Paper 176 Overview: Tuesday Evening on Mount Olivet

Jesus and his apostles were leaving the temple when Matthew noticed its beautiful buildings. Jesus told them that soon not one stone would be left upon another. The apostles were curious about this prediction of the temple's destruction, thinking it meant the end of the world was coming. This upset them greatly, so they asked Jesus to explain more.

During this evening on Mount Olivet, Jesus taught the apostles about the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem and his future return. He explained that these were separate events and should not be confused. The apostles were often confused by his teachings about the future, especially because they struggled to separate his spiritual teachings from their material expectations about the kingdom.

As Jesus and the apostles were leaving the temple, Matthew commented on the beautiful buildings. Jesus replied that soon, not one stone would be left upon another. This confused the apostles, who thought this destruction would signal the end of the world. After avoiding crowds in the Kidron valley, they sat on Mount Olivet in the moonlight.

Nathaniel asked Jesus when these events would happen. The apostles were troubled because they could not understand how the temple's destruction related to Jesus' teachings about the kingdom. They wanted to know more about when and how these things would take place.

Jesus began by warning his apostles not to be deceived by false teachers or alarmed by wars and natural disasters. He told them they would face persecution for their faith. He warned that many would be thrown out of synagogues, put in prison, and some would even be killed for following him. He urged them to be patient and not to lose faith when these difficult times came.

Jesus knew the Jews would reject his spiritual message and cling to their expectations of a political deliverer. This would lead to conflict with Rome and eventually cause Jerusalem's destruction. Jesus wanted to warn his followers so they could escape the city before it was too late. He told them that when they saw Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem, they should flee to the mountains.

The apostles believed Jesus would leave but then quickly return to establish his kingdom. They associated his return with the destruction of Jerusalem, even though Jesus tried to separate these events. Jesus' followers throughout history have continued to expect his second coming, looking forward to the day when he would fulfill his promise to return.

Jesus explained that his kingdom was not of this world. He told them he would return someday, but in spirit rather than flesh. He said no one knows when this will happen, not even the angels. Jesus urged them to be alert and watch for the signs of the times, using the example of knowing summer is near when a fig tree puts forth leaves.

When the group returned to camp, Thomas asked what their attitude should be while Jesus was away. Jesus reminded them that their connection with the kingdom was spiritual and individual. He explained that worldly events, even the end of the world, should not concern those who have found eternal life in the kingdom. What really matters is faithfulness to God, not earthly troubles.

Jesus then shared the parable of the talents to teach them about faithfulness. He described how a master gave different amounts of money to his servants before going on a journey. The servants who invested and multiplied their talents were rewarded, while the one who hid his talent was punished. Jesus taught that those who are faithful with what they have been given will receive more, but those who do nothing will lose even what they have.

Many people have misunderstood Jesus' promise to return to this world. His followers first expected him to come back right after Jerusalem's destruction, but when that didn't happen, they began to associate his return with the end of the world. Jesus did promise two things: to send the Spirit of Truth and to personally return someday.

The Midwayer Commission (authors of this paper) believe Jesus will return to Urantia many times in the future. No one knows exactly when or how he will return, but they are certain his appearance will be unmistakable when it happens. They advise readers not to associate Jesus' return with any specific time or event, but to simply be ready to welcome him whenever he comes, just as he is ready to welcome us in heaven.