The purpose of this bible conference is to discuss the relationship between soteriology (the study of salvation) and eschatology (the study of last things). It may not be immediately apparent but the very fact that we are even bringing these two areas of biblical study together in order to consider what light that they might shed on one another is in itself a major break through in biblical interpretation. I would like to suggest that the ramification of bringing these two areas of study together is a whole new "gestalt" which turns a Christ centered and a cross centered approach to the interpretation of prophecy into a hermeneutic rather than a platitude.

In this first of my presentations, my purpose is to provide an overview and synopsis of the various points that I hope to bring together in terms of the consideration of these two areas of study. These various points can be likened to a number of master keys that are all beneath the grand master key. This grand master key lies beneath the Great Grand Master Key. We first must see, recognize, and possess the Great Grand Master key before the grand master key and the master keys themselves become apparent. That is because there is a clear relationship between them. The possession of these keys enables the Bible student to open all the locks on all the doors. All of the keys are actually very simple and reasonable. On the other hand, they are all profound.

Everything in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, needs to be understood in light of God’s clearly stated goal and purpose. His goal is to vindicate His name (character) while simultaneously saving mankind. Therefore the Lord God has purposed to defeat evil, restore justice, and to bring the "whole world" and even the created universe under the headship of His Son. Matt.24v14; 28v19. Eph.1v10. This headship under the Son is the kingdom of God in which God Himself rules as King and dwells in the midst of His people. As we, in our mind’s eye quickly scan the Old Testament, we recognize that God used individuals and then a nation to bring about His purpose. He has used prophets, priests, and kings to represent Him, to communicate on His behalf, and to bring His will and purpose to pass. None succeeded.

The Old Testament, by means of the clearly stated words of the prophets, by means of typology, through the teaching tool which is the Sanctuary, (a master key) and through the clearly stated purposes and goals of God as revealed in the covenants (the grand master key) which form the structure and framework of scripture; has given us a window into the mind and goal of the Lord. In the last days, in the fullness of time, at the end of the age, God came in the person of His Son to fulfill His purpose and to accomplish His goal. The Son is more than a representative of God. He is God in human Flesh. He is the "Son of Man". He is Immanuel. He is "God with us". He is the King. The Kingdom of God is the reign of God. This phrase is an all encompassing statement that once again states the goal and purpose of God. All of our questions regarding soteriology and eschatology are in some way related to our understanding of the Kingdom of God. (the lock on the door) It is in the King and His kingdom that the goal and purpose of God has already in some sense been accomplished. It is in the Messianic King that the glory and character of God has been most clearly revealed.

It could be stated a slightly different way. The most significant event in the history of the universe occurred almost 2000 years ago on a hill outside of Jerusalem known as Calvary. Everything in the Old Testament is a prediction of this event. Everything in the New Testament is either the statement or the explanation of this event. The cross is the hub and centre from which all of God’s redemptive and eschatological activities and purposes flow. The study of salvation (soteriology) is the study of the cross. All the questions regarding the character of God, the nature of sin and the nature of righteousness, the mercy and love of God, the justice and judgment of God, the nature of man and the nature of God, the mystery of godliness and the mystery of iniquity, the necessity of atonement and the achievement of atonement; find their answers in the study and reflection on the word of God as it relates to the crucified God. (Jesus Christ and His cross is the Great Grand Master Key). The purpose of this presentation and the subsequent ones to follow is to demonstrate that not only soteriology but eschatology must be understood in light of the action of the crucified God at Calvary. Eschatology is the reasonable consequence of soteriology.

It is the cross and the Christ of the cross that divides history. The New Testament is not just an addition to the Old Testament. It is an explanation of the Old Testament. In Christ, the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Most bible students would immediately agree with this statement yet disregard its implications. It is important to take our theology to its ultimate conclusion. If the Christ and His cross are the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and contain the God ordained explanation thereof; then Jesus Christ and His cross have become the ultimate arbiter of all truth and the superlative key in regards to the understanding and consideration of all prophecy. The Old Testament therefore must be considered subservient to the New. We must be extremely careful in our use of the Old Testament in terms of understanding the prophetic future. For example, I would contest the use of Daniel in terms of seeking to find direct prophecy that we, living after the Christ event, could apply to our prophetic future.

