The following passages are PARALLEL. If John MacArthur & Thomas Ice admit that Luke 21 was FULFILLED in THAT generation (like Jesus said), they MUST by the rules of LOGIC admit that Matt. 24 & Mark 13 are AS WELL fulfilled.
Do YOU see the issue? Luke doesn’t use as much Jewish lingo. He makes Matthew & Mark more CLEAR to us. The tribulation was for Judea & Jerusalem in the 1st century. It’s HISTORICAL fact, not future fear!
Luke 21
20 “But when you see JERUSALEM surrounded by ARMIES, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill ALL that is written. 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth [greek=ge=land] and wrath against THIS people.
Matt 24
15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
Mark 13
14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out,16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!18 Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be.
Compare to Daniel 9:26-27
26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its[f] end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week,[g] and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
And Daniel 12:1
“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.
Suprised to see that? Don’t be. Look at what Jesus said:
Matthew 12:
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
If you believe the Bible and believe Jesus, congrats, you became a preterist. If you don’t believe either of those 2 sources, you remain a futurist. I’m sorry.
Jesus said:
Matthew 16:27-28
27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Matthew 24:34
34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.