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February 27, 2011 |
| And Then The End Will Come | ||
In this lesson, we will look at an important message, called the Olivet Discourse, that Jesus gave us about the end-times. His words are carried in all three of the Synoptic gospels. In this message, he refers to Daniel as having prophesied about these events. There are also references to these events in many other places in the New Testament, including 2 Thessalonians 2 and the entire book of Revelation.
When the same event is described in more than one gospel account, unbelievers often use the differences to show that the accounts are faulty and can only be trusted where they agree. But we know the accounts were all written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so we use the differences to tell us more about the event. We'll do that here.
We'll be looking at Mark 13 primarily, but I'll bring in excerpts from Matthew 24 and Luke 21, where they say something that gives us additional information. At one point, I'll create a composite text from all 3.
And when Yeshua went out from the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look, see what stones and what buildings!” 2 But Yeshua said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There is not left here one stone standing upon another that will not be pulled down." (Mark 13:1-2)
Jesus leads some of his disciples into what will be the Olivet Discourse by his prophetic answer to their simple observations. History tells us that King Herod the Great rebuilt the temple area fabulously and at great expense. In Jesus' time it was still being built. As they walked through it, the disciples were no doubt marveling at the construction they saw going on.
But Jesus' reply shows no interest. He considers the buildings to be as temporary as everything else that man does. And he explains that a time is coming when not one of the stones of the buildings will be left standing on another. History tells us that time came in AD 70. The Romans, so infuriated by the constant trouble and rebellion coming from the Jews, tore down everything. To this day, no one is certain exactly where the temple stood on Temple Mount.
But Jesus' answer makes a few of his disciples curious. It was Jesus' habit at that time to preach in the temple during the day and to spend the night on the Mount of Olives, which was a short distance away.1 2
And when Yeshua sat down at the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Kaypha and Yaqob and Yohannan and Andraeus asked him alone: 4 “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign when all these things are near to being fulfilled?" (Mark 13:3-4)
Each gospel records the question asked by the disciples with slight differences. Generally the disciples are interested in the future, and they refer back to what Jesus had said earlier. It appears they believe that the destruction of the temple that Jesus mentioned must be an end-times event. The Matthew account presents the questions best. […] “Tell us when these things will be and what will be the sign of your advent and of the end of the world." (Matthew 24:3)
As seen here, they have three specific questions:
Remember that at this time the disciples did not understand that Jesus would die, so when they said "your coming" they were not likely thinking of "the Second Coming" as we understand it, but of the Messiah coming into power, as the Jews expected it.
But Yeshua himself began to say to them, “Take heed lest a man shall lead you astray. 6 For many will come in my name, and they will say, ‘I Am (the living God)’, and they will deceive many.” (Mark 13:5-6)
The word "watch" is the theme of this message, and we will see it used again later. Here, it is used to warn us that many deceivers will come claiming to be the Messiah. Not long ago, we saw Jim Jones and his death cult in Guyana, and also David Koresh just up the road in Waco.3 Both claimed to be the Messiah.
“Whenever you hear war and reports of battles, you should not be afraid; that is going to happen, but it is not yet the end. 8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and sedition; these are the beginning of the labor pains.” (Mark 13:7-8)
The message here is that the listed things must happen. From our perspective in time, some have happened, are happening, and will happen. But these are only the beginning. The text uses pregnancy as a model for us to see what will happen. Just as birth pains come faintly and infrequently at first and later become strong and constant and are completed with birth, so will be the end-times.
In that sense, we are in the end-times now and have been since Jesus' resurrection. This agrees with the other authors of the New Testament who claimed to be in the end-times.
“But take heed to yourselves, for they will deliver you to Judges and you will be scourged in their synagogues and you will stand before Kings and Governors for my sake as a testimony to them. 10 But first my gospel is going to be preached in all the nations.” (Mark 13:9-10)
Again we see the idea of watchfulness presented, this time as being on guard. Christians must be prepared to be mistreated and expect to be called before authorities for their testimony.
