Mark 13 - The End Times and Destroyed Temples

Well, welcome to the end of another week here on Tabernacle Talk. We'd ask for some prayer today.

Today, I am officiating a homegoing service for an individual from the community, not from our church, but going to be giving out the gospel today and hopefully getting some opportunities to pray with some grieving people and to come alongside them

and be a comfort. So, we'd really covet your prayers and ask just that Jesus would be lifted up through what's said and done today. We are in Mark 13, and Jesus here is going to be leaving the temple.

And he has basically, over the past two episodes, just demolished the religious leaders of the day, throwing aside their interpretive biases, the ways in which they were trying to get Jesus to either be on their team or out trying to trick them.

And so, he did that with the chief priests. And the scribes, the Pharisees, the Herodians, the Sadducees. And he let his disciples know the most important thing is loving God, loving people, giving ourselves to God.

It's not about how great people think we are. It's what God thinks of us. And in this chapter, we are going to be looking at Jesus's foretelling of the end of time and what that would entail.

And for him, some of that foretelling would even just be a few decades into the future. In AD 70, many of the things that we would read about here did take place. And there were going to be some other things along the way that would come later on.

And we'll see even as we read through some of the differences between, okay, this happened in AD 70 when the Roman general Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.

And we'll see how some of that happened and then some of the things that were yet to be fulfilled. Romans, sorry, not Romans 13.1, Mark 13.1.

As he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, Teacher, look, what massive stones, what impressive buildings. Jesus said to him, do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another.

All will be thrown down. So here, Jesus is saying this temple is not forever. This isn't amazing.

What God is going to do is amazing, but this temple is just for the here and now.

Verse three, while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the temple, so they're looking over at it, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, tell us, when will these things happen and what will be the sign when all these things

are about to be accomplished? Here they're asking about Jesus' kingdom and I'm sure to their mind they thought there was going to be some sort of battle between Jesus and the temple or Jesus' followers and the religious leaders.

It says, verse five, Jesus told them, watch out that no one deceives you.

When we think about the end times, when we think here about what the disciples would encounter over the coming decades, deception is so commonplace when it comes to the last days. And so Jesus says, watch out.

Be aware of what's happening so that no one tricks you, no one deceives you. He says, many will come in my name saying, I am he, and they will deceive many. There would be fake messiahs.

Verse number seven, when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don't be alarmed. These things must take place, but it is not yet the end. For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom.

There will be earthquakes in various places and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. Here, none of these things are inherently like totally different or totally foreign to the human experience.

But there seems to at least be some awareness of these things going around. Here, wars and rumors of wars. We might be tempted to be fearful.

And one of the ways in which Jesus tells us to watch out is to say, when you hear about this, don't be alarmed. These things must take place. He doesn't specify why these things must take place.

Even as we look over the last maybe 100, 150 years, we might see some puzzle pieces that the Lord might be putting together, ways in which wartime work that was done made it more and more possible for worldwide communications and worldwide things to

be able to take place. You can think back to World War II and perhaps the League of Nations and the United Nations that for the first time ever, you had people from all across the world, from all of the different continents that said, hey, we're

going to try and accomplish some common goals together. And of itself, not an inherently terrible thing. That's what it will be when Jesus is here, that there will be unity. But a godless unity is never going to remain entirely God-centered.

There's always going to be a difference. When it comes to questions of right and wrong, the answer will not be, well, what does God's Word say? It won't be what does God want.

It will be, what might make the most money? What might seem in our eyes to be the kindest or best option? And we need God's answers, not just our own.

So he says, don't be alarmed. Don't be scared. He says, all of these things will happen.

It's the beginning of birth pains. Verse 9, but you be on your guard. So watch out, be on your guard.

He says, they will hand you over to local courts and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me as a witness to them. And it is necessary that the gospel be preached to all nations.

So here he says, once this is happening, don't be alarmed by the nations. And he says, you need to be on your guard. You're going to go over to local courts.

You will be flogged in the synagogues. And here, there seems to be a direct statement to his apostles, to these disciples, that would say, hey, this is a local thing here, the local courts.

