2019

Two patterns emerge in Jesus’s list of signs related to the Temple’s fall: they became more intense and more figurative (Mark 13:5–27). Regarding intensity, he began with signs that were not immediate precursors of that event. These would give way to signs that would affect the apostles directly. These would…

This brief post will make a single point—Jesus used standard prophetic imagery to describe the Temple’s destruction. The need to establish this point is clear. In the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13:1–27), Jesus spoke about the Temple’s destruction. His disciples asked two questions about this prophecy: when would “these things” happen…

Jesus’s Olivet Discourse was about nothing but the Temple’s destruction. He foretold that event (Mark 13:1–2). His disciples asked two questions about it (Mark 13:3–4). He answered them in reverse order (Mark 13:5–27). The disciples asked, “what will be the sign” of the Temple’s fall? Jesus began with signs that…

In the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13:1–27), Jesus spoke about the Temple’s destruction. His disciples asked two questions about it: when would “these things” happen and what would be their sign (Mark 13:3–4).  Jesus grouped his signs. The first group would not be signs of the Temple’s end (Mark 13:5–8). The…

In Mark’s account of the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13:1–27), Jesus spoke only about the Temple’s destruction. His disciples asked two questions about it. They wanted to know when “these things” would happen and what their sign would be (Mark 13:3–4). We have examined two groups of signs Jesus gave them.…

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” In the Olivet Discourse the “main thing” is the Temple’s destruction. Jesus foretold it (Mark 13:1–2). The disciples asked two questions about it: when would “these things” happen and what would be their sign (Mark 13:3–4)? Jesus answered the…

In Mark’s version of the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13:1–37), Jesus told his disciples about the Temple’s destruction (Mark 13:1–2). They asked two questions about “these things”: when would they happen and what would be their sign (Mark 13:3–4)? Jesus answers the questions in reverse order. He gives the sign in Mark 13:5–27…

A friend recently made an interesting observation about our prophetic model (inmillennialism). We were discussing the process I used to derive it from Scripture. I have done this many times with other people. My approach has been to start with Matthew’s account of Jesus’s Olivet Discourse (Matt 24–25). This time,…

  A skeptic of inmillennialism might lodge an objection based on Jesus’s Great Commission. After his resurrection he said: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of…

Recent posts in our Mediations in Matthew series have looked at Jesus’ accomplishments in his death, burial, and resurrection (Matt 27–28). Through these events, he erected a new Temple (here) and redefined Israel (here). In our last post (here), we said Jesus accomplished the true Exodus.  Paul authorized the comparison…