Gathered Now October 15
Mark 13:27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.
The following is no substitute for the words of Christ, nor is it meant to diminish the events that will occur at the end of time. Let’s envision instead the personal end that will occur for all living and dying before the final act.
Think of the end of the world as you believe the world to be. Everything you thought about religion (Pharisees, or a church, or…), about government (Sadducees, or political party, or the favorite “–ism” of the moment…), about science (health, the brain, pharmaceuticals…), have been proven incorrect.
The foundations of your world are shaken as you hear the words of Christ. They suddenly ring true as the scales fall from your eyes, and your ears hear, and your heart is open.
Must we see the false gods that have been our cornerstones crumble to understand the nature of a created world in oneness with God?
When we see the chief cornerstone that walked among us has been rejected, then we find where heaven begins for those who each choose to be God’s favorite.
Once we have had this revelation, have fallen under its spell and integrated the gospel of love and mercy into our life, we are in heaven, in the arms of Christ. The final gathering together will just be a formality.
More Clearly October 16
Mark 13:27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.
What if we see this section as both prophetic and figurative? Is this section also a figurative way of speaking of an individual’s conversion?
You have lived as an integral part of the world, in wholeness with it, betraying the Trinity without awareness. Through the Holy Spirit, a light shines and you come to the awful realization of what you have done. You are shown your birthright, but also who you have become. This is the beginning of sorrows.
The desire to change overrides the self-interest that has held you in the delusion of freedom while in chains. A false god is a terrible master, and he does not want to be replaced. Those chained by the mind-forged manacles of false belief, even family and friends, do not want your release any more than do the institutions of political, economic, and religious bondage. This is the great tribulation.
But God sends His Son in power and glory, and His presence lifts you up. The angels gather the faithful together. This is the Second Coming and the beginning of a new earth and a new heaven in the world, here and now.
Seeing the character of God and desiring to conform to that image instilled at creation, the world’s temptations fade to drab unreality. Heaven has no worthy competitor.
This was Paul’s journey after leaving the road to Damascus, and the journey of countless others before and since. Jesus’ revelation to Paul was a figurative Second Coming.
Is it possible that at conversion there is a Second Coming for each who truly receives Him?
Fig Tree Parable October 17
Mark 13:28 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors!”
Jesus appeals to the common knowledge of the seasons and when fruit comes forth. We are to be aware of the signs of the time, something the Pharisees ignore (Matt. 16:3).
Eccl. 3:1 comes to mind: “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” The word translated as purpose is often translated as desire or pleasure, but in Ecclesiastes the translations are purpose or matter (except in 12:1 where pleasure might make more sense).
As we watch for the time of fruit bearing that we may partake of its goodness, so we are to watch for the signs of Jesus’ return. The cold winter, spring rains, and summer sun are signs of the time. The trials that Jesus’ followers must endure are like the seasons of time moving toward their purpose.
The seasons of time move inexorably toward the harvest, and then toward a winter of death. Jesus’ ministry has been moving through its cycle of spring, summer, fall, and winter. First century Israel is moving toward its winter, also.
An order exists in all things. Time moves forward at the rate of change. Indeed, no change means no time, for no markers exist to distinguish one moment from another. Such is the new heaven and new earth, timeless, but their season is not yet.
This Generation October 18
Mark 13:30 “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
We have a conundrum. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Coming of Christ appear to happen together. Time has moved forward for us. We see that Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in 70 A.D., but the Second Coming has not occurred.
Paul and the many converts to early Christianity thought His return imminent. And so have many throughout the succeeding generations.
But He has not come! Do we wait in vain?
That Jesus’ predictions of the future were not well understood at the time that He spoke to them is not surprising. Much of what he spoke was so radical that the disciples understood only after He explained it to them, or after His death. With the resurrection, the disciples better understood many of His sayings.
Christ assures us that though heaven and earth will cease to be, His words will exist eternally.
Truth is eternal. Understanding is a different issue. We have seen Christ’s words misunderstood and His directives misapplied often in history.
“This generation,” the current youth, will see the destruction of Jerusalem. Let us read further to understand the second part of the prophecy.
Watch and Pray October 19
Mark 13:32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”
Prophecy in the Bible is intriguing. We learn something of a future, whether of the people of Jesus’ day, of the Christians who came into being later, of ourselves, or those of the future.
Our history passes along facts and skills. Each generation learns from the previous generations how to do life in this physical world. We learn how to build bigger barns and how to fill them.
Knowledge of the spiritual world can pass from one generation to the next, also. We should have learned how to be in heaven here and now, as Jesus taught His followers. But we keep building and filling barns instead.
Ecclesiastes 1 speaks of this, also, and verse 9 states:
“That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.”
Jesus advises us to watch. He has taught us how to see more than full barns.
