Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadQuiet Talks by Samuel Dickey: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About Our Lord's Return: 12. The Olivet Talk
TOPIC: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About Our Lord's Return (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 12. The Olivet Talk
Other Subjects in this Topic:
The Olivet Talk
We turn now to look a little into the teachings of this long talk. Let us keep in mind that this is our Lord's answer to the questions about His coming, the full-end of the age, and the destruction of Jerusalem, which in their minds was connected with His coming.
The Olivet Talk, in Matthew's account of it, may be easily grouped under three general headings, after the introductory bit out of which it all grew. The first of these may be called the tribulation group of paragraphs. It runs from verses four to forty-four of chapter twenty-four. In it our Lord speaks of a time of great distress or tribulation coming to the whole earth. This is the uppermost thought through the whole section. This is apt to come as a distinct surprise to one who is listening for something about His coming again. Yet this is the first thing He speaks of in answering the questions about when He will come.
There are five distinct paragraphs in this tribulation section. The first paragraph runs through verses four to eight. It cautions against evil men coming under the pretence of being Christ, and gives the general characteristics of the tribulation in its beginnings as wars, rumours of wars, famines, and earthquakes. Paragraph two runs through verses nine to fourteen inclusive. It tells of great tribulation coming to our Lord's followers. It helps here to remember who these disciples are representatively,—not the Jewish nation, but the Church. The Church will suffer during this awful time of persecution, and some will be killed. As a result of the terrible persecution there will be a great testing and sifting. Many will "stumble," that is, give up their faith; false religious teachers will add to the confusion; and the love of many true Christians will grow cold. These are the general characteristics of the time for the Christian people. Then our Lord gives a clue to determining when the end of all will come,—it will not be until the Gospel of the Kingdom has been preached in all the world as a testimony unto all the nations.
The third paragraph runs through verses fifteen to twenty-eight. It gives the opening event of this tribulation time, by which its beginning may be surely recognized. Jesus makes a quotation from Daniel, referring to something or some one called "the abomination of desolation"; when this is seen standing in the holy place of the temple in Jerusalem, that will indicate the beginning of this great tribulation. And our Lord significantly adds "let him that readeth understand." This event will be followed by a time of awful happenings. The tribulation will be such as has never been known, and never will be again.
It will be a time of such terrible experiences for Christ's own followers that for their sakes it is mercifully shortened. One of the marked traits of the time is the false religious teachers who will have power to do miraculous things to attest their teachings, and deceive men. There will be many pretended Christs, but the real coming of Christ will be as unmistakable before all men as the lightning flash in the sky. That is paragraph three of the tribulation section.
The fourth paragraph is a brief one but brings us to the central event we are thinking of. It runs through verses twenty-nine to thirty-one, and fixes the closing event of the tribulation time. There will be disturbances in the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and stars, and "the powers of the heavens (i.e., powers of physical attraction and cohesion) shall be shaken." Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. His appearance will cause mourning among all the tribes of the earth. The word translated "mourning" has in it the thought of grief. And that suggests a sorrow and penitence among men when they see and recognize the Lord Jesus in His glory. Then He sends His angels with the great sound of a trumpet, and the redeemed will be caught up into His presence from every corner of the earth.
The final paragraph of this first section runs through verses thirty-two to forty-four, and mingles earnest pleadings to faithfulness with additional information. The budding of the fig tree was a certain sign to them of the coming of summer, so these occurrences will be the sure indication not only of His coming but that He is near. [Note: Mat_24:32, Mat_24:33.] Then comes the prophetic utterance about the preservation of the Jewish race until all these things take place. [Note: Mat_24:34.] Then an assurance of the absolute certainty of these events occurring; [Note: Mat_24:35.] but the secrecy of the time from all, save the Father. [Note: Mat_24:36.] The people of the earth will be as unprepared and as completely taken by surprise as were the people in the days of Noah. [Note: Mat_24:37, Mat_24:38.] The separation of some being caught up, and the rest being left on the earth, would come as they were busy about their common duties, utterly unexpectant of anything unusual likely to occur just then. [Note: Mat_24:40, Mat_24:41.] Then is the earnest plea to live so as to be always ready for His coming however unexpected it may be when it actually occurs.
