"The Olivet Discourse" in Matthew 24 Based On A Chiastic Reconfiguration

A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The Olivet Discourse" in Matthew 24

Kuruvilla Thomas
Bangalore
Published on 12 November 2024 *

Fig. 1

Introduction

This study treats the "Olivet Discourse" in Matthew 24:4-42 as a cryptochiasmus in order to arrive at a coherent reconfiguration of the text. Text that is structured as a cryptochiasmus must be rearranged based on certain principles to be correctly interpreted. A cryptochiasmus is a new concept; see definition in [1]. If you wish to skip the technicalities of a chiastic parse, you may read starting from Section 4 of the Discussion section, which has the reconfigured text.

The "Olivet Discourse" is clearly an interweaving of predictions regarding different times into one narrative, and with this chiastic reconstruction, we will show that this prophecy from Jesus makes predictions about three distinct periods. The content of this passage is similar to the Olivet Discourses in Mark 13 [13] and Luke 21 [14].

Note:
We will use the term "Judahite" to refer to the Israelites - primarily those of the tribe of Judah and their descendants - that remained after the Assyrian exile of the Northern Tribes; we will try to avoid the term "Jew" to avoid the confusion it introduces.

Discussion

1. Presuppositions

The disciples ask Jesus three questions in vs 3: when will this happen (the destruction of the temple predicted in vs. 2), what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age? Jesus' prophetic reply is regarding the three Periods listed below:

The Second Half of The First Jewish–Roman War (70AD–73AD). From the Roman attack on Jerusalem to the end of the war.
The Tribulation Period before Christ's Millennial Reign (from the 2nd Seal to 2027AD). The tribulation and persecution of this Period come from Satan through his human worshippers. This Period begins at the opening of the 2nd Seal (see Rev. 6:3-4). The 2027AD date for the end of this Period and the start of the Millennial Reign is from our parse of Isaiah 60-62 [10].
The Start of the End-Times Tribulation (unknown date before 2967AD). Christ returns in glory at the beginning of the End-Times Tribulation to gather up the faithful in the rapture. The tribulation of this Period comes from God and His angels. The c. 2967AD date for the End of the Age is from our parse of Daniel 10-12 [7] and from this prophecy (see 37a,39b below).

2. Parsing the chiasmus

We will use the NIV translation for this parse.

Parsing this chiasmus involves dividing the text into three categories as above. We will call the period of the First Jewish-Roman War Period 1, the time of the Pre-Millennial Tribulation Period 2 and the time of the End-Times Tribulation Period 3.

Categorizing Matthew 24:4-42

Vs 4-14 belong to Period 2. Do not be deceived by false prophecies. The Pre-Millennial Tribulation will be a time of wars, famines, earthquakes. Christians will face persecution. The Gospel will be preached to all nations.

Vs 15-20 belong to Period 1. The Judahites are warned to flee as soon as they see the Roman army ("the abomination") in Jerusalem. Note that these verses refer to a localized event in Judea: only the residents of Judea are warned to flee to the mountains; the mention of "winter" implies that this does not apply to the whole world (winter in the Northern Hemisphere is summer in the Southern); and fleeing on the Sabbath is a problem that only affects Judahites.

Vs 21 belong to Period 3. The political upheaval at the beginning of the last days will be unmatched.

Vs 22 belong to Period 1. The Romans were only allowed to attack Judea for 7 years. After that the protection of the Judahites was reinstated for the sake of the Christian Judahites, the elect.

Vs 23-28 belong to Period 2. Do not be misled by false messiahs and prophets. The Messiah's fame will spread rapidly like lightning (this is not the final coming of Christ in glory). The "vulture and carcass" adage is regarding Christ at his First Coming - see commentary below.

Vs 29-31 belong to Period 3. Political turmoil in the heavens. Christ appears in glory and the elect are gathered up in the rapture.

Vs 32-33 belong to Period 2. The parable of the fig tree indicates that the Messiah will appear shortly after the tribulation of this Period begins.

