Be Ready Part 2
Mark 13:14-37
Message #51
We are back in our verse-by-verse study of Mark, and we are basically a day and a night away from the Cross. In our last message, Jesus was leaving the Temple for the last time, and one of the Disciples commented about the magnificence of the Temple buildings. To which Jesus responded back (in verse 2), these great buildings will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
It was a shocking prophecy, meant to shock the Disciples into paying attention so that Jesus could help them – and us – be ready for the end times. That’s what we want. We want to be ready. We want to always be ready.
Mark Chapter 13 is called “The Olivet Discourse” and again what is critical to understand as we return to this text for Part 2 is this. Although the subject here is prophecy, it’s clear that the primary purpose of Jesus is not to give us “prophecy details.” Jesus is not trying to give us all the facts and figures and details of the end-times here.
Instead, Jesus is encouraging both his Disciples – and us. Look at these statements, all of which come from our text today.
Be on guard!
Stay alert!
Watch for his return.
Keep watch!
Don’t let him find you sleeping.
Watch for him!
Jesus is encouraging his Disciples – and us – to be steadfast and faithful until he returns. Jesus wants us to be ready to stay alert and to watch for his return at any time – whenever that comes.
Believers throughout the ages have always wanted to see signs (and even supposed proof) of when and how the end-times prophecies of the Bible will come to pass. Many millions of dollars have been made by people claiming to have “figured out” the signs and claiming to have some “proof” of the end-times details.
And many believers are drawn to this subject because we want to know the when and how of the end-times details.
But as the commentator James Edwards says,
The salvation brought by Jesus is NOT a salvation of KNOWLEDGE. The salvation of Jesus is rather A WAY - of following, of faithfulness, of standing guard at our posts . . . It is NOT a way of dispensing with mystery BUT of living in mystery.
That is an awesome statement! And that is how we need to approach this text.
So, Jesus began his “end-times encouragement” last week and he finishes it today with a long stretch of verses. But remember, the purpose is to prepare us to be ready for the end-times – whenever they come.
Jesus starts today with a famous subject from the Book of Daniel – “The Abomination of Desolation.”
Mark 13:14 (NLT)
14 “The day is coming when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration (the Abomination of Desolation) standing where he (or it) should not be.” (Reader, pay attention!) “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills.
As with all end-times prophecies, there are a number of views and a number of theories on what this is referring to and when this will occur. And although there have been “types” and “kind of's” that have already occurred in history, we see this as ultimately being the moment that splits the seven-year Tribulation period in half, marking the beginning of what is called “The Great Tribulation.”
From the Book of Daniel, we learn that mid-way through the Tribulation period the antichrist will desecrate the new Jewish Temple and set himself up as God to be worshipped there beginning the second half of the seven-year Tribulation known as the Great Tribulation period.
And then we get a general description of how great this Tribulation period will be.
Mark 13:15–20 (NLT)
15 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack.
16 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat.
17 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days.
18 And pray that your flight will not be in winter.
19 For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again.
20 In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.
That is why this period is called “The Great Tribulation.”
And the question most often asked right here in these verses is, “Will we be here?” And the answer (from us) is – No. We believe the Church will be raptured three and a half years prior to the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy. You can search the word “Rapture” on the phone app or either website (wordbymail.com or calvarynuevo.org) and hear all about it.
And the only way to be ready – or get ready to miss this Great Tribulation is by having a saving relationship with Jesus Christ before then.
Then Jesus reiterates a warning here gave us last week.
Mark 13:21–23 (NLT)
21 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.
22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.
23 Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!
False messiahs and false prophets have been around since forever. But they will greatly increase as the end draws near.
But listen to me please – please hear this. The Bible is the most supernatural, miraculous, divinely proven document in all of human history, written by forty authors, on three continents, over 1,500 years with one single concise storyline. Repeatedly proven by every area of science and history and withstanding thousands of attacks from its enemies.
It’s proven in every area of science and history, including the Resurrection. There are over 25,000 archeological finds that substantiate what the Bible says and not one that contradicts what the Bible says.
It’s a 2,500-year-old document that is in perfect condition, proven by the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, that were hidden in the caves of Qumran before 70 A.D. And you take the great Isiah scroll, that came out of that cave, and you compare it to your Isaiah today, in Hebrew, and it’s the same. The only changes are minor punctuation and spelling changes to your Isaiah today. Couple thousand fragments, every book of the Bible except the Book of Esther, in the Dead Sea Scrolls (portions of them), not one contradicts your Bible today. Those are two-thousand-year-old fragments. There’s no document in history like that. No religion compares to the Word of God.
