennium suzerain-vassal treaty in which the overlord laid out stipulations, both general and specific, and with which the subject nation was expected to comply. This Israel failed to do. After many years of Israelite waywardness, Yahweh made promises to one day accomplish his will among not only his chosen people but among all the peoples of the earth by sending his Servant and by raising up a king like David to rule over Israel. The Synoptic Gospels present Jesus as both the promised Son of David and the foretold Servant of the Lord who heralded the arrival of God’s reign and demanded submission to it. Because the Jewish leadership failed to recognize, and so refused to acknowledge, that Yahweh was at work in the person of Jesus, they opposed him and brought judgment upon themselves and the Jewish nation, as they had done in the past. Thus in Jesus’ day the disobedience of at least the leadership of the Jews was little different from the same rebellion seen in OT Israel. All of this means that the judgment announced by Jesus on the temple was tantamount to a condemnation of the entirety of Jewish spiritual life and not different in kind from Jeremiah’s denunciation of the temple, which is to say, of the entire religious superstructure of Judah. Since Jesus’ closest followers affirmed him to be the Messiah (i.e., heir to the Davidic throne, Mark 8:29 / Matthew 16:16 / Luke 9:20), they expected ‘this age’ would soon end and ‘the age to come’ would begin, with Israel assuming dominance over the nations of the world. Thus for the disciples, Jesus’ warning regarding the demise of the temple could only mean the changeover from the current age to the succeeding one (see Mark 10:30—“this present age . the age to come”) and the elevation of Israel to the place of primacy among the nations. It is no surprise then, that, following Jesus’ prophecy of the temple’s overthrow, the disciples ask when that overthrow would happen. The Olivet Discourse is Jesus’ response to their anticipation, although it does not answer their question in the way that they had hoped. That this understanding of the disciples’ question is correct is considered next. 5 IV The Disciples’ Questions Regarding Jesus’ Prophecy: Matthew 24:1–3 1 NB Matthew’s expansion of the disciples question (singular, in Mark) illuminates the presuppositions of the disciples regarding what that overthrow must include. 2 This illumination of the disciples’ assumptions is specifically seen in Matthew’s elaboration, in 24:3b, of Mark 13:4b. Note the nearly identical wording up to the word “sign” and Matthew’s interpretation (italicized) of Mark following σηµεῖον. Mark 13:4 Tell us, when will these things happen and what is the sign when all these things will be consummated? Matthew 24:3 Tell us, when will these things happen and what is the sign of your coming and of the consummation of the age? The only verbal similarity between Mark 13:4 and Matthew 24:3 after the word “sign” is Matthew’s recasting Mark’s verb “to be consummated” in noun form as “[the] consummation.” 4 Garland notes the important point that the disciples’ “assume that the destruction of the temple would usher in the end of the age. Jesus’ answer corrects this misperception. The fate of the temple is a quite separate matter from the parousia of the Son of man and the end of the age.” [emphasis DJS] [David E. Garland, Reading Matthew: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the First Gospel (NY: Crossroad Books, 1993), 235.] So Jesus’ prophecy of the end of the temple is taken by the disciples to be a direct pointer to the consummation of this age. But this understanding of the disciples is mistaken. 6 V Matthew 24:5–25 1 Nothing in this passage need refer to anything beyond AD 70. It is most likely that most of the material in 24:4–14 is applicable throughout the time between its having been first announced and the coming of the Son of Man. 2 The passage 24:15–25 is to be interpreted against the background of the first- century Jewish war with Rome (66–70). So, that paragraph cannot help one with eschatological calculations. 3 Even in the preceding paragraph, 24:4–14, there is nothing to serve as a sign of the end of the age. A On the contrary, Jesus specifically warned that 1) in spite of wars, ‘it is still not the end’ (verse 6) 2) natural disasters were only ‘the beginning of birth pains’ (verse 8), which is to say, the beginning of the days of the Messiah.