A look at the End Times from a largely fulfilled perspective begins, primarily, with the book of Daniel.  Daniel sets the scene from the foundation of the enemies empire, Babylon, with Daniel’s interpretation of the king’s dream.  Daniel 2 sets the case for Rome being Babylon, and is the best case for a mostly-fulfilled End Time paradigm.  Plainly put, we see a kingdom/statue beginning with King Nebuchadnezzar, with that king as the head.  It ruled over the entire Earth and, although it changed identities (metal) three times, four in all, it was a continuous one-world government from the time of that king until the Kingdom of God broke it, probably circa 313AD, when it’s emperor was converted.  As we saw war and conflict from each subsequent kingdom, but the entire statue remained, so we see that it’s actual destruction was not a war in on the Earth, but a spiritual overthrow of the power of that kingdom in the spiritual realm, in which it was spiritually defeated, crushed, and overthrown.  When the spiritual power (beast) of Rome was destroyed, its physical and nationalist elements could then no longer be maintained, and, quite literally, the wind scattered the pieces, being the “Decline of Rome”.

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This brief look at Matthew 24 describes the 2-part layout of the Olivet Discourse.  Focusing on the explanation of two separate events, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, occurring in fulfillment of the words “this generation” (Matthew 24:34), and the second coming at the end of “this age”, as described by Jesus (Mark 10:30).  Focusing especially on the translation of the first word in Matthew 24:29, “immediately”, which in the Greek does not always imply imminence of time, but rather sequence in narration, the case is laid out that the text clearly delineates between the two events, which, in Luke are described as being separated by the “times of the Gentiles”.  Because the second coming, “that day” is clearly explained as being of a time unknown to Jesus Himself, known only to the Father, we see, textually and logically, that Matthew 24:34 cannot apply to the second coming events, but only Matthew 24:9-28.  Matthew 24:29-31, then, are not under the restriction of “this generation”, being “that day” and not “these things”, as Jesus explains through Matthew 24:36, “that day”.

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