The Three Questions Of Matt. 24

A Feature Article by Jack Kelley
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3)

One of the mistakes Christians make in reading the Bible is caused by our tendency to look at everything through “Church colored glasses.”  By that I mean we read it as if it all applies directly to us without regard for the context or historical background.  I know Paul said everything that was written in the past was written to teach us (Romans 15:4) but that doesn’t mean it was all written to us or about us.  It means we’re supposed to learn from the experiences of those who came before us.  A prime example of this kind of mistake can be found in our interpretation of the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24-25).  I’ll show you what I mean.
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” (Matt. 24:1-2)
These two verses set the tone for the entire discussion, yet in our rush to get to the meat of the passage they are often ignored.  From Mark’s account we know that after Jesus said this, four of the disciples came to Him for clarification.  They were Peter, James, John and Andrew (Mark 13:3), and they asked Him 3 questions;  When will this happen? (When will these buildings be torn down? ) What will be the sign of your coming?  What will be the sign of the End of the Age?
So let’s  look at them individually to gain more of the background that prompted these questions. We’ll