Lucas 21
Kent Hughes · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 21
Hughes has a good word on your study of Luke 21 and the Olivet Discourse in general - According to Earle Ellis, the venerable New Testament scholar, the so-called Olivet Discourse, recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, “has been the subject of more scholarly debate than perhaps any other passage in the Gospels.” This is because of the rich nature of the prophetic language that Jesus used (virtually every verse has multiple allusions to both the Old Testament and to other Jewish apocalyptic literature), and because of the nature of prophecy itself—multiple fulfillments culminating in a final fulfillment. The fact is, we have yet to find a scholar who can perfectly unravel the knotty problems of the Olivet Discourse. Study of it requires a proper humility and a willingness to admit that we do not have all the answers. We must mind Chesterton’s dictum: “It is only the fool who tries to get the heavens inside his head, and not unnaturally his head bursts. The wise man is content to get his head inside the heavens.” (See Luke: That You May Know the Truth) Click here for a summary of 5 approaches to the interpretation of the Olivet Discourse. When did this conversation occur? Almost all commentators say this conversation occurred on Tuesday evening, but John MacArthur thinks it was Wednesday evening (because he dates the "triumphal entry" on Monday instead of the traditional "Palm Sunday" - see his reasoning in top half of page) MacArthur may be correct because otherwise we are left with Wednesday, about which the Scriptures are totally silent, and this would seem to be unusual considering the fact that this was the last week and last Wednesday of His life and Jesus is seldom seen not redeeming the precious time (a good pattern for all of His disciples)! And while some were talking about the temple - Matthew has "Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him." The statement about Jesus' leaving the Temple is not found in Luke which at least raises the possibility that the latter discourse was delivered in the Temple complex which a few writers favor. However most commentators consider Luke 21:5-36 to be parallel to Jesus' Olivet Discourse given on the Mount of Olives. From Matthew and Mark we know the "some" that the disciples were "talking about the Temple" and that one in particular of the Twelve drew Jesus' attention to the beauty of the Temple (Mk 13:1). These country Galileans undoubtedly regarded the magnificent Temple complex with a sense of awe and reverence, marveling especially at the massive size of the stones described by Josephus (see 15.11.3) as "built of stones that were white and strong: and each of their length was twenty-five cubits; their height was eight, and their breadth about twelve." The Herodian Temple Complex covered approximately 1/6 of the old city of Jerusalem. From Matthew and Mark we see that Jesus was leaving the Temple. In Luke 20:45-47 Jesus had condemned the religious leaders, Matthew 23:1-36 describing the full account of His diatribe against their hypocritical practices. Then He spoke to the disciples about the poor widow in Luke 21:1-4 in the Court of the Women. It was presumably after this event that Jesus departed the Temple area. He also spoke the lament in Mt 23:37-39 either before the widow's story or as His last words as He left the Temple. The Jews will not see Jesus again until they say the official messianic greeting of Psalm 118:26, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” (See Zechariah 12:10-14-note, Zechariah 13:1-note, Zechariah 13:8-9-note). This is the pre-condition of His Second Coming. Just as the Jewish leaders led the nation in rejecting Messiah Jesus, the Jewish leaders must lead the nation in accepting Him. The historian Tacitus (Tacitus 5.8) wrote of Herod's Temple "There stood a temple of immense wealth." The Jewish historian Josephus has a lengthy description of the Temple and of Herod's building project introducing it with these words - "And now Herod, in the eighteenth year of his reign, and after the acts already mentioned, undertook a very great work; that is to build of himself the temple of God, and make it larger in compass, and to raise it to a most magnificent altitude: as esteeming it to be the most glorious of all his actions, as it really was, to bring it to perfection; and that this would be sufficient for an everlasting memorial of him." (NET NOTE - The Jerusalem temple was widely admired around the world. See Josephus' Antiquities 15 Chapter 11; Josephus' Jewish Wars 5 Chapter 5 = "A Description of the Temple"] and Tacitus, History 5.8, (Tacitus was writing after the destruction of the Temple called it "immensely opulent." Josephus compared it to a beautiful snow capped mountain.) Josephus writes Now the outward face of the temple in its front wanted nothing that was likely to surprise either men's minds, or their eyes. For it was covered all over with plates of gold, of great weight: and at the first rising of the sun reflected back a very fiery splendor, and made those who forced themselves to look upon it, to turn their eyes away: just as they would have done at the sun’s own rays. But this temple appeared to strangers, when they were coming to it at a distance, like a mountain covered with snow. For as to those parts of it that were not gilt, they were exceeding white. On its top it had spikes; with sharp points; to prevent any pollution of it by birds sitting upon it. (Josephus, Wars V. 5. 