VIDEO & OUTLINE LESSON#7: "THE COMING OF THE END" MATTHEW 24:29-31

Matthew 24:29–31 (ESV)

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

INTRODUCTION

CENTRAL QUESTION

Did Jesus literally predict the collapse of the physical universe or is He using the prophetic language of the Old Testament to describe the AD 70 fall of Jerusalem?

This is the climax of Jesus' answer to the disciples' first question: "When will these things be?" (Matt 24:3). The cosmic imagery in verses 29–31 must be read through a biblical-covenantal lens, not through a modern Western-scientific one.

Key control verse: Matthew 24:34 (ESV):

Matthew 24:34 (ESV)

"Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place."

HERMENEUTICAL KEY

Because Jesus anchors the fulfillment to "this generation" (the generation of His Jewish contemporaries, c. AD 30–70), all of Matthew 24:29–31 must refer to events within that 40-year window not to a distant Second Coming.

PART 1 – THE COLLAPSING UNIVERSE

Matthew 24:29: Cosmic Distress Language

Matthew 24:29 (ESV)

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."

A. The Temporal Signal: "Immediately" (Gk. eutheos)

• The Greek word eutheos appears 13 times in Matthew and always means something happening very soon after a preceding event.

• It directly links verse 29 to the tribulation of verses 15–28 the AD 66–70 war.

• This rules out any long gap between the tribulation and these "cosmic" events.

B. The Old Testament Pattern: Judgment as Cosmic Collapse

Scripture consistently uses sun-moon-stars imagery to describe the fall of earthly nations NOT the end of the physical cosmos. Consider the following parallel passages:

OT Passage                 Nation Judged             Cosmic Language Used

Isa 13:10, 13                 Babylon                             Sun darkened; heavens tremble; earth shaken

Isa 34:3–5                    Edom                                 Sky rolled up like a scroll; stars wither

Ezek 32:7–8                Egypt                              Sun covered; moon gives no light; stars darkened

Jer 4:23–24                Israel (Babylon)          Earth formless; heavens have no light; mountains                                                                                   quake

Joel 2:10                       Israel (OT judgment)    Sun and moon grow dark; stars lose brightness

Matt 24:29                    Israel (AD 70)                Sun darkened; stars fall; powers shaken

CONCLUSION FOR PART 1

When a national government collapses in war and upheaval, the Old Testament prophets routinely portray it as a cosmic catastrophe an "undoing of creation." Jesus is doing exactly the same thing in Matt 24:29, applying this well-established prophetic pattern to the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem.

PART 2 – THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN IN HEAVEN (10 minutes) [7:20 PM]

Matthew 24:30 Vindication, Not Physical Return

Matthew 24:30 (ESV)

"Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

A. The Greek Syntax: What Actually "Appears"?

Literal Greek word order (kai tote phanesetai to semeion tou huiou tou anthropou en ourano):

Correct Translation

"Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven" KJV / ASV / Greek Interlinear. What appears is THE SIGN not the Son of Man Himself. The sign signifies that the Son of Man is NOW in heaven, enthroned and vindicated.

B. What Is the Sign? The Smoke of the Burning Temple

• The fiery destruction of the Temple (AD 70) is the visible sign that Jesus, whom Israel crucified, has been vindicated at the Father’s right hand.

• This fulfils Acts 2:19 "wonders in heaven above... blood, fire, and vapor of smoke" spoken to the men of Israel (Acts 2:14, 22, 36).

"But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words." Acts 2:14(ESV)

"And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke." Acts 2:19(ESV)

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know." Acts 2:22(ESV)

"Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Acts 2:36(ESV)

Acts 2:34–35 (ESV)

"For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

• Josephus records the Temple fire’s smoke was so massive it looked like "the whole city had been on fire" (J.W. 6:5:1).

“...as the flame burst out from within the holy house, it appeared to resemble the blaze of a furnace. The mountains all around were lit up, and the smoke was so great that one would have thought the whole city had been on fire.” (Jewish War 6.5.1, Whiston trans., p. 737).

• Jesus told the very Sanhedrin who condemned Him: "You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power" (Matt 26:64). That "seeing" was fulfilled in AD 70.

"63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy." Matthew 26:63-65(ESV)

C. The "Tribes of the Land" (Gk. ge = land of Israel)

The Greek word ge can mean earth/world or a specific land. In Matthew’s Gospel:

• "Land of Judah" — Matt 2:6

• "Land of Israel" — Matt 2:20–21

• "All the land" at the crucifixion" — Matt 27:45

"Tribes" (Gk. phule) is the standard LXX term for the tribal structure of Israel (Zech 12:10–14). In this context, "all the tribes of the earth" most naturally means the tribes of the Land of Israel mourning the loss of their Temple, city, and national identity.

D. "Coming on the Clouds": OT Judgment Language

Isaiah 19:1 (ESV)

"An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them."

God did not physically fly to Egypt on a cloud, this describes the Assyrian invasion as God’s judgment. Likewise, "the Son of Man coming on the clouds" in Matthew 24:30 describes God’s judgment-coming in AD 70, not a physical, visible descent.