The theme of Daniel is the kingdom of God. Daniel saw one mountain in the future when God would soverignly act according to His covenant promises at the end of time to depose and judge evil while simultaneously making atonement for and vindicating His people. He would act through the "Son of Man", the Messiah, who would make a firm covenant with the many and be cut off, who would make atonement for iniquity and bring in everlasting righteousness, who seal up the vision and the prophecy/prophet, and who would be anointed as the most holy; in order to soverignly accomplish His goal which was to bring in the kingdom of God. Dan.9v24-27. We should take note that soteriology and eschatology are both linked in this very important passage. God would restore the Sanctuary, which itself is a symbol of the kingdom of God. The Sanctuary not only symbolizes the atonement, but the accomplishment of the atonement which was for God Himself to dwell in the midst of His people forever. Having achieved His goal, the Son of Man would come in the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days and take His seat at the right hand side of God. Christ fulfilled this prophecy almost 2000 years ago at His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.

It is important however to see that the accomplishment of God’s purpose is incomplete without the proclamation and announcement of the King and His Kingdom to the world. That is why the Gospel writers have all recognized the universal dimension and the worldwide implications of Christ’s achievement. God’s ultimate purpose, as stated thematically by Daniel, can only be realized when the gospel of the Kingdom is given as a witness to all the nations. Only then can the ultimate end come.

My point regarding Daniel and its prophetic value is this. Daniel has already found its fulfillment.There are no direct prophecies in the book of Daniel that we can apply to our future. The principles contained therein are nevertheless extremely important. We will see a repetition and re-enactment of many of the same principles found in the writings of Daniel until the Lord Jesus returns in glory to consummate the kingdom that He inaugurated nearly 2000 years ago.

Whether it be the apocalyptic books of Daniel or Zechariah, or the rest of the Old Testament major and minor Prophets, or the Psalms, or the five books of Moses, I would apply the same principle in terms of their utilization. If I am correct in this matter, what then are we left with in terms of prophecy? Clearly, we are left with the New Testament. But doesn’t the New Testament continually quote the Old Testament. Certainly it does. But that isn’t necessarily the right question. A better question is this. How do the New Testament prophets quote and utilize the Old Testament prophecies? The best question is; how did Christ interpret, explain, fulfill, experience and even recapitulate the prophecies of the Old Testament?

When we consider the New Testament, an overwhelming pattern emerges. One third to one half of each of the gospels focus on the last days and hours of Jesus and especially focus on His crucifixion and resurrection. The Book of Acts contains not only those foundational early days of the New Testament church but stands as a record of her purpose, goals, and the message which she preached. Every sermon or message of the church in Acts either contains all or most of these same elements: Jesus is the Messiah. He was crucified and rose from the dead. He ascended to the right hand of God.

When we consider the epistles of Paul, the central point of his focus was Jesus Christ and Him crucified and resurrected. Paul, the theologian, explained how Jesus Christ fulfilled the covenant purpose of God by manifesting, revealing, and bringing about the "righteousness of God" thereby establishing the kingdom of God while simultaneously rescuing His people. The letter to the Hebrew Christians is a warning to them to not to go back to Judaism. Jesus and Christianity is "better" in every way. The blood of atonement, the blood that ratified the everlasting covenant has been shed. The letter to the Hebrew Christians was written to a church who were then living in the "last days". Heb.1v2. The "age to come" had already in some sense broken into the present age. Heb.6v5. The fulfillment by Christ of all the sacrificial motifs followed by His ascension to the right hand of God had made the shadows and in some sense the prophecies of the Old Testament obsolete. Heb.8v13. The message to the Hebrews Christians is that they are to remain in the light and not revert to the shadows. The epistles of James, Peter, and John give practical admonition of how the redeemed are to live godly lives in "these last days" in light of the imminent return of the Judge, the Lord Jesus. James 5v3,7-9. 1Pet.1v20,4v7.