6), Temple (2413)(hieros) denotes the entire Temple complex, not simply the sanctuary, as shown by he phrase in Mt 24:1 where "His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him". In Jesus' day the term for the sanctuary proper was naos. Recall that almost 50 years had already been spent in rebuilding "Herod's" Temple (cf at beginning of His ministry - John 2:20+). That it was adorned (kosmeo) with beautiful (kalos) stones (lithos) and votive gifts (anathēma) - Mark adds the disciples said “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” Notice that only Luke records the disciple's comment about the votive gifts (the Temple's decorations). The Temple had both precious and semi-precious stones that had been brought by the Jews. These stones were embedded all over the Temple. Some of the beautiful marble columns are reported to have been up to 40 feet high. Votive gifts were gifts the Jews gave and were associated with a vow to God. Vows to God were often consecrated with a gift. This practice was not unique to the Jews but was common in all pagan religions. In the remains of the temple at Corinth one can see rooms filled with votive gifts given to the false god Aesculapius who was associated with healing (and is by modern medicine as a symbol, the Caduceus, which derives from the rod of Ascelpius also spelled Asklepios or Aesculapius). Herod had donated a nearly six-foot-high golden vine with golden grapes (see Josephus 5.5.4). THOUGHT - How tragic that the most beautiful Stone of all was in the Temple and most of the Jews did not have eyes to see His beauty! MacArthur on the glory of the Temple built by Herod not to honor God but himself - What a stunning place, one of the wonders of the ancient world. Some writers say it was the greatest building in the world...it was being built and decorated for 85 years total and about 50 years of building at the time our Lord walked out. It had been started by Herod the Great in 19-20 B.C. The Jews were so concerned that it would be sacred that Herod actually trained priests to be masons, carpenters and craftsmen so that there would only be people who understood holy things who were actually leading the work. Every stone in that place was made of mezza, white brilliant stone available in the land of Israel that can be finely cut and polished so that it looks like marble....So as the disciples left, they look backed at this massive, glorious, incredible building, must have been wondering about the words of Jesus that they had already heard just a day before, that it was coming down. It was the grandest of Herod's many massive building projects. Its eastern....side was completely covered in gold plating so that it looked like one massive piece of solid gold. In the morning sun, the sun would roll up over the top of the Mount of Olives. It would reflect itself in such a blaze that it would blind someone who didn't cover his eyes just to look at the temple. And in the evening when the sun was on the other side, its golden glory was only subdued but still impressive. By all accounts, it was the most beautiful building in the world. (from Luke 21:5-7 Jesus’ Description of the Temple’s Destruction) David
Lucas 21
Hughes - In this cosmological confusion Jesus will come in shining clouds of glory. (PTW-Mark) They will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD - Who is they? The nearest antecedent is the "fainting men," but of course they would have returned to consciousness or else they could not see Him. Of course the they is all the inhabitants of the world, and this would even include the believers who are alive at that time (having been saved during the Great Tribulation - Rev 7:9, 14+). While the unbelievers will mourn, the believers will rejoice at the sight of their Redeemer. This is no secret coming as often spoken of the Rapture. This is not a coming in lowliness to be rejected and to redeem, but in majestic splendor to as conqueror over His enemies. Norman Crawford - This is the coming of the Son of man, the last Adam, the second Man, the Victor of Calvary and the Conqueror of death and hell. His feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives (Zech 14:4+) whence He had once ascended from amidst the little band of wondering disciples. He will come to destroy the beast and his armies, to put an end to Gentile rule and dominion over Israel and Jerusalem, to deliver the oppressed and set the captives free. He will come at the crucial hour for the deliverance of His earthly people, and with Him will be "the armies in heaven" following Him. "Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev 19:15, 16). (What the Bible Teaches: Luke ) Jesus quotes Daniel's description from Daniel 7:13+ “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. Glorious Day One day when Heaven was filled with His praises One day when sin was as black as could be Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin Dwelt among men, my example is He Word became flesh and the light shined among us His glory revealed Chorus: Living, He loved me Dying, He saved me Buried, He carried my sins far away Rising, He justified freely forever One day He's coming Oh glorious day, oh glorious day One day they led Him up Calvary's mountain One day they nailed Him to die on a tree Suffering anguish, despised and rejected Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree And took the nails for me Chorus One day the grave could conceal Him no longer One day the stone rolled away from the door Then He arose, over death He had conquered Now He's ascended, my Lord evermore Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him From rising again Chorus One day the trumpet will sound for His coming One day the skies with His glories will shine Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing My Savior, Jesus, is mine Chorus Glorious day, Oh, Glorious day With power and great glory - Mark's version places "great" before "power and glory!" In Greek two "d" words "dunamis and doxa!" Great is not megas but polus which means "much." Power (1411)(dunamis) describes Christ's inherent ability to accomplish a task, in this case the complete crushing of all His enemies, when He comes to "He tread the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty." (Rev 19:15-21-note, cf the Stone - Da 2:34-35-note, Da 2:44-45-note) Glory (1391)(doxa) describes His radiance, brightness, splendor, magnificence, majesty....and the list will go on throughout eternity! Splendor means a quality that outshines the usual. How apropos to Jesus, the Light of the World returning to reclaim His redeemed World! Luke 21:28 "But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." KJV And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. NET But when these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."