Editing Olivet Discourse (section)

{{Short description|Biblical passage found in the Christian gospels}}
{{Redirect|Little Apocalypse|the films titled "The Little Apocalypse"|The Little Apocalypse (1993 film)|and|The Little Apocalypse (2006 film)}}
{{Christian Eschatology}}
The '''Olivet Discourse''' or '''Olivet prophecy''' is a biblical passage found in the [[Synoptic Gospels]] in [[Matthew 24]] and [[Matthew 25|25]], [[Mark 13]], and [[Luke 21]]. It is also known as the '''Little Apocalypse''' because it includes the use of [[Apocalypse|apocalyptic]] language, and it includes Jesus's warning to his followers that they will suffer [[great Tribulation|tribulation]] and persecution before the ultimate triumph of the [[Kingship and kingdom of God|Kingdom of God]].<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/primary/ "Frontline" TV series]. PBS. Accessed: 14 May 2018.</ref> The Olivet discourse is the last of the [[Five Discourses of Matthew]] and occurs just before the narrative of [[Passion (Christianity)|Jesus's passion]] beginning with the [[anointing of Jesus]].

In all three [[synoptic Gospels]] this episode includes the [[Parable of the Budding Fig Tree]].<ref name="Getty-Sullivan2007">{{cite book|author-first1=Mary Ann |author-last1=Getty-Sullivan|title=Parables of the Kingdom: Jesus and the Use of Parables in the Synoptic Tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zt3vK-hJzQYC&pg=PA46|year=2007|publisher=Liturgical Press|isbn=978-0-8146-2993-2|page=46}}</ref>

It is unclear whether the tribulation Jesus describes is a now [[Preterism|past]], [[Historicism (Christianity)|present]], or [[Futurism (Christianity)|future event]].<ref name=DTS>{{cite book|last1=Gentry|first1=Kenneth L. |first2=Thomas|last2=Ice|title=The Great Tribulation—Past Or Future?: Two Evangelicals Debate the Question|publisher=Kregel Academic & Professional|year=1999|ISBN=978-0-8254-2901-9}}</ref>{{Rp|p.5}} [[Preterism|Preterists]] believe the passage largely refers to events surrounding the [[Siege of Jerusalem (70)|destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem]]<ref name=BenW/><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Ice |first=Thomas |date=2009-05-07 |title=An Interpretation of Matthew 24-25 |url=https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/pretrib_arch/2/ |journal=Article Archives}}</ref> and as such is used to date the Gospel of Mark around the year 70.<ref name=BenW/><ref>{{cite book|first1=Morna |last1=Hooker|title=The Gospel According to St. Mark|publisher=Continuum|year=1991|page=8}}</ref> [[Futurism (Christianity)|Futurists]] believe the prophecy is broken into different parts, and partly “refers to events that are still yet to come”.<ref name=":0" />