“Whenever they bring you to deliver you up, you should not be anxious beforehand what you will speak, neither should you consider, but whatever is given to you in that hour, speak, for you will not be speaking, but the Spirit of Holiness.” (Mark 13:11)
We see here a message for all Christians. The instructions for witnessing in courts and councils were for the apostles and were followed by them, but they are for us as well. While we in America have had little fear of being dragged into court for being a Christian, there are other countries where being or becoming a Christian is punishable by death.
But we should be aware of the changes happening in our own country. Christians are persecuted for their teachings on homosexuality. It may not be long until they are prosecuted for this. If we are now in the last part of the end-times, there is no reason to expect it to get better, but only worse. The Matthew account makes it clearer by saying, "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death." (Matthew 24:9)
“But brother will deliver his brother to death and a father his son; children will rise up against their parents and put them to death. 13 And you will be hated by everyone because of my name, but whoever will endure until the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:12-13)
Matthew adds, "Then many will be subverted, and they will hate one another and will betray one another" (Matthew 24:10). This makes it clear that Mark's account is speaking about unbelieving brothers, fathers, and children and saying they will have their believing brothers, children, and parents put to death.
But there is an important message at the end of verse 13, "the one who stands firm to the end will be saved". Luke adds, "A hair of your heads shall not be lost. 19 But by your perseverance you shall possess your souls." (Luke 21:18-19) This is not saying that everyone who stands firm will live to see the Second Coming and never die. The disciples that Jesus is speaking to here stood firm and yet were put to death. And the previous verses have already said that many Christians will be put to death. Instead it means that those who stand firm and do not turn from the faith are under God's care4 and, despite persecution and death, will be saved for eternal life.
"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. And, when you see 'the abomination that causes desolation', spoken of through the prophet Daniel, standing where it does not belong - let the reader understand - then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now-and never to be equaled again." (Mark 13:14-19, Matthew 24:15-21, Luke 21:20-24)
The section of verses above is a composite of the accounts from Mark, Matthew, and Luke. They are so similar that it is possible to do this.
There has been a lot of analysis of these verses, some of it foolishness and some of it the work of Satan. But as a whole, we can see some important messages.
We get even more insight into these verses by mixing in information from Daniel. "He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven', he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (Daniel 9:27) Also, "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery, he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him." (Dan 11:31) Also, "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days." (Dan 12:11)
From this it becomes apparent that there is a temple in Jerusalem at that time, and even a temple fortress, and that sacrifices and offerings are performed there. He (little horn / big mouth / beast) will bring something into that temple that causes the temple to become desolate. The sacrifices and offerings will be stopped.
"And if the Lord Yahweh had not shortened those days, no one would live; but for the sake of the chosen ones whom he has chosen, he has shortened those days.” (Mark 13:20)
That's how bad it will be at that time. If it continued, no one would survive. But God has determined not to let it continue, but to end it early. Now "early" implies that there was an expected time for it to end that will not be reached. These verses say nothing about this.
Note something else; the ones that God has chosen, believers, are suffering through this time.
“Then, if a man shall say to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,' and ‘Look, he is going there’, you should not believe him. 22 And false Messiahs and lying Prophets will arise, and they will give signs and wonders and they will deceive if possible, even the chosen ones. 23 But pay attention; behold, I have anticipated this; I have told you everything.” (Mark 13:21-23)
This is the focus of the message: Be on guard against these false Messiahs. The false Messiahs we have seen so far have deceived only a few. But some are coming who will deceive many because of the powerful wonders they can perform. Revelation says it this way: "And [the second beast] will perform great signs so as to make fire descend from heaven on the earth before the people. 14 And it will seduce those living on the earth by the signs that were given to it to perform before the Beast […]." (Revelation 13:13)
Mark refers to what the Second Coming will be like later on, but Matthew's account is clearest. The false Messiahs and false prophets will appear in the wilderness or in the inner rooms, but not so the Second Coming. "For just as lightning goes out from The East and appears unto The West, so will the coming of the son of Man be." (Matthew 24:27)
“But in those days, after that distress, the sun will darken and the moon will not give its light. 25 And the stars will fall from the heavens and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Mark 13:24-25)
This time Luke elaborates on the text above. "[…] And there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and in the earth, suffering of nations and clasping of hands, from the alarm of the sound of the sea, 26 And an earthquake which drives out the souls of the children of men by the terror of whatever is going to come on the earth, and the hosts of the Heavens shall be shaken. (Luke 21:25-26)
We are at a loss to understand all of what this means because we have never seen the world like this. The sun will be darkened, so obviously the moon will not shine; after all, its light is a reflection of the sun's light. Scientists tell us that our sun is a very stable star compared to those they see in the heavens. Most of them change their brightness frequently. So it's certainly possible that ours could begin doing the same.
