Two Questions About Christ’s Coming
"AND as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" Verse 3. Here we have two distinct questions. The first, "When shall these things be?" That is, When shall the temple be overthrown? The second, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" It is possible, and from the close connection of the questions seems quite probable, that the disciples supposed that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple would be at the coming of Christ and the end of the world. But whether they thought so or not is immaterial. In his answer, Christ most plainly indicated that the two events were to be widely separate.