26 - The Olivet Discourse

Welcome and Introduction

  • Welcome to the session focusing on the New Testament and the last week of the Savior's ministry.

  • Participants include members of the Ancient Scripture Department at Brigham Young University: Keith Wilson, Paul Hoskinson, Ray Huntington, and Camille Franc.

Last Week of the Savior’s Ministry

  • Focus on Tuesday of the final week, during which Jesus delivered his last public discourse on the Temple Mount.

  • He wept over Jerusalem, expressing a desire to gather its people like a mother hen gathers her chicks, warning them to repent.

Olivet Discourse

  • Following His discourse at the Temple, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives with His apostles for a different sermon—a critical part of His teaching.

  • Highlighted text: Olivet Discourse—the title used to refer to this sermon as it took place on the Mount of Olives.

  • The discussion involves the prophetic messages regarding the Second Coming and the destruction of the Temple.

Understanding the Second Coming

  • Joseph Smith Matthew (in the Pearl of Great Price) enriches the understanding of this discourse compared to Matthew 24.

  • Important verse: "Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord and the clouds of heaven with all the holy angels with him."

  • First understanding among the apostles is that Jesus would return again, indicating His work wouldn't be entirely fulfilled during His mortal ministry.

Apostles’ Questions

  • The apostles posed two critical questions:

    1. When shall these things be regarding the destruction of the Temple and the Jews?

    2. What is the sign of Thy coming and the end of the world?

  • Jesus had previously mentioned the Temple's destruction, shocking His disciples with the notion that not one stone would be left upon another.

Joseph Smith Translation Contributions

  • Joseph Smith Matthew adds significant verses that clarify and expand answers to the apostles' questions compared to Matthew 24.

  • Events leading to the destruction of the Temple are identified with the year AD 70, initiated by the Roman army led by Titus.

  • The translation was pivotal due to the increasing urgency among Church members regarding the Second Coming during early 19th century America.

Context of the Translation

  • The translation of Matthew 24 coincided with a time of persecution faced by Joseph Smith and early church members, offering hope amidst challenges.

  • The text was directed more towards church members rather than the general populace, emphasizing the need to heed prophetic voices.

  • Current events of Joseph Smith’s time saw a heightened interest in the Second Coming, prompting Karl Joseph Smith to provide insights into these future events.

Organization of the Chapter

  • The Olivet Discourse is organized as follows:

    1. Verses 1-4: Introduction, setting up the questions of the apostles.

    2. Verses 5-11: General statements of conditions that prevail across time.

    3. Verses 12 onward: Specific prophetic details regarding Jerusalem's destruction.

    4. Transition from Jerusalem's fall to discussions about the Second Coming.

Signs of the Times

  • Matthew 25 serves as a capstone to Matthew 24, detailing what followers should be doing in anticipation of the Second Coming.

  • Significance of repeated patterns from Jesus' time being reflective of modern times.

  • The term abomination of desolation appears repeatedly, indicating critical events across history even for the latter days.

Call to Prepare

  • Jesus provided counsel to His disciples regarding how to prepare: Heeding warnings, being vigilant, and understanding the significance of historical events.

  • Historical references highlight that Christians in Jerusalem heeded warnings and fled to safety during the Roman siege, a lesson for current believers about being attentive to prophecy and disasters.

Prophetic Messages for Today

  • Joseph Smith Matthew provides reassurance that the destruction referred to in scriptures will not happen again as it did during Jerusalem's fall in AD 70.

  • Those focusing on spiritual preparedness can glean lessons from the early Christians who were forewarned and escaped disaster by following divine counsel.

Latter-day Context

  • Present challenges in the world today include wars and rumors of wars, consistent with teachings found in Matthew regarding the Second Coming.

  • Verse 31 reflects a call to preach the gospel to all nations, a continuous effort in the latter days.

  • Our responsibilities are highlighted as believers seek to gather souls, paralleling the metaphor of vultures gathering around a carcass—representing the need for outreach during tumultuous times.

Hope Amidst Challenges

  • Encouragement to remain steadfast and treasure the word, signifying it as essential for survival amid tribulation.

  • Joseph Smith’s translation contributions emphasize understanding over fear—pointing followers to act wisely rather than panic in troubled times.

  • Reiterate President Hinckley’s exhortation to live in such a way that prepares one for the Second Coming, emphasizing faith and spiritual readiness over fear.

Conclusion

  • The Olivet Discourse is intended to calm and prepare believers, reinforcing that while challenges are inevitable, serious dedication to faith and prophecy will guide through perilous times.

  • The necessity to treasure up the word serves as a core emphasis for believers preparing for both temporal and spiritual salvation in the last days.