THE SIGN 3: THE SETTING AND TIMELINE OF THE GREAT PROPHECY OF JESUS

THE TIME LINE OF THE PROPHECY

The words of Jesus in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13 are parallel. The first part of this prophecy had a small fulfillment in the first century CE until the tribulation when Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 CE, and it has its real fulfillment in the period from 1914 to the great tribulation. The second part refers to the time between 70 CE and 1914 CE, and the third part refers to the great tribulation that will come in the future.

Below is a table where I compare the texts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

Table 1.1 A comparison between Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13

MATTHEW 24	LUKE 21	MARK 13
33-70 CE	33-70 CE	33-70 CE
1 Departing now, Jesus was on his way from the temple, but his disciples approached to show him the buildings of the temple. 2 In response he said to them: “Do YOU not behold all these things? Truly I say to YOU, By no means will a stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.” 3 While he was sitting upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence (parousia) and of the conclusion of the system of things?” 4 And in answer Jesus said to them: “Look out that nobody misleads YOU; 5 for many will come (erkhomai) on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 YOU are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that YOU are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 6 “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,  and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. 8All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress. 9 “Then (tote) people will deliver YOU up to tribulation and will kill YOU, and YOU will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name. 10 Then (tote), also, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another.11And many false prophets will arise and mislead many; 12 and because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off. 13 But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. 14 And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then (tote) the end will come. 15 “Therefore, when YOU catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, (let the reader use discernment,)16 then (tote) let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains. 17 Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house; 18 and let the man in the field not return to the house to pick up his outer garment. 19 Woe to the pregnant women and those suckling a baby in those days! 20 Keep praying that YOUR flight may not occur in wintertime, nor on the sabbath day; 21 for then (tote) there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.	5 Later, as certain ones were speaking concerning the temple, how it was adorned with fine stones and dedicated things, 6 he said: “As for these things that YOU are beholding, the days will come (erkhomai) in which not a stone upon a stone will be left here and not be thrown down.” 7 Then they questioned him, saying: “Teacher, when will these things actually be, and what will be the sign when these things are destined to occur?” 8 He said: “Look out that YOU are not misled; for many will come (erkhomai)  on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The due time has approached.’ Do not go after them. 9 Furthermore, when YOU hear of wars and disorders, do not be terrified. For these things must occur first, but the end does not [occur] immediately.” 10 Then (tote) he went on to say to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;11 and there will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another pestilences and food shortages; and there will be fearful sights and from heaven great signs. 12 “But before all these things people will lay their hands upon YOU and persecute YOU, delivering YOU up to the synagogues and prisons, YOU being haled before kings and governors for the sake of my name.13 It will turn out to YOU for a witness.14 Therefore settle it in YOUR hearts not to rehearse beforehand how to make YOUR defense, 15 for I will give YOU a mouth and wisdom, which all YOUR opposers together will not be able to resist or dispute. 16 Moreover, YOU will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of YOU to death; 17 and YOU will be objects of hatred by all people because of my name. 18 And yet not a hair of YOUR heads will by any means perish. 19 By endurance on YOUR part YOU will acquire YOUR souls. 20 “Furthermore, when YOU see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then (tote) know that the desolating of her has drawn near. 21 Then (tote) let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains, and let those in the midst of her withdraw, and let those in the country places not enter into her; 22 because these are days for meting out justice, that all the things written may be fulfilled. 23 Woe to the pregnant women and the ones suckling a baby in those days! For there will be great necessity upon the land and wrath on this people; 24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations;	3 And as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives with the temple in view, Peter and James and John and Andrew began to ask him privately: 4 “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are destined to come to a conclusion?”5 So Jesus started to say to them: “Look out that nobody misleads YOU. 6 Many will come (erkhomai) on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and will mislead many. 7 Moreover, when YOU hear of wars and reports of wars, do not be terrified; [these things] must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, there will be earthquakes in one place after another, there will be food shortages. These are a beginning of pangs of distress. 9 “As for YOU, look out for yourselves; people will deliver YOU up to local courts, and YOU will be beaten in synagogues and be put on the stand before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them. 10 Also, in all the nations the good news has to be preached first. 11 But when they are leading YOU along to deliver YOU up, do not be anxious beforehand about what to speak; but whatever is given YOU in that hour, speak this, for YOU are not the ones speaking, but the holy spirit is. 12 Furthermore, brother will deliver brother over to death, and a father a child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death; 13 and YOU will be objects of hatred by all people on account of my name. But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. 14 “However, when YOU catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation standing where it ought not (let the reader use discernment), then (tote) let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains. 15 Let the man on the housetop not come down, nor go inside to take anything out of his house; 16 and let the man in the field not return to the things behind to pick up his outer garment. 17 Woe to the pregnant women and those suckling a baby in those days! 18 Keep praying that it may not occur in wintertime; 19 for those days will be [days of] a tribulation such as has not occurred from [the] beginning of the creation which God created until that time, and will not occur again. 20 In fact, unless Jehovah had cut short the days, no flesh would be saved. But on account of the chosen ones whom he has chosen he has cut short the days.
