Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but the words spoken on the Mount of Olives concerning the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem, the signs surrounding those events, and the coming at the end of the world shall certainly stand. That discourse is also applied to the coming destruction of sinful cities and to the collapse of human wealth and human devices. Within the discourse this assurance stands between the parable of the fig tree that summer is near and the declaration that of that day and hour no one knows, not man nor angel nor the Son, but the Father alone, and so it reinforces the command to watch and pray.
Its promise is that though heaven and earth pass away, what Christ spoke and what God has spoken shall stand forever without failing in even the smallest part. The unfailing words include the predictions of deception by false christs, wars, earthquakes, famines, persecution, betrayal, hatred, the gospel published among all nations, the abomination of desolation, flight from Judea, great affliction, false signs and wonders, darkening of sun and moon, falling stars, shaking of the heavenly powers, the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory to gather His elect, the lesson of the fig tree that summer is near, and the assurance that this generation shall not pass till all these things are done. The apparent strength of the temple could not prevent its predicted ruin, demonstrating the certainty asserted.
The prophetic words about the fall of Jerusalem extend beyond that event to the final destruction of the world, and they remain certain through both crises. Even when people pursue their own purposes without understanding them, events fulfill God's purpose and confirm the truth of His enduring Word.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but the words spoken on the Mount of Olives concerning the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem, the signs surrounding those events, and the coming at the end of the world shall certainly stand. That discourse is also applied to the coming destruction of sinful cities and to the collapse of human wealth and human devices. Within the discourse this assurance stands between the parable of the fig tree that summer is near and the declaration that of that day and hour no one knows, not man nor angel nor the Son, but the Father alone, and so it reinforces the command to watch and pray.
Its promise is that though heaven and earth pass away, what Christ spoke and what God has spoken shall stand forever without failing in even the smallest part. The unfailing words include the predictions of deception by false christs, wars, earthquakes, famines, persecution, betrayal, hatred, the gospel published among all nations, the abomination of desolation, flight from Judea, great affliction, false signs and wonders, darkening of sun and moon, falling stars, shaking of the heavenly powers, the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory to gather His elect, the lesson of the fig tree that summer is near, and the assurance that this generation shall not pass till all these things are done. The apparent strength of the temple could not prevent its predicted ruin, demonstrating the certainty asserted.
The prophetic words about the fall of Jerusalem extend beyond that event to the final destruction of the world, and they remain certain through both crises. Even when people pursue their own purposes without understanding them, events fulfill God's purpose and confirm the truth of His enduring Word.