Regarding future times and the end of the age
It is in Matthew 24 and 25 that we see the record of the direct teaching of Jesus Christ on the end of the age. In these chapters, Jesus presents a full description of the apocalypse. Here is a template, an outline to order correctly the time factors of what transpires from "The beginning of sorrows," through "The sign of the Son of Man in heaven," that proves by sight his descent toward earth.
Jesus had recently pronounced woes against the Pharisees and his heart-wrenching lamentation over Jerusalem. While leaving the temple area, he answered his disciples' wonderment over the magnificence of the temple buildings with a provocative statement witnessed in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13.
"There is not one stone laid upon another that shall not be thrown down," he said.
In Luke 21, the question is posed, "when shall these things be?" Jesus is still with the larger company of his disciples and followers as he speaks the words witnessed in that chapter, and this is not the discourse delivered later on Mount Olivet. Luke 21:37 contains the statement that Jesus taught daily at the temple and would camp nights on the Mount of Olives; this explains the plausibility that there were two discussions on the question of the destruction of the temple and the end times.
Luke's account witnesses the details Jesus gave as far as the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem and then adds Jesus' warning that the city would be trampled until the times of the Gentiles are complete. Finally application is made briefly to the far vision of the ultimate judgment day of the lord. Luke 21 is prologue to the question posed by some close disciples who came to him privately. Enter Matthew 24.
On the Mount of Olives, Jesus spoke in answer to those disciples who privately asked him "What will be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the age?" This is a different question from "When shall these things be," referring to the destruction of the temple structures.
Mark 13:3 mentions Peter, James, John and Andrew on that mountain coming to him privately and asking "when shall these things be," referring to the end of the "aion" or age. Thus Mark witnesses how Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple - a vantage point that visitors today might observe is overlooking the area between the mounts and onto the temple structure itself - some of the structures nearly level to their position. It might be observed from the Law and Prophets that this was near where the Shekinah Glory delayed before rising up to heaven. Mark mentions the four while Matthew lumps the whole inner group as being there. It is quite reasonable that the four started the conversation in the inner circle and others from among Jesus' closest got caught in on it.
Matthew alone witnesses the disciples specific reference to "the sign of thy coming and of the end of the age," which gives Matthew the lead on the task of forming the template for Jesus teachings on the end times - therefore the New Testament template for all teaching on the end times.
What is significant to start with is that the inner group received Jesus' instruction on the end of the age; it was the seed of the church therefore receiving, and therefore us. Always it should be considered important that the teaching to those chosen disciples of apostleship is the function for forming the seed of the church, the foundation - setting in order the most important instruction directly to the Genesis church.
So consider also: Matthew 28:16-20 next. Jesus gathers his inner 11, the Genesis of the Church, and he delivers to them the Great Commission. This takes place after Jesus triumph over death as he proclaims "all authority in heaven and earth." His promise is to be with the church even unto the end of the age, the "aion" or eon. The age of the church is given definitive duration in the Great Commission, making the instructions of the Olivet Discourse of prime importance to set the context for the Great Commission - and linking the understanding of that duration with a right understanding of what the Great Tribulation is.
We as the church are informed what we will see as the sign of his coming and the termination of his Great Commission covenant, the bond between our two parties. WE are told WE must keep going, teaching, baptizing, making more disciples, until Jesus comes and the age, the church age, is over. It is over when the Great Tribulation is "cut short" and Jesus sends his holy angels to rapture the elect.
Fun stuff. Next week, delving into Matthew's witness.
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