The Promise Of The Lord Jesus

The Promise Of God's Servant

"He Will Return"

Book of Mark Chapter 13:24-37

In our last lesson Jesus tells us many things that cannot be denied and have already come to pass. There are those that say anyone could have said these things and they be true, but this is not the message of the world nor of false science.

The message of the false science is that, the world is evolving into something better when the truth is, the world is decaying and dying.

Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

The message of the world is that, because of technology, things are getting better all the time, when the truth is, these same things are causing death and decay and the world is being deceived.

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

The pure fact is that Jesus said in our last lesson these words:

Mar 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

So let's continue Chapter 13 as Jesus continues to answer the disciples.

That question was:

Mar 13:4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

*****Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
Mar 13:25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

There should little doubt that there was a great deal of tribulation after the ascension of Jesus Christ back to Heaven.

The work on Herod's Temple was completed in 64 AD.

By 66 AD Israel had rebelled against the tyranny of Rome. Nero who was Caesar at this time, dispatched Vespasian to stop this rebellion.

By 68 AD the resistance had been put down and Vespasian turned his attention to Jerusalem. This same year Nero committed suicide and Vespasian returned to Rome as ruler and Titus his own son became General of the Roman army.

In 70 AD the walls of Jerusalem fell and the city was destroyed and the Temple ransacked and burned. Not only that but most all the residents of Jerusalem, innocent men, women, and children were ruthlessly slaughtered.

Those that remained, upon seeing these things rebelled again and it was not until 73 AD that the Jews were completely defeated when Masada fell. Those left at Masada would not allow the Roman Army the pleasure of another slaughter and they robbed them by killing themselves.

When Jesus said "those days" and "after that tribulation" we can be sure He was referring to this time period.

But God has already said this:

Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

This is the generation that was destroyed by Titus, except for a small remnant, that Jesus was making reference to!

But Jesus is also speaking of another time period. Jesus was quoting from the Book of Isaiah.

Isa 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Isa 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

Only the Jew was punished in the day of Titus. The Lord says He will punish the world and that has not taken place yet, so there is coming another period of Tribulation and even Greater Tribulation to the entire world!

These are the days "yet to come" when the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give of her light!

And the stars will fall from heaven and the powers in heaven shall be shaken.

In 73 AD any remaining Jews were driven off their own land by Rome and many made slaves and scattered throughout the Roman empire.

But that was not the end of the Jews then and their troubles are not yet over!

Jer 30:10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; "and Jacob shall return", and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
Jer 30:11 For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations "whither I have scattered thee", yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: "it is even the time of Jacob's trouble"; but he shall be saved out of it.

It is this future time when The Lord Jesus says He will return and it is the Lord Jesus Christ who will save Jacob, "the deceiver", out of the troubles of the Antichrist, at this future time!

The Lord will sit as King then, not only of Israel, but the entire world!

*****Mar 13:26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

There is a great judgment coming to this world we live in.

It is by the Lord Jesus Christ that the world was made:

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

It is by the Lord Jesus Christ that "Salvation came" to this world:

Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Act 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

It will be by the Lord Jesus Christ that "Judgment" will fall on this world:

Psa 96:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

The Lord Jesus will return "to be the climax and the conclusion" of the Great Tribulation Period.

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

There will be "unmistakable" signs from on high.

What the Devil is doing at that time will be seen as only a deception because he is only a deceiver but he will have caused the murder and mayhem and slaughter to many of the innocent.

But it is not that remnant that will rebel at this time, because there is coming the Savior!

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Then, what will the Lord do?

*****Mar 13:27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

These elect are not the Church because the Church is already in Heaven and will return with the Lord at His second coming!

Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Rev 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be "caught up" together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Those two words, "caught up"(snatched out) are the meaning of the word "rapture" and this is the victory of the Church!

1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Church will not see those 7 years of tribulation!

Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Through Jesus Christ and He alone, the Church will come in fullness of joy to Heaven being saved from the wrath of God.

This is what is called the Rapture of the Church.

The Church is the is the object of God's love, "and not His wrath".

It would be a contradiction of Christ's relationship with His Church, His Bride, for the Church to go through the punishments of the seven year tribulation period.

