A Last Meal Together

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Mark 14:12-21.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on November 01, 2020.

You do not always know when you are having your last meal with someone that you love.  Whether it is they who will pass on or you, the meaning of the moment becomes so much more important than normal.  Meals with loved ones can be simultaneously an intimate event and yet also an everyday occurrence to which we often fail to give a second thought.

Jesus knew that this was to be his last meal with his disciples.  However, it is more than just a normal meal; it is a Passover meal celebrating that night in Egypt when the Death Angel passed over those who had the blood of the lamb on the door-post of their dwelling.

On top of this, it was a troubling time for Jesus and would become so for his disciples too.  There was a betrayer among The Twelve, and Jesus would soon be put to death in an agonizing, excruciating way.  It is tough to have grace under pressure, but it is even harder when you know that someone plans to stab you in the back.

Let us not forget that we live in a time of testing.  We will stand with Jesus, or we will sell him out for 30 pieces of silver.  As we approach closer and closer to the end times, we will find that the spirit of Judas, the spirit of this age, is not done testing and seducing those who follow Christ.  I pray that you and I will be found as those who trust the Lord regardless of who abandons ship, and regardless of how difficult the path ahead may become.

Let’s look at our passage.

The last Passover with Jesus

The Passover meal commemorated the 10^th and last plague that had come upon Egypt over 1,400 years earlier than this.  God had sent the death angel throughout the land to kill all who were a firstborn of their families.  Israel was not to be exempted from this unless they had sacrificed a lamb, applied its blood to the door-posts of their house, and had eaten it in a meal cooked in fire.

Passover was one of the feasts of the Lord.  However, another word is used of them in Scripture.  They are also called moed (mow-‘ade) and the plural being moedim.  It refers to an appointed time of the Lord, but also has connotations of an appointed signal or sign.  Thus, it became clear to the early Church that the feasts or appointed times of the Lord had been enactments of prophetic things that pertained to the coming of Messiah, his great harvest in the Church, and his return.  The celebrations are themselves prophetic in nature.

It was fitting that this last Passover meal would be on the eve of the death of Jesus because, as John the Baptist said, he was the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world and spare us from eternal death.  Israel’s deliverance from Egypt had been a prophetic enactment of the salvation that Jesus the Messiah would accomplish for the whole world, delivering us from slavery to our sins and to Satan who is the Pharaoh of this world.

We are told that this is happening on the first day of Unleavened Bread “when the Passover Lamb was slain.”  This may appear to be a mistake by Mark at first glance.  Passover was to happen on the 14^th day of Israel’s month Aviv (later called Nisan).  Unleavened Bread was a seven-day celebration that started on the 15^th of Aviv and went until the 21^st.  I want to walk through some issues concerning the timing of these feasts because some think that there are contradictions in these accounts.

How can Jesus eat the Passover with his disciples one night and then the next day we are told that the religious leaders would not enter the Praetorium of Pilate, lest they be defiled and not able to eat the Passover?  Shouldn’t they have eaten it the night before like Jesus did?  Several issues are involved that add to the complexities of unwinding the timeline of what exactly happened: the way terms were used, the timing of the calendar year, and the timing of the Passover meal.  Let’s look at them separately, but quickly.

Passover would be on the 14^th of Aviv and Unleavened Bread would be another seven days (15^th-21^st).  This would be a total of eight days.  Over time, it became common to use the term Unleavened Bread to refer to all eight days.  Sometimes, even the term Passover was used for all eight days.  Though the events were clear to the original disciples and those to whom they related the events, the descriptions beg a greater context that we do not know.  By definition, it is clear that the first day of Unleavened Bread mentioned in verse 12 must be actually referring to Aviv 14, Passover.  So, though it may look like an error to say that the Passover lamb is killed on the first day of Unleavened Bread, it really isn’t because of the way the phrase was used in first century Judea.

The Essenes were a group that had separated from Jerusalem into the desert place we call Qumran around the 160’s BC.  Israel was dominated by the Greeks during this time and several High Priests had begun to adopt the Greek calendar.  By changing the way that the new year was calculated, the Essenes believed that Israel was no longer celebrating the feasts on the proper days.  Though the successful uprising of Judah Maccabee gave Judah a semblance of freedom, the priests continued to follow this Greek calendar.  We do not know what Jesus thought about these issues.  At least one group disagreed with the official date of the Passover and would perform their meals on a different day.

