June 2, 2025 • 33 mins
We'd love to hear from you. Message us here.
Jesus explains the significance of recognizing the signs of the times as He continues the Olivet Discourse, teaching His disciples about the end of the age and His eventual return.
• The parable of the fig tree teaches us to recognize when the season of Christ's return is near
• Jesus emphasizes that while we can discern the times, no one knows the exact day or hour
• The rebirth of Israel in 1948 stands as a significant prophetic fulfillment and sign of the last days
• Daniel's prophecy of increased travel and knowledge perfectly describes our modern world
• Jesus instructs believers to "watch and pray" - living in constant readiness for His return
• Being ready doesn't mean living in fear but maintaining faithful service like attentive servants
• Christ's return should be anticipated with hopeful expectation rather than dread
Let's be found watching and working when Jesus returns, not sleeping or distracted by the things of this world.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Mark, chapter 13.
We are going through the bookof Mark and we are in the middle
of the final week before thecross and we are finishing today
what is known as the OlivetDiscourse.
You remember the story there?
Jesus goes out of the templeafter facing off with the
(00:28):
religious leaders and sitting onthe hillside across from the
temple, area known as the Mountof Olives.
He's facing the temple, itseems, and he's teaching his
disciples about the last days.
Now they asked the questionabout when these things would be
(00:50):
.
And Jesus?
He takes a good amount of time,more than even what we have
here at Mark.
There is Matthew 24 and Luke 21.
He takes time just to explainthis idea of the last days, and
Jesus we saw last time there inverse 14, zooms into the future,
(01:16):
a time yet to come, and beginsto explain some events that
happen in the final seven yearsof human history.
It's a time detailed in thebook of Daniel and most
significantly in the book ofRevelation, for some extra
reading there Now.
Last week I mentioned a coupleof disclaimers here.
(01:39):
Number one is that the topic ofthe last days eschatology is a
word you might use for thatstudy of the last days is one
that's not without controversy.
There is a lot of difference ofopinion on how and when things
go down in the last days.
Churches, believers differ onthe goings on of the last days,
(02:05):
believers differ on the goingson of the last days, and it has
led to a lot of controversy.
And I just wanted to point outwe can differ on those kinds of
issues.
These are not salvation issues.
Good people, good Christianpeople, have a difference of
opinion and that's okay and wecan agree to disagree.
It's not a salvation issue.
(02:27):
I also mentioned last week thatI think a better way to hit
this, rather than me standing uphere lecturing, would be to
just sit across the table fromy'all and just discuss it over
lunch or coffee or something.
And it was kind of cool afterlast week's study, you know,
we're able to just kind of dothat, just sit with some folks
and just kind of discuss and askquestions and discuss different
(02:52):
ideas, and I think that wouldbe a better way to do it.
So if you guys, anyone wants todo that, stick around, let's
just talk.
But I think it's a better wayto go about this.
But going through the book ofMark, we hit this and things.
Jesus again goes to the future,things that haven't happened
(03:14):
yet.
But we pick up in verse 28.
He says this Now learn theparable from the fig tree.
When its branches alreadybecome tender, it puts forth
leaves and you know that summeris near.
So you also, when you see thesethings happening, know that
it's near at the doors.
(03:36):
Assuredly, I say to you, thisgeneration will by no means pass
away.
Till all these things takeplace, heaven and earth will
pass away, but my words will byno means pass away.
Till all these things takeplace, heaven and earth will
pass away, but my words will byno means pass away.
So, jesus, after sharing somepretty pointed things on the
(03:56):
future, he shares a parable.
He calls it a parable, aparable of the fig tree.
It's an illustration.
It's not much of a story.
He calls it a parable, aparable of the fig tree.
It's an illustration.
It's not much of a story, it'smore encyclopedic, I think,
botanical truth.
Here Jesus says the fig treereacts to the changing of the
(04:25):
seasons, like here in northeastTexasxas.
Things uh somewhat die off.
Uh, there in the wintertime andyou know how it is right
everything turns brown and we'reokay with that because it means
we don't have to cut the grass.
But there comes that week inwhat april maybe, depending on
what the weather's like where,uh, you start to see kind of
(04:45):
this green haze on all of thetrees.
Isn't it kind of special?
It's almost, you know, exciting.
And you start to see kind of agreen tint to everything.
Then you go away for theweekend or something.
It never fails.
You go away for a day and youcome back and it's a jungle,
right?
You know, your grass is aboutthree feet tall and the changing
of the seasons, it doessomething to the plants.
(05:08):
That's obvious, right?
There's basic truth.
And Jesus here does a little bitof a lesson, a little bit of a
parable on the fig tree and hesays when you start to see some
leaves on it and fruit on it andthings change, you know the
seasons are changing.
That's a basic truth.
Now, much has been made of thisparable.
Plenty of books, I'm sure, havebeen written on this.
(05:35):
But in verse 30, notice, headds this to his account.
Assuredly, I say to you thisgeneration will by no means pass
away until all these thingstake place.
And so what's the fig tree?
Well, what's a generation?
Because Jesus is sayingsomething very specific here
(05:57):
about a time period of people, ageneration of people, and he
says all these things are goingto come to pass before this
generation passes away.
Now, one of the most notabletheories that you've probably
heard on this is that the figtree represents Israel.
It wasn't that long before this.
(06:18):
Remember that Jesus cursed afig tree there in the temple
area.
And they came back the next dayand the fig tree was dead.
And we saw the obvious truththere that there was a parallel
between the state of this figtree and the people of Israel
who were not having faith, whodid not believe in him, and
(06:42):
Jesus kind of works that visualpicture there.
So a lot of people have takenthis to mean the fig tree is a
picture of Israel.
In the Old Testament Israel isseen as a fig tree and so many
have in recent times put forwardon this that the generation
that sees Israel blossom andbloom, become a nation won't
(07:07):
pass away until all of thesethings of the last days take
place.
And that's exciting, right.
And you start to ask well,what's a generation?
40 years, 70 years?
1948 is when Israel became anation, so perhaps we'll see
something going down in ourlifetimes.
I think that could be true, butthe problem perhaps is in
(07:31):
Luke's account.