1Th 5:9 "For God hath not appointed us to wrath", but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath "from the beginning" chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

And there is no greater proof than this verse that the Church will not see the tribulation period:

Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth".

The signs of the Lord's coming were given to Israel and should not be a concern of the Church!

It is "the remnant" of Israel that will be gathered by the Holy Angels.

Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

And Jesus explains:

*****Mar 13:28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

We already know that the fig tree represents the nation of Israel!

On May 14, 1948 a strange thing happened.

Isa 66:8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

Having been nearly destroyed by the horrors of the Holocaust(6 million Jews slaughtered by Hitler), still facing persecution around the world(another 6 million in Russia), and being constantly surrounded by their enemies(Jews persecuted around the world), the Jewish people gathered together in Israel and declared themselves a nation in a single day.

The United States recognized Israel as a nation on that same day, and Israel's victories in the wars since have solidified their place among the nations of the world!

That fig tree that God owns, was replanted back onto their land promised to Abraham and it has budded and blossomed ever since but has still not produced spiritual fruit up till today.

"Her branch is yet tender"!

It has not been an easy road for the reborn nation of Israel.

Zec 12:2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
Zec 12:3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

The rebirth of Israel has brought about constant war and conflict with surrounding Muslim nations. Israel attempts to live in peace but those around her want her destroyed!

There seems to be not a day go by that Israel and or the Middle East is not in the world news. It seems the main focus of world's attention today, concerns Israel's relationship with its neighbors.

The other atrocities in the world are ignored for the most part!

Just as God foretold, Israel has become a "burdensome stone" for the world's political leaders.

The majority of the Islamic countries surrounding Israel have made it clear, "their primary goal is the destruction of Israel".

However, God has made it clear that Israel is here to stay!

Israel has had to defend herself from annihilation since her rebirth.

In 1967 Israel did not wake up one morning and decide to go to war - she woke up one morning and found she had to defend herself.

A war between Israel and Egypt, Jordan and Syria that began on June 5, 1967 and ended on June 10 1967.

In this war, Israel regained, by the hand of God, the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

It seems the world wants to still punish Israel for trying to hold on to what God has given to them. Israel has made many concessions and each time those concessions have not brought peace but just more turmoil.

Israel cannot be forced to concede this land to the so called Palestinians!

It is those foreign governments that were defeated by Israel that have ceded these lands to the Palestinians knowing that they never owned them to begin with.

Not many Palestinians that are on these lands now were ever raised on these lands in 1967!

But this fig tree, "Israel", will still not produce fruit until the Great Tribulation period.

This is when 144,000 Jewish men will evangelize the world. There will 144,000 men similar to the Apostle Paul that will preach the "Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and many will be saved.

Remember what Paul said:

1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, "as of one born out of due time".

God says:

Rev 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, "till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads".

Satan will have his seal 666 but God will also have His seal, the blood of Christ Jesus!

Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white "in the blood of the Lamb".

ALL these things can only happen after the Church is already in Heaven.

When Israel was re-birthed, it was then we should realize that "summer is near" and we could go home to be with the Lord any day now.

So what does Jesus say to His Church?

*****Mar 13:29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
Mar 13:30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

As Israel and the world is watching the signs of the Second Coming of Christ, the Church needs to watch the fig tree, Israel!

So what have we already seen so far?

1) Increasing religious apostasy.
2) Wars and rumors of wars.
3) Kingdoms against kingdoms.
4) Earthquakes, famines, and troubles.
5) The Gospel published and available to all nations.
6) Disregard for the moral laws.
7) Persecution toward the Gospel and those who preach and teach it.
8) The rebirth of the Nation of Israel.

What should we remember as we watch for the coming of the Lord to take us home?

A) Unbelievers will always act like unbelievers.
B) This world we live in needs Jesus.
C) When Jesus Christ returns, He will bring with Him, Justice first and then Peace!

The job of the Church is still to tell the world about Jesus!

This last age of the Church and at least seven years before the Second Coming of Christ will culminate in a time of trouble such as the world has never seen.

Then Jesus says we can depend on the Word of God to be true!

*****Mar 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

God's Word is the foundation of life and God gives life eternal!

