A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The Olivet Discourse" in Mark 13

Kuruvilla Thomas
Bangalore
Published on 20 November 2024 *

Fig. 1

Introduction

This study treats the "Olivet Discourse" in Mark 13:5-37 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 Matthew 24 [6] and Luke 21 [13].

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

In the Olivet passage in Matthew 24, the disciples ask Jesus three questions (Matt 24:3): when will this happen (the destruction of the temple), 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:

1. The Second Half of The First Jewish–Roman War (70AD–73AD). From the Roman attack on Jerusalem to the end of the war.
2. 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].
3. 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 [8].

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 Mark 13:5-37

Vs 5-13 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, they will be hated and betrayed.

Vs 14-18 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).

Vs 19 belongs to Period 3. The political upheaval at the beginning of the last days will be unmatched.

Vs 20 belongs 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 21-23 belong to Period 2. Do not be misled by false messiahs and prophets.

Vs 24-27 belong to Period 3. Political turmoil in the heavens. Christ appears in glory and the elect are gathered up in the rapture.

Vs 28-29 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 30 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 31 belongs to Period 2. Christ reassures the faithful that the Messiah will indeed come as a saviour.

Vs 32-37 belong to Period 3. No one knows the hour of Christ's coming in glory for 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.

Chapter 13 1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “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 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?”

5 Then Jesus began by telling them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.[a] 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 Indeed the gospel must, most importantly, [b] be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’, spoken of by Daniel the prophet [c], standing where it does not belong—let the reader take heed [d]—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter.
19 Truly [e] those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.
20 “If the Lord had not limited [f] those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has limited [g] them.
21 If [h] anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard. I have foretold to you all things [i].
24 “But in those days, after that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens [j] will be shaken.’
26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
28 “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. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that he [k] is near, right at the door.
30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
32 “About [l] that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It is as when a man, sojourning in another country, having left his house, and given authority to his servants, to each one his work. He tells the one at the door to keep watch. [m]
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Retranslation notes for Mark 13
[a] vs 5 'Then Jesus began by telling them: “Watch out that no one deceives you' instead of 'Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you'. Changed primarily for the balance of the regular chiasmus.
[b] vs 10 "Indeed the gospel must, most importantly," instead of "And the gospel must first".
[c] vs 14 inserted "spoken of by Daniel the prophet" from the KJV.
[d] vs 14 "take heed" instead of "understand".
[e] vs 18,19 "winter. 19 Truly" instead of "winter, 19 because".
[f] vs 20 "limited" instead of "cut short". Based on Holman Christian Standard Bible.n
[g] vs 20 "limited" instead of "shortened". Based on Holman Christian Standard Bible.
[h] vs 21 "If" instead of "At that time if".
[i] vs 23 "guard. I have foretold to you all things" instead of "guard; I have told you everything ahead of time".
[j] vs 25 "powers of the heavens" instead of "heavenly bodies".
[k] vs 29 "he" instead of "it".
[l] vs 32 "About" instead of "But about".
[m] vs 34 "It is as when a man, sojourning in another country, having left his house, and given authority to his servants, to each one his work. He tells the one at the door to keep watch" instead of "It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch". Based on the American Standard Version.

3. Building the reconfigured text

From this parse, it appears that verses 5-37 form a cryptochiasmus as below:

A1   5-13 Period 2. False messiahs, wars, persecution, betrayal
  B1   14-18 Period 1. Abomination of desolation. Flee to the mountains
      X   19 Period 3. Unmatched distress
  B2   20 Period 1. The Roman attack is limited for the sake of Christians
A2   21-23 Period 2. False messiahs and prophets

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 24-27 - Period 3. Christ appears in glory
v 28-29 - Period 2. The parable of the fig tree
v 30 - 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 24-27 Period 3
  N2   v 28-29 Period 2
M2   v 30 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 24-27]  [[A1,A2], v 28-29]  [[B1,B2], v 30]         (3)

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

[19,24-27]  [[5-13,21-23], 28-29]  [[14-18,20],30]        (4)

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

v 31 - Period 2. My words will never pass away
v 32-37 - 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.

