In this episode, we continue building a historically grounded, text-driven understanding of Matthew 24 by examining what Jesus called “the beginning of birth pains” in the Olivet Discourse. Anchored in the first-century destruction of Jerusalem’s temple, we explore how religious deceivers, wars and imperial unrest, famines and earthquakes, persecution, apostasy, and the worldwide proclamation of the gospel throughout the Roman "world" all fit within the disciples’ generation and culminate in AD 70. Rather than predicting the end of world history, Jesus was describing a covenantal transition—the close of the Mosaic age and the vindication and enthronement of the Son of Man. This episode shows how that framework clarifies difficult New Testament passages, answers skeptical objections about Jesus’ credibility, and strengthens the church’s confidence in living faithfully within the established kingdom age, where Christ reigns, and His mission advances.

Jesus and the disciples linked His "coming" (parousia) to the fall of the temple in their generation. This episode explores the relationship between them.

Jesus foretold the temple's destruction, and the disciples then asked two questions. Were they asking about the end of time? About the last days of planet Earth? Many people assume they were doing so, but in this episode, I suggest another possibility. This option links their questions to the Lord's prophecy, not to some other subject.