Behold! The Master Cometh! Mark 13:31-37

Text: “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping.  And what I say unto you I say unto all, WATCH.”

Mark 13:35-37.

Good morning, Christian watchman!  You have studied God’s Word in the quietness of your closet; pondered deeply both the lessons your KJV Bible is teaching you, and how you should apply that vital and Spiritual teaching to your own personal life and practice.  Praise God!  You do well, Christian watchman, you are being faithful to the One Who suffered on Calvary’s Cross, bore all your sins and mine away; and washed us in His own sinless and Holy Blood.  You do well to stay more fully alert, seeking to serve your Lord; watching the signs of the times; waiting patiently for the appearing of your long-gone Master, the risen Christ Jesus.  Glory to His Name!  He comes soon.  We have His own Word on the matter.

“Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.”  (Mark 13:30)

Many, otherwise sincere, Christians have in the past sought to put definite time frames upon the Appearing of Christ Jesus, yet they have done so, in my opinion, without reading the inspired Word of Mark 13:32 – which clearly teaches us: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in Heaven, neither the Son (Christ Jesus), but the Father.” (V.32) 

God the Father has kept the specific day and hour of the return of His Son Jesus Christ to Himself, and ordained that we, ‘His people’, continue to watch diligently for the signs of the times of Christ’s coming, and to stand fast in the faith which He Himself has gifted to us who believe.  God’s will, and perfect timing for Christ’s Appearing and Return shall be in God the Father’s Sovereign and perfect timing.  Praise His Name.

However, we believers are positively encouraged to be alert watch-keepers of the signs of the end times events, so as we might shout the watchman’s warning to all souls – to the Salvation of God’s elect, and to the damnation of God’s reprobate souls. 

Of course, only the elect of the Father will hear, receive His gift of faith to believe and trust in Christ, and be Eternally redeemed by His Blood and saved.  To all others, the Gospel message will be utter foolishness and unprofitable to their never-dying souls.  Sad, but God’s truth.  (1 Corinthians 2:14)

“What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for (Salvation); but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.” (Romans 11:7-8)

Many have also believed and taught that the true elect church of the Lord shall have to go through the Great Tribulation period which is to come.  But what Divine Bridegroom would pour out Divine wrath upon His own Blood-washed Bride, the Church?  True Christian watchmen/watchwomen KNOW we are safe in the arms of our Saviour and exempt from all such ‘end times’ suffering of Divine wrath and condemnation.    (Romans 8:1)

 J.C. Ryle Comments:

“Let us observe, in the next place, that the first event after the Lord’s second coming, shall be the gathering of His elect. “He shall send His angels and gather together His elect from the four winds.”

“The safety of the Lord’s people shall be provided for, when judgment falls upon the earth. He will do nothing till He has placed them beyond the reach of harm. The flood did not begin till Noah was safe in the ark. The fire did not fall on Sodom till Lot was safe within the walls of Zoar. The wrath of God on unbelievers shall not be let loose till believers are hidden and secure.

“The true Christian may look forward to the advent of Christ without fear. However terrible the things that shall come upon the earth, his Master will take care that no harm comes to him. He may well bear patiently the partings and separations of this present time. He shall have a joyful meeting, by and bye, with all his brethren in the faith, of every age, and country, and people, and tongue. Those who meet in that day, shall meet to part no more. The great gathering is yet to come. (2 Thessalonians 2:1)” (J.C. Ryle’s Exposition of Mark’s Gospel)

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.  Remember ye not, that, when I was with yet with you, I told you these things?”              (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5)

Over a decade ago, I wrote and preached a sermon entitled “The Falling Away”, which pointed to the ‘love of many waxing cold’ throughout Christian nations, and the love of the professing Christian church becoming less and less ‘Christian’ every day.  Watchmen’s sermons are not popular and only the genuine Christian believer appreciates what Christian watchmen preach/teach.  But this does not detract from the Bible truth of his/her message.

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“Let us observe, in the next place, how important it is to note the signs of our own times. Our Lord bids His disciples “learn a parable of the fig-tree.” Just as its budding leaves tell men that summer is near, so the fulfil­ment of events in the world around us, should teach us that the Lord’s coming “is nigh, even at the doors.” (J.C. Ryle’s Exposition of Mark’s Gospel)

Thought: When the Master appears – will we be watching for Him, or asleep in sin?

The Parable of the Fig Tree? Mark 13:28-30

Text: “NOW learn a parable of the fig tree; when her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that the summer is near.  So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.  Verily (truly) I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.”

