Premillennialism

Premillennialism Marriage Supper A Revelation Rapture Comes for Saints Comes with Saints Tribulation(7 years) Israel (Church Age) 3 ½ + 3 ½ GT A Signs Kingdom Postponed Antichrist Resurrection of RighteousLiving Saints Changed All Caught Up Resurrection of Tribulation Saints

Premillennialism World Destroyed(2 Pet. 3:10) Final Judgment Revelation Millennial Kingdom(1000 years) Gog/Magog Revolt Heaven Satan Loosed A Hell Satan bound Jews ConvertedJews Returned to LandOT worship restoredIdealistic life on earth Resurrection of MK saintsResurrection of wicked

The Olivet Discourse(Mt. 24; Mk. 13; Lk. 21) The Destruction Of Jerusalem&The Coming Of The Lord

The Key That Unlocks The Olivet Discourse Mt. 24:34 “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.” (cf. Mk. 13:30; Lk. 21:32)

Generation(Genea) BAGD: “family, descent. 1. lit., those descended fr. a common ancestor, a clan..., then race, kind gener.... 2. basically, the sum total of those born at the same time, expanded to include all those living at a given timegeneration, contemporaries.... Jesus looks upon the whole contemp. generation of Jews as a uniform mass confronting him…Mt. 23:36; 24:34; Mk. 13:30…; Lk. 17:25; 21:32…. 3. age, the time of a generation....Here the original sense gradually disappears, and the mng. ‘a period of time’ remains. a. age, generation....b. period of time gener....”(A Greek-English Lexicon Of The New Testament And Other Early Christian Literature, pp. 153-154)

Generation(Genea) Joseph Thayer: “1. a begetting, birth, nativity....2. passively, that which has been begotten, men of the same stock, a family....the several ranks in a natural descent, the successive members of a genealogy....b. metaph. a race of men very like each other in endowments, pursuits, character; and esp. in a bad sense a perverse race....3. the whole multitude of men living at the same time: Mt. xxiv. 34; Mk. xiii. 30; Lk. i. 48...xxi. 32....4. an age (i.e. the time ordinarily occupied by each successive generation), the space of from 30 to 33 years....”(A Greek-English Lexicon Of The New Testament #1074, p. 112)

Generation(Genea) W. E. Vine: “connected with ginomai, to become, primarily signifies a begetting, or birth; then that which has been begotten, a family; or successive members of a genealogy....or of a race of people, possessed of similar characteristics, pursuits, etc., (of a bad character)....or the whole multitude of men living at the same time, Matt. 24:34; Mark 13:30; Luke 1:48; 21:32....Transferred from people to the time in which they lived, the word came to mean an age, i.e., a period ordinarily occupied by each successive generation, say, of thirty or forty years....”(The Expanded Vine’s Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words, p. 34)

“This Generation” “But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the marketplaces, who call unto their fellows and say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn.” (Mt. 11:16-17 // Lk. 7:31-32)

“This Generation” “The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here....Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation.” (Mt. 12:41-42, 45)

“This Generation” • “And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.” (Mk. 8:12) • “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man also shall be ashamed of him, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mk. 8:38)

“This Generation” “And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, he began to say, this generation is an evil generation: it seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For even as Jonah became a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of thisgeneration, and shall condemn them: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.” (Lk. 11:29-32)

“This Generation” “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send unto them prophets and apostles; and some of them they shall kill and persecute; that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary: yea, I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation.” (Lk. 11:49-51)

“This Generation” • “But first must he suffer many things and be rejected of this generation.” (Lk. 17:25) • “Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” (Mt. 23:36) • “And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” (Acts 2:40)

Incredible Prophecies • Gospel preached in whole world(Mt. 24:14; Mk. 13:10) • Abomination of desolation(Mt. 24:15; Mk. 13:14) • Great tribulation(Mt. 24:21-22; Mk. 13:19-20) • The coming of the Son of Man(Mt. 24:27) • Cataclysmic astronomical phenomena(Mt. 24:29; Mk. 13:24-25; Lk. 21:25-26) • Son of Man coming on the clouds(Mt. 24:30; Mk. 13:26; Lk. 21:27) • Angels gathering the elect(Mt. 24:31; Mk. 13:27) Did All These Things Occur Before Jerusalem Was Destroyed?