If indeed I am correct in my position that the Old Testament prophecies have already found their fulfillment and that only the principles contained therein are valid for our utilization in our quest for prophetic insight into the future, a problem immediately becomes apparent. What indeed are we left with? At first glance, it would appear that all we are left with is the book of Revelation, the prophecy of Paul in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and the Olivet Discourse. It could be successfully argued that these are the most difficult and problematic passages to interpret and explain in the entire bible.

Because it seems so much simpler and easier to adopt and integrate the Old Testament prophecies into our prophetic picture, many have taken a literal interpretive approach to the Old Testament prophecies and applied them to not only the New Testament age but to the final end and consummation of all things. Others, on the other hand, have sought to spiritualize the Old Testament prophecies while simultaneously continuing to apply them to the future. Sometimes this method can become very subjective as one picks and chooses from the Old Testament prophecies in terms of which ones a person would care to utilize. An example is this. Some Bible interpreters feel that it is incumbent of them to know and understand every verse in the book of Daniel and to apply much of Daniel to the future of the church. Nevertheless, they do not feel the same need to do the same with, for example, the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or Zechariah. I would suggest that this reluctance illustrates the problem.

It is at this point that I would like to suggest what may be a new paradigm to some people in terms of prophetic interpretation. It is so radically simple that many have overlooked it. It is a hermeneutic, or you could even call a Great Grand Master Key, that will enable us to open all of the doors of prophecy. The Great Grand Master Key is the Person of Jesus. It’s that simple. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last (eschatos), the beginning and the end (telos). All of our understanding of God’s creative, redemptive, and prophetic activity finds its revelation, fulfillment, and explanation in the Christ. John5v39. Rev.1v8, 22v12,13,20. Mark 13v23.

If we were to agree that the New Testament indeed has the last prophetic word, and is therefore the final arbiter of truth and understanding in the Bible; where in the New Testament would we go to understand the future? As has already been stated, we have John’s Apocalypse, the book of Revelation. This book clearly is prophetic. This book however, is the most difficult book in the Bible to interpret and explain. We have Paul’s explanation regarding the coming of Christ in glory, the Day of the Lord, the punishment of the wicked, the reward of the righteous, and the resurrection of the dead in his epistles to the Thessalonians, especially 2Thess.1 & 2. We also have the Olivet Discourse which is found in the synoptic gospels. If we are going to understand prophecy and eschatology, we are going to have to deal with these three difficult passages. How are we going to go about accomplishing this task? It should be noted that both 2Thess.2 and Revelation have clear connections to the Olivet discourse. All the major themes of Revelation are found in the Olivet Discourse. Some of the themes that they both share would include the second coming of Christ, pastoral warnings to the church, the Sanctuary, the covenant curses, warfare, the mention of false prophets, the preaching of the gospel, the universal dimension, cataclysmic events, and a reliance on the principles found in Daniel. There are even many similarities in the way that John and the writers of the synoptic gospels communicated their information. The words of Jesus on Olivet were definitely on Paul’s mind when he enlightened the Thessalonians about the Day of the Lord and the coming of Christ. In other words, Paul and John both drew heavily from the Olivet Discourse. It was in fact the very basis of their prophetic understanding. In Paul’s case, it was probably from the oral tradition. In John’s case, he probably drew from his own experience with Jesus and he might also have had copies of the synoptic gospels. The real question then is; how do we interpret the Olivet Discourse? If the major New Testament prophetic passages are rooted here, everything hinges on its interpretation. My view is that a sound methodology, if recognized and applied here, will yield the interpretation that Christ and the New Testament prophets intended. We will just need to expand our horizons and evaluate the information from a different perspective than the one that has been normally used.