Another issue rose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  The Sadducees held to an older way of keeping the feast.  It is important to note that the Hebrew date switches when the sun goes below the horizon.  Let’s use the time of 6 PM to serve as a chronological way to speak of the beginning of twilight.  The old way would wait until the end of the day of Aviv 13 when it began to be dark.  During this twilight, they would sacrifice the Passover lamb, which would now be Aviv 14.  The lamb or goat would then be cooked over a fire and eaten that night.  Nothing could be left over to the morning, which would still be Aviv 14.

This is different than the Pharisees.  The Pharisees had slowly taken control of the majority of Israel.  It was their system that was the official system at the crucifixion of Jesus.  They believed that the lamb should be killed after noon (usually 3 PM) on Aviv 14.  They would also eat the Passover meal after dark, but for them it would be Aviv 15 now.  Though they officially observed the Passover meal on the 15^th of Aviv, there were some who would keep the feast the night before, Aviv 14.  Again, we do not know what Jesus thought about this.  It is possible that he is following the older model rather than the Pharisee-model, but we are not exactly told this in the Bible.

The point in going through this is to show that the issues are far more complex than we realize, and we are not given enough information in the Bible to clear this up.  Sure, the early disciples perfectly understood these issues, but it was not important enough to them to detail.  Was Jesus doing the Passover the night before, or was John talking about other meals that would happen on the High Holy Days of Unleavened Bread and simply using the term Passover meal to refer to any meal that happened during these feasts?  We may never know at this point.  However, we do know that these are not contradictions.

Jesus is asked where they are going to celebrate the Passover meal.  The answer that Jesus gives is reminiscent of his instruction to the disciples to get the donkey that he rode during the Triumphal Entry.  It may be that Jesus is being cryptic on purpose so that Judas cannot tell the religious leaders where they can ambush Jesus.  Regardless, Jesus tells them to go into the city and that they would eventually see a man carrying a water pitcher.  We are told by those who know the culture of this time that this would be an oddity.  This would be considered women’s work, and men carried water in animal skins.  So, this would stick out in the middle of a busy Jerusalem.  They were to follow this man to the place that he enters and then ask the master of the place to let them use a large room that he had already for the feast.  From the other Gospels, we are told that two of the disciples follow these instructions and prepare the Passover meal.  They would then go get Jesus and the other disciples in order to bring them to the place after dark.  It was very common for people in Jerusalem to rent out rooms during the feasts for those who were not from Jerusalem.  This owner appears to donate it to the Lord and his disciples, most likely as a follower of Jesus, or at least, a sympathizer.

From the other Gospels, it seems that Jesus references a betrayer several times throughout the night.  It isn’t entirely clear that there aren’t other disciples besides The Twelve, perhaps serving etc.  Passover was not a time that was about the temple compound.  It was a family or multiple family affair that happened at home.  It was to be prepared by the family, eaten quickly during the dark, as if ready to leave Egypt at a moments notice.  This represents how we should not take our duty to apply the True Passover, Jesus, to our lives by faith in him.  We are to live our lives trusting in his salvation, trusting in his commands, and ready to leave this world at a moments notice, whether through our death or the rapture.  This would be the ultimate rescue from the Egypt of this world.  This is an intimate affair, and Jesus is revealing that one of his closest disciples would betray him, one who was dipping in the dish with him, as if they were family.

This sets up a scene of being both flabbergasted and asking who it will be.  “Is it I,” they all say.  Jesus then teaches them a valuable lesson.  The death of Jesus would be a fulfillment of prophecy and therefore had to happen.  However, it is not the job of believers to try and fulfill prophecy unless the Lord has commanded it.  The horrendous betrayal of Judas cannot be excused or moralized by stating that he was doing God’s will.  It was God’s will that Jesus die on the cross, but it cannot be said that God wanted anyone in particular to be the one to do it.  In His wisdom, He knows that there will be wicked men that is why Jesus is there in the first place.  It is going to happen, but the question is will it be through you?  Judas would have no excuse.  He was doing what he was doing, not for righteous reasons, but for personal and selfish reasons.  Later in the Garden of Gethsemane, we are given another phrase from our Lord.  “You betray me with a kiss?”  True to life, those who are closest to the Lord outwardly are most able to betray him.  They do so first inwardly, but eventually it will also be outwardly.  Woe to the person who betrays the Son of Man.  It would be better for that person if he had never been born.  Friend, I warn you now that there are betrayals happening in the Church of Jesus every day.  Some of the betrayers are lay people, others are pastors, presbyters, superintendents, and even popes.  Woe to such people, and woe to anyone who will follow them.  God help us to cling to Jesus regardless of how bad the road ahead becomes because he has shown us once and for all that the way of the cross is the way of eternal life!