Vs 34 belongs to Period 1. The phrase "this generation will not pass away..." points to a period within one generation (around 40 years) of Jesus' time.

Vs 35 belongs to Period 2. Christ reassures the faithful that the Messiah will indeed come as a saviour.

Vs 36-42 belong to Period 3. No one will know the time of Christ's coming in glory, as it was with the floods of Noah's time. Only the righteous will be raptured out. ( The rest of the chapter, 24:43-51, and the next chapter, Ch 25, are a series of parables that exhort believers to remain wise and faithful servants of God during the Millennial Reign, so they may be worthy of being taken up in the rapture.)

Original text

We color-code the chiastic units of the original text (NIV) below for easy visual identification using: red for Period 1, blue for Period 2, green for Period 3, and purple for text outside the chiasmus. We have retranslated parts of the text.

Matthew 24 1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
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?”

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 “Now [a] when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader take heed [b]— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
21 Truly [c] then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
22 “If those days had not been limited [d], no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be limited [e].
23 If [f] anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have foretold this to you [g].
26 “Now [h] if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days
“‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens [i] will be shaken.’
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that he [j] is near, right at the door.
34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As the days of Noah, In this way will be the coming of the Son of Man: [k] 38 In [l] the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. Even so will be the coming of the Son of Man.[m] 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

Retranslation notes for Matthew 24
[a] vs 15 "Now" instead of "So".
[b] vs 15 "take heed" instead of "understand".
[c] vs 21 "Truly" instead of "For".
[d] vs 22 "limited" instead of "cut short". Based on Holman Christian Standard Bible.
[e] vs 22 "limited" instead of "shortened". Based on Holman Christian Standard Bible.
[f] vs 23 "If" instead of "At that time if".
[g] vs 25 "See, I have foretold this to you" instead of "See, I have told you ahead of time".
[h] vs 26 "Now" instead of "So".
[i] vs 29 "powers of the heavens" instead of "heavenly bodies".
[j] vs 33 "he" instead of "it".
[k] vs 37 "As the days of Noah, In this way will be the coming of the Son of Man:" instead of "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.".
[l] vs 38 "In" instead of "For in".
[m] vs 39 "Even so will be the coming of the Son of Man" instead of "That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man".

3. Building the reconfigured text

From this parse, it appears that verses 4-42 form a cryptochiasmus as below:

A1 4-14 Period 2. False messiahs, wars, and persecution
B1 15-20 Period 1. Abomination of desolation. Flee to the mountains
X 21 Period 3. Unmatched distress
B2 22 Period 1. The Roman attack is limited for the sake of Christians
A2 23-28 Period 2. False messiahs, lightning from the east, vultures

We now reconstruct the passages in the right order based on the chiastic structure above and based on the ordering rules of a cryptochiasmus [1].

We usually lead with the pivot point but for this reconstruction we will add the central pivot point 'X' at the end, so that we get another chiasmus with the rest of the prophecy. The corresponding subunits (For ex., subunit A1 corresponds to A2) are placed contiguously to form units (For ex., A1,A2 is a unit ) so that we get a list of such units.

The sequence selected for rearrangement is:

[B1,B2] [A1,A2] X (1)

Note: We choose the reverse order for our units so that we get another cryptochiasmus with the rest of the prophecy.

We have the following sequence when we include the next 3 subunits of the prophecy:
[B1,B2] - Period 1
[A1,A2] - Period 2
X - Period 3
v 29-31 - Period 3. Christ appears in glory
v 32-33 - Period 2. The parable of the fig tree
v 34 - Period 1. This generation will not pass away

We still have text for the Periods in a non-contiguous form. We treat this as a multiply-applied cryptochiasmus as below:

M1 [B1,B2] Period 1
N1 [A1,A2] Period 2
XX X, v 29-31 Period 3
N2 v 32-33 Period 2
M2 v 34 Period 1

The sequence selected for rearrangement is:
XX [N1,N2] [M1,M2] (2)

Translating this sequence (2) into the sub-units of the first chiasmus, we get:

[X, v 29-31] [[A1,A2], v 32-33] [[B1,B2], v 34] (3)

Further translating (3) into verse numbers, we get:

[21,29-31] [[4-14,23-28], 32-33] [[15-20,22],34] (4)

Below, we have another 2 subunits of the prophecy that remain to be integrated into the reconfiguration:

v 35 - Period 2. My words will never pass away
v 36-42 - Period 3. Christ's return will be unexpected

These subunits are in the sequence Period 2, Period 3. The units in (2) above will form a chiasmus with these two subunits so that the Periods are in the sequence [3,2,1,2,3], and this chiasmus can be reconfigured.

