SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
12/22/2012 10:13 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Two Parables
about Christ’s Return
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Mark
13:28-37
Message of the
verses: “28 “Now learn the parable
from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its
leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 “Even so, you too, when you see these
things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 30 “Truly I say
to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 32 “But of
that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but
the Father alone. 33 “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when
the appointed time will come. 34
"It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and
putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded
the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. 35 “Therefore, be on the alert-for you do
not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at
midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning- 36 in case he should
come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 “What I say to you I say to all, ’Be on
the alert!’"”
In this section of Mark’s Gospel we see two parables that
Jesus gives to two different groups of people.
The first parable about the fig tree and also all trees as seen in
Luke’s Gospel is for those who will be in the tribulation while the last
parable is about those who are alive at all different parts of the Church
age. With that said I want to now write
about the Church age as to when it began and when it will end. The Church age began on the Day of Pentecost
as recorded in Acts chapter two with the great sermon given by the Apostle
Peter and with the result of that sermon 3000 people were born again and thus
were members of the Church. When speaking
about the Church we see that the Bible speaks about the local church, which has
the most said about it from Scripture and also the “universal Church,” which
means all members of the church. Jesus
mentions the church once in His teachings that are found in the Gospels, but in
the book of Revelations He mentions it different times in the first three
chapters. After the third chapter of
Revelations the Church is never again mentioned. The Church age came after the rejection of
Jesus Christ and will exist until He comes in the clouds of the air to take the
Church, (His Bride) home with Him in what is called the “rapture of the
Church.” The last parable found in the
section we are looking at is for those in the Church age as we are to be ready
at any time for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are three main portions of Scripture
that speak directly about the rapture of the Church and others that imply
it. Perhaps the main portion of
Scripture that speaks of the rapture is found in 1Thes. 4:13-18, “13 ¶ Now we don’t want you, my brothers, to be in
any doubt about those who "fall asleep" in death, or to grieve over
them like the rest of men who have no hope. 14
If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then we can believe that
God will just as surely bring with Jesus all who are "asleep" in him.
15 Here we have a definite message from
the Lord. It is that those who are still living when he comes will not in any
way precede those who have previously fallen asleep. 16 One word of command, one shout from the
archangel, one blast from the trumpet of God and the Lord himself will come
down from Heaven! Those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and
17 then we who are still living will be
swept up with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And after that
we shall be with him forever. 18 So by
all means use this message to encourage one another.” (Philips)
The reason that I used the Philips is because you can see that fallen
asleep means Christian death. Paul
writes these words to bring comfort to the early church for some of their
members had died and this brought fear to their hearts as to what exactly
happened to them and so Paul writes and tells them that those who had already
died in the Lord would have their bodies taken up to Jesus a split second
before those who are alive at the time when Christ comes for His Bride, the
Church.
Paul writes to the believers at Corinth in the fifteenth
chapter of 1Corinthians, which is commonly known as the resurrection chapter
something similar, “51 ¶ Behold, I tell
you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
imperishable, and we will be changed. 53
For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must
put on immortality. 54 But when this
perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on
immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS
SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 "O
DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of
sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God,
who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul calls this event a mystery, which means
that this event had never been revealed before, but is now being revealed.
Let’s look at one more passage from John’s Gospel “1
¶ "Do not let your heart be
troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2
"In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so,
I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be
also (John 14:1-3).” In this passage
Jesus is comforting His disciples telling them that even though He is going
away that while He is away He will prepare a place for them and take them to be
with Him forever. That place is heaven,
and He will take them along with all members of the Church at the rapture of
the Church.
There are those who think at the rapture will take place
at the end of the age or the middle of the tribulation, but my view and many
others is that it will happen sometime shortly before the tribulation period
begins, for God will be dealing with preparing the Jewish nation to repent and
come to Him in repentance and faith during the tribulation period. I wrote an earlier SD about the 70 week
prophecy that is found in the book of Daniel explaining that there was one week
remaining in that prophecy, or seven years left, and that seven year period is
what is called the tribulation period, and it was during the first 69 weeks or
383 years that God was dealing with the nation of Israel, and so the last week
or seven years he will also deal with the nation of Israel. I also mentioned that in Revelations chapters
1-3 mentions the word church many times, but after the third chapter it is not
mentioned at all. For more information
on the subject of go online and look up a book entitled “The Rapture Question,”
written by John Walwood.
I want to write a bit about the first parable, in which
Jesus speaks about the tribulation period and in particular verse thirty. “"Truly I say to you, this generation
will not pass away until all these things take place.” The things that He is talking about are the
things that will happen in the tribulation period. This verse has had many interpretations
involved with it. I can only tell you
what I believe the verse means. Jesus is
talking to those who are in the tribulation period and is speaking mostly to
the nation of Israel who will be involved in this period of time. Now the word generation can also be
translated as race, and so since Jesus is speaking to the generation that will
be involved in the tribulation period I believe that He is stating that that
race of people will survive the horrors of that period, and that race of course
is the Jewish race.
At the end of the tribulation period the Lord Jesus
Christ will return to the earth during the height of the battle of Armageddon
riding on a white house with many accompanying Him as seen in Revelations 19:
11-21. I believe that the ruptured saints will be the ones coming with Him and
also riding on white horses.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: Prophecy is a
wonderful subject to study for it gives us the hope that one day life on this
earth will be over and those of us who have accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior
and Lord have that hope of His return to take us to be with Him.
Dr. Wiersbe concludes this chapter that he has written on
the thirteenth chapter of Mark with these words, “While Christians today will
not experience the terrible sufferings described in this chapter, we will have
our share of persecution and tribulation in this world before the Lord returns
(John 16:33; Acts 14:22). But the
warnings of this message in Mark 13 may be applied to our own lives: ‘Take heed
that you are not deceived’ (Mark 13:5, 23); ‘Take heed that you do not become
discouraged and quit’ (Mark 13:9); ‘Take heed, watch and pray’ (Mark 13:33).
“’And what I say unto you, I say unto all ‘Watch’’ (Mark
13:37).”
My Steps of Faith for Today: Live my life in a way that I will not be
ashamed when my Lord comes to receive me unto His own. Continue to learn contentment and to have my
life transformed by the renewing of my mind with the Word of God.
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 121:1
1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where
shall my help come?
12/22/2012 11:37 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment