judea

Scripture Used to Create the Splice Series “Jesus’s Olivet Discourse”

Matthew 24:3-25:46 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Matthew 24:3)

Mark 13:3-37 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Mark 13:3)

Luke 21:7-36 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 21:7)

 

Need to catch up first? To read the Splice “Jesus’s Olivet Discourse: Part One”, click here.

 

Revelation 19:16

And He has a name written on His robe
and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

 

THE SPLICE

Whenever, then, you see Jerusalem surrounded by ¹military encampments, then know that the desolation of her has drawn near. But when you see the ² ‘abomination of the desolation’, that was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it should not, standing in the holy place—³ the one reading, let them understand—then those in ⁴ Judea, let them escape to the mountains and those in the middle of the city, let them depart and those in the ⁵ countries, don’t let them enter into the city. The one on the ⁶ housetop, don’t let him go down to remove anything out of his house, and the one in the field, don’t let him return back to take his cloak. For these are the days of ⁷ vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. ⁸ Woe to those who are pregnant and to those nursing babies in those days! Moreover, ⁹ pray that your escape will not happen in winter nor on a Sabbath. For there will be in those days ¹⁰great tribulation , the kind never seen from the ¹¹beginning of the world, the beginning of creation , until now and never to be seen again. There will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the ¹²sword and be led captive into all the ¹³nations and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the¹³Gentiles , until the times of the ¹³Gentiles are fulfilled. And, if the Lord had not cut short those days, there would not have been anybody saved. But for the sake of the ¹⁴elect , whom He chose, He has shortened those days.

And then if anyone says to you ‘¹⁵behold , here is the Christ!’ or ‘¹⁵behold , there He is!’ do not believe it.  For there will arise ¹⁶false Christs and false prophets and they will give great signs and wonders so as to ¹⁷mislead, if possible, even the elect . But you take heed; see, I have told you everything beforehand. If, therefore, they say to you, ‘See, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or ‘Look, in the inner rooms’ do not believe it. For just as the lightning comes forth from the east and is visible as far as the west, so will be the return of the Son of Man. ¹⁸Wherever there is a carcass, there the ¹⁹eagles will be gathered.

But immediately then in those days, after the tribulation, there will be 26 signs in the sun and moon and stars: ²⁰the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light and the ²¹ stars will be falling from the sky, and on the earth: ²²distress among the nations with ²³confusion by the ²⁴roaring of the sea and the ²⁵rolling surge. Men will faint from fear and (the) anticipation over what is coming upon the earth, ²⁶and/because the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. And then will appear the ²⁷sign of the ²⁸Son of Man in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will ²⁹mourn, and then they will see the Son of Man coming ³⁰in a cloud/on (in) the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. And He will send His angels with a ³¹great trumpet call, and ³²they will gather His elect ³³from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens to the ends of them; from end of earth to end of heaven. Beginning when these things happen, look up and lift up your heads because your ³⁴redemption draws near.”

 

 

Want to continue reading? To read the Splice “Jesus’s Olivet Discourse: Part Three”, click here.

 

NOTES

1  military encampments: These military encampments are ready to strike. Many believe that this surrounding of Jerusalem happened when Rome surrounded Jerusalem in 70 AD; therefore they believe that this prophesy has already been fulfilled. This does not seem likely. When reading Matthew 24:15-18, Mark 13:14-16 and Luke 21:20-22 together with Daniel 11:31, we can link the desolation of Jerusalem to the abomination of desolation; Luke’s usage of the word tote, meaning “at that time” and Daniel’s vivid descriptions in chapter 11 particularly 11:15, 31 help support this idea. Daniel 9:26-27, makes it clear that Jerusalem will be destroyed and the abomination of desolation will occur. Revelation makes no mention of Jerusalem being surrounded by armies or destroyed by armies, so we only have the information that Jesus gave in the gospel accounts and Daniel’s account. (BACK)

2 ‘abomination of the desolation’: The prophet Daniel also talks about this idea of abomination and desolation in Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. What is the ‘abomination of the desolation’? By looking at 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 we can see that the ‘man of lawlessness’ seats himself in the temple of God, and displays himself as God. The Greek word for abomination is bdelugma, which means “abomination, detestable”. Bdelugma is any act that is hated by God; the word bdelugma is also described as a nauseating and repulsive stench. Idolatry is particularly indicated by God in Deuteronomy 7:25-26 as an abomination (Using the Hebrew word toebah). By using 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and Deuteronomy 7:25-26, we can draw a logical conclusion that the abomination of the desolation meant here in Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14 (and comparing to the activity of Revelation 13) is the man of lawlessness presenting himself as God right within God’s own temple. It is interesting to note that the temple will be restored at this future date and sacrifices will resume for the Jewish people (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). (BACK)