But we eschew the lengthy and complex formalism of a chiastic reconfiguration and, instead, use the expedient of appending the subunits to the Period to which they belong in (4), so that we get (5) below.

[[21,29-31],36-42] [[4-14,23-28], 32-33, 35] [[15-20,22],34] (5)

Finally, we rearrange these units, so they are in chronological sequence.

[[15-20,22],34] [[4-14,23-28], 32-33, 35] [[21,29-31],36-42] (6)

We arrive at the reconfigured passage in the next section by rearranging the verses so they are in sequence (6).

4. Matthew 24:4-42 Reconfigured

Period 1. The Second Half of The First Jewish–Roman War (70AD–73AD) (vs. 15-20, 22, 34)

15 “Now when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader take heed— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

22 “If those days had not been limited, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be limited. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

Period 2. The Tribulation Period before Christ's Millennial Reign (from the 2nd Seal to 2027AD) (vs. 4-14, 23-28, 32-33, 35)

Chiasmus 1: Pre-Millennial Tribulation

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

23 If anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Chiasmus 2: The Coming of the Messiah and the Restoration of Israel

25 See, I have foretold this to you.

26 “Now if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, right at the door.

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Period 3 The Start of the End-Times Tribulation (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs. 21, 29-31, 36-42)

Chiasmus 1: Christ returns in Glory

21 Truly then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. ’

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.

Chiasmus 2: The Rapture, Noah's Ark, Noah's Age

31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

37a As the days of Noah,

37b In this way will be the coming of the Son of Man: 38 In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39a and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.

39b Even so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

5. A Commentary on the Reconfigured Text

5.1 Introductory Passage (vs. 1-3)

1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

The disciples were admiring the magnificent temple at Jerusalem, that Herod built, when Jesus predicted that the temple will be completely destroyed. This prediction that "not one stone here will be left on another" came true, quite literally, in 70 AD.

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?”

At the Mount of Olives, which overlooks the temple, the disciples ask three questions regarding three periods, and, as we see below, Jesus gives them details on all three periods and answers the questions about the signs in three different ways:

When will this happen? (the destruction of the temple): Jesus gives a definite sign for the immediate start of this time of tribulation that ends in the devastation of Jerusalem and its temple in Period 1 - the Roman army at Jerusalem.
What will be the sign of the coming age of Christ?: A set of signs will indicate that the identity of the Messiah of the Millennial Reign will be revealed shortly.
What will the be sign of the end of the age?: There will be no sign at all for the coming of Christ for the rapture in Period 3.

5.2 Period 1. The Second Half of The First Jewish–Roman War (70AD–73AD) (vs. 15-20, 22, 34)

This Period is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:

A1 15-16 The First Jewish–Roman War: The middle of the war (70AD)
X 17-20 The flight of the Christian Judahites (70AD)
A2 22,34 The First Jewish–Roman War: The end of the war (73AD)

Subunit A1: The First Jewish–Roman War: The middle of the war (70AD) (vs 15-16)

The "abomination" is the Roman army and its allies that laid siege to "the holy place", Jerusalem (see Luke 21:20); the Romans killed almost all the Judahites in the city and destroyed the city and its temple - they "caused desolation". This "abomination" is mentioned in several places in Daniel (Dan. 9:27 [2], Dan. 11:31, 12:11 [7]), and its presence at Jerusalem is the sure sign indicating the immediate arrival of this period of tribulation for Jerusalem - this passage answers the question "when will this happen?" in vs 3.