But we have no way to understand stars falling from the sky. We do know that the word "star" at that time meant any shining body in space. So it could mean comets, asteroids, man-made satellites, or something we've never seen before. Some people think a non-physical interpretation of this is correct, though the context appears to be physical events. They think it could be a reference to stars in the sense of cultural stars, movie stars, etc., and others think the stars are demons cast to earth.
It is only in recent times that the word "Tsunami" has entered the English vocabulary. It's certain that the gospel writers didn't have a concept of huge waves rising out of the sea, much less the words to express it. But given that other places in the scripture talk about great earthquakes, that is likely what is meant here.
Again with the phrase "heavenly bodies will be shaken," we can only guess what this means. Some people think this means the stars and planets will be moved out of their places in the night sky. This could be the result of shifting on the earth.
We have no historical reference for things like this happening, so speculation abounds. We need to remember that God's word is true and everything else is human guesswork.
“And then they will see the son of Man when he comes in the clouds with great power and with glory. 27 Then he will send his angels and gather his elect ones from the four winds and the bottom of the earth even unto the top of Heaven.” (Mark 13:26-27)
We see this event described in many other books of the New Testament in greater detail. Every chapter of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians has at least a reference to it.
Note that these last sets of verses appear to be forming a chronology of events. That is, this happens, then this, then this. In this case, it starts with "there will be great distress". Then it says "following that distress the sun will be darkened", etc. Then it says, "at that time" there will be the Second Coming.
“But learn an allegory from the fig tree: whenever its branches are tender and its leaves bud, you know that summer has arrived. 29 Thus also whenever you see these things happen, know that it is near, at the door. 30 “Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass until all of these things will come to pass. 31 The heavens and the earth will pass away, and my words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:28-31)
Heaven and earth will pass away. We are told this in Revelation. This generation will also pass away, but not before all the things described here have happened. By saying "my words will never pass away," Jesus is saying that his words are not like physical things like planets and the universe; they are timeless and true.
There has been much speculation about the meaning of "this generation". Some think it means that the generation that sees these signs will be the generation that sees the Second Coming. Events will happen that quickly. But "this generation" is used elsewhere to mean all of humanity. So the meaning may merely be that "my words are true; all of this will happen before the end of humanity."
But of that day and of that hour no man knows, neither the Angels of Heaven, neither the son, but the Father only. 33 Take heed, watch and pray, for you do not know when that time is. 34 It is like a man who traveled abroad and left his house and gave authority to his servants and to each man his work and he commanded the gatekeeper to be watchful.” (Mark 13:32-34)
“Watch therefore, for you do not know when the Master of the house comes, in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or in the morning. 36 Lest suddenly he come and find you sleeping. 37 But what I say to you, I say the same to you all: ‘Be watching.’” (Mark 13:35-37)
The Olivet Discourse completes with the theme word - watch. But Jesus also makes it clear that every servant is assigned a task while the master of the house is away. Do not let the master return unexpectedly and find you sleeping.
1. What are we to watch for?
False Messiahs and false prophets.
Persecution
In summary, thieves
2. How will we know false Messiahs and false prophets when we see them?
Their appearance will be on the earth, not in the sky
Statements made or lives lived contrary to the Bible. Know the Bible and stay firm in the faith!!!
3. Some people think they will watch for the signs described
here and then convert to Christianity. Is this a good plan?
???
4. What will happen to believers who do not know the Bible?
They will be deceived and fall away from the faith.
1 http://www.lifeintheholyland.com/temple_mount1.htm
2 Luke 21:37
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_claimed_to_be_Jesus
4 Possibly a reference to Matthew 10:30 "And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid"