Why Jesus' Olivet Discourse is For The Church

[Davy]

I offer this Bible study that links the Seals of Revelation 6 with the signs of the end our Lord Jesus gave us in His discourse while upon the Mount of Olives. The events given in His Revelation cover 21 events (7 Seals, 7 Trumpets, and 7 Vials). But they are actually only about 7 main signs of the end He gave in His Olivet discourse. The Seals give the best direct parallel.

1st Seal:
Rev 6:1-2
6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, 'Come and see.'
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
KJV

This is considered as the 1st Seal, though we aren't specifically told that. I think there's a reason why. It's because this rider on a white horse is not our Lord Jesus. This rider is the coming Antichrist, and he actually appears on a later Seal timing. And even if this was to represent our Lord Jesus' coming, it wouldn't be on the 1st Seal. This "bow" in the Greek points to one of cheap fabric, and the crown as a chaplet, or wreath. In contrast to our Lord Jesus' coming in Rev.19, He will wield a two-edged sword and wear many crowns as King of kings and Lord of lords.

This rider on a white horse is a mimic of our Lord Jesus' 2nd coming. That is the idea it is pointing to. Who was it that said he will exalt his throne above the stars of God? It was Lucifer, per Isaiah 14. Lucifer even wants to be The Morning Star, which only applies to our Lord Jesus per Revelation 22:16. Don't let men's doctrines confuse you about this. This is exactly what the coming Antichrist is going to try to do, i.e., play GOD.

The 1st Seal link to Jesus' Olivet Discourse:

Matt 24:1-3
24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His disciples came to Him for to shew Him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, 'See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.'
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 of the end of the world?'
KJV

Christ's disciples marveled at the then 2nd temple standing on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Romans would destroy that temple in 70 A.D., which is what some think our Lord Jesus was talking about there with the not one stone upon another idea. 70 A.D. was only a blueprint for that though, as there will be another temple built for the very end of this world for the coming Antichrist to sit in per 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 and final "one week" Daniel 9 & 11 prophecies.

Our Lord Jesus is going to start giving His disciples (and us) specific signs to be watching for at the very end of this world, which is when His coming will be.

Matt 24:4-5
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in My name, saying, 'I am Christ'; and shall deceive many.
KJV

That's kind of like the 1st Seal idea, isn't it, a false one coming on a white horse like Jesus returns? Yes, that's definitely the idea of deception. And deception is our Lord's first and main sign for the end. Not wars and earthquakes, etc., but deception. These are the "many antichrists" that Apostle John said are already at work. There have been many through history and in my era, that have claimed to be Jesus Christ. But they had no power to perform miracles to deceive. That's what makes these little antichrists, followers, and not The Antichrist that's to come.

2nd Seal:
Rev 6:3-4
3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
KJV

The red horse is a war horse. It is related to this sign our Lord Jesus gave...

Mark 13:7
7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
KJV

Basically, as long as wars and rumors of wars are going on, the very end is not yet. Well, what end? The last day? Yeah, but a little before that, i.e., the time of 42 months the dragon of Revelation 13 is to rule over all nations and peoples. It is the latter half of the Daniel 9:27 "one week" (1 seven or 7 years). It is the period of the 6th Trumpet - 2nd Woe in Revelation 11 when God's two witnesses will appear in Jerusalem and prophesy against the beast for 1260 days (or 42 months). That is the coming great tribulation time of the very end.

What's the opposite of wars of rumors of wars then? It's a time of peace. And that exactly is what the whole world will believe has come when the coming Antichrist appears and plays God in Jerusalem for the 'end'. Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 said when the deceived say, "Peace and safety", then "sudden destruction" will come upon them. That is the kind of time the end will be, all wars having stopped. That fake peace will last for the tribulation time, and then that sudden destruction upon the wicked will come on the last day of this world when Jesus returns.

3rd Seal:
Rev 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, 'Come and see.' And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, 'A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.'
KJV

This black horse with the rider having balances is about world commerce. It represents a time of inflation of prices. The idea of a measure of wheat for a penny is an expression like you'd have to work a full days' wages to buy one loaf of bread. But don't hurt the oil and the wine. What's the Oil in God's Word? It can represent The Holy Spirit. And wine as a metaphor? It can represent God's Word, as Jesus used it in the bottles example. The idea thus is God's Truth in His Word for His sealed ones is not to be harmed. Are you sealed by The Holy Spirit in preparation for the 'end'? I hope so.

Mark 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
KJV

The nation against nation could be included in the previous 2nd Seal about war. But the idea here is actually about what war produces, i.e., famines, pestilences, troubles and sorrows. We've been seeing these type of events for quite a while now today in the world. Wars are still going on also. Inflation rampant in many nations, some bankrupt. Starvation is heavy in some parts of the world.