CONTRA DISPENSATIONALISM

Dispensationalists split Matt 24:29–31 from the preceding verses, claiming it shifts to a still-future Second Coming. But the word "immediately" (v. 29) and the timeframe of "this generation" (v. 34) forbid any such gap. The entire passage is a unified prophecy about AD 70.

PART 3 – THE GREAT JUBILEE (8 minutes) [7:30 PM]

Matthew 24:31 — Gospel Mission, Not Rapture

Matthew 24:31 (ESV)

"And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

A. The Jubilee Background

The Year of Jubilee (Lev 25:2–14) was proclaimed every 50th year by the blowing of a trumpet (Lev 25:9). It meant:

• Release from bondage and debt

• Return to one’s inheritance

• Cessation of all servile labor

Isaiah 61:1–2 applies Jubilee imagery prophetically to the age of Messiah:

Isaiah 61:1–2 (ESV)

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor..."

Jesus explicitly inaugurated this fulfillment in the Nazareth synagogue:

Luke 4:18–21 (ESV)

"...he has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down... And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

B. The Trumpet = Gospel Proclamation

• The "loud trumpet call" (Matt 24:31) echoes the Jubilee trumpet of Lev 25:9, announcing the arrival of ultimate freedom from sin.

• The collapse of the Temple order removes the last major institutional barrier between the Gospel and the Gentile nations.

• In Scripture, the word of God can be described as "a voice like a trumpet" (Isa 58:1; Rev 1:10; 4:1).

C. The Angels = Gospel Messengers

The Greek aggelos simply means "messenger" used of human messengers in Matt 11:10. Here the "angels" are most likely the apostolic missionaries sent out with the Great Commission (Matt 28:19).

Matthew 23:37 (ESV)

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!"

The same Greek word episunago ("gather") appears in Matt 23:37, 24:31, and Heb 10:25. The gathering is ecclesial: Christ is gathering His elect into the Church from every direction.

D. "From the Four Winds" = Worldwide Gospel Expansion

• "From the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" = from horizon to horizon (cf. Deut 30:4, LXX).

• This is the fulfilment of the Parable of the Marriage Feast (Matt 22:7–9): Israel rejects the invitation; the King burns their city, then sends servants to the highways the Gentile nations.

• This anticipates and is fulfilled in the Great Commission (Matt 28:19) and the worldwide missionary expansion of the post-AD 70 Church.

CONCLUSION FOR PART 3

Matthew 24:31 is not about a future rapture or second-coming resurrection. It is the Jubilee declaration the gospel trumpet announcing that in Christ, all debt (sin) is forgiven, and the elect are being gathered from every nation into His Kingdom through the preaching of the Word.

CONCLUSION & APPLICATION

Matthew 24:29–31 presents three redemptive-historical movements occurring in and around AD 70:

Redemptive Significance

1.) Matt 24:29: The old covenant world order collapses portrayed in classic OT cosmic-destruction imagery.

2.) Matt 24:30: Christ is vindicated at the Father’s right hand. The smoking ruins of Jerusalem are the sign that Jesus is Lord.

3.) Matt 24:31: The gospel Jubilee is proclaimed worldwide. The elect from every nation are gathered into the Church.

POSTMILLENNIAL IMPLICATION

The fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 did not end history it launched it. The removal of the Judaizing threat and Jewish persecution freed the Church to fulfil the Great Commission globally. This is consistent with a Postmillennial, New Covenant Theology reading: the Kingdom of Christ advances through the preaching of the Gospel until all nations are discipled.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Discussion Question 1

In Matthew 24:29, Jesus uses cosmic imagery the darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars. How did you once understand these verses? Now, after examining parallel passages in Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Joel, how has your perspective shifted? What impact does this have on the way we read biblical prophecy?

Discussion Question 2

Many Christians interpret the ‘sign of the Son of Man in heaven’ (Matthew 24:30) as Christ’s literal return in the sky. But in our study, the ‘sign’ points to the smoke rising from the burning Temple—the proof that Jesus was vindicated by the Father. How would you explain this interpretation to a friend or fellow believer who is Adventist or Dispensationalist? Which passages would you use to support it?

Discussion Question 3

In Matthew 24:31, the ‘gathering of the elect from the four winds’ is often cited by SDA and Dispensationalists to support an end‑time rapture or second‑coming harvest. Yet our study shows it actually points to the Jubilee the spread of the gospel to all nations after AD 70. If the preterist explanation is correct, what does this mean for the church’s mission today? How does it connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20?”

VIDEO & OUTLINE LESSON#6: "The Beginning of the End" (Matthew 24:15–28)

FAP BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINAR LESSON#6: "The Beginning of the End" (Matthew 24:15–28)

Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026 | Time: 7:00 PM | Series: The Olivet Discourse Made Easy

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LESSON OVERVIEW

¹⁵ “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, ¹⁸ and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ¹⁹ And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. ²² And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. ²³ Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you beforehand. ²⁶ So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸ Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."Matthew 24:15-28 (ESV)

Main Thesis: Matthew 24:15–28 finds complete fulfillment in the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem under the Roman general Titus not in any future tribulation period. The "Abomination of Desolation," the Great Tribulation, the False Christs, and the Eagles/Carcass imagery all speak with precision to first-century events.

