"THE SECOND COMING." "THE SECOND ADVENT"

Mark 13: 23-37

INTRODUCTION.

For us to get a good understanding of this passage we will have to take a look at the beginning of chapter 13, and I encourage you to read it later. There we will see that Jesus and His disciples were about to leave the temple, when one of them said to Him: “Look Teacher! What massive stones! what magnificient building! And Jesus replied; “Do you see all these great buildings? not one stone here will be left on another, everyone will be thrown down.”

It would appear that this remark troubled the disciples, or at least four of them, and so a little while later, when Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew, the four, came to Him and asked Him privately: “Tell us, when will these things happen? and what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?

Jesus then went on to warn them of the difficulties that they would experience after He was gone. He warned them of the problems they would have with the authorities. How they would be taken to court very often, they would be put in prison often, they would be flogged and insulted. He told them of the sufferings they would have to undergo, and the challenges they would experience from imposters, people pretending to be from God, deceiving the people and sowing seeds of doubt and dissension. My brothers and sisters that is rampant in our world today. Just listen to some preachers on radio or television. There is no limit to what they won’t pretend. As the bible says “They would deceive even the very elect.” if we don’t know our bibles and not thinking. And then He warns them that there will be some bad times, some terrible times, but that will not be the end. They would still have to wait for more serious troubles and suffering, and then the end.

THE MISUNDERSTANDING IN EQUATING THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE WITH THE END OF THE WORLD.

Jesus had been telling His disciples about two situations. The destruction of the temple and about His second coming. The disciples seem to have been a little confused, and thought that everything that Jesus told them related to the destruction of the temple. And so while they were sitting on the Mount of Olives they asked Jesus: “Tell us, when will these things take place? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” Jesus’ response was disappointing and heartbreaking to them. The temple was a magnificient building, and a landmark. The Jews took pride in it, and these disciples could not comprehend what Jesus was saying when He told them that the temple was to be completely destroyed. And so when Jesus talked about the end of the world, and the terrible things that would happen, they immediately associated that with the destruction of the temple.

Jesus had told them that the destruction of the temple would take place during their generation, and it did. In verses 30-31 Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, this generation shall not pass away until all these things take place...” They were all living when the temple was destroyed. In AD 70, I think. They saw it with their eyes and most likely remembered what Jesus had predicted would happen.

CELESTIAL DISTURBANCES.

The end of the world was going to be a completely different matter. It would be ages after the destruction of the temple, and it would be a catastrophe such as the world had never seen, nor would ever see again. The way Jesus describes it is sufficient to put fear in anyone. One passage describes it as being so terrifying that people would be running to the rocks and the mountains to fall on them, in the hope of escaping the fearful sight they were witnessing. The stars will be falling from the sky as leaves fall from the trees. The heavenly bodies - the sum and moon and stars, and other large galaxies will be falling. They will not shine as thy usually do to provide light. But that would make no difference because the presence of Jesus, along with His angels who will accompany Him, will provide a brighter light, filling the sky and the earth with brilliant light. He will be the true light of the world. The bright and morning Star.

Can we imagine what it will be like on earth, seeing all this happening in the sky above us? People would be running everywhere trying to find refuge. I remember when I was a small boy. This was some time after the end of world war two. No one here had ever seen a jet fighter flying. The speed of the plane was something unimaginable, and when they flew over South Caicos we were running everywhere, not knowing what it was, or what was about to happen. It was sometime later that we were made to understand that they were fighter jets passing over and meant no harm to us.

Believe me, the second coming of Jesus will create such a stir. It will put terrible fear in the hearts of all men, that even the most devout Christians will not be able to control themselves from the fear that would overtake them. I guess we will not be able to mistake the presence of Jesus, and seeing Him and knowing that it is Him, will bring some calm and peace to all who trust in Him, and have been looking forward to His coming. This reminds us of the hymn: “What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see.”

THE GATHERING OF THE ELECT

The Bible tells us that when Christ comes He will be accompanied by a host of angels, and they would have one specific task. That would be to gather the elect. The sky will be filled with these angels and they will be most efficient in their task. My reading of this is that this will be the most efficient operation that the world will ever witness. No military operation can ever be as efficient. The Bible tells us that they will gather the elect from the four winds of the earth. Meaning that they will gather every Christian from every part of this earth, including those who are in the grave, and they will do that most effectively and efficiently, without a glitch, so sure, so swift and so easy. It will be a smooth and efficient operation. Without mistakes. Let me add that according to scripture ‘the dead in Christ will rise first, and then those who are alive will follow.’ It will be a great and marvelous sight.

