The Church in heaven        Christ's
           The     Jerusalem   The Mystery Age  ^                          return
           Cross   destroyed    (see ch. 13)    |   Tribulation on Earth   to earth
              _|_  70 AD       ('the age', v.3) |Q.#2b        Q.#2c        Q.#3
_______________|___|____________________________|_____________|____________|____
               |   | v.2 - - -  v.4-8 - - - - - |   v.4-14    |   v.15-25  |v.26-31 
Jesus gives the    Q.#1         Q.#2a           | Beginnings  |  Jacob's   |
Olivet Discourse   |         (hidden Church Age)| of Sorrows  |  Trouble   |

• you {3x}... shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake...-
  Remember, Jesus is speaking to the Jewish nation.
     These afflictions, inflicted by other nations, describe intensifying hatred, against Israel, and against those who come to faith in Christ during the Tribulation (eg., Rev 6:9-11).
     This hatred is fomented by Satan, the dragon who persecutes the woman (Israel) who brought forth the man child (Christ). cp. Rev 12:1-6,13
• many... offended {GK=skandalizo, caused to stumble, apostasize}... hate one another...- cp. Mat 10:21-36
  There will be divisions within Israel, especially concerning the identity of the Messiah.
• false prophets... deceive many...- cp. Mat 7:15; Rev 13:11-14; 19:20
  As false teachers characterize the Christian era; false prophets characterize the Jewish era.
• iniquity shall abound... the love of many will grow cold.- cp. Jam 4:4; 1Joh 2:15-17; Rev 3:15,16
• the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached... to all nations- cp. Rev 11:15; 14:6,7; 15:3,4
  This message, preached by John the Baptist (Mat 3:2) and by Jesus during His early ministry (4:17), was temporarily set aside, when Israel rejected their King. During the Tribulation period, it will be preached again, because the second coming of the King will be near.
     [During the present Church Age, we proclaim the Gospel of the Grace of God in Christ Jesus (Acts 20:24,25), by which believers are delivered from sin and judgment (Rom 1:16-18) and are made citizens of Christ's spiritual heavenly kingdom (Col 1:5-6,12-14). The Gospel of the Kingdom relates specifically to the imminent return of the King to establish His Kingdom on earth.]

• the Holy Place (v.15) - is the Temple in Jerusalem. The Church has no earthly Temple.
  Note: Since the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, another Temple must be built in Jerusalem, before this prophecy can be fulfilled.
• those who are in Judea (v.16) - refers to Jewish people living in the land of Israel, at that future time.
  Note: For about 1900 years during the present age, Israel was dispersed from her land. Only recently has there been a substantial (but partial) restoration of the people to the land. This prerequisite for prophetic fulfillment is now in place.
• the sabbath (v.20) - restricts Jewish travelers, but would have no such effect on the Church.
  Although many Jews currently living in Israel are not religiously observant, a substantial portion of the population keeps the Sabbath, including travel limitations.

• the severity of the Great Tribulation cannot be over emphasized.
  In three and a half years, the population of the world will come very near self-extermination.
• should be shortened - This is stated in the past tense in Mark 13:20:
  "except the Lord had shortened those days..." - implying that the time was previously fixed and limited at a specific length (ie., a period of 'three and half years,' '42 months,' or '1260 days,' eg. Rev 11:1-3; 12:6,14 ). These limits were foretold in Dan 9:24, 'seventy weeks are determined...'.

1. Where?
   1. as the lightning...- v.26,27
      His coming will neither be isolated geographically, nor hidden.
   2. where the carcase is...- v.28; cp. Job 39:27-30
      He will come to judge moral corruption wherever it is found.
2. When?
   • immediately after the tribulation... then... - v.29,30
   • the sun darkened... the powers of the heavens... shaken- cp. Isa 13:9-11; Rev 6:12-17
3. How?
   1. then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven {ie., His 'power and great glory'}
      cp. v.30; Mat 16:27; 26:63,64; Acts 1:9-11
      the sign - GK=semeion, a sign, mark, token, that by which a person is distinguished from others and known [OLB]
   2. all the tribes of the earth {ie., the land} shall mourn... shall see... - v.30
      This word for 'earth' {GK=ge, land, country} refers, not to the whole planet, but rather to a specific region {ie., Israel}. cp. 'land' in Mat 2:6,20,21
      This describes the response of the twelve tribes of Israel to His coming in glory.
      cp. Zech 12:10-14; Rev 1:7
   3. He shall send His angels... they shall gather... His elect...- v.31
      • Note that this is not the Rapture of the Church.
        At the Rapture, "The Lord Himself" (not the angels) will catch the Church away at the sound of His voice (a voice like that of an archangel, and like that of a trumpet). cp. 1The 4:16,17; Rev 1:10; 4:1,2
      • This is the gathering of the remnant of Israel into Christ's earthly Kingdom.
        • Israel is called God's elect. Isa 45:4; Deu 7:6
        • They were scattered to the four winds, because of their rebellion. Ezek 5:10; Zech 2:6
        • The believing remnant will be regathered, when Christ returns to earth.
          cp. Isa 11:12; 27:13; 43:1-7; Jer 16:14,15

• With the 'greening' of Israel (ie., the re-establishment of the nation in the land, in 1948 AD),
  we know that the season approaches.
  Just as, following the Babylonian captivities, Israel had to be restored to her land before Messiah's first advent, so, she must be in her land prior to His second coming to His Temple. (Note that both restorations, prior to Christ's first and second advents, are partial, because a high percentage of Israelites would remain in the diaspora. When He comes again, all of the elect will be gathered into His Kingdom.)
• But the sign is not the greening of Israel, but "when you shall see all these things" (v.33)
  cp. NIV trans. of Mark 13:29 and Luk 21:31: "when you see all these things happening" (ie., all the things described in v.9-25 concerning the end of the age).

1. the word for 'taken' in v.40,41 {GK=paralambano, to take alongside}
   suggests tender protective care (as in Mat 2:13,14,20,21).
   However, this word is not always used in a pleasant context.
   The question is: 'Taken alongside of whom?' Examples of unpleasant uses of 'paralambano' -

   • Mat 4:5,8; 12:45 (re: the Devil and demons);
   • Mat 27:27; Joh 19:16 (re: Jesus taken to judgment);
   • Luk 17:34-37 (...taken... Where?...)
2. the word for 'took' in v.39 is a different word {GK=airo, to carry away}.
   However, the word choice is determined by the mechanism.
   In v.39, an impersonal force, the flood, 'carried them away.'
   In v.40,41 the angels 'will take them' one by one.
   But in either case the destination is judgment.