Persecution and tribulation of the living stones

In the beginning of Luke's gospel, he writes,

"Now many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, like the accounts passed on to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning.

So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know for certain the things you were taught." (Luke 1:1-4).

Luke was not an eyewitness to Jesus life and ministry, so he was writing down what he had learned from those who were eyewitnesses. As a result there are discrepancies that exist in the gospels as to Jesus' location when He said certain things - but not as to the things He said. 

The passages in Luke quoted below are talking about the end of the Age and the return of Christ. So is the parallel passage in Matthew 24:15-31:

 

"Now when the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set out resolutely to go to Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51). Luke 17  - on the way to Jerusalem - Luke 17:22-26  & 31, 36-37:   "And He said to the disciples, The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you shall not see it. And they shall say to you, Lo, here! or, behold, there! Do not go away, nor follow.   For as the lightning which lights up, flashing from the one part under heaven, and shines to the other part under heaven, so also shall the Son of man be in His day.   But first He must suffer many things and be rejected of this generation.   And as it was in the days of Noah, so it also shall be in the days of the Son of man. Even so it shall be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.   In that day he who shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise, he who is in the field, let him not return to the things behind.   Two shall be in the field, one will be taken, and the other left.     And they answered and said to Him, Where, Lord? And He said to them,    Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

Matthew 24  - on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem -    Matthew 24:14-18 & 26-28:   "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And then the end shall come. Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand).   Then let those in Judea flee into the mountains.    Let him on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house; nor let him in the field turn back to take his clothes.      Therefore if they shall say to you, Behold, He is in the desert! Do not go out. Behold, He is in the secret rooms! Do not believe it.    For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of man.   For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered."

 

Luke 11 (before arriving in Jerusalem) Big tithes and no mercy   42 But woe to you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass over judgment and the love of God. You ought to have done these, and not to leave the other undone.   43 Woe to you, Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets.   44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like unseen tombs and the men walking above are not aware of them.   45 And one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, Master, you reproach us also when you say this.   46 And He said, Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens grievous to be carried, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Tombs of the prophets  Luke 11 (before arriving in Jerusalem)   47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.   48 Truly you bear witness that you consent to the deeds of your fathers. For they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.   49 Therefore the wisdom of God also said, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute,   50 so that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;   51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the temple. Truly I say to you, It shall be required of this generation.   52 Woe to you, lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and you have hindered those who were entering in. Weeping over Jerusalem Luke 13 (before arriving in Jerusalem)   34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!   35 Look, your house is forsaken! And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'" Luke 17:24 (before arriving in Jerusalem):   24 For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of man. Luke 17:25-32: But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.    Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even so it shall be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.   In that day he who shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise, he who is in the field, let him not return to the things behind.   32 Remember Lot's wife.

Matthew 23 (in the temple in Jerusalem) Big tithes and no mercy   23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and you have left undone the weightier matters of the Law, judgment, mercy, and faith. You ought to have done these and not to leave the other undone.   24 Blind guides who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!   25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of extortion and excess.   26 Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of them may be clean also.   27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.   28 Even so you also appear righteous to men outwardly, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Tombs of the prophets Matthew 23 (in the temple in Jerusalem)   29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,   30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.   31 Therefore you are witnesses to yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets;   32 and you fill up the measure of your fathers.   33 Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?    34 Therefore, behold, I send prophets and wise men and scribes to you. And you will kill and crucify some of them. And some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city;   35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Berachiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.   36 Truly I say to you, All these things shall come on this generation. Weeping over Jerusalem Matthew 23 (in the temple in Jerusalem)   37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!   38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.   39 For I say to you, You shall not see Me from now on until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Matthew 24:27 (Mount of Olives, Jerusalem):   27 For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of man. Matthew 24:14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:9-13 & 15-18:  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.    Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand).   Then let those in Judea flee into the mountains.   Let him on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house;   nor let him in the field turn back to take his clothes. (cf. Luke 17:31)

THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM 

AND THE OLIVET DISCOURSE

--- Every day Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, but at night he went and stayed on the Mount of Olives. --- (Luke 21:37).

RECORDED BY:

	Matthew	Mark	Luke
--- Every day Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, but at night he went and stayed on the Mount of Olives. ---	-------	-------	√ (Luke 21:37)
Jesus coming out of the temple and telling the disciples that the temple was going to be destroyed.	√	√	√
Jesus and His disciples walking down from the Temple Mount,  through the Kidron Valley, and up the Mount of Olives  (implied by His location on the Mount of Olives being mentioned).	√	√	-------
Location	Location On the Mount of Olives:	Location On the Mount of Olives:	(Last location to be mentioned  by Luke, was the temple),  but the following   was added  by Luke later: --- Every day Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, but at night he went and stayed on the Mount of Olives. --- (Luke 21:37)
The disciples asking Jesus when the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed.	√	√	√
The disciples asking Jesus what the sign would be of His coming and of the end of the Age.	√	-------	-------
5. The disciples asking Jesus what the sign would be that "these things" were about to take place.	-------	√	√
Jesus talking about birth-pain signs of the end of the aeon/age.	√	√	√
Jesus talking about the tribulation that the disciples would experience at the end of the age FOLLOWING the birth-pain signs.	√	Mark does not make it clear whether before or after the birth-pain signs, or before and after.	-------
Jesus talking about the persecution that the disciples of Jesus would experience BEFORE any birth-pain signs.	-------	Mark does not make it clear whether before or after the birth-pain signs, or before and after.	√
Jesus talking about signs in the heavens at the time of His return in glory	√	√	√