In Luke 21, 29, jesus makes astatement and this is added look
at the fig tree and all thetrees.
So in Luke's account, jesusactually says it happens this
way with all the trees.
So in Luke's account, jesusactually says it happens this
way with all the trees.
Is it specific with this figtree?
And maybe he was pointing at afig tree because there's plenty
(07:53):
of them in Israel.
Yeah, it's significant with afig tree, but it's also
significant with all trees.
So maybe a better thought onthis is that Jesus is just
saying look at the evidencearound you, look at what's going
on in the world.
(08:14):
Even better, verse 14, we seeJesus has said some pretty
specific things about the lastdays.
He says when you see theabomination of desolation spoken
up by Daniel, the prophet andyou'll remember that was a
specific thing a specific thingthat's going to happen in the
final seven years of humanhistory that this one that we
(08:37):
typically call the Antichrist wetalked about this last week
will come into a temple of sortsand will consider himself and
demand worship as God.
The abomination of desolationhappens in the center of the
last seven years of humanhistory.
And Jesus then is saying well,if you see this, when you see
(09:00):
these things, that generationwill not pass away.
Why is that?
Well, because there's onlythree and a half years left of
the process until God sets uphis kingdom on earth.
So what he's likely sayingthere is all these things are
going to happen.
When you see it all go down,when you see the stuff that's
(09:22):
talked about a little later thatthe stars of heaven will fall,
the powers of the heavens willbe shaken, the sun will be
darkened and the moon, therevelation kind of stuff when
you see that begin to fall apart, realize it's all going.
This generation will not passaway until all of it happens.
(09:48):
Now, interesting, it's even moredetailed than that.
When you look at it, as welooked at this seven-year
tribulation and the Antichristand the abomination of
desolation last week we talkedtoo much about it maybe.
Daniel, chapter 12, verse 11,says this and from the time that
(10:11):
the daily sacrifice is takenaway and the abomination of
desolation is set up, thereshall be 1,290 days.
Blessed is he who waits andcomes to the 1,335 days.
Blessed is he who waits andcomes to the 1,335 days.
So here in Daniel, we're giventhe exact day count between this
(10:33):
abomination of desolation andwhen God essentially sets up his
literal kingdom on earth.
So that's how detailed thisprophecy is, um.
Now, last week we also talkedabout the idea that believers
won't be here, uh, and, and thisis all just a sign of the
(10:54):
season for us, um, so perhapsthis passage is not so much for
us, uh, but it is for those thatwill be here.
Now, one thing though as we lookat prophecy, we understand that
(11:19):
lots of books are written,right, current events.
It's fun to talk about currentevents and what's going on in
the world and how that mightplay into the last days in the
world and how that might playinto the last days.
Speculation is a lot of fun,it's interesting, right, and yet
sometimes I think we write alot into it.
I'm all for it, I'm all forknowing the signs and the times
and what's going on in the newsand such, but sometimes I think
(11:41):
we do kind of stumble people alittle bit, because, if you'll
remember back to like the 70s,right, it was the new barcodes
that were on all the products,right, those barcode scans and
movies were made where thatcould be.
That might be.
It probably is the mark of thebeast, and some of us remember
watching movies with thebarcodes on the forehead and
(12:03):
everything, and we wereterrified when we were eight
years old.
But you know, we look back atthat and we go well, it's
interesting and all, but we dolook a little silly grasping at
these things Interesting stuff.
But I do think we need to becareful.
Maybe of you know how muchweight we put on this
speculation Now.
(12:24):
I don't think now come back.
I don't think at the same timewe're not with, I don't think
we're without signs of the times, and I want to just throw out
three signs that I think arepretty critical to where we are
in human history, things that Ithink are a little more stable.
Number one is the rebirth ofIsrael.
(12:48):
This is something I think toconsider the rebirth of Israel.
Now, following the destructionof the temple in AD 70, the Jews
were scattered around theplanet, everywhere, right
Through Europe and Asia.
The Jews just were scattered,but they were definitely not in
(13:08):
Israel.
That was one place you reallydidn't want to be and there was
no real Jewish homeland.
The children of Israel werewanderers, yet Bible prophecy
still had plans for the nationof Israel.
In Ezekiel 38, we see theredescribed a conflict that will
(13:33):
happen between Israel and somenations that are around.
That may include Russia andIran, and and, and that's there
in the book of Ezekiel.
Uh, fascinating, but but checkit out the people of Israel
weren't in the land, so howcould they be surrounded and
attacked and how could Goddeliver them?
(13:54):
And people would writecommentaries on those sections
of scripture and they wouldstart to spiritualize it.
Well, you see, israel's nolonger Israel.
We know that the church is nowIsrael.
And there was this kind ofreplacement theology going on,
and a lot of it was just becausenobody could see it ever
(14:17):
happening that Israel wouldbecome a nation again.
Ezekiel 37, the Valley of theDry Bones vision there from
Ezekiel shows that the nation ofIsrael is like dry bones, dead
dry bones in the land, andthey're brought back together
there in that vision, ezekiel 37.
(14:38):
They're brought back togetherand they're given muscle but
still aren't alive.
Well, ezekiel 37, god hasEzekiel prophesied to the spirit
, to the wind, and tells it tofill those dry bones.
And you know the story right.
Those dry bones become an army,become a living army.
(15:01):
Now again, before 1948, beforeMay 14th of 1948, people
spiritualized that, well, itcan't be Israel, because they're
just long dead.
Yeah right, ezekiel 37, longdead.
And everyone was blown awaywhen, may 14th 1948, israel was
(15:27):
reborn as a nation, not just interm, but in reality.
So in our lifetimes, so tospeak, israel has become a real,
honest to goodness nation,again Dead for 2,000 years just
(15:47):
about, and we see this as amiracle.
Years just about, and we seethis as a miracle.
But because there's so muchprophecy that includes the
nation of Israel, stuff thathasn't been fulfilled, a work
that God's going to do, this isintense sign of the times that
Israel is once again a nation.
(16:07):
File that away.
I think it's significant.
Another one that I think ispretty solid.
Let's turn to Daniel, chapter 12.
I like this one.
I mean, I don't have to like it, but Daniel, chapter 12, verse
4.
