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n this study I will analyze a
portion of Scripture which has
generated much debate in
Church history and causec;l much
confusion in:evangelicalism
today:Matthew24:1-34. Tms
long standing debate is unfortu
nate;
for
I believe this passage is
not
so difficult when We ap
proach it properly; listening to the
voice
of God in both testaments.
Modem evangelicals are So New
Testament oriented that we
sometimes overlook the Old
Testament backdrop to New
Testament passages such as this
one.
My task is to consider the
portion
of
the Olivet
Dis-
course that prophecies "the
Great Tribulation." Undoubt
edly, in our modem evangeli
cal context of popular
apocalypticism and interest in
all things eschatological, this
passage comes to people's
mind'
as they ask: "Are we living in the
days?
Is
our time the time of the
fulfillment of these prophecies?"
This especially is a lively topic
today
in
that the ~ w s returned
to the land
of
Palestine in 1948
and since we are about to
tum
the calendar to the year 2000.
Consequently, this passage is
fainiliar to most. Who has not
heard the dreadful prophecy of
"wars and rumors
of
wars"? Or
of "earthquakes
in
various
places"? Or the alarming
p r o s ~
pect
of
the "abomination
of
desolation"? Who has not feared
the sound
of
"the Great Tribula-
, tion" reverberating from the lips
of
our Lord Jesus Christ?, n f o r ~
tunately, though Matthew 24 is
familiar to most, it is understand
by few. Let us look tuto Mat
thew 24 to see if we can discern
some clues from the text indicat
ing what Jesus intended to teach.
Most Christians in our gen
eration,and especially within
modem evangelicalism, believe
that we have just recently
entered into the lastdays."
, They often point to Matthew 24
as a signal
to
the beginning of
the last days. For instance,
Dr.
J,
Dwight Pentecost has written:
"The entire passage in Matthew
24 and
25 was written to answer
the question concerning the signs
of Messiah's con:ling which
would terminate the age." By
that he means
the.
expectation
that we are
now
living in the
termination
of
the age. These
signs are about to explode on the
scene, punctuating the end of the
Church Age.
Bookstores today across
Aip.erica are filled with end time
, scenarios that warn people that
Matthew 24 is about to burst out
on the scene of human history.
, They urge Christians to expect
the imminent rapture
of
the
Lord's people so that the Great
Tribulation might break forth.
Books such as Hal Lindsey.
Countdown
to
Armageddon;
David A. Lewis, Prophecy
2 : Rushing to Armageddon;
Steve Terrill,
The 90 s: Decade
of the Apocalypse; Don
McIIIvany, Earth s Final Days;
Texe Marrs,
Storming Toward
A r m a g e d d o n ~
Essays in the
Apocalypse; Robert Leardith,
Final Approach: The Opportu-
nity and Adventure of End
, Times Living; and David Webber
and Noah Hutchins, Is This the
Final Century? These are ouly
6 TH COUNSEL ofChalcedon August/September,1999
a few of the titles crowding the
shelves of Christian bookstOres
and alalming Christians regard- '
ing the prospect that these
prophecies an(i others like them
deal with our time. TheSe books
all make ,use of Matthew 24 and, .
of
course, related passages in
the book of Revelation.
This is the passage in con
temporary discussion o r u n d e r ~
standing eschatology ill our
modem setting. How are we to
understand this crucial dis
course? What is "the Great
Tribulation" of which Christ
speaks? In,verse:21 Jesus
deClares: "Then, there Will be a
great tribulation such
a,s
has
not occurred since the begin
ning of the world, until n?w,
, ever shall be." I w ~ l l be
presenting a,remarkable
claim: The Great Tribulation is
past.
In(ieed
it occurred long
ago, in the firs century and was
concetnedwith the destruction
oithe temple in A:D.
70.
To
declare this proposition and
prove
it
Iwould like
to
present
three points in'its defense. '
1. The
Great Tribnlationis '
Tied to the First
Century,
This is the key observatiOn
for my position. This is the text
, we need tOfpcos upon; it wiII'be
, our guiding star shedding light on
our pathway through
ImS
Pils-,
sage. Letl S note that: '
1.
Christ specifically
luil
forthrightly declaresthatthe :
Great Tribulation is iri thefirst
'century. HecIearly d e f i ~ e s
the
time frame in which he declares
it will come to pass: "Truly I say
to you, this generation will not "
pass away until all these things
take place"
(v:
34) .