But the greatest famine of our times is the Amos 8:9-13 prophecy, that God would bring a famine, not of bread, nor of thirst for water, but of hearing the words of The LORD, wandering from sea to sea and not finding it. For many today that is exactly how it is, they want to understand God's Word but instead they have babes still on the 'milk' as their teachers.

Cont...

 

[Davy]

4th Seal:
Rev 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, 'Come and see.'
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
KJV

This pale horse has "Death" as its rider. Who is it that has been assigned the power of death? Satan (Hebrews 2:14). Notice this power he is given covers four sectors of the earth, to kill with sword, which can represent spiritual death through false religion, and with hunger, which can represent the spiritual famine we just read about in Amos 8, and with literal death, which can represent the death of one's soul that is much more serious than just flesh death, and with the beasts of the earth, which can represent his workers by their 'brute beast' nature in control over the earth.

The four areas of control over the earth are -- economy (hunger), military (sword), religion (death, spiritual), and political (spiritual beasts of Jude 1).

That is what I believe the 4th Seal represents, the slow movement by world controllers to bring the whole earth under a final one-world beast kingdom, the one of Revelation 13 that's to have ten horns, seven heads, and ten crowns; what globalists today have called a "one world government".

This 4th Seal is covered by Mark 13:6-8 still.

5th Seal:
Rev 6:9-11
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?'
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
KJV

This 5th Seal is about the delivering up of Christ's elect to councils and the synagogue of Satan, to give a Witness against the beast. This is an event especially important for the very end when God's two witnesses show up in Jerusalem to prophesy for 1260 days. This is the next sign our Lord Jesus gave in His Olivet discourse also.

Mark 13:9-13
9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them.
10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
13 And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
KJV

Some of us are going to be delivered up at the 'end'. And it's to give this Witness for Jesus against the beast by The Holy Spirit. We are not to premeditate what we are going to say beforehand. We instead are to speak what The Holy Spirit gives us to speak, for it will be The Holy Spirit speaking, not us. This is for the very end, not today. It is when the tribulation happens at the very end of this world. The whole world will hate us, even some of our own loved ones may turn against us. Why? Because we will remain faithful waiting on our Lord Jesus to return. What will they be doing in that time at the 'end'? They will be deceived, and need I really tell you by whom?

6th Seal - Part A:
Rev 6:12-13
12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
KJV

There's 2 parts to the 6th Seal. This first part is about the stars of heaven falling to the earth like an early fig. We know what the stars falling to the earth represents, right? Satan as the red dragon in Revelation 12:3-4 drew one third of the stars (angels) to the earth with him when he first rebelled in coveting God's throne in the time of old before this world. The idea of untimely fig means the winter fig. A winter fig grows in the winter and falls off early in the spring. The true fig season in Israel is around May to September. So the analogy is these stars falling from heaven to the earth come early, prior to our Lord Jesus 2nd coming.

In Revelation 12:7-9 we are specifically told about the war in heaven between Michael and his angels vs. Satan and his angels. Satan and his angels are then booted out of heaven down to our earth to persecute Christ's Church. This is what the untimely figs is pointing to and with the rider on the white horse on the 1st Seal; it's the coming of the fake Christ and his angels.

The Olivet Discourse Parallel:
Matt 24:15-28
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand.
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
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.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, 'Lo, here is Christ, or there'; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, 'Behold, he is in the desert'; go not forth: behold, 'he is in the secret chambers'; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
KJV

That part of our Lord's Olivet discourse gives us the sign of the coming Antichrist and placing of the abomination idol that makes the next Jerusalem temple spiritually desolate. It's about Paul's warning of the "man of sin" coming to play God in Jerusalem for the end, prior to our Lord Jesus' coming to gather His Church (see 2 Thessalonians 2).

6th Seal - Part B:
Rev 6:14-17
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him That sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?'
KJV

When the heavens depart as a scroll, and every mountain and island is moved out of its place, you know that is the very last day of this world when Jesus returns (see Zechariah 14 also). It is when every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him, per Revelation 1. It is when God's cup of wrath is poured out upon the wicked on earth. It is the day of Christ's coming on the "day of the Lord".

The Olivet parallel:
Matt 24:29-31
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
KJV

This is the last sign our Lord Jesus gave, and it is the event of His 2nd coming. That is on the last day of this world, and is when He gathers His Church, both from Heaven, and from the earth. With this particular Olivet example, it's about the 'asleep' saints being gathered from Heaven that He brings with Him. In the Mark 13:27 version, His angels gather His saints that are still on earth. Those directly parallel what Apostle Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians 4 about Christ's gathering of the Church.