Night
Vision!
Mark 13:14-23
Introduction: Last week I had an eye exam and had my pupils
dilated. When I left the office, it was getting dark, but not for me, I was
like an owl! It was great… until the head lights from an oncoming car pointed my
way… from seeing like and owl to blind as a bat, just like that! Night Vision… Our military has been able to say for quite some time, “We own
the night.” Against many of the less technologically advanced adversaries our
military has had to engage, our “night vision” capabilities have allowed our
forces to conduct operations in the darkness with great effect, and with a lot
less risk to our troops. I thought of that when I read this week Daniel
7:13,14…
“…I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he
came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve
him…”
Night visions! Of a coming King and a
coming kingdom. Hope in the darkness. We see quite often the Bible the using language
of spiritual warfare. Though we engage an enemy that we cannot see, and though
we live in the present without knowing the details of what we will face even
tomorrow, we are not in the dark about the future. God has revealed, in His
word, how His plan for history, and His plan for us, is going to unfold. We
have been given “night vision” that is infallible: God’s inspired Word!
Like an Old Testament prophet Jesus answered the disciples with
reference to both the near future and the end of the age… The disciples were
thinking, no doubt, that those things would correlate closely with the time of
the Lord’s return (Mt 24:2). But Jesus gave them just the “light” they needed
for the moment, while also addressing the needs of the church at the end of
that generation, around AD 70… and also speaking to believers through the ages
and until He comes.
Context: We
introduced chapter 13 with a message, “How Long, O Lord?” The BIG Idea was, “Stay faithful! Life will
get hard, but Jesus is coming!” Last week we focused on 13:3-13 we saw that,
“In the World You Will Have Tribulation!” We highlighted the idea that the
assurance of God’s presence and the certainty of victory will enable us to
endure both the trials of life and the attacks of the enemy. Today in our
message entitled “Night Vision (for the chosen)!” we’ll see…
The BIG* Idea:
Believers can be assured that God is in control and that His Word will guide us
through difficult and deceptive times.
I. The
“Resistance” of the enemy will be made manifest (14a,b). While we have an
enemy who goes about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour, he usually
carries out his task with subtlety and cunning, well camouflaged, disguised even
as an angel of light. We are in a spiritual battle that is usually subtle, but Jesus
here is warning that the day will come when it will become overt…
“But when you see the
abomination of desolation standing where it ought not to be (let the reader
understand), then…”
We set the context above because
it is essential to understanding the contrast here with what came before. We
live in a fallen world, that means that all Creation, including humanity, is
under the curse of God. Moreover, the believing remnant is in the midst of a
spiritual battle. Wars, famine, pestilences, earthquakes and natural disasters,
are signs of the state of the world and of our desperate spiritual need.
But they are not signs that the climax of history is necessarily imminent
and the return of Christ is at hand. That brings us to our passage for today. It
begins with a contrast…
BUT, there is a sign
that should garner our careful attention. The first word of v.14, “But…”
Jesus is saying that not those things that are common to life in a
fallen world, but this is what tells you that the destruction of the
Temple is at hand, or possibly that He is at the door, “…when you see the abomination of desolation standing…” To what was
Jesus referring? What would the disciples, and the first readers of the gospel
had understood by this phrase? The word “abomination” is used frequently in the Scriptures to refer to gross
idolatry (see Isa 44:19). With the fuller phrase “abomination of desolation,” even a casual reader, given the
apocalyptic context, would recognize an allusion to the prophet Daniel (see Dan
9:27; 11:31; 12:11). Let’s read…
Dan 9:27 “And he shall make a
strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put
an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come
one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the
desolator."
Dan 11:31 “Forces from him shall
appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular
burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.”
Dan 12:11-13 “And from the time that
the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes
desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and
arrives at the 1,335 days. 13
But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your
allotted place at the end of the days.”
I am not prepared to go with any
confidence into the details of what Daniel is saying, but some things are plain
enough. Abomination, detestable, offensive idolatry, sacrilege in the context
of the Temple and worship, resulting in total desolation and destruction. Since
God promised peace and security to faithful Israel, desolation could only come
from their unfaithfulness (see Deut 28).