We find important clues In the
historical and contextual setting
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of Matthew 24 by looking at
Matthew 23. There Jesus calls
down seven "woes" upon the
scribes and Pharisees of his
generation.
As he
concludes
these woes he solemnly prophe" .
cies
in
Matthew 23:32: "Fill up,
then, the measure
of
the guilt
of
your fathers."
n
other words,
they are guilty; now they must
fill up their final
gUilt
An impor
tant reason motivates this
horrible prophecy. The Jews
would be filling up the measure
of their fathers by attacking
Christians. Notice 23:34-36:
treading on dangerous ground if
we try to pick and choose
certain references in 1his text
and say: "This belongs back
then, but this does not." Jesus
has said "all 111ese things" shall
occur in "1his generation." That
includes verse
21
which speaks
of the Great Tribulatioh.
2 Matthew 24 is directly
relevant to the first century
temple before which Jesus is
standing.
We
must ask what
prompted Jesus to proclaim the
Olivet Discourse? In Matthew
23:37,38, we read
of
a broken
hearted Savior lamenting:
0
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills
the prophets and stones those
who are sent to her, how often I
ciples "came up to point
out
the
temple buildings to him" (Matt.
24:1b) - - as ifhe did not realize
its majesty Then we read: "Do
you not see all these things?
Truly I say unto you, not one
stone here shall be left upon
another that shall not be
11lfOwn
down. And as be was sitting on
the Mount of Olives, the dis
ciples came to him privately
saying, 'Tell us when shall these
things be, and what will be the
sign
of
your coming, and
of the
end of the age? ' As a matter of
historical and archaeological
fact, that temple to which Jesus
refers is destroyed
in A.D. 70.
There has been no temple
in
Jerusalem since that time.
3
The way Jesus
"Behold, I am sending you
prophets, and wise men, and
scribes, some
of
them you will
kill and crucify, some
of
them
you will scourge in your
synagogues, and persecute
from city to city, that upon
you may fall the guilt of all
the righteous blood shed on
the earth. Truly I say to
frames 1his prophecy is
The Great Tribulation
is
past. Indeed, it directly relevant to the
occurred long ago in the first century and Jews of that day. n
was concerned with the destruction of he chapter 23 he denounces
the scribes and Pharisees
temple in A.D. 70."
you, all these things will
L\;;;; ;;;;;;; .1 who frequently sat
in
come upon this genera
tion." The very setting in which
Christ is delivering the Olivet
Discourse is one of impending
judgment upon first Jerusalem.
The scribes and Pharisees
lived
in
a very important genera
tion. Theirs was the time in
which the Messiah came.
Tragically, "he came unto his
own, and his own received him
not." They lived in the fullness
of time, but they missed its
opportunity. In Matthew 24:34,
Jesus warns: "Truly I say to you,
1his generation will not pass
away until all these things take
place." The ones to whom he
is
speaking, the ones over whom
the scribes and Pharisees exer
cised authority in the realm of
Israel will experience the judg
ments. This is a very clear and
dogmatic statement. We are
wanted to gather her children
together, the way a hen gathers
her chicks under her wings, and
you were unwilling. Behold, your
house is being left to you deso
late." That Jerusalem sprawling
before him. . . ; that land where
the prophets were killed in open
defiance to God. . . ; that people
who had rejected his loving
overtures . . . these are in Jesus'
mind and upon his heart as he
prophesies this dreadful proph
ecy.
Notice the disciples' response
to Jesus' denunciation of the
temple in this context. In Mat
thew 24:1 we read: "Jesus came
out from the temple." That was
the very temple he had just
declared in process
of
being
desolated (Matt. 23:38). Then as
he "was going away" his dis-
judgment against him. And
he calls down a series of seven
woes upon those very scribes
and Pharisees. He says that th y
will institute the persecution
of
his followers (Matt. 23:34ff.). In
Matthew 23:37, he warns:
I
wanted to gather you together,
but you were unwilling, therefore
your house is being left to you
desolate." Then
in Matthew
24:2, as they point out the
temple, Jesus refers to that same
temple and notes 111at it will be
completely destroyed. This is all
extremely relevant to the first
century Jews.
Then in verse 16, as
he
discusses the "abomination of
desolation" and prepares his
disciples for "the Great Tribula
tion," he says: Let those who
are in Judea flee to the moun
tains." This is not a worldwide
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phenomenon. This has direct
relevance to Jerusalem and .'