Jesus said, God is not the God of the dead!

All those that have gone before us to Heaven are still alive!

*****Mar 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

God knows exactly when He will return, but only in the limits of of human flesh did Jesus say he did not know when He would return for His Church. Jesus says "we must watch the fig tree"!

The date of the Rapture is concealed from the Church!

BUT, Israel and the world can see the signs, if they look, and know that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is very near!

So, what else does the Church know?

There will be a "judgment seat of Christ"!

Paul wrote to the Church:

Rom 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

This day of judgment is for rewarding the Church Age believers.

These rewards are for deeds, good or bad, that we have done after we came to know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

We can know that this rewarding takes place before Jesus returns to this earth because the "Bride of Christ" has already been rewarded when returning with Christ Jesus:

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

The marriage of the Lamb takes place in Heaven, the marriage supper of the Lamb makes reference to Israel and takes place to begin the Millennial Kingdom.

Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed "are they which are called" unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

It is Israel who is called to attend this marriage supper. The Church is already the wife of Christ at this time!

So what other command does Christ give to the Church?

*****Mar 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Not only are we to watch the fig tree but we are to pray, for we will never know the exact time the Lord returns for His bride until the day it happens.

Christ Jesus has already told us His plan for us:

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

And Jesus has already told us how to know we will be ready for this day.

Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

And Jesus has already told us we would miss out on His day of wrath to the world:

Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

We are to live righteously and patiently:

Jas 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

And we are to pray:

Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus".
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

When Jesus comes the things He does will be very quick. The Rapture of the Church will be a very quick thing!

*****Mar 13:34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Mar 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Mar 13:36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
Mar 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. Mar 13:34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Mar 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Mar 13:36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
Mar 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

What did Jesus say?

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

We are to watch the fig tree!

We are not to try to set dates of Christ's return!

We are not to try to say to say that the Lord cannot come until certain prophecies are fulfilled because we cannot know these things!

We are not to concern ourselves with looking for the appearing of the Antichrist!

We are not to look for some great revival!

We are not even to look for some great apostasy!

We are not to look for some revival of the Roman Empire!

We are not to concern ourselves with a one world monetary system, we have our own perfect provider!

It would be pointless to occupy our time watching for signs, when we are to focus our thoughts on the things of the Lord and "watch" for His imminent coming!

Our job is to watch and be about the Master's business!

Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Tit 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

These are the things that we of the Church must do!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Plan of God

The Plan Of God's Servant

"The Course Of This Age"

Book of Mark Chapter 13:1-23

When we last left Jesus, He was inside the Temple complex observing those who were giving to the work of the Lord.

Many of the activities of our Lord the last week of His life centered on the Temple that sat in Jerusalem.

It is a shame that so many in the world seek proof that the Jewish Temple even existed and existed on the Temple Mount that now has the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim Mosque, built where the Temple once stood.

Jesus will foretell of the complete destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem.

The Bible has already foretold of it's still future reconstruction in many places!

Let's begin:

*****Mar 13:1 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

Jesus had withstood the entire religious system of Jerusalem by exposing their true character.

Jesus had wept over the city of Jerusalem.

Jesus would leave the Temple for the last time and He would tell the disciples of it's complete destruction.

No doubt these disciples thought a great deal about the beauty of the Temple that stood in Jerusalem but man's monuments just do not stand the test of time.

The Jewish Temple was first built in 960 BC by King Solomon.

It is important to understand that God created this entire world that we can see and still much more that we cannot see and it is God that makes the rules for all His creation!

God had explained to Adam the result of sin, but Adam had still not obeyed.

In spite of this God still loved humans and had mercy on them.

Before Jesus Christ, and His death, and His resurrection, and His ascension back to the glory world, God provided a way for people to atone for sin.

This was the purpose of the Tabernacle and then the Temple, places to get right with God!

In the times of kings this Temple was plundered by the rulers of many nations and many times it had been repaired.

King Nebuchadnezzar stole all the Temple's gold vessels and took them to Babylon and 11 years after this, he caused that the Temple be destroyed in 586 BC.

It is believed, that it was at this time, that the Ark of the Covenant disappeared and has never been found.

