Sermon Tone Analysis

 Open your Bibles to Mark 13:14-20.

•We're continuing our study of the Gospel of Mark.

•And, more specifically, we are in our fourth week of studying Mark's account of the Olivet Discourse.

Our text this morning is a pretty famous one in the OD.

•It's the text that mentions the Abomination of Desolation that would come and wreak devastation and ruin.

•And it also contains a famous verse that says, "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."

This is one of the part of the OD that many people get their rapture theology and "Great Tribulation" beliefs from.

•I'm referring to the belief that right before the Second Coming of Christ there will be a horrible time of destruction on the whole earth, led by the Antichrist, and a great time of suffering for everyone that wasn't already taken to heaven in the "secret rapture of the Church."

•If you've seen the Left Behind movies or read the books, or have seen the old movie A Thief in the Night, you know what I'm talking about.

But, as you know by now, I reject such sensational doctrines as unbiblical.

•They make for interesting reading and movies, but I don't think that's what the OD is about at all.

•I believe that the OD finds it's fulfillment in the destruction of the Temple in AD70, as our Lord says that it does in v30.

•And I plan on showing you that this morning.

But it is good to mention at the beginning of this sermons that the text before has some difficult spots.

•There is much confusion surrounding this text.

Particularly, what Jesus meant when He spoke of the Abomination of Desolation, as well as how we are to understand v19 as having occurred in the First Century.

•And, because of these difficulties, portions of this sermon will require you think hard and use your minds to, by God's grace, understand the Scriptures.

This passage speaks of horrible things that would come upon the generation then living in Jerusalem.

•Jesus warns His People of what would come.

•And He also tells them when to get out of Jerusalem and Jude's so that they can be spared and saved from the judgment of God that would come upon the Jews.

And for us today, this text reminds us of the wrath of God that will one day come against all unbelievers, both living and dead, at the Return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

•But it also gives us hope because it reminds us of the beautiful truth that Jesus Christ saves us from the wrath to come.

•He promises to save all who will beleive on Him.

There are glories in this text.

•There are terrifying truths.

But also glorious truths about the mercy of God found in Christ Jesus our Lord.

•And they are there for us to learn and meditate upon.

•May God bless us as we do so this morning.

Now, if you would and are able, please stand with me for the reading of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.

Mark 13:14-20

[14] "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), 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.

(PRAY)

Holy God,

We thank you again for the opportunity and blessing that it is to sit under the ministry of your Word.

Your Word is our greatest treasure in this world.

It makes the simple wise.

It instructs the saints.

And it leads sinners to the Savior.

We love your Word.

And we want to understand your Word so we can know you more, believe what you have said, and live in a manner that pleases you.

But we need help.

In and of ourselves, we cannot work understanding and faith in our hearts.

And so, we ask that you would have mercy and open our minds and hearts to receive your Word this morning.

Work in us by your Holy Spirit and grant us understanding, faith, and obedience to what you've said.

Show us our Lord Jesus who saves us from the wrath to come.

And glorify yourself in us.

We ask this in Jesus' Name and for His sake.

Amen.

1.) Before we dive in, let me briefly remind you of the context of the OD:

1.

In v2, our Lord prophesied the destruction that would come upon Jerusalem and the Temple for Israel's rejection of Him.

"Do you see these great buildings?

There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."

2. In v4, some of Jesus' disciples come to Him on the Mount of Olives and ask Him a question.

•They ask: "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?"

•They are asking Jesus about what He had just prophesied in v2.

They are asking about the destruction of the Temple.

That's the only referent in the context.

•And they're asking, "When?

And what will be the sign?"

That is, "When will the Temple come down?

And what will be the sign when that is about to take place?"

•This is what kicks off the whole OD.

Jesus is answering their question about the coming destruction in vv5-30.

3. Lastly, remember our Time Text in v30.

•Jesus says, "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place."

•Jesus says that the generation then living will not pass away until all these things (vv5-30) take place.

•And His mention of "all these things" is a reference to the disciples' question in v4.

And their question was about the destruction of the Temple.

•So then, Jesus tells us that everything He has talked about in vv5-30 is about the time leading up to and the final destruction of the Temple, and that it would happen within the generation then living when He spoke.

•Jesus has said our interpretive grid for us.

So, that is the context:

•The Temple destruction of AD70 and the signs that would signal that it was about to come down.

•And that leads us into our text this morning.

2.) Our text this morning begins in v14.

•This is the beginning of the end of the Temple.

•V14 begins Jesus' full answer to the disciples' question in v4.

•Everything that Jesus has said before this verse functions as preliminary signs and things that the Church could expect to happen in the days leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem.

•But, as Jesus said in v7, "The end is not yet."

And again, in v8, "These are the beginning of the birth pains."

•But now Jesus has finally gotten to the big sign.

What follows is the sign that the Temple is about to come down.

•And that sign is the Abomination of Desolation:

[14] "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

The Abomination of Desolation.

This is a enigmatic phrase to many.

So let's dig into what it means.

•Literally, it means: A sacrilege that brings desolation.

Something idolatrous and wicked that makes desolate (destroys).

•An idolatrous thing that brings destruction.

That's what Jesus is talking about.

•And here Jesus is using language from the Book of Daniel in the OT.

He probably has Daniel 9:24-27 in mind.

•And that text is fairly difficult.