Judea
- -' because that is where
the temple is located.
So, in all of this we see that
the
focus
of
the prophecy and
the
locus ef the judgments is on
first century Israel. He locates
the time as a first century event .
Consequently, I believe that
ll
this one argument we can secure
the
propositlonthat
"the Great
Tribulation is past." But there is
more
2. The First Century Facts
Fit
the Prophecy' .
.
How are we to understand
the various elements
of
the
prophecy that Jesus declareS.to
his followers. on the Mount of
Olives? I will quickly survey a
few
of
these. I think I can show
the
first century historical
fulfillment of each of these
various elements
in
Matthew 24.
First,
in
verses 5 and 11 Jesus
refers to . he false christs and
prophets. Here he
is
warning
about the danger
of
false reIi
gious leaders who will bring
confusion into the realm. He is
warning his disciples
not
to
follow their teaching.
False
teligious leaders were
an abundant problem in that day
(cf. Acts 5:36; 8:9, 10; 20:29-
30).
The
hiStorical records of
Josephus likewise shew that
fraudulent religious leaders
caused foments leading
to
the
Jewish war
and culminating
in
the destruction of the temple:
"Deceivers and impostors under
the
pretense
of
divine inspiration
were fostering revolutionary
changes Wars
2:13:4). Scrip
ture and contemporary historical
r e c o r d ~ testify that there was Ii
real danger
offalse
religio,Us
.....
teachers leading the Je.,,:,sastray.
Second,
in
verses 6 and
7
we
read of wars and rumors
of
.
wars. This is something we hear
about every time PreSident
Clinton bOIIlbs another city in
order t6' distract Americans from
J;1is foibles. There have always'
been wars. To 'which wars
is
Jesus referring? How is this
significant?
.Is
this not somewhat
nebulous?
When the Lord gives this sigu
his audienceis experiencing the
Pax
Romana
("the peace
ef
Rome"). The EmperorAugnstus .
Caesar establishes. this time of
remarkable peace before Christ ..
was .born The third century
church father Origen speaks
of
the "abundance of peace that
began at the birth of Christ"
Against Cetsus2:30 . New
Testamenthistorian, Bo Reicke,
notes that
in
the Roman
Empire'
proper, the period of peace .
remains comparably undisturbed
until the time
of
Nero" The
New
Testament
Era, 110).
Now
we
must ask: Who is the
emperor that breaches the
Pax
Romana by
engitgmgthe JeWish
War and sending his Legions to
destroy the Jewish temple? The'
answer is: Nero Caesar. The
Lord's prophecy warns Chris" ;
tians that though they are li; ing
under the Pax Romanti, they will
begin hearing
of
"wars and
rumors ofwars when "nation
would rise up against
~ t i o n .
During the A.D. 60s, the
Jewjsh War erupted
on
the
tranquj scene of history. Rome
victoriously marches across
Israel, ultimate y destroying
Jerusalem and her holy Temple.
This war begins in the Spring of
A.D. 67 - - wheiINero formally
commissions '1espasian to .
squelch the revolt. n that war
18" THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon
August/September,
1999
Syria, Arabia, and other nations.
aligned themselves against
Israel.
Not only do
we
find Roine
mobilizing its IIlighty warnia-'
chine to
put
do\Vi1 the revolt
in
Judea (emploYing varioUs client
nations in that pogrom), but also
the Roman Empire itselffalls'
into civil war during the same
time. In A.D
.
68.Nero commits
suicide
as
Rome collapses into .
civil strife
.
Britain,.Germany,and
Gaul revolt. Rome is fearful that
the Parthians will
o b i l i ~ e
because of the
dislll1 ay
of
.the,
Empire during this tim,e.l1omeis
spinning apru;tas "nation arises "
against nati()n." These
~ w a r s
and rumors
of.
wars" are truly
signs for that first century
generation.;
Third, in verse 7 we discover .,
other signs that are .easy to
document in tha t time period. In
Acts :28 we read
of
Agabus'
prophecy
of
a "greatJamine"
that occurs during the reign
Of
Claudius (A.D., 50s). We find
famines mentioned in the fifties
and sixties in the writings of the ;
ROIIlan
historians
Tacitus,P\..
Cassius, and Sueionius. Plagues
commonly break out in such
trying times. . .
Later during the actual siegt;
of Jerusalem
in
the late 60s,
her.
inhabitants
languisJ;1ed
for lack of
food supplies.
