THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Mark: Jesus, The Perfect Servant Of God

Part III: The Perfect Sacrifice Of Jesus, The Perfect Servant Of God, Mark 11:1-15:47

L. Heeding Christ's Lessons Regarding Future Events, Mark 13:3-37

1. Heeding Christ's Warnings About Coming Deceptions

(Mark 13:3-8)

I. Introduction

A. When Jesus predicted the destruction of the Herodian temple in Mark 13:1-2, that destruction also typified the end-time destructions that are yet to occur in the future Great Tribulation, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 167.

B. As such, Jesus instructed His followers in both eras on preparing for such events in Mark 13:3-8 (as follows):

II. Heeding Christ's Warning About Coming Deceptions, Mark 13:3-8.

A. After Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple (Mark 13:1-2), some of His disciples asked Him (1) when it would occur, and (2) what "sign would indicate that fulfillment was about to take place," Ibid.; Mark 13:3-4.

B. Jesus answered the second question first, warning against false signs in the future (verses 5-13) together with future events, especially end-time Great Tribulation events that lead up to His Second Coming (verses 14-27), before answering His disciples' first question on the "when" (verse 4a) in the Mark 13:28-32 parable, Ibid.

C. Thus, regarding the disciples' question about the "sign" of future events, in Mark 13:3-8, Jesus gave believers two warnings about future events, be they in the Church era or in the future Great Tribulation Period:

1. Jesus warned about false messiahs (in our era and in the future Great Tribulation), Mark 13:5-6:

a. He warned His disciples about people who might "lead them astray" (planao, Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 671) from the truth that is in Christ and in God's Word, Mark 13:5.

b. This misleading would occur in the form of many who would arise in Jesus' name claiming, "I myself am [He]," ego eimi, U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 178. This statement was a claim to deity spoken by God to Moses in Exodus 3:14 and later used by Jesus in John 8:58, Ibid., Bib. Know. Com., N. T., p. 167-168.

c. Those who claimed to be Christ and God would be many, and mislead many astray, Mark 13:6.

2. Jesus also warned His followers about misinterpreting negative events (in our Church era and in the future Great Tribulation) to be final end-time event(s) when in reality they would be acts of judgment where God would be at work seeking to get men to repent regarding the claims of the true Christ, Mark 13:7:

a. Both in the current Church era and in the early part of the post-rapture Great Tribulation era, Jesus predicted that there would be wars and "reports" of wars far away, Mark 13:7a; Ibid., p. 168.

b. However, believers both in the Church era and in the early part of the Great Tribulation era were not to "be troubled in mind, frightened, alarmed" (throeo, Thayer, Grimm-Wilke, Thayer's Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1963, p. 292) at this, for it was necessary (dei, Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.) "by divine compulsion" that such events occur "as a consequence of human rebellion and sin," Ibid., B. K. C., N. T., Mark 13:7a.

c. Nevertheless, the end-time trauma will still not have yet arrived, Mark 13:7b.

3. Jesus then explained the kinds of events that must occur before the end-time, both in many cases in the pre-rapture Church era as well as in the early stages of the Great Tribulation era, Mark 13:8 (as follows):

a. Nation literally "shall be raised" [passive voice] by God against nation (Ibid.) and kingdom against kingdom as acts of divine judgment for rebellion and sin among the nations, Mark 13:8a.

b. There will also be earthquakes and famines in various places, all again implied due to divine judgment for man's sin and rebellion, these being the "beginning of birth pangs" of judgment, Mark 13:8b, Ibid.

c. However, these are just the start of the intense sufferings that will occur shortly before the Messianic Age and Christ's Second Coming, Ibid.; Mark 13:8c.

4. Since God is longsuffering in our era, seeking to get all men to repent (2 Peter 3:9), these beginnings of birth pangs for the world would occur as divine warnings and calls for men to repent regarding Christ.

Lesson: (1) Jesus wanted His followers to know that future events, be they in the current Church era or in the Great Tribulation era after the Church is raptured, will be marked by misleading messiahs who claim to be God coupled with wars, rumors about wars and natural catastrophes designed by God to get the world to repent regarding the truth. (2) So, instead of being misled or alarmed, God wants His people in either the Church era or in the Great Tribulation to hold to Bible truth and be settled in thinking and living, anticipating His deliverance.

Application: May we hold firmly to Bible truth to avoid being misled and not be alarmed at negative world events.