This is the local Sanhedrin's, that they're going to be flogged in synagogues. Today, we would not be flogged in synagogues. Now, Jesus might be speaking into what their situation was, but could mean it more broadly.

I would tend towards saying that he is speaking directly to them, because we can read in the Book of Acts, when so much of this took place.

So it's very easy to see, okay, this prophecy has come true, and perhaps around our world, there are places where it might be true.

Maybe not in Jewish, I would say maybe not, definitely not in Jewish settings today, but perhaps in some of the more atheistic cultures, some places like Russia, China, more Islamic places, you might be flogged for your Christianity.

And I've even heard some tales from missionaries about those types of things taking place. And he says, and it is necessary that the gospel be preached to all nations.

Some people have taken this to mean that Jesus can't come back until we reach a person from every nation. And then like the key is unlocked and then Jesus is suddenly like he can be released and he can't get out before then.

From the rest of scripture, I don't believe that's accurate. Here he's giving the disciples in the context of the persecutions that they would endure. He says, but don't let that make you hide your gospel message.

It's necessary that it go out everywhere and to everyone. So don't shy away from it. Don't hide from the persecution if you will embrace it.

He says, so when they arrest you and hand you over, don't worry beforehand what you will say, but say whatever is given to you at that time for it isn't you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

He says, brother will betray brother to death and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.

That is those that they don't turn their back on the Lord, but they are continuing faithful to him even through difficulties. And man, I think of the actions of some of our Bible translators and faithful ones over the course of the last 400 years.

Pardon me, just a second. Viewers, my chair decided it wanted to go down randomly. Started sinking.

Everyone on video saw it. I just kept going lower and lower and lower.

Thankful for those that though they were condemned to death, those that were told if you recant, you'll be fine, but they did not do it and they didn't value their lives above their Lord and even those killed are saved. Verse number 14.

Jesus has something very interesting here in the light of some of the discussion around the last times.

He says, when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be, let the reader understand, here's a little addendum for Mark right there, then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.

A man on the housetop must not come down or go in to get anything out of his house. And a man in the field must not go back to get his coat. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days.

Okay, what's happening here? What is this abomination of desolation? This is what's spoken in Daniel chapter 9 in verse number 27.

Here's why this is important. Some people have said, okay, the end times, there's not going to be like a seven year tribulation or a three and a half year tribulation.

All of those kinds of types of things, that all happened back with Antiochus Epiphanes during the time of the books of 1st and 2nd Maccabees. And there, he offered a pig on the altar of the Lord.

And that is certainly a picture of this abomination of desolation that Daniel had prophesied about, but Jesus hears saying, you are going to see this, that this was an event that had yet to take place, but had a kind of forerunner, a picture of the

kind of thing that it would look like with what had been done with Antiochus Epiphanes, which was during the time of the Greek subjugation of Israel. And he tells them, when this type of thing that you know kind of what it looks like from before,

when this happens in the last times, because the other one was just a shadow, the real thing is still coming. He says, when this happens, get out. Don't stay around Jerusalem, flee to the mountains.

If you've got little ones that you are caring for, little ones that would make noises, ones that would make it difficult for you to get out, there is sorrow for those in that situation.

Verse 18, he says, pray it won't happen in winter, for those will be days of tribulation, the kind that hasn't been from the beginning of creation until now, and never will be again.

Again, here there is a unique tribulation that wasn't just like a human destruction. It wasn't just a human destruction of Jerusalem, like with Nebuchadnezzar or with Titus.

It wasn't just human evil, like with Antiochus Epiphanes or with some of the things that Herod did or that Pilate did. It wasn't like that. It was going to be something unique that Jesus says has not been since the beginning of creation.

He says if the Lord had not cut those days short, no one would be saved. No one would be alive if God just allowed that type of world, the tribulation world to exist, everyone would die.

He says, but he cut those days short for the sake of the elect whom he chose. There are going to be saved people during the tribulation time. Now, as we go through, we'll see if it comes up in this passage.

If not, I'll bring a few other thoughts in from elsewhere in scripture that would color. How do we understand this chapter to be speaking? We know there's going to be saved people.

