Section 139c
The olivet Discourse - Abomination of desolation and subsequent distress
The Mount of Olives
Matthew 24:15-28
Mark 13:14-23
Luke 21:20-24
15“So when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand),
14“When you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it should not be” (let the reader understand), “then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.
16“then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17He who is on the housetop must not come down to get anything out of his house. 18And he who is in the field must not turn back to get his garments.
15He who is on the housetop must not come down into his house or go inside to get anything out of his house. 16And he who is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
20“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is near. 21Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, those who are in the city must get out, and those who are in the countryside must not enter the city. 22For those will be days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.
19Woe to those who are with child and to those who are nursing infants in those days! 20Pray that your flight will not happen in winter or on a Sabbath. 21For at that time there will be a great tribulation unlike any other from the beginning of the world until now, and it will never be equaled again. 22If those days had not been cut short, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the chosen those days will be cut short.
17Woe to those who are with child and to those who are nursing infants in those days! 18Pray that your flight will not happen in winter. 19For those days will be a time of tribulation unlike any other from the beginning of God's creation until now, and it will never be equaled again. 20If the Lord had not cut those days short, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the chosen, whom he has selected, he has cut those days short.
23aWoe to those who are with child and to those who are nursing infants in those days!
23bFor there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
23If anyone says to you at that time, ‘Behold, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Here he is!’ do not believe him. 24For false christs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen. 25Behold, I have told you in advance. 26So if they say to you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27For just as lightning comes from the east and shines to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28For where the carcass is, there the vultures will be gathered together.
21If anyone says to you at that time, ‘Behold, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Behold, there he is!’ do not believe him. 22For false christs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen. 23So you must watch out! Behold, I have told you everything in advance.
Notes
Mount of Olives
The mountainous ridge called the Mount of Olives stretches totay from the Hebrew University Mount Scopus campus in the north to the Jewish cemetery and beyond, to the village of Silwan in the south. Between these two ends of the mountain are the olive trees from which the mountain takes its name. The area at the bottom of the mountain would have been the place for the olive gardens and an olive press, “Gat shemen” in Hebrew, from which the name “Gethsemane” comes.
The gospels record on more than one occasion Jesus’ sorrow for Jerusalem as he made his way down the slopes of the Mount of Olives. It was a path he would have known from childhood from His many visits to Jerusalem.
Down the road from Bethphage He came riding on a donkey colt with palm branches symbolic of Judaea strewn along the way. “Hosanna!” (“save now!”) was the cry upon the lips of the people (Matthew 21:1-9). This prayer from Psalm 118:25 was a request for salvation. Yet Jesus knew that these cries would be changed within a week to “Crucify him!” He wept again for Jerusalem, for He knew what would befall the people in less than one generation as the city would be besieged and taken.
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The Mount of Olives
Footnotes
Matthew 24,15 | Mark 13,14
Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11