50 years later, the Lord sent Zerubbubel to rebuild the Temple after King Darius of Persia allowed some of the Jews to return to Jerusalem.

This Temple was completed in 516 BC, 70 years after it's destruction just as prophesied.

The people who still lived and that had seen Solomon's Temple wept over Zerubbubel's Temple because it was so modest in comparison to that of Solomon's.

It is this same Temple that King Herod rebuilt between 20BC and AD 64, a period of over 80 years.

This Temple was completely destroyed by the Romans in AD 70 and this is the destruction that Jesus will begin to describe in our passage.

Will the Temple be rebuilt again?

1) Many people believe that the Temple will just remain the hearts of believers but that is not true. The Holy Spirit has a great desire to live in the Temple of our hearts but so many resist Him.

Act 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye

2) Many believe that the Temple will be rebuilt, as do I but probably not before the Rapture of the Church.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The Temple must be rebuilt before the Anti-Christ can sit in the Holy of Holies, in the Temple of God!

Because Satan cannot enter into any believer!

Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

3) The Lord Jesus said it was He that is the true Temple, as I also believe.

Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
Joh 2:20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
Joh 2:21 But he spake of the temple of his body.

4) The believer is truly God's Holy Temple!

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

The Temple in Jerusalem was truly a beautiful place but most of man's downfall is because of man's love for doomed things!

1Ti 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Ti 6:18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
1Ti 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

*****Mar 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

The Jews were extremely proud of the Temple in Jerusalem. By this time of Jesus work on the Temple had been going on for at least 46 years.

Joh 2:20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

And history tells us that work was not completed until 64 AD.

The Temple was built of white marble with some stones 60 feet in length. and 18 feet high by 16 feet thick.

This wonderful white marble was decorated with gold.

The last Temple, or Herod's Temple was a beautiful work of man-made construction!

From the "court of the Gentiles" the ground level raised 8 feet to the "court of the women".

From the "court of the women" the ground level raised another 10 feet to the "court of Israel".

From the " court of Israel" the ground level raised another 3 feet to the "court of the priests".

From the "court of the priests" the ground level raised another 8 feet to the floor of the Temple itself.

And the Temple was marvelous to gaze upon from the Mount of Olives.

But the disciples of Jesus did not view the Temple as did the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that the fall of this Temple would be so great that there would not be one stone left upon another!

The Jewish historian Josephus wrote, that Caesar had given orders that that city of Jerusalem and the Temple to be demolished and laid so completely to the ground, that there be not even enough left to make those who would come later believe that it even existed and many still do.

Many have their doubts today that such a Temple existed but recent explorations have proven it did exist.

The Muslim Mosque, the Dome of the Rock is centered on bare projecting rock measuring 60 by 40 feet.

What do we know of this rock?

1Ch 21:18 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
1Ch 21:19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.
1Ch 21:20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
1Ch 21:21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
1Ch 21:22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.

This is why this site was chosen by the Muslim!

Their intention was then and is now, to desecrate the things of God!

Allah is not Jehovah, the Tri-Une God!

But the disciples wanted to know the future.

*****Mar 13:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
Mar 13:4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

We may not know which one of these four disciples had glorified the beauty of the Temple, but these 4 wanted to know when the Temple would be destroyed.

Herod's Temple was not considered to be totally completed until 64 AD.

The Jewish religious leaders and the elders of Israel had allowed the defilement of the Temple and Jesus had departed from it and left it desolate.

Jesus Christ will leave every House of God desolate, that does not make that house a house of prayer, to the One True God!

Notice it says in the Book of Revelation, The Lord is on the outside, knocking on the door to get back in!

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Why would the Temple be destroyed?

Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, "All these things shall come upon this generation".

God would allow the Romans to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple which happened in 70 AD, only 6 years after Herod's Temple was completed.

It is likely that these disciples thought that all these things would take place in their life time and they would also witness the Second Coming of Our Lord but that did not happen.

What Jesus does say is that the generation that sees all His prophesy take place will be the last generation before His Millennial reign.

Now, there is no one that completely understands all prophesy!

BUT, We can be sure that what God has said, will come to pass!

Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

God gives us all a 4 fold warning!

