Lesson #19 The Apocalyptic Vision

(Matthew 24: 1 25: 46)

In Lesson #18, with each passing day of Holy Week, Jesus escalates his encounters with the religious authorities, building to a crescendo of seven scathing denouncements, calling them hypocrites, blind guides, snakes, a brood of vipers . . . and murderers!

After Peters confession of faith at Caesarea Philippi, identifying Jesus as Messiah and Son of God, and after God validates Peters confession of faith in the presence of Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration, Jesus and his disciples head directly for Jerusalem and the cross.
Three times along the way Jesus tells his disciples that upon arrival he will be arrested, tried, crucified buried and raised from the dead. In Lesson #18, Jesus seals his fate.

In Lesson #19, after savaging the religious leaders in Matthew 23, Jesus abruptly turns his back on them and steams up the Mt. of Olives, leaving the crowds aghast. Jesus disciplesastonished and frightenedtrail along behind him, speechless. Finally, one of themto break the tensionpoints out how beautiful the Temple looks! Jesus spins around, jabs a finger at the Temple complex and explodes: You see all these things . . . there will not be left here a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down (24: 2).

Jesus disciples are dumbfounded, and they ask, stammering: Tell us, when will this happen . . .? (24: 3). Jesus answers with Great Discourse #5, the Olivet Discourse, a profoundly disturbing insight into a time of great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until now, nor will ever be (24: 21).

Indeed, within the lifetime of many who lived in Jesus day, the Jewish revolt of A.D. 66-73 fulfilled Jesus vision in the Olivet Discourse, resulting in the siege of Jerusalem, the total destruction of the Temple and the end of Judaism, as it had been practiced for the past 1,500 years.

The historian Tacitus writes that during the Revolt no fewer than 600,000 Jews fought the Romans in Jerusalem; those captured were crucified, up to 500 per day; and historians estimate that 1.2 million Jews died during the span of the Revolt. It was the greatest catastrophe in Jewish history until the Nazi holocaust of 1939-1944, nearly 2,000 years later. Jesus Olivet Discourse fits squarely into the genre of apocalyptic literature, and it foreshadows the masterpiece of that genre, the book of Revelation.

All agricultural societies of pre-biblical times viewed the world from a cyclical perspective: The turn of the seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter; The cycle of crops: planting, growth, harvest and fallow; The cycle of life: birth, childhood, adolescence, maturity, old age and death.

Round and round it went.

 Adolescence Maturity Childhood Old Age

(facing west)

Birth

Egyptian Tree of Life (ink on papyrus). The trunk of the tamarisk tree represents the axis mundi, around which the heavens and all life revolve.

In a cyclical world view reality is a great circle, closed and predictable, with no imperative to define meaning. Life always was and it always will be, as the wheel goes round and round.
As Thomas Cahill points out in The Gifts of the Jews (1998) the literature that emerges from such a world view lacks a sense of development, like a shaggy-dog story without a beginning, middle or end, a sprawling narrative that leads nowhere, stories without a punch line.

In contrast, a linear world view has a distinct beginning, middle and end, a purpose toward which life moves. Literature that emerges from a linear world view has a sense of development: a beginning, the introduction of conflict, and a resolution of that conflict, at which time the story ends.

End Goal (Greek, telos)

The structure of the Christian Bible reflects this linear world view:
Our story begins in Genesis, with creation:
In the beginning . . . God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1: 1)

Conflict enters our story when Satan (Gods adversary) brings sin and death into the world, aiming to destroy Gods creation:
Now the snake was the most cunning of all the wild animals . . . (Genesis 3: 1)

God introduces the plan of redemption, the plan to save humanity:

The Lord said to Abram . . . all the families of the earth will find blessing in you (Genesis 12: 1-3).

Christ, our redeemer and hero, enters the story:

The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1: 1)

Christ battles and defeats Gods adversary, Satan:

The Devil who had led them astray was thrown into the pool of fire and sulfur . . . tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20: 10)

Christ triumphs, redeeming humanity and ushering in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21: 1)

In any culture with a linear world view, we would expect to find a body of art and literature that focuses on the end goal of the journey. And we do.

The Apocalyptic Genre

Deriving from the Greek word apokalypsis (unveiling), the apocalyptic genre unveils a subject previously hidden, things that could not be known apart from the unveiling. Typically, the unveiling reveals a vision of the end times, most often provided by an angel or a messenger sent from God.

Phase 1 ( 7th to 4th centuries B.C.)

Isaiah (Isaiah 24-27; 56-66) [Canonical] Ezekiel (chapters 37-48) [Canonical] Joel [Canonical] Zechariah [Canonical]

Phase 2 (late 3rd century B.C. to A.D. 70)

1 Enoch (c. 200 B.C.) Daniel (c. 165 B.C.) [Canonical] Jubilees (c. 150-100 B.C.) Sibylline Oracles, Book 3 (c. 150 B.C.) Testament of the Twelve (c. 150-100 B.C.) Psalms of Solomon (c. 48 B.C.) Testament of Moses (c. A.D. 6-36) 1 & 2 Thessalonians (c. A.D. 50-52) [Canonical] Matthew 24, and parallels in Mark and Luke (c. A.D. 65-75) [Canonical] 2 Peter (c. A.D. 68) [Canonical] Jude (c. A.D. 65-80) [Canonical] Martyrdom of Isaiah (1st century A.D.) Dead Sea Scrolls (c. 100 B.C. A.D. 70) Apocalypse of Moses (c. A.D. 70) Testament of Abraham (1st century A.D.) 2 Enoch (1st century A.D.)