Jesus warns his followers in Jerusalem and its surroundings to flee on seeing the Roman soldiers; the phrase "let the reader take heed" emphasises the importance of this exhortation to the Judahites of this time - ignoring it will result in a cruel death. ( For more details on this Period, see our paper on "The 70 weeks of Daniel" [2] and a history of the war in [3].)

Pivot X: The flight of the Christian Judahites (70AD) (vs 17-20)

17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.

Jesus clearly expresses the urgency with which the Judahites are to flee on seeing the Roman soldiers. Judahites who see the Romans from their rooftops must not even enter their houses for their belongings, and those outside Jerusalem must not return to the city. The entire community of Christian Judahites must exit the city within a day. According to some historians, the Judahites fled to Pella [4] which is located at the foothills of the Transjordanian Mountains.

19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

Jesus expresses concern over some of the practical problems the Judahites may face as they fled. Pregnant and nursing mothers would have found it particularly difficult to make this sudden, rushed journey to a refugee camp. The Judahites' prayer that their flight does not take place in cold winter was answered, because it took place in the spring (around Mar.) of 70AD. The prayer that this exit from the city does not take place on a Sabbath indicates that Christian Judahites continued to faithfully observe the Old Covenant Sabbath Laws and that the escape from the city was to be completed in one day.

Subunit A2: The First Jewish–Roman War: The end of the war (73AD) (22,34)

22 “If those days had not been limited, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be limited.

Through a covenant between God and Titus, the Romans had a limited period of 7 years in which they were to destroy Judea and the Judahites (see the paper on "The 70 weeks of Daniel" [2]). After that, the Roman assault was stopped (see Rev 12:16) and God's protection was reinstated for the "elect" - the Christian Judahites who fled to the mountains.

34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

This war took place within a generation from Jesus' time (around 40 years). The Judahites who converted to Christianity were the only people who moved from the Old Covenant to the New without a break. We surmise that it was necessary to kill off the Judahites who did not believe in Jesus within one generation to completely close the book on the Old Covenant.

The Judahites of the time were given every reason to believe in Jesus and escape this massacre: they were the first people Jesus and his followers preached to, and they witnessed first-hand a large number of miracles. But many of them chose to torment and kill Jesus (see Matt.27:25) and his followers. Most of the Judahites that were killed by the Romans were the Pharisees and their kind, whom Jesus excoriates in the previous chapter, Matt. 23; they followed a Judaism that was corrupted by Satanic ideas from Babylon (See Matt. 23:15, Rev. 2:9, John 8:42-44).

5.3 Period 2. The Tribulation Period before Christ's Millennial Reign (from the 2nd Seal to 2027AD) (vs. 4-14, 23-28, 32-33, 35)

This Period is structured as a series of 2 chiasmi.

Chiasmus 1: Pre-Millennial Tribulation

The passage below in vs 4-14,23-24 is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 4-6 Prologue: Show discernment, Do not be misled (between 30AD and the 2nd Seal)
B1 7-8 The beginning of the tribulation (between the 2nd Seal and the 5th Seal)
X 9-13 The tribulation of the faithful during the reign of the Beast (from the 5th Seal to Apr 2027)
B2 14 The end of the tribulation (Apr 2027)
A2 23-24 Prologue: Show discernment, Do not be misled (between 30AD and the 2nd Seal)

Subunit A1: Prologue: Show discernment, Do not be misled (between 30AD and the 2nd Seal) (vs 4-6)

Jesus exhorts Christians to show discernment when it comes to these prophecies. In the millennia between Jesus at his First Coming and the start of this Period (at the opening of the 2nd seal shortly before 2027AD), many false messiah's will deceive many with false doctrines. There will be wars and predictions of devastating conflicts, but these are not signs of the end (the "end" spoken of in this Period is the end of Satan's reign - see also "the time of the end" in Daniel 12). ( Note that this prologue in Unit A is regarding a time outside this Period.)

