The Temple will be Destroyed

Mark 13:1-23

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’[a] standing where it[b] does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.

20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

 

The majority of what is shared here by Jesus is applicable to the question concerning the destruction of the temple. But, when dealing with Biblical prophecy, it is easiest to understand it in the rear view mirror. We need to tread carefully.

 

  1. Prophetic Perspective

 

  1. Things near and far

Often in prophetic passages, there are mixed understandings.

Psalms 22:

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.[b]

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.
4 In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.
15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

16 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!

 

Do not assume that the passage is strictly chronological! There could be and probably is a fair amount of back and forth between the two issues.

 

  1. Fulfillment in more than one way

Since there are different things be addressed, it is possible to have two different fulfillments. One of the big surprises in the Bible is that Messiah would come twice and have two distinct “ministries.”

Jesus keys on this by calling Himself “the Son of Man” in reference to Daniel 7:

13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’

 

Joel 2:

28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.

 

This passage is quoted in total by Peter on the Day of Pentecost! And he declares that what is prophesied in it is what God was doing. It is a mixed bag! More than one fulfillment.

 

  1. The temple and Jesus’ return

The temple is key to worship in the Jewish mind. This is where God’s presence on earth is manifested. So, for the temple to be eradicated completely signifies to the Apostles the end of the world! How could it possibly happen?

And all of this is angst is because they do not understand that Jesus is inaugurating a new covenant. Jesus is changing the way that God is going to work in people’s lives.

Think to the conversation between Jesus and the woman at the well: John 4:

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Think of how Jesus’ sacrifice changes the whole sacrificial system! One is the shadow of the reality of the other!

Hebrews 10: 1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, my God.’”[a]

8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”[b]

17 Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”[c]

18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,

The promises of our New Covenant from Jeremiah 31:

33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds  and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,  and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,  or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,  from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

 

Regardless of whether or not we understand the details of what Jesus is conveying to them and to us, His commands/ exhortations in the passage are very clear!

 

  1. Commands to be on Your Guard

 

  1. Do not be deceived

This command brackets the first part of this passage which has    as its focus the destruction of the temple. Verses 5 and 23.

Because of the nature of Biblical prophecy, it can be used to confuse and draw people away from the truth.

Apocalyptic literature is more concerned with exhortation than it is explanation. It is highly symbolic. When something is interpreted literally that is meant to be symbolic then the meaning is lost.

The first century Christians believed Jesus was going to come back imminently. Were they correct?

II Thes 3: 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

In our day: From the establishment of the Nation of Israel to Messiah’s return will be one generation. One generation is 20 years. (Preached confidently) One generation is 40 years. (Preached confidently)

Hal Lindsay: Jupiter effect in 1984 planet will align, lots of chaos and earthquakes etc. NOT.

No one knows the time. Be faithful and be quiet about your timing!!

People have been predicting dates for Jesus’ return since He said no one knows. It’s amazing actually.

 

 

  1. Do not be alarmed

Wars: Near and far, big and small

Rome will come and surround Jerusalem

The Germanic tribes will attack Rome

The Vikings will attack Rome

Muslim conquest and The Crusades

World War I and II

Do not allow the troubles that occur to cause you to shrink back   from your faith. Trust in Jesus and be obedient to share Him with         others.

 

The Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Revelation 4: War Famine,     Disease and the destruction of huge percentages of the world’s        population.

Bubonic Plague: 30% of Europe. Up to 50% of China.

Nuclear war?

Today we stand on the brink of nuclear war, a kind of war that     we have never encountered before. We are to be about Jesus’   business. The gospel must be preached to all nations!

 

 

  1. You must stand firm to the end

There are things to endure:

False teachers/Messiahs

The wars and rumors of wars both near and far

Arrest, beatings, opportunities to testify for Jesus

The gospel must be preached to all nations!!!

Family betrayal: Muslim stories:

Connect Church ministry:

Family abuse, physical, sexual, kidnapping,                                         threatening other family members.

Abigail Denti Wijarti: Mother traps her in her room                              and holds her hostage!

 

There is an end of what you must endure.

What does endurance look like?

What is the end result of endurance? Salvation. Salvation from     what? Salvation for what?

 

III. The Works that God Requires 

 

  1. Believe in Jesus

            John 6: 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

“Listen to Him!”

Jesus must be your standard for truth!!

 

  1. Love Jesus first

        John 8: 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.

 

John 14: 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

 

  1. Share Jesus with others

        v.10 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.

            Acts 1: 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

 

Matthew 28:18-20 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

 

Romans 10: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[g]