EPISODE 154 GOSPEL OF MARK CHAPTER 13 Part 1 "What does the Olivet Discourse teach us about the end of the age"

Welcome to Share the Word. In today's episode, Paul brings to center stage the Olivet Discourse, which is a subject of much debate and interpretation. So, keep listening as Paul brings out the big idea of the Gospel of Mark, chapter 13. Mark chapter 13, part 1. What does the Olivet Discourse teach us about the end of this age? You may remember a while back, I'm not sure in which episode, I shared some statistics from the Pew Research Company.

Part of the survey asked people if they expected Jesus to literally return in the next 40 years. That survey was done in 2010. So the question then was if they expected the second coming of Christ to happen by or before the year 2050. I was very surprised when I saw the results. 41% of the Americans polled on that question said they definitely or probably expected Christ to return in that time frame. 41%. Do you believe that result, or does that sound like fake news to you?

Well, I recently saw a newer study by the same respected polling company asking the same question, but in different terms. This survey was done recently in 2022, and it polled more than 10,000 Americans, a pretty large sample. The question this time was, Do you believe we are living in the end times? This time, 39% responded yes. Of course, as they like to do, the researchers then broke that number down into a dozen or so demographic categories. But I don't really care about that.

I was just interested that, again, almost 40% of Americans today believe we are right now living in the end times, what the Bible refers to as the last days, the time period just prior to Jesus' return to the earth and the end of this age. Does that surprise you? Today's chapter is entirely devoted to what's called the Olivet Discourse, so called because Jesus shared prophetic information with some of his disciples as they sat this day on the Mount of Olives, a hill just to the east of Jerusalem that overlooked the city and the Temple Mount area. Remember, in Mark's account, we are now in the first half of the week when Jesus was crucified. He'd been coming into the city each day, teaching crowds at the temple, even though tensions were very high that Passover week.

And as they were leaving the temple precinct one day, probably Wednesday, his last day of public teaching, one of the disciples commented about how magnificent this complex was, how beautiful the buildings, how massive the stones. The second temple, what's called Herod's Temple, was one of the wonders of the ancient world. The entire complex of courts and buildings were inside high walls built of massive stones and included an area of about 35 acres. The centerpiece of the complex was the temple itself, which stood about seven stories tall and was built entirely of blocks of white marble, and they were ornamented heavily with gold. This magnificent complex, designed and funded by King Herod the Great, had been under construction for several decades by Jesus' time. It's fitting that it's known as Herod's Temple because the glory of God never indwelt the Holy of Holies there.

This was the center of Israel's religion, the place God was to be worshipped, where religious instructions took place, where animal sacrifices were offered. As an architectural wonder, it was an extremely impressive place, especially to these fishermen from Capernaum. But the glory of God, His special presence, had long before departed from that place. By the way, there are some very accurate renditions of the temple complex as it looked in Jesus' day that you can find online. We have a very good idea of what the disciples were so impressed with based on the writings of Jewish historians at that time. When one of them expressed amazement at how beautiful and impressive Herod's temple was, Jesus surprised them by saying, Do you see these great buildings?

Not one stone here will be left upon another which will not be torn down. What? That struck them, I'm sure, unexpectedly, and I am sure left them confused and wondering. As they exited the city and started climbing the Mount of Olives, returning to where they were staying that week, when they reached the top of that hill, covered then in olive groves, they must have sat to rest for a few moments in the shade, because it was there that four of them, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, approached Jesus looking for an explanation. They asked him, Tell us, Lord, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all of these things are going to be fulfilled? Matthew's account adds, and this is important to note, that they continued with another question, And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of this age?

Now you've got to think with me here. What Jesus said about Jerusalem being destroyed didn't at all fit with the disciples' expectations of what was supposed to happen. They were convinced Jesus was the Messiah, and if he insisted he had to die as a spiritual Savior first, which he told them over and over again must happen, he must die in Jerusalem as a ransom for sin, remember. They still expected he was going to shortly, somehow, establish the kingdom of God. He was going to fulfill the messianic expectations. In their mind, he had to.

You know, most today, looking at this passage of Scripture, read back into the second part of the disciples' question about Jesus coming and the end of this age, and assume the disciples were asking about some distant future second coming of Christ as we think of it now. No, they had no clue about that. At this point, they were trying to put together the pieces of information that Jesus had given them and make it all fit within the framework of their expectations of the Messiah. How do I know that? Because even after the resurrection and after the forty days Jesus was subsequently making appearances to them and others, at his final meeting with his disciples, just before he ascended back into heaven, guess what they asked him? This is according to Acts chapter one.

So when they had come together, they were asking him, Lord, is it at this time you're going to restore the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, It's not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has set by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you to be my witnesses both here in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth. After he had said that, he was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received him out of their sight, the ascension. Those were Jesus' very last words to them. It's not for you to know the time when the kingdom of God on earth will arrive. So go be my witnesses, one of the versions of the Great Commission that he left them with.

