The Last Days – Mark 13
The disciples thought the buildings were a big deal and pointed it out to the Lord Jesus. His reply was that all the buildings would be destroyed. This inspired the disciples to think about about the end of the world because they questioned him about this.
The Lord Jesus responded to them and went into great detail. Some things he covered included symptoms of the last days and important facts about the end days.
The Lord Jesus warned there would be much deception. People would claim they are "I AM" which was the Hebrew term for Yahweh or God. Sadly, this is happening now in the word of faith cult with people like Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, and others in this movement calling themselves gods. This points back to the Garden of Eden when Satan told Eve she could be a god if she ate the fruit. Many people try to ascend to their "higher selves" and achieve "godhood". Mormonism is an example, as is the New Age movement, along with the Word of Faith cult. Joel Osteen said Mormons are Christians. Of course he does. They believe the same fundamental thing that men are gods. They believe they can speak things into existence with positive confession. This is witchcraft. These people in the word of faith cult are as satanic as Joseph Smith and the Mormon church.
The Lord Jesus warned the disciples that following Christ would not be easy. It never was easy to be a Christian because the world hates true Christians. The Lord Jesus told us this ahead of time. In the last days it is especially terrible and the Lord Jesus warned because of Christian persecution that doors would open for us to be a witness to the world.
There is also many signs surrounding the end of the world such as earthquakes, famines, and wars. What century has ever seen as much war as last century, during the 20th Century, when we saw two world wars, and countless smaller wars that happened. I've heard there are now more earthquakes than ever before and that the weather is changing rapidly. There are specific signs that take place immediately before the second coming of Christ which include stars falling out of the sky and the heavens being shaken.
The Lord Jesus said there was no use trying to figure out the day or the hour when all this would happen. It is best to always be ready and to live in view of the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ. When he comes there won't be time to get ready so you must get ready right now.
The Lord Jesus said in verse 31, "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." Amen, forever, oh Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
Mark 13:5, "And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:"
When the Lord Jesus described the end of the age and the last days he warned his disciples not to be deceived. He said to them to take heed lest any man deceive you. One of the signs which show we are at the end of the age is mass deception and delusion.
The Lord Jesus described events which could be interpreted happening in AD 70 when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish temple. There was no abomination of desolation in AD 70. That happened between the Old Testament and the New Testament before Christ was born. Antiochus Epiphanes erected an abomination of desolation in the temple which led to the Maccabean revolt during the history of the Jews before Jesus was born. How could Jesus speak of a past event as something yet in the future?
To understand this we have to view prophecy in the same way the Hebrew mind views prophecy.
In the Hebrew mind prophecy is a pattern in history. In the Greek mind prophecy is like fortune telling: an event is predicted and happens.
In the Hebrew mind prophecy is seeing a pattern of God in history and knowing it will happen in the future based upon seeing the pattern of God and knowing the character of God.
No one ever saw the pattern of God better than Jesus Christ. He clearly saw a time which would be like what happened with the previous abomination of desolation in the temple. A time of great evil would come again upon the Jewish people in the last days.
What the Lord Jesus described here pointed to a period of time which was also known as Jacob's trouble, or the Great Tribulation.
He concluded by saying to be watchful for the return of the Lord Jesus. When he returned it would be in the same way he ascended to heaven. Don't believe false prophets who claim to be the Messiah. In the last days many will be deceived by supernatural powers which liars use to deceive people.
The Lord told us how things will be so we can prepare. The Lord's people are not in darkness but they are of the light. Therefore let us wake up to the day in which we live. We should not to be afraid but prepare ourselves for the return of the Lord Jesus. Be alert and always keep on watching for the return of the Lord Jesus.
