The way I interpret the Discourse is like such. The events involving it began in the first century post that of Christ's ascension and are involving events during His ascension through His return following His ascension. Per this view it allows for some of the Discourse to be involving what happened in 70 AD, yet 70 AD not being the main focus throughout. Jesus isn't stuck in limbo per the Discourse where He is unable to predict events beyond the first century and 70 AD.
I fully agree with
everything you say in the above post (which I've shortened so that I don't exceed the character limit in this post).
Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
DAYS OF GREAT TRIBULATION SHORTENED FOR THE ELECT'S SAKE:
Matthew 24
9 Then shall they deliver you up to tribulation [thlîpsis], and shall kill you: and all of you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
14-22
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When all of you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him understand) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray all of you that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
For then shall be great tribulation [mégas thlîpsis], such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. -- Matthew 24
WRATH WAS TO COME UPON JUDEA AND JERUSALEM, CAUSING GREAT DISTRESS IN THE LAND:
Luke 21:20-23
And when all of you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter therein. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days!
for there shall be great distress [mégas anánkē] in the land, and wrath [orgḗ] upon this people.
There is a difference between tribulation and wrath, and it's not as though Luke's record of the Olivet Discourse says nothing about the persecution that the saints will endure at the hands of unbelievers - Luke's record of the Olivet Discourse says more about that than it does about the wrath that was to come upon Judea and Jerusalem.
I don't see why it should be that any interpreter ignores the grammar in Matthew 24:9-44, and the meaning of the word therefore in Mat.24:15, and the meaning of the word wrath in Luke 21:23. If anyone just reads Matthew 24:9-44 objectively in accordance with the normal rules of grammar that we all learned in elementary school, it would be impossible to place Matthew 24:21 in the context of anything except the tribulation of the saints at the time of the end of the age that Jesus mentioned in Mat.24:9-14;
and therefore (verse 15) the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet should be seen by the saints as the catalyst for the great tribulation that is to come - it's a very, very clear sign that Jesus gave as "the sign of His coming and of the end of the age", which is the question asked by the disciples which Matthew records, and differs from the question asked by the disciples that Luke records.
So I don't know how you feel about this, but I bear in mind that maybe this is why there is so much argument against the above idea coming from so many Christians - because Satan would obviously want his greatest enemy, the church, to be in a state of confusion about this - and that is even before any disagreement arises about what the abomination of desolation in the holy place is referring to, and where the holy place that is being referred to, is.
It's not good. And this is why I appreciate threads like this, because the more Christians there are who might read it, the better - inasmuch that at least the confused and false teaching about this that has been received by many, may at least be cleared up in the minds of
some.
