Do you not see the seals of Revelation in Matthew 24? No bias ,just the Word....
Exposition of a passage is done primarily in reference to the target passage itself. To depend upon the interpretation of other passages, particularly symbolic passages, tends to obscure what the target passage is itself saying, and subjects the exposition to interpretive bias.
We should be able to say, "I haven't read the seals of Revelation yet," and still understand what the Olivet Discourse means, if we have sufficient background on the issues Jesus was addressing. To bring in a person's presumed interpretation of the 7 seals could be bringing in a wrong interpretation, and could completely obscure what Jesus was saying in the Olivet Discourse.
One of the most talked about subjects today is the end times and all the events that surround those times. There is no reason that we be anxious of these times, for Jesus told us to wait patiently on Him. In Mark 13 Jesus is going to give His disciples, and to us the seven seals, and these seals are also recorded in the Book of Revelation. They are the seals that mark the end of this earth age of the flesh. The very word "Revelation" means "to reveal", to make known.
Christ would not His elect in the dark concerning the simplicity of His teaching, so Jesus is asked by three of His apostles here, as they are coming out of the Temple, when is the end of the world going to be. We know from Matthew 24:3, this is the actual wording of the question put to Jesus.
Matthew 24:3 "And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when shall these things be and what shall be the sign of "Thy coming, and the end of the world."
It is important that we understand the word "world" as used in the Greek manuscripts, is "aion", and "age, or an age of time". In the Hebrew, " `olam", which denotes a limited, or even an extended period of time, such as the context of each occurrence may demand. So as such, this is talking about the end of our present world age which is characterized by a special form of Divine administration or dispensation.
Jesus is giving us in this chapter the seven events that must come to pass to bring to an end to this age, and the return of Christ. There are many church traditions that have complicate the simplicity the Jesus is teaching here. This is why we should have our ear tuned to the Lord Jesus Christ, and not to man's traditions. So the subject to this entire chapter is, "When is the end of this world age, and what are the events that mark that coming."
Remember that the closing thought to the last chapter was the little widow that had enough faith to give all over her livelihood to God and put here trust in God for provision. So don't forget that the famine in the end times is not for the bread that you eat, but for the knowledge and truth of God's Word.
Amos 8:11 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:"
There will be a famine coming very shortly for the knowledge, and for the hearing of the Word of God.
Matt 24.3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Mark 13.3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
Luke 21.7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
Each of these accounts were the same Discourse Jesus gave on the Mt. of Olives. They were somewhat paraphrased but accurately presented the gist of what was said. In each case, the Disciples were asking Jesus what he meant about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, an apparent Roman siege against Jerusalem?
In all accounts, the question concerns when *the temple would be destroyed.* The ancillary question is secondary, and not what prompted the interest. The Disciples wanted to know about the 2nd Coming, or the Coming of the Messianic Kingdom, because that reality seemed threatened by Jesus' prophecy that the temple would be destroyed. And they, of course, assumed that Jesus meant this to happen in their own lifetimes. They just wanted to know when and how--how can this happen if you, the Messiah, have come to save Israel from the Romans?
Modern prophecy enthusiasts today read this completely different, and wrongly, I believe. They are looking for signs of the 2nd Coming so that they can piece together evidence that God is moving in a particular direction, fulfilling events one after another. They see it as their duty to identify these events for others so that they can see the power of God in controlling history, and thus the need to be forewarned of judgment.
I'm not completely against such ideas, but I'm more interested in interpreting the Discourse properly. This is primarily about when the destruction of the temple would take place. And Jesus answered quite plainly--it would be in "this generation," ie in the generation of his apostles.
And this event would not only perpetuate the current resistance of Israel to Christianity, but it would also perpetuate the judgment of God coming against Israel in that generation. The fall of Jerusalem would lead to an age-long Jewish Diaspora, during which time Christians would be rejected not only by Jews but also by Gentiles, among whom the Jews would all be scattered.
This was a warning to Christians that the Kingdom would not come imminently, even though the destruction of Jerusalem would indeed be imminent. The true sign of the coming of the Kingdom would be judgment emerging at Christ's return. But the sign of the judgment of Jerusalem would be Roman "vultures" drawing near and surrounding the walls of Jerusalem. This would be the "Abomination of Desolation," that they should flee from!