Mark 13:29-30. 

Good morning, expectant Christian!  Having been filled by God with faith and the Holy Ghost, you and I are seeking to be obedient to our Lord and Saviour, King Jesus Christ, and to take diligent heed of what He is teaching us in His inspired (God-breathed) Word.  You do well, beloved brother!  You do well, beloved sister!  Obedience is better than sacrifice!

“And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold (look, and fully understand) to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken that the fat of rams.”  (1 Samuel 15:22)

In our Bible selection for today, we find the Lord Jesus teaching His disciples – and through His teaching, instructing you and I also – the signs of the times.  There was trouble, big trouble, ahead for Christ’s disciples in the aftermath of Christ’s Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension into Heaven.  If one searches historical facts, one finds the startling truths of how each of Christ’s disciples died martyrs, but for John the Revelator, who in his lifetime, was boiled in oil, and exiled to the island of Patmos, where he received the Revelation visions.  Big trouble for Christ’s immediate disciples – big trouble ahead for you and for me. That is why we Bible-believing Christians must be ready at all times for what must surely come upon us, and upon this world of increasing apostasy, anti-Christianity, and vile sin.

Bible Logic:  The Lord Jesus, knowing how dull mankind’s mind can be at times, made His messages very clear by using simple logic, easy-to-understand lessons from life all around us, incorporating natural biology as examples of what He was seeking to portray.

A fig tree does not seem to be much of a teaching tool, but the Lord Jesus in this section of Mark’s God-inspired Scriptures, uses the knowledge His disciples had of the natural growth pattern of fig trees to make His vital point.  “When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye KNOW that summer is near.” (V.28) I can almost see the disciples gathered around, and nodding their heads at this common logical fact.

The Lord Jesus then continues to make the important analogy: “So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things (the events just mentioned prior to this Bible selection in verses 5-27) come to pass, KNOW that it is nigh, even at the doors (it is about to happen).” (V.29)

“Verily (truly) I say unto you, that this generation (after the events described are in evidence) shall not pass, till all these things be done.” (V.30) Christ was sounding the warning in clear and obvious terms so that there would be no mistake at all when the events He prophesied occurred. This was a Messianic prophecy which had a dual significance – it was for the times of the disciples, and for you and I in these ‘end days’ times; and therefore, we must be ready and prepared at all times for such happenings.  Christians today must awaken from our Spiritual sleep, and win elect souls while it is still the day of God’s Sovereign grace.

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“This part of our Lord’s prophecy on the Mount of Olives is entirely unfulfilled. The events described in it are all yet to take place. They may possibly take place in our own day. The passage therefore is one which we ought always to read with peculiar interest.

“Let us observe, in the first place, what solemn majesty will attend our Lord Jesus Christ’s second coming to this world. The language that is used about the sun, moon, and stars, conveys the idea of some universal convulsion of the universe at the close of the present dispensation. It reminds us of the apostle Peter’s words, “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.” (2 Peter 3:10) At such a time as this, amidst terror and confusion, exceeding all that even earthquakes or hurricanes are known to pro­duce, men “shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”

“The second coming of Christ shall be utterly unlike the first. He came the first time in weakness, a tender infant, born of a poor woman in the manger at Bethle­hem, unnoticed, little-honoured, and scarcely known. He shall come the second time in royal dignity, with the armies of heaven around Him, to be known, recognized, and feared, by all the tribes of the earth. He came the first time to suffer, to bear our sins, to be reckoned a curse, to be despised, rejected, unjustly condemned, and slain. He shall come the second time to reign, to put down every enemy beneath his feet, to take the kingdoms of this world for His inheritance, to rule them with righteousness, to judge all men, and to live for evermore.

“How vast the difference! How mighty the contrast! How startling the comparison between the second advent and the first! How solemn the thoughts that the sub­ject ought to stir up in our minds! Here are comfortable thoughts for Christ’s friends. Their own King will soon be here. They shall reap according as they have sown. They shall receive a rich reward for all that they have endured for Christ’s sake. They shall exchange their cross for a crown. Here are confounding thoughts for Christ’s foes. That same Jesus of Nazareth, whom they have so long despised and rejected, shall at length have the pre-eminence. That very Christ, whose Gospel they have refused to believe, shall appear as their Judge, and helpless, hopeless, and speechless, they will have to stand before His bar. May we all lay these things to heart, and learn wisdom!” (J.C. Ryle’s Exposition of Mark’s Gospel)

Thought: Christianity in this 21^st Century is steeped in apostasy, self-importance, and Biblical unbelief.  Banal RELIGION has overcome true Bible belief. Christ comes soon to put all this apostasy under His Holy foot.  Get ready, be expectant, true Christian!