3 the one reading: The one reading from the prophet Daniel’s book, not Matthew’s  or Mark’s books. Matthew and Mark had not written their gospel books yet. (BACK)

4 Judea: Judea (a.k.a Judah) was the region of Israel that contained Jerusalem and Bethlehem. It’s territory ran East-West from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and North-South from Joppa to Beersheba (roughly) in Jesus’s time. Samaria was the region that separated Galilee (Jesus’s home region) from Judea. Today, the mountains in Judea are collectively called the Judean Mountains. (BACK)

5 countries: From Luke 21:21. The Greek word used for country is chóra and it means “country, regions, land”. It refers to wide open spaces or the countryside; not within the city limits. In Luke 21:21, the word chóra is plural. (BACK)

6 housetop: From Matthew 24:17. Back in Jesus’s day, housetops or roofs, were treated like another room in the house. Some Scripture that features roofs: Joshua 2:6; 1 Samuel 9:25-26; 2 Samuel 11:2; Matthew 10:27; Luke 5:19; 12:3; Acts 10:9. (BACK)

7 vengeance: From Luke 21:22. This is Holy vengeance or God’s punishment. God does not sanction human vengeance. See Romans 12:19. For more regarding the vengeance/wrath of God, a.k.a the day of the Lord, see Isaiah 13:6-13; Isaiah 63:2-6; Zephaniah 1:7-18; Malachi 4:1, 5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; 2 Peter 3:7, 10; Revelation 6:12-17; 8:7-12; 9:1-21; 16:1-12, 17-21. (BACK)

8 Woe: From Matthew 24:19; Mark 13:17; Luke 21:23. The Greek word used for woe is ouai, and it means “woe” which expresses grief, sorrow, or even rebuke.  And why would Jesus express sorrow for only pregnant women and nursing mothers and not all mothers? Wouldn’t a mother have difficulty in running from calamity, whether her child were 7 years old, or an infant? Wouldn’t a mother fear for her children, no matter their age? The answer is undoubtedly ‘yes’. What would the other reason be? In running from the immense calamity that will be taking place, people will be hiding to escape death (Luke 21:24). Pregnant women and women with nursing infants pose a very real risk to those they may be hiding with: noise. Hiding requires silence and therefore people will see pregnant women and babies as liabilities to their own safety. Pregnant women cry and scream when they are giving birth and infants will cry for a multitude of reasons. Pregnant women and those with babies will be on their own, in a time of great distress and wrath (Luke 21:23). It brings to mind the TV show “M*A*S*H” and its episode with the smothered baby. (BACK)

9 pray that your escape: The mountains, where Jesus is telling people to run to, can get snow in the winter and nighttime can get cold. Otherwise, the climate in Judea is rather mild in winter albeit the rainy season. During the winter months, the Kidron Valley can flood, with flash flooding included, making for very dangerous conditions in escape attempts. On the Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown), many of Israel’s shops, public transport, and other businesses are closed. Therefore, if someone is trying to take transportation out of the cities of Judea (in order to get out fast), it would be very difficult. You might think that because the shops are closed, people also wouldn’t be able to get supplies. This wouldn’t matter, because in distressing times people will loot stores. Also remember, people of this time are trying to get out of the cities of Judea so fast that they shouldn’t even stop to grab necessities out of their homes (Matthew 24:17, Mark 13:15) or even go back into the city (if they’ve been out in the countryside) to get something like a coat (Matthew 24:18; Mark 13:16; Luke 21:21). (BACK)

10 great tribulation: See Matthew 24:21; Mark 13:19. The Greek word for great is megas and means “large, great, big”. It has a very wide application, as is seen when comparing its usage in Matthew 27:46 to Mark 14:15. The Greek word for tribulation is thlipsis and it means “tribulation, affliction, persecution.” The word is meant to describe anguish, hardship or even torment and agony. We do not know exactly what this great tribulation will be like, but Revelation 6 tells us that the tribulation will have war, famine and death.  (BACK)

11 beginning of the world, the beginning of creation: Matthew 24:21 says world (kosmos), Mark 13:19 says creation (ktisis). Also see Daniel 12:1. To read about the beginning of  the world/creation, see Genesis 1-2.  (BACK)