(16:28):
Now critics have trouble withthe book of Daniel because his
prophecies are so specific.
Chapters 10 and 11 are sospecific that it reads like a
history book, and most criticscan't handle the fact that a guy
named Daniel, who lived waybefore all these things happened
(16:51):
, wrote it.
So they actually give it to aguy that goes by Daniel that
lived after the fact of thesehistorical things in Daniel,
chapter 10 and 11 were done.
So people have a problem withthe book of Daniel, but God
doesn't have a problem with thebook of Daniel.
But notice the last chapter,book of Daniel, daniel 12, verse
(17:12):
four.
God tells Daniel this, but you,daniel, shut up the words and
seal the book until the time ofthe end.
Many shall run to and fro andknowledge shall increase.
Now, this is one little verse,but I think it's pretty
significant, as we really juststop and look at our world today
(17:33):
.
Two things are said about theworld when the book of Daniel
starts to make more sense, theseparts of the book of Daniel
that haven't been fulfilled yet.
Two things specifically aresaid about the world of that day
Many shall run to and fro hereand there, and knowledge shall
increase.
There are few ways that youcould describe the world we live
(17:56):
in better than people run toand fro and knowledge has
increased.
Think about it For the lastthousands of years.
I don't even know.
I mean look at 5,000, 6,000years, right?
I don't even know.
I mean look at five, sixthousand years, whatever.
Most people have not ever lefttheir village that they were
(18:17):
born in.
That's the way most humanhistory went.
You traveled as fast as yourfeet could carry you.
If you were lucky, you had ahorse, right, how much did you
travel?
Not much.
You look at people that sailedoff to distant lands and you go
wow, the explorers.
You know, you looked at peoplewho, who traveled across the
(18:39):
prairie as pioneers, and you gothose people were amazing.
And you do, right.
Well, now, of course, we travelby car, and a five hour road
trip is hard to handle.
We travel by car and a fivehour road trip is hard to handle
, right, if you're in the middleof all those road trips where
you're going like I'm ready tostop, this is too much for me,
(18:59):
you know.
And then you think about thepioneers.
It's almost like you can likevisualize in their horses and
their you know wagons passing byand you go.
Ok, you know it's like months,right, they travel like months,
you know, and you know half ofthem died on the way there.
You know it's like months,right, they travel like months,
you know, and you know half ofthem died on the way there.
(19:20):
You know and, and, and you lookat it and you go.
We live in a different timeperiod.
Right, we travel at the speedof sound, if you want.
Right, probably in our lifetime, if good old Elon has his way,
we'll be touching down on Marsor something you know, and you
look and you go.
Do people travel to and fro now?
Yes, like never, ever, everbefore.
(19:42):
Right, and that is a good wayto describe the way life is
today very unique.
Life is today very unique.
Now, knowledge.
Notice to Daniel.
Here it says knowledge shallincrease.
So, along with travel,knowledge has increased.
(20:05):
Think about it.
My mom I got to mention her atleast once a study, right?
My mom claims and I think she'stelling the truth that she had
an outhouse when she was growingup.
No, but picture that, the truth, that she had an outhouse when
she was growing up.
Picture that Someone in thisroom had an outhouse off to the
side of their house and most ofus in this room were born before
the invention of cell phones.
(20:26):
Some of you gasp.
You can't understand it.
If you broke down on the sideof the road, you were probably
knocking on someone's door touse their phone.
What that's crazy, you know,but that was not all that long
ago.
Now I did a little bit of AIresearch, which is another point
(20:48):
of knowledge increasing.
But it was fascinating.
Think of the developments.
Just try to track with this,the developments in the last
hundred years.
In 1920, there was an estimated100,000 patents.
Now, in 1920, we were alreadydoing pretty good on inventions,
right, there were some crazythings going on in 1920 with
(21:11):
light bulbs and electricity andall that kind of stuff.
100,000 patents were issued in1920.
In 2020, over 3 million wereissued patents.
In 1925, 10,000 to 20,000scientific papers were published
(21:36):
.
So picture it 10 to 20,000, bignumber, right?
Scientific papers Today, in oneyear, we exceed 2.5 million
scientific papers published,scientific papers published.
Of the scientific research inthe last 100 years, 80% has been
(21:56):
done since 1975.
A couple more big numbers.
You got to listen.
This is great.
In 1920, the Library of Congressheld 5 million items estimated
one terabyte of information.
So that's 1920, estimated oneterabyte of information.
In 2024, the global estimatewas 147 zettabytes.
(22:24):
I don't even know what azettabyte is, but apparently
it's one with 21 zeros after it.
21 zeros after it.
A trillion-fold increase in theLibrary of Congress and
globally, right of information,a trillion-fold increase.
(22:45):
So when you think about this,all these big numbers that are
so big they don't even makesense.
You consider this and what we'recapable of, it's hard not to
think of an original issue thatwe had in the book of Genesis,
the Tower of Babel, right, whereGod came down and frustrated
their languages and God said tohimself if we don't stop them,
(23:08):
they're going to be capable ofanything.
What would we be capable of?
Likely, destroying ourselves,right.
And God says this is not good.
And knowledge has beenincreasing exponentially over
the last hundred years.
Now, this isn't technologicalparanoia.
(23:28):
Our world is changing veryquickly, right.
But check it out.
Daniel says this is the way theworld is going to be in the end
times.
People will go to and frothat's us and knowledge will
increase a little bit.
Oh, a lot of it, right, it hasdefinitely happened.
(23:49):
So the signs that we're livingin the last days are evident.
These are not a stretch, right.
The world seems to resemble theone that's required for the
return of Jesus.
So we look at Mark 13, and werealize, as we look at the signs
(24:13):
of the times, the fig tree, theway things look, we go, summer
is on its way.
The return of Jesus may not bevery far at all Now, verse 33,
verse 32, jesus takes a littleturn here for us and he says but
(24:34):
of that day and hour no oneknows, not even the angels in
heaven, nor the son, but onlythe father.
Take heed, watch and pray, foryou do not know when the time is
.
It's like a man going to a farcountry.
We'll get to that in a second.