He tells us to pray as He has modeled prayer. His public prayer in Matthew 6:9-15 is adapted to private prayer in front of the disciples as the eleven walk with Him to Gethsemane in John 17.
Much has been said and can be said about the Second Coming. Prophecy is veiled. Jesus says no one but the Father knows the day and hour. Ours is to watch and pray, to be open as we ask for His leading.
Parable of the Doorkeeper October 20
Mark 13:34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
Jesus tells a brief parable to help us to focus on His command to watch.
Before leaving on a long journey, a man gave authority to his servants to do their work and for the doorman to watch.
The “doorman” reminds us of Jesus’ words to the disciples in Matt. 16:19, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven….” Peter has just acknowledged that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This statement is the rock on which Jesus will build His following, and the keys to the kingdom of heaven are given to all who acknowledge this truth.
Each follower of Jesus is a “doorman,” one capable of opening the door to the kingdom of God for himself and others. Each has been delegated a position by their Master. There are the rules of the house, and each is to be watchful that they perform their duty and are obedient to the Master’s instructions.
With the key, each can open the door, but no one can bring or force another inside.
The door is the entryway to the heart, and each of us is the doorman waiting for the return of the Master that we may admit Him into His home, our innermost chambers.
The Plot October 21
Mark 14:1 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. 2 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”
The Passover is celebrated on the 14th of the month of Nissan, and the feast of unleavened bread begins on the 15th and lasts for seven days.
The implication is that the religious authorities decide they must take Jesus captive by trickery. “Deceit” might be a more honest word than trickery, considering the method they use and their intended end goal, Jesus’ death.
Prisons of the day are generally for short term use while the fate of the prisoner is decided, or are used for those awaiting execution. Romans (and most other cultures of the time) saw little use in providing food and housing for lawbreakers. A penalty, exile, slave labor, or death were the main options for convicts. To end Jesus’ threat permanently, execution is the goal.
Matthew includes members of the Sanhedrin among those who are conspiring against Jesus. Fearing a failed insurrection (who could overthrow Rome?), the political leaders seek to maintain the status quo.
Any overt action such as the public arrest of a popular figure must be avoided. The Passover season is one of high nationalism as well as religious fervor. Crowded Jerusalem is as a tinder box where a spark can ignite a rebellious firestorm.
Their decision is to wait until after the weeklong celebration and the crowds disperse. This plan is changed with the offer of Judas Iscariot.
Next day
Mark 13:27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.
The following is no substitute for the words of Christ, nor is it meant to diminish the events that will occur at the end of time. Let’s envision instead the personal end that will occur for all living and dying before the final act.
Think of the end of the world as you believe the world to be. Everything you thought about religion (Pharisees, or a church, or…), about government (Sadducees, or political party, or the favorite “–ism” of the moment…), about science (health, the brain, pharmaceuticals…), have been proven incorrect.
The foundations of your world are shaken as you hear the words of Christ. They suddenly ring true as the scales fall from your eyes, and your ears hear, and your heart is open.
Must we see the false gods that have been our cornerstones crumble to understand the nature of a created world in oneness with God?
When we see the chief cornerstone that walked among us has been rejected, then we find where heaven begins for those who each choose to be God’s favorite.
Once we have had this revelation, have fallen under its spell and integrated the gospel of love and mercy into our life, we are in heaven, in the arms of Christ. The final gathering together will just be a formality.
More Clearly October 16
Mark 13:27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.
What if we see this section as both prophetic and figurative? Is this section also a figurative way of speaking of an individual’s conversion?
You have lived as an integral part of the world, in wholeness with it, betraying the Trinity without awareness. Through the Holy Spirit, a light shines and you come to the awful realization of what you have done. You are shown your birthright, but also who you have become. This is the beginning of sorrows.
The desire to change overrides the self-interest that has held you in the delusion of freedom while in chains. A false god is a terrible master, and he does not want to be replaced. Those chained by the mind-forged manacles of false belief, even family and friends, do not want your release any more than do the institutions of political, economic, and religious bondage. This is the great tribulation.
But God sends His Son in power and glory, and His presence lifts you up. The angels gather the faithful together. This is the Second Coming and the beginning of a new earth and a new heaven in the world, here and now.
Seeing the character of God and desiring to conform to that image instilled at creation, the world’s temptations fade to drab unreality. Heaven has no worthy competitor.
This was Paul’s journey after leaving the road to Damascus, and the journey of countless others before and since. Jesus’ revelation to Paul was a figurative Second Coming.
Is it possible that at conversion there is a Second Coming for each who truly receives Him?
Fig Tree Parable October 17
Mark 13:28 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors!”
Jesus appeals to the common knowledge of the seasons and when fruit comes forth. We are to be aware of the signs of the time, something the Pharisees ignore (Matt. 16:3).