The Abomination of Desolation? Mark 13:14-27

Text: “But when ye shall see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains.”

Mark 13:14.

Good morning, knowledge-hungry Christian!  It is wonderful to meet fellow Christians that are blessed with a deep hunger to search and to find knowledge of the more profound meanings in the Word of God.  This weekly Bible Lesson might whet your appetite.

What is the Abomination of Desolation? By Hope Bollinger (2019)

“Past the Babylonian stories from Daniel 1-6, readers run into an interesting six chapters at the tail end of Daniel. These prophecies appear to affect Israel in the near future, but also, they seem to hint at the end times and connections with the book of Revelation.

“One such prophecy, the Abomination of Desolation (mentioned in Daniel 9:27,11:31,12:11) appears throughout history and in the age to come. The antichrist figure who sets up an abomination in the place of worship has had a role throughout history. This article will dive into what the abomination of desolation is, the typology of the figure behind the abomination, and what this means for Christians today.

“What is the abomination of desolation?

“His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation” (Daniel 11:31).

“Mentioned also in Matthew 24:15, this is one of the signs of the end times, when the antichrist sets up an abomination in the holy place and will command the people to worship it. This object of disgust, an idol, will cause desolation, causing those in Judea to flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:16).

“In history, this abomination was an idol. But in the case of the end of days, the antichrist will set himself up as the idol for the people to worship (Revelation 13:14).

“The abomination in history

Undoubtedly, theologians have surmised the greatest contender in history for this abomination, referred in Daniel, to be Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

In fact, some theologians have gone as far to say Daniel chapters 7-12 were written separately from the first six chapters, saying a different author wrote the latter half to comfort the Jewish people during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes IV. The author of this article strongly believes Daniel 1-12 were written during the lifetime of Daniel, foreshadowing the events to come in four hundred years, and in the end times.

“Known by his nickname Epimanes (madman), Antiochus would attempt to oppress Israel unlike any other empire before, writes Jason Jackson. Reigning between 175 BC to 164 BC, this Seleucid King was known for trying to spread Hellenistic influence throughout Israel.

“So much so that he oppressed the Jewish people in a number of ways:

• He erected an altar to the Greek god Zeus in the middle of the Israelite temple and sacrificed a pig, both items strictly forbidden in Jewish law, according to this article from Encyclopaedia Britannica.
• He regarded himself as Zeus, a manifestation of a god, and thus wanted Israel to worship him (foreshadowing what the antichrist would do, force everyone to worship a false god).
• He outlawed circumcision under penalty of death and forced the Jews to sacrifice to the Greek gods.
• He killed a great many of the Jews and sold many into slavery when they protested his abomination of desolation.  Not only did he suppress Jewish culture, but he attempted to stamp it out. The Maccabean revolt arose from this, and the Israelites overcome his oppression (these events led to the eventual celebration of Hanukkah) …

“The Antichrist and the Abomination

Prophecy in Scripture can often have multiple fulfilments, and in the case of the latter passages of Daniel, the Abomination of Desolation is without exception.

Not only will we see the antichrist forcing everyone to worship an abomination (himself, Matthew 24:15), but many of Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ characteristics will appear in him as well.”  (What is the Abomination of Desolation? By Hope Bollinger (2019)

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“The meaning of the “abomination of desolation,” in this passage, has always perplexed the commentators. The most com­mon view undoubtedly is, that it signifies the Roman armies, who executed God’s judgment on the Jewish nation.

“It may be questioned whether this interpretation completely fulfils the prophecy. I venture, though with much diffidence, to suggest that a more complete and literal accomplishment yet remains to come.

“The remarkable words of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, appear to me scarcely to have received yet a com­plete fulfilment: “He, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, show­ing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4) I own that it seems to me by no means improbable that a personal antichrist, yet to be revealed at Jerusalem, may prove the final accomplishment of these words. I desire to avoid dogmatism on the subject. I only suggest it as a possible and probable thing.” (Footnote to Chapter 13, verse 14-23, J.C. Ryle’s Exposition of Mark’s Gospel)

Thought: Such a Bible Lesson should whet the appetite of serious Bible Students to continue on, searching in the Scriptures by prayer, to gain knowledge of   this event.