Possible Explanations • Jesus lied • Jesus was mistaken • These are not the predictions of Jesus • The predictions concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Coming are intermingled • “This generation” (Mt. 24:34) does not mean that generation • Some things were figuratively (not literally) fulfilled

“What God Has Joined Together” • 24:15: ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION • 24:16-18: “Then” flee to mountains • 24:19: Woe to mother in “those days” • 24:21: “Then”GREAT TRIBULATION • 24:22: “Those days” shortened • 24:23-26: “Then” false Christs & false prophets

“What God Has Joined Together” • 24:27: COMING OF THE SON OF MAN • 24:29: “Immediately after” tribulation of “those days”SUN DARKENED, etc. • 24:30a: “Then”SIGN OF SON OF MAN • 24:30b: “Then”TRIBES OF EARTH MOURN • 24:30c: SON OF MAN COMING ON CLOUDS • 24:31: ANGELS TO GATHER ELECT

“This Generation” Means… • The Human Race • The Jewish Nation or Race • The Generation of Spiritual Israel • The Generation of the Fulfillment • A Particular Kind of Man • The People Then Living

The Disciples’ Questions • Mt. 24:3: …“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will bethe sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” • Mk. 13:4: “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will bethe sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” • Lk. 21:7: …“Teacher, but when will these things be? And what signwill there be when these things are about to take place?” The Time & The Sign

The Deceptive Signs Mt. 24:4-8:4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed thatno one deceives you. 5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 “All theseare the beginning of sorrows. (cf. Mk. 13:5-8; Lk. 21:8-19) These so-called “signs of the times” were not even reliable indicators of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, let alone The Second Coming

The Deceptive Signs • False Christs (Mt. 24:5; Mk. 13:6; Lk. 21:8) • Wars and Rumors of Wars (Mt. 24:6-7a; Mk. 13:7-8a; Lk. 21:9-10) • Famines (Mt. 24:7; Mk. 13:8; Lk. 21:11) • Earthquakes (Mt. 24:7; Mk. 13:8; Lk. 21:11) • Pestilences (Lk. 21:11) • Great Signs From Heaven (Lk. 21:11)

The Deceptive Signs • Persecution (Mt. 24:9; Mk. 13:9; Lk. 21:12) • Hatred (Mt. 24:9; Mk. 13:13; Lk. 21:17) • Betrayal (Mt. 24:10; Mk. 13:12; Lk. 21:16) • False Prophets(Mt. 24:11) • Apostasy (Mt. 24:11) • Apathy (Mt. 24:12)

“Wars and Rumors of Wars”(Mt. 24:6-7a; Mk. 13:7-8a; Lk. 21:9-10) Josephus: “There were besides disorders and civilwars in every city... There was also a bitter contest between those that were fond of war, and those that were desirous of peace....so that seditions aroseeverywhere .... in the first place, all the people of every place betook themselves to rapine; after which they got together in bodies, in order to rob the people of the country, insomuch that for the barbarity and iniquity those of the same nation did no way differ from the Romans; nay, it seemed to be a much lighter thing to be ruined by the Romans than by themselves.”(The Wars Of The Jews, 4:3:2)

“Wars and Rumors of Wars”(Mt. 24:6-7a; Mk. 13:7-8a; Lk. 21:9-10) Tacitus: “The history on which I am entering is that of a period rich in disasters, terrible with battles, torn by civil struggles, horrible even in peace. Four emperors fell by the sword; there were three civil wars, more foreign wars, and often both at the same time.”(The Histories, 1:2)