(607) 70-1914 CE	(607) 70-1914 CE	(607) 70-1914 CE
23 “Then (tote) if anyone says to YOU, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. 25 Look! I have forewarned YOU. 26 Therefore, if people say to YOU, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; ‘Look! He is in the inner chambers,’ do not believe it. 27 For just as the lightning comes out of eastern parts and shines over to western parts, so the presence (parousia) of the Son of man will be. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.	24 and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.	21 “Then (tote), too, if anyone says to YOU, ‘See! Here is the Christ,’ ‘See! There he is,’ do not believe [it]. 22 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the chosen ones. 23 YOU, then, watch out; I have told YOU all things beforehand.
THE GREAT TRIBULATION	THE GREAT TRIBULATION	THE GREAT TRIBULATION
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then (tote) the sign of the Son of man will appear (erkhomai) in heaven, and then (tote) all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity. 32 “Now learn from the fig tree as an illustration this point: Just as soon as its young branch grows tender and it puts forth leaves, YOU know that summer is near. 33 Likewise also YOU, when YOU see all these things, know that he is near at the doors. 34 Truly I say to YOU that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. 36 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence (parousia) of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came (erkhomai) and swept them all away, so the presence (parousia) of the Son of man will be.  40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned; 41 two women will be grinding at the hand mill: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned. 42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming (erkhomai). 43 “But know one thing, that if the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into.  44 On this account YOU too prove yourselves ready, because at an hour that YOU do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming (erkhomai). 45 “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?  46 Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. 47 Truly I say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings. 48 “But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ 49 and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, 50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, 51 and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites. There is where [his] weeping and the gnashing of [his] teeth will be.	25 “Also, there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out because of the roaring of the sea and [its] agitation, 26 while men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27And then (tote) they will see the Son of man coming (erkhomai) in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But as these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift YOUR heads up, because YOUR deliverance is getting near.” 29 With that he spoke an illustration to them: “Note the fig tree and all the other trees: 30 When they are already in the bud, by observing it YOU know for yourselves that now the summer is near. 31 In this way YOU also, when YOU see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near.32 Truly I say to YOU, This generation will by no means pass away until all things occur. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. 34 “But pay attention to yourselves that YOUR hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life,  and suddenly that day be instantly upon YOU 35 as a snare. For it will come in upon all those dwelling upon the face of all the earth. 36 Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication that YOU may succeed in escaping all these things that are destined to occur, and in standing before the Son of man.”	24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling out of heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then (tote) they will see the Son of man coming (erkhomai) in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then (tote) he will send forth the angels and will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from earth’s extremity to heaven’s extremity. 28 “Now from the fig tree learn the illustration: Just as soon as its young branch grows tender and puts forth its leaves, YOU know that summer is near.29 Likewise also YOU, when YOU see these things happening, know that he is near, at the doors. 30 Truly I say to YOU that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things happen. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 32 “Concerning that day or the hour nobody knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but the Father. 33 Keep looking, keep awake, for YOU do not know when the appointed time is.34 It is like a man traveling abroad that left his house and gave the authority to his slaves, to each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to keep on the watch. 35 Therefore keep on the watch, for YOU do not know when the master of the house is coming(erkhomai), whether late in the day or at midnight or at cockcrowing or early in the morning; 36 in order that when he arrives suddenly, he does not find YOU sleeping. 37 But what I say to YOU I say to all, Keep on the watch.”

THE SIGN WITH A SMALL FULFILLMENT IN THE FIRST CENTURY AND A BIG FULFILLMENT TODAY

When we take a look at the table, we see that the accounts of Matthew, Luke and Mark are quite similar. But we also see some important differences. I will now look at the three different parts in the table and show how these can be distinguished.