How are we to take the phrase,
“Let the reader understand…”? Since when Jesus spoke the gospels were not yet
written, if Jesus said it, it must have referred to the prophet Daniel and his
reference to the “Abomination of
desolation.” The NIV editors take that view by putting the phrase in the
Markan context in red letters, along with the rest of the discourse. It is an
editorial judgment, since the Greek manuscripts have no red letters and no
punctuation! The NASB editors, put the phrase in parentheses, and in black
letters, indicating that the editors thought it was a comment inserted by the
writer of the Gospel. If Bible scholars disagree about it, I’ll have to say with
great confidence: I am not sure! It doesn’t change a lot after all since the
same God who inspired Daniel, was also incarnate in Christ, and also inspired
Mark to write his gospel! We should be reading Daniel and Mark, paying
attention to the written Word, asking what did each writer intend, and what
could his readers have understood (but see Daniel 12:7-9)? Since it seems certain that Jesus was
referring in the relative near-term to the destruction of the Temple in AD 70,
and also to the end of the age and His second coming, I think we should
expect multiple referents to this prophecy. History bears that out and gives us
some clues as to what the ultimate end-time fulfillment might look like.
If we think of the context of Daniel, and subsequent Jewish History,
virtually all Jewish interpreters, and most Christian interpreters of Daniel,
agree that we should see a preliminary fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy of the
“abomination of desolation” in the desecration of the Temple by the Seleucid
general Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 BC. He entered the Temple and erected a
statue of the Greek God, Zeus. He then sacrificed a pig on the altar. That was such
an offensive act of overt idolatry that it inspired Judas Maccabee and the
Jewish revolt.
Remember our context in Mark.
Jesus had just predicted the destruction of the Temple, not one stone being
left on another. Later in the chapter he’ll tie that prophecy to “this generation” [genea]. Roughly 37 years after Jesus spoke these words, the Roman
armies would surround Jerusalem, laying siege for several months. When they
finally breached the walls, the city was razed and the Temple was desecrated. The
Roman Banners, with the image of Caesar, were brought into the Temple and bowed
down to. An abomination, gross idolatry, in the House of God. By the way, in
literal fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy, a fire started (or was started) that
burnt the Temple. In the search for gold that apparently melted in the heat of
the fire, the Temple was leveled, not one
stone left upon another, as the gold from the Temple was looted.
But is there a still future abomination of desolation? Both John in his
letters, and Paul, especially in 2 Thessalonians 2, talk about an evil,
end-time figure. John calls him antichrist. Paul refers to him as the “man of sin.” He
warns…
“…we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind
or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from
us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any
way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the
man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself
against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in
the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God…” (2 Thess 2:1-4).
Idolatry, indeed, blasphemy, in the
temple of God! Is this the end-time event, preliminary to the “day of the
Lord,” that is the ultimate “abomination
of desecration” to which Jesus is referring? And does this not imply that the antichrist
will be revealed while the church is still there to see it? We’ll talk more
about that Wednesday night, and in the weeks to come! *But know this: we can be assured that God is
in control and that His Word will guide us through difficult and deceptive
times.
II. A Time of terrible tribulation lay ahead: Time to go? Get out! Now! (14c-20).
…then let those who are in
Judea flee to the mountains. 15
Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take
anything out, 16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back
to take his cloak. 17 And
alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those
days! 18 Pray that it may not
happen in winter. 19 For in
those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of
the creation that God created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut
short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect,
whom he chose, he shortened the days.
In the siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70… The tribulation leading up to that event was
horrendous, we have some details from that time recorded by the Jewish
historian Josephus… In chapter 3 of The
Jewish Wars, he describes the conditions leading up to the breach of the
walls and the destruction of the city: famine, thirst, desperation. He details
stories like one that seems almost too shocking to be believed, of a woman
killing, roasting, and eating her own son. That is not the kind of story a
Jewish historian would likely make up! It certainly shows that it was a time of
horrible suffering.