I'm trying to help you see this from the disciples' perspective. What they were thinking, how they would have understood this as they heard what we call the Olivet Discourse that day, because it was delivered to them as they sat with Jesus overlooking Jerusalem. The coming they were asking him about was his coming to Jerusalem as the conquering King Messiah, the one everybody expected. By end of this age, they meant the end of the world as they knew it and the inauguration of Christ's kingdom on earth. They were still convinced all of this was going to happen shortly, somehow. And I can tell you from other things said even later in the New Testament epistles, the earliest Christians, after Jesus' ascension, were still expecting him to come back shortly and finish what the Messiah was supposed to do.

Although it seems to me all the stuff Jesus tells them in the Olivet Discourse, this chapter, was trying to prepare them for something quite different. I don't usually do this, but I'm going to read most of Mark's version of what he told them that day. We discussed some of it when we were in Luke's Gospel, and we'll probably discuss more of it when we get to Matthew's. But listen to Mark's version, and then I'll do my best to explain some of the key points. Jesus began to say to them, See to it that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and will mislead many.

And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don't be alarmed. Those things must take place, but that is not the end. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

But take heed to yourselves, for they, meaning the enemies of Christianity, will deliver you to courts. They will beat you in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, as a witness to them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations. And when they lead you away, delivering you up, do not worry beforehand about what you're going to say. Say whatever is given you in that hour, for it will be not you who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his own children.

Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. They will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. My word, that sounds completely different from what they were expecting and wanted to happen. Jesus is telling them that all kinds of difficulties are ahead for the world and for them as his followers. All of the things he described in this part of his discourse, they've been happening since the first century: wars, famines, earthquakes, persecutions, and so on.

Jesus said, though these are just the beginnings of birth pangs, and in themselves do not mean the end of the age is here. But he suggests that, like labor pains during the course of a pregnancy, these things will get worse and more intense as time marches on toward the end of this age. Nevertheless, his followers' principal job going forward was to take the gospel to all nations, faithfully enduring persecutions that will come their way in the process. Listen, what he tells them next in this discourse, this is not something generally occurring through history since the first century. There is a very specific sign, Jesus said, that will occur when the age, to use the disciples' term, is approaching its end point. Here's how Jesus described it.

Again, I'm quoting from Mark. But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be, let the reader understand, Mark adds parenthetically, then those who are in Jerusalem must flee to the mountains, and the one who is on the housetop must not go down or go in to get anything out of his house. The one who is in the field must not turn back to get his garments. Woe to those who are pregnant, to those who are nursing babies in that day. Pray that it may not happen to you in the winter, for those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of creation until now, and never will be again. Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no one would have been saved.

But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he shortened those days. And then, if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is Christ,' or 'Behold, there is Christ,' do not believe him, for false Christs and false prophets will arise then and will show signs and wonders in order to lead people astray, if possible, even the elect. But as for you, see, I have told you everything in advance. Let the reader understand. That's not something Jesus said, but the author of this gospel added for emphasis. When Mark added that note, he did so to indicate Jesus was talking about something very specific now that is going to happen in the future that will be a telltale sign that the end of the age is near.

He calls it the abomination that causes desolation and says it will be standing where it should not be. That's how Jesus described it. What in the world is that? Well, he was referring to something written about by the Old Testament prophet Daniel, who saw visions of the end times and wrote about them. It's also written about in the book of Revelation. Maybe you have heard something about this.

It's a specific event that will happen during the tribulation era, the final seven years of this age before Jesus' second coming. This is definitely not something that happened in the first century during the apostles' lifetimes, and it's not something that happened sometime after them in the intervening centuries before our time. How do I know that? Because when we look at the end-time vision Daniel was given, which is recorded in chapter 9 of his book, or also what John sees in the visions in Revelation 13, what Paul adds in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, all these passages that describe the activity of someone we call the Antichrist in the tribulation era, what is referred to here as the abomination that causes desolation, this will be some kind of image of the Antichrist that he will set up in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

This satanically controlled man, who will at first be hailed as a world savior during the early years of that troubled time, someone who promises to protect the Jewish people from threatening enemies, someone who says he can bring peace and security to a world rocked by all kinds of crises, will instead break his covenant with Israel, desecrate their temple by placing an image of himself there in the holy place, and then, like the ancient Roman emperors, he will demand to be worshipped as a god on earth. Oh, wait a minute, Paul. Didn't you say Jesus said the temple in Jerusalem was going to be utterly destroyed? Yes, and that was less than 40 years after the discussion with his disciples here that happened. In 66 A.D., after a rebellion of the Jews, a vast army of 50,000 was sent to Israel under the Roman general Titus. They besieged and battled the Jews for three years.

Ultimately, they breached the city walls in 70 A.D. When Jerusalem finally fell, outraged by their stubbornness, the Roman general had his army tear down the walls and utterly destroy Herod's temple. They tore it down stone by stone to collect and carry off all the gold and silver ornamentations. Far worse, there was an absolute slaughter of those who had been crowded into the walled city for protection. Estimates are, at the time, from historians at the time, as many as 500,000 people perished. And those not killed, they were enslaved and carried off, or else fled the land of Israel to escape the Romans.