Key Verse: "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand) …" Matthew 24:15 (ESV)

LESSON OUTLINE (45 Minutes)

I. INTRODUCTION & REVIEW (5 minutes)

Hook: Ask the group "What do you think is the most feared and misunderstood verse in the Olivet Discourse?"

Transition from Previous Sessions:

• In Sessions 1–5, we established that Jesus is addressing His first-century Jewish disciples (Matt. 24:1–3) about the destruction of the then-standing Temple.
• Matthew 24:1–14 covered birth pangs and signs preceding the end.
• Matthew 24:6 explicitly said, "The end is not yet."
• Now with verse 15 introduced by "therefore/So" Jesus begins the heart of the Discourse: the beginning of the end.

Key Bridge Text:

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. So, when you see…"  Matthew 24:14–15 (ESV)

II. THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION (Matt. 24:15–20) — 12 minutes

A. What Does "Abomination" Mean?

• In OT context, "abomination" = desecration of worship, either through false worship or profaning of true worship. (“Kalapastanganan sa pagsamba”)
  
  
  • Deut. 7:25 — "The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire… lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God." (ESV)
    
    
  • Deut. 17:1 — "You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God." (ESV)
    
    
  • Lev. 7:18 — "If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten on the third day, he who offers it shall not be accepted… it is tainted, and he who eats of it shall bear his iniquity." (ESV)
    
    
• "Abomination of desolation" = a spiritually loathsome defilement resulting in utter destruction.
  
  

B. Four Reasons This Points to AD 70 (Not a Future Event)

1. The Temple Was Already Standing — Jesus' audience had no reason to imagine any other temple. A "future rebuilt temple" must be proved, not assumed.

   • Matt. 24:1–2 — "Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, 'You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.'" (ESV)

2. The Disciples' Question Provoked the Discourse — They asked about that Temple, that holy city.

   • Matt. 24:3 — "As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?'" (ESV)

3. Luke's Parallel Removes All Ambiguity

   • Matt. 24:15 says "abomination of desolation"; Luke 21:20 translates it for Gentile readers:

   "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near." — Luke 21:20 (ESV)

   • These are the same event — Matthew's Jewish idiom, Luke's Gentile clarification.

4. The Time-Frame Anchor of Matthew 24:34

   "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." — Matt. 24:34 (ESV)

   • Josephus himself uses the Greek word eremothe ("desolation") of Jerusalem's destruction the same verbal root Jesus uses in Matt. 24:15.
     
     
   • Josephus also applies Daniel's prophecy to the Roman destruction: "Daniel also wrote concerning the Roman government, and that our country should be made desolate by them." (Antiquities 10:11:7)

C. The "Holy Place" Is Both Temple and City

• Dan. 9:26 — "…the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." (ESV) — Note: city AND sanctuary.
  
  
• Dan. 9:25 calls Jerusalem itself "the holy city."
  
  
• Zech. 2:12 — "…the LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem." (ESV)
  
  
• The flight commanded is from all of Judea, not just the Temple precinct (Matt. 24:16).

D. The Urgency of Immediate Flight (Matt. 24:16–20)

"Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak." — Matt. 24:16–17 (ESV)

• Historically, Jewish Christians in Jerusalem heeded this warning and fled to Pella before Titus completed the siege not a single Christian perished in the Fall of Jerusalem (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3:5).
  
  
• The local, Judean focus confirms this is not a worldwide tribulation.

III. THE GREAT TRIBULATION (Matt. 24:21–22) — 10 minutes

The Objection Stated:

"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short." — Matt. 24:21–22 (ESV)

Futurists argue this language is too extreme to fit AD 70.

Five responses:

1. The Timeframe (Matt. 24:34) — "This generation" demands a first-century fulfillment. Period.

2. The Jewish Historical Reality

• Josephus: "The war which the Jews made with the Romans hath been the greatest of all those… in a manner, of those that ever were heard of." (Jewish Wars, Preface 1)
  
  
• 1.1 million Jews perished in the siege of Jerusalem; the Temple, the center of Jewish worship for 1,000 years was annihilated forever.
  
  
• From the divine covenantal perspective, no judgment exceeds this: it was God's holy verdict upon the nation for crucifying His Son.
  
  
  • Matt. 21:37–41 (Parable of the Tenants); Luke 19:41–44 (Jesus weeping over Jerusalem)

3. The Divine Perspective — Covenantal Finality

• Luke 19:43–44 — "For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side… because you did not know the time of your visitation." (ESV)
  
  
• The end of the sacrificial system, the Levitical priesthood, and the Old Covenant economy = unrepeatable, once-for-all covenantal judgment.

4. The Noahic Flood Comparison (Matt. 24:38–39)

• Jesus himself compares the AD 70 judgment to the global Noahic Flood using hyperbolic language freely.
  
  
• Gen. 7:19–20; 2 Pet. 2:5 — Even the Flood, which destroyed the entire inhabited world, is used as a type. Jesus uses dramatic language without literalistic precision.

5. Prophetic Parlance — Biblical Hyperbole

• Exod. 11:6 — "There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again." (ESV) Said of the 10th Plague on Egypt in 1446 BC.
  
  
• Ezek. 5:9 — "And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again." (ESV) Said of Babylon's destruction of Jerusalem (586 BC).
  
  
• 2 Kgs. 18:5 vs. 2 Kgs. 23:25 — Hezekiah and Josiah are both described with uniqueness language. This is standard biblical idiom, not strict literalism.

Conclusion on vv. 21–22: The "no flesh saved" language means no one in that historical context would survive unless God cut short the days which He did, in His mercy for the elect (Jewish Christians who fled).

IV. FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS (Matt. 24:23–26) — 7 minutes

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." — Matt. 24:23–24 (ESV)

This is a reiteration and intensification of Matt. 24:5 and 24:11.

Historical Evidence (Josephus, Jewish Wars):

• Groups arose "under pretense of divine inspiration" leading people into the wilderness claiming God would show them "the signal of liberty." (J.W. 2:13:4)
  
  
• An Egyptian false prophet led 30,000 men around the wilderness to the Mount of Olives, promising miraculous deliverance. (J.W. 2:13:5) — Note: Jesus specifically warns, "If they say, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out." (Matt. 24:26 ESV) a direct address to this event!
  
  
• Rabbinic messianic fervor was high, fueled by Isa. 66:7 and Mic. 5:3 expectations of a Messiah appearing before Jerusalem's fall.

The True Coming — Unmistakable (Matt. 24:27):

"For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." — Matt. 24:27 (ESV)

• Jesus distinguishes: the parousia (Second Coming) will be universally visible and unmistakable, unlike the localized, ambiguous claims of first-century false messiahs.
  
  
• The "coming" in AD 70 (vv. 29–31) is His judicial/covenantal coming in judgment the Second Advent is an altogether different and openly glorious event.

V. THE CARCASS AND THE EAGLES (Matt. 24:28) — 6 minutes

"Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." — Matt. 24:28 (ESV)

The Imagery:

• OT covenantal curse imagery for national rebellion: Deut. 28:26 — "And your dead body shall be food for all birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away." (ESV)
  
  
• A dead, rotting corpse devoured by birds = Israel, judicially dead, devoured by Rome.
  
  
• See also: 1 Kgs. 14:11; Jer. 7:33; 19:7; Ezek. 37 (the dry bones vision).

The Eagle = Rome:

• Jesus deliberately uses aetos (eagle), not a generic word for birds.
  
  
• The eagle was the standard emblem of the Roman Legion, carried on the battle ensigns into every campaign.
  
  
• Deut. 28:49 (LXX) — "The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle (aetos)." (ESV) a Mosaic covenant curse fulfilled in Rome's destruction of Jerusalem.
  
  
• Josephus records the Roman soldiers planting their eagle standards in the Temple court and offering sacrifices to them before Titus. (J.W. 6:6:1)

Summary Image: Israel = the carcass. Rome = the eagles. AD 70 = the covenantal feast of divine judgment.

VI. CONCLUSION (5 minutes)

Summary of Key Truths:

1. The Abomination of Desolation = Roman armies surrounding and destroying Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 confirmed by Luke 21:20, Josephus, and Daniel.
   
   
2. The Great Tribulation = unprecedented covenantal judgment on Israel; its "uniqueness" language is standard OT prophetic hyperbole not grounds for a future fulfillment.
   
   
3. The False Christs and Prophets = historically documented first-century figures, precisely as Jesus predicted.
   
   
4. The Eagles on the Carcass = the Roman legions consuming a judicially dead Israel the fulfilment of Deuteronomy 28 covenant curses.

Closing Pastoral Application:

• For former Adventists: dispensational prophecy charts (United Nations, 5,000 square miles, rebuilt temple) find zero grounding in Scripture. Faithful biblical interpretation reads the text in its own covenantal, historical context.
  
  
• The Fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 punctuates the end of the Old Covenant and the inauguration of the New Covenant Kingdom of Christ the very Kingdom we now inhabit and advance.
  
  
• Deut. 28 curses are not our future they are Israel's past. We live under the Abrahamic blessing in Christ (Gal. 3:13–14).

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us… so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles." — Galatians 3:13–14 (ESV)

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 

1. Maraming dispensationalists ang naniniwala na ang "Abomination of Desolation" ay mangyayari pa lang sa hinaharap kasama na ang isang rebuilt na templo sa Jerusalem. Batay sa ating pag-aaral ngayong gabi, ano ang mga kongkretong dahilan mula mismo sa Salita ng Diyos kung bakit hindi kailangan ng isang hinaharap na templo para matupad ang propesiya ni Hesus sa Mateo 24:15? At paano nakakatulong ang Lucas 21:20 para maunawaan natin ito nang mas malinaw?

2. Ang "Great Tribulation" sa Mateo 24:21–22 ay madalas gamitin para sabihin na ang Olivet Discourse ay hindi pa natutupad na ang pinaka-matinding panahon ng pagdurusa ay nasa hinaharap pa. Ngunit nakita natin ngayon na gumagamit ang Bibliya ng katulad na "uniqueness language" sa Exodo 11:6 at Ezekiel 5:9 para sa mga pangyayari na malinaw na nakaraan na. Bilang mga dating miyembro ng isang organisasyon na malaki ang binibigay na importansya sa futurist prophecy, paano kayo na-apektuhan ng interpretasyong ito noon, at paano binabago ng Partial Preterist na pananaw ang inyong pag-unawa sa pangako ng Diyos para sa Kanyang Simbahan ngayon?

