The Olivet Discourse - Don't Look for Me

Matthew 24:23-26 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. [24] For false Christ’s and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. [25] See, I have told you beforehand. [26] So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

In this quick post we will look at the above section of the discourse. In this section Jesus reminds the Disciples to be on guard for false prophets and false Christs. This reminder is important as it again reminds the reader that the time in question would show an increase in these characters. These false prophets would be so convincing that many would be led astray, and if even possible, the elect.

But since we have addressed this question thoroughly in a previous post I will not do so here again. But rather I want to take a very quick look at one thing quite often overlooked by the reader of this passage.

if this passage is one regarding the coming of Christ I do find it quite odd that Jesus would go so far out of His way to make sure that no one was looking for Him. Several times just in the passage above He insists that any report of His coming would be false. So again i would ask the Dispensationalist that so fervently demands this passage be about the future Great Tribulation and coming of Christ to explain this paradox.

Dr. Ken Gentry put it this way…

“Quite emphatically the Lord warns His disciples He will not come in a visible, bodily manner in those days…any report of His physical presence would be erroneous.”

It is quite odd in fact to hear Jesus state so firmly that you should not expect to see Him physically and that any such report would be patently false in the midst of a passage that is supposedly about His coming! In fact as we will see the very next verse is used as an argument for his Physical coming - whether it should be seen that way is a discussion for a later post. So immediately preceding a verse used to proclaim His physical coming He goes out of His way to say that any report of such a physical coming would be wrong.

This is simply something that should not be overlooked!

Finally, I have asked this previously and probably will do so again; Is there anything that has been conspicuous by it’s absence thus far? Here we have been discussing tribulation, a possible Antichrist, an abomination and more all the while there is nothing even resembling a Pre-Tribulation rapture. That should at least raise a few brows that a passage that is commonly used to discuss the Second Coming and tribulation would have no mention of a Pre-Tribulation rapture so popularly accepted.

Next we will begin for many the most difficult and troubling portions of the entire discourse.