Mark 13:32
Still Don’t Know
Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth
no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father.
We are still reading about what happened on Tuesday of the Passion
Week. The religious leaders spent a good portion of the day—probably
the earlier part—trying to trick Jesus into saying or doing something
to turn the people against Jesus. The remainder of the day, Jesus
spent teaching.
Toward the end of the day, it looked like Jesus was leaving the city;
but as He left the temple, His disciples took note of the beauty of
it. Jesus’ response was the first prophecy of this prophetic chapter.
Mark 4:2 …there shall not be left one stone
upon another.
That prophecy set the stage for the remainder of the chapter and
the tone of Israel’s future.
1. Things would go no better for the nation than for the temple.
Israel’s rejection of Christ as the Messiah would leave them
both in ruins. The first destruction of the temple occurred
in 79 AD, and the temple—like the nation—has been pretty
much scattered and destroyed ever since.
2. It also caused the disciples to ask the questions that Jesus
will answer for the remainder of the chapter. When will this
be? What will be the signs that it is to happen?
Jesus gave the answer in three parts.
I. \\#5-27\\ The Signs Set the Stage
A. The signs do two things:
1. First, because they have not all been fulfilled, they tell
us another temple will be built and destroyed to
completely fulfill this prophecy.
a. The temple Jesus and His disciples were looking at
was destroyed in 79 AD, and except for a portion of
one wall, was left without one stone upon another.
b. But some of the signs were NOT fulfilled.
c. That makes this passage a dual-reference prophecy.
d. There was a near-at-hand fulfillment of the prophecy,
but another one is coming and it will be even larger
in fulfillment than the first.
2. Second, the signs give the most thorough answers to the
disciples’ questions, "When?" and "What are the signs?"
a. Jesus gave signs that would begin to happen almost
immediately and would continue until the Tribulation
begins.
b. Then He gave a sign that would happen during the
Tribulation. Daniel and Jesus spoke of it, and it is
often referred to as the Abomination of Desolations.
c. And Jesus went on to give some signs that would occur
even AFTER the Tribulation and, I believe, after the
temple has been left without one stone being left on
another.
B. However, neither the signs that we have already studied nor
the symbol or story which we will look at tonight will give
us an exact date. Jesus told the disciples and us as much:
Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth
no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father.
1. Jesus’ intent was never to give that specific of an
answer.
2. Rather, it was to give us the season when these things
would happen.
C. I gave the season in which I think the Tribulational Temple
will be destroyed, left without one stone left upon another;
but I did not really elaborate on it for time’s sake, so let
me spell it tonight.
1. Based on what Jesus said about the Abomination of
Desolations, I believe the third temple will be destroyed
sometime after the middle of the Tribulation.
2. And based on what \\#Dan 9:27\\ says, I believe it will be
near the end, at the end, or just past the end of the
Tribulation.
(a) Daniel’s statement that the desolation would last,
"even until the consummation" makes me think that.
(b) The word "consummation" means end.
(c) Strong’s defines it as "utter end."
(d) So the temple will be desolate until the utter end.
D. Even so, Jesus’ answer probably did not help the disciples to
whom He was speaking.
1. They may have never understood Jesus’ answer.
2. But I think we perhaps can because:
(a) Time has passed.
(b) Some events have been fulfilled.
(c) Some prophesies have been added.
(d) And—we think—some understanding has been gained.
II. \\#28-31\\ The Symbol Sets the Tempo and Surety
Mark 13:28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree;
When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth
leaves, ye know that summer is near:
29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these
things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even
at the doors.
30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation
shall not pass, till all these things be done.
A. This is the second time on the same day that Jesus used a fig
tree to teach.
1. Although it may not always be so, there are times when the
fig tree is a picture of Israel.
2. I see three times in the Old Testament \\#Hos 9:10\\
\\#Jer 24:3-10, Jer 29:16-17\\ where I believe it was.
3. I also believe Israel is pictured by the fig tree in
\\#Mark 11:13-14, 20-21\\.
B. \\#Mark 11:13\\ On Monday morning of the Passion Week, Jesus
came across a fig tree with no fruit on it.
1. He cursed it.
2. \\#Mark 11:20\\ Tuesday morning, on the way to the temple,
the tree was withered away.