12 sword: From Luke 21:24. The Greek word used for sword is machaira which describes a short sword or dagger. This is the same word that was used to describe the sword that Peter used to cut off Malchus’s ear in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:51; Mark 14:47; Luke 22:50; John 18:10). To read the splice containing Peter’s erroneous maiming of Malchus and Jesus’s subsequent healing, click here.  (BACK)

13 nations: From Luke 21:24. The Greek word for nations is ethnos and it means “nation, Gentile”. The word refers to any nation, religion or ethnic group that is not Israel, i.e. Gentile nations. According to Revelation 11:2, the Gentiles will trample down Jerusalem for 42 months.  (BACK)

14 elect: It is in Matthew 24:22 and Mark 13:20 where we learn that God cut short the time of tribulation for the sake of the elect. The Greek word for elect is eklektos and it means “elect, chosen”. Scripture is very clear: God chose/elected those whom He would save before the foundation of the world was set (Ephesians 1:4-5). The elected people are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 13:8; 21:27). Many are called, but few are chosen, as the parable in Matthew 22:1-14 shows us. This is in line with John 3:16, that whomever will trust/believe in Jesus will be saved. Who will believe? All who were appointed to be saved (Acts 13:48), as elected by God, before we were even born (2 Timothy 1:9). The proof of our election is in our God-gifted faith and not by our works or a faith/belief conjured by ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9). Also, we receive the pledge of the Holy Spirit; that promise and that presence in our hearts (which is our minds) that tells us, without doubt, we are God’s by the blood and resurrection of Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). It must be understood: it isn’t enough to just believe that God exists or that Jesus exists (James 2:19). The God-gifted faith is a loving trust in the Savior, a trust that transcends your own understanding, your own eyesight, your own wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-7). God-gifted faith is not a human-inspired trust, such as how one might have “faith” in a justice system or “belief” in another person’s ability to perform a task. And we can be sure that God, who began this amazing work within us, will be faithful to complete it and bring us to glory in Him (Romans 8:28-39; Philippians 1:6). In addition, we cannot lose our salvation (John 6:37-40; 10:28-30; Romans 11:29). (BACK)

15 behold: Matthew 24:23; Mark 13:21. The Greek word for behold is horaó and it means, in its literal sense, “to stare at”. Its broad meaning is “see clearly, perceive, look at, behold”. (BACK)

16 false Christs and false prophets: In Jeremiah 29:8, God warns that not everyone who says that their prophesies are from God are actually from God. How do we tell who is from God and who isn’t?  1 John 4:1-3 tells us to test the spirits. How? Blatant false prophets/false Christs are easy to spot: they claim to be God/Jesus or tell you to worship someone other than God (usually themselves). But we must always be testing people who claim to be pastors, evangelists, shepherds of God, prophets etc. even when they look and sound the part because it is easy to pepper one’s words with cherry-picked verses, ideas twisted just enough to fit and omitting a few things to sound better. True elect people of God will maintain clearly that Jesus was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:27-35), crediting the conception to the Holy Spirit’s work, as described in Luke 1:35. A true person of God will also state clearly that Jesus is equal with God (John 1:1; John 8:58; Colossians 1:15-17), has redeemed the elect by His death on the cross (Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 2:24), was raised from the dead by God (Ephesians 1:20) on the third day after His crucifixion (Matthew 12:40; Acts 10:40). The elect person will not mince words or tell you there are grey areas in the Bible: there are no grey areas in the Bible. There are things we do not know yet for they are future events or things we just can’t be sure of because the Bible is silent on those things. But the Bible is clear on sin (Romans 1:22-32, 3:23; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 John 3:4-15) and without the saving blood of Jesus the sin-filled person will end up eternally in hell (Romans 6:21-23; Revelation 20:11-15). The Bible is also very clear that no human being can justify themselves with God (Romans 3:24) nor can they conjure up their faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). The faith, the justification and place in heaven are all God’s work, His doing alone and was decided long before any of us were born (Ephesians 1:4-12). (BACK)

17 mislead, if possible, even the elect: Not possible, please see Note 14 above. (BACK)

18 Wherever… gathered: From Matthew 24:28. With Jesus using this phrase, we can understand that He is saying: without a doubt, His return will happen and we should watch for the signs He has given us. It is in line with the fig tree parable that Jesus uses in Matthew 24:32-33; Mark 13:28-29; Luke 21:29-31. (BACK)