 The fulfillment in the first century CE is seen by verses 15-22:

¹⁵ “Therefore, when YOU catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, (let the reader use discernment,) ¹⁶ then let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house; ¹⁸ and let the man in the field not return to the house to pick up his outer garment. ¹⁹ Woe to the pregnant women and those suckling a baby in those days! ²⁰ Keep praying that YOUR flight may not occur in wintertime, nor on the sabbath day; ²¹ for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. ²² In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.

Luke identifies the “the disgusting thing that causes desolation” as something that was seen in the first century CE.[1] When the followers of Jesus in Judea saw this disgusting thing, they had to begin fleeing to the mountains. This shows that the words of Jesus were fulfilled in the first century. The background of the question of the disciples in Matthew 24:3 was that Jesus said that the buildings of the temple would be destroyed. This happened in the year 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed.

This was a great tribulation because 1.1 million Jews died. This catastrophe probably was the greatest tribulation that had occurred since the world’s beginning (verse 21). But the words “nor will occur again” cannot refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, because a much greater future tribulation has been prophesied several places in the Hebrew Scriptures and in Revelation. Thus, the tribulation in 70 CE was a small fulfillment of the future great tribulation.

Moreover, this good news of the kingdom was not preached to all the nations of the world in the first century CE. I will also add that the words of Jesus were given as a sign of his presence (parousia), and this did not happen in the first century CE. Thus, there are good reasons to see a smaller fulfillment of the sign in the first century and a bigger fulfillment during the presence of Jesus.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DEMONSTRATIVE WORDS

I the article “The sign: ‘This generation will by no means pass away’ Matthew 24:34” I showed the importance of the demonstrative words. The demonstrative adjective/substantive ekeinos occurs ten time and the demonstrative pronoun houtos occurs eight times in Matthew chapter 24.  Both demonstrative words refer to the past, to words or situations that previously were mentioned. But there is also a demonstrative adverb that refers to the future, namely tote, which occurs eight times in Matthew chapter 24. Louw and Nida define this word in the following way: “a point of time subsequent to another point of time — ‘then.’”

Below are three examples of the use of tote in the gospel of Matthew, 4:17 (above), 16:21 (middle), and 24:14 (below):

¹⁷ From that time on (tote) Jesus commenced preaching and saying: “Repent, YOU people, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.”

²¹ From that time forward (tote) Jesus Christ commenced showing his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the older men and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised up.

And this (houtos) good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then (tote) the end will come.

The renderings “from that time” in the two first examples show that tote is a demonstrative adverb that refers to the future. In 24:14, there is a contrast between houtos and tote. The demonstrative pronoun houtos in the expression “this (houtos) good news of the kingdom” refers back to the of good news of the kingdom Jesus preached, in contrast with the good news of the kingdom that his disciples preached after his ascension to heaven. The  demonstrative adverb tote in the expression “then (tote) the end will come” refers to what will happen after of the preaching of the good news.

Now we have the background to place Matthew 24:23-28 in the timeline of the words of Jesus. I quote 24:21-28:

²¹ for then (tote) there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. ²² In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.

²³ “Then (tote) if anyone says to YOU, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. ²⁵ Look! I have forewarned YOU. ²⁶ Therefore, if people say to YOU, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; ‘Look! He is in the inner chambers,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For just as the lightning comes out of eastern parts and shines over to western parts, so the presence of the Son of man will be.²⁸ Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

The adverb tote in verse 21 shows that the great tribulation in 70 would occur after (tote) the flight to the mountains. And the adverb tote in verse 23 shows that what follows refer to a time after (tote) the great tribulation in the year 70. This means that the events that are mentioned in verses 23 to 28 would occur after the tribulation in 70 CE and before the fulfillment of the sign of the presence of Jesus that is mentioned in verses 5-22.

This is confirmed by Luke 21:24b:

²⁴ and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.

The quoted words in Luke 21:24 occur in the same slot in Luke chapter 21 as the words in verses 23-28 in Matthew chapter 24 —  after the words about the tribulation in 70 CE and before the words about signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars. (See Table 1.1) And the appointed times of the nations started in 607 BCE, and they lasted after the tribulation in the year 70 CE and until the year 1914.

Matthew 24:5-22 had a small fulfillment between the years 33 and 70 and a bigger fulfillment between the year 1914 and the great tribulation. Matthew 24:23-28 refers to the time between the years 70 and 1914. Matthew 24:29-51 exclusively refers to the great tribulation at the end of the presence of Jesus.