The abomination of desolation may have been the Romans circling the
city, (N.B. Luke 21:20-21) which eventually led to their entering and marching
into the Temple with their banners bearing the image of Caesar. Some say the
tribulation of that day, in terms of the per
capita destruction and suffering, was greater than ever was or would be. It
is estimated that 1.1 million Jews died either in conflict, through the famine,
or by crucifixion. Yet, for the most
part, the Christian Jews survived since they heeded Jesus’ warning to get away
quickly. As the armies approached the city they fled to the mountains.
Normally, when under attack, you would take refuge in a fortified city, that is
why they were there after all! That is what most Jews did. And the rest is
history.
I can’t read Mark 13 and not also see Jesus pointing to a yet more
distant future as well, an even greater tribulation, and also to the promise of
His return. In the time of Great Tribulation at the end of the age.
Those
days cut short… for the sake of the elect who He chose… To
whom is Jesus (and Mark) referring? Who are the “elect”? Consistently, it is
those who have been chosen by God to be His peculiar people. Israel chosen from
among the peoples of the earth, the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob… And
since the birth of the church, Jews and gentiles, people from every race and
nation who by grace through faith are joined to the Body of Christ. There is
much we don’t know about the end-time tribulation. The Book of Revelation
records the visions of John, so despite our efforts scholars disagree on
many details. But this we know: if our trust is in Christ we are one of His
chosen. *And believers can be assured that God is in control and that His
Word will guide us through difficult and deceptive times.
III. Believers are forewarned: Be alert for deceivers (21-23).
21 And then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look,
there he is!' do not believe it. 22
False christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to
lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23
But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.
The return of Christ will be public
and unquestionable, believers will know when He comes! We know that “…as the lightning comes from the east, and
flashes even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be…” (Mt
24:27). It will be visible and personal as the men in white told the disciples
on the Mount of Olives at the ascension, “…This
Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same
way as you have watched Him go into heaven…” (Acts 1:11). As Daniel
prophesied it will be glorious and powerful: “…behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And
He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 "And to Him was given
dominion, Glory and a kingdom…” (Daniel 7:13-14). Don’t be deceived by
imposters!
Do not be deceived by messianic pretenders or by false prophets, there
will be many! Even signs and wonders
will be performed, leading many astray. Remember the magicians of Pharaoh
who mimicked some the signs Moses did? This will seemingly be far more
impressive and deceptive. The goal of the enemy is to deceive as many as
possible. We can be easily impressed. Even by eloquent speech and motivational
rhetoric, or by what seem to be “signs” of successful ministry, like large
churches and enthusiastic audiences. But does the teaching of that “prophet”
harmonize with the clear teaching of Scripture? Moses said this about the prophets
who may impress us in Deuteronomy 13:1-5,
If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign
or a wonder, 2 and the sign
or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after
other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' 3 you shall not listen to the
words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams... 5 But that prophet… shall be put
to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD...
Orthodox teaching, faithfulness to
the truth, not signs or wonders, is the genuine evidence of sound teaching! The
key encouragement I find in this verse is the phrase “if possible” (13:22). Ultimately, God will preserve and
protect His own. Jesus said, “My sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and
they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. …” (Jn
10:27,28).
Why did Jesus give this warning to Peter, James, John, and Andrew? Why
did God inspire Mark to include this discourse in his gospel? Why is it
repeated, at least in part, in Matthew and Luke as well? To give vision to the
elect, night vision, in the present and coming darkness.
What is God saying to me in this passage? Believers can be assured that Jesus is
Lord, and that God’s Word will guide us through difficult and deceptive times.
What would God have me to do in response to this passage?
1) In the last days perilous
times will come. Some people think they have every detail figured out concerning
last things. Good for them! We want to search the Scriptures carefully, seeking
to understand the things God has revealed, being as precise as we can be in
terms of what God has given. Godly people disagree on some pretty important
details. But, the plain things are the main things. We know that He is with us
always, we know He will return, and until then we know that we are safe in the
grip of His grace.
2) We will have tribulation in the world, but When things get dark,
be assured God will give us through His Word the light that we need! We know Jesus,
the Light of the World!
3) As we
share in the Table, let’s do so thoughtfully, worshipfully, with thanksgiving, celebrating
His amazing grace toward us… We show forth His death until He comes. Maranatha,
come Lord Jesus. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment