Introduction
I cannot think of more exciting time in my life than the summer of 1972 as a rising high school senior. I had attended Explo ’72, a nationwide week-long conference of high school and college students. About 80,000 attended. I came back fired up for the Lord. Another friend who had gone and I began evangelistic Bible studies and had a mini-revival among our friends. It was during that summer that I sensed my call to the ministry. I was excited about Jesus, about my salvation. The second most exciting thing to me was anticipating Jesus’ return.
At that time the biggest bestseller was Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth. It was the Left Behind book of its generation, the old ’73 paperback copy I have states that more than 2,000,000 were in print. I was so excited about the subject I helped put together a musical for church using the information from that book. When I started college, one of the first things I did was to go to the library, look up old newspaper reports of earthquakes, and make copies. I was going to collect the growing evidence that Christ’s return was near.
It was obvious that it was near because the nation of Israel had been re-established in 1948. Let me read Lindsey. I have not read the book in 25 years, and I still remember this passage:
Jesus said that this would indicate that He was “at the door,” ready to return. Then He said, “Truly I say to you, this generation (italics his) will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34 NASB).
What generation? Obviously, in context, the generation that would see the signs – chief among them the rebirth of Israel. A generation in the Bible is something like forty years. If this is a correct deduction, then within forty years or so of 1948, all these things could take place. Many scholars who have studied Bible prophecy all their lives believe that this is so.
Wow! What could be more exciting! The final stage of Jesus’ imminent return had been set and the remaining signs for his coming were popping up in the daily newspapers. Imagine my dismay, while attending a retreat of Reformed Christian students (from Clemson of all places!) and finding on a booktable books that attacked The Late Great Planet Earth. It was the first time I became aware that its view of the end times was not the view of all conservative Christians. Before then, I had thought premillenialism, which is the term for this view, was as accepted by evangelicals as they accepted the historic events of Jesus’ life. According to the author, it was only liberals, doubters of the Bible, who differed with him. At least, his was the view of those who took the Bible “seriously and literally” and the scholars who “have studied Bible prophecy all their lives.”
I eventually came to learn that the end times is a subject that Bible believing Christians have debated throughout the ages. For certain time periods one view has prevailed over the others. Within the Reformed community several views have been held, although the two most prevalent are minority viewpoints as far as the American evangelical churches are concerned.
As we enter into the chapter described by commentators as the most difficult passage in Mark to explain, I want to set forth my approach over the four Sundays we will be in this. First, the outline. This morning we will look at verses 1-13, which cover the “birth pains,” the troubles and persecutions that the church will face; next, we will study 14-23, which present a special day of tribulation; third, we will consider Christ’s return in verses 24-27; then we will close with verses 28-37 about what we are to be doing as we wait for his return.
I will be today and next week presenting the four or five views of what the end time entails. My goal, when this is all over, is not so much to convince you of one view, as it will be to have a charitable attitude towards the different opinions. I want you to realize how complex this issue really is. Indeed, I would add that if you have not done much study on the subject, you will not be able to have a firm position when these sermons are done. I cannot do justice to the subject in the brief time I am giving it. What I do want to leave you with, however, is a firm belief in Christ’s return and with a wonder and joy of that last wondrous event for which we are waiting.
Text
As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
Consider what the disciples were looking at. The temple mount which contains the temple facilities is 35 ½ acres (1/6th of Jerusalem) supported and encompassed by walls of “massive stones.” How massive? The largest averaged about 25’ long, 12’ feet high, and 8’ deep. Those are big stones! Inside on the mount, the walls are lined with porticos that are about 45’ deep, held up by two rows of marble columns 37 ½’ high. The royal portico is 197 yards long and 35 yards (not feet) deep. The roof over this porch was supported by 162 marble columns 27 feet high. It took three men to stretch their arms around a column. The mount supported a complex of large courts, colonnades, and buildings, the most important of course being the temple itself, which rose above 100 feet and was plated on the outside with gold. No wonder the admiration of the disciples. How great their dismay then to hear Jesus’ response.
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.”
To our own grief, this time we can identify with their feelings, especially anyone who has seen the World Trade Towers up close. And we can understand somewhat Jesus’ own emotions as he reveals the temple’s and Jerusalem’s future. But if we think the Trade Towers were a symbol for America, imagine the place of the temple in the hearts of the Jews. The temple was Israel; it was Judaism. This was the dwelling of God; this was the only place in all the world where a Jew may offer sacrifice to his God. This was not merely symbolic ground, it was the holiest ground in all of creation. And Jesus greets their expression of delight with a sober, frightening response: it will all be destroyed.
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately…
The Mount of Olives is a hill overlooking the temple mount. His four closest disciples speak to him privately no doubt for fear. To speak publicly of the destruction of the temple would have had the same reaction of someone already at odds with authorities now standing outside the Statute of Liberty and pronouncing that it would be destroyed.
They then ask the two questions that lead to Jesus’ longest discourse in Mark’s gospel: 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” Matthew helps us get behind the questions as Mark records them. It could be that the disciples are merely asking about the destruction of the temple and drawing no further conclusions than that it was a dreadful event. Listen to their questions in Matthew 24:3: “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” They equated the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem with the end time, as would be natural. Such a catastrophe and judgment coupled with Jesus’ remark at the end of Matthew 23 must involve the return of the Messiah: 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Jesus’ initial response is not to point out the signs, but to caution his disciples from being deceived by signs. 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.
There will be many who claim to be the Messiah; there will be wars; there will be earthquakes and famines. The end is still to come…These are the beginning of birth pains. Jesus is saying don’t go to the library and photocopy articles about earthquakes and wars and famines. These are things that will happen through all generations, and we are not to raise the alarms of Christ’s imminent return because Saddam Hussein or Osama ben Laden or whoever it may be next has taken up arms. These things, in and of themselves, make our generation no different from any other.
