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Luke 17: A.D.70 Or The Second Coming? |
by Bruce Terrry
In the
previous article I noted that Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21
discussed two themes: the desolation of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and the
second coming of Christ. These three passages are similar, although
there are some differences. One of the major differences is that Luke
gathers together much of the material relating to the second coming and
puts it in chapter 17:22-37, leaving most of chapter 21 referring to the
desolation of Jerusalem. Now one of the ways that these three passages
are misunderstood is by seeing the whole discourse as relating only to
the desolation of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. By logical inference, those who
teach this say that Luke 17:22-37 is also referring to the desolation of
Jerusalem. The next step is to teach that II Peter 3 is referring to the
end of the Jewish age, and not to the end of the world. When followed to
its logical conclusion, this view presents all the passages relating to
the second coming, the resurrection, the end of the world, and the final
judgment as being symbolic for what happened in A.D. 70 and thus
completely does away with any future hope.
The Problem
Actually a correct understanding of Luke 17:22-37 is
important for a correct understanding of Matthew 24. The reason for this
is that similar scriptures are used in both passages. The relationship
between the two may be diagrammed as follows:
(Pictured: Chart by Kingdom
Publications)
Now those who teach that Luke 17 is talking about
A.D. 70 make the following argument: Matthew 24:17-18 is parallel to
Luke 17:31. But Matthew 24:17-18 is talking about the desolation of
Jerusalem. Therefore Luke 17:31 is talking about the same thing. This is
the crux of the argument in a nutshell. The argument continues along
this line: Luke 17:22, 24, 26, 30, 31, 34 are all taking about the same
day. Since Luke 17:31 is talking about the desolation of Jerusalem, all
these verses are talking about the desolation of Jerusalem. But Luke
17:26-27 is parallel to Matt. 24:37-39 and Luke 17:35-36 is parallel to
Matt. 24:40-41. Therefore Matt. 24:37-41 is talking about the desolation
of Jerusalem. But this section is talking about the advent (Greek
parousia) of the Son of Man. Therefore the advent of the Son of Man
must have happened at the desolation of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and all of
Matthew 24 is talking about that event. Those who carry the argument to
its logical conclusion could continue along this line. The "advent"
(Greek parousia--Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, 39) is also found in I
Cor. 15:23; I Thess. 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; II Thess. 2:1, 8; James
5:7, 8; II Peter 1:16; 3:4, 12; I John 2:28. The "completion of the age"
(v. 3) is also found in Matt. 13:39, 40, 49; 28:20. The "end" (v. 6) is
also found in I Cor. 1:8; 15:24; I Peter 4:7. The "birth-pangs" (v. 8)
are also found in I Thess. 5:3. The "clouds" (v. 30) are also found in
Rev. 1:7. The "trumpet" (v. 31) is also found in I Cor. 15:52; I Thess.
4:16. The "angels" (v. 31) are also found in Matt. 13:39, 41, 49; 25:31.
The "gathering" (v. 31) is also found in II Thess. 2:1. The exhortation
to "watch" (v. 42) is also found in I Thess. 5:6. The analogy of coming
as a "thief" (v. 43) is also found in I Thess. 5:2; II Peter 3:10; Rev.
16:15. Therefore all of these "second coming" passages are in reality
talking about the desolation of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
The Solution
But at this point soberer minds will say, "Hold it!
These passages are not talking about the desolation of Jerusalem in A.D.
70. You only have to read them to see that they're not." And this is
true! But they all are linguistically tied together. So where is the
problem in the logic? The problem is all the way back in the crux of the
argument. The fact that Matthew 24:17-18 is parallel to Luke 17:31 does
not mean that they are talking about the same thing. (The argument is
sometimes expanded to say that Matt. 24:26-27 is parallel to Luke
17:23-24 and Matt. 24:28 is parallel to Luke 17:37. But in fact Matt.
24:26-28 is talking about the second coming. The point is that the
advent of the Son of Man will not be a secret happening at the
desolation of Jerusalem--in the wilderness or in the inner room. Rather
it will be as obvious as the lightning in the sky, as the vultures
circling a dead body. So the case that Luke 17 is talking about the
desolation of Jerusalem must be built on the parallel between Luke 17:31
and Matt. 24:17-18.) But as we said before, the fact that these two
passages are parallel does not mean that they are talking about the same
thing. To say that they are involves an unspoken assumption. And that
assumption is that similar wording in different contexts must always be
talking about the same thing. But this assumption is not true. John
2:14-17 is parallel to Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; and Luke 19:45-46.
But the event in John 2 happened early in Jesus' ministry, while the
event recorded in the other passages happened during the last week
before His crucifixion. Jesus told both the paralytic brought by his
four friends and the man by the pool of Bethzatha, "Rise, take up your
pallet" (Mark 2:11; John 5:8). Similar sayings are found in Matthew 10
where Jesus sends out the twelve and Luke 10 where He sends out the
seventy-[two]: preach that the kingdom is near, a laborer is worthy of
his food, let peace come on a house, more tolerable for Sodom, and sheep
in the midst of wolves. More to the point is the saying that a servant
is not greater than his master, which is used in two different places to
teach two different lessons. It is used in Matt. 10:24 to mean that the
apostles, like Jesus, would be maligned. It is used in John 13:16 to
show that the apostles should follow the example of Jesus in washing one
another's feet.
So the point is this: just because similar events or
sayings occur in two parallel passages, that does not mean that they are
necessarily talking about the same thing. In fact, the same saying can
be used to teach two different lessons in two different contexts. Always
the meaning of words must be determined from their context. But can the
saying about the person on the housetop or in the field not going to get
his possessions have two different meanings in two different contexts?
Yes, it can and does. In Matthew 24:17-18 it is showing the urgency of
fleeing to the mountains when the armies surround Jerusalem. This was
fulfilled in A.D. 66 when the Roman general Cestius Gallus surrounded
Jerusalem with the Twelfth Legion and other soldiers. When the siege was
temporarily lifted, those who did not flee were trapped in the city and
destroyed. But in Luke 17:31 the saying is used to exhort disciples of
Christ not to try to hold on to earthly possessions and ties when Christ
comes again, for all these things will be destroyed. Lot's wife tried to
and was destroyed herself. Christians must renounce the things of this
life (Luke 14:33; I John 2:15-17). We can't take them with us. Therefore
we must lay up our treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21).
Final Admonition
The doctrine that Matthew 24 (all of it), Luke 17,
and II Peter 3 are talking about the desolation of Jerusalem rather than
the second coming has for several years been taught among us. Already I
have heard of gospel preachers teaching that the world will not be
finally destroyed by fire. And some of them are even teaching that the
resurrection is already past. I knew such a young man. He followed this
teaching to its logical conclusion and decided that the resurrection
happened in A.D. 70. The last I saw of him he was reading a book on Zen
Buddhism, for he thought he already had all that Christianity had to
offer. And he did, if he was right! This teaching is false. And the
danger of false teaching is that it can cause people to abandon the
faith and be lost. I am not merely speaking of possibility; I am
speaking of fact. It has happened! As Jesus said, "by their fruits you
shall know them." Brothers who teach this doctrine, let me encourage you
to restudy this teaching and abandon it. It is a new teaching among us
and does not promote the spiritual well-being of the hearers. And you
must look to your own selves also, knowing that those of us who are
teachers will be judged with a stricter judgment (James 3:1).
--May 1981
This article orginally was published
as:
Terry, Bruce. 1981. Luke 17: A.D. 70 or the second coming? Firm
Foundation 98 (July 7).
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