If we were to agree that Jesus is the superlative Prophet, then it just becomes a matter of discerning and understanding what Jesus has communicated. Jesus was and is a Prophet mighty in deed and in word. Following in the footsteps of the Old Testament prophets like Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Hosea, to name a few; Jesus the Son of David fulfilled the prophetic office and communicated the prophetic word not only by His words but by His actions. We remember how Moses delivered the people of God from Egyptian bondage in the Exodus. Hewent up the mountain and saw the glory of God. Exod.33,34. We remember how Elijah raised the dead. 1 kings 17. He would subsequently go to the mountain and do battle with a political/religious coalition that had usurped the Lord’s place of worship. 1 Kings 18. We remember how Jeremiah wept over Jerusalem because God’s judgment on her for treachery was imminent. Jer.9. The prophet Ezekiel was commanded by God to enact the horror of the Babylonian’s siege against Jerusalem with his own body. Ezk.4. In Ezk.24; we read about the sudden death of Ezekiel’s wife. In the passage, God explained that Ezekiel’s experience would be a sign to Israel. In the same way as Ezekiel’s wife, the desire of his eyes had received the death blow, the Sanctuary which had been the delight and source of power and pride of Israel was about to fall. At sunset Daniel was thrown down into a pit full of lions and certain death by a group of jealous men who conspired against him. They would not have Daniel rule over them. A stone was laid over the mouth of the den and was sealed with the king’s signet ring. Yet, in the morning, Daniel was alive. It was as if he was raised from the dead. Dan.6. In Hosea’s case, he was commanded to take a wife of harlotry. The children of his wife were given names that were actual prophecies of how God was going to chastise Israel because she had become a harlot. The curses against Israel revealed the heart of the God who would bear the curse in their stead. Hos.1. We are witnessing more than typology here. We are witnessing enacted prophecies. The prophets themselves became the prophecy.

Is it any wonder that the Prince of Prophets would engage in enacted prophecies? Not only everything that Jesus said but everything that Jesus did was very important. Every person that Jesus related to or interacted with is very important. Every situation that He found Himself in and every event that He participated in is important. We just need to have our eyes opened to the fact that Jesus was fulfilling and enacting prophecy in front of our veryeyes. Now, if these observations are correct, it immediately becomes apparent that the Olivet Discourse and the Cross Event must be interpreted within the wider context of the totality of the Gospels.

The Gospel writers, at least in Mark and Luke’s case, wrote shortly before the fall of Jerusalem in a time of incredible political instability and national unrest. They had already spent years of reflection in regards to the Person and message of Jesus. I believe that Matthew could have been written as early as 40 A.D, but I am not dogmatic about it. When they recorded the words of Jesus in His Olivet Discourse, they had already thought through the questions and the answers to the questions that were asked or were begged to be asked. In other words, they included all the information within the Gospels themselves that we need to know regarding the interpretation of the prophecies that they contain. The point is that Jesus said that He had told them everything in advance. They believed it, understood it, and have communicated it to us.

When we consider the synoptic gospels, a pattern develops. The statement by Peter and the recognition by the disciples that Jesus is the Christ is followed by the statement of Jesus that "from that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and scribes and be killed, and be raised the third day." Matt.16v21. This was a watershed and a transition point. Everything that follows in the gospels is more or less a description of the activities of Jesus as He headed on up to Jerusalem.

He went up to Jerusalem, the city of the great King, to fulfill His mission. God came to Zion to "save His people from their sins". Matt.1v21. Isa.40 & 52. The King came to take His throne. The King came for His Kingdom. Zech 9. Remember, this is His God’s goal. Everything that God does must be understood in light of His stated goal. It is especially in the covenants that God has expressed His goal. God reveals His goal and purpose in the actions of Christ.

Christ would depose the evil one and his agents who held His people in bondage and set them free. As the Prophet, He engaged the apostate priesthood who had aligned themselves with the state in battle and took them down by revealing who the true God was. (Elijah) As the Messianic Priest/King, He tore down the idolatrous system that has taken over the temple, (Josiah) and He raised up the Sanctuary of God (Zerubbabel). He took His seat on the throne of His father David (Solomon) and He inaugurated His rule and dominion over the whole earth according to the covenant promise that was given to Abraham.

