No, This is (Probably) NOT the End
Violence and upheaval in the Middle East, especially when it involves Israel, inevitably stirs up a hornet’s nest of anxieties and fears about the end of the world; some may wonder if it’s drawing near. That’s especially true for those who’ve been led to believe that in his Olivet Discourse, Jesus predicted what they’re seeing play out on the news right now - or, frankly, any time a threat to Jerusalem occurs. Well, the end may truly be at hand, but if it is, it’s not because of turmoil in the Holy Land. How so?
Before proceeding, I should be very clear about a few things. First, I love Israel and the Jewish people. I love the Holy Land and hope every Christian can travel to it and enrich their faith through what they study and see there. I long for peace in the region, and I’m thankful not only for my Jewish friends there but also for wonderful Christians who are in Israel and come from a Jewish background, as well as those Christians who are in the West Bank and are Palestinians. Many North Americans seem to forget that from Israel to Egypt and from Syria and Lebanon to Iraq and beyond, there have been large Christian populations in the Arab Middle East. We are one body with believers everywhere, whether in Israel or elsewhere. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.
Second, Hamas is devoted to the genocidal destruction of the Jewish people everywhere and wiping the nation of Israel off the earth. That is a demonically inspired murderous agenda, and Israel has every right to defend itself and conduct that defense in accordance with international law. It is right for America to support Israel as a strategic partner in the region, and I pray we continue to do so.
Third, there’s no room for antisemitism in Christian hearts. Paul is more than clear on this score in Romans - we gentile believers have been grafted into the rich olive tree of Israel, and it is not we who support that root but the root that supports us! Paul was willing to be accursed of God for the Jewish people, and he believed that the majority Jewish rejection of Jesus as Messiah was a temporary measure God ordained to save the world - including the Jewish people. God has not rejected his people (see Romans 9-11 in particular).
Lastly, we believe in Jesus' personal, visible, glorious return to transform the entire cosmos and move us from his kingdom's initiation and expansion phases to its final consummation, as heaven and earth are made new. Noting that what some people suggest are signs of the end actually aren’t isn't a denial of Jesus' return and the final resurrection and judgment; on the contrary, jettisoning erroneous ideas about this affirms the actual, spectacularly hopeful truth about Christ’s return.
Why do people think Jesus predicted the world's end in his Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21)? The answer is found in the impact of Dispensationalism - a late-arriving way of viewing God’s plans for history and redemption that originated with an early 19th-century Anglo-Irish minister among the Plymouth Brethren, JN Darby. Darby’s view was popularized in the US through the Scofield Reference Bible and the pop-level books on “the end times” written by Hal Lindsey, Tim Lahaye, and others. In fact, it is so pervasive in some evangelical circles that many Christians are astonished to discover that these ideas have no basis in ancient Christian teaching and are flatly refuted by the very texts often employed to promote the idea that the end is nigh. Let’s dig in.
It Was the End of A World but Not The World
The prophecies of Jesus concerning the destruction of Jerusalem recounted in Luke 21, Matthew 24, and Mark 13, are among the most debated topics in biblical scholarship and eschatology. While some interpret these chapters as prophetic insights into the future "end times," a closer examination of historical events reveals that they were fulfilled in the past, specifically during the Roman siege and destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Many claim that the prophetic passages are about the future end of the world, which has already been historically realized, and that strengthens our faith in God’s promise about Christ’s return.
Wrong-headed beliefs and predictions based on these passages undermine the credibility of their witness. Look, when people use them inaccurately as a basis for wild predictions that are never realized, people understandably stop paying attention to the warnings and look on the US Evangelical End-Times Industry as one more example of why Christian faith isn’t plausible and appeals only to the gullible. But the truth about these passages - how exactly they have been fulfilled - is a reminder that when God declares what’s coming, you can be sure he’ll back it up.
Before delving into the historical fulfillment, it is crucial to understand the context in which Jesus spoke these words. Jesus delivered these prophecies in response to his disciples' admiration of the Temple's grandeur, warning them of its impending destruction. The discourse in all three synoptic gospels is situated during the final week of his life, making the urgency and immediacy of his warnings palpable to his original audience.
Luke 21:5-6
"As some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 'As for these things that you see, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.'"
Matthew 24:1-2 and Mark 13:1-2
Both passages similarly recount Jesus predicting the complete destruction of the Temple.
Clearly these passages were about THAT Temple at THAT time in THAT Jerusalem.
Historical Fulfillment in the Siege of Jerusalem
In AD 66, tensions between Jewish groups and the Roman authorities escalated into open rebellion, culminating in a devastating response from Rome. By AD 70, Roman legions under General Titus besieged Jerusalem. The siege lasted several months, leading to severe famine, atrocities, and chaos within the city walls.
