The Olivet Discourse
By Andy Woods
In Matthew’s Gospel we learn of Jesus’ five major discourses, they are:
1) The Sermon on the Mount (5-7)
2) Missions Discourse (10)
3) Kingdom Parables (13)
4) Humility Discourse (18)
5) The Olivet Discourse (24-25)
We know this because every major discourse ends with this expression, “and when Jesus had finished saying these things.”
The reason I bring this up is because we are going to discuss two chapters that have brought much confusion and discord among the church – The Olivet Discourse, and we need to understand that in order to interpret the word of God correctly, we must read it in context.
After Jesus finished His discourse on the Mount of Olives in Mathew chapters 24 and 25, in the beginning of the next chapter we read “…when Jesus had finished saying these things”, meaning that He had finished His discourse on the Mount of Olives. Therefore BOTH chapters 24 and 25 must be read as a unit.
Now, with this said, let’s review the immediate context of the Olivet Discourse by reading the ending of the previous chapter, Matthew 23:37-39:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you, how often I would have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not! Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you shall not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’
This is a precursor to the Olivet Discourse. God wanted to congregate with His children, but they kept refusing Him. So in chapters 24 and 25 we learn of the conditions through which this prophecy will be fulfilled.
Here is a breakdown of these two chapters:
Chapter 24:1-3: The Disciple’s question
Chapter 24:4-14: First Half of the Tribulation
Chapter 24:15-20: The Mid-point of the Tribulation
Chapter 24:21-22: The Second Half of the Tribulation
Chapter 24:23-31: Jesus’ Second Coming
Chapter 24:32 to 25:30: Seven Parabolic Exhortations:
1- The Fig Tree (24:32-35)
2- The Days of Noah (24:36-39)
3- The Comparison of Two Men and Women (24:40-41)
4- The Householder (24:42-44)
5- The Wise Servant (24:24-51)
6- The Wise Virgins (25:1-13)
7- The Talents (25:14-30)
Chapter 25: The Sheep and Goats Judgment (25:31-46)
What is God accomplishing with Israel at the end of the Tribulation? He is dividing believing Israel with unbelieving Israel:
Zechariah 13:8-9: And it will happen in all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds will be cut off and die, and one-third will be left in the land. And I will bring this one-third left into the fire, and will refine them as the refinement of silver, and will test them as the testing of gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, “They are My people”; and they will say, “The Lord is my God.”
Does he have to do that with the church? No, because the church is comprised only of believers.
People who want to inject the church in these two chapters do not understand the organic nature of the church, there has to be a division between Israel – the saved and unsaved, but we do not have that within the church, as ALL who come to Christ are saved.
Join Dr. Andy Woods as he shares some great information regarding this topic:
https://youtu.be/kJop7poiHto
Content retrieved from: https://youtu.be/kJop7poiHto.