The prophet Matthew went to great trouble to demonstrate that Jesus saw Himself recapitulating Israel’s history and replacing it with His holy history. (a master key) As God’s Son, as God’s Servant, He re-enacted Israel’s history, even to the point of sharing and bearing Israel’s curse for covenant breaking by dying on a cross. He also lived a life of unbroken righteousness and fidelity that the ones who would believe in Him might have access to the covenant blessings. He embodied Israel. He was the true Israel. But more than that, He also became the embodiment of the Sanctuary. All the purposes and functions of the Sanctuary not only have been fulfilled by Him but have been replaced by Him. (a master key) Remember, the ultimate purpose and goal of God is to save His people and rule as King in their midst.

It should come as no surprise to us then that Jesus saw Himself as the Jerusalem that would be desolated and bear God’s wrath against sin. As their Passover Lamb, His blood was shed. As the nation of Israel, He was cut off. As their King, He died in battle. As their Sanctuary, He was torn down.

Jesus recapitulated Israel’s history. He patterned His life after the nation. But unlike Israel’s failure, the Christ of God was victorious. He turned death into resurrection. In His death, He tore down the Sanctuary only to replace it and restore the true purposes and functions of the Sanctuary to their rightful state in His resurrection. The dominion of the King has come. After His resurrection, the Man Christ Jesus ascended into heaven and took His seat at the right hand of God having accomplished His goal. Based on His achievement, we look forward with certainty to the time when a new Jerusalem, a heavenly Jerusalem will come down from heaven and God Himself will tabernacle amongst men in the fullest sense into eternity. Rev.21v1-7. Nevertheless, our certainty in regards to the consummation is based on the actions of God in Christ in the past. The Godhead has fulfilled its purpose in One Man, in Christ. Jesus is Zion. He is Jerusalem. He is the Sanctuary. He is the Remnant. He is the New Creation. He is the Son of Man, a man after God’s own heart.

Because, in His own Person, in His life and in His death; Christ has already in a very real sense accomplished His goal, the New Testament prophets uniformly utilize a "realized" or "inaugurated" eschatology. From their perspective, the last days and the end had already taken place in the history and Person of Christ. (a master key) If this is true, and I believe that it is, then the Christ event and especially the cross event is the clearest picture of the end and of prophecy that we will ever have. The ultimate "consummation" will mirror the "inauguration". (a master key)

What does the inauguration look like? Has our field of view been to narrow? What is the context of the cross event? ( a master key) How does the context of the cross event shed light on the salvific action of God and also on the actions of God and Satan in the future? The actions of Jesus (a master key) on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His cleansing of the temple, His curse and the subsequent withering of the fig tree, His sorrow and weeping over Jerusalem, His anointing by Mary, His celebration of the Passover with the disciples, His time of tribulation, temptation, and agony in the garden, His betrayal, His trial before the religious leaders and the state, His crucifixion, His words of testimony and interaction on the cross, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension; are all not only the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies regarding the salvation of God but they are in themselves a prophetic outline of the future. They are duo-directional. They explain the past and outline the future. (a master key) They are all enacted prophecy.

It is important to recognize that what has happened to the Head is a picture of what will happen to the body. (a master key) What Christ did, the people that He related to, the situations that He found Himself in, and the hatred, persecution and finally the murder that He suffered; are all a picture of what has happened to the church through time since His ascension. Christ’s experience in Gethsemane and on Calvary gives us special insight into what will happen to the church at the climax of this world’s history just before He returns. The corporate church will grow into a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Eph.4v13. On the other hand, the mystery of iniquity and it’s representation will also develop into its fullness. It was only when Jesus had completed His preaching ministry that the Father permitted Satan to kill Him. It will be the same with the church. If we want to see what the prophetic future of the church is, we must carefully consider what happened to Jesus. Matt.10 & 24. Rev.11.