Why would anyone believe a person who comes up with their own wackiness and starts a religion with it?
The bottom line is, Jesus says, don’t be fooled. You have a document in your hand that is direct from God. Why ask what someone else says? When Christians get duped by false religions and false messiahs, it’s because they don’t know the Bible. They’ve never studied it, they’ve never looked into the supernatural, miraculous, proof of the Bible. And so, they compare religions. Give me another religious document that matches the Bible and we’ll compare it – oh, there aren’t any.
And then Jesus gets really clear about the end of the end-times.
Mark 13:24–25 (NLT)
24 “At that time (referring to the Great Tribulation), after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light,
25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
These exact events are described in Revelation Chapter 6 and elsewhere in Revelation. This is the lead-up to the physical return of Jesus Christ to this earth. Notice, the sun is darkened, the moon gives no light and the stars fall from the sky.
This makes me think of the biggest moment that we could try to create before some huge superstar comes out onto some huge stage. All the lights are shut down and the entire place begins shaking.
And then we read in Mark 13:26,
Mark 13:26 (NLT)
26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory.
We can’t even imagine this re-entrance of Jesus Christ to this earth. God is going to take down all the lights and then he’s going to shake heaven and earth and then all eyes will see Jesus coming on the clouds with great power and heavenly glory.
And this is the event that begins the 1,000-year reign of Jesus on earth call The Millennium.
And the beginning of the Millennium is what is described in the next verse.
Mark 13:27 (NLT)
27 And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
Everyone on earth will see the return of Jesus Christ in Glory, but only those who have received him as Lord and Savior will be gathered to him from all over the world to begin the thousand-year Millennium on earth.
Again, there are different views on the details and timing of this event. But, as I said, Jesus is not giving us all the details we want. Jesus is exhorting us to be ready.
Then, in the next paragraph, Jesus again uses the fig tree to teach a lesson (as he did in Chapter 11).
Mark 13:28–29 (NLT)
28 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.
29 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door.
Jesus is not setting an exact time here – or even setting a broad time. Jesus is saying be alert – be watchful – watch for signs – and be ready.
Now, because the fig tree is a symbol of the Nation of Israel and because Jesus connected the fig tree to Israel in Chapter 11, and because Israel just became a nation in 1948, in 1979 when Pam and I got saved, these verses were routinely used to say that Jesus was coming back IN the generation that saw Israel become a nation.
Jesus says in Mark 13:30,
Mark 13:30 (NLT)
30 I tell you the truth, THIS GENERATION will not pass from the scene before all these things take place.
Israel just celebrated its seventy-third birthday. So, IF this means the generation that SAW the birth of Israel will not pass before all these things take place, then the return of Jesus must be very, very close (and it may be).
However, Jesus may have been referring to the generation that sees the things he’s talking about here, take place. Meaning once these things start to happen, they will all happen very quickly.
And there are other theories on this. But again, the real context here is not Jesus giving us all the details that we want. The real context here is Jesus convincing us that we need to be ready because all these things are absolutely, positively, without a doubt, going to happen.
And that is exactly what Jesus is driving home in the next verse.
Mark 13:31 (NLT)
31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
Revelation 21:1 says THIS heaven and earth that we know, that we live in now, they are going to ultimately disappear. 2 Peter Chapter 3 says they will ultimately be destroyed by fire. But, although the heavens and earth that we know now will someday disappear, the words of Jesus Christ will never disappear.
The point is this, the words of the Lord are more sure and will endure longer than the earth you are standing on, and the stars you see at night, that’s some serious encouragement.
And then, Jesus makes it clear why we need to be on guard and stay alert and be ready in Mark 13:32-33.
Mark 13:32–33 (NLT)
32 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!
Jesus says you don’t know when these things will happen and you can’t know when these things will happen and since you don’t know, and can’t know. Instead of trying to know – be on guard! Stay alert!
Honestly and as gently as I can say it, what I see in the Church at large is much more interest in when these things might happen than in being on guard and staying alert! But Jesus says you don’t know and you can’t know. So, instead, always be ready!
Which is how Jesus closes his discourse on the end-times.
Mark 13:34–37 (NLT)
34 “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return.
35 You, too, must KEEP WATCH! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak.
36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.
37 I say to you what I say to everyone: WATCH FOR HIM!”
Jesus wants us to always be ready for his return. Let me add just two verses from the Apostle Paul.
1 Thessalonians 5:1–2 (NLT)
1 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you.
