Matthew 24:4-5 & Luke 21:8 - The time has drawn near (1st century biblical fulfillment?)

Matthew 24:4-5 & Luke 21:8 (1st century biblical fulfillment?)


Matthew 24:3 - When will these things be (1st century imminence?):
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Matthew 24:4-5 & Luke 21:8

Matthew 24:6 - Wars (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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Matthew 24:4: "And having-responded, Jesus said (to) them — “Be-watching-out (that) no one may-deceive you."

Matthew 24:5: "For many will-come on-the-basis-of My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’. And they-will-deceive many."

The parallel account to Matthew 24:4-5 in Luke reads:

Luke 21:8: "And the (One) said, “Be-watching-out (that) you-may not be-deceived. For many will-come on (the basis of) My name, saying ‘I am (the One)’, and ‘The time has-drawn-near’. Do not go after them."


The parallel account to Matthew 24:4-5 in Luke, found in Luke 21:8, will be specifically addressed here.

The same Greek words that are used in the various passages will be CAPITALIZED.


1st century audience?

Jesus said in Luke 21:8: "And the (One) said, “BE-WATCHING-OUT (that) YOU-MAY not be-deceived. For many will-come on (the basis of) My name, saying ‘I am (the One)’, and ‘The time has-drawn-near’. DO NOT GO AFTER THEM."

Jesus addressed here His 1st century disciples, as 1 verse earlier "they-questioned Him" (Luke 21:7). 

Jesus in Luke 21:8 commanded His 1st century disciples "BE-WATCHING-OUT" (Luke 21:8), adding that they may be deceived: "YOU-MAY not be-deceived" (Luke 21:8). 

Jesus then added the word "For" (Luke 21:8) in "For many will-come" (Luke 21:8) to explain that His 1st century disciples should be watching out because many will come to them saying some things. Jesus thus commanded His 1st century disciples: "DO NOT GO AFTER THEM" (Luke 21:8).


The time has drawn near?

Jesus said in Luke 21:8: "For many will-come on (the basis of) My name, saying ‘I am (the One)’, and ‘THE TIME HAS-DRAWN-NEAR’. Do not go after them".

When Jesus said those words, He said that one should not go after those saying "THE TIME HAS-DRAWN-NEAR" (Luke 21:8). Yet, we read that later in the 1st century in the Bible it was recorded that Jesus' own disciples started to say that THE TIME is near.

For example, later in the 1st century "John" (Revelation 1:1) wrote: "THE TIME (is) near" (Revelation 1:3, Revelation 22:10). The Greek word for "HAS-DRAWN-NEAR" (eggizó 1448 in Greek, verb) used in Luke 21:8 comes from the Greek word for "near" (eggus 1451 in Greek, adverb) which is used in Revelation 1:3 and Revelation 22:10.

Another similar example: later in the 1st century "Peter" (1 Peter 1:1) wrote: "the end (of) all (things) HAS-DRAWN-NEAR" (1 Peter 4:7).

Another similar example: later in the 1st century "James" (James 1:1) wrote: "the coming (of) the Lord HAS-DRAWN-NEAR" (James 5:8).


The warning made by Jesus in Luke 21:8 that people will say that "THE TIME HAS-DRAWN-NEAR" was made as "the disciples came to Him privately" (Matthew 24:3), among whom were specifically listed in the parallel account in Mark 13 "Peter" (Mark 13:3) and "John" (Mark 13:3), which are listed above.

If the disciples of Jesus who heard the warning made by Jesus in Luke 21:8 said that THE TIME was near at some point in the 1st century, we may infer that THE TIME probably DREW NEAR at that point in contrast with earlier in the 1st century when THE TIME would not have DRAWN NEAR yet in the context in which Jesus pronounced those words of warning. This indicates that the warning made by Jesus in Luke 21:8 that people will say that "THE TIME HAS-DRAWN-NEAR" would probably have been fulfilled in the earlier part of the 1st century. 


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