In
fact, the most
inglorious aspect of the Jewish .
War is this famine that waStes
.
the people
Thejrhunger be
comes
so
fierce they begin "
fighting among themselv"s, "veil
setting their own
com
supplies
on fire. Josephlls tells us that.
neighbors
kill
each other, cutting. "
open their bellies to remove any
food recently
s w a l l o w e d ~
Par-
..
"
ents eat their children. The .
famine is terp.ble beyond words. ,'.
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In A.D. 68,
in
the midst
of
the
Jewish War Josephus and other
contemporary historians speak
of
earthquakes that occur in the
Mediterranean world with
regularity.
Fourth, in verses
9
and 10
Jesus speaks
of
persecution and
apostasy. Almost every chapter
of Acts details the persecutions
the Church endures in those .
early years (e.g., Acts 8:1ff.; 1
Thess. 2:16,17). In the midst
of
this persecution the biblical
record speaks
of
apostasy (e. g.,
2 Tim. 1:15). At the end of
Paul 's ministry he finds
explain tllis statement? This
seems to be a formidable objec
tion against a first century
fulfillment.
In the first place, the meaning
of the word world
oikuemene) does not necessar
ily mean the entire planet.
We
may glean many examples
of
tllis
restricted meaning from various
SCriptures.
For
instance, in Acts
24:5 Paul causes dissension
among the Jews throughout the
whole world . Surely this means
th ir world, tlle world of their
immediately before them (cp.
Matt. 23:38 - - 24:2). (2) His
audience could imagine
no other
locality, for Jerusalem is the
holy city. (3) Christ is respond
ing to questions pertaining to that
very temple
(cf. 24:1,2).
Christ
points to the temple as
he
answers.
That
holy place
will be
dismantled by
the
Roman s()l
diers.
The abomination of desola
tion is the destruction of
Jerusalem and the temple by
pagan Roman armies.
Luke's
many of his early converts
turning away from him.
In the Olivet Discourse, then, Jesus Simply
states
that
the gospel will be preached
in
the
entire known world of
hat
day before these
parallel account makes this
clear. He takes this He-
braic language and inter
prets
it
for a Gentile
audience: But
when you
see Jerusalem surrounded
events reach their climax.
The Epistle to the Hebrews
mentions Jewish apostasy
explicitly. Many are turning
. . . . I
by armies,
then
recognize
from Christiamty
back
to
Judaism in order to avoid perse
cution (Heb. 10:32-36).
We see, then, that many
of
the prophecies in Matthew 24
expressly came to pass
in
the
first century. This fits perfectly
with the time-frame
of
Matthew
24:34. But here difficulties arise
for some interpreters.
3. h ~ Difficult Prophecies
Must be
Interpreted Contex
tually
Jesus expressly states that all
these things shall occur
in
this
generation (Matt. 24:34).
Regardless
of
how difficult a
first century fulfillment may
seem for some of Jesus' state
ments, his clear time frame
statement must determine our
tlle interpretation of the passage.
Let
us consider a series of
questions that arise in the re
maining prophecies.
First, was the gospel
preached in all the world
as
a
witness?
v.
14). How can
we
experience.
Also, the New Testament
informs us that the gospel is
preached throughout the entire
known world of that day: Ro
mans 1:8. Paul can say that the
faith
of
the Roman church
can
be spoken of throughout the
whole world. In Colossians 1:6,
23 we find a similar use of
world.
In
the Olivet Discourse, then,
Jesus simply states that he
gospel will be preached in the
entire known world of that day
before these events reach their
climax.
Second, when was the
abomination
of
desolation?
v.
15) This is often associated with
a world ruling antichrist
in
the
future.
This must also occur in the
first century, however, for the
following reasons: (1) This
abomination stands in the holy
place, the temple standing
that
her
desolation is
at
hand (Luke 21 :20).
He
tells us
what the abomination is; Jerusa
lem being surrounded by Roman
armies for the purpose of deci
mating
her
temple.
The Romans encircle Jerusa
lem
on
at least
two
occasions:
under Vespasian ear ly in the
siege and later
under
Titus
before the Temple's final de
struction. After
the
first sur
rounding, the Christians are to
flee from Judea.
In God's
providence, Vespasian withdraws
from the siege
when
Nero dies;
the Christians
now
have the
opportunity to escape.