[1]. In a coming article I will make a detailed analysis of the disgusting thing causing desolation.

THE PRESENCE (PAROUSIA) AND COMING (ERKHOMAI) OF JESUS

Those who believe that the whole Bible is inspired by God, and that all the nuances and subtleties in the original text are important, will carefully find the exact meaning of the words that are used.

The word “presence” (parousia) occurs four times and “coming” (erkhomai) occurs five times in Matthew chapter 24.  In Philippians 2:12, the word “presence” (parousia) is contrasted with the word “absence” (apousia), and there is no doubt that the meaning of parousia is that someone has arrived and is present. Luke 21:6 says that “days will come (erkhomai).” So, this word has an instantaneous meaning and refers to someone or something that is coming or has come. What is the difference between these two words when they are applied to Jesus?

In Matthew 24:3, parousia stands parallel to “the conclusion of the system of things,” and in the illustration in Matthew 13:39, the conclusion of the system of things is said to be the harvest time (therismos). So, both the lexical meaning of parousia and the way it is used show that it refers to a time period, to the presence of Jesus after he has returned as king. We can see the contrast with parousia and erkhomai related to Jesus in Matthew 24:37-39:

³⁷ For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence (parousia) of the Son of man will be. ³⁸ For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; ³⁹ and they took no note until the flood came (erkhomai) and swept them all away, so the presence (parousia) of the Son of man will be.

These verses show that parousia refers to a period of time. The presence of Jesus is said to be like “the days (plural) of Noah.” These days refer to the time before the flood when people lived normal lives. But then the flood came (erkhomai) and swept them all away. So, the presence of Jesus is a period of time with a violent end that is expressed with the Greek word erkhomai. This erkhomai must refer to the great tribulation that is the end of the sign of the presence of Jesus.

This is confirmed in Matthew 24:29, 30:

²⁹ “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ And then the sign of the Son of man will appear (erkhomai) in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation, and they will see the Son of man coming (erkhomai) on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Verse 30 speaks about the tribulation and the sign of the Son of man will appear, and the Son of man will be coming (erkhomai) on the clouds. Thus, the coming of Jesus refers to the great tribulation.

The presence (parousia) of Jesus lasts from the yar 1914 to the great tribulation, and the coming (erkhomai) of Jesus refers to the end of his presence, when he is coming in the great tribulation.

THE WORDS OF JESUS ABOUT THE GREAT TRIBULATION

Matthew 24:5-22 presents the sign of Jesus’s presence, 24:23-28 provides some information about the time between 70 and 1914, and 24:29-51 discusses different sides of the great tribulation. Since the discussion of the great tribulation follows immediately after the discussion of the time between 70 and 1914, one may ask why the period between 1914 and the great tribulation is lacking. The fact is that it is not lacking, as we see in the contrast between tables 1.2 and 1.3

Table 1.2 the aparrent outline of Matthew chapter 24

Verses 5-22	Years 33-70
Verses 23-28	Years 33-1914
Verses 29-51	The great tribulation

Table 1.3 the real outline of Matthew chapter 24

Verses 5-22	Years 33-70
Verses 23-28	Years 33-1914
Verses 5-22	1914-the great tribulation
Verses 29-51	The great tribulation

The important point is that the events of the sign given by Jesus got a small fulfillment in the first century CE, and it has gotten the bigger and real fulfillment after the year 1914.

THE FOCUS ON THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND BEING READY FOR IT

The great tribulation is the most important part of the sign given by Jesus because it will remove the world governed by Satan the Devil and pave the way for the new system of things with peace Therefore, it is logical that Jesus paid close attention to it and described situations connected with it.

THE GREAT TRIBULATION IS THE FOCUS

The following quotations show that the focus of 24:29-51 is on the great tribulation:

Verse 30

And they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Verse 31

And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity

Verse 36

Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.

Verse 39

And they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 

Verse 40

Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned. 

Verse 41

Two women will be grinding at the hand mill: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned.

Verse 42

Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming.

Verse 44

At an hour that YOU do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming.

Verse 46

Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. 

Verse 50

The master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know. 

 These ten quotations show explicitly that what is described in Matthew 24:29-51 is the great tribulation, and none of the events mentioned in these verses represent the sign of the presence of Jesus; this sign is exclusively found in 24:5-22.