“Wars and Rumors of Wars”(Mt. 24:6-7a; Mk. 13:7-8a; Lk. 21:9-10) • In Askelon, 2,500 Jews were slain and 2,000 in Ptolemais (The Wars Of The Jews, 2:18:5) • In Alexandria, 50,000 Jews were slain at the order of Tiberius Alexander, the governor of the city (The Wars Of The Jews, 2:18:8) • After the death of Nero, three emperors (Galba, Otho, and Vitellius) died violently within a year (The Wars Of The Jews, 4:9:2)

“Wars and Rumors of Wars”(Mt. 24:6-7a; Mk. 13:7-8a; Lk. 21:9-10) • Vitellius, the governor of Syria, declared war against Aretas, the king of Arabia, but he returned home when he learned of the death of Tiberius(The Antiquities Of The Jews, 18:5:3) • Caligula ordered that his statue be placed in the temple in Jerusalem, and when the Jews refused to allow this, war was barely averted(The Antiquities Of The Jews, 18:8:1-9)

“Wars and Rumors of Wars”(Mt. 24:6-7a; Mk. 13:7-8a; Lk. 21:9-10) • In Seleucia, 50,000 Jews were slain by the Greeks and the Syrians(The Antiquities Of The Jews, 18:9:9) • In Jerusalem, 20,000 Jews died on the Passover while Cumanus was procurator of Judea(The Antiquities Of The Jews, 20:5:3)

“Wars and Rumors of Wars”(Mt. 24:6-7a; Mk. 13:7-8a; Lk. 21:9-10) • A sedition arose between the Jews and the Syrians in Caesarea(The Antiquities Of The Jews, 20:8:7) • In Caesarea, 20,000 Jews were slain in an hour (The Wars Of The Jews, 2:18:1)

“Famines”(Mt. 24:7; Mk. 13:8; Lk. 21:11) • Luke: “27 And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.” (Acts 11:27-28)

“Famines”(Mt. 24:7; Mk. 13:8; Lk. 21:11) • Josephus: “Now her coming was of very great advantage to the people of Jerusalem; for whereas a famine did oppress them at that time, and many people died for want of what was necessary to procure food withal....”(The Antiquities Of The Jews, 20:2:5)

“Famines”(Mt. 24:7; Mk. 13:8; Lk. 21:11) • Tacitus: “Many prodigies occurred during the year. Ominous birds took their seat on the Capitol; houses were overturned by repeated shocks of earthquake, and, as the panic spread, the weak were trampled underfoot in the trepidation of the crowd. A shortage of corn, again, and the famine which resulted, were construed as a supernatural warning.”(The Annals, 12:43)

“Earthquakes”(Mt. 24:7; Mk. 13:8; Lk. 21:11) Josephus:“...for there broke out a prodigious storm in the night, with the utmost violence, and very strong winds, with the largest showers of rain, with continual lightnings, terrible thunderings, and amazing concussionsand bellowings of the earth, that was in an earthquake. These things were a manifest indication that some destruction was coming upon men, when the system of the world was put into this disorder; and anyone would guess that these wonders foreshowed some grand calamities that were coming.” (The Wars Of The Jews, 4:4:5)

“Earthquakes”(Mt. 24:7; Mk. 13:8; Lk. 21:11) J. Marcellus Kik: “And as to earthquakes, many are mentioned by writers during a period just previous to 70 A.D. There were earthquakes in Crete, Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Colosse, Campania, Rome, and Judea. It is interesting to note that the city of Pompeii was much damaged by an earthquake occurring on February 5, 63 A.D.” (An Eschatology Of Victory, p. 93)

Different Kinds Of Persecution(Mt. 24:9-10; Mk. 13:9, 11-13; Lk. 21:12-17) • Speak by Inspiration(Mk. 13:11) • Peter (Acts 4:8ff) • Stephen (Acts 6:8ff) • Tribulation and Death(Mt. 24:9) • Stephen (Acts 7:54ff; 22:19f) • James (Acts 12:1) • Christians (Acts 22:3ff)

Nero’s Persecution In Rome Tacitus: “But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had

Nero’s Persecution In Rome its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon

Nero’s Persecution In Rome their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.

