Understanding the Olivet Discourse: Prophecy and Interpretation

Devotional

Day 1: Interpreting Scripture with 'Sensus Literalis'

Understanding the Olivet Discourse requires applying the 'sensus literalis,' which involves interpreting Scripture according to its literary form, whether historical, poetic, or metaphorical. This principle helps us navigate the complexities of biblical prophecy. By recognizing the different literary forms within the Bible, such as historical narrative, poetry, and metaphorical language, we can better discern the intended message. This approach is crucial when dealing with prophetic texts, where the line between literal and figurative language can often blur. [01:51]

Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV): "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

Reflection: How can you apply the principle of 'sensus literalis' to a specific passage in the Bible that you find challenging to understand?

Day 2: Balancing Literal and Figurative Language

The Olivet Discourse presents a mix of literal and figurative language. While the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem is literal, the return of Christ and the timeframe of "this generation" require careful interpretation to reconcile with historical events. This balance is essential to avoid misinterpretation and to appreciate the depth of biblical prophecy. Understanding which elements are meant to be taken literally and which are metaphorical can deepen our faith and comprehension of God's word. [07:14]

Matthew 24:34-35 (ESV): "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."

Reflection: Consider a prophecy or promise in the Bible. How can you discern whether it should be understood literally or figuratively in your life today?

Day 3: Proclaiming the Gospel to All Nations

The phrase 'all nations' in the Olivet Discourse could refer to Gentile nations or the tribes of Israel. Understanding this term is crucial for interpreting the prophecy about the gospel being preached before the end. This interpretation affects how we view the mission of the church and our role in spreading the gospel. It challenges us to consider the scope of our evangelistic efforts and the inclusivity of God's message. [12:31]

Acts 13:47 (ESV): "For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"

Reflection: Who in your life represents the 'nations' that you are called to reach with the gospel, and what steps can you take today to share God's love with them?

Day 4: Understanding the 'End of the Age'

The 'end of the age' might not refer to the end of the world but rather the end of the Jewish age, marked by the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, which signifies a pivotal shift in redemptive history. This understanding can reshape our perspective on eschatology and the unfolding of God's plan throughout history. It invites us to see the continuity of God's work from the past to the present and into the future. [16:18]

Hebrews 9:26 (ESV): "For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

Reflection: How does understanding the 'end of the age' as a historical shift rather than a future event change your view of God's redemptive plan?

Day 5: Recognizing Metaphorical Astronomical Signs

The prophetic language of astronomical disturbances is often metaphorical, symbolizing divine judgment. Recognizing this helps us understand the discourse's imagery without demanding a literal fulfillment of these cosmic events. This insight allows us to appreciate the richness of biblical symbolism and the ways God communicates profound truths through vivid imagery. It encourages us to look beyond the surface and seek the deeper spiritual meanings in Scripture. [19:25]

Joel 2:30-31 (ESV): "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes."

Reflection: What is a current event or situation in your life that might be understood metaphorically as a 'divine judgment,' and how can you respond to it with faith and discernment?

Sermon Summary

In our exploration of the Olivet Discourse, we delve into the profound prophecy Jesus shared with His disciples concerning the destruction of the temple, Jerusalem, and the signs of the times, culminating in His return in glory. A critical aspect of understanding this discourse is the principle of biblical interpretation, particularly the 'sensus literalis,' which emphasizes interpreting Scripture according to the sense in which it is written. This means recognizing the different literary forms within the Bible, such as historical narrative, poetry, and metaphorical language.

When approaching the Olivet Discourse, we face three interpretative options: viewing the entire discourse as literal, as figurative, or as a combination of both. Critics often apply a literal interpretation to the entire discourse, leading to challenges, especially regarding the timeframe Jesus mentioned. The destruction of the temple and Jerusalem occurred literally, as predicted, but the return of Christ in glory has not yet happened in a literal sense. This discrepancy raises questions about the interpretation of "this generation will not pass away until all these things are fulfilled."

The discourse includes elements that are generally agreed upon as literal, such as the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, and the signs like wars, famines, and false messiahs. However, the proclamation of the gospel to all nations and the end of the age are more complex. The term 'nations' could refer to Gentile nations or the tribes of Israel, and the 'end of the age' might signify the end of the Jewish age rather than the end of the world.

The astronomical signs described in the discourse, such as the darkening of the sun and the falling of stars, are reminiscent of Old Testament prophetic language used metaphorically to describe divine judgment. This suggests that these signs might not be literal but rather symbolic of significant divine intervention.

Ultimately, the challenge lies in discerning which elements of the discourse are to be interpreted literally and which figuratively. This discernment is crucial to understanding the prophecy and addressing the criticisms it faces.