We know there's going to be a time of desolation, a period of seven years that has something to do with Israel based on Daniel's prophecy. We'll find out where we're at.

Verse 21, then if anyone tells you, see, here is the Messiah, see there, do not believe it, for false messiahs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

And you must watch, I have told you everything in advance.

He says there is going to be after this period of the abomination of desolation, these fake messiahs, these antichrists, if you will, and he says they're going to be able to do miracles and you need to realize that's not me.

And then he's going to give and here's how you will know that it is me. He says, but in those days after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not shed its light.

The stars will be falling from the sky and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And here there is specific mention of demonic activity.

So if you look back at some of our episodes on our Tabernacle Baptist Church Essex Sermon Podcast, we've talked about this that often in scripture when it's talking about, hey, sun, moon and stars, the stars in particular, many times it's talking

about the angelic beings, those that can hear fall from the sky. about the angelic beings, those that can hear fall from the sky.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tabernacle-baptist-church-sermons/id1735359813

Okay, how could, would it just mean that there's a lot of shooting stars, a lot of meteors, and certainly some meteor things could very well be in play, but there's some angelic things, some spiritual being things that are happened, that they are

cast down from heaven. You can look at Revelation 12 to see some of those things of Satan being thrown out. Then verse 26, he says, Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

He will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. Here when Jesus returns, he will save all of his own, and he will come in the clouds with great power and glory.

The warning here is don't look for the people on the land that say that they are Jesus, that are performing miracles and signs. He says look to the skies, look to the heavens, and that's where the Son of Man is going to be coming from.

If you will, don't focus on this earth, focus on, don't focus on this world, focus on the world that is coming down to earth. Verse 28, he says, Learn this lesson from the fig tree, if you remember, okay?

As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize that he is near at the door.

Truly, I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Okay, verse 30 is interesting, because we know that there is a difference between some of the things that took place here, unless you want to take it very metaphorically and say, okay, maybe there were some wonder-working messiahs between when Jesus

is saying this here and then in something like 43 or 44 days when he ascended up again. We think some of this happens.

Here, Jesus is saying the first fruits of this, these things that are going to take place, you're going to recognize some of the budding of it.

It won't be that the tree is completely done by the end of this generation, hence why we're living today, and Jesus Christ is not here sitting enthroned on the earth on the throne of his father David.

Does that mean that we can't believe biblical prophecy? Because Jesus said all these things will take place. This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.

The other aspect that this could be speaking about as well, as him saying, hey, the starts, the first fruits of this, which would be them needing to be on their guard, they're delivered to courts and synagogues, staying before governors and kings,

preaching the gospel to all nations. It could be that portion of it that Jesus says, hey, this first fruit of it is going to happen, and you're not going to pass away until that kind of kingdom work is first begun and that the tree is actually there,

that there's those first leaves. The other aspect that he could be saying is that this generation that begins in this abomination of desolation time period, that they are not all going to die, and in fact, they will not all die before Jesus returns.

All of those things will happen within one generation. I want to give that as one other possibility for the reading of that. If you would like to read some more about this topic, here's a couple guys that I would recommend.

Tim LaHaye is a Bible scholar who has spent a ton of time looking at what scripture has to say about the end times. Tim LaHaye, he wrote the Left Behind series. It's kind of like a dramatization, a novelization of the topic.

That wouldn't necessarily be the thing that would get you the best info. For that, I would send you to some of his more actual theological books to look at that. I would also encourage you to look at J.

Dwight Pentecost. No relation to the Pentecostal movement at large. His name is just J.

Dwight Pentecost. He's got some material on this. And then some guys like John MacArthur and John Piper are both guys that would hold to a premillennial position.

That is the position that the tribulation will be a literal event that actually takes place. That's the position of our church here. We are not postmillennialists.

We do not believe that we will usher in the kingdom that Jesus will then return and sit on the throne of. That we will not be the ones to be victorious, to save the hearts of the world.

We believe that from what scripture teaches, Jesus is going to be the one that puts himself on the throne. He commands us to preach the gospel, to share.

We would know even from Revelation 4 and 5 that the church is successful at reaching people from every nation and tribe and tongue and people.

