Luke 21 Chronologically Aligned Past, Present, and Future Prophecies – Part 1
Many have been fulfilled, some are being fulfilled, and some are Yet to be Fulfilled.
The prophecies in Matthew 24 & Mark 13 fit more Easily into Luke Chronology
We are moving toward the Rapture, the Final War, the 2nd Advent and then into His Millennial!
November 4, 2013
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
“TOTE ELEGON” AND “BUT BEFORE ALL THESE”
PART 1
These two phrases “Tote Elegon” (THEN SAID HE), and “BUT BEFORE ALL THESE,” must be considered to correctly interpret the Olivet Discourse, and thereby rightly divide the time sequences outlined by Jesus as to the immediate and distant future events. Most of the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled before 100 A.D., some is being fulfilled now, and all will be fulfilled when Jesus comes again at the Second Advent.
Luke 21:5-12 – And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, [6] As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. [7] And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? [8] And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. [9] But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. [10] THEN SAID HE (tote elegon) unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: [11] And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. [12] BUT BEFORE ALL THESE, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.
Every thing from Luke 21:5 to 9 and Luke 21:12 to 25 was fulfilled before 100 A.D., Luke 21:9-11 is currently being fulfilled, and Luke 21:25-28 will be fulfilled at the Second Advent of Christ.
BUT BEFORE ALL THESE – AS YE SEE THE DAY APPROACHING
Luke 21:12 – But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.
This Scripture began to be fulfilled in the lives of the first New Testament Church members who heard it directly from the lips of Jesus as he spoke it to them, and continued to be fulfilled right up the time of the fall of Jerusalem, and in the days of the early churches into the third century. But the last phrase in the following verse has yet to be fulfilled.
Hebrews 10:25 – Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
The things in Luke 21:9 were, and still are, occurring!
Luke 21:9 – But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
There were many wars and commotions around and within the vast boundaries of the great Roman Empire, and one of them was the fall of Jerusalem to Titus in 70 A.D. But Jesus indicated the end of the age was a long way off by his comment “but the end is not by and by.”
The following verses began to be fulfilled in 1948 when Israel became a nation.
Luke 21:10,11 – Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: [11] And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
If one desired to put Luke 21:5 to 20 in chronological prophetic order, it would be as follows:
Luke 21:5-9 – And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, [6] As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. [7] And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? [8] And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. [9] But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
Luke 21:12-24 – But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. [13] And it shall turn to you for a testimony. [14] Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: [15] For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. [16] And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. [17] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. [18] But there shall not an hair of your head perish. [19] In your patience possess ye your souls. [20] And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. [21] Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. [22] For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. [23] But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. [24] And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Luke 21:10,11 – Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: [11] And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Luke 21:25-27 – And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; [26] Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. [27] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
I realize this may seem strange to some who read it, but in the weeks to come, Lord willing, I will make linguistic proofs that show this is a valid prophetic chronological sequence from the time it was uttered by Jesus until the end of the times of the Gentiles. So please stick with me as I demonstrate my proofs.
I Thessalonians 5:3,4 – For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
The Olivet Discourse by Jesus is found in Luke, Mark, and Matthew. I have read hundreds of expositions of the discourse by many different men. I can truthfully say, without reservations or hesitation, that many positions are held, and wide differences do indeed exist between them. Some believe it was all fulfilled by 70 A.D., some say most of it was fulfilled by 70 A.D., and some say most of it is yet to be fulfilled. Some say it only applies to the Jews, and some say it applies to both Jew and Gentile. In this exposition I will attempt to weave a pattern based on all three discourses, with the account of Luke serving as the basic document to explain Matthew and Mark’s accounts.
Matthew 24:1,2 – And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. [2] And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
His statement shocked the first church members to the depths of their souls. They had been required from their teens to annually come to this temple for the three Feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. It represented all that was holy to them, and many times they had met as a local church in its courtyards to worship God in the presence of their head, Jesus Christ. So, it is very easy to understand why, as soon as they were alone, they would be certain to ask him to elaborate on his shocking proclamation. They asked him a three-part question.
Matthew 24:3 – And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Question Number 1 – When shall these things be? When will the temple be leveled?
Question Number 2 – And what shall be the sign of thy coming? What things can we look for to let us know that you are soon to establish your kingdom?
Question Number 3 – And what shall be the sign of the end of the world (this age)? What things can we look for to let us know this age of Gentile domination is drawing to a close?
Christ began by telling them of two common things that would precede the leveling of the Temple Mount. They were to see many claiming to be the Messiah who could deliver them from the Romans, and there would be many rumors of wars within, and all around the periphery of, the borders of the great Roman Empire. This is precisely what happened from his crucifixion to 135 A.D., by which time Hadrian had placed the final touches on the prior leveling of the Temple Mount and the city of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 A.D.
Matthew 24:4-6 – And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. [5] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. [6] And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, BUT THE END IS NOT YET.
Mark 13:7 – And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; BUT THE END SHALL NOT BE YET.
Luke 21:9 – But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; BUT THE END IS NOT BY AND BY. Jesus clearly told them not to use these two things as the signs that were to mark his answers to questions two and three. These things would mark the period up to the last gasp of Jerusalem as a Jewish city, when it was given a new Roman name by Hadrian. Referring to question three, he stated very clearly: “but the end (of the age) is not yet, but the end (of the age) shall not be yet, but the end (of the age) is not by and by.” And even though he told them, and us, not to use these two things to mark his coming and the end of this age of the Gentiles, they are the very things we have repeatedly used right up to the present time. We have always had false messiahs and rumors of wars in all the ages since the cross and, while Scripture indicates false messiahs are to increase in the last times, they should not be used to teach that the coming of Jesus and the end of this Gentile age is rapidly approaching. So, just what should we use? I will cover this in the next article, Lord willing.
Hebrews 10:25 – Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:21-24 – And having an high priest over the house of God; [22] Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) [24] And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: