Why I Do Not Believe Matthew 24 is 70 A.D.

From a post I wrote earlier today:

I would agree that Luke 21:5-24 is speaking of the fall of Jerusalem that took place in 70 A.D.

Luke 21:25-26; Matt. 24:3- end of the chapter, and Mark 13:3-37 all are parallel passages that speak of Armageddon. The key verse to look at is Luke 21:37:

"And in the *daytime* He was teaching in the temple, but at *night* he went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet."

Before you think I have lost my mind, if you look at Luke 211-24, Jesus is outside the temple proper, but still in the vicinity of the temple speaking. But from v. 25 to the end of the chapter, according to Matt. 24 and Mark 13, we are now on the Mount of Olives and he is not answering the same question. The reason it is so confusing is that part of the *pattern* is the same: wars and rumours of wars, earthquakes, etc.

Now carefully compare Luke 21 with Matt. 24.

Luke says v. 10 -- nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom
Matt. 24.v 7 -- nationa against nation; kingdom against kingdom
Luke 21.11 -- great earthquakes in various places and famines and pestilences
Matt. 24.7 -- famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

So far it sounds like the same thing is being spoken of right? But the next verses are what tell us that they are not

Luke 21:12 -- BEFORE all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.

Matt.24:9 -- THEN they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.

IOW, in Luke 21, the famines, pestilences, earthquakes, wars and rumours of wars all happen AFTER they lay hands on and persecute God's people, but in Matt. 24 the persecution happens after the wars, rumours of wars, famine, pestilences, etc.

Luke 21:5-24 *does* tell us about 70 A.D. but then when you compare the rest of the passage, it is pretty well parallel to Matt. 24:29 and onward.

Parallel passages to look for in regard to Armageddon include Psalm 118; Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19.

Another reason why I don't believe Matt. 24 is speaking of 70 A.D. is because of the abomination of desolation spoken of in V. 15. If you go back to Daniel 12:11, the *earliest* that this could happen is about 700 A.D. There is a huge time discrepancy between 70 A.D. and 700. A.D. In actuality, the papacy was set up in 756 A.D. so this corresponds nicely, I would say.

Ok, that was just a snippet to get you started.