I’m sure you’re wondering who are the Elect. The Elect will be the saved ones from every age, from the beginning of the world until the end of it. All the saints who had been martyred throughout the ages. All the people we read about in the Old Testament. Moses and all the prophets, and all the great men and women we read about. It will be a mighty host, stretching from one end of the heaven to the other, and Jesus with His angels will lead them to the Throne of God. That would be a sight to behold! Imagine the singing and the praising that will be going on.

WHEN WILL ALL THESE THINGS HAPPEN?

This is the question that has occupied the minds of Christians, and others, since the world began. Over the years we have had people who tried to predict when the world will end, and of course, they all failed. Jesus explains that no man knows the day or the hour, not even the year, when this will happen. He took great pains to explain that not even the angels in heaven, not even the Son, know the day or the hour when this will happen. It is a secret known only to God, and He has not shared that information with anyone. Of course, the angels who will have to take part in this operation will be warned in advance, so that they can make the necessary preparation. But they will not know the exact time. In verse 32 it says: “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Religious scholars are preoccupied studying the signs and the times, and trying to predict some time when they think it is going to happen. Jesus has laid down certain signs that we should observe that would show that the time is near. But the Bible also says that a thousand years for us is like a day to God, so it we want to occupy ourselves in trying to predict the time go ahead. I’m going to take my cue from Jesus, and that is what we will be dealing with next. WATCH!

WATCH!

The key word in all of this is watch! Be on constant alert. Be vigilant. Jesus gave many stories and illustrations that the Christian must not go to sleep on Him. We are to be always watching and waiting because we never know the day or the hour when the Son of Man will return. To drive His point home He told the story of the bridegroom and the virgins. Some had oil and some had none, and when those who had none went out to fetch some the bridegroom came and they missed out. They came back too late and the door was shut and they could not get in. In this passage He tells the story of a man going away on a long journey and leaves his servants in charge. Each had their assigned task, and the one at the door was charged to keep watch. They were to keep watch for the Master’s return, and they did not know when that would be, so they had to be always on watch.

There is another side to this lesson. As Cristians we have a duty to be faithful to God all our lives. We do not know when our time will come. We are reminded that God can take us at any time: in our youth, some die as infants, at middle age, or when we are ripe in years. Many of us pray that we will live long, and have time to repent of our sins and make it right with God. God does not promise that to any of us. That is a matter that is in God’s control only. We don’t know and we will never know, and so we are advised to be ready. To stay ready so that when the call comes we will be truly ready.

CONCLUSION

Along with the word WATCH has to be the word READY. And that is the word that I would like all of us in here this morning to ponder. To ponder seriously. If we are not ready we will be doomed. At the first Advent, when Jesus came as a baby, the world had sufficient warning, and as we know, only the very few knew of the time when He eventually came. Some were expecting Him and made preparations. Others, selected by God, like the shepherds and the wise men, had the privilege of witnessing the birth. But the vast majority knew nothing of it. Jesus grew up to be a man, working all kinds of miracles among them, and yet still only the few recognized Him and believed in Him. We have the benefit of the scriptures, and warnings from many Ministers and preachers on the need to surrender our lives to Jesus. That is the only way, whether we like it or not, to be ready for Jesus when He comes the second time. When He comes in power and glory to judge the world. Scripture reminds us that He came first as Saviour but this time He will come as Judge. He has given us ample time to prepare. He is loving and gracious and kind but He warns us to be ready. We have to surrender our lives to Him if we want to escape the calamity of the Day of Judgement.

Think about it brothers and sisters. We live our lives as if this is a ferry tale. That it will not happen. Yet we believe in the Bible, and the Bible tells us that as sure as night ushers in the day, the day of judgment will come. We are familiar with the scriptures that tell us what will happen to those who die without Christ, and I’m sure none of us want to be in that state. None of us want to hear Jesus tell us: “Get from me you workers of iniquity.” I’m sure we prefer to hear Him say: “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” What He says to us will be according to the decision we make now. And I take this opportunity to warn us all now to accept Jesus as our Saviour. Make Him our Lord and our God.

I say this to us in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

AMEN.