3. Ang imahe ng "bangkay at mga agila" sa Mateo 24:28 ay nagpapakita na ang pagbagsak ng Jerusalem ay hindi aksidente ng kasaysayan ito ay katuparan ng covenant curse ng Diyos mula sa Deuteronomio 28. Sa konteksto ng ating ministeryo sa Former Adventists Philippines, paano makakatulong ang pag-unawang ito na ang AD 70 ay pagtatapos ng Old Covenant economy at simula ng Kingdom ni Kristo para mapalakas ang ating pananampalataya at ang ating proklamasyon ng Ebanghelyo sa mga nag-aalinlangan pa?

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MASTER LIST OF BIBLE TEXTS (ESV)

Reference	Topic
Matt. 24:1–3	Disciples observe the Temple; their threefold question
Matt. 24:6	"The end is not yet"
Matt. 24:14–15	Gospel to all nations; "therefore when you see…"
Matt. 24:16–20	Urgent flight from Judea
Matt. 24:21–22	The Great Tribulation; days cut short
Matt. 24:23–24	False christs and false prophets with signs and wonders
Matt. 24:26	Warning: "he is in the wilderness / inner rooms"
Matt. 24:27	The true Coming — visible as lightning
Matt. 24:28	Carcass and eagles
Matt. 24:34	"This generation will not pass away…"
Matt. 24:38–39	Days of Noah comparison
Matt. 21:37–41	Parable of the Tenants; destruction of vinedressers
Matt. 21:42–44	The rejected Cornerstone; "grind him to powder"
Matt. 23:35–38	Blood of righteous Abel to Zechariah; desolation of the house
Luke 19:41–44	Jesus weeps over Jerusalem; siege foretold
Luke 21:20–21	Jerusalem surrounded by armies = abomination of desolation
Dan. 9:25–26	Holy city and sanctuary; city and sanctuary destroyed
Deut. 7:25	Idols as abomination
Deut. 17:1	Blemished sacrifice as abomination
Deut. 28:26	Covenant curse: corpses as food for birds
Deut. 28:49	Nation from afar, swooping like an eagle
Lev. 7:18	Profaning of peace offering
Exod. 11:6	Tenth plague: uniqueness language hyperbole
Ezek. 5:9	Babylonian judgment: uniqueness language hyperbole
Ezek. 37	Vision of the dry bones = judicially dead Israel
2 Kgs. 18:5	Hezekiah's unique faithfulness
2 Kgs. 23:25	Josiah's unique faithfulness (same hyperbolic language)
Zech. 2:12	Jerusalem as the holy land
Gen. 7:19–20	The Noahic Flood — global destruction
1 Pet. 3:20	Eight persons saved through water (Noah)
2 Pet. 2:5	God did not spare the ancient world
1 Kgs. 14:11	Birds devouring the dead — covenant curse
Jer. 7:33; 19:7	Carcasses as food for birds — covenant curse
Psa. 79:2–3	Jerusalem's dead left unburied
Gal. 3:13–14	Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law

VIDEO & OUTLINE: LESSON 5: "FALSE EXPECTATIONS OF THE END" Matthew 24:4–14

FORMER ADVENTISTS PHILIPPINES FAP Bible Prophecy Seminar Saturday, May 2, 2026  |  7:00 PM

LESSON 5: FALSE EXPECTATIONS OF THE END Matthew 24:4–14

 

LESSON OVERVIEW Total Duration: 45 Minutes  •  Format: Teaching with Scripture Reading  •  Source: The Olivet Discourse Made Easy, Chapter 5

 

Central Question: Were the signs in Matthew 24:4–14 fulfilled in the first century, or are they still future?

 

OPENING & REVIEW  Setting the Stage

2 min

 

Quick Recap from Last Week

• The disciples asked Jesus two things: (1) When will the Temple be destroyed? (2) What is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? (Matt. 24:3)

•  The Partial Preterist reading: Jesus answers the disciples as people of their own generation first the primary referent of the discourse is the AD 70 destruction.

Today’s Key Verse

Matthew 24:4–5 (ESV) “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.”

 

Pastoral Note from R.T. France

“Try to hear Jesus’ words as they would have been heard by his Jewish disciples uninfluenced by a tradition which conditions Christian readers now to assume that these things can only refer to the end of the world.”

 

SECTION 1  False Christs (Matt. 24:5)

6 min

 

Main Point

•        Jesus warns that many false messiahs will arise this is a first-century fulfillment, not a far-future prophecy.

Historical Context

•    Daniel 9: The only OT passage that gave Jews a timetable for the Messiah. This fueled intense messianic expectation.

•        Silver: The generation before AD 70 witnessed “a remarkable outburst of messianic emotionalism.”

•        Josephus: Lists at least 16 messianic pretenders and false prophets between 4 BC and AD 73.

•      Bar Kochba (AD 132): A false messiah endorsed by Rabbi Akiba proof the pattern continued even after AD 70.

 

New Testament Confirmations

•        Acts 8:9–10: Simon Magus claiming to be “the Great Power of God”

•        1 John 2:18: “Many antichrists have come by which we know it is the last hour.”

