What Is the Olivet Discourse?

The Olivet Discourse gives more information about the World of the End than any other passage of Scripture.

Overview of the Olivet Discourse

The Background. One day as Jesus and His disciples were leaving the temple, Jesus predicted the temple would be destroyed. This prophecy prompted several questions from the disciples: “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus responded with a sermon that spanned every phase of earth’s final season.

Matthew 24 and 25 describe events that will occur immediately before Christ comes to set up His kingdom. Here are the events of that Tribulation period:

The General Signs. Jesus first explains the general signs that will precede the Second Coming. Reporting the events in panoramic form, He talks of people pretending to be Christ, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, and earthquakes (Matthew 24:4-14).

Matthew 24 and 25 describe events that will occur immediately before Christ comes to set up His kingdom.

The Specific Signs. Jesus then gives the specific signs of the beginning of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:15). The Tribulation will be horrible, but the Great Tribulation—which starts halfway through the Tribulation period—will be even worse. It will be so awful that they should run for their lives without looking back. The events that will transpire in that final three-and-a-half years will be the worst the world has ever seen.

Verse-by-Verse Through Matthew 24:1-14

As we consider the World of the End, we find many clues in Matthew 24:1-14. Let’s uncover some details with the help of The Jeremiah Study Bible.

What will be the sign of your coming? (verse 3). When the disciples asked Jesus this question, the text used the Greek term Parousia, which means “presence.” The verse could be translated as, “What will be the sign of Your full presence?” They were asking when He would come and be with them permanently.

Deceit (verses 4-5, 23-27). Although deceivers have always plagued God’s people, deception will become rampant in the Last Days. Multitudes of people will be deceived by the claims listed in these verses, hoping for stability and direction in difficult times.

Christ Jesus remains sovereign and will bring history to its final conclusion, as He has ordained.

Wars (verses 6-8). The wars, ethnic and territorial conflicts, famines, epidemics, and widespread earthquakes that Jesus mentioned will not signal the end; they will merely be “the beginning of sorrows” (literally, “birth pangs”). These troubles will form the backdrop for what will come, increasing in intensity when Christ’s return draws near. But none of these things—although terrible in themselves—should trouble God’s people, for He remains sovereign and will bring history to its final conclusion, as He has ordained.

Tribulation (verses 9-10). The End Times will be difficult for God’s people, who will experience hardship, martyrdom, hatred, and betrayal (John 16:2). Yet Jesus offers this hope to His followers: as things get worse for the world and for them, His return draws closer.

False prophets (verse 11). One of the characteristics of the false religion of the End Times will be what John describes as “sorceries” (Revelation 9:21). The Greek word, pharmakeia, refers to the ingestion of drugs and alludes to the use of mind-altering substances in the practice of false spirituality.

Preached in all the world… to all the nations (verse 14; Romans 10:18; Colossians 1:6). Jesus teaches that when the Gospel has been “preached in all the world… to all the nations,” the end is near. This is another powerful rationale for world missions.

Commit to being faithful to God until Jesus comes.

The Olivet Discourse for Today

Jesus taught about the World of the End so we might live in readiness. Commit to being faithful to God until Jesus comes, living in constant expectation of His coming. Studying prophecy is not a matter of date setting but holy living in continual readiness for Jesus’ swift, sudden, and certain appearance. If current events are any indication, this isn’t the end of the world, but we are living in the World of the End.

Life as we know it on this planet will end. But those who take the words of Scripture to heart will be ready for that day—and will escape the worst part of earth’s last days. We may not fully understand the World of the End now, but by studying Matthew 24, we can find courage in knowing the outcome of our world’s final season.

This article contains excerpts from The Jeremiah Study Bible. Designed to help you understand what the Bible says, what it means, and what it means for you, The Jeremiah Study Bible contains more than eight thousand individual study notes, articles, charts, and more.