Subunit B1: The beginning of the tribulation (between the 2nd Seal and the 5th Seal) (vs 7-8)

7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

At the opening of the 2nd Seal of Rev. 6:3,4, the Rider on the Red Horse, the angel responsible for war, begins his work. Shortly after that at the opening of the 3rd Seal of Rev 6:5-6, the Rider on the Black Horse, the one who controls the world's economy, is also released. Through these riders, Satan unleashes great turmoil around the world, presumably so that the Beast and Antichrist of Rev 13 can come in as saviours of the earth. This turmoil takes many forms - international strife, famines, man-made earthquakes, etc..

This passage seems to contradict the previous Subunit A1 (vs 4-6), which indicates that wars are not a sign of the "end". However, it is only when all these things come together in an intense period of worldwide turmoil that you know the "end" is near. The troubles of this entire Period (2nd Seal - Apr 2027) are the "birth pains" of Christ's Millennial Reign (see Rev 12:1,2), and the events of this subunit are the beginning of those birth pains.

Pivot X: The tribulation of the faithful during the reign of the Beast (from the 5th Seal to Apr 2027) (vs 9-13)

At the opening of the 5th Seal of Rev. 6:9-11, Satan will be permitted to persecute the righteous. True Christianity will be hated around the world. Christians will be tested during the reign of the Beast through torments, executions and tempting false doctrines; some will apostatize and betray others for their own benefit. Because of an increase in depravity, the love of most for God and man will die out, but those who patiently endure will save their eternal soul and will be rewarded (see also Dan. 11:33-35, Rev 13:5-10).

Subunit B2: The end of the tribulation (Apr 2027) (vs 14)

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

This subunit is regarding the aftermath of this time of spiritual battle and persecution for Christians. The everlasting Gospel (good message) of the One True God from Christ has been preached to all the nations (see also Rev. 14:6, Mark 13:9,10). Satan's reign on earth ends at this time and Christ's begins.

Subunit A2: Prologue: Show discernment, Do not be misled (between 30AD and the 2nd Seal) (vs 23-24)

In the millennia between Christ's First Coming and this Period, many false prophets and messiahs will perform fake miracles to deceive people, and they will especially target the elect of Christ, the Christians (seee also Mark 13:21-22).

Chiasmus 2: The Coming of the Messiah and the Restoration of Israel

The passage below in vs 25-28,32-33,35 is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:

A1 25 These prophecies about the restoration of Israel will certainly come true
B1 26-27 The Coming of the Messiah of the Millennial Reign (before 2027 AD)
X 28 Prologue: Christ dies on the cross at his First Coming (30AD)
B2 32-33,35 The Coming of the Messiah of the Millennial Reign (before 2027 AD)
A2 35 These prophecies about the restoration of Israel will certainly come true

This chiasmus combines Christ's death in the 1st century with the coming of his Messiah in the 21st century, presumably to indicate that it was Christ's death on the cross that paved the way to his Millennial Reign through his Messiah (see Rev. 5:8-14). ( There are several other chiasmi with this same combination of topics; for ex., see Period 2 in Luke 17 [5], Period 3 in the parse of Isaiah 52-53 [11].)

Subunit A1: These prophecies about the restoration of Israel will certainly come true (vs 25)

25 See, I have foretold this to you.

While Chiasmus 1 of this Period is for the Christians in the rest of the world, this chiasmus is primarily addressed to the Israelites. This Unit A (vs 25 and vs 35 below) serves to assure the Israelites that the predictions of this Chiasmus 2 will certainly come true. The Olivet discourses in Mark 13 and Luke 21 also have an enveloping unit similar to this, with the one in Luke 21 helping to clarify what is assured - that Israel will be restored under the Messiah of the Millennial Reign (see Luke 21:24b in [14]).

Subunit B1: The Coming of the Messiah of the Millennial Reign (before 2027 AD) (vs 26-27)

False messiahs, over the millennia between Jesus' First Coming and this Period, will try to isolate their communes in the "wilderness" and "inner rooms" to maintain physical and mental control over their followers. But the Messiah of the Millennial Reign will rise to international fame at the speed of lightning. This lightning is specifically described as coming from the east, presumably to indicate that the Messiah will come from an eastern nation (see also Isaiah 41:2).