The Sermon on the Mount is foundational to the interpretation of prophecy because it defines the issues of the conflict. Prophecy cannot be separated from the moral and ethical purposes of God. (a master key) In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ spoke the timeless principles that lay at the foundation of the Kingdom of God. In this passage, the righteous characteristics of God and His Kingdom are compared to and contrasted with the deeper issues that lay behind the mystery of iniquity. In this Sermon, Jesus exposed and laid bare the human heart. A careful study of the words of Jesus in this Sermon reveal that it is not only related to ethics but to prophecy. The themes and the concepts contained therein find fuller expression not only in the Gospel of Matthew itself, but in the book of Revelation. (a master key) The relational aspects of "righteousness" and the ethical nature of the "kingdom of God" are revealed in this Sermon. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the New Moses and our Teacher addressed God as His Father 17 times in 3 chapters, while encouraging us to do the same.

The Master, the New Moses, planted His own prophetic seed plot in this Sermon. (like unto the Pentateuch) He used Pastoral language (a master key) as He stated and explained the principles that stand as the bedrock that underlie His future and ours. The Blessings found here must be contrasted with the Woes/Curses of Matt.23. Once again it is apparent that Covenant Theology and Covenant Terminology (the grand master key) saturates and structures Matthew’s Gospel. The Prophet Jesus not only replaced Israel’s failure with His holy history, according to the sovereign covenant promise of God, but He lived out the very principles that He stated in the Sermon on the Mount. He bore the curse as the Israel of God, so that those who believe on Him do not need to do so.

As we will see, the Olivet Discourse also contains pastoral language. The interpretation of the Olivet Discourse, of which Matt.25 is part, is for the "prudent and wise", it is for those who "understand", it is for those who know Christ and are therefore able to discern between truth and error. It is for those who "beware" of the deceptions of the false prophets who would "mislead" and "deceive". It is for the ones who are "alert" and are willing to "watch and pray". It is for those who know and have experienced the forgiveness of their sins, and because of their love for their Master, have continued to "preach the gospel of the Kingdom". As the Sermon on the Mount separates the righteous and the wicked, by distinguishing between those who serve Jesus as Lord from those who don’t, so also does the Olivet Discourse. The lawless ones are revealed in the Sermon on the Mount. They are also revealed in Matt.23, which is the prologue to the Olivet Discourse, in Matt.24 itself, and in Matt.25 which is the continuation of the Olivet Discourse. The lawless ones, the apostates, are the ones who come to you in sheep’s clothing, and even call Jesus Lord with their lips, but are unwilling to do what He says and ultimately end up persecuting and murdering those who will do what He says. The righteous ones are also revealed in the Sermon on the Mount and in the Olivet Discourse. They are alert, blessed, ready, and about their Father’s business. They are faithful to their Master until the end.

The parable of the sower and the seed, followed by the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matt.13 is ethical and prophetic. The pastoral words of the Teacher laid out the mysteries of the kingdom of God and explained their outworking as they relate to the understanding and the implementation of the word of God right up until the harvest which is the end of the age. It is significant that the tares which are sown by the devil among the wheat are found among the professed people of God. Matt.13v25. The love of the world, the flesh, and persecution causes many to fall away and apostatize. Matt.13v21; 24v10; 26v31,33. The one who fall away are revealed to be lawless and rebellious. Matt.13v41; 23v28; 7v23; 2Thess.2v7,8.

In His temptation in the wilderness, Satan warred against Jesus and tempted Him in the same areas that he tempted Israel. Nevertheless, God’s true Son, God’s faithful Servant, was victorious. At the climax of His mission, Satan tempted Christ again. He will do the same to the church of Christ. In microcosm, Jesus experienced everything that the church has experienced and everything that she will experience. In Matt.13; we see repeated the concepts of separation, judgment, and destruction that have already been stated in the Sermon on the Mount and are subsequently explained in the Olivet Discourse.