But Jesus here says, here saysa principle for us no one knows
(25:04):
the day or the hour, nobodyknows the day when the rapture
is going to happen, where thingsare just going to fully come
down and notice.
He says there interesting, inverse 32, that not even the sun
knows.
Now, this is kind of a trip,right, because Jesus the son is
100% God, 100% man, and we lookat this and go as God.
He had to have known everything.
(25:25):
He's omniscient, that's whatGod is.
He's omnipotent, he can dowhatever he wants.
Well then, how is it that theson didn't know?
And I think it's just thisdynamic we see, with this
humanity and his deity, thatJesus humbled himself.
John 1, verse 14, jesus, theword, became flesh, 100 percent
(25:48):
flesh, and dwelt among us.
He lived among us like anactual human being.
So some things we can take withthat is that he humbled himself
and he really did take on theform of a bondservant, real
human blood.
Jesus was not born, you know,with this massive knowledge, you
know able to speak.
As he came out of the womb, youknow, he grew and he grew in
(26:13):
his learning and his stature andall these things.
He grew up like a normal humanbeing.
When we see Jesus healing people, I think it's important to
realize he's not working in hisall-powerfulness, his
omnipotence right Now.
I suppose he could have, but Ibelieve that he depended on the
(26:34):
Spirit, on the Father, as muchas any other person ever did.
So when Jesus heals someone,he's depending upon the spirit
for that ability.
As he knows different things.
He's in tune with the spirit toknow those things.
And here, just as an aside, hesays look, I don't even know.
(26:55):
Right now, as a human being, Idon't have the direct answer of
when this is going to go down.
The Father hasn't revealed thatto me and I think that's what
we see here in verse 32.
But he says not knowing.
Watch and pray.
In Matthew 24, 44, he says thisthe Son of man is coming in an
(27:23):
hour when you do not expect.
Right?
There's this tension there, inthese things of the last days,
where we just have to be ready.
Now, we can know the times andthe seasons, as with the fig
tree, but the specifics?
We just have to be ready.
Now, we can know the times andthe seasons, as with the fig
tree, but the specifics we justhave to trust.
So our response in verse 34 isto always be ready.
(27:47):
Something we talked about before, it's this idea of eminence.
Notice verse 34, it's a parableagain.
It's like a man going to a farcountry who's left his house and
gave authority to his servantsand to each his work, and
commanded a doorkeeper to watch.
Watch, therefore, for you donot know when the master of the
(28:08):
house is coming, an evening or amidnight, at the crowing of the
rooster in the morning, lestcoming.
Suddenly he find you sleepingand I say to you and what I say
to you?
I say to all watch.
So a parable here is given to us, and it's a simple one.
It's a man who has a job.
It's a good picture of life,isn't it?
(28:30):
We are all servants in God'sworld and our time is his time
right, and because he saved us,everything we have belongs to
him.
He's the master, right?
He's the Lord, and we all canlook at this and go I get it, I
get it.
I've had a job before and youknow you have your times where
(28:52):
you do a really good job and youhave other times where you just
don't feel like I mean, none ofyou would do that.
But you know you don't feellike doing your job, you don't
feel like doing it with so muchenergy.
Um, but here the picture godgives is like work, don't just
serve when your boss is watching, serve, serve all the time.
(29:16):
But since we're talking aboutGod, realize, come back.
He's always watching, right.
And so this picture is here,that you wanna live in such a
way that you're not ashamedVerse 36,.
You don't want him to come andfind you sleeping, like I love
naps, but when it's job timeit's not a good time to sleep.
(29:40):
So we do these things unto theLord.
We want to watch, we want to beready, we want to pray, we want
to be connected to him,watching as we look at ancient
servants.
Psalm 123, verse one, says thisI lift my eyes to you, to you
(30:00):
who sit enthroned in heaven asthe eyes of slaves look to hand
of their master.
As the eyes of a female slavelook to the hand of her mistress
, so our eyes look to the Lord,our God, till he shows us his
mercy.
So here we're, given this ideaof working and it says you watch
, a servant would watch, and themaster would?
(30:22):
You know that over there?
You know, go, do that.
I need that, you know, and youknow that's just what it is to
be a master, I guess.
But you know, we want to be intune with what God is telling us
, right?
We want to be in tune with whathe's instructing us to do
Always be ready, always bewatching.
(30:42):
He says watch and pray.
Prayer is just connection to God, fellowship with God.
I think about communication andfellowship.
I think about going for a walkwith my wife, right, it's a
great time, right, those momentsthat you have where you just
take a walk and you just talkand you walk, and you walk and
(31:04):
you talk and you go.
It's this connection, you know,it's an opportunity.
Everything else kind of aside,what's going on in your life?
What's going on in your life?
And yet the most beautifulthing is when our relationship
with God is like that, where wejust are in tune with him.
God, what do you want, god?
(31:24):
What do you want to show metoday?
God, what do you want me to do?
What do you want my time tolook like?
So watching and praying.
And we see this last thing here,this tension Again.
Do we know when the Lord iscoming back?
We don't.
Could it be today?
It could be today and we'd beokay with that, right, we'd all
be okay with that.
(31:45):
But it might not.
We might have to endure andkeep going, and that's one thing
of life.
But at the other hand, we'reready for him to come back at
any time.
We're waiting, we're watching,we're working, we're walking
with him and when he comes, webe found ready.
(32:07):
That's the punchline.
Now, check it out.
I don't think that has to be ascary thing, unless you're just
totally off in left field anddoing your own thing, and I
don't know what.
You're just totally off in leftfield and like doing your own
thing and I don't know whatyou're doing here.
Anyways, you know, that didn'thave to be a scary thing.
We look forward to his comingto get us.
It doesn't have to be a scarything because he loves us.
(32:29):
Now, of course, if we'regoofing off.
Yeah, whatever, we should bescared, but, but, but no, just
looking and waiting, wanting himto come.
Um, that, I think, is theattitude that god would have us
to have.
So, god, uh, so easy to justlook at these things in a
technical way, and yet we reallylook at the world.
(32:52):
Uh, we live in a crazy timewhere so much more than even
what we talked about today Ithink, points to the fact that
you could come back at any time.
God, I pray you'd be ready.
