Week 38 Mark
The Lord predicted the demolition of the biggest building in Jerusalem. It was hard to believe and Peter James John & Andrew asked the Lord when it would happen. Jesus’ answer turned into a forecast of his own return to earth at the end of days.
I got a sheet of paper to make a list of the clues. I found a dozen of them and that many hints gave me a feeling of being in the driver’s seat for forecasting the end of times. But some of the clues are a bit fuzzy. For example a lot of wars are going to precede the end of days – it’s an ok clue but not a decisive one. I wondered what would be decisive? Well, something like The Year 2048AD would be. But Mark doesn’t get anywhere near that degree of specificity.
One definitive clue Mark gives is that stars will fall. Mark says when that happens: everyone will see the Son of man arrive on the clouds. The only downside is that a forecast like that isn’t really a before-cast. It sounds like an actual part of the Lord’s reappearance.
The most decisive things I see in the chapter aren’t forecasts. They’re personal notifications:
Don’t be misled
Watch out
Endure
Pay attention
Don’t be fooled
Stay alert
Keep a sharp lookout
In the end the chapter sounds more like a Personal Preparedness Inventory and less like a Future-Events Checklist.
Note: quotes from Mark 13:26 & 5, 9, 13, 14, 21, 33, 35 (NLT)