End Times

Mark 13
This is a tough chapter. Jesus talks extremely cryptically and vaguely. Here is my best interpretation without spending hours studying...

Some scholars believe that Jesus is talking about the "Tribulation" (a period of time just before Jesus comes back when extremely terrible things happen - some say Christians are raptured, or taken to Heaven, before this, some say during, some say at the end).

Other scholars believe that Jesus is talking about something that already happened in 70 ad when the Roman army took over Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. A general sacrificed a pig on the altar (and was called the abomination that causes desolation) before destroying the Temple.

I fall into the the second camp in my interpretation of this passage. I believe that the next thing that will happen in God's "timeline" is Jesus will return and Heaven will crash into earth and Eden - perfection - will be restored. We don't know when this will happen, but it the next thing. I could go into a long section on my understanding of the book of Revelation, but this is not the venue. Instead let me recommend a book I'm reading by N. T. Wright called "Surprised by Hope." I have a feeling I will be teaching a series on this soon...

My favorite verse in this section is Jesus' reminder to "watch." We are to live every day as though this is the Day He could return. We are to share Hope (the Gospel) with everyone we see because that is what Jesus is bringing and has brought and we want them to share in that. This chapter is an encouragement that we are the ones God has called to share hope. Am I doing this?

Under the Mercy,
Jason