2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.
SO - be on guard!
Stay alert!
Don’t be LULLED to sleep.
Watch for his return.
AND – ALWAYS BE READY
It was a shocking prophecy, meant to shock the Disciples into paying attention so that Jesus could help them – and us – be ready for the end times. That’s what we want. We want to be ready. We want to always be ready.
Mark Chapter 13 is called “The Olivet Discourse” and again what is critical to understand as we return to this text for Part 2 is this. Although the subject here is prophecy, it’s clear that the primary purpose of Jesus is not to give us “prophecy details.” Jesus is not trying to give us all the facts and figures and details of the end-times here.
Instead, Jesus is encouraging both his Disciples – and us. Look at these statements, all of which come from our text today.
Be on guard!
Stay alert!
Watch for his return.
Keep watch!
Don’t let him find you sleeping.
Watch for him!
Jesus is encouraging his Disciples – and us – to be steadfast and faithful until he returns. Jesus wants us to be ready to stay alert and to watch for his return at any time – whenever that comes.
Believers throughout the ages have always wanted to see signs (and even supposed proof) of when and how the end-times prophecies of the Bible will come to pass. Many millions of dollars have been made by people claiming to have “figured out” the signs and claiming to have some “proof” of the end-times details.
And many believers are drawn to this subject because we want to know the when and how of the end-times details.
But as the commentator James Edwards says,
The salvation brought by Jesus is NOT a salvation of KNOWLEDGE. The salvation of Jesus is rather A WAY - of following, of faithfulness, of standing guard at our posts . . . It is NOT a way of dispensing with mystery BUT of living in mystery.
That is an awesome statement! And that is how we need to approach this text.
So, Jesus began his “end-times encouragement” last week and he finishes it today with a long stretch of verses. But remember, the purpose is to prepare us to be ready for the end-times – whenever they come.
Jesus starts today with a famous subject from the Book of Daniel – “The Abomination of Desolation.”
Mark 13:14 (NLT)
14 “The day is coming when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration (the Abomination of Desolation) standing where he (or it) should not be.” (Reader, pay attention!) “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills.
As with all end-times prophecies, there are a number of views and a number of theories on what this is referring to and when this will occur. And although there have been “types” and “kind of's” that have already occurred in history, we see this as ultimately being the moment that splits the seven-year Tribulation period in half, marking the beginning of what is called “The Great Tribulation.”
From the Book of Daniel, we learn that mid-way through the Tribulation period the antichrist will desecrate the new Jewish Temple and set himself up as God to be worshipped there beginning the second half of the seven-year Tribulation known as the Great Tribulation period.
And then we get a general description of how great this Tribulation period will be.
Mark 13:15–20 (NLT)
15 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack.
16 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat.
17 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days.
18 And pray that your flight will not be in winter.
19 For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again.
20 In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.
That is why this period is called “The Great Tribulation.”
And the question most often asked right here in these verses is, “Will we be here?” And the answer (from us) is – No. We believe the Church will be raptured three and a half years prior to the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy. You can search the word “Rapture” on the phone app or either website (wordbymail.com or calvarynuevo.org) and hear all about it.
And the only way to be ready – or get ready to miss this Great Tribulation is by having a saving relationship with Jesus Christ before then.
Then Jesus reiterates a warning here gave us last week.
Mark 13:21–23 (NLT)
21 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.
22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.
23 Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!
False messiahs and false prophets have been around since forever. But they will greatly increase as the end draws near.
But listen to me please – please hear this. The Bible is the most supernatural, miraculous, divinely proven document in all of human history, written by forty authors, on three continents, over 1,500 years with one single concise storyline. Repeatedly proven by every area of science and history and withstanding thousands of attacks from its enemies.
It’s proven in every area of science and history, including the Resurrection. There are over 25,000 archeological finds that substantiate what the Bible says and not one that contradicts what the Bible says.
It’s a 2,500-year-old document that is in perfect condition, proven by the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, that were hidden in the caves of Qumran before 70 A.D. And you take the great Isiah scroll, that came out of that cave, and you compare it to your Isaiah today, in Hebrew, and it’s the same. The only changes are minor punctuation and spelling changes to your Isaiah today. Couple thousand fragments, every book of the Bible except the Book of Esther, in the Dead Sea Scrolls (portions of them), not one contradicts your Bible today. Those are two-thousand-year-old fragments. There’s no document in history like that. No religion compares to the Word of God.
Why would anyone believe a person who comes up with their own wackiness and starts a religion with it?
