† In Part 1 we examined the opening events Jesus described in the Olivet Discourse, including false christs, wars, famines, persecution, the Temple's coming destruction, the Abomination of Desolation, and the flight from Judea.
† In Part 2 we continue the comparison between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Revelation by examining the Great Tribulation, the Days of Vengeance, the fulfillment of all things written, the cosmic signs, the coming of the Son of Man, the gathering of the elect, and the judgment of the great city.
† As these passages are placed side by side, the similarities become increasingly difficult to dismiss. The same events, the same judgments, the same time frame, and the same audience appear throughout all four accounts.
† Rather than describing separate events thousands of years apart, these passages present a unified picture of the events leading to Jerusalem's destruction and the fulfillment of Christ's prophetic warnings.
† The further we progress through the Olivet Discourse and Revelation, the more clearly we see that John was expanding upon the very things Jesus foretold on the Mount of Olives.

THE GREAT TRIBULATION
Matthew 24:21
For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again.

Mark 13:19
For those days will be such a time of tribulation as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will again.

Luke 21:23
Woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land, and wrath to this people;

Revelation 7:14
I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
† Matthew, Mark, and Luke all describe an unprecedented period of suffering connected to Jerusalem's fall.
† Luke identifies the focus of the wrath as "this people," pointing directly to first-century Israel. (Luke 21:23)
† Revelation uses the exact phrase "the great tribulation," linking the two accounts together. (Revelation 7:14)
† Josephus recorded suffering during the siege so severe that it surpassed anything the nation had previously experienced.

THE DAYS OF VENGEANCE
Luke 21:22
because these are days of punishment, so that all things which have been written will be fulfilled.

Revelation 6:10
and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth?"

Revelation 11:18
And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

Revelation 18:20
Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her."

Revelation 19:2
because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her."
† Jesus declared that Jerusalem's destruction would be the days of vengeance. (Luke 21:22)
† Revelation repeatedly speaks of God avenging the blood of His servants. (Revelation 6:10; 19:2)
† The judgment is not random, it is a response to covenant rebellion and persecution.
† Both passages point to the same period of divine judgment.

ALL THINGS WRITTEN FULFILLED
Luke 21:22
because these are days of punishment, so that all things which have been written will be fulfilled.

Matthew 5:17-18
Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished!

Revelation 10:7
but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He announced to His servants the prophets.
† Jesus connected the days of vengeance with the fulfillment of all things written. (Luke 21:22)
† The Law and the Prophets remained until all things were accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18)
† Revelation announces the completion of God's prophetic mystery. (Revelation 10:7)
† The theme is fulfillment, not postponement.

COSMIC SIGNS
Matthew 24:29
But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Mark 13:24-25
But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.

Luke 21:25
There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,

Revelation 6:12-13
And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.
† This language comes from the Old Testament prophets. (Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7-8)
† Heavenly bodies often represented rulers, nations, and covenant powers.
† Jesus and John used the same prophetic imagery.
† Revelation expands upon the signs Jesus described on the Mount of Olives.

THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN
Matthew 24:30
And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

Mark 13:26
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

Luke 21:27
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Revelation 1:7
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
† Jesus drew upon Old Testament cloud-coming judgment language. (Isaiah 19:1; Daniel 7:13-14)
† The coming in the clouds signifies divine authority, judgment, and vindication.
† Revelation opens by announcing the same coming described in the Olivet Discourse. (Revelation 1:7)
† Those who pierced Him are specifically mentioned, keeping the focus upon the generation that rejected Him.

THE CARCASS AND THE EAGLES
Matthew 24:28
Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

Luke 17:37
And responding, they said to Him, "Where, Lord?" And He said to them, "Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered."

Revelation 19:17-18
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great feast of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and great."
† Eagles were prominently displayed on Roman military standards.
† Jesus used imagery that His audience would immediately recognize.
† Revelation continues the theme of judgment through birds gathering upon the slain.
† Both passages portray the aftermath of divine judgment.

GATHERING OF THE ELECT
Matthew 24:31
And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Mark 13:27
And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.

Luke 21:28
But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Revelation 7:1-4
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads." And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
† Matthew and Mark emphasize the gathering of the elect.
† Luke emphasizes the redemption drawing near for believers. (Luke 21:28)
† Revelation depicts God's servants being identified, protected, and preserved. (Revelation 7:1-4)
† The focus is not escape from the planet but God's care for His people during judgment.

THE GREAT CITY
Luke 21:20
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.

Revelation 11:8
And their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

Revelation 16:19
The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.

Revelation 17:18
The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.

Revelation 18:10
standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'
† Luke identifies Jerusalem as the city facing judgment.
† Revelation identifies the great city as the place where the Lord was crucified. (Revelation 11:8)
† The repeated references to the great city connect Revelation's judgment to Jerusalem.
† Both accounts point to the same covenant city under divine judgment.

Historical References
† Josephus recorded the horrors of the Roman siege, including famine, internal fighting, mass death, and the destruction of Jerusalem.
† Josephus described unprecedented suffering during the war, corresponding to Jesus' warnings concerning great tribulation.
† Tacitus recorded turmoil throughout the Roman Empire during this period, including civil unrest and warfare.
† The destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in AD 70 fulfilled the judgments foretold by Jesus and reflected throughout Revelation.
† These historical accounts provide strong confirmation of the events described in both the Olivet Discourse and Revelation.

How It Applies To Us Today
† God's judgments are always righteous and faithful.
† Jesus fulfilled His prophetic warnings exactly as He promised.
† The destruction of Jerusalem demonstrated the end of the Old Covenant system and the full establishment of Christ's kingdom.
† Fulfilled prophecy strengthens our confidence in the truthfulness of Scripture.
† We can trust God's promises because He has proven faithful to His word.

Q & A Appendix

Q What are the days of vengeance?
A Jesus said they were the days in which all things written would be fulfilled through the judgment that came upon Jerusalem. (Luke 21:22)
Q Why does Revelation repeatedly speak about avenging the blood of the saints?
A Because God was bringing judgment upon those who had persecuted His prophets, apostles, and people. (Revelation 6:10; Revelation 19:2)
Q What is meant by the great city?
A Revelation identifies the great city as the place where the Lord was crucified, pointing to Jerusalem. (Revelation 11:8)
Q Why are the cosmic signs important?
A They connect Revelation directly to the prophetic judgment language used by Jesus and the Old Testament prophets. (Matthew 24:29; Revelation 6:12-13)
Q What is the significance of the Son of Man coming in the clouds?

A It reflects divine authority, judgment, and vindication, fulfilling Old Testament prophetic imagery. (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7)

† This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †
© Fulfilled Prophecies - Dan Maines.

Source Index
† Luke 21:22-23, 27; Matthew 5:17-18, 24:21, 28-31; Mark 13:19, 24-27; Luke 17:37; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 6:10, 12-13; Revelation 7:1-4, 14; Revelation 10:7; Revelation 11:8, 18; Revelation 16:19; Revelation 17:18; Revelation 18:10, 20; Revelation 19:2, 17-18

† Historical Writers: Josephus, Tacitus