No event described in Matthew 24:29-51 refers to the sign of the presence of Jesus that is fulfilled between the year 1914 and the great tribulation. All descriptions relate to the great tribulation.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ON THE WATCH

Why would Jesus use so much (43%) of his discussion to focus on the great tribulation? The great tribulation was the most important part of his discussion because it would remove the present wicked system of things governed by Satan. One important reason for his long discussion is seen in his final words of Luke 21:34-36:

³⁴ “But pay attention to yourselves that YOUR hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon YOU ³⁵ as a snare. For it will come in upon all those dwelling upon the face of all the earth. ³⁶ Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication that YOU may succeed in escaping all these things that are destined to occur, and in standing before the Son of man.”

So, the important point was whether his followers would be on the watch when the great tribulation would come. This is clearly seen in the words of Luke that are quoted above. But this idea is also seen in the illustrations in the account of Matthew 24:29-51:

• The illustration of the flood (verses 37-39) shows the contrast between living normal lives and being indifferent to the signs of the times versus being on the watch.
• The words about those being taken along and being abandoned (verses 40, 41) stress the importance of having a good relationship with God at any time and keeping on the watch (verse 42).
• The illustration of the householder who does not know when the thief is coming (verses 43, 44), stresses the point that the followers of Jesus must be ready.
• The illustration of the faithful and discreet slave stresses the point of being faithful in their work for God just as a faithful slave (verses 45-47). That is required to get the reward.
• The illustration of the slave who is not on the watch but believes that his master is delaying, and therefore beats his fellow slaves (verses 48-51) shows the bad effect of not being on the watch.

Jesus loved his disciples, and he loved all those who in the future would be his disciples (John 17:20) Therefore he described the great tribulation and he used so many words to exhort them to be on the watch.

DETAILS IN JESUS’ DISCUSSION OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION

Now we understand that the sign mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24:5-22 got a small fulfillment in the first century CE, until the year 70, and that it will get its full fulfillment between the year 1914 and the great tribulation. We also understand that the verses 24:29-51 has nothing to do with the sign of Jesus’ presence but exclusively deal with the great tribulation. On this background, we can understand the details of the verses 29-51.

CELESTIAL PHENOMENA

The disciples asked about the sign of Jesus’ presence and the conclusion of the system of things. Matthew 24:29, 30 discuss different events that would occur during the great tribulation, and I will now discuss these events. I quote Matthew 24:29, 30:

²⁹ “Immediately after (meta) the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ And then (tote) the sign of the Son of man will appear  in heaven, and then (tote) all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation, and they will see the Son of man coming (erkhomai) on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

The preposition “after” is translated from the Greek preposition meta, and together with accusative, as in this case, the rendering “after” is good. The significance of meta is explained by Louw and Nida as: “a marker of a point of time closely associated with a prior point of time; a marker of circumstances which contribute significantly to the context of the principal event.”

However, the use of “after” cannot refer to a situation immediately after the end of the tribulation. But its meaning must be after the beginning of the tribulation. This is so, because the verses refer to three events that occur after each other. And these events occur during the great tribulation because after the tribulation the new system of things with peace will come.

I will then look at the celestial phenomena that will occur in the first part of the great tribulation. Will these phenomena happen in a literal or a symbolic way? The Watchtower of February 15, 1994, page 20, apply these phenomena in a symbolic way, and the sun and the moon refers to famous religious leaders that will be exposed and punished. I question this interpretation because all the other elements of verses 29 and 30 must be taken literally. Later publications, such as Knowledge that leads to everlasting life (1995), page 106, and God’s kingdom rules (2014), page 226, mention the possibility that the celestial phenomena can be literal.

We may find some clues in what happened in the tribulation in 70 CE, and I quote Joel 2:28-32 (above) and Acts 2: 14-21 (below):

²⁸ “And after that it must occur that I shall pour out my spirit on every sort of flesh, and YOUR sons and YOUR daughters will certainly prophesy. As for YOUR old men, dreams they will dream. As for YOUR young men, visions they will see. ²⁹ And even on the menservants and on the maidservants in those days I shall pour out my spirit.

³⁰ “And I will give portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. ³¹ The sun itself will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah. ³² And it must occur that everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will get away safe; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will prove to be the escaped ones, just as Jehovah has said, and in among the survivors, whom Jehovah is calling.”