Last Meal audio

Jesus Prophesies about the Future V

Mark 13:32-37.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on October 18, 2020.

This morning, we will finish this section in which Jesus tells us about what is in the future.  His prophecy breaks up into three sections: a time of birth pains, also called the times of the Gentiles, that follows his ascension, the Great Tribulation, which is the climax of the end times, and the Second Coming of Jesus.  These three sections start out slow and long, 2,000 years, but then become a quick succession of blows (7 years and then 1 moment/day).

After those prophecies, each of the three synoptic Gospels take time to emphasize that you will not want to be caught off guard by the Second Coming, and that is what we will look at today.  The Christian is not oblivious to the judgment that hangs over this world.  God has a contention with all of the nations of this world and has judged them all to be unworthy of ruling the earth.  Because of this, Christians are to live a life that is focused on God’s work, and being ready for the return of Jesus at all times.

Only the Father knows when the Son is coming back

By way of refresher, we have talked about how the Second Coming of Jesus is like a Galilean wedding.  John 14 tells us that Jesus went back to his Father’s house to make a home for his bride, the church.  He will no doubt come back for his bride at some point in which they all go back to his Father’s place to have a wedding party.  Eventually, Christ and his bride come in judgment to take up the rule of the earth.

One thing that was unique about the Galilean wedding is that the son could have a place prepared and want to go get his bride, but he had to wait until his father said it was time.  This may help us understand a bit more why Jesus would emphasize that he doesn’t know the time (even though he clearly knows that it will be longer than his followers will want to wait).  Let’s not jump ahead on this point yet.

Jesus first points out that “no one knows”, which is a reference to all humans.  Through the years, many people have predicted when Jesus was coming back, whether they spoke of it as the Rapture or as the Second Coming.  They typically justified their predictions by some slight of hand.  Some would emphasize that you couldn’t know the day or hour, but you can know the 2-day window, or week, or month, or year.  Some would emphasize that they have received a vision from the Father or Son and God now wants us to know.  However, this seems odd since Jesus warns that the end times will come as a trap and at a time that the disciples do not think.  His point is not, wait until God reveals it.  Rather, it is always be watching and ready!  No, there will not be a time when God changes His mind and begins telling believers when the Son will return.

Jesus follows this by saying that not even the angels of heaven know when it will occur.  Incidentally, this would rule out the devil and his angels.  If they angels of heaven don’t know then those who had earlier fallen would not know either.  Satan is chomping at the bit and always ready for his chance to dominate the world and have it worship him.  Are you ready?

The next point, however, is the true puzzler.  Not even the Son knows the day or hour.  Now, it is one thing for Jesus to say that the Father has not given him permission to share that knowledge, but it is quite another to say that the Son of God does not know.  It begs this question.  How can Jesus be both divine and not know this?  Isn’t he supposed to be omniscient?

I do not want to get bogged down in the weeds of answering this question, but let’s spend a few moments exploring it.  Many biblical teachers have talked through various aspects of its implications.  Let me just make a couple of points so that we can be clear that this is not a true contradiction to the divinity of Jesus.  First of all, it is unclear whether Jesus means that he didn’t know in his human nature, and that his divine nature was just keeping it from his human side through wisdom.  Of course, this gets into the quagmire of how the mechanics and internal operation of the incarnation of Jesus worked.  We should fear to tread too far into that territory since the Bible says precious little on that topic.

Second of all, it is also unclear whether Jesus meant that he didn’t know then, but that he would know when he ascended to the right hand of the Father.

Perhaps, it is best to understand this in the same way that we understand the subservient role that the Son fulfills.  Though the Son is equal to the Father in the sense of his being or substance (that is, divine) he can perform a subservient role without diminishing his essence or being.  Think of one human being serving another human being.  The lesser role does not somehow render the servant as less human than the one served.  Thus, in eternity past, when the plan of salvation was created, it was agreed upon that only the Father would know and that the Son would voluntarily restrict his omniscience to the time of his Second Coming.  We could say that omniscience is to know all things that one chooses to know.  Just as omnipotence does not mean that God has to do whatever we tell him to do, in order to prove it- He can exercise restraint in accordance with His own wisdom- so the Son can choose to restrict or restrain the exercise of his omniscience in any particular area he so chooses.  This is not a true contradiction, but rather a point that is totally unexpected.