Not that our heart would be inorder, our mind would be given
to you, god, that we would begood servants, doing the things
(33:12):
that you tell us to do.
God, thank you that you do loveus.
Thank you that you will us todo.
God, thank you that you do loveus.
Thank you that you will, as youpromised, come that where you
are, that we will be also God.
So good, I just pray that youwould help these things to be in
our heart.
In Jesus' name, we pray Amen,thank you.
Mark, chapter 13.
We are going through the bookof Mark and we are in the middle
of the final week before thecross and we are finishing today
what is known as the OlivetDiscourse.
You remember the story there?
Jesus goes out of the templeafter facing off with the
(00:28):
religious leaders and sitting onthe hillside across from the
temple, area known as the Mountof Olives.
He's facing the temple, itseems, and he's teaching his
disciples about the last days.
Now they asked the questionabout when these things would be
(00:50):
.
And Jesus?
He takes a good amount of time,more than even what we have
here at Mark.
There is Matthew 24 and Luke 21.
He takes time just to explainthis idea of the last days, and
Jesus we saw last time there inverse 14, zooms into the future,
(01:16):
a time yet to come, and beginsto explain some events that
happen in the final seven yearsof human history.
It's a time detailed in thebook of Daniel and most
significantly in the book ofRevelation, for some extra
reading there Now.
Last week I mentioned a coupleof disclaimers here.
(01:39):
Number one is that the topic ofthe last days eschatology is a
word you might use for thatstudy of the last days is one
that's not without controversy.
There is a lot of difference ofopinion on how and when things
go down in the last days.
Churches, believers differ onthe goings on of the last days,
(02:05):
believers differ on the goingson of the last days, and it has
led to a lot of controversy.
And I just wanted to point outwe can differ on those kinds of
issues.
These are not salvation issues.
Good people, good Christianpeople, have a difference of
opinion and that's okay and wecan agree to disagree.
It's not a salvation issue.
(02:27):
I also mentioned last week thatI think a better way to hit
this, rather than me standing uphere lecturing, would be to
just sit across the table fromy'all and just discuss it over
lunch or coffee or something.
And it was kind of cool afterlast week's study, you know,
we're able to just kind of dothat, just sit with some folks
and just kind of discuss and askquestions and discuss different
(02:52):
ideas, and I think that wouldbe a better way to do it.
So if you guys, anyone wants todo that, stick around, let's
just talk.
But I think it's a better wayto go about this.
But going through the book ofMark, we hit this and things.
Jesus again goes to the future,things that haven't happened
(03:14):
yet.
But we pick up in verse 28.
He says this Now learn theparable from the fig tree.
When its branches alreadybecome tender, it puts forth
leaves and you know that summeris near.
So you also, when you see thesethings happening, know that
it's near at the doors.
(03:36):
Assuredly, I say to you, thisgeneration will by no means pass
away.
Till all these things takeplace, heaven and earth will
pass away, but my words will byno means pass away.
Till all these things takeplace, heaven and earth will
pass away, but my words will byno means pass away.
So, jesus, after sharing somepretty pointed things on the
(03:56):
future, he shares a parable.
He calls it a parable, aparable of the fig tree.
It's an illustration.
It's not much of a story.
He calls it a parable, aparable of the fig tree.
It's an illustration.
It's not much of a story, it'smore encyclopedic, I think,
botanical truth.
Here Jesus says the fig treereacts to the changing of the
(04:25):
seasons, like here in northeastTexasxas.
Things uh somewhat die off.
Uh, there in the wintertime andyou know how it is right
everything turns brown and we'reokay with that because it means
we don't have to cut the grass.
But there comes that week inwhat april maybe, depending on
what the weather's like where,uh, you start to see kind of
(04:45):
this green haze on all of thetrees.
Isn't it kind of special?
It's almost, you know, exciting.
And you start to see kind of agreen tint to everything.
Then you go away for theweekend or something.
It never fails.
You go away for a day and youcome back and it's a jungle,
right?
You know, your grass is aboutthree feet tall and the changing
of the seasons, it doessomething to the plants.
(05:08):
That's obvious, right?
There's basic truth.
And Jesus here does a little bitof a lesson, a little bit of a
parable on the fig tree and hesays when you start to see some
leaves on it and fruit on it andthings change, you know the
seasons are changing.
That's a basic truth.
Now, much has been made of thisparable.
Plenty of books, I'm sure, havebeen written on this.
(05:35):
But in verse 30, notice, headds this to his account.
Assuredly, I say to you thisgeneration will by no means pass
away until all these thingstake place.
And so what's the fig tree?
Well, what's a generation?
Because Jesus is sayingsomething very specific here
(05:57):
about a time period of people, ageneration of people, and he
says all these things are goingto come to pass before this
generation passes away.
Now, one of the most notabletheories that you've probably
heard on this is that the figtree represents Israel.
It wasn't that long before this.
(06:18):
Remember that Jesus cursed afig tree there in the temple
area.
And they came back the next dayand the fig tree was dead.
And we saw the obvious truththere that there was a parallel
between the state of this figtree and the people of Israel
who were not having faith, whodid not believe in him, and
(06:42):
Jesus kind of works that visualpicture there.
So a lot of people have takenthis to mean the fig tree is a
picture of Israel.
In the Old Testament Israel isseen as a fig tree and so many
have in recent times put forwardon this that the generation
that sees Israel blossom andbloom, become a nation won't
(07:07):
pass away until all of thesethings of the last days take
place.
And that's exciting, right.
And you start to ask well,what's a generation?
40 years, 70 years?
1948 is when Israel became anation, so perhaps we'll see
something going down in ourlifetimes.
I think that could be true, butthe problem perhaps is in
(07:31):
Luke's account.
In Luke 21, 29, jesus makes astatement and this is added look
at the fig tree and all thetrees.
So in Luke's account, jesusactually says it happens this
way with all the trees.
So in Luke's account, jesusactually says it happens this
way with all the trees.
Is it specific with this figtree?
And maybe he was pointing at afig tree because there's plenty
(07:53):
of them in Israel.
Yeah, it's significant with afig tree, but it's also
significant with all trees.