 

Key Bible Texts

Matt. 24:5 (ESV) “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.”

1 John 2:18 (ESV) “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.”

Acts 8:9–10 (ESV) “But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.””

SECTION 2  Wars and Rumors of Wars (Matt. 24:6–7a)

6 min

 

Main Point

•        These wars are signs specifically meaningful to a first-century audience living under the pax Romana the Roman peace that made war unimaginable.

 

The Pax Romana Context

•        Augustus established the Age of Peace in 17 BC. Roman peace was unprecedented and empire-wide.

•        Pliny the Elder: “The immeasurable majesty of the Roman peace.”

•        Epictetus: “Caesar has obtained for us a profound peace. There are neither wars nor battles.”

•        This peace held steady until Emperor Nero (AD 54–68).

 

The Breakdown: Year of Four Emperors (AD 68–69)

•        Nero’s death in June AD 68 shattered the pax Romana. Civil wars erupted.

•        Four emperors rose and fell within one year Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian.

•      Tacitus: Revolts broke out in Gaul, Britain, Germany, Sarmatia, and beyond literally “nation against nation.”

•        The Roman army itself went to war with Jerusalem (AD 67–70) under Vespasian and Titus.

 

Key Bible Texts

Matt. 24:6–7a (ESV) “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom…”

 

SECTION 3  Famines and Earthquakes (Matt. 24:7b–c)

5 min

 

Famines

•        Acts 11:28: The prophet Agabus predicted a great famine empire-wide fulfilled under Claudius (AD 41–54).

•     Josephus: Famine in Jerusalem during the Roman siege was catastrophic. A mother ate her own son (J.W. 5:10)  a covenant curse (Deut. 28:55–57; Lam. 2:20).

•        Tacitus: Of AD 51 only 15 days of food supply remained in Rome.

 

Earthquakes

•        Tacitus mentions quakes in Crete, Rome, Apamea, Phrygia, Campania, Laodicea, and Pompeii all before AD 70.

•        Ellicott: “Perhaps no period in history has been so marked by these convulsions as between the Crucifixion and the destruction of Jerusalem.”

•        Josephus: A devastating earthquake struck Jerusalem in AD 67 as the Jewish War began with thunder, lightning, and earth tremors (J.W. 4:4:5).

 

Key Bible Texts

Matt. 24:7b–c (ESV) “…and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”

Acts 11:28 (ESV) “And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).”

Deut. 28:55–57 (ESV) “…[he will not share] the flesh of his children whom he is eating, because he has nothing else left, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in all your towns.”

 

SECTION 4  Birth Pangs (Matt. 24:8)

5 min

 

Main Point

•        These are not merely signs of doom. They are birth pangs suffering that precedes new life. As the old Temple order dies, the new covenant kingdom is born.

 

OT Background of Birth Pangs Imagery

•        Used in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah for God’s historical judgments (Isa. 13:8; Jer. 6:24; Mic. 4:9–10).
⁹ Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor? ¹⁰ Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies." Micah 4:9-10 (ESV)

•        The rabbis used “birth pangs of the Messiah” (chevlei mashiach) for the distress before the Messianic era.

 

NCT/New Covenant Significance

•        Heb. 8:13: “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

•        Heb. 12:27–28: The old order is shaken so the unshakeable kingdom may remain.

^"25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. ²⁶ At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” ²⁷ This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:25-29 (ESV)

•        Mark 9:1: Jesus promised that some standing there would not die until they saw the kingdom come with power fulfilled at AD 70.

 

Key Bible Texts

Matt. 24:8 (ESV) “All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”

Heb. 8:13 (ESV) “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

Mark 9:1 (ESV) “And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.””

John 16:21 (ESV) “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.”

 

SECTION 5  Persecution and Apostasy (Matt. 24:9–10)

6 min

 

Main Point

•   Jesus warns his disciples of coming hatred from both Jews and Romans and of a massive wave of apostasy within the church.

The Persecution

•  Jewish persecution: Documented throughout the book of Acts (Acts 4, 7, 12, 13, 14, etc.).

Acts 4 → Apostles arrested and threatened.

Acts 7 → Stephen stoned.

Acts 12 → James executed, Peter imprisoned.

Acts 13–14 → Paul and Barnabas persecuted in synagogues and cities.

•   Roman persecution:

Nero (AD 64–68) → After the Great Fire of Rome, Nero blamed Christians.

Tacitus records Christians were “hated for their crimes” by the entire population.

Brutal executions followed burned alive, torn by dogs, crucified.

This directly fulfills Matt. 24:9 “hated by all nations.”

 

The Apostasy

• 2 Tim. 1:15: “All who are in Asia turned away from me.” (Paul writing near the end of his life)

• 2 Tim. 4:10: “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me.”

• 1 John 2:19: “They went out from us, but they were not of us.”

• Hebrews: Written precisely to address Jewish Christians tempted to revert to the Mosaic system (Heb. 2:1–4; 6:4–6; 10:26–31).

 

Key Bible Texts

Matt. 24:9–10 (ESV) “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.”

1 John 2:19 (ESV) “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.”

2 Tim. 4:10 (ESV) “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.”

 

SECTION 6  False Prophets, Lawlessness, and Endurance (Matt. 24:11–13)

5 min

 

False Prophets in the First Century Matt. 24:11–13 (ESV)

•    Acts 13:6: Bar-Jesus (Elymas), a Jewish false prophet and sorcerer, opposed Paul and Barnabas in Cyprus.