¹⁴ But Peter stood up with the eleven and raised his voice and made this utterance to them: “Men of Ju·deʹa and all YOU inhabitants of Jerusalem, let this be known to YOU and give ear to my sayings. ¹⁵ These [people] are, in fact, not drunk, as YOU suppose, for it is the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ On the contrary, this is what was said through the prophet Joel, ¹⁷ ‘“And in the last days,” God says, “I shall pour out some of my spirit upon every sort of flesh, and YOUR sons and YOUR daughters will prophesy and YOUR young men will see visions and YOUR old men will dream dreams; ¹⁸ and even upon my men slaves and upon my women slaves I will pour out some of my spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ¹⁹ And I will give portents in heaven above and signs on earth below, blood and fire and smoke mist; ²⁰ the sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and illustrious day of Jehovah arrives. ²¹ And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.”’

On the day of Pentecost in the year 33, the spirit of God was poured out on 120 followers of Jesus, and they spoke foreign languages. Peter points out that this was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. But what about the last part of the prophecy that would be fulfilled on “the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah.” There was a smaller and literal fulfillment in the tribulation in the year 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed. There was “blood” because 1.1 million people were killed according to Josephus. Jerusalem was set on fire, and the fire would make the moon red during the night and the smoke would turn the sun into darkness during the day.

There are several places in the Hebrew Scriptures where celestial phenomena are used in a symbolic way. But in these cases, the context is symbolic as well. There are also several places where the celestial phenomena may be used in a literal way in the Hebrew Scriptures. And because the context in Matthew 24:29, 30 is literal, we have good reasons to view the words about the celestial phenomena as literal as well.

Because the context were the celestial phenomena is literal (24:29, 30), it is natural to think that the described phenomena will happen in the great tribulation in a literal way.

THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN

I will not discuss the following words in 24:30:

³⁰ And then the sign of the Son of man will appear (erkhomai) in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in lamentation, and they will see (horaō) the Son of man coming (erkhomai) on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

The sign of the Son of man is completely different from the sign consisting of several events that Jesus gave to indicate his presence. Jesus refers to the words in Daniel 7:9-10, 13, 14:

⁹ “I kept on beholding until there were thrones placed and the Ancient of Days sat down. His clothing was white just like snow, and the hair of his head was like clean wool. His throne was flames of fire; its wheels were a burning fire. ¹⁰ There was a stream of fire flowing and going out from before him. There were a thousand thousands that kept ministering to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand that kept standing right before him. The Court took its seat, and there were books that were opened.

¹³ “I kept on beholding in the visions of the night, and, see there! with the clouds of the heavens someone like a son of man happened to be coming; and to the Ancient of Days he gained access, and they brought him up close even before that One. ¹⁴ And to him there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him. His rulership is an indefinitely lasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be brought to ruin.

The situation is the judgment seat of Jehovah, and the Son of man is coming with the clouds of heaven. He is given rulership and dignity and kingdom. This is a vision of God’s heavenly court where there are no clouds. So, the clouds are not literal but symbolic.

Jesus applied this coming with the clouds of the Son of man to the great tribulation. But if Jesus received the kingdom when he started his presence in the year 1914, why would he be given rulership and kingdom in the great tribulation. In several places in the Hebrew Scriptures we find the words, “God has become king.” He has been king as long as the human family has existed. But the mentioned words refer to different situations in connection with his people Israel where his rulership was expanded, and it could be said that he had become king.

The great tribulation means that all the enemies of Jesus will be taken away, and his kingdom is expanded because his reign of a thousand years starts and he will be both the king and the judge of humankind.

After his resurrection, Jesus became an immortal spirit, and no human can see him, as Paul shows in 1 Timothy 6:15, 16. But what does the words “they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven” mean. The words in Daniel 7:13 about his coming with the clouds were symbolic, and the same must be the case in Matthew 24:30. But what about the Greek word horaō (“to see”). The meaning of the word is “to see” But according to Louw and Nida it can also mean “to acquire information, with focus on the event of perception, to come to understand as a result of perception.” We find one example of the meaning “understand” is Romans 1:20:

²⁰ For his invisible [qualities] are clearly seen (kathoraō) from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable.

What is clearly seen (kathoraō), are Gods invisible qualities. These are understood (kathoraō) because we see what God has created. This shows that the coming of the Son of man with the clouds is not seen by the literal eyes, but it is understood.

The sign of the presence of Jesus includes different events between the year 1914 and the great tribulation. The sign of the Son of man is that people on the earth during the great tribulation will understand that he has received kingdom from God and that he now is judging the people.

