WWUTT 2223 No One Knows the Hour or the Day (Mark 13:17-37)

The Olivet Discourse, where Jesus tells his disciples what to expect concerning the destruction of the temple and the day of his return.

These things can be confusing to us, but they should stir in us hope, when we understand the text.

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Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. In our study of the Gospel of Mark, we've been in Chapter 13, with Mark's account of the

Olivet Discourse, Jesus talking with his disciples on the Mount of Olives about what to expect regarding the destruction of the temple and the coming of the

Son of Man. I'm going to pick up where we left off yesterday, so let me start reading in verse 17 and go through verse 37 out of the

Legacy Standard Bible. Hear the word of the Lord. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days.

But pray that it may not happen in the winter. For those days will be a time of tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of creation, which

God created until now, and never will. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved.

But for the sake of the elect whom he chose, he shortened the days. And then, if anyone says to you,

Behold, here is the Christ, or Behold, he is there, do not believe him. For false

Christs and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

But as for you, see, I have told you everything in advance.

But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken, and then they will see the

Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send forth the angels and will gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and put forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.

Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that he is near, right at the door.

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

But of that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven nor the sun, but the

Father alone. See to it, keep on the alert, for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

It is like a man away on a journey, who leaving his house and giving authority to his slaves, each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay awake.

Therefore stay awake, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening at midnight or when the rooster crows are in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping.

And what I say to you, I say to all, stay awake. Now the most confusing part of this passage and really what divides most people,

I think, when it comes to differing opinions about the end, eschatology, so on and so forth, is really where Jesus says that, truly,

I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

That's probably the most confusing part, because that leads people into camps of, well, Jesus was talking about things that are going to happen at the destruction of the temple in the lifetime of the disciples.

No, he's talking about an age that'll come later. This generation is not talking about a 40 -year span of time that we usually define a generation, but it's the age that will be after the destruction of the temple, on and on it goes.

So that's really the most confusing phrase out of everything here that causes the most arguments.

Even if people won't say that's the reason why they're arguing, that's really the portion of the passage.

It divides up a little bit neater in Matthew, as I had said when we were teaching from the

Olivet Discourse there in Matthew 24. But Mark still contains the same ingredients here, and I think that we can still come to an understandable conclusion about what

Jesus is referring to. This is in response to the question that the disciples asked him, tell us, when will these things be and what will be the sign when all of these things are going to be fulfilled?

Slightly different question than the way that Matthew worded it, but nonetheless, this is the question that Jesus is responding to.

This is what Mark recalls, which is really what Peter recalled. And remember, Peter is one of those four disciples who have asked

Jesus this question. It was Peter, James, and John and Andrew. So yesterday where we left off, we were in verse 14, where it says, when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be, let the reader understand.

That's a reference back to Daniel talking about the abomination that causes desolation. And most people, including the disciples, thought that prophecy had already been fulfilled with the appearance of Antiochus Epiphanes the fourth.

The Greek ruler who went into the temple demanded that he be worshipped, which is why his name was

Epiphanes. He considered himself a god, and he slaughtered a pig on the altar in the temple, which was an abominable act.

So therefore, the Jews, for the most part, thought that prophecy had been fulfilled with that guy.

But here is Jesus referring to the abomination that causes desolation again.

So this is a hint to us that there's an already and a not yet about some of the things that Jesus is talking about here.

Yes, we are reading about the destruction of the temple, which would occur in A .D. 70. But this is also a kind of a microcosm of something that will happen on a much greater scale later in the future.

There are things that Jesus is talking about here that directly refer to the destruction of the temple.

But we still have things that Jesus is talking about here that have yet to be fulfilled, including the coming of the

Son of Man. So in verse 15, he says, and the one who is on the housetop must not go down to get anything out of his house, and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his garment.

Now, this is about the destruction that will come upon Jerusalem, and it will happen suddenly.

This is not about the second coming, because with the second coming, with Christ's return, no one's going to have any time to go back and get anything out of their house or run out to the field or anything.

Nobody's going to be able to do anything like that, because his coming is going to be suddenly and without warning.

And those who are in Christ will be caught up with him in the air. And then he brings judgment upon those that were not in Christ, that did not obey the gospel, as said in 2

Thessalonians 1. So picking up here in verse 17, but woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days, but pray that it may not happen in the winter.