The destruction of Jerusalem is one of the most specific prophecies in the Bible, and it's described in detail by secular historians at the time too. The Gospel of Luke says that Jesus cried over the fate he saw coming for Jerusalem. Luke 19, verses 43 and 44, a more detailed account of this prophecy here. Jesus said this: The days are coming upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you, hemming you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground with your children within you. And they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. You did not recognize the time of your visitation.

What does that mean? It meant the Messiah had come to them with his message of repentance to spiritually prepare them for the kingdom of God, but he was largely misunderstood and rejected and killed. How incredibly sad that was. The destruction of Jerusalem and Herod's magnificent temple is a fact of history, and no temple has ever been rebuilt there since. This is why I am sure Jesus was, whether he realized it or not, describing some things that would happen in the first century, like the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, but other things that will not happen until the end of this age. Things that will happen during a time when there is a new nation of Israel, when there is a rebuilt Jerusalem, when there is a third temple on the Temple Mount.

Things that can't happen until then. So think about this. When Jesus was telling the disciples about this stuff, it was only a few days before he was crucified in 33 A.D. Jerusalem fell and the city and the temple were utterly destroyed in 70 A.D., less than 40 years later. But do you think the scenario he goes on to tell them about, the abomination of desolation set up in the temple in Jerusalem, could that have happened later in the first century? Remember, the Jewish nation ceased to exist in 70 A.D.

The temple was gone after 70 A.D. Could they have somehow reconstituted their nation and rebuilt their temple that quickly? That's impossible to imagine. And that's certainly not what happened. The nation of Israel, in fact, did not exist again for another 1,900 years until the middle of the 20th century. And a new temple has still not been built on the Temple Mount.

So getting back to the disciples' questions about the timing of all these things and the kingdom of Christ actually coming, when's all this going to happen, Lord? This might surprise you, but Jesus' answer to that was, I don't know when. That's what he said as he goes on in this discourse. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. In other words, the things I am telling you are definitely going to happen. You have my word on it.

But of that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, referring to himself, but the Father alone. So see to it that you keep on the alert, for you don't know when the time will come. Jesus said, I know this stuff is going to happen, but when, I can't tell you because I really don't know. That's why I said a moment ago, this is why I am sure Jesus was, whether he realized it or not, describing some things that would happen in the first century, but other things that would not happen until the end of the age. As a prophet, Jesus saw these things coming, but he did not see the times they would occur or the intervals between them. And my best guess as to why, this is part of what he did when he laid aside some of his divine prerogatives and stepped out of heaven to become a man.

While he was a man, his omniscience must have been limited. As a man, he relied on the Holy Spirit's power and what the Father revealed to him. So, fascinating message to his disciples as it was that late afternoon on the Mount of Olives, I can paraphrase it. It goes like this. Things are going to be very difficult going forward, friends. Wars, natural disasters, famines, persecutions, false prophets will arise, false Christs even.

All these things are going to be going on and, in fact, getting worse as time moves forward. Your job, and keep your eye on this, is to share the gospel with the whole world, to faithfully endure the difficulties and pressures that will come at you for your association with me, and to stay alert for my coming. I can't tell you when it is because I don't know exactly when it will be. But at some point, finally, there will come a time of trouble on this earth like never existed before. Something very specific is going to happen then that will be an unmistakable sign that you are close to the end of the age and that my return is near: the abomination of desolation, when that is placed in the temple in Jerusalem. That horrific sacrilege that will be incurred by the ultimate false Christ, who will declare himself a god and then require everyone in the world to worship him.

When that happens, that's the sign of the end of the age and that my return as King is nearing. Hope you're all following this. If end times prophecy is new to you, I know it's a lot, and I have definitely not tied up all the loose ends here in this chapter or even answered some of the most obvious questions. So I'm going to come back to this chapter because I think it's very important to do it, and because about 40 percent of Americans apparently think it's very timely. By the way, are you among them? If you had been called on the phone for that survey and posed the question, Do you believe we are living in the end times?

Press 1 for yes, press 2 for no, what would you have answered? For me, I would have answered yes. I'll leave you today with a question a pastor in our church finished our service with last Sunday. If you knew Jesus was coming back within the next year or the next month or the next week, what would you do about it? That's a good question, huh? We'll continue this next time.

This is Paul for Share the Word. Great insight, Paul. What keeps going through my mind is that it's not so important for us to know the date of the end of times, but what is important is for us to do. And what I mean by that is that we follow the Great Commission. If our focus is on sharing the gospel and building the kingdom of heaven, won't we be better off at the end of times? I don't think we'll ever hear Jesus say to anyone, Hey, congratulations, you figured out when the end of times was going to be.

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From all of us at Share the Word, our blessings and prayers go out to all of you.