Jesus then prepares his disciples for the persecution they will face. 9 “You must be on your guard.
This is necessary to do. The disciples still have it in their minds that Jesus is about to usher in the kingdom in such a way that will vanquish all his enemies. He wants them to understand that they will face harsh opposition. 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…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 All men will hate you because of me…
Even so, their mission to preach the gospel will prevail: 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. And they may trust God’s Spirit to provide the necessary wisdom at the time: 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. Therefore, do not give way to fear, but persevere: but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Again, Jesus’ point is not “when such persecution comes then the end is near,” but “these things will take place and do not mean the end has come.”
Now, to whom is Jesus applying this teaching – his disciples then or his disciples to come at a later time? I think primarily to his disciples then. They would experience everything he says, including the earthquakes and wars, but especially the persecution. If by “world,” Jesus meant “Roman world,” then they achieved that fulfillment as well. Now, having said that, I think believers throughout the ages are also intended to apply the warnings to ourselves, in the same way we accept Jesus’ charge to his disciples in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 to go to all the world and make disciples. Jesus’ disciples are asking the question. He replies “you” will experience all these things. He doesn’t say, “Don’t worry, another generation will have to go through these troubles.”
Post- and A- Millennialism
I promised to present the varying views of the end times. By the way, for your information, the term that describes this whole subject of the end times is called eschatology. “Eschatos” means last; thus eschatology is the study of last things.
The two views I will review now have been the predominant views of Reformed Christians since the Reformation. The terms I am about to give use the word “millennium.” Since we have just completed a millennium, we know the term means “a thousand.” The two views are postmillennialism and amillennialism.
Why the word “millennia”? It is taken from Revelation 20:1-6, which speaks of a thousand year period in which Satan is bound, and Christ and his followers reign. How one interprets both the time and the nature of that millennial period defines the varying end time positions.
A premillennialist believes that Christ will return and set up a kingdom on earth that will last for 1,000 years, after which there will be a brief rebellion led by the now released Satan. That will be crushed, and the final judgment and consummation of the eternal kingdom will take place. Until the time of Christ’s return to establish his millennial reign, we should expect increasing troubles.
A postmillennialist believes that the millennium reign is a spiritual reign. It has either already begun or is still to come; either way, earth will eventually experience a lengthy period of peace and blessing because of the influence of the gospel both in changing lives and transforming political structures. At the end of that millennium, Christ will return, judge the earth, and usher in the new eternal kingdom.
Do you see the difference? The premillennialist believes Christ will come before the millennial period; the postmillennialist believes Christ will come after it. The amillennialist agrees with postmillennialist that the millennial kingdom is a spiritual kingdom and that it exists now as Christ reigns over his church. He does not agree, however, that the earth is destined for a golden period of peace and blessing. He aligns more with the premillennialist and expects a mix of troubles with blessings for the church, most likely culminating in more troubles. At some unknown time, Christ will come, judge the earth, and usher in the new eternal kingdom.
What distinguishes the post- from the amillennialist is how one views the prospects of the gospel on earth. Each has the same view of the millennium as being a figure of speech of describing the spiritual reign of Christ on earth. Both believe that when Christ returns, that will be “the end of the world as we know it.” The vision of Revelation 21 and 22 will be fulfilled, a new heaven and earth established. The premillennialist says there is still another 1,000 years to go after Christ’s return before that vision is fulfilled.
Historically, each view has had its day of being the majority opinion in the church. Premillennialism seems to be the dominant view in the early church up to the 4th century. Then, from Augustine in the 4th century to the end of the 19th century, postmillennialism held the top position. Because post- and amillennialism are so similar it is unclear which position has been held by believers and theologians during much of that time. Since the 20th century the two prevalent views have been amillennialism and premillennialism, the latter because of the new form found in Dispensationalism. That will be addressed next Sunday.
Post- and a millennialism have remained the prevalent views in the Reformed traditions. Both camps claim Augustine. John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, J. Gresham Machen, John Owen, and B.B. Warfield were all postmillennialists. The majority of 20th century Reformed theologians have been amillennialists. If you have had “ears to hear,” you will have concluded long ago through my sermons, especially in the evening on Isaiah, that I am an amillennialist.
How would you have known that, considering this is my first sermon on eschatology? One is how I have referred to Christ as reigning now. Christ is not waiting to reign; he is now seated at the right hand of God the Father ruling his kingdom. Another is how I have interpreted prophecy in Isaiah. I teach how prophecies of the Messiah’s reign are fulfilled in his first coming and are to be completed in his second coming where he ushers in the final judgment and his eternal kingdom. I do not apply them to an inbetween millennial earthly reign. Finally, you will have already noticed the way I have approached this passage. I will demonstrate more next Sunday, but a premillennialist would have immediately taken issue with me on my interpretation. The wars and persecutions are signs for the end time, and this passage applies more to the generation that will see Christ’s return than to the generation of Jesus’ disciples.
Conclusion
This is a confusing subject, no doubt. But here is what you can clearly take away from the text so far. Trials, whether they be persecutions or simply the general troubles of a fallen world, have been the common course for Christ’s followers and will continue to be for the future as we are able to see into it. What matters is that we persevere through whatever may come our way – whether we are attacked by persecution or tempted by the world’s seductions, whether Christ’s coming seems distance or at hand. What matters is that the gospel continue to be preached throughout the world – whether in our neighborhood or we travel far away.
He who stands firm to the end will be saved. And by the grace of our God, he will keep us firm. He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