In Mark 13v23, Jesus said; Take heed (watch, beware)’ I have told you everything in advance." When did He tell us everything in advance, we might ask. It is in His temptation in the wilderness, it is in the Sermon on the Mount, it is in the parable of the sower and the seed and the wheat and the tares, it is in the Olivet Discourse and in His celebration of the Passover with His disciples that Jesus has told us everything in advance. But even more so, in the events on the Mount of Transfiguration, in Gethsemane, and on Calvary, the Master Himself has used the most simple yet sublime method of communication of all. He has spoken the most powerfully through His deeds, through His actions. In the Olivet Discourse, He told us what the future looks like. On Calvary, He showed us what the future looks like. This is why the Synoptic Gospel writers all place the Olivet Discourse directly before the Passover, the temptation, the passion and the crucifixion of Christ. It is because the cross event is the fulfillment and explanation of the Olivet Discourse. Jesus showed us the "eschatos" in Himself.

The event on the Mount of Transfiguration is significant. It is a preview of the end. It is proleptic. In Matt.16v28, Jesus said; "Truly I say to you, there are some of those standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom". We must remember that the chief purpose of the Prophet is to enable God’s people to see with the eyes of understanding and to comprehend and recognize what God is communicating. Matt.24v14; Luke 24v27,31,32,44,45. In all 3 synoptic gospels, the event on the Mount of Transfiguration follows and explains this statement of Jesus. The coming of His kingdom that the disciples of Jesus would "see" in which the power and glory of the Son of Man would be revealed was shortly to be manifested at Calvary. Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus about His departure, His death, His exodus. The whole event on the mountain is in the immediate context of Jesus telling His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be crucified and then rise from the dead. Matt.16v21. The coming of Christ in His kingdom took place on the resurrection day, and they saw it.

In the same way as the Mount of Transfiguration experience followed and explained the enigmatic words of Jesus regarding His coming in power and glory; so alsodoes the Cross Event explain the Olivet Discourse. It is also important to note that in spite of the fact that Peter wanted to make 3 tabernacles, one each for Moses (the Law), Elijah (the Prophets) and Jesus, the voice of the Father said; "This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him". This is significant because once again we are seeing that the words and actions of Jesus supersede the Old Testament prophets. Jesus is the ultimate prophet. He has the last word. The fact that it was the inner 3 disciples who went up that mountain with Jesus, that they had gone up to pray, that all the disciples fell asleep, and that as soon as they left that place of solitude, they were at war with a demon; reveals many similarities with their experience in the garden of Gethsemane. As we consider the various elements of this passage, the connection and inter-relationship between soteriology and eschatology once again comes to the forefront. In terms of the "coming", there are also similarities with the Olivet Discourse. See Matt.16 & 17; Mark 8 & 9; Luke 9.

In Matthew’s account, the transition to when Jesus would lead His disciples up to Jerusalem took place shortly after the Transfiguration Event. In Matthew 19, and on, Jesus was heading up to Jerusalem. Matthew recorded the series of encounters, the series of statements, and the series of parables that related to the King and His entourage. A central theme emerges. In spite of many hindrances, Jesus is going up to Jerusalem to declare Himself King. In order to establish His Kingdom, He must first tear down the existing regime which is full of injustice, hypocrisy, lawlessness, and abominations. But more than that, He must replace it.

Jesus was involved in an ever escalating struggle with the religious leaders, yet His own disciples were totally out of touch with His purposes. In Matt.21; the King entered the city and received the accolades of the multitude, who recognized Him as the Messianic King, the Son of David. Jesus then went into the temple and cleansed it while quoting or alluding to Jer.7, Isa.56; and Mal.3. In all of these actions, Jesus was re-enacting and fulfilling the actions and promises of God as revealed in the Old Testament.