The Destruction of the Temple
The most crucial fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy came when the Temple, the center of Jewish religious life, was completely destroyed. Despite Titus' orders to spare the Temple, the Roman soldiers set it ablaze. Josephus, a first-century Romano-Jewish scholar and historian, describes the destruction:
"The Romans, setting fire to the Temple's gates, caused it to be entirely demolished to such a degree that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited." - Josephus, Wars of the Jews
This event matches Jesus' prophecy precisely, as not one stone was left upon another. And it was the end of the world - the Old Covenant World. The entire Temple complex was no longer needed because Christ had come as God’s Lamb to liberate us from slavery to sin. The demolition and siege took place within a generation of Jesus’ death and resurrection - just as he had promised.
The fall of Jerusalem marked a significant turning point in Jewish history. It ended the nationalistic Zealot movements that had fervently hoped for divine intervention for their cause against Rome. The event reshaped Jewish religious life, transitioning from Temple-centric worship to Rabbinic Judaism centered around synagogues and learning.
Eschatological Misunderstandings
The dramatic language used by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse has led some to interpret these prophecies as apocalyptic, referring to the end of the world. However, this interpretation can be challenged by understanding the Jewish apocalyptic literary style, which often uses symbolic language to describe historical events and their significance. It ended a world but not the world.
When Jesus speaks of the "end of the age," he refers to the end of the Old Covenant and the Mosaic era, not the physical end of the world. This transition is marked by the destruction of the Temple and the establishment of the New Covenant through his death and resurrection, inaugurating the Kingdom—a New Covenant Israel with greatly expanded borders and a population that included those wild Gentiles now grafted in and given full covenant citizenship not through the Law but through faith in the Messiah.
“Not Yet the End”
In the discussions of eschatology within the synoptic gospels, particularly the discourse in Luke 21, it is crucial to heed Jesus' explicit statement that "these signs are NOT yet the end." This clarification by Jesus is pivotal and yet often overlooked. He indicates that the foretold events, including wars, natural disasters, and persecutions, serve as precursors to a more immediate climax, namely the destruction of Jerusalem, not to the end of the world. His prophecy aimed to prepare his followers for the impending crisis of the city's fall rather than a distant apocalyptic event. The use of these texts to suggest they describe the end of the world is a significant misreading. Instead, they should be understood as forecasting the approaching end of a socio-religious era centered around Jerusalem and the Temple. It's very odd to conclude that what Jesus specifically said wasn’t a sign of the end, but the beginning is a sign of the end.
Days of Noah - Glad to be Left Behind, Actually
The reference to the "days of Noah" within these prophetic discourses is often cited in support of the rapture doctrine, which posits that Christians will be supernaturally removed from the world before a tribulation period. However, Jesus' analogy in this context points to a different interpretation. The narrative of Noah's flood, where the wicked were swept away while the righteous remained, underscores a contrary point to the typical rapture interpretation. When Jesus said, "one will be taken and the other left," the context suggests that being 'taken' is analogous to the judgment faced by the wicked in Noah's time. This interpretation aligns more closely with the biblical pattern of divine judgment and protection, where the righteous are preserved through trials rather than extracted from them.
Coming on the Clouds
The phrase "coming on the clouds," used by Jesus in his prophetic discourse, echoes the vision in Daniel 7, where a "Son of Man" comes on the clouds of heaven. Importantly, in the context of Daniel's vision and Jesus' reference, the direction of this 'coming' is not downward towards earth but upward towards the heavenly realm (“I saw one like the Son of Man coming on the clouds and he came UP to the ancient of Days…”). This imagery presents Jesus' ascension and subsequent enthronement as King rather than a physical descent back to earth. By aligning his prophecy with Daniel’s vision, Jesus identifies himself with the heavenly figure who receives authority, glory, and sovereign power. This connection highlights the inauguration of Jesus' reign, signifying a shift in spiritual authority from the old earthly Temple to his heavenly rule, reflecting the transformation brought about by the fulfillment of these prophecies in the first century.
Looking for the Blessed Hope
The prophecies made by Jesus in Luke 21, Matthew 24, and Mark 13 about the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple were historically fulfilled in AD 70. These prophecies, rather than forecasting an eschatological future, provided a divine commentary on a pivotal historical event—the close of one covenant era and the dawn of another. Understanding these passages in their historical and literary context allows for a more accurate interpretation and appreciation of their significance in Christian theology. Thus, these prophecies do not pertain to any future physical or apocalyptic destruction but rather to the profound transformation in the spiritual and religious landscape of Judaism and the emerging Christian faith. They were the words of Christ the King pointing ahead to the sign of his reign - and his return.