“WHEN YOU SEE ALL THESE THINGS”

Jesus used the illustration of a fig tree, and in this connection, he referred to “all these things.” I quote Matthew 24:32-24:

³² “Now learn from the fig tree as an illustration this point: Just as soon as its young branch grows tender and it puts forth leaves, YOU know that summer is near. ³³ Likewise also YOU, when YOU see all these (houtos) things, know that he is near at the doors. ³⁴ Truly I say to YOU that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.

In the expression “all these things” we find the Greek demonstrative pronoun houtos. This shows that the reference is to something that already has been mentioned. The most natural explanation of the antecedent of such an expression is to look at the closest things or events that have been mentioned.

In this case, the closest events are the celestial phenomena and the sign of man when he is coming on the clouds of heaven. However, these events will occur during the great tribulation that will last a short time. But verse 34 shows that “all these things” will happen during one generation that can be as long as 200 years.

Therefore, the only conclusion we can draw is that “all these things” refer to all the events of the sign showing that Jesus is present mentioned in 24:5-22. This accords with verse 33, where we read that when we see “all these things” we will know that he “is near at the doors” He had not yet reached the door, which will happen when he comes in the great tribulation. But he is close at the doors because he is present.

“All these things” refer to the events constituting the sign that Jesus is present in 24:5-22. When the followers of Jesus would see “all these things,” the different parts of the sign, they would know that everything would happen during this generation.

HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL PASS AWAY

Jesus stressed the certainty of his word in Matthew 24:35 (above) and Luke 21:33 (below):

 ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means (ou mē) pass away.

 ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means (ou mē) pass away.

However, Matthew 5:18 (above) and Luke 16:17 (below) says the very opposite.

¹⁸ for truly (amēn) I say to YOU that sooner would heaven and earth pass away than for one smallest letter or one particle of a letter to pass away from the Law by any means and not all things take place.

¹⁷ Indeed, it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one particle of a letter of the Law to go unfulfilled

Two of the passages say that heaven and earth will not pass away and the two others say that heaven and earth will pass away. Is the Bible self-contradictory? Two of the “contradictory” passages were written by Matthew, and it is not logical that the same author contradicts himself.

Keeping in mind that the words of Jesus were expressed in Hebrew and translated into Greek, there is a possible explanation that can solve the problem. The solution is that all four expressions are oaths, and for one reason or another, only two of the expressions are treated as oaths in the Greek text. In Hebrew, oaths are expressed in a way so it seems that they say the very opposite of what their meaning is.  If this is not taken into account, a Greek text can be translated in a wrong way. I use Hebrews 4:3 as an example:

³ For we who have exercised faith do enter into the rest, just as he has said: “So I swore in my anger, ‘They shall not enter into my rest,’” although his works were finished from the founding of the world.

 The text above is the translation of the NWT84, and the second line below is the literal rendering in the Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures:

So I swore in my anger, “The will not enter into my rest.”

As I swore in the wrath of me If they will enter into the ceasing down of me.

Do you see what is strange with the NWT84 rendering? The Greek text is positive while the NWT84-rendering is negative; the negative word “not” is lacking in the Greek text. The first Greek word in the sentence is ei. This word marks a cause or reason and can be translated by “since” or “because.” Or it can mark a condition, real or hypothetical, and can be translated by “if” or “since.”

So why is this positive word translated by the negative word “not”? The reason is that the words represent an oath, and oaths in Hebrew are expressed in the opposite way of what we would expect. The quote is from Psalm 95:11, where we find the Hebrew particle “‘im” meaning “if.” When this particle is found, the oath is negative “they shall not…” If the oath is positive, we find the words “‘im lo” meaning “if not.” Then the oath is positive, “they shall…”

The idea for this seemingly backhanded construction is:

If (’im) you do it, then…(punishment) = you must not do it.

If you do not (’im lo) do it, then…(punishment) = you must do it.

How can this example solve the problem of the four passages above that seemingly contradict each other. All four examples have the normal construction of Hebrew oaths. As examples I quote 1 Samuel 19:6 (above) and Jeremiah 12:16 (below):

  ⁶ Then Saul obeyed the voice of Jonʹa·than, and Saul swore: “As Jehovah is living, he will not be put to death.”

¹⁶ “And it must occur that if they will without fail learn the ways of my people in swearing by my name, ‘As Jehovah is alive!’ just as they taught my people to swear by Baʹal, they will also be built up in the midst of my people.