Really hard to travel in the winter, especially when you don't have food and shelter. Verse 19, for those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of creation, which

God created until now and never will. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved.

But for the sake of the elect whom he chose, he shortened the days. Now, I mentioned something when we did this in Matthew 24, and it relates here as well.

This could be in reference to just the destruction of the temple, and it could also be in reference to the persecution of Christians that was going to happen in the

Roman Empire. That would that would go on for more than a century. It would be a couple of hundred years.

And unless those days had been cut short, no one would have survived. So, yes, there is the destruction of the temple.

There is the persecution that would occur in Judea. But we know that many Christians were persecuted in those days,

AD 70, all throughout the Roman Empire, not just the destruction of the temple. And then that persecution would continue for a couple of hundred years.

And it wasn't until Constantine that he put that persecution to an end and even released the

Christians that had been imprisoned during that period of time, those who were still alive. So the

Lord cut short the days or else no one would have survived. Christianity would not have continued.

It would have been snuffed out, but that was not the Lord's will for that to happen. So the persecution of Christianity does conclude.

And that may be what Jesus is referring to here, talking about those early couple of hundred years of Christianity up until the very start of the fourth century.

So and then verse 21, if and then if anyone says to you, behold, here is the

Christ or behold, he is there. Do not believe him for false Christ and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

But as for you, see, I have told you everything in advance. So here's the second time that Jesus has said something for the sake of the elect.

There's going to be false Christ that will lead many astray. The elect will not be led astray.

They will endure, as Jesus also says in this passage that was back in verse 13. The one who endures to the end will be saved.

The elect will not be led astray by the abomination that causes desolation. By the way, that's also in Revelation 13, eight, that those who had been chosen from the foundation of the world will not worship the beast or take his mark.

And the and though there's going to be false Christ, there's going to be those who will do false signs and wonders.

The elect will not be fooled. But there are many others that will believe that this is truly the

Messiah or a Messiah of some kind or a God or, you know, false Christ, which, by the way, the pope in Rome is a false

Christ, since his title as the pope is the vicar of Christ. He is supposed to be a representative of Christ on Earth.

He is an antichrist rightly written about in the London Baptist confession of faith.

Exactly that way. He is an antichrist. He exalts himself in the place of Christ as the head of the church.

Yes, the Roman Catholics will say that Jesus Christ is the head of the church, but the pope is the head on Earth.

And so putting himself in the place of Christ, he's a false Christ. Very likely Jesus had exactly something like that in mind when he gave this particular warning.

Now, during a time of all this chaos, if you're talking about it in the context of the destruction of the temple and the persecution of Christians that would be going on throughout

Rome, well, there would likely be many who would rise up and try to take advantage of a chaotic situation and say that they're the emancipator.

I am the Messiah who is promised. Follow me and I'll set you free. Let's come against these soldiers of Rome, the power of the

Caesar, and we will revolt against them. We'll amass an army.

We'll fight back and we will win. So somebody may rise up and claim to be the Christ. I am the one that was promised who would come and deliver

God's people. And so people may be fooled into following him. And, you know, again, there could even be some miraculousness to that, some some false signs that he would perform or false prophecies that he would make something to that effect.

But Jesus says, as for you, I've told you everything in advance. And so then what we have next in verses 24 to 27 is

Jesus saying that the return of the Christ is not going to be like that. It's not going to be these guys who are going to pop up and say, hey,

I'm him. So follow me. He's going to be seen by the whole world. So this is the contrast that Jesus sets here in verses 24 to 27.

But in those days after that tribulation, in those days after that tribulation now in the legacy standard

Bible, there's a comma there in those days, comma, after that tribulation, comma, there would not have been a comma in the original

Greek. I have a theory as to why there's a comma there. And it's not just for grammatical purposes, but there would not have been a comma in that in that passage.

But in those days after that tribulation is all one thought. It's not two in those days, comma, after that tribulation, comma.

No, it's in those days after that tribulation. That's the statement. The sun will be darkened.