[[19,24-27],32-37]  [[5-13,21-23], 28-29, 31]  [[14-18,20],30]        (5)

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

[[14-18,20],30]  [[5-13,21-23], 28-29, 31]  [[19,24-27],32-37]        (6)

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

4. Mark 13:5-37 Reconfigured

Period 1. The Second Half of The First Jewish–Roman War (70AD–73AD) (vs. 14-18,20,30)

Period 2. The Tribulation Period before Christ's Millennial Reign (from the 2nd Seal to 2027AD) (vs. 5-13, 21-23, 28-29, 31)

Chiasmus 1: Pre-Millennial Tribulation


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

Period 3. The Start of the End-Times Tribulation (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs. 19,24-27,32-37)

Chiasmus 1: Christ returns in Glory


Chiasmus 2: No one knows when Christ will return for the rapture

5. A Commentary on the Reconfigured Text

5.1 Introductory passage (vs. 1-4)

1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “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, when the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 AD.

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?”

At the Mount of Olives, which overlooks the temple, the disciples ask for signs that indicate when Jesus' prophecies will take place. This passage is a summary of the questions detailed in Matthew 24:3, in which the disciples ask three questions regarding three periods; 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. 14-18,20,30)

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

A1 14 The First Jewish–Roman War: The middle of the war (70AD)
    X 15-18 The flight of the Christian Judahites (70AD)
A2 20,30 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 14)

14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it does not belong—let the reader take heed—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

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 [8]), 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 Matt. 24:3.

Jesus warned 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 15-18)

15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 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.

17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter.

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.

Subunit A2: The First Jewish–Roman War: The end of the war (73AD) (vs 20,30)

20 “If the Lord had not limited those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has limited them.

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.

30 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.

5.3 Period 2. The Tribulation Period before Christ's Millennial Reign (from the 2nd Seal to 2027AD) (vs. 5-13, 21-23, 28-29, 31)

This Period is structured as a series of 2 chiasmi.

Chiasmus 1: Pre-Millennial Tribulation

The passage below in vs 5-13,21-23a is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 5-7 Prologue: Show discernment, Do not be misled (between 30AD and the 2nd Seal)
  B1 8 The beginning of the tribulation (between the 2nd Seal and the 5th Seal)
    X 9-11 The tribulation of the faithful during the reign of the Beast (from the 5th Seal to Apr 2027)
  B2 12-13 The end of the tribulation (Apr 2027)
A2 21-23a 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 5-7)

5 Then Jesus began by telling them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

Jesus exhorts Christians to show discernment when it comes to these prophecies. In the millennia between Jesus at his First Coming and 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 8)

8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. 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, 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 5-7), 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 9-11)

9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.

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 face torment and inquisitions by authorities (we take "synagogue", which means "a place of assembly", to refer to a government council). Christians must be careful in what they say and do ("You must be on your guard"), for they stand as representatives of Christ before these inquisitions.

10 Indeed the gospel must, most importantly, be preached to all nations.

The everlasting Gospel (good message) of the One True God from Christ will be preached to all the nations (see also Rev. 14:6, Matt 24:14), even as Christians are persecuted.

11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

Christians who are brought to trial during the reign of the Beast need not worry about what to say. The Holy Spirit (the angels of God) will guide the faithful in the defence their faith (see also Luke 21:15).

Subunit B2: The end of the tribulation (Apr 2027) (vs 12-13)

12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

This subunit is regarding the aftermath of this time of spiritual battle and persecution for Christians. The righteous have been betrayed by their own family for the benefits they receive from doing so. Christianity and its adherents are hated by many. Many Christians failed this test of tribulation, but those who have patiently endured, even unto death, have saved their eternal soul (see also Dan. 11:33-35, Rev 13:5-10, Matt 24:9-13). 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 21-23a)

21 If anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23a So be on your guard.

In the millennia between Christ's first coming and this Period, many false messiahs and false prophets will perform fake miracles to deceive people, and they will especially target the elect of Christ, the Christians (see also Matt. 24:23-24).

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

The passage below in vs 23b,28-29,31 is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:

A1 23b These prophecies about the restoration of Israel will certainly come true
    X 28-29 The signs of the coming of the Messiah of the Millennial Reign
A2 31 These prophecies about the restoration of Israel will certainly come true

Subunit A1: These prophecies about the restoration of Israel will certainly come true (vs 23b)

23b I have foretold to you all things.