Eccl. 3:1 comes to mind: “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” The word translated as purpose is often translated as desire or pleasure, but in Ecclesiastes the translations are purpose or matter (except in 12:1 where pleasure might make more sense).
As we watch for the time of fruit bearing that we may partake of its goodness, so we are to watch for the signs of Jesus’ return. The cold winter, spring rains, and summer sun are signs of the time. The trials that Jesus’ followers must endure are like the seasons of time moving toward their purpose.
The seasons of time move inexorably toward the harvest, and then toward a winter of death. Jesus’ ministry has been moving through its cycle of spring, summer, fall, and winter. First century Israel is moving toward its winter, also.
An order exists in all things. Time moves forward at the rate of change. Indeed, no change means no time, for no markers exist to distinguish one moment from another. Such is the new heaven and new earth, timeless, but their season is not yet.
This Generation October 18
Mark 13:30 “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
We have a conundrum. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Coming of Christ appear to happen together. Time has moved forward for us. We see that Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in 70 A.D., but the Second Coming has not occurred.
Paul and the many converts to early Christianity thought His return imminent. And so have many throughout the succeeding generations.
But He has not come! Do we wait in vain?
That Jesus’ predictions of the future were not well understood at the time that He spoke to them is not surprising. Much of what he spoke was so radical that the disciples understood only after He explained it to them, or after His death. With the resurrection, the disciples better understood many of His sayings.
Christ assures us that though heaven and earth will cease to be, His words will exist eternally.
Truth is eternal. Understanding is a different issue. We have seen Christ’s words misunderstood and His directives misapplied often in history.
“This generation,” the current youth, will see the destruction of Jerusalem. Let us read further to understand the second part of the prophecy.
Watch and Pray October 19
Mark 13:32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”
Prophecy in the Bible is intriguing. We learn something of a future, whether of the people of Jesus’ day, of the Christians who came into being later, of ourselves, or those of the future.
Our history passes along facts and skills. Each generation learns from the previous generations how to do life in this physical world. We learn how to build bigger barns and how to fill them.
Knowledge of the spiritual world can pass from one generation to the next, also. We should have learned how to be in heaven here and now, as Jesus taught His followers. But we keep building and filling barns instead.
Ecclesiastes 1 speaks of this, also, and verse 9 states:
“That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.”
Jesus advises us to watch. He has taught us how to see more than full barns.
He tells us to pray as He has modeled prayer. His public prayer in Matthew 6:9-15 is adapted to private prayer in front of the disciples as the eleven walk with Him to Gethsemane in John 17.
Much has been said and can be said about the Second Coming. Prophecy is veiled. Jesus says no one but the Father knows the day and hour. Ours is to watch and pray, to be open as we ask for His leading.
Parable of the Doorkeeper October 20
Mark 13:34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
Jesus tells a brief parable to help us to focus on His command to watch.
Before leaving on a long journey, a man gave authority to his servants to do their work and for the doorman to watch.
The “doorman” reminds us of Jesus’ words to the disciples in Matt. 16:19, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven….” Peter has just acknowledged that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This statement is the rock on which Jesus will build His following, and the keys to the kingdom of heaven are given to all who acknowledge this truth.
Each follower of Jesus is a “doorman,” one capable of opening the door to the kingdom of God for himself and others. Each has been delegated a position by their Master. There are the rules of the house, and each is to be watchful that they perform their duty and are obedient to the Master’s instructions.
With the key, each can open the door, but no one can bring or force another inside.
The door is the entryway to the heart, and each of us is the doorman waiting for the return of the Master that we may admit Him into His home, our innermost chambers.
The Plot October 21
Mark 14:1 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. 2 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”
The Passover is celebrated on the 14th of the month of Nissan, and the feast of unleavened bread begins on the 15th and lasts for seven days.
The implication is that the religious authorities decide they must take Jesus captive by trickery. “Deceit” might be a more honest word than trickery, considering the method they use and their intended end goal, Jesus’ death.
Prisons of the day are generally for short term use while the fate of the prisoner is decided, or are used for those awaiting execution. Romans (and most other cultures of the time) saw little use in providing food and housing for lawbreakers. A penalty, exile, slave labor, or death were the main options for convicts. To end Jesus’ threat permanently, execution is the goal.
Matthew includes members of the Sanhedrin among those who are conspiring against Jesus. Fearing a failed insurrection (who could overthrow Rome?), the political leaders seek to maintain the status quo.
Any overt action such as the public arrest of a popular figure must be avoided. The Passover season is one of high nationalism as well as religious fervor. Crowded Jerusalem is as a tinder box where a spark can ignite a rebellious firestorm.
Their decision is to wait until after the weeklong celebration and the crowds disperse. This plan is changed with the offer of Judas Iscariot.
Next day