November 16, 2007

A Few Reasons Why the Olivet Discourse Applies to the Church and Not Israel

To avoid that the Olivet Discourse teaching applies to the Church, pretribulationists frequently claim that instead it applies to Israel. That assertion has been refuted very often here. The most obvious reason is the fact that Jesus says the elect will be persecuted because of his Name, and "many will turn away from the faith" (i.e. apostatize). This is confessional language, which applies to believers--not the nation of Israel.

Darrin expands on a few reasons on the application of the Olivet Discourse. Click here to read it. (Though I differ with his point #2 on the interpretation of Matthew 24:14. I take this prophecy to be a Kingdom judgment announcement upon the ungodly world, which an angel will fulfill (Rev. 14:6-7), not the Church. This is unrelated to the great commission, which does not apply to Matthew 24:14. See this article for further explanation. However, the point against pretribulationism can still be made since Jesus in Matthew 28 is said to be with "you" (i.e. the Church) to the "end of the age," and the end of the age has not ceased before the events in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:14) therefore the Church age has not come to fruition before the events in the Olivet Discourse.)