So maybe a better thought onthis is that Jesus is just
saying look at the evidencearound you, look at what's going
on in the world.
(08:14):
Even better, verse 14, we seeJesus has said some pretty
specific things about the lastdays.
He says when you see theabomination of desolation spoken
up by Daniel, the prophet andyou'll remember that was a
specific thing a specific thingthat's going to happen in the
final seven years of humanhistory that this one that we
(08:37):
typically call the Antichrist wetalked about this last week
will come into a temple of sortsand will consider himself and
demand worship as God.
The abomination of desolationhappens in the center of the
last seven years of humanhistory.
And Jesus then is saying well,if you see this, when you see
(09:00):
these things, that generationwill not pass away.
Why is that?
Well, because there's onlythree and a half years left of
the process until God sets uphis kingdom on earth.
So what he's likely sayingthere is all these things are
going to happen.
When you see it all go down,when you see the stuff that's
(09:22):
talked about a little later thatthe stars of heaven will fall,
the powers of the heavens willbe shaken, the sun will be
darkened and the moon, therevelation kind of stuff when
you see that begin to fall apart, realize it's all going.
This generation will not passaway until all of it happens.
(09:48):
Now, interesting, it's even moredetailed than that.
When you look at it, as welooked at this seven-year
tribulation and the Antichristand the abomination of
desolation last week we talkedtoo much about it maybe.
Daniel, chapter 12, verse 11,says this and from the time that
(10:11):
the daily sacrifice is takenaway and the abomination of
desolation is set up, thereshall be 1,290 days.
Blessed is he who waits andcomes to the 1,335 days.
Blessed is he who waits andcomes to the 1,335 days.
So here in Daniel, we're giventhe exact day count between this
(10:33):
abomination of desolation andwhen God essentially sets up his
literal kingdom on earth.
So that's how detailed thisprophecy is, um.
Now, last week we also talkedabout the idea that believers
won't be here, uh, and, and thisis all just a sign of the
(10:54):
season for us, um, so perhapsthis passage is not so much for
us, uh, but it is for those thatwill be here.
Now, one thing though as we lookat prophecy, we understand that
(11:19):
lots of books are written,right, current events.
It's fun to talk about currentevents and what's going on in
the world and how that mightplay into the last days in the
world and how that might playinto the last days.
Speculation is a lot of fun,it's interesting, right, and yet
sometimes I think we write alot into it.
I'm all for it, I'm all forknowing the signs and the times
and what's going on in the newsand such, but sometimes I think
(11:41):
we do kind of stumble people alittle bit, because, if you'll
remember back to like the 70s,right, it was the new barcodes
that were on all the products,right, those barcode scans and
movies were made where thatcould be.
That might be.
It probably is the mark of thebeast, and some of us remember
watching movies with thebarcodes on the forehead and
(12:03):
everything, and we wereterrified when we were eight
years old.
But you know, we look back atthat and we go well, it's
interesting and all, but we dolook a little silly grasping at
these things Interesting stuff.
But I do think we need to becareful.
Maybe of you know how muchweight we put on this
speculation Now.
(12:24):
I don't think now come back.
I don't think at the same timewe're not with, I don't think
we're without signs of the times, and I want to just throw out
three signs that I think arepretty critical to where we are
in human history, things that Ithink are a little more stable.
Number one is the rebirth ofIsrael.
(12:48):
This is something I think toconsider the rebirth of Israel.
Now, following the destructionof the temple in AD 70, the Jews
were scattered around theplanet, everywhere, right
Through Europe and Asia.
The Jews just were scattered,but they were definitely not in
(13:08):
Israel.
That was one place you reallydidn't want to be and there was
no real Jewish homeland.
The children of Israel werewanderers, yet Bible prophecy
still had plans for the nationof Israel.
In Ezekiel 38, we see theredescribed a conflict that will
(13:33):
happen between Israel and somenations that are around.
That may include Russia andIran, and and, and that's there
in the book of Ezekiel.
Uh, fascinating, but but checkit out the people of Israel
weren't in the land, so howcould they be surrounded and
attacked and how could Goddeliver them?
(13:54):
And people would writecommentaries on those sections
of scripture and they wouldstart to spiritualize it.
Well, you see, israel's nolonger Israel.
We know that the church is nowIsrael.
And there was this kind ofreplacement theology going on,
and a lot of it was just becausenobody could see it ever
(14:17):
happening that Israel wouldbecome a nation again.
Ezekiel 37, the Valley of theDry Bones vision there from
Ezekiel shows that the nation ofIsrael is like dry bones, dead
dry bones in the land, andthey're brought back together
there in that vision, ezekiel 37.
(14:38):
They're brought back togetherand they're given muscle but
still aren't alive.
Well, ezekiel 37, god hasEzekiel prophesied to the spirit
, to the wind, and tells it tofill those dry bones.
And you know the story right.
Those dry bones become an army,become a living army.
(15:01):
Now again, before 1948, beforeMay 14th of 1948, people
spiritualized that, well, itcan't be Israel, because they're
just long dead.
Yeah right, ezekiel 37, longdead.
And everyone was blown awaywhen, may 14th 1948, israel was
(15:27):
reborn as a nation, not just interm, but in reality.
So in our lifetimes, so tospeak, israel has become a real,
honest to goodness nation,again Dead for 2,000 years just
(15:47):
about, and we see this as amiracle.
Years just about, and we seethis as a miracle.
But because there's so muchprophecy that includes the
nation of Israel, stuff thathasn't been fulfilled, a work
that God's going to do, this isintense sign of the times that
Israel is once again a nation.
(16:07):
File that away.
I think it's significant.
Another one that I think ispretty solid.
Let's turn to Daniel, chapter 12.
I like this one.
I mean, I don't have to like it, but Daniel, chapter 12, verse
4.
(16:28):
Now critics have trouble withthe book of Daniel because his
prophecies are so specific.
Chapters 10 and 11 are sospecific that it reads like a
history book, and most criticscan't handle the fact that a guy
named Daniel, who lived waybefore all these things happened
(16:51):
, wrote it.
So they actually give it to aguy that goes by Daniel that
lived after the fact of thesehistorical things in Daniel,
chapter 10 and 11 were done.