19 eagles: From Matthew 24:28. The Greek word used for eagles is aetos and it means “eagle“. Almost every English translation of the Bible use the word “vultures” in the place of ‘eagles‘ but aetos does not mean “vulture” (see Revelation 4:7 where the word is used properly). This is important because we should never try to ‘fix’ the Bible by replacing words with a substitute word that isn’t in the original text. We should use the word that is there and leave it at that; after all, if Jesus can handle the creation of all things (Colossians 1:16), and handle removing our sins (1 John 1:9), He certainly handled choosing the right word to use in His Word. Eagles it is. (BACK)

20 the sun will be darkened: Mentioned in Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25; Luke 21:25. There are many verses that speak of the wrath of God on what is called The Day of the Lord, a day that is still in the future (with specific verses speaking of the sun and moon’s condition): Isaiah 13:6-16 (13:10); Isaiah 24:1-23 (24:23); Joel 2:1-11, 30-32, 3:1-17 (2:10, 31; 3:15)/Acts 2:16-21 (2:20); 2 Peter 3:7-12 (3:10, 12); Rev 6:12-17 (6:12-13), 8:12. (BACK)

21 stars will be falling from the sky : There are mentions of stars going dark (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10, 3:15; Revelation 8:12) and mentions of stars falling from the sky (Isaiah 34:4; Daniel 8:10; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:25; Revelation 6:13) for this eschatological event. We have two examples of stars who fall from the sky and have further action in the events. In Revelation 8:10-11 we learn that the great burning star, Wormwood, falls upon a third of the rivers and on the springs of water; Wormwood makes the water bitter and the water becomes lethal. In Revelation 9:1 another star that fell to the earth is given the key to the bottomless pit in order to open it. Out of the pit comes smoke and torturous locusts (Revelation 9:2-3). In Revelation 12:4 the red dragon uses his tail to sweep a third of the stars of heaven to earth. It is likely that we are seeing both figurative usage of the word “star” and literal usage of the word “star”. The figurative usage of the word star could be reference to fallen angels, meteors, even bombs dropping from the sky. We really don’t know and can only speculate: these are future events and not yet fully revealed. (BACK)

22 distress: From Luke 21:25. The Greek word used for distress is sunoché and it means “anguish, distress”.  Anguish is extreme and profound emotional pain. It isn’t disappointment, stress, depression or feeling sad. Here is an example of anguish in art. The best example I’ve ever seen of real human anguish was during a news clip of Jeannine Boulanger at the airport, waiting for her daughter’s flight to come in. She was then told/found out that the plane had crashed. It is ghoulish to record such a private moment of shattering, but someone did so at the time. Jeannine is mother to Nicole Boulanger, one of 270 people who died due to the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. (BACK)

23 confusion: From Luke 21:25. The Greek word used for confusion is aporia and means “perplexity, confusion”. This kind of confusion nullifies any plausible way towards conclusions. A person with this kind of perplexity simply cannot find a way with their understanding to become ‘unconfused’ and therefore is kept in this state. (BACK)

24 roaring: From Luke 21:25. The Greek word used for roaring is échos and it means “sound, noise”. However, this noise is not ordinary. The word concentrates on the effect of the noise: this noise inspires amazement because of how sonorous it is or how fierce it is. To be clear: this word does not denote speech. (BACK)

25 rolling surge: From Luke 21:25. The Greek word used for rolling wave is salos and it means “wave, surge”. This is an intense wave such as from a hurricane. (BACK)

26 and/because: The Greek word used in Matthew 24:29 and Mark 13:25 say and, however the Greek word used in Luke 21:26 says because. (BACK)

27 sign: Matthew 24:30 and Luke 21:25. The Greek word used for sign is sémeion and it means “miracle, sign”. The sun, moon and stars will display miraculous manifestations (Isaiah 13:10, 13; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:25; Revelation 6:12-13). Also, Jesus’s arrival with the clouds of the sky (Daniel 7:13; Matthew 24:30; Acts 1:9-11) is a sign (a miraculous sign and a sign in the sense of clear evidence) of His power and glory. (BACK)

28 Son of Man: Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27. Why does Jesus refer to Himself as the Son of Man? Daniel also uses the phrase in Daniel 7:13. Jesus’s usage of the phrase definitely points a person back to Daniel 7:13-14, identifying Him as the Savior and approved of by God. We might also find a clue in Isaiah 50:4-6 or perhaps even in the birth of Jesus, the temptation of Jesus or even in His crucifixion. These events all point to the human experiences of Jesus; they are the display of His humanity and the phrase ‘Son of Man’ definitely paints a picture of humanness. (BACK)