The bottom line is, Jesus says, don’t be fooled. You have a document in your hand that is direct from God. Why ask what someone else says? When Christians get duped by false religions and false messiahs, it’s because they don’t know the Bible. They’ve never studied it, they’ve never looked into the supernatural, miraculous, proof of the Bible. And so, they compare religions. Give me another religious document that matches the Bible and we’ll compare it – oh, there aren’t any.
And then Jesus gets really clear about the end of the end-times.
Mark 13:24–25 (NLT)
24 “At that time (referring to the Great Tribulation), after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light,
25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
These exact events are described in Revelation Chapter 6 and elsewhere in Revelation. This is the lead-up to the physical return of Jesus Christ to this earth. Notice, the sun is darkened, the moon gives no light and the stars fall from the sky.
This makes me think of the biggest moment that we could try to create before some huge superstar comes out onto some huge stage. All the lights are shut down and the entire place begins shaking.
And then we read in Mark 13:26,
Mark 13:26 (NLT)
26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory.
We can’t even imagine this re-entrance of Jesus Christ to this earth. God is going to take down all the lights and then he’s going to shake heaven and earth and then all eyes will see Jesus coming on the clouds with great power and heavenly glory.
And this is the event that begins the 1,000-year reign of Jesus on earth call The Millennium.
And the beginning of the Millennium is what is described in the next verse.
Mark 13:27 (NLT)
27 And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
Everyone on earth will see the return of Jesus Christ in Glory, but only those who have received him as Lord and Savior will be gathered to him from all over the world to begin the thousand-year Millennium on earth.
Again, there are different views on the details and timing of this event. But, as I said, Jesus is not giving us all the details we want. Jesus is exhorting us to be ready.
Then, in the next paragraph, Jesus again uses the fig tree to teach a lesson (as he did in Chapter 11).
Mark 13:28–29 (NLT)
28 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.
29 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door.
Jesus is not setting an exact time here – or even setting a broad time. Jesus is saying be alert – be watchful – watch for signs – and be ready.
Now, because the fig tree is a symbol of the Nation of Israel and because Jesus connected the fig tree to Israel in Chapter 11, and because Israel just became a nation in 1948, in 1979 when Pam and I got saved, these verses were routinely used to say that Jesus was coming back IN the generation that saw Israel become a nation.
Jesus says in Mark 13:30,
Mark 13:30 (NLT)
30 I tell you the truth, THIS GENERATION will not pass from the scene before all these things take place.
Israel just celebrated its seventy-third birthday. So, IF this means the generation that SAW the birth of Israel will not pass before all these things take place, then the return of Jesus must be very, very close (and it may be).
However, Jesus may have been referring to the generation that sees the things he’s talking about here, take place. Meaning once these things start to happen, they will all happen very quickly.
And there are other theories on this. But again, the real context here is not Jesus giving us all the details that we want. The real context here is Jesus convincing us that we need to be ready because all these things are absolutely, positively, without a doubt, going to happen.
And that is exactly what Jesus is driving home in the next verse.
Mark 13:31 (NLT)
31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
Revelation 21:1 says THIS heaven and earth that we know, that we live in now, they are going to ultimately disappear. 2 Peter Chapter 3 says they will ultimately be destroyed by fire. But, although the heavens and earth that we know now will someday disappear, the words of Jesus Christ will never disappear.
The point is this, the words of the Lord are more sure and will endure longer than the earth you are standing on, and the stars you see at night, that’s some serious encouragement.
And then, Jesus makes it clear why we need to be on guard and stay alert and be ready in Mark 13:32-33.
Mark 13:32–33 (NLT)
32 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!
Jesus says you don’t know when these things will happen and you can’t know when these things will happen and since you don’t know, and can’t know. Instead of trying to know – be on guard! Stay alert!
Honestly and as gently as I can say it, what I see in the Church at large is much more interest in when these things might happen than in being on guard and staying alert! But Jesus says you don’t know and you can’t know. So, instead, always be ready!
Which is how Jesus closes his discourse on the end-times.
Mark 13:34–37 (NLT)
34 “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return.
35 You, too, must KEEP WATCH! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak.
36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.
37 I say to you what I say to everyone: WATCH FOR HIM!”
Jesus wants us to always be ready for his return. Let me add just two verses from the Apostle Paul.
1 Thessalonians 5:1–2 (NLT)
1 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you.
2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.
SO - be on guard!
Stay alert!
Don’t be LULLED to sleep.
Watch for his return.
AND – ALWAYS BE READY