There are some practical implications to the reality that no one knows when Jesus is coming back.  We should stop listening to people who set dates and invite us to sell all of our stuff and join them in a rural compound.  We should even be careful of those who do not prophesy particular dates, but only say that certain dates are somehow more possible than others.  Of course, no one can live without conjecturing about the future.  However, pumping up particular dates every year or more has the opposite effect upon people’s readiness.  They tend to have a flurry of activity leading up to the time, and then a relaxing when it doesn’t happen.  This is not what Jesus has called us to do.

It is not our job to predict when Jesus will come back, and thus we shouldn’t listen to those people.  However, it is good to recognize the signs of the times that we live in, and the signs of the times that are next on the docket.  They can encourage our faith to keep focused on Christ and being ready.  We live in a time where the prophesied events of the book of Revelation are not only possible, but becoming more and more likely every day.  The world is clamoring for a global governance that can control, or harness, the power of mankind.  Like a Neo-Nimrod building a modern tower of Babel, our world is rushing forward into the Great Tribulation.  However, it is still being restrained by God until that point that He says enough.

This means that we should live in a way that we are always prepared.  The Coast Guard motto is Semper Paratus, or Semper Par as they say; “Always ready!”  Those who remember the Royal Rangers youth program of the Assemblies of God will know that the motto taught to young Christian boys was “Ready!”  It meant to be ready for anything.  If you are trying to predict a date then you will have a series of relaxing and stressing, being ready, and then not being ready.  Over time, such a build up and let down can wear out our faith in its truth.  However, if you are always living prepared and Jesus doesn’t come back during your life time then you will also be ready for that next moment after death.  In that moment, you either go into the grave awaiting judgment, or you go into the presence of the Lord.  Friend, don’t put off your preparation for that day a day longer.  Make sure that you have turned from your sin and this world, and that you have turned toward Jesus and following him.  Though the Christian is to live always prepared for our Lord’s return, notice in verse 33 and 34 that our Lord has work for us to do.

You need to focus on the work that Jesus commands

Verse 33 gives us a series of commands to believers from the Lord.  We are first told to “take heed.”  It means to see and discern the world around us and our own spiritual condition.  Luke 21 warns, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.”  Wow!  Believers are not to live a life of carousing, drunkenness, and worried about the cares of this world and our flesh.  Such a life is not only unprepared for the Second Coming, it is also unprepared for its own death as well.  This world is used by the devil to tempt Christians into all manner of sinful activities.  They become an exit ramp from remaining vigilant and discerning about the condition of our soul.

The second command is “Watch.”  The point is not so much sitting and looking at the sky, but rather at its root means sleeplessness.  A man who was on watch dared not fall asleep.  It meant disaster for the camp or village if he did.  It speaks to a wakeful frame of mind in the midst of a world designed to put you to sleep spiritually.  Matthew 24 adds the warning that before the flood of Noah’s day came, people who had been warned were going about life as if nothing bad was on the horizon.  They were asleep spiritually.

The New Testament often ties the word “watch” together with the word “pray.”  The third command from our Lord is to “Pray.”  As we pray to God, we are watching over our souls and maintaining our faith so that it is not diminished in any way.

When we put all of this together, we find that, through prayerful vigilance, we can live a life for God’s purposes.  We can live a life following the Spirit of God and not our flesh, a life of the love of God for others, a life of strengthening fellow believers, and a life of sharing the Gospel with those who do not believe.  We are to be a light in this generation.  When they see our lives, they will get a glimpse of who Jesus was and is, the very righteousness of God.  When they hear the Gospel, some of them will believe and be brought into the family of God.  We must focus on the work that he has given us in our families, jobs, Church, and community, being a light because the night is coming when no man can work!

Jesus gives another analogy

Jesus ends with a parable or analogy that is very clear and simple.  There is a man who leaves his house and goes into a far country.  He puts his servants in charge of his affairs.  There are two aspects regarding his servants.  First, they have been given authority to run his affairs.  If we think of this as a group of believers then we see how we are to be working together and yet certain ones may have a higher authority than I do.  Whatever gift and role God has given to us, and at whatever level of authority, we need to use it for the building up of the faith and the life of one another as brothers and sisters before God.  This starts as a faithful companion in worshiping, and living for Jesus, whether in or outside of church.  We are to encourage one another as a family.  It may specialize beyond this, such as those who lead in music, teach in various ways, preach, watch over the affairs of the property, oversee a food pantry ministry, etc. 