"When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus." Acts 13:6 (ESV)

• Josephus (Jewish War 6.5.2) → Records multiple false prophets inside Jerusalem during the siege (AD 70). They deceived the people, urging them not to flee, which led to mass death.

• Apostolic warnings →

• Peter (2 Pet. 2:1) → Warned that false teachers would secretly bring in destructive heresies.

• Paul (1 Tim. 4:1) → Said some would depart from the faith, following deceiving spirits.

• John (1 John 4:1) → Urged believers to “test the spirits” because many false prophets had gone out into the world.

Lawlessness and Cold Love

•    Defined here as breaking God’s law by betraying fellow believers and abandoning the faith. It’s not just social disorder but spiritual rebellion a turning away from Christ and His covenant. This matches Jesus’ warning in Matthew 24:12: “Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”

•    The Greek word skandalizomai suggests more than a stumble it points to total apostasy, a decisive falling away from professed faith. Instead of persevering in love, some abandoned the mark of true discipleship.

John 13:34–35 → Jesus said love for one another is the defining sign of His disciples. Apostasy destroys this witness, replacing love with betrayal and division.

 

The Promise to the Remnant

•       Matthew 24:13 → “The one who endures to the end will be saved.”

• This speaks both of physical survival through the tribulation of AD 70 (escaping the destruction of Jerusalem) and spiritual perseverance in faith.

•    Echo in Matthew 10:22 → Jesus gave the same command earlier when sending out the Twelve: endurance is the mark of true discipleship.

 

Key Bible Texts

Matt. 24:11–13 (ESV) “And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Matt. 10:22 (ESV) “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

John 13:34–35 (ESV) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

SECTION 7  The Gospel to the Whole World (Matt. 24:14)

8 min

 

The Futurist Objection

Dispensationalists (House & Ice) → They ask: “Was the gospel preached in the Western Hemisphere before AD 70?”

Their argument: Matthew 24:14 (“this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world… then the end will come”) cannot have been fulfilled in the first century, since the Americas and other regions had not yet heard the gospel.

Therefore, they place this verse in a future Tribulation-era global evangelism, often linked to Revelation 14:6–7, where an angel proclaims the gospel worldwide.

 

The Preterist Response: Three Keys

1. The Meaning of oikoumene (“whole world”)

In Luke 2:1, “all the world” (oikoumene) clearly refers to Caesar’s Roman Empire, not the entire globe. No one claims Augustus registered the Americas.

In Acts 11:28, Agabus’ famine “throughout all the world” (oikoumene) was likewise limited to the Roman world under Claudius.

Therefore, in Matthew 24:14, “whole world” (oikoumene) means the inhabited Roman world, not every continent.

2. The Meaning of ethnos (“all nations”)

• Ethnos simply means Gentile peoples beyond Israel.

• In Matthew 10:5, Jesus restricted the Twelve from going to the Gentiles (ethnē).

• In Matthew 24:14, that restriction is lifted the gospel must go to the Gentiles, not just Israel.

• It does not require a global satellite broadcast, only the inclusion of Gentile nations in the mission.

3. Paul’s Witness

• Romans 1:8 (~AD 55) → “Your faith is proclaimed in all the world.”

  • Uses kosmos (broader than oikoumene), showing the gospel’s reputation had spread empire-wide.

• Romans 10:18 → “Their voice has gone out to all the earth.”

  • Paul cites Psalm 19 and treats it as already fulfilled (aorist verb).

• Colossians 1:6, 23 (before AD 70) → “The gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.”

  • Paul explicitly states the mission was accomplished in his own day.

• Acts 2:5 → At Pentecost, Jews were present “from every nation under heaven.”

  • The gospel began reaching the nations immediately after Christ’s resurrection.

 

Key Bible Texts

Matt. 24:14 (ESV) “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Rom. 1:8 (ESV) “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.”

Rom. 10:18 (ESV) “But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’”

Col. 1:6 (ESV) “…the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing.”

Col. 1:23 (ESV) “…the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.”

Acts 2:5 (ESV) “Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.”

Luke 2:1 (ESV) “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.”

 

CONCLUSION Matthew 24:4–14 is not a vague template for every generation. It is a historically specific prophecy fulfilled in the first century.

 

✦ Fulfillment of the Signs

• Matthew 24:4–13 → Every sign Jesus listed (wars, famines, earthquakes, persecution, apostasy, false prophets, lawlessness, cold love) has documented first-century fulfillment in Josephus, Tacitus, Paul, and the apostolic letters.

• These are not “recycled signs” for any era they are anchored to Jesus’ words about this generation (Matt. 24:34).

✦ The Gospel to the Whole World

• Matthew 24:14 → “Whole world” = the Roman oikoumene.

• Paul himself testified that the gospel had already reached the Roman world before AD 70 (Rom. 1:8; Col. 1:6, 23).

✦ Theological Meaning

• As AD 70 approached, the old covenant order died with the destruction of the Temple.

• The new covenant kingdom was born in full, inaugurated by Christ and confirmed through the tribulation.