When the
Roman soldiers finally obtain the
upper hand in the temple,
Josephus records how they raise
tlleir ensigns in the temple, bow
to their to pagan deity, and offer
incense to Caesar.
Third, was A.D.
70 the
worst
catastrophe ever?
v.
21)
What
about WWI
or
WWII? Surely
they are much worse than the
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Jewish
War. When we consider
this
in
its biblical context, how
ever, ample infonnation supports
my conclusion that A. D.
70
is
in
view.
(1)
Verse
34
states that all
these
things shall occur in this
generation - - and verse 21 is
one
of
these things. (2) Is not
Noah's
Flood even worse than
the supposed future Great
Tribulation?
n
Noah's Flood the
entire human population perishes,
but
for
one family.
(3) To understand Jesus
properly we must grasp the use
of
hyperbole in Old Testament
apocalyptic language. Very often
we
find
thatjudgmentlanguage
in apocalyptic discourse
is
formulaic language - _ a stock
in-trade language that is
in
the
dictionaries of all the apocalyptic
writers
of
the day.
For
instance,
in Exodus
11:6
we
read these
words. regarding the tenth.plague .
on
Egypt: Then there shall be a
great
cry
throughout all the. land
of
Egypt, such as was not like it
before,
nor
shall be like
it
again? Which is it? Is the Great
Tribulation the worst judgment,
or
is
the tenth plague upon Egypt
the worst?
n Ezekiel 5:9 we read of the
Old Testament destruction of the
temple
by
the Babylonians:
I
will do among you what I have
never
done, and the like of which
I will
never
do again, because of
all
your
abominations? But
in
Matthew 24 i t happens again.
This
is
apocalyptic, poetic,
dramatic imagery. This is even
used outside
of such
dramati
callyf ramed Circumstances (cp.
2 Kings 18:5 with 2 Kings
23:25).
Jesus'
declaration
in
verse 21
is
dramatic speech
emphasizing the remarkable
nature of this event.
Fourth, did Christ come like
lightning
in
A.D. 70?
(v.
27) This
looks very similar to what
we
are expecting at the Second
Coming of Christ, when he
comes to conclude world history
with judgment upon the wicked.
How
can
this sort
of
language
apply to A.D. 70?
Again, we must understand
apocalyptic language.
His'
coming
hereis
not a bodily
coming. This is a metaphorical ,
expression. t
is.
as if Jesus
physically comes
down.
It
parallels God's coming against
Egypt in the Old Testament:
The oracle concerning Egypt.
Behold, the Lord is riding on a
swift cloud, and is about to come
to Egypt; the idols ofEgypt will
tremble at His presence, and the
heart of the Egyptians will melt
within them (Isa. 19:1). Did the
Egyptians physically see God's
coming against them? t
reminds us of the language
describing Satan's fall from
heaven: The seventy returned .
with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the
demons are subject to us in Your
name.' And He said to them, 'I
was watching Satan fall from
heaven like lightning' (Luke
10:17-18).
Was
Satan's fall
visible like a lightning flash?
Consider Christ's words to
the high priest
in
Matthew 26: 64.
There
Jesus says that the high
priest and the Sanhedrin will
see
the Son
of
Man coming in
judgment: Jesus said to him,
'You have said it yourself;
nevertheless I tell you, hereafter
you shall see the Son
of
Man
sitting at the right hand of
Power, and coming on the clouds
of heaven.'''
This coming of Christ in
Matthew 24 is a
met phoric l
20 THE.COUNSEL of Chalcedon August/September,
1999
coming down injudgment and
through providential circum-
.stances. This lightuing flash is
metaphorical language
to
speak
of Christ's judgment in the
historical events of the Jewish
War.
Why does he mention
lightuing then, a very visible
Sign? Because lightning is a
terrifying symbol of destructive
power throughout Scripture.
Fifth, did the universe col
lapse in A.D. 70? Matthew 24:29
reads:
But
immediately after the
tribulation of those days the sun
will be darkened, and the moon
will not give its light, and THE
STARS WILL FALL from the
sky, and the powers
of
the
heavens will be shaken.
This also
is
apocalyptic,
hyperbOlic language. Consider
Isaiah 13:10 13 as instructive on
this point: For the stars of
heaven and their consteI1ations
will not flash forth their light; the
sun will be dark when
it
rises,
and the moon will
not
shed its
. ight. Thus I will punish the
world for its evil, and the wicked
for their iniquity; I will also put
an end to the arrogance of the
proud, and abase the haughtiness
of the ruthless. I will make
mortal man scarcer than pure
gold, and mankind than the gold
of Ophir. Therefore I shall make
the heavens tremble, and the
earth will be shaken from its
place at the fury of the Lord of
hosts in the day
of
His burning
anger.;
This is not referring to the
end of history.