In this scenario, those who are the doorkeepers and are watching for the Lord’s return would represent the prophetic role that warns God’s people of external enemies, internal laxity, and the Lord’s return.  God calls watchmen who are to be vigilant in this sense.  This doesn’t absolve all believers of personal responsibility, but becomes an added layer of protection, especially for new believers.

However, we should also see this at an individual level.  We all have a duty to be diligent in the things that the Lord has given to us to do.  We can fall into the trap of wanting something bigger, greater, or more like another servant.  This only diminishes our gusto for the tasks that we have been given.  Give yourself to the people, relationships, and godly duties that you have right now.  Meanwhile watch over your spiritual life, and the temptations of the enemy so that you will be ready at his return, or your death.  Like Nehemiah and the exiles who had returned to a devastated Jerusalem and were rebuilding the wall, we live this life with a trowel for building in one hand and a sword for defending in the other.  We are to live in this world focused on the mission of Jesus, vigilant against our spiritual enemies, and not losing faith that our Lord is returning one day.

Let me say this again; you do not want to be caught sleeping or abusing your authority when Jesus returns.   In verses 35-37, he reminds us that we don’t know if he is coming in the night, or midnight, morning, or noon.  In fact, globally it will be all of these at once.  For some it will be each of these times depending on your time zone.  The problem would not be sleeping physically, but sleeping spiritually.

In Mark, we are only warned that we don’t want to be caught sleeping.  Yet, in Matthew 24, Jesus follows this up with a greater explanation.  The faithful and wise servants will be found doing exactly what their master told them to be doing, making sure his house is running well, and increasing.  However, there will be some evil servants who say in their heart that he is delaying his coming, or even that he will never come.  Jesus warns that such evil servants will abuse their power in his Church and abuse their fellow servants, even eating and drinking with the drunkards.  The warning is severe.

“The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  Matthew 24:50-51 (NKJV)

It is not enough to join God’s people and even receive a high position of authority within it.  If we use God’s things for our own pleasure then we are following the spirit of this world rather than the Spirit of God.  Such people will receive judgment from the Lord.  You do not want to be caught spiritually sleeping, or drunk on the pleasures of this life.  So, Watch!

Jesus Prophesies about the Future IV

Mark 13:24-31.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on October 11, 2020.

In our passage today, Jesus instructs us about one of the cardinal doctrines that he gave to the Church.  He will come again, a Second Coming.

The idea of him leaving and then coming back had already been revealed to them.  John 14:1-3 says this,

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”  (NKJV)

It is clear that Jesus has in mind a wedding analogy.  The description of what he says completely fits a young man preparing a place for his bride on his father’s property.  Jesus had warned them that he would be leaving them, but that it was for a purpose.  He would eventually return for his bride so that they could be together.

In our passage today, he promises his disciples that this coming again would be in “power and great glory,” in order to reward the saints and remove the wicked.  Of course, there is much more to it than that, but I do not want to stray from our focus on this passage.

So, in the setting of this passage, Jesus has told his disciples that there would be a period of time from his leaving until his coming back that would be a time of labor pains for the world, a time of sorrows.  It would be a time of the Gentiles in which God would send the Gospel to the ends of the earth.  This long period (almost 2,000 years now) would come to an end in a seven-year period of difficulty called the Great Tribulation, which we discussed over the last two weeks.  Mark 13:24 begins the third stage of this prophecy, the Second Coming of the Son of Man, which basically happens on a single day, but will have repercussive events.

Let’s go through the passage.

The Second Coming of Jesus

Jesus actually refers to this event as the coming of “the Son of Man.”  He is employing a phrase that can be a way of calling someone human, but when it is used in a prophetic passage about the end of the age, it is a clear reference to the Son of Man that is prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14.

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.   ¹⁴ And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Jesus is connecting his leaving and coming back to a character of ancient prophecy, the Son of Man who would come on the clouds and receive the kingdoms of the world from the Ancient of Days.  If you read the context of these verses from Daniel, you see that the Ancient of Days has overruled the attempt of multiple “beasts,” a metaphor for Gentile Empires, to rule the world.  Instead, the God of Creation gives the kingdoms of this world to a particular human who can ride the clouds of heaven and will share his kingdom with the saints of God, rather than the powerful of this world.  This is a strange and cryptic figure.  He is clearly human, “son of man,” and yet rides the clouds, something a heavenly being would do.