We should always be “looking for the blessed hope, the appearing again of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2). We grieve in hope and know that any believer alive when Christ returns will be transformed even as the dead in Christ as raised. We don’t try to figure out the next candidate for Antichrist; we watch for the return of the Savior, faithfully spreading his message to all. But embracing that truth also means avoiding bizarre teachings that lead to a kind of last-day craziness that sometimes grabs hold of well-intentioned people.
Misguided approaches have led to some disastrous and tragic outcomes. In the Middle Ages, various religious movements and cults predicted the world's imminent end based on their interpretations of these passages, causing widespread panic and disruption. That’s also happened in our time, and it’s not new.
For example, in the 12th century, the Joachimites believed that the world would end in 1260 AD, leading to social upheaval and the persecution of Jews. Similarly, in the 17th century, the Fifth Monarchy Men in England thought the second coming of Christ was imminent, leading them to attempt a violent overthrow of the government. More recently, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses made numerous failed predictions about the world's end, based partly on their interpretation of the Olivet Discourse in the Gospels. These false prophecies caused significant distress and disillusionment among their followers.
Irish poet WB Yeats captured the end-times angst of many in his work, “The Second Coming” -
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
“Passionate intensity” is sadly too often the bearing of those who would try to tether current events to apocalyptic passages in the Bible and, using fear as a significant motivator, encourage a panicked view of the state of society and global events… as well as sell a lot of books on the end times!
What’s Next? Is This the Last Generation?
The Bible says the Kingdom doesn’t come with signs to be observed. In fact, it says that Christ’s return will come like lightning, like a thief in the night, a shocking event for which people were unprepared. That’s precisely because what leads up to it isn’t accompanied by signs everyone would recognize. Jesus will come again. When that will occur is not revealed to us. So we live ready for his return and seek to be faithful until he comes.
Is this the last generation? Well, it’s our last generation! Do we know how this will all unfold in the years ahead? No. We don’t even know where we are in the story we are. As I like to tell people, if Christ doesn’t come for 10,000 years, that makes us the early Church! We’re just getting started, and there’s work to do!
What’s next is not revealed by trying to peak behind the scenes of things known only to God or staring into the sky waiting for Jesus to appear. Far from it. At Christ’s ascension, the angels said to the Apostles, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). They prayed; they were filled with the Spirit; and then they carried the good news of Jesus to their world. That’s what we are to do, too.
Honestly, I’ve lived long enough to see far more “apocalyptic” stuff taking place around the Holy Land than what’s happening right now (the ‘67 war, the ‘73 war). I’ve lived long enough to see a lot of candidates for Antichrist come and go (from John Kennedy and Henry Kissinger to Gorbachev and Bill Gates). Luther was sure it was the Pope. Frankly, the world has seen far crazier days than what we’re seeing now (which doesn’t mean total crazy couldn’t make a comeback with bubonic plague and global nuclear war by next Wednesday - at least we could skip the election!).
So rather than trying to find some secret last-day code from the Bible, let’s recall and celebrate that Christ is King right now, that the resurrection has already started because Christ has been raised from the dead, and that the gospel will be preached to the whole world. Let’s pray for the peace and people of Jerusalem, the defeat of Hamas and its Nazi-like ideology, and for the people of Iran to hear and believe the Gospel. Thousands have already come to Faith there, and a large underground church is growing. We’ve seen Iranian friends right here come to faith and be baptized at SRC.
While I disagree strongly with the dispensational approach to these (and other) passages, I want to be clear that my friends who hold to those views love the Lord Jesus, love the Bible, one another, and often far outshine me in humble, faithful witness. I don’t doubt for a moment the sincere faith of those who hold to the dispensational view of the Bible and the Second Coming. We should all be gracious with one another on these matters - after all, when Christ returns, he will make everything clear. Until then, we see only dimly to the other side of eternity.
Whenever Jesus comes, I pray he will find us faithful and catch us working in the fields for the harvest, with hearts longing for the day when tears are wiped away, death is swallowed up in victory, and all things are made new. Every Christian can agree on that, whatever our view of Christ’s return might be.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.
For more, see the chapter on Biblical Hope in my book “Indispensable”
For further study, see “The Last Days According to Jesus, by RC Sproul, “Bright Hope for Tomorrow” by Chris Davis, “The Olivet Discourse Made Easy” by Kenneth Gentry, and “An Eschatology of Victory” by J.Marcellus Kik