• We are now living in those new covenant “last days” not waiting for them, but participating in them. ​"¹ Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world." Hebrews 1:1-2(ESV)

👉 In short: All the signs in Matthew 24 were fulfilled in the first century, culminating in AD 70. The prophecy is not about a distant Tribulation but about the transition from the old covenant to the new covenant kingdom, which we live in today.

Closing Verse

Heb. 12:28 (ESV) “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.”

 

 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Take time to reflect and share. All three questions are for group discussion after the lesson.

1

Many Adventists and dispensationalists say Matthew 24 is mainly about the future about a coming global tribulation. But based on what we studied tonight, how does reading the signs in their historical context (first-century Roman world, pax Romana, Josephus’ records) change the way we understand what Jesus was warning about? What difference does it make in how we read the Bible if we follow this Partial Preterist approach?

2

In Matthew 24:12, Jesus said that “because lawlessness is increased, the love of many will grow cold.” We saw that apostasy was a real and serious problem in the early church people abandoning the faith during persecution. For us today, especially those of us who have come out of Adventism or other religious systems, what are the modern pressures or temptations that can cause our love for Christ and for fellow believers to grow cold? How does the command to “endure to the end” (v. 13) speak to our situation?

3

Paul wrote in Romans 1:8 and Colossians 1:23 that the gospel had already reached “all the world” even before AD 70. This is a remarkable statement of confidence in the power of the gospel. Thinking about Former Adventists Philippines and our ministry context here in the Philippines how should the postmillennial hope and the reality of gospel expansion encourage us in our work of reaching Adventists and other religious groups with the truth of the New Covenant? What does it look like to join that same worldwide gospel movement today?

 

 

 

COMPLETE BIBLE REFERENCES (ESV)

Matt. 24:2–4	Jesus predicts the Temple’s destruction stone by stone; warns disciples to not be led astray.
Matt. 24:5	Warning: false christs will arise and lead many astray in Jesus’ own name.
Matt. 24:6–7a	Wars and rumors of wars; nation against nation; kingdom against kingdom — not yet the end.
Matt. 24:7b–c	Famines and earthquakes in various places.
Matt. 24:8	All these are the beginning of the birth pains.
Matt. 24:9–10	Disciples delivered to tribulation; hated by all nations; many will fall away.
Matt. 24:11–13	False prophets; lawlessness; love growing cold; the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Matt. 24:14	Gospel of the kingdom proclaimed in the whole world (oikoumene) to all nations (ethnos); then the end comes.
Matt. 24:34	Temporal anchor: “This generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
Matt. 10:5, 18, 22	Earlier restriction to Israel; anticipation of Gentile testimony; endurance to the end.
Matt. 21:9	“Son of David” — nationalistic Messianic expectations at the Triumphal Entry.
Mark 9:1	Some standing there will not taste death until they see the kingdom come with power.
Luke 2:1	Caesar Augustus ordered “all the world” (oikoumene) to be registered — meaning the Roman Empire.
Luke 19:44	Jerusalem will be leveled because it did not recognize the time of its visitation.
John 6:15	The crowd tried to make Jesus king by force — messianic political expectation.
John 13:34–35	The new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.
John 16:21	Birth pain imagery: sorrow gives way to joy at birth.
Acts 2:5	Jews from every nation under heaven present at Pentecost.
Acts 2:17	“In the last days,” says God, “I will pour out my Spirit’ — the last days have begun at Pentecost.
Acts 8:9–10	Simon Magus — a false messiah figure claiming to be the Great Power of God.
Acts 11:28	Agabus prophesies a great famine over all the world (oikoumene) — fulfilled under Claudius.
Acts 13:6	Bar-Jesus (Elymas) — a false prophet in the first century.
Rom. 1:8	The faith of the Roman church proclaimed in all the world (holos kosmos).
Rom. 10:17–18	The word of Christ has gone out to all the earth and the ends of the world (oikoumene).
Col. 1:6, 23	The gospel bearing fruit in the whole world; proclaimed in all creation under heaven.
1 Cor. 10:11	Written for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
2 Tim. 1:15	All who are in Asia have turned away from Paul.
2 Tim. 4:10, 16	Demas deserted Paul; at Paul’s first defense everyone deserted him.
Heb. 1:2	“In these last days” God has spoken through his Son.
Heb. 8:13	The new covenant makes the first (Mosaic) one obsolete and ready to vanish.
Heb. 9:10	The old order imposed until “the time of reformation” (kairos diorthoseos).
Heb. 12:22, 27–28	The heavenly Jerusalem; the shaking of the old; the unshakeable kingdom remains.
1 John 2:18–19	Many antichrists have come — it is the last hour. They went out from us.
Deut. 28:55–57	Covenant curse: eating one’s children during siege — fulfilled in AD 70 (Josephus).
Lam. 2:20	Should women eat the fruit of their womb? — covenant curse imagery for Jerusalem’s fall.
Isa. 13:8; Jer. 6:24; Mic. 4:9–10	OT use of birth pang imagery for historical divine judgment, not end-of-world events.

 

Next Lesson: Chapter 6 — The Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:15–22) Investigating Adventism Philippines  •  Former Adventists Philippines  •  Pastor Ronald V. Obidos II