It's important to compare the following fact with the two facts that follow it:-

Fact #1: The reason why Jesus' disciples questioned Him again regarding the temple that represented the Old Covenant, even after He had left the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, crossed the Kidron Valley and ascended the Mount of Olives, is fully understandable:

• The last Passover meal where Jesus had taken the cup and told them it represents His blood of the New Covenant was still only to take place a night or two later, and though Jesus had ALREADY told them that He would be delivered over to the Gentiles and be killed, and would rise again on the third day, they had barely believed Him, because:

• Their perception of the Messiah - a perception which had always been the expectation of the Jews - was one of a conquering king who would destroy Israel's enemies, and usher in the Messianic kingdom where Israel and the temple in Jerusalem would be exalted above all nations, and the temple would become "a house of prayer for all nations".

So Jesus' disciples had not understood - yet - about how the Temple of God of the New Covenant IS CHRIST, nor, at that point, did they understand (yet) how He was going to replace the Old Covenant and the temple in Jerusalem which represented it.

Fact # 2: Jesus pronounced THE END of the Old Covenant system and the temple that represented it BEFORE finally turning His back on the temple and making His way to the Mount of Olives:

• "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." (Matthew 23:38).

• "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19).

• "Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (Matthew 24:2).

The Old Covenant was very soon to be abolished in His flesh (Ephesians 2:15). The veil in the temple that represented the Old Covenant system would be torn in two the moment Jesus died (Matthew 27:50-51): 

"For this is my blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:28). ("Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." - John 2:19).

Fact # 3: 

Because of the New Covenant - the new things that lay ahead - and ESPECIALLY because of what Jesus was soon to face in order to establish the New Covenant in His blood, and remembering Lot's wife, He was not interested in looking back to the old things after pronouncing THE END of the old: In order to bring in the New Covenant and the new things that lay ahead, Jesus was soon to sweat blood pleading with His Father that if at all possible, to let that cup pass from Him.

It can be easily understood why the apostles and disciples at that point still failed to understand, but today there are many Christians who have had the gospel, the New Covenant scriptures and the teaching of the apostles at their disposal - for over 1,900 years,

yet for different reasons and to various degrees, are STILL EVEN NOW obsessed  with the old things in their interpretation of what Jesus said on the Olivet Discourse.

All of them fall under the same umbrella category with regard to their interpretation of the Olivet Discourse: Half-believers: One foot in the old, and one foot in the new - but Jesus Himself turned His back on the Old Covenant and just a few days later He suffered and died, and rose again from the dead, the Old Covenant having been completely abolished in his flesh, and the veil of the temple that represented the Old Covenant having been torn in two at the precise moment He died. 

In all three of the synoptic gospels we find that after He sat down on the Mount of Olives, the very first thing Jesus began to speak and warn about in response to the disciples' questions, was:-

(i) Birth-pain signs of the end of the Age; and

(ii) The tribulation and persecution that the living stones of the New Testament Temple would experience; and

(iii) The end of the Age.

(iv) Signs in the heavens at the time of His return and the end of the age. 

This is not guess-work: The grammar of the passages and the words "therefore" and "before" in Matthew 24:15 and Luke 21:12 are extremely important - but brushing aside the meaning of these words and the grammar used in each passage, is engaging in guess-work.

(1) Luke is using a Markan sandwich, where verses 8-11 is the bottom piece of bread and verses 25-36 is the top piece of bread - which are both talking about the end of the age and time of Jesus' return.

In-between the two pieces of bread Luke is speaking about the first century, where the word BEFORE in Luke 21:12 indicates that the persecution Jesus' disciples were going to endure (verses 12-19) would take place even BEFORE Jerusalem was destroyed (verses 12-24). (This WAS their experience, and Nero's persecution erupted and ended even before AD 70).

(2) Matthew does not use the word BEFORE in verse 15, but the word THEREFORE, and the conjunctive words used throughout the text of Matthew 24:9-31 do not warrant or support separating verses 15-22 from the rest of the text.

In verses 10 and 13 of Mark 13, Mark ties the persecution which the disciples were warned they will endure, to the gospel first being published among all nations, and to the promise that the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matthew's account does the same thing. Then Mark speaks about the abomination of desolation (singular) standing where it ought not. Again, it follows Matthew's account (or Matthew follows Mark's account, according to some scholars).

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