The moon will not give its light and the stars will be falling from heaven. This is Jesus talking about that which had even been prophesied in the

Old Testament coming true and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken and they will see the son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

And then he will send forth the angels and will gather together his elect from the four winds from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

Now, this is really a parenthetical reference here. What we're reading in verses 24 to 27 is not like anything else that Jesus is talking about in chapter 13.

So this is parenthetical. This is the contrast that Jesus is putting against those false

Christ and false prophets that will arise. So Jesus is saying that when he comes, this is what it's going to look like.

It's not going to look like these other guys who are saying, look, there is the Christ. No, don't go out. Don't follow them.

They're false Christ. This is not the way the return of the son of man is going to be. It will be after the tribulation, not in the tribulation, not in that time of chaos and tumult that will be going on surrounding the

Jewish -Roman war and then the destruction of the temple. The return of the son of man won't be then.

And I really think that just demolishes the preterist position of claiming that Christ did return during those days.

Those preterists who say that Christ did return at the destruction of the temple. Jesus clearly says here it won't be then.

It's not going to be then. It'll be in the days after that tribulation. So again, this is a parenthetical here.

This is Jesus saying, when I do return, here's what it will be like. It won't be like these people who are saying, look, there he is in the wilderness.

Here he is in the inner rooms, false Christ performing false signs and wonders and false prophecies.

That's not the way the Christ is going to return. It's going to look like this. And he references the Old Testament prophecies that were made about the return of the

Christ. It's as if Jesus says to his disciples, you've already heard this. You already know what my return is going to be like.

I'm telling you something else that's going to happen. And that's specifically with regard to the destruction of the temple.

This is Jesus giving the prophecy about the temple's destruction. So take verses 24 to 27 as a parenthetical.

Now, what Jesus explains next in verses 28 to 37 is back to the destruction of the temple.

But it's also kind of a general statement with regard to when these things will happen and take place, whether it's the destruction of the temple or the return of the son of man.

In either event, there are signs to be looking for. There are going to be indicators, things that you must be ready to see that must take place before Jesus returns or before the temple is destroyed.

Either one. So verses 28 to 37 could be describing either one of those events.

This is a general statement Jesus is making about you just need to be ready for anything. So verse 28, now learn the parable from the fig tree when its branches already become tender and puts forth its leaves.

You know that summer is near. Now, last time we read about a fig tree in Mark's gospel was back when

Jesus cursed the fig tree, but one doesn't have anything to do with the other. Jesus is just talking about a parable here.

How do you know when the season is right? Because there's going to be signs, just like when a tree starts to blossom in a certain way, you know that the season's about to change.

So you're going to see things that will be an indication to you that this season draws near. Verse 29.

Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that he is near right at the door.

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Now, once again, don't confuse him saying that with the coming of the son of man, the season entering into the coming of the son of man would certainly be encapsulated in this.

This generation will not pass away until all these things take place. So back to verse 24.

In those days after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened. The moon will not give its light.

The stars will be falling from the heavens and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken, and then they will see the son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

So verses 24 to 25, all of that will start to happen after the destruction of the temple.

The powers are shaken. Jesus having bound the strong man, the gospel going out into the world and people who are being won into the kingdom of God through the hearing of the gospel and by faith.

And it's at the end of that period that the son of man will come. So Jesus talking about entering into that phase and therefore saying in verse 30, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

So everything that he's described about the abomination that causes desolation, standing in the holy place, the chaos of those days, the false

Christ and false signs and wonders that will happen, even all of that will happen within the disciples lifetime.

But again, that's like a micro prophecy of something that's going to happen on a macro scale later on in the future with the coming of the son of man.

And then those things will take place on a worldwide scale. So Jesus talking about the macro or the micro fulfillment of these things in the disciples lifetime and that pointing towards something greater that will come later on.

Verse 31, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

But of that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but the father alone.

Now, when we had read in Matthew, the Olivet discourse, that those three words right there are not in Matthew's version of this phrase.

Mark inserts nor the son that wasn't in Matthew's gospel. It is in Mark's now because it's unique to Mark.

There have been some manuscripts in which it has been omitted, probably by some overzealous scribe decided, oh,

Mark must have gotten that wrong because Matthew has it this way. And it's too confusing to try to understand what

Jesus meant by nor the son. So I'm just going to Mark that out. But the earliest manuscripts affirm that Mark did actually write that in there.

