24.183 | WHEN AND WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF JESUS’ COMING? | Mark 13:3-8 | God’s Word for Today

God’s Word for Today
31 Jul 2024

3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

Mark 13:3-8 ESV

WHEN AND WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF JESUS’ COMING?

From the Mount of Olives, the disciples can view the front wall of the temple across the Kidron Valley, through the Eastern Gate. In AD 810, the gate was closed by Muslims, only to be reopened three hundred years later by the Crusaders. In 1541, Ottoman Sultan Suleiman bricked it in closed, either for defense or in an attempt to thwart the prophecy that Jesus will use it when He returns.

Peter, John, James, and Andrew are stirred by the prophecy about the temple’s destruction. They ask Jesus for clarification. Mark records a more generic question. But Matthew adds that they ask, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" (Mat 24:3)

Jesus' answer begins with a warning, "See that no one leads you astray.” It implies discerning what is going on when the situation is not obvious. Popular internet resources list nearly two hundred doomsday prophecies. None of which have come true. Most puzzling are "prophets" who live to see their first prophesied date come up empty, only to revise their schedule and try again.

One thing to take note also is Jesus’ answer here is the longest answer to a question recorded in the Gospels. It covers His coming and signs of the end of the age. The prophecy encompasses the disciples' near-future persecution; the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem; our present time of persecution, wars, and natural disasters; and the catastrophic horror of the tribulation.

Jesus' words are not primarily to the disciples but to Christ-followers in the end times. The theme is applicable to all believers, however. They need to know that the hardships will be temporary (Mark 13:30), they have work to do (Mark 13:34–37), and they must guard themselves against sin (Mark 14:37–38). These end-times prophecies have vague, incomplete fulfillment in our own modern age; this means we need to keep our eyes on God's kingdom, as well. Our anticipation of the end times should fuel the urgency of our work, not distract us from it. That sense of Jesus' imminent return should always remind us that while this world is temporary, our relationship with God is eternal.

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