Christ's earthly reign will be enforced by the Messiah, a human representative who is of David's line (see Isaiah 11:1), in the same way that Satan's reign is executed through humans that belong to certain bloodlines (see appendix in [6]). This coming Messiah, the Archangel Michael incarnate, is, like Jesus, also called a 'Son of Man' (see also Dan. 7:13, Rev. 1:13,14:14).

Pivot X: Prologue: Christ dies on the cross at his First Coming (30AD) (vs 28)

28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

We believe that Christ predicts his death through this adage, based on our parse of Period 2 in Luke 17 (see Luke 17:37 in [5]). The sense of this adage in this context is that when God hands over Jesus for his betrayal and imprisonment, he will be a "carcass" (see Matt. 26:1-4). The wicked among the Judahites, the chief priests and teachers of the Law, will gather around him like vultures, seeking to "pick him apart and devour him" through torture and crucifixion (see Matthew 20:17-19).

Subunit B2: The Coming of the Messiah of the Millennial Reign (before 2027 AD) (vs 32-33)

Just as tender twigs and sprouting leaves on a fig tree in spring indicate summer is coming soon, so also the signs of this Period indicate that the Messiah of the Millennial Reign will soon appear ("he is near, right at the door"). We take "all these things" to be the events at the start of this Period - wars, famines, earthquakes etc. (vs 7-8 in Subunit B1 of Chiasmus 1). We take the seasons indicated here to be literal - the signs of this Period will begin to peak in spring and the Messiah will appear by the summer of that year (around the same time that the persecution of the faithful around the world begins). This passage answers the disciples second question in vs 3, "What will be the sign of the coming age of Christ?".

Subunit A2: These prophecies about the restoration of Israel will certainly come true (vs 35)

This Subunit continues from vs 25 in the corresponding Subunit A1 above.

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Even the great heaven and earth will pass away (Rev 21:1), but Jesus' prophecies will all remain accurate. This passage serves to aver that Israel will indeed be restored under the Messiah.

5.4 Period 3. The Start of the End-Times Tribulation (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs. 21, 29-31, 36-42)

This Period is structured as a series of 2 chiasmi.

Chiasmus 1: Christ returns in Glory

The passage below in vs 21,29-30 is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:

A1 21 Events in the physical realm at Christ's return (unknown date before 2967AD)
X 29 Events in the spiritual realm at Christ's return (unknown date before 2967AD)
A2 30 Events in the physical realm at Christ's return (unknown date before 2967AD)

Subunit A1: Events in the physical realm at Christ's return (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs 21)

21 Truly then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

At the beginning of the End-Times Tribulation, just before Christ's coming, there will be unprecedented worldwide political upheaval (see also Dan. 12:1 in [7], Rev. 6:14-17). This extent of political chaos will not occur again, even during the final tribulation.

Pivot X: Events in the spiritual realm at Christ's return (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs 29)

Along with the political distress in the physical realm (vs 21), there will be correspondingly great political upheaval in the spiritual world. The sun, moon and stars represent Satan's angels ("powers of the heavens") that control the nations outside the New Israel (Deut. 17:3, Luke 21:26) - their reign ends after this and they face judgement (see Isaiah 24:21-23, Psalm 82:6-8 and the opening of the 6th seal in Rev 6:12-14 [9]).

Subunit A2: Events in the physical realm at Christ's return (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs 30)

30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.

A great sign in the sky will announce the return of Christ (the "Son of Man" of this Period) for the rapture. The wicked of the earth will mourn and cower in terror at the sight of Christ in glory (see also Rev. 6:15-17), for they are not raptured, and they will face the End-Times Tribulation. The "clouds of heaven" are a short-term transport mechanism between the spiritual and physical realms (see also Dan. 7:13, Rev 1:7) - Christ will immediately return to heaven with the raptured (Rev. 7:9).