3. When I preached through those verses, I mentioned that I
believed the fig tree was a picture of Israel.
a. I can’t proof it, but as Jesus had inspected the fig
tree, so He inspected Israel.
b. As Jesus had found no fruit on the fig tree; so He had
found no fruit in Israel either.
c. And as Jesus had cursed the fig tree, God was cursing
Israel.
d. And as the fig tree dried up by the roots, so would
Israel.
e. Both the fig tree and the temple pictured the ruined
condition that would be Israel’s future.
C. Now, later that same Tuesday day, Jesus mentioned the fig tree
again.
1. And I think it is possible that the fig tree is still a
picture of Israel.
2. Again, I cannot prove, and I will readily admit the
passage has the same message whether it is or whether it
isn’t.
3. What is the message?
a. \\#29-30\\ When you see "these things come to pass…."
(1) What things?
(a) The signs that Jesus had given.
(b) When we see those signs being fulfilled, and
especially the sign of the temple being
left desolate.
(c) Then what?
(2) Then "know that it is nigh, even at the doors."
(a) Know what is nigh or near?
(b) The destruction of the temple.
(c) That was the question that the disciples had
asked and the answer that Jesus was giving.
(3) How near? How close to the final doors are we?
(a) \\#Matt 13:32\\
Mark 13:30 …that…generation shall not pass,
till all these things be done.
(b) The generation that sees that sign fulfilled, the abomination
of desolations, will not pass away before everything promised is
complete.
(c) That is the tempo of the prophecy.
i. Once that first uncommon sign occurs,
there will be no pauses or slowing
things down.
ii. Everything left in God’s Book of
Promises will happen before that
generation passes.
(4) However, if Israel is the fig tree, an additional
timing hint was given.
(a) Again I say IF Israel is the fig tree.
(b) And I am hoping Israel is the fig tree in
this text.
(c) For IF Israel is the fig tree and her
putting for her leaves was Israel becoming
a nation, then Jesus’ statement in verse
30, "this generation shall not pass, till
all things be done" would mean the
generation of people who saw Israel become
a nation (1948), will not pass before all
of God’s prophecies are fulfilled.
i. That still would not give us a day or
hour when Jesus will come, just the
season.
ii. How can we know if Israel is the fig
tree?
aa. We cannot.
bb. All we can do is wait and see.
cc. I’d say a generation might be as
long as 100 years.
dd. So, as I have said, if I am still
around in 2048 and Jesus has not
come, I will began to rethink
the possibility of Israel being
the fig tree.
ee. But between now and then, I sure
am hoping it is so!
(5) But get this:
(a) Whether Israel is the fig tree or not, the
message is the same.
(b) Once things start happening, they will
finish within one generation, including the
destruction of the temple so that not one
stone is left upon another.
b. \\#31\\ Also contains a message of surety.
Matt 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but
my words shall not pass away.
(1) How certain is the end to come like this?
(2) Even if creation dissolves, God will still make
it happen!
(3) That is certain!
III. \\#33-37\\ The Story Sets Our Service
Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye
know not when the time is.
34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far
journey, who left his house, and gave authority
to his servants, and to every man his work, and
commanded the porter to watch.
35 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:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all,
Watch.
A. We are to watch and to pray.
B. Watch for what?
1. Signs? No.
2. The story tells us we are to watch for the Son to return.
3. By the time all of the signs Jesus gave have come to pass,
you will have missed His return!
a. Jesus will have come for His church around 7 years
BEFORE the temple is destroyed and 3 1/2 years BEFORE
the Abomination of Desolations.
b. Of course that means very little to the Jews because
Jesus knew they would still be rejecting Him until
AFTER the rapture of the church.
c. But for Christians in the church age, we can forget
the signs for we will get nothing more in our life
times than those that I called the Common and
Immediate Signs.
d. They have all been going on for 2,000 years and some
for much longer than that.
e. So forget the signs.
f. Keep your eyes in the sky, looking for the Son.
4. But we are also to pray.
C. Pray for what?
1. I think before long it is going to be we are to pray for
everything.
2. That has always been our command; however, God’s mercy has
been so abundant the last few generations that we have
not always had to pray.
3. Call it another sign if you want, but I feel things are
going to go backwards in that area.
4. With Covid, coming food-shortages, rises in violence,
socialism, vaccine passports, and all that is coming, I
don’t think we will be asking "FOR WHAT?" we need to pray
much longer.
D. What are Christians supposed to be doing in these days? The
story tells us. We should be watching and praying. Those
two things either are or will become our full-time jobs.
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