So it is understood that Jesus saying, according to Mark, again, it's not in Matthew, but it is in Mark.

Mark just add something. Matthew didn't. It doesn't make one wrong. It's just Mark gives more details than Matthew did.

So, again, the statement is of that day and hour. No one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the son, but the father alone.

Now, I did mention this in Matthew 24, even though the three words nor the son doesn't appear there in Matthew's gospel.

But what did Jesus mean by this? Well, the most common explanation for this and is likely the right one is it demonstrates what

Jesus willingly gave up in his incarnation, certain aspects of knowledge he just does not possess and and gave those things up willingly when he took on human form.

It's not that he's any less God or he knows any less. He just set that aside for the mission that is at hand is not that what he is on earth to do right now is not related to his second coming or it's not in in preparation for that second coming.

The father holds command of all of that. Jesus is fulfilling the will of the father in the work on earth that he has to do right now.

So it's not necessary for him to have to know those things that are going to take place in the future.

So that is that's the first possible explanation. The second might go along with what

Jesus had said before when James and John had asked if they could sit on his left hand and on his right.

And Jesus said, it is not up to me to decide who gets to sit on my left hand and on my right.

So it is as though for him to say here. I don't determine that day.

The father does it. So in that sense, it's not Jesus saying, I don't know what day that is like, like beats me.

I don't have a clue. It may not be that that's the meaning. It could just simply be him saying that all of those things are in the father's authority.

It's not in the angels. It's not in the sun. The father knows and has determined those things.

Consider what the apostle Paul also said in Acts 17 when preaching at the Areopagus that there is a day that has been fixed by God on which he will judge the world in righteousness through the one he has raised from the dead.

And that is Jesus Christ. So that's another possible explanation of not knowing that day or hour.

Only the father knows. So going on to verse 33, see to it, keep on the alert for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

And again, that could be in relation to the destruction of the temple. That could be in relation to the coming of the sun.

Either way, we need to be prepared for anything for who knows what God is going to do today.

It is like a man away on a journey who leaving his house and giving authority to his slaves.

Each one is task also commanded the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore, stay awake for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening at midnight or when the rooster crows or in the morning, lest he comes suddenly and find you sleeping.

And what I say to you, I say to all stay awake. Now, this is like what

Jesus said to the church at Laodicea in Revelation chapter three. Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him.

And he with me, the one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne as I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne.

Now, he's saying that to a church that has become wayward and he's telling them to repent and come back to Christ, to doing the things that they had been doing before.

Otherwise, the master is going to come at an hour that they don't know and he's going to find them sleeping, unprepared, lazy, and judgment will fall upon them.

And that's exactly the warning that Jesus is giving here. So stay awake for you don't know at what time the master is going to return.

Same warning that's given there to the church at Laodicea in Revelation chapter three. And so that needs to apply to all of us.

We must stay awake and be sober. Same words Paul gave to the church in Thessalonica. Let us not sleep as others do, but let us stay awake and diligently work in the calling that Christ has given to us, pursuing holiness, loving one another, sharing the gospel with others.

This is work that we need to continue to labor in and not get lazy in it, lest on the day of Christ's return or the day of our death, whichever comes first, we will have fallen away and did not do as Jesus said back in verse 13, enduring to the end.

So we're looking forward to the day then when we will likewise step beyond the veil and we will see how

Jesus is orchestrating all of these things, how God is bringing about the conclusion of this story of redemptive history that will end with the return of Christ bringing judgment on the world and saving those who believed in him.

So believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Heavenly father, I thank you for what we've read here today.

And I pray that we would continue in diligence, faithful working servants until the day of Christ.

Forgive us our sins, grow us in righteousness. God convict our hearts when we get lazy and we think that we can just kind of ho hum our way through life.

We need to be in pursuit of Christ daily and sharing the message of the gospel with others so that they too will come to faith in the

Lord Jesus Christ and live. Give us hearts that desire the things that are above where Christ is.

And we pray with the apostle John when we say, Lord Jesus come quickly. It's in his name we pray.

Amen. You've been listening to When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Gabe will be going through a New Testament study. Then on Thursday, we look at an

Old Testament book. On Friday, we take questions from the listeners and viewers. Tomorrow, we'll pick up on an