If
you
re.ad
the
context Isaiah clearly identifies
Babylon as the referent of this
prophecy (13:1).
n
verse 17 he
also mentions the Medes. This
prophecy refers to Babylon's
overihrow, to the Median inva-
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sion
of
Babylon securing this
overthrow. The God of the
universe is acting through his
providential superintendence, and
there is metaphorically a darken
ing
of
the light
of
heaven on this
mighty nation. God puts their
light out, as
it
were.
Sixth, did Christ come on the
clouds in A.D. 701 Then shall
appear the sign of the Son of
man in heaven: and then shall all
the tribes of the earth mourn,
and they shall see the Son
of
man coming in the clouds
of
heaven with power and great
glory (Matt. 24:30, KJV).
This is certainly the type of
language
we
can apply to the
Second Advent. A.D. 70, how
ever, is a distant reflection
of
that future coming event; there
fore the same dramatic language
can apply to it, as well. Accord
ing to Jesus' prophecy there will
be a sign of the Son of Man in
heaven. This sign is (appar
ently) the smoke of the temple
being destroyed. This will be the
sign
to
the Jews
l11at
the Son
of
Man is not in the tomb but at the
right hand
of
God moving against
them in judgment. Jesus is
speaking
of
some sort
of
sign
that he is at the right hand
of
God __ that he is high and
exalted, the One causing their
judgment and anguish.
Seventh, did the rapture occur
in A.D. 701
And
He will send
forth His angels with a great
trumpet and they will gather
together His elect from the four
winds, from one end ofthe sky .
to tile other
(Matt
24:31).
Whatever this verse means,
Jesus affirnls only three verses
later that
all
these things will
take place in this generation
(Matt. 24:34). Also, the word
angel can be and often is
translated messenger in
Scripture.
We
find this usage in
Matthew 11:10; Mark 1:10; Luke
7:24 and 27. Here then, Jesus is
sending forth his messengers
with a great trumpet. These
messengers are trumpeting the
gospel of salvation.
The
fall of
the old covenant economy is the
sign that the gospel of Jesus
Christ is the only way to salva
tion. God is finished with sacri
fices and human priests. In
the
destruction of the temple we
have the final separation of
Christianity from Judaism. The
final breach of infant Christianity
from its Mother Judaism occurs
at this point.
When the messengers go
forth and declare the gospel,
they call people and gather them
into a new body, the Church of
Christ. In fact, this gathering
language appears
in
a very
significant passage in Hebrews
10:25, where the Jews are
commanded to gather together
as Christians, and
not
to fall
back into Judaism: Not forsak
ing
our
own assembling together,
as is the habit of some; but
encouraging one another; and all
the more, as you see the day
drawing near.
Conclusion
I am confident that a strong,
powerful case can be presented
to defend the position that the
Great Tribulation is already past,
that A.D. 70 is the Great Tribu
lation. I fear that the prophetic
movement today, by warning
people that great judgments may
happen in our day, is distracting
Christians from a proper inter
pretation of Scripture and
causing unnecessary fear and
retreatism.
Furthernlore, in the process,
Christians are overlooking the
significance of the transition
from
the
old covenant worship of
God in the temple to the new
covenant worship of God in the
Spirit. I believe
that
this is what
happened
in
A.D.
70
God
made a dramatic transition from
the old covenant to the new in a
final and conclusive way.
For
more infornlation and an
infornlative debate on this topic,
see: Thomas D. Ice and Kenneth
L
Gentry, Jr., he Great Tribu-
lation: Past or Future?
(Grand
Rapids: Kregel, 1999). My
exposition of this passage is
patterned after
that
of
the great
Puritan commentator John Gill
( Matthew in
Gil/ s Expositor),
the Presbyterian churchman J.
Marcellus Kik
(The Eschatol-
ogy o Victory), of internation- ,
ally reputed New Testament
scholar, R T France
(Matthew
in the Tyndale New Testament
Commentary), and many others.
(Transcribed by Christopher
Strevel from a
taped
message
at
1999 Ligonier National Confer
ence)
August/September,
1999
THE COUNSEL
of Chalcedon
21