Now let us look at the wording of verse 24.  Jesus says that this coming would be “in those days,” and “after that tribulation.”  He is very clear about connecting the Great Tribulation directly to his Second Coming.  This is important because we do have to watch for the tendency of prophecy to conflate events separated by long periods of time.  However, the terminology that Jesus uses states that the Great Tribulation will have come to an end (“after”) and yet, the Second Coming will be in “those” days.  On top of this, Matthew 24 uses the word “immediately.”

In fact, the Second Coming of Jesus becomes the apex or capstone to the terrible days of the Great Tribulation.  To the wicked who have chosen to worship the beast and his kingdom, it will be the final blow of the wrath of God.  To the righteous who have chosen to wait for Jesus, it will be the beginning of the Utopian age of which mankind has often dreamed.  This is the same thing as shown in Revelation 19.  At the conclusion of the Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, and Seven Bowls of Wrath, Jesus comes riding on the clouds of heaven with an army in tow.

Even at the worst time of all human history, God has a plan and has not forgotten us.  He will save humanity from itself, and from the fallen angels.  He has not abandoned us!  The Great Tribulation will be God’s last attempt to draw humans back from the abyss that we longingly push towards.

Jesus then describes some signs that would be seen in the heavens or sky.  The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars of heaven will fall.  This is then summarized as, “the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

I believe that there is a literal and metaphorical overlap happening here.  The book of Revelation also mentions the sun becoming black as sackcloth, the moon becoming like blood, and the stars of heaven falling to the earth.  Some of the devastation upon the earth is from things that are falling from the sky, whether they are asteroids, comets, or meteors is not specifically made clear.  Such events would put enough particulate in the atmosphere to obscure the light of the celestial objects.  Yet, there are cryptic references in the Old Testament to the day of the Lord’s coming that also seem to imply a supernatural reason for the lights to go out during what should be day time (Zechariah 14:6-7).  We can say that this is only metaphor, but then must deal with all the other places in the Old Testament that connects the darkening sun and blood-like moon to the Day of the Lord.  There will most likely be both natural and supernatural things going on.  Luke 21 tells us that men’s hearts will fail them for fear of the things coming upon the earth, when these things happen.

Yet, the stars and falling stars is used metaphorically to refer to angels and rebel angels respectively.  Thus, Revelation 12:12 says, “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth for the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”  That book pictures the rebel spiritual forces being pushed out of the heavens down onto the earth, as well as the Abyss (a prison for fallen angels) opening up to release others.  The earth becomes the ground for the Day of the Lord’s great judgment against Satan and his forces, and those who join in league with them.  The things happening in the natural become a symbol, or picture, of those things that are happening in the spirit realm.

It is interesting that all three Gospels use the phrase, “they will see” at the Second Coming of Jesus.  At the least, it implies that the disciples in front of him will not be on the earth at his Second Coming.  It may even imply that the Church has been raptured before this point.  However, those points are tenuous from this text.  The point is that following the celestial signs will be a celestial event in which the world sees the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and great glory (described in Zechariah 14, and Revelation 19).  This is one of the main points of contrast that we looked at last week.  The false christs and false prophets of the Great Tribulation will do powerful things in order to wow humanity.  However, their coming will be nothing compared to the coming of the Son of Man, the one who rides the clouds and vanquishes his foes.  Nevertheless, the deceptive character of Satan would lead us to believe that the Antichrist will appear to put down a group of diabolical leaders as an attempt to mimic this.  Satan’s empire always has innumerable groups of diabolical leaders from which to pit one against another by means of deception.

In contrast, what a day that will be when Jesus splits the sky!  Whether you have already passed from this life, have been raptured, or are still barely surviving here on the earth in that moment, what a glorious moment that will be!  After all the turmoil and rage of the Antichrist kingdom, decreeing and executing those who do not take its mark, God sends His Son, His Savior, from the heavens to save mankind.  He is faithful to the end, even when we are faithless.

Part of the appearing of the Son of Man will be the gathering of all of his elect.  The word “elect” can also be translated as “chosen.”  Just as we will soon turn in our ballots depicting who we are choosing in November’s election, so Jesus has chosen some to be his.  Our choosing will be important, but it pales in comparison to the real question, “Has Jesus chosen me?”