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 23b and vs 31 below) serves to assure the Israelites that the predictions of this Chiasmus 2 will certainly come true. The Olivet discourses in Mattew 24 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 [13]).

Pivot X: The signs of the coming of the Messiah of the Millennial Reign (vs 28-29)

28 “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. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that he is near, right at the door.

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 "these things" to be the events at the start of this Period - wars, famines, earthquakes etc. (vs 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 Matt. 24:3, "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 31)

This Subunit continues from vs 23b in the corresponding Subunit A1 above.

31 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. 19, 24-27, 32-37)

This Period is structured as a series of 2 chiasmi.

Chiasmus 1: Christ returns in Glory

The passage below in vs 19,24-27 is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:

A1 19 Events in the physical realm at Christ's return (unknown date before 2967AD)
    X 24-25 Events in the spiritual realm at Christ's return (unknown date before 2967AD)
A2 26-27 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 19)

19 Truly those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created 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 [8], Rev. 6:14-17). This extent of political change 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 24-25)

24 “But in those days, after that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’

Along with the political distress in the physical realm (vs 19), 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 and they face judgement (see Isaiah 24:21-23, Psalm 82:6-8 and the opening of the 6th seal Rev 6:12-14 [12]).

Subunit A2: Events in the physical realm at Christ's return (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs 26-27)

26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

At the start of the End-Times tribulation, the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, returns in glory for the rapture. Those deemed righteous (the "elect") are gathered up in the rapture from around the earth ("from the four winds"), from one horizon ("ends of the earth/heavens") to the other, into the presence of God (see Rev 7:9-17). 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: No one knows when Christ will return for the rapture

The passage below in vs 32-37 is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:

A1 32 Watch! For no one knows when Christ will return (unknown date before 2967AD)
    X 33-35 The parable of the absent house owner
A2 36-37 Watch! For no one knows when Christ will return (unknown date before 2967AD)

Subunit A1: Watch! For no one knows when Christ will return (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs 32)

32 “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 Matt. 24:3, "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).

Pivot X: The parable of the absent house owner (vs 33-35)

33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It is as when a man, sojourning in another country, having left his house, and given authority to his servants, to each one his work. He tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.

During his Millennial Reign, Christ will not be physically present on earth - he will be like the owner of a house who has gone away for an indefinite period. Christ will delegate the responsibility of leading the world and watching over the Christians to the coming Messiah, the "one at the door".

Through the Christian Gospel, Christ has given Christians, his servants, instructions on what they must do and how they must behave. Christians must faithfully perform their spiritual duties ("keep watch") during the Millennial Reign, because Christ could return at any time (the four examples mentioned in vs 35 roughly correspond to the four watches of the night), and when he suddenly returns, only those who are faithful will be raptured. ( The "Noah's ark" type in the Olivet Discourse in Matt 24 and the "suddenly closing trap" simile in the Discourse in Luke 21 is replaced by the "absent house owner" parable here.)

Subunit A2: Watch! For no one knows when Christ will return (unknown date before 2967AD) (vs 36-37)

36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Christians are exhorted to be faithful stewards during the Millennial Reign (see also Matt. 25), for those found living unrighteous lives ("sleeping") at the time will not be raptured but will instead face the End-Times Tribulation.

Conclusion

With this chiastic reconfiguration, we have shown that this passage contains three interwoven prophecies regarding times of great tribulation.

References

[1] A Definition of Cryptochiasmus
[2] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The 70 Weeks Of Daniel"
[3] First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE) by Wikipedia.
[4] Flight to Pella by Wikipedia
[5] Jewish Christian by Wikipedia
[6] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The Olivet Discourse" in Matthew 24
[7] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Daniel 8
[8] <A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Daniel 10-12. Part 2: Daniel 11-12
[9] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Revelation 12
[10] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Isaiah 59-63
[11] A Commentary on Daniel 7
[12] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Revelation 4-22 Part 3
[13] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The Olivet Discourse" in Luke 21





* First version published on 3 October 2017.