So people have a problem withthe book of Daniel, but God
doesn't have a problem with thebook of Daniel.
But notice the last chapter,book of Daniel, daniel 12, verse
(17:12):
four.
God tells Daniel this, but you,daniel, shut up the words and
seal the book until the time ofthe end.
Many shall run to and fro andknowledge shall increase.
Now, this is one little verse,but I think it's pretty
significant, as we really juststop and look at our world today
(17:33):
.
Two things are said about theworld when the book of Daniel
starts to make more sense, theseparts of the book of Daniel
that haven't been fulfilled yet.
Two things specifically aresaid about the world of that day
Many shall run to and fro hereand there, and knowledge shall
increase.
There are few ways that youcould describe the world we live
(17:56):
in better than people run toand fro and knowledge has
increased.
Think about it For the lastthousands of years.
I don't even know.
I mean look at 5,000, 6,000years, right?
I don't even know.
I mean look at five, sixthousand years, whatever.
Most people have not ever lefttheir village that they were
(18:17):
born in.
That's the way most humanhistory went.
You traveled as fast as yourfeet could carry you.
If you were lucky, you had ahorse, right, how much did you
travel?
Not much.
You look at people that sailedoff to distant lands and you go
wow, the explorers.
You know, you looked at peoplewho, who traveled across the
(18:39):
prairie as pioneers, and you gothose people were amazing.
And you do, right.
Well, now, of course, we travelby car, and a five hour road
trip is hard to handle.
We travel by car and a fivehour road trip is hard to handle
, right, if you're in the middleof all those road trips where
you're going like I'm ready tostop, this is too much for me,
(18:59):
you know.
And then you think about thepioneers.
It's almost like you can likevisualize in their horses and
their you know wagons passing byand you go.
Ok, you know it's like months,right, they travel like months,
you know, and you know half ofthem died on the way there.
You know it's like months,right, they travel like months,
you know, and you know half ofthem died on the way there.
(19:20):
You know and, and, and you lookat it and you go.
We live in a different timeperiod.
Right, we travel at the speedof sound, if you want.
Right, probably in our lifetime, if good old Elon has his way,
we'll be touching down on Marsor something you know, and you
look and you go.
Do people travel to and fro now?
Yes, like never, ever, everbefore.
(19:42):
Right, and that is a good wayto describe the way life is
today very unique.
Life is today very unique.
Now, knowledge.
Notice to Daniel.
Here it says knowledge shallincrease.
So, along with travel,knowledge has increased.
(20:05):
Think about it.
My mom I got to mention her atleast once a study, right?
My mom claims and I think she'stelling the truth that she had
an outhouse when she was growingup.
No, but picture that, the truth, that she had an outhouse when
she was growing up.
Picture that Someone in thisroom had an outhouse off to the
side of their house and most ofus in this room were born before
the invention of cell phones.
(20:26):
Some of you gasp.
You can't understand it.
If you broke down on the sideof the road, you were probably
knocking on someone's door touse their phone.
What that's crazy, you know,but that was not all that long
ago.
Now I did a little bit of AIresearch, which is another point
(20:48):
of knowledge increasing.
But it was fascinating.
Think of the developments.
Just try to track with this,the developments in the last
hundred years.
In 1920, there was an estimated100,000 patents.
Now, in 1920, we were alreadydoing pretty good on inventions,
right, there were some crazythings going on in 1920 with
(21:11):
light bulbs and electricity andall that kind of stuff.
100,000 patents were issued in1920.
In 2020, over 3 million wereissued patents.
In 1925, 10,000 to 20,000scientific papers were published
(21:36):
.
So picture it 10 to 20,000, bignumber, right?
Scientific papers Today, in oneyear, we exceed 2.5 million
scientific papers published,scientific papers published.
Of the scientific research inthe last 100 years, 80% has been
(21:56):
done since 1975.
A couple more big numbers.
You got to listen.
This is great.
In 1920, the Library of Congressheld 5 million items estimated
one terabyte of information.
So that's 1920, estimated oneterabyte of information.
In 2024, the global estimatewas 147 zettabytes.
(22:24):
I don't even know what azettabyte is, but apparently
it's one with 21 zeros after it.
21 zeros after it.
A trillion-fold increase in theLibrary of Congress and
globally, right of information,a trillion-fold increase.
(22:45):
So when you think about this,all these big numbers that are
so big they don't even makesense.
You consider this and what we'recapable of, it's hard not to
think of an original issue thatwe had in the book of Genesis,
the Tower of Babel, right, whereGod came down and frustrated
their languages and God said tohimself if we don't stop them,
(23:08):
they're going to be capable ofanything.
What would we be capable of?
Likely, destroying ourselves,right.
And God says this is not good.
And knowledge has beenincreasing exponentially over
the last hundred years.
Now, this isn't technologicalparanoia.
(23:28):
Our world is changing veryquickly, right.
But check it out.
Daniel says this is the way theworld is going to be in the end
times.
People will go to and frothat's us and knowledge will
increase a little bit.
Oh, a lot of it, right, it hasdefinitely happened.
(23:49):
So the signs that we're livingin the last days are evident.
These are not a stretch, right.
The world seems to resemble theone that's required for the
return of Jesus.
So we look at Mark 13, and werealize, as we look at the signs
(24:13):
of the times, the fig tree, theway things look, we go, summer
is on its way.
The return of Jesus may not bevery far at all Now, verse 33,
verse 32, jesus takes a littleturn here for us and he says but
(24:34):
of that day and hour no oneknows, not even the angels in
heaven, nor the son, but onlythe father.
Take heed, watch and pray, foryou do not know when the time is
.
It's like a man going to a farcountry.
We'll get to that in a second.
But Jesus here says, here saysa principle for us no one knows
(25:04):
the day or the hour, nobodyknows the day when the rapture
is going to happen, where thingsare just going to fully come
down and notice.
He says there interesting, inverse 32, that not even the sun
knows.
Now, this is kind of a trip,right, because Jesus the son is
100% God, 100% man, and we lookat this and go as God.
He had to have known everything.
(25:25):
He's omniscient, that's whatGod is.
He's omnipotent, he can dowhatever he wants.
