A nice easy chapter! Mark and Luke also contain similar material. Some people get obsessed about the end times, this is not a wise move. Essentially with regard to this chapter the key question is how much of this chapter was fulfilled in the AD66-70 destruction of Jerusalem. At one extreme there are some who say all of it has been fulfilled. I am not going to beat about the bush here and will just say I consider such a view to be self-evident nonsense. It seems clear that all of it has not been fulfilled. At the same time, it seems equally clear that AD66-70 was a partial fulfillment of. Indeed, many Christians heeded Jesus' warning about escaping while they had the chance, and so saved their lives.
This pattern of a partial fulfillment followed by a complete fulfillment later is repeated many times in the Bible. The exodus was a precursor of the real salvation that comes in Jesus. David was a type of the Messiah. The release from Babylon partially fulfilled some of Isaiah's prophecy, much more has been fulfilled in Christ, and all of it will be fulfilled in Christ when He returns.
Since this pattern is so often repeated, I will approach this chapter with the view that
- Some of it was fulfilled in AD66-70.
- It contains general lessons that apply to us throughout history
- There will be a complete fulfillment when Christ returns.
The partial fulfillment is important, as it demonstrates the authenticity and reliability of the prophecy as a whole, just as the Assyrian invasion and defeat validated the first part of Isaiah, and gives us confidence in believing the second part.
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