He has chosen those who would turn their back on their life of sin, pick up their cross, and follow him.  He has chosen those who would continue to live in faith of his coming, and his resurrection, even in the face of a world that ridicules and persecutes them for it.  He has chosen those who are not seduced by the antichrist spirit of this age, that powerful beastly spirit, that only seduces those who choose to follow their flesh over the top of the Holy Spirit.

We are told that the angels gather the elect, the chosen, from heaven and earth.  The righteous who have physically died throughout the ages will be gathered from the heavens to come back with Christ, and those on the earth who have refused the beast kingdom, and survived the Great Tribulation, will also be gathered to Jesus.  They are to share in his reward of taking hold of the kingdoms of this world.  Amen; even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

The Parable of the Fig Tree

Following his description of the Second Coming, Jesus gives a parable to emphasize how closely connected the Second Coming is to the Great Tribulation.  Whether a fig tree or any other tree, the sprouting of green leaves in the spring testifies to the nearness of summer.  This lesson in the natural is intended to encourage us in the spiritual. 

Some make a big deal regarding the fig tree representing Israel.  Though the nation of Israel is an important prophetic sign, it is not exactly what Jesus is meaning here.  He makes it clear by saying “when you see these things happening, know that it is near” (Matthew says “all these things”).  It is not seeing the beginning of these things (The Time of Sorrows, which we now know lasts almost 2,000 years), but the seeing of all of these things.  Clearly, this means everything mentioned up to the Second Coming.  The events of the Great Tribulation will make it clear that his coming is near.  Jesus wanted us to know that, when it all goes down, it will happen quickly and people should not despair.  Neither should believers give up their hope in his coming, and begin to follow after the temptations of sin, especially joining the beast-kingdom via the mark.

Verse 30 is often pointed to by critics of Jesus and the Bible as proof that Jesus was a false prophet.  They assume that Jesus is pointing to his disciples and telling them that they and their generation will not pass away until all of these things happen.  Even some who claim to be Christians will waffle on this point, saying that Jesus thought it would happen in a generation, but was mistaken (i.e. everything he said is true, but he was mistaken on the timing).  I do not believe Jesus was talking about his generation.  The context is about those who see all of these things.  It is that generation that will not pass away before all things he spoke would be fulfilled, not the generation that sees some of them.  The nearness is to those who see them all, which is, more than likely, less than 3 ½ years.

Jesus finishes this section with a statement about how dependable and trustworthy these prophecies are.  They are more dependable than the continued existence of the earth and the heavens.  In light of God’s revealed intent to recreate the heavens and the earth in the future, this makes perfect sense. 

It is not the amount of hydrogen fuel in our sun that is the clock on how long humanity has on this earth.  It is the end of the times of the Gentiles, the beginning of the Great Tribulation, and the Second Coming of Jesus that helps us to know how much time we have left.

However, there is a more excellent way.  Don’t tell yourself that you can get ready if it appears that it is getting worse, or closer.  You only deceive yourself and harden your flesh against the Spirit of God.  Put your faith in Jesus today, and live with the Blessed Hope of His return in your heart every day.  That way, you no longer have to worry about how much time is left because you are always ready; semper paratus!

Jesus Prophesies about the Future III

Mark 13:14-23. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on October 04, 2020.

Today, we will continue looking at the Great Tribulation, a period of time that will transition the world from the Age of the Church to the Second Coming of Christ.  This is a period of seven years in which the Holy Spirit quits restraining the coming of Antichrist and the wrath of God is poured out upon the earth in the second half of it.  It will be a period that is also marked by the wrath of Satan and his evil spiritual cohorts.  They hate humanity and want to bring us completely into servitude.  It will also be a period of the wrath of man.  Leaders throughout the world will be led by such evil spirits to destroy those who do not go along with the global empire, its economic system, and its false peace.

Christians are warned against looking to the kingdoms of this world to bring about Utopia and a New World of peace.  We know that the only administration that can cure the evils of this world is one that comes from heaven and is led by God’s Anointed One, Jesus.  His return is our Blessed Hope given by God.  The hope is not that we will escape difficulty.  Rather, the hope is that, no matter what difficulties we face in this life, the Second Coming of Jesus and the Resurrection of the saints will bring us into a time when we will enjoy perfect peace on the earth in an immortal body.  It is the beginning of eternity in which we will never sorrow again!