The cleansing of the temple is enacted prophecy. So also is the withering of the fig tree. The parable about the vineyard repeats the same message. The system of Judaism is going down. In their jealousy, their self righteousness, their avarice, and their murderous intent; they have been systematically exposed as having set up an anti-Christ system. They havethemselves become the "abomination that desecrates". And they were on the verge of "desolating" the Son of God". They are just like their evil spiritual forefathers who murdered the prophets. As the Messenger of the Covenant, Jesus proclaimed the covenant curse upon the chief priests and Pharisees in Matt.23. In an almost unbroken block of the words of Jesus; the King, the Prophet, the Teacher, and the Pastor outlined not only the demise of Israel but the future of the church. This intensive prophetic passage would not only explain the past but outline the future. The passage is duo-directional. All of the principles, whether for good or for evil, will be repeated again at the very end of the age.

After outlining the future of the church in the Olivet Discourse, Jesus continued on with His enacted prophecies. His anointing by Mary, His celebration of the Passover with His disciples, and His temptation in Gethsemane are all enacted prophecies. What a contrast we see between the spiritually insightful Mary in her service to the King and the indignant disciples who were struggling for the highest seat in the kingdom. At the Passover, Jesus congregated with the nucleus of His kingdom while, in the meantime, all the religious leaders and Judas were conspiring to kill Him. At the Passover, Jesus declared His mission to be the fulfillment of the feasts and the fulfillment of Israel’s redemptive history; while He simultaneously utilized the Passover to lay out the future of the church. In the garden, Jesus experienced the time of trouble and the great tribulation in microcosm. Like Jacob before Him, Jesus wrestled with God for the salvation of His people before He went out to meet His Esau.

The key concepts that link the Olivet Discourse with the Passover, the tribulation, the passion, and the crucifixion of Jesus are more clearly apparent when we see that a cluster of key words like "betray", "deliver up", "watch", "beware", "alert", and "hour" that flow from the Olivet Discourse into the account of what subsequently happened to Jesus. The "abomination of desolation" reared its ugly head as Satan worked through his wicked instruments in his life and death struggle with the Christ of God, the Son of Man, for the kingdom.

The enormous amount of energy that the Gospel writers used in repeatedly revealing the apostasy of Israel, God’s adulterous wife, must not be lost on us. The continual revelation of the self serving nature of Christ’s own disciples, their constant indignation in regards to the spiritual values of Christ, their ignorance of spiritual things, and their unbelief regarding the statements of Jesus regarding His crucifixion; reveal that Satan had already influenced their minds and infiltrated them. In Judas, one of the twelve, Satan would be successful. A careful study of everything that Judas said and did and was; is very important. He embodied the "false prophet" and the "abomination of desolation". The warning of Jesus is that false prophets will arise from among the brethren. These apostates will hate, seek to deceive, persecute, and finally kill the faithful followers of Jesus. This key insight is stated in the Sermon on the Mount, in the ordination of the 12 (Matt.10) and in the Olivet Discourse. (a master key) It would then be exemplified in what subsequently happened to Jesus. It is here that we see the relationship between soteriology and eschatology. It is here that we see that the events that precede and follow the Olivet Discourse are more that a revelation that the God of Israel has come to Zion to save His people from their sins by dying on a cross. The cross event and every thing that leads up to it is prophecy, enacted prophecy.

If it is indeed true that all that we really have for our basis and foundation in terms of our understanding of prophecy is the New Testament, and if the key prophetic passages are Revelation, 2 Thess.2, and the Olivet Discourse, and if both Thessalonians and Revelation find their basis in the Olivet Discourse, thenit is of paramount importance that we reallyunderstand the Olivet Discourse. The wider context of the Gospels containing the words and actions of Jesus has made sense of the Olivet Discourse for us. The way that Jesus has told us everything in advance is profound and yet quite simple. The beauty of its simplicity is that the communicative method of Jesus has been closed to many of the wisest minds but any simple but true and faithful follower of Jesus who knows Jesus and who knows the gospel, already possesses the keys and already knows all the prophecy that he or she needs to know. They already possess the Great Grand Master Key. And when you’ve got the Great Grand Master Key in your hand, opening all the locks on all the doors, including eschatology is easy.