The second section may be called an exhortation, a pleading section, whose note has already begun in the closing sentences of the section before. There is an earnest pleading for "faithful" and "wise" followers in a parable of the good and the evil servants. [Note: Mat_24:45-51.] Then the plea for wise followers is illustrated and emphasized in the parable of the virgins, [Note: Mat_25:1-13.] and the plea for faithfulness in the parable of the talents. [Note: Mat_25:14-30.] Our Lord tells us to "watch," and then in these two parables tells us how to watch. Our lives are to be so lived that we are ready for our Lord's coming at any time. And while watching and waiting we are to be working, making the very best use of what He has given us to use for Him. Watching means waiting expectantly, and means working, doing His will while waiting and watching. The three w's must go together.
The Talk ends with the judgment section. [Note: Mat_25:31-46.] It speaks of all nations, but the language used makes it clear that it is not a judgment of nations corporately, but of people individually; for they are separated "one from another," and the basis of judgment is one's personal treatment of the Lord Jesus in the treatment of those belonging to Him. The last sentence of the chapter makes it clear that this judgment is a final scene. It closes the chapter of earthly probation, and of earth events.
It is interesting to note that the line of division between the Jew, the nations, and Christ's followers, is distinctly drawn in this Olivet Talk. The Jews are referred to in the third person, as "this people," [Note: Luk_21:23.] as "they," [Note: Luk_21:24.] and as "this race." [Note: Mat_24:34; Mar_13:30; Luk_21:32.]The nations or people of the earth generally, as distinct from Jew and from the group of Christ's followers are referred to, likewise, in the third person, as "Gentiles." Christ's followers are spoken to, the second person being used. The persecution which they suffer is "for my Name's sake." [Note: Mat_24:9; Mar_13:13; Luk_21:12.] To them is promised special wisdom in need; [Note: Mar_13:11.] it is they who are urged to be watchful against the evil, and for His return. Indeed the whole talk is addressed to the circle of Christ's own people, later called the Church.
Here then may be put into a few sentences the teaching of Matthew, from our Lord's own lips regarding His return. It is to be preceded by a time of tribulation, which will be a terrible experience for all, and of sore testing and suffering for God's people. This will be introduced by an event in the Jewish world at Jerusalem, something or some one, called "the abomination of desolation," set up in the holy place in the temple at Jerusalem. And it will come to an end with an unsettling or shaking of the powers that hold the heavenly bodies in their places. Then our Lord Jesus Himself shall come openly to all, in great glory, and gather to Himself His own followers, leaving all others on the earth. His coming will find the world wholly unprepared. These events are absolutely sure to take place, though the time is absolutely unknown to any one on earth.
The remarkable preservation of the Jew in his distinct identity separate from all other nationalities is foretold, and becomes an evidence of the certainty of these events. Christ's followers are earnestly urged to live with this as the chief thing to look forward to. The thought of being ready for Him at His coming is to be the constant incentive in all living and serving. They are to be always ready, especially watchful against everything that would prevent their being gladly, joyously ready for Him whenever He may come. They are to be quietly at work doing His appointed task for them while waiting, and watching. The Coming and the setting up of the Kingdom are regarded as belonging together, the Coming being for the express purpose of setting up the Kingdom. Then there is a simple swift picture [Note: Mat_26:27 to Mat_27:3.] of the Lord Jesus coming in His Kingdom, or as He will be seen in the Kingdom time. It shows to us our Lord Jesus in most dazzling personal glory, standing on the earth, engaged in earnest intercourse with two men, two of His faithful ones; one of these two has not died, but been caught up into the heavens; their intercourse is regarding matters on the earth. Sometime at the close of all earthly life there is to be a general final judgment of all persons living on the earth. This is a brief gathering up of the teaching in Matthew.
Two things should be noted about these Matthew teachings. One is this:—there is no chronological hint of any kind, as to when all this will occur, nor as to how long the period of tribulation will be. On the contrary we are emphatically told that the time is unknown. The other is this:—the description given deals almost wholly with the evil that is coming, and which seems to come to a terrible climax, which is ended by the Coming. It touches only lightly the glory that will be for God's people, yet that light touch is a distinct one.