Chiasmus 2: The Rapture, Noah's Ark, Noah's Age

The passage below (vs 31,36-42) is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 31,36 The Rapture (unknown date before 2967AD)
B1 37a Noah's Age dates the End of the World (2967AD)
X 37b,38,39a Noah's Ark is a type of the Rapture (unknown date before 2967AD
B2 39b Noah's Age dates the End of the World (2967AD)
A2 40-42 The Rapture (unknown date before 2967AD)

Subunit A1: The Rapture (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs 31,36)

31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

With a loud trumpet call, those deemed righteous (the "elect") are gathered up in the rapture from around the earth ("from the four winds"), from one horizon ("end of the heavens") to the other, into the presence of God (see Rev 7:9-17). This trumpet is the first of the 7 trumpets of Revelation (see Rev. 8:7), indicating that the End-Times Tribulation will begin immediately after the rapture.

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

No one will know the time of Christ's coming in glory for the rapture, not even the Son, Christ himself. This verse answers the disciples 3rd question in vs 3, "What will the be sign of the end of the age?" The date of the rapture may be kept a secret so that people live righteous lives throughout the Millennial Reign, and not merely turn to God immediately before Christ's return (see Matt 24:42-51, Matt 25). This passage is strong evidence against the concept of a "trinity" of co-equal Gods (see also 1 Thess. 5:1).

Subunit B1: Noah's Age dates the End of the World (2967AD) (vs 37a)

37a As the days of Noah,

We believe that this Unit B (vs 37a combined with 39b in Subunit B2 below) predicts the date of Christ's final return for the resurrection (Rev 20:11-15) after the End-Times Tribulation. We take these passages to mean that the timespan for which Christ will control the earth is the same as Noah's lifespan of 950 years (Gen 9:29). Christ began to control the earth in Sep. 2017, when he was deemed worthy to take the scroll and reign (see parse of Rev 12 [8], Rev 5) (although Satan continues to rule the earth from 2017 to 2027, till the end of the reign of the Beast, he will have to work within the parameters set by Christ). Christ will return at the end of his reign over the earth through his Messiah, for the final judgement, 950 years later in 2967AD. Note that we arrive at the same date for Christ's return and the End of the World in our parse of Daniel 10-12 [7].

Clearly these passages regarding the end of the tribulation are inserted into this chiasmus regarding the beginning of tribulation to obscure the prediction of this important date until the time for its revelation comes. But it may also be that Christ's coming at the beginning of the tribulation is a type of his coming at the end of the world, because both are great Days of Judgement of the world.

Pivot X: Noah's Ark is a type of the Rapture (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs 37b,38,39a)

The period of Noah's floods can be considered a type of the time of the rapture (cf. Luke 17:26-27). The rapture of the righteous and the accompanying devastation of earth and the wicked on it will begin abruptly (no one knows the day or the hour - vs 36) while people go about their normal lives, just as the floods in the days of Noah came without warning (Gen. 7). Noah and his family, the only righteous of the world (Genesis 6:5-13), were "raptured out" through the ark, and immediately after that the wicked that remained were punished.

Subunit B2: Noah's Age dates the End of the World (2967AD) (vs 39b)

39b Even so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

This passage concludes Subunit B1 (vs 37a), regarding the date of Christ's return at the Final Judgement (see details under subunit B1 above).

Subunit A2: The Rapture (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs 40-42)

This passage continues from the corresponding Subunit A1 above.

The rapture is one of the three great Days of Judgement - the other two are at the beginning of the Millennial Reign (Rev. 20:4-6) and at the End of the World (Rev. 20:11-15). Those deemed righteous are saved and taken up into the presence of God immediately, while the rest remain in the world while it is devastated through the End-Times Tribulation.

The rest of the chapter (vs 43-51 that lie outside the chiasmus) and the next chapter, Ch. 25, continue with parables that exhort Christians of the Millennial Reign to be prepared for Christ's return and to be faithful stewards, so that they are worth of rapture.

Conclusion

With this chiastic reconfiguration, we have shown that this passage on Christ's Olivet Discourse contains three interwoven prophecies regarding times of great tribulation. We have also shown that this prophecy predicts the important date of the End of the World.

References