There is great anticipation in that, knowing that God has a people that are to be saved and that will be saved. But it's not that we usher him in to the kingdom. He is the one that is going to set up the kingdom after the tribulation time period.

We would also not believe in the Awe Millennial, which would say that the tribulation time period is just the whole period from when Jesus first ascended to when he will descend.

And there is maybe not some of these kind of miraculous supernatural things that you would read about in the book of Daniel or here in Mark 13, Matthew 24, whatever the corresponding chapter is in Luke, as well as 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, 1

Corinthians 15, and the book of Revelation. If you didn't know this, the Bible has a lot to say about the end times, so much in the major and minor prophets as well that I absolutely don't have time to go into today, but all that's happening.

So Jesus is saying here, what do we take away from it? What Jesus has said will happen. Okay, so how do we react to it?

Do we stockpile? Do we freak out? Do we try and like go after the United Nations or something?

No, no, no. What he tells us to do is watch out, be on guard, don't be tricked, don't be deceived, and preach the gospel, and realize that everything that Jesus has said will come true.

And then he gives us one other very helpful thing that I think we always need to remember. He says, now concerning that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father.

He says, watch, be alert, pay attention, for you don't know when the time is coming. He says, it is like a man on a journey who left his house gave authority to his servants, gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert.

Therefore, be alert, since you don't know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning. Otherwise, when he comes suddenly, he might find you sleeping.

And what I say to you, I say to everyone, be alert. Here he's saying, you've got a mission to do till that time. So don't just bide your time.

Don't quit your job and sit on the roof of your house just going, okay, Jesus, when are you going to come back? He says, no, no, be about the mission. I've given you work to do and until I return, do the work.

I do want to say this one last thing before we end today. So verse 32, he says, now concerning that day or hour, no one knows neither the angels in heaven nor the son, but only the father.

People have often tried to guess, hey, here's when Jesus is going to come back. There's a secret numerology thing hidden in the Bible and it's going to tell us exactly when it is. And Jesus says, no, the angels don't know.

He says, I don't even know. And here this could be a temporary thing in his humanity that he chose not to know this. We would know that Jesus was not limited in what he could know.

He was still omniscient here on earth. That's why he knew the hearts of people and he could know things that otherwise just in human-ness you would never have been able to know. But Jesus knew them because he was still God.

He just chose to not exert all of his powers at all times. And so here it could be a temporary thing while he was here on earth. There's another thing actually that my friend Pastor Ron has mentioned before.

If you're maybe someone here at Tabernacle and he's mentioned in the kind of Galilean Jewish weddings, how it would work is the son, the one that was betrothed to a wife, he would be working on building the addition, the addendum to his father's

house, the older word for it that many of you might know from the King James, that he's building the mansion onto his father's house, that addendum. And when the father thought that it was done, he would tell the son, okay, now I want you to go get

your wife and bring her and they'd have the whole party and wedding and it was an amazing event. And here, certainly as Jesus was very familiar with all of those things that would take place in Galilean Jewish weddings, that that's how he describes

the process. That he says the father is going to send the son to fetch back the bride and we know that his church is the bride. So what do we take from this? Do we have great fear about the future?

Do we constantly try and find out, okay, who's the Antichrist? Okay, what is Satan plotting? No, no, no.

This world is undergoing turmoil and trouble and it will never win. It will never succeed over our God.

Instead, we know that there is one who though the skies and the land pass away, he will never pass away and his truth and his words will never pass away. So we can believe in him. We can obey his words.

We can be those that aren't sleeping while he's given us a mission to do. The sleeping isn't just literally sleeping. It's, I've given you the goal to preach the gospel to all the nations.

I've told you, don't be deceived by false teachers that come in and say, hey, I'm the Messiah, I'm Jesus. Here, I'm doing these signs and wonders. He says, don't be tricked, but share the gospel.

He says, be alert, stay awake, realize, okay, at any time, the father can send the son and it's wedding time. Am I prepared? Thanks for tuning in today.

Hope this would be an encouragement and a challenge and hopefully a comfort to you that God is, he has planned amazing, amazing things for us. See you on Monday.