Nero’s Persecution In Rome Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man's cruelty, that they were being destroyed.” (The Annals, 15:44)

Hatred(Mt. 24:9; Mk. 13:13; Lk. 21:17) • Roman Jews: “But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.” (Acts 28:22) • John: “Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.” (1 Jn. 3:13)

Hatred(Mt. 24:9; Mk. 13:13; Lk. 21:17) Tacitus: “Nero substituted as culprits, and punished with the utmost refinements of cruelty, a class of men,loathed for their vices, whom the crowd styled Christians. Christus, the founder of the name, had undergone the death penalty in the reign of Tiberius, by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilatus, and the pernicious superstition was checked for a moment, only to break out once more, not merely in Judaea, the home of the disease, but in the capital itself, where all things horrible or shameful in the world collect and find a vogue.” (The Annals, 15:44)

Betrayal(Mt. 24:10; Mk. 13:12; Lk. 21:16) • Tacitus: “Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind.” (The Annals, 15:44)

False Prophets(Mt. 24:11) • Acts 20:29-30: “29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

False Prophets(Mt. 24:11) • 2 Pet. 2:1-2: “1 But there were also false prophetsamong the people, even as there will be false teachersamong you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.”

False Prophets(Mt. 24:11) • 1 Jn. 4:1: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophetshave gone out into the world.”

False Prophets(Mt. 24:11) Josephus: “There was also another body of wicked mengotten together, not so impure in their actions, but more wicked in their intentions…. These were such men as deceived and deluded the people under pretense of divine inspiration...and went before them into the wilderness, as pretending that God would there show them the signals of liberty....”(The Wars Of The Jews, 2:13:4)

False Prophets(Mt. 24:11) Josephus: “But there was an Egyptian false prophet that did the Jews more mischief than the former; for he was a cheat, and pretended to be a prophet also, and got together thirty thousand men that were deluded by him; these he led round about from the wilderness to the mount which was called the Mount of Olives, and was ready to break into Jerusalem by force from that place....”(The Wars Of The Jews, 2:13:5)

False Prophets(Mt. 24:11) Josephus: “Now it came to pass, while Fadus was procurator of Judea, that a certain magician, whose name was Theudas, persuaded a great part of the people to take their effects with them, and follow him to the river Jordan; for he told them he was a prophet, and that he would, by his own command, divide the river, and afford them an easy passage over it; and many were deluded by his words.”(The Antiquities Of The Jews, 20:5:1)

False Prophets(Mt. 24:11) Josephus: “Now, as for the affairs of the Jews, they grew worse and worse continually; for the country was again filled with robbers and imposters, who deluded the multitude. Yet did Felix catch and put to death many of those impostors every day, together with the robbers....these impostors and deceivers persuaded the multitude to follow them into the wilderness, and pretended that they would exhibit manifest wonders and signs, that should be performed by the providence of God.”(The Antiquities Of The Jews, 20:8:5-6)

Apostasy(Mt. 24:11) Many Warnings: • Ephesian Elders (Acts 20:28ff) • Colossians (Col. 2:8, 16ff) • Timothy(1 Tim. 4:1ff; 2 Tim. 3:1ff) • Titus(Tit. 1:10f) • Hebrews(Heb. 3:7ff; 6:4ff; 10:25ff) • Christians(2 Pet. 2:1ff)

Apostasy(Mt. 24:11) Many Examples: • Galatians(Gal. 1:6ff) • Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Tim. 1:18ff) • Phygelus and Hermogenes (2 Tim. 1:15) • Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Tim. 2:16ff) • Demas (2 Tim. 4:10) • Laodiceans (Rev. 3:14ff)

Premillennialism