Phase 3 (A.D. 70 2nd century A.D.)

Sibylline Oracles, Book 4 (c. 80 A.D.) 4 Ezra (c. A.D. 80-90) 2 Baruch (c. A.D. 90 110) Apocalypse of Abraham (c. A.D. 70 100) Revelation (c. A.D. 90 95) [Canonical] 3 Baruch (2nd century A.D.) Sibylline Oracles, Book 5 (2nd century A.D.) Apocalypse of Peter (2nd century A.D.) The Shepherd of Hermes (2nd century A.D.)

The Masterpiece of the Genre is the 3rd phase, Book of Revelation (A.D. 90-95)

Recall from Lesson #1 the tumultuous events of the 1st century, the time from which the New Testament emerges.
A.D. 32 Jesus trial, crucifixion, burial and resurrection A.D. 32 Birth of the Church on the Jewish feast of Pentecost A.D. 54 Nero becomes emperor, after his mother poisons the Emperor Claudius A.D. 59 Nero murders his mother, Agrippia A.D. 64 The Great Fire of Rome destroys a large portion of the city A.D. 64-68 Nero blames the fire on Christians, launching the 1st state-sponsored persecution against the Church A.D. 66-73 Jewish Revolt against the Roman Empire: 1.2 million Jews die; Temple and Jerusalem destroyed; Jews scattered A.D. 68 Nero commits suicide. A.D. 68-70 Four Emperors reign, three dispatched by murder or suicide A.D. 79 In Pompeii Mt. Vesuvius erupts with 100,000 times the thermal energy of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, blanketing the entire Roman Empire in volcanic ash. A.D. 89-95 Fierce persecution under the Emperor Domitian A.D. 90-95 Book of Revelation

Recall from Lesson #2 our definition of a Gospel

A gospel is an account of the good news of the coming Kingdom of God and of the redemption of humanity through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as seen through the eyes of a living faith tradition, guided by the Holy Spirit, 30-60 years after the events it portrays.

This is our context for Great Discourse #5, the Olivet Discourse

The Olivet Discourse

When Jesus left the stunned crowds at the Temple steps, he steamed up the Mt. of Olives. His shocked disciples trailed after him, and in order to cut the tension, one of them said cheerfully: My, doesnt the Temple look nice today! Jesus turned on them, jabbed a finger at the Temple complex, and said: You see all these things, do you not? Amen, I say to you, there will not be left here a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down (Matthew 24: 2). The Temple had stood on that spot for 939 years (959-586 B.C.; 516 B.C. A.D. 32), one of the largest and most beautiful buildings on earth! Jesus stunned disciples replied with a 3-part question: (1) Tell us, when will this happen, and (2) what sign will there be of your coming, and (3) of the end of the age? (Matthew 24: 3).

The Olivet Discourse, cont.

Jesus reply addresses all three questions:

1. Signs of his coming (Greek = parousia) (24: 4-35) 2. When he will come (24: 36-44) 3. What his disciples should do in the meantime (24: 45 25: 46).

Antonia Fortress Royal Portico

Southern Steps Eastern Wall Golden Gate

Temple

The Temple in Jesus day.

(1.50 scale model of 1st-century Jerusalem, Israel Museum.)
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

The Roman military under command of Titus recaptured the Temple complex from the Zealots on 29/30 July A.D. 70. Having caught fire during the battle, the Temple burned and collapsed. The stones lying parallel to the Western Wall today are from the Temple fire.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

The Arch of Titus on the Via Sacra in Rome commemorates Titus victory in suppressing the Jewish Revolt, A.D. 66-73. The Arch was built in A.D. 89 by Domitian, Titus brother.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

This detail of the Arch shows plunder from Jerusalem being brought back to Rome, including the Menorah from the Temple.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

The Olivet Discourse, cont.

1. Signs of his coming (Greek = parousia) (24: 4-35) 2. When he will come (24: 36-44) 3. What his disciples should do in the meantime (24: 45 25: 46).

The desolating abomination is referred to in Daniel 9:27, 11: 31, 12:11; in 1 Macccabees 1:54, 6:7; and in the synoptic Gospels in the Olivet Discourse. In Daniel and 1 Maccabees it refers to an image of Antiochus IV Epiphanes set up in the Temple in 167 B.C., during the Maccabean revolt.

The Olivet Discourse, cont.

1. Signs of his coming (Greek = parousia) (24: 4-35) 2. When he will come (24: 36-44) 3. What his disciples should do in the meantime (24: 45 25: 46).

So to, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come (Matthew 24: 44).

The Olivet Discourse, cont.

1. Signs of his coming (Greek = parousia) (24: 4-35) 2. When he will come (24: 36-44) 3. What his disciples should do in the meantime (24: 45 25: 46).

William Blake. The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Watercolor, brush and gray wash, pen and black ink over graphite), c. 1803-1805. New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

1. When did Jesus expect the end to come? 2. What is the desolating abomination Jesus refers to in Matthew 24: 15? 3. What set of events will precede Jesus coming? 4. When Jesus returns what signs will accompany him? 5. What should his disciples (you and I) do in the meantime?

Bonus Question: When do you think Jesus will return?

Copyright 2014 by William C. Creasy

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