29 mourn: Matthew 24:30.  The Greek word used for mourn is koptó and it means “to mourn, to cut”. Why will people mourn? Revelation 1:7 tells us the mourning will be because of Jesus. People will see the Savior that they have denied and realize that they chose to believe and do the  wrong things. It is also probable that they will mourn due to the wrath they are about to endure. Also see Isaiah 13:6-8; Joel 2:6. In accompaniment, Luke 21:26 says that at this time people will be fainting from fear. Isaiah 13:8 mentions the fear as well. (BACK)

30 in a cloud/on (in) the clouds: Matthew 24:30 says ‘on the clouds’, Mark 13:26 says ‘in clouds’ and Luke 21:27 says ‘in a cloud’. These particular clouds are also mentioned in Daniel 7:13; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 1:7 (which is a reaffirmation of Daniel 7:13). In 1 Thessalonians 4:17, it mentions that those who are still alive at the end of the tribulation will be caught up to join Jesus in the clouds (see Revelation 14:14-16 to see another view of Jesus upon the cloud)  that He has incorporated to accompany His return. We are told that the tribulation has been cut short on account of these elect who are still alive (Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:20).  The Bible is very clear as to when Jesus will gather His elect that are still alive upon the earth or what is commonly referred to as “the rapture”. The gathering of the elect will happen immediately after the tribulation, when Jesus is seen arriving with these clouds (Matthew 24:29-30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27),  Jesus will then send forth His angels to gather the elect (Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:27; also see Revelation 19:7-9). It is important to understand that the tribulation and God’s wrath are not the same things. God’s people will not face the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 5:9), but they will be subjected to the tribulation (Revelation 7:9-14). For more regarding the gathering of the elect, see Note 31.  (BACK)

31 great trumpet call The mention of God using this great trumpet sound that announces the Lord’s descent from heaven and the gathering of God’s people is also spoken about in 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16. There are 7 trumpets mentioned in Revelation (Revelation 8:1-9:21; 11:15-19). The 7th trumpet is mentioned in Revelation 11:15, when the twenty-four elders in heaven worship God with a doxology surrounding the return of Jesus (Revelation 11:16-18). (BACK)

32  they will gather: The gathering of the elect, mentioned in Matthew 24:31 and Mark 13:27 (as well as 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16) is what people colloquially refer to as “the rapture”. This event isn’t particularly mentioned by name in Revelation, meaning there is no verse that we can point to in Revelation and say “the gathering of the elect happens HERE”. Some might argue that Revelation 7:9-17; 11:15-19; 14:14-16 or even 19:1-15 are descriptions of the gathering of the elect, but none of these verses say that; 14:14-16 comes the closest. The book of Daniel, a good side-by-side to Revelation (particularly Daniel 7-12), mentions the gathering of the elect in Daniel 12:1-3 (compare to 1 Thessalonians 4:16). Daniel says in 12:1 that at the time of the tribulation, the elect will be rescued (malat). Jesus pointedly says ‘immediately (eutheós) after (meta) the tribulation’ in Matthew 24:29. We know that some of the elect are murdered during the tribulation because of Matthew 24:9; Mark 13:12. The sections of Revelation that do mention the elect are 6:9-11; 7:4-17; 11:18; 14:1-5; 19:8-9; 20:4, 6; 21:3-4, 7. Any or all of these verses could be describing the event or the results from the event (except Revelation 6:9-11, due to the fact that there are more ‘brothers’ to be killed) of the gathering of God’s people to Jesus at the time of the Parousia of Christ. For more on the elect see Note 14. (BACK)

33  from… heaven: “From the four winds” is used in both Matthew 24:31 and Mark 13:27. This phrase is similar to our idiom “four corners of the earth”. It means from everywhere. Matthew 24:31 says “from ends of the heavens to the ends of them” meaning “from one end the heavens/skies to the other end of the heavens/skies” which means from everywhere. Mark 13:27 says “from end of earth to end of heaven” meaning from everywhere. It is well-covered between these two verses that no elect will be left out or forgotten; no elect person belonging to God is too far way or in too obscure a place to be gathered by the angels, as directed by our Lord. (BACK)

34 redemption: From Luke 21:28. The Greek word used for redemption is apolutrósis and it means “redemption”. Redemption means to buy/take something back that was lost to you. In the purport of Godly redemption, the *something* is the elect of God from their sins (Titus 2:14). Who are the elect? See Note 14. Sins left to the sinner to pay for himself equals death for eternity (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8). Godly redemption was/is/will be accomplished using the currency of Jesus’s blood through His death on the cross (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:18-19). (BACK)

 

English Bible translation used: Berean Standard Bible