Not only does that make the individual the arbiter of scripture, it renders the text meaningless because seeing Jesus speaking in the world can be construed to have occurred anytime, at all times past, present and future.
If you confuse tribulation with the flood, then definitely. Jesus chose His words carefully. Israel knew tribulation. Multiple. The 40 years in the wilderness was tribulation. (Punishment, but it was meant to purify Israel of those who rejected God, and whom God held culpable.) Israel faced tribulation when Achan stole the riches of Jericho for himself. In the days of the judges, everytime God sent hard times to Israel to where they cried to God, that was tribulation. When God wiped Israel off the map and only spared Judah... that was judgement. When Judah went to Babylon, that was tribulation. This is what Jesus is talking about. There will come a great tribulation that will envelop the world. In Jesus words, the tribulation has not happened yet because the Holocaust was one of the worst times, if not the worst time that Israel ever faced. Much worse that the first century. 6 million killed. It brought about "Never forget". The great tribulation Jesus spoke of will top that. If Jesus does not come down before the armies of the beast and his image destroy Jerusalem (that would be the consummation of the tribulation) then all flesh on earth would be dead. They would kill all in Jerusalem, and all the elect, and Jesus would destroy all of them. Final tally. No one lives. Just as the holocaust, the ferocity will build up until the conclusion, except Jesus will show up to save the elect in Jerusalem.
Correction: "This generation" speaks about those who did see those things take place. That generation has passed away and all those things did take place.
The things that take place are not the answer as to when Jerusalem will be destroyed. It is the answer to the question of what will be the sign of Jesus return. And, the Jews were not ignorant of eschatology. That is why they specifically asked about the signs of Jesus return. By then they understood that Jesus had not come to rescue Israel at that time. Jesus had made that clear. So Jesus tells them that it starts with the abomination of desolation. The great tribulation. After the trbulation, the sign of the Son of Man will appear, and the Son of Man will come/return in the clouds. This is a direct connection to Acts 1, where Jesus ascends and is received by the clouds. A young man tells the disciples that as Jesus left, so shall He return. He left and was received by the clouds, He will return in the clouds. To say that He will not come, and will gather up His elect is to speak of the rapture.
Nowhere does Matthew 24 explicitly state Jesus will physically return. What it does explicitly state is the sign will appear in the sky. Look it up. Read the chapter right now and verify what you just posted. You'll see it is not verifiable because the text never once states Jesus is physically returning to the earth in that entire chapter.
I believe in the context of scripture. It all goes together, and none is taken in isolation. As Zechariah speaks of the one who was pierced before Jesus ever came, John unveils who the one who was pierced is in His book. He states that Jesus became that One when the guardsman pierced His side with a spear. So the Old Testament prophecy gets enlightened by John presenting exactly who the One whom they have pierced is. Jesus bones not being broken, and body not coming to decay shows Jesus to be who David spoke of. That is the reason that both prophecies are listed in the same sentence. This is who Zechariah spoke of in this way, and this is who David spoke of. Recognize Him.
See. No mention of him physically coming to earth, only that of the sign of the Son of Man appearing in heaven, followed by mourning, and then his coming on clouds of heaven.
You just spoke of His return. It actually says "and they shall see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of the heaven, with power and much glory;" The opposite of how He left. This is His return. It's not the rapture, or eschatology really is dispensational premil.
That is incorrect. Jesus stated when the branches become tender, and leaves are put forth the summer is near. When they see the signs, the events are near. Go back up to verse 3. The disciples never asked when Jesus was coming back. They weren't quite yet aware he'd literally be leaving them, and certainly not leaving because he was going to be killed. They asked him when the things he'd mentioned earlier were going to happen. They asked him when the sign of his coming, not his actual coming, and the asked him when the end of the age would come.
The events are in response to question 2. The signs of Jesus return. Those signs begin with the abomination of desolation. Can you please tell us what the abomination of desolation is. And in keeping with Daniel's prophecy, can you tell us who the prince to come is. He is the one who makes the covenant with Israel for 3 1/2 years, and then breaks the covenant, and is destroyed/killed at the end of 3 1/2 making up the 70th week that ended in 40AD, 30 years before the temple is destroyed. (According to the other preterist I am arguing with.) The disciples asked, word for word "and what shall be the sign of thy coming". The Young's literal translation says "presence". So, His return. His coming.
They asked about the sign of His ACTUAL coming. Jesus is the Messiah, and has proven it. He has to live up to eschatology, and the Jews knew eschatology. They had all the prophecy in the Old Testament to figure it out. The Messiah wasn't coming to suffer and die, but to conquer and end the world. Jesus was clear that He didn't come to end the world, but to save it. This was a completely different message then the Messiah that the Jews expected.
So again, the signs of His coming starts with the abomination of desolation, which marks the great tribulation. And immediately after the Great Tribulation Jesus returns. So while you say that they didn't ask, Jesus told them anyway. His coming in/on the clouds is the same way He left. A young man told the disciples at that time that Jesus will return as He left. Everything circled back to what Jesus said. Just as John enlightened readers that the one in Zechariah who would save Jerusalem is Jesus. John shows how Jesus is identified by David literally in prophecy, and then in Zechariah literally. Him whom they have pierced. Yet somehow what we are supposed to get out of that is that God is not literal in prophecy? I mean, He even explained to Daniel what the weeks stood for. As Joseph told Pharaoh, God will give the interpretation of the dream. Even Pharaoh's dream was surprisingly literal. One just had to know what the symbols meant. Seven cows, seven years. Fat cows, years of plenty. Think cows, years of famine. The thin cows ate the fat cows and remained the same. The seven years of famine will follow the seven years of plenty and will be so severe that they will forget the seven years of plenty. The same prophecy, the same symbols except in grain. Fat healthy, thin, withered. The meaning of the prophecy did not change at all.
All the dreams when interpreted, make complete sense. Why? Because God gives the literal meaning hidden behind symbols and figurative imagery. Once God explains what they stand for, the interpretation makes sense. Hence the parable really aren't that far off from the spiritual truth being presented. Once one understands the parts, the whole makes sense, and one finds that the spiritual truth is tightly intertwined with the story being told.
As to the end of the age, Jesus gave no signs in answer.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
All He can do is use Noah as an example to show that there will be no sign. It will come as a surprise. We will see the signs that it has occurred, with people taken to judgement, but there will be no sign of the end.
Do you think the elect will see any of it?
I believe that the elect who are saved before the Great Tribulation will not see the wrath of God. I believe that the elect who are saved out of the Great tribulation, and those who are saved by God shortening the time will see it, obviously. However, I believe they don't get saved until after the Great Tribulation begins, and of Israel, the remnant will be saved at Jesus' return and destruction of Israel's enemies. Those that remain will be saved personally by Jesus. It will be glorious.