Well then, how is it that theson didn't know?
And I think it's just thisdynamic we see, with this
humanity and his deity, thatJesus humbled himself.
John 1, verse 14, jesus, theword, became flesh, 100 percent
(25:48):
flesh, and dwelt among us.
He lived among us like anactual human being.
So some things we can take withthat is that he humbled himself
and he really did take on theform of a bondservant, real
human blood.
Jesus was not born, you know,with this massive knowledge, you
know able to speak.
As he came out of the womb, youknow, he grew and he grew in
(26:13):
his learning and his stature andall these things.
He grew up like a normal humanbeing.
When we see Jesus healing people, I think it's important to
realize he's not working in hisall-powerfulness, his
omnipotence right Now.
I suppose he could have, but Ibelieve that he depended on the
(26:34):
Spirit, on the Father, as muchas any other person ever did.
So when Jesus heals someone,he's depending upon the spirit
for that ability.
As he knows different things.
He's in tune with the spirit toknow those things.
And here, just as an aside, hesays look, I don't even know.
(26:55):
Right now, as a human being, Idon't have the direct answer of
when this is going to go down.
The Father hasn't revealed thatto me and I think that's what
we see here in verse 32.
But he says not knowing.
Watch and pray.
In Matthew 24, 44, he says thisthe Son of man is coming in an
(27:23):
hour when you do not expect.
Right?
There's this tension there, inthese things of the last days,
where we just have to be ready.
Now, we can know the times andthe seasons, as with the fig
tree, but the specifics?
We just have to be ready.
Now, we can know the times andthe seasons, as with the fig
tree, but the specifics we justhave to trust.
So our response in verse 34 isto always be ready.
(27:47):
Something we talked about before, it's this idea of eminence.
Notice verse 34, it's a parableagain.
It's like a man going to a farcountry who's left his house and
gave authority to his servantsand to each his work, and
commanded a doorkeeper to watch.
Watch, therefore, for you donot know when the master of the
(28:08):
house is coming, an evening or amidnight, at the crowing of the
rooster in the morning, lestcoming.
Suddenly he find you sleepingand I say to you and what I say
to you?
I say to all watch.
So a parable here is given to us, and it's a simple one.
It's a man who has a job.
It's a good picture of life,isn't it?
(28:30):
We are all servants in God'sworld and our time is his time
right, and because he saved us,everything we have belongs to
him.
He's the master, right?
He's the Lord, and we all canlook at this and go I get it, I
get it.
I've had a job before and youknow you have your times where
(28:52):
you do a really good job and youhave other times where you just
don't feel like I mean, none ofyou would do that.
But you know you don't feellike doing your job, you don't
feel like doing it with so muchenergy.
Um, but here the picture godgives is like work, don't just
serve when your boss is watching, serve, serve all the time.
(29:16):
But since we're talking aboutGod, realize, come back.
He's always watching, right.
And so this picture is here,that you wanna live in such a
way that you're not ashamedVerse 36,.
You don't want him to come andfind you sleeping, like I love
naps, but when it's job timeit's not a good time to sleep.
(29:40):
So we do these things unto theLord.
We want to watch, we want to beready, we want to pray, we want
to be connected to him,watching as we look at ancient
servants.
Psalm 123, verse one, says thisI lift my eyes to you, to you
(30:00):
who sit enthroned in heaven asthe eyes of slaves look to hand
of their master.
As the eyes of a female slavelook to the hand of her mistress
, so our eyes look to the Lord,our God, till he shows us his
mercy.
So here we're, given this ideaof working and it says you watch
, a servant would watch, and themaster would?
(30:22):
You know that over there?
You know, go, do that.
I need that, you know, and youknow that's just what it is to
be a master, I guess.
But you know, we want to be intune with what God is telling us
, right?
We want to be in tune with whathe's instructing us to do
Always be ready, always bewatching.
(30:42):
He says watch and pray.
Prayer is just connection to God, fellowship with God.
I think about communication andfellowship.
I think about going for a walkwith my wife, right, it's a
great time, right, those momentsthat you have where you just
take a walk and you just talkand you walk, and you walk and
(31:04):
you talk and you go.
It's this connection, you know,it's an opportunity.
Everything else kind of aside,what's going on in your life?
What's going on in your life?
And yet the most beautifulthing is when our relationship
with God is like that, where wejust are in tune with him.
God, what do you want, god?
(31:24):
What do you want to show metoday?
God, what do you want me to do?
What do you want my time tolook like?
So watching and praying.
And we see this last thing here,this tension Again.
Do we know when the Lord iscoming back?
We don't.
Could it be today?
It could be today and we'd beokay with that, right, we'd all
be okay with that.
(31:45):
But it might not.
We might have to endure andkeep going, and that's one thing
of life.
But at the other hand, we'reready for him to come back at
any time.
We're waiting, we're watching,we're working, we're walking
with him and when he comes, webe found ready.
(32:07):
That's the punchline.
Now, check it out.
I don't think that has to be ascary thing, unless you're just
totally off in left field anddoing your own thing, and I
don't know what.
You're just totally off in leftfield and like doing your own
thing and I don't know whatyou're doing here.
Anyways, you know, that didn'thave to be a scary thing.
We look forward to his comingto get us.
It doesn't have to be a scarything because he loves us.
(32:29):
Now, of course, if we'regoofing off.
Yeah, whatever, we should bescared, but, but, but no, just
looking and waiting, wanting himto come.
Um, that, I think, is theattitude that god would have us
to have.
So, god, uh, so easy to justlook at these things in a
technical way, and yet we reallylook at the world.
(32:52):
Uh, we live in a crazy timewhere so much more than even
what we talked about today Ithink, points to the fact that
you could come back at any time.
God, I pray you'd be ready.
Not that our heart would be inorder, our mind would be given
to you, god, that we would begood servants, doing the things
(33:12):
that you tell us to do.
God, thank you that you do loveus.
Thank you that you will us todo.
God, thank you that you do loveus.
Thank you that you will, as youpromised, come that where you
are, that we will be also God.
So good, I just pray that youwould help these things to be in
our heart.
In Jesus' name, we pray Amen,thank you.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com