Let’s read this section of the prophecy of Jesus.

The Greatest Tribulation ever will occur

Last week, we talked about the desire of some in Israel to build a “Third Temple.”  The Bible warns that the Man of Sin, who is the Beast and Antichrist, will oppose and exalt “himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4.  Mark 13:14 calls this event the Abomination of Desolation, which we also talked about last week.  It is a thing so abominable to God that it will bring desolation and destruction upon the place.  I believe that this event triggers the series of judgments that we refer to as the wrath of God and will happen near the middle point of the Great Tribulation.  Clearly, it will be connected with the mark of the Beast, which is both an economic and worship issue.  Whether people understand it or not, the whole world will be in submission to and in worship of Satan.

When this event happens, Jesus says that anyone in Judea should immediately flee the area because of the coming difficulties.  It pictures a person who is relaxing on the flat roofs that are common in the Middle East.  They are not to take the extra time to go down into the house and get supplies.  The person in the field should not go back into the city in order to get their “Go-Bag.” 

Jesus adds that it will particularly difficult for those who are in situations like being pregnant or nursing a baby.  In any bad situation, we can often forget that it could be worse.  Things will be bad enough, but he tells them to pray that it won’t happen in winter time., i.e. in a time in which it is difficult to escape quickly.

Of course, the Great Tribulation will quickly become bad all over the world.  The emphasis here is upon those in Judea and is most likely intended for those Jews who are alive at that time.  Note that in Matthew 24, Jesus even says to pray that your flight is not during the Sabbath, which would be a contention only for observant Jews.  We should not forget that Jesus cares about his fellow Jews, and he has warned them about both the destruction of 70 AD (Luke 21:20-24) and the coming destruction in the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:15-28 and Mark 13:14-23).  The immediate danger during the Great Tribulation seems to be that the Antichrist and his forces will move to take the city, but this is not entirely clear in this prophecy.

Jesus then repeats the warning that he had given earlier in regards to the Age of the Gentiles, or the Times of the Labor Pains.  False christs and false prophets have always come and gone.  The difference is that here it mentions that they will deceive the people by great signs and wonders.  They will be empowered by Satan to do things that will wow the world.  Revelation 13 mentions several things that wow the world in the end times.  The deadly wound of the Beast will be healed.  The False Prophet performs great signs, so that he even “makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.  He will deceive those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the Beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the Beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.”  The False Prophet also is the one who “gives breath” to the image of the Beast.  Revelation 16 also tells us that, as the Tribulation comes to an end, three unclean spirits will go out into the earth.  “They are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

It will be a time when mankind will be ripe for the greatest deception ever because they rejected a love of the truth that God has been offering them for 20 centuries plus.  Some people categorically state that these signs can’t be real, and instead are faked.  However, just as humans have a kind of power that is amazing at deceiving other humans, so these evil spirits have powers that are beyond ours.  They are not even close to God, but they can wow us humans.

Matthew 24:26-28 adds another point to this issue of false christs.  The Beast leader will be worshiped in the place of Jesus, a false christ.  Jesus shows us how we will know that he is fake by contrasting it with his real Second Coming.  The Second Coming will be so obvious that no one will have to tell you that it happened.  This contrast starts between the First and Second Comings of Christ.

At his First Coming, Jesus was born into a human body (mortal), in a humble way, and his arrival was announced by a “come and see” announcement (not just at his birth too).  In contrast to this at his Second Coming, Jesus comes in an immortal body, on the clouds in great power and glory, and no one will need to announce it.  Every eye will see him coming on the clouds, but we will talk about that next week.  Antichrist seems to be a person who comes as Jesus did the first time.  He will be born, grow up, and use powerful signs to draw people to him.  The world will take it hook, line, and sinker.

Today, deception is at the fleshly and intellectual level.  Yes, we have heard amazing tales among false christs and prophets, but none that are truly like what Jesus did.  We need to know the truth so well that not even an amazing miraculous demonstration of power could pull us away from it.  I don’t just mean a set of propositions, but that we know the One who is The Way, and The Truth, and The Life!  This is a time to press into the Word, and into prayer, so that we can know the authentic Christ6 and his ways.  Then we will not only avoid deception, but we will be able to rescue others from deception as well.

Friend, don’t go another day without making your peace with God the Father.  Embrace the answer that He has sent to earth for your sins, Jesus.  Put your faith in him today so that you will not be caught up in the deception that is even now knocking on the door.