When a person swore an oath, he often referred to something that was indisputable or certain, and used it as a guarantee. “Just as certain as this is, just as certain are the words that I swear.” Saul swore by the fact that Jehovah is living, and the second example shows that some people also swore by Ba’al. In the days of Jesus, oaths were expressed in the same way as it was in the previous centuries. As an example of oaths in the days of Jesus, I quote Matthew 5:34-36

³⁵ However, I say to YOU: Do not swear at all, neither by heaven, because it is God’s throne; ³⁶ nor by earth, because it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor by your head must you swear, because you cannot turn one hair white or black.

The words of Jesus show that people swear by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem, and even by their heads (“If my words are not true, my head must be cut away”).

I list the four passages we are discussing again in order to show that they have the hallmarks of being oaths:

Matthey 24:35

³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means (ou mē) pass away.

Luke 21:33

³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means (ou mē) pass away.

Matthew 5:18

¹⁸ for truly (amēn) I say to YOU that sooner would heaven and earth pass away than for one smallest letter or one particle of a letter to pass away from the Law by any means and not all things take place.

Luke 16:17

¹⁷ Indeed, it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one particle of a letter of the Law to go unfulfilled.

All the four passages have the construction of oaths:

• They refer to something that is indisputable or certain, that heaven, which is God’s throne, and the earth, which is God’s footstool, will never pass away. This fact is a guarantee that the words of Jesus are true and never will pass away.
• Three of the passages have Greek words corroborating their nature of oaths as emphatic statements.

1. Matthew 5:18 uses the emphatic word amēn with the meaning “in truth, most certainly.” (Mounce)
2. Matthew 24:35 and Luke 21:33 use the emphatic words ou mē being “a marker of emphatic negation — ‘by no means, certainly not.” (Louw and Nida)

The most likely explanation is that Matthew 24:35 and Luke 21:33 are similar to Hebrews 4:3, which is discussed above. The Greek text literally says that “they will enter my rest.” But because the clauses express an oath, and the Hebrew words ’im lo are implied, the correct rendering is, “they will not enter my rest. The Greek text of Matthew 24:35 and Luke 21:33 literally says that, “heaven and earth will pass away.” But because the clauses express an oath, and the Hebrew words ’im lo are implied, the correct rendering is “heaven and earth will not pass away.”

So, the idea in all four examples is: Just as heaven and earth will not pass away, my words will not pass away.

There is good evidence that Jesus in Matthew 24:35 used the fact that heaven and earth never will pass away as a guarantee that his words will never pass away.

THE FAITHFUL AND DISCREET SLAVE

I have already shown that the words about the faithful and discreet slave are an illustration exhorting the followers of Jesus to be on the watch. The members of the Governing Body take the words about the faithful and discreet slave as a part of the sign of the presence of Jesus and as a prophecy that started to be fulfilled in the year 1919.

The words are no part of the sign of Jesus, which exclusively is found in verse 5-22, and taking them as a prophecy is contrary to the context.

The words in 24:45-47 parallel the illustration in Luke 12:35-46. Neither the words in Matthew 24:45-47 nor the words in Luke 12:35-46 refer to Christian leaders who would give spiritual food to the Christian community. But the illustration is about a slave who had the responsibility of the household when his master was away. His duty was to arrange for the work of the other slaves and that they received their food at the proper time. Such a slave would be faithful and discreet.

So, the point of Jesus was: Who will be like a faithful slave with the responsibility of the household who gives the other slaves food at the proper times when Jesus will arrive in the great tribulation? This was in contrast with the wicked slave who thought that the master’s coming would be delayed, and therefore he would beat the other slaves.

The expression “the faithful and discreet slave” refers to any Christian who faithfully complete his assignment and is on the watch when Jesus comes as judge in the great tribulation. The expression does not refer to an elite class who give the Christians spiritual food during the presence of  Jesus.

A detailed discussion of this issue is found in chapter 2 in my book My Beloved Religion — And The Governing Body.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The great prophecy of Jesus about his presence is a very important part of the Christian Greek Scriptures. It is like a letter from God that is sent to us. If we get a letter from one we love, we will study it carefully and read it several times.

This prophecy gives us important information about the time we live in, and it can strengthen our faith in the purpose of God. It also gives us exhortations on how we can be on the watch and get our reward regardless of when the great tribulation comes.

Because of this, the great prophecy of Jesus deserves that we use many hours to study it until we clearly see the timeline of the prophecy, and until we get a clear knowledge of the fulfillment of all the events that are mentioned by Jesus.