Key Takeaways

1. Principle of Interpretation: Understanding the Olivet Discourse requires applying the 'sensus literalis,' which involves interpreting Scripture according to its literary form, whether historical, poetic, or metaphorical. This principle helps us navigate the complexities of biblical prophecy. [01:51]
2. **Literal vs. Figurative Language:** The discourse presents a mix of literal and figurative language. While the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem is literal, the return of Christ and the timeframe of "this generation" require careful interpretation to reconcile with historical events. [07:14]
3. Proclamation to All Nations: The phrase 'all nations' could refer to Gentile nations or the tribes of Israel. Understanding this term is crucial for interpreting the prophecy about the gospel being preached before the end. [12:31]
4. End of the Age: The 'end of the age' might not refer to the end of the world but rather the end of the Jewish age, marked by the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, which signifies a pivotal shift in redemptive history. [16:18]
5. Astronomical Signs: The prophetic language of astronomical disturbances is often metaphorical, symbolizing divine judgment. Recognizing this helps us understand the discourse's imagery without demanding a literal fulfillment of these cosmic events. [19:25]
** [19:25]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:33] - Introduction to the Olivet Discourse
[01:08] - Principles of Biblical Interpretation
[01:51] - Literal vs. Figurative Language
[03:02] - Options for Interpretation
[05:00] - Criticisms and Challenges
[07:14] - Literal and Figurative Elements
[09:15] - Signs of the Times
[11:13] - Gospel to All Nations
[12:31] - Understanding 'Nations'
[15:37] - The End of the Age
[17:46] - Astronomical Perturbations
[19:25] - Old Testament Prophetic Language
[22:17] - Interpreting 'This Generation'
[23:43] - Conclusion and Reflection

Sermon Clips

"In our last session of our study of the last days you will recall that I went through Mark's version of the Olivet Discourse, and we saw all of the elements that were contained in that future prophecy that Jesus gave to His disciples about the destruction of the temple, the destruction of Jerusalem, and then all of the signs of the times that he enumerated, and then concluding with His prediction of His coming in clouds of glory after which He indicated that that generation would not pass away until all of these things would be fulfilled." [00:00:05]

"And, one of the most important principles of biblical interpretation is that called the 'sensus literalis,' that is often interpreted or translated by the words 'the literal sense' of Scripture. Now, that's somewhat misleading, because in the way in which people popularly use the term 'literal translation' they mean by that that things take place, they come to pass in exact measure according to what was written in the Scripture." [00:01:35]

"Whereas the concept of literal interpretation as it was first set forth in the Reformation meant that the Bible is always to be interpreted according to the sense in which it is written; namely, that there are some forms of literary structure in the Bible that are written in a sense of historical narrative. Other times we encounter the form of poetry. Some language we find is ordinary historical language; other language is figurative or metaphorical." [00:02:14]

"Now, if we look at Mark 13 and the Olivet Discourse we basically have three options in front of us on how to interpret the Olivet Discourse. The first option is to assume -- this will be option number one -- that the whole discourse is to be understood according to interpretation using ordinary language or what is normally called literal language." [00:03:48]

"Now, those critics that we have examined so far who have used the Olivet Discourse as a lever to attack biblical trustworthiness and even the accuracy of the prophecy of Jesus Himself have applied ordinary, literal language to the whole of the Olivet Discourse. And they see that certain parts of the discourse did take place according to the predictions; namely, when Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple in simple, ordinary language, that's exactly what happened in recorded history." [00:05:00]

"So, that leaves us, really, with the third option, which is looking at this text and seeing an interspersion here of ordinary language added to it with certain elements of figurative, metaphorical language. And that's the approach I'm going to take to the text. Now, the question then becomes what part of the text do we deal with in terms of literal interpretation, and what part of the text do we deal with in terms of figurative interpretation?" [00:07:13]

"Now, the question of the gospel to all nations is a question, and the sense and meaning of the term 'end of the age' is a question; and, of course, one of the big questions regard the astronomical perturbations (I'm going to call those), the upheaval of the heavens that is described as a precursor of the coming of Christ. We're going to raise a question about that, and then in the final analysis the question of 'this generation will not pass away.'" [00:10:03]

"In modern Christian expectation there are many who believe that until the gospel is literally preached to every tongue and every tribe and every people on this earth, until the gospel penetrates every nation on the globe, Christ will not return. In fact, some of the world mission enterprises are fueled by the desire to fulfill this sign to hasten the day of Christ's coming." [00:11:40]

"Let me just say in passing that those who believe that the fulfillment of the Olivet Discourse in its entirety took place within 40 years after the prediction of Christ; namely, within the timeframe of that generation of contemporaries who heard Jesus' prophecy, believe that what Jesus is speaking about here is not the end of world history, but the end of the Jewish age, the end of the economy of redemption that focused upon the Jewish nation, which did come to an end coincidental with the destruction of the temple and the destruction of Jerusalem." [00:15:43]

"Now, here we're talking about what I call astronomical perturbations or visible signs, catastrophic signs that take place in the heavens. Now, this raises a very significant question of literary style and form, for this reason that in the Old Testament it was not at all uncommon or unprecedented for the prophets of Israel to describe visitations of divine judgment upon the earth by using graphic imagery very similar to this imagery indicating a catastrophic judgment brought by God upon a city or on a nation in which these events were described in terms of astronomical perturbations that did not take place literally but were prophetic forms of metaphorical language." [00:17:48]

"Now, this is the language employed by the prophecy of Isaiah of events that clearly did take place without a literal astronomical upheaval. So, the point is this: when we come to the Olivet Discourse as I will look at in our next session, the question is -- the big issue with the Olivet Discourse is how we understand this word here -- generation. 'This generation shall not pass away until all of these things are fulfilled.'" [00:22:09]

"In other words, in simple terms, ladies and gentlemen, something in this text has to be interpreted figuratively, and something has to be interpreted literally, or there's no way we can salvage this text from the guns of higher criticism. And so the question that remains for us to examine is what do we look at literally, and what do we look at figuratively? And most critically again is the timeframe reference of 'this generation.'" [00:23:34]

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