If we look in the context of the last days we will see these signs of things to avoid:

A) We must avoid being a victim of religious deception.

B) We must avoid being discouraged by persecution.

C) We must avoid being impressed by false signs and wonders.

D) We must avoid the temptation to set dates for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jesus had already wept over Jerusalem, so how did He respond to this question?

*****Mar 13:5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
Mar 13:6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

What is deception?

Deception is the misapplication of the truth, in order to mislead.

The world is full of deceivers!

Jesus said the first sign of His Second Coming, would be the fact that many men would proclaim that they are the true Messiah.

There have already been many pretending to come from God with some new revelation since the death of Jesus Christ.

What is the greatest sign of a false Messiah?

Innocent people die!

There is a great difference in life and life eternal and death for the sake of death!

It is amazing how many deceivers have already been seen throughout the ages, with their false salvation programs!

It is also amazing that this world we live in, truly rejects the Lord Jesus Christ but the world will go after such men who claim to be the Messiah and offer so little proof of that claim.

The end of the Church Age will be marked by religious apostasy!

This "apostasy" is the abandonment of the true "Faith" in Jesus Christ.

And, just as many claim to be the Messiah, there will be many who falsely claim to be Christians.

The entire New Testament establishes this fact:

Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

We may not know the exact day nor the exact hour, but we do see "deception" in our world increasing in every way, everyday that we live.

And the Bible still says:

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

People deceiving other people.

Governments deceiving people.

False religions deceiving people.

The rewriting of the scriptures deceiving people.

Even those in the Church falling away because of this deception.

We may not know the exact time, But because we can see all these things, We Do Know It Will Be Soon!

*****Mar 13:7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
Mar 13:8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

Until I was drafted to serve in the Army in 1970, I did not pay much attention to the world that we live in.

It was good to be an American and it still is. Since that time, I do not remember a year when there was not some war raging somewhere and certainly rumors of war continuously.

These are things that are going to happen until the very end!

But to know the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior is also to realize that to trust in Him is to place my worries in His hands.

We may ask ourselves why?

God teaches us the simple explanation.

Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Psa 82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

What is destroying the foundations of our world?

God asked this:

Psa 82:1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
Psa 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

It is the duty of every judge to protect the innocent and the poor, but these things are reversed in the societies of our world.

Corruption at the upper levels of every nation, have not only excused the wicked, but even decided in their favor, and against all that is righteous.

Those in power think only of themselves!

The basic foundations of society can be found in the Book of Genesis.

1.) The Creation of "life" itself, is being destroyed by the lie of Evolution.

2.) The institution of the family, which is the basis of every nation, is being destroyed by immorality, abortion and the gay lifestyle.

3.) The institution of government is being destroyed by ignoring the basic laws of God, the 10 Commandments.

4.) The institution of marriage is being destroyed by the lies of the gay lifestyle and immoral living.

5) Cultures of each separate society is being destroyed by leaning toward a one rule government.

6.) Every institution that had it's beginning in the Book of Genesis, the Book of the Beginnings, is being attacked and systematically destroyed by the evil of this world.

This is why there is such a great attack on the Book of Genesis!

If you destroy the foundations of anything, that structure will collapse!

If you want to destroy any building, you are guaranteed early success if you first destroy the foundation.

God says if you want things to improve then you have only one choice:

Psa 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

Get the innocent out of the hand of the wicked!

Jesus says this will not happen at the hands of mankind!

Nations will rise up against other nations. These are major wars.

Kingdoms will rise up against kingdoms, these are civil wars.

Because of technology, we hear the fact that earthquakes are happening just about everywhere and seem to be increasing and more devastating.

More people in this world we live in, die of starvation than from any other source.

One eighth of the world's population starves to death yearly, with 7 out of every 8 being children.

Starvation and abortion and divorce, are destroying our children!

There is a war going on behind the scenes, for population control and race domination. This war takes it's greatest toil on children!

Children starving, children dieing because of abortion, and selective fertilization, just to name a few.

One half of our world makes less than 2 dollars per day, yet it could take just the amount of money spent on perfume to feed every starving person in this world for an entire year.

And do not be deceived, there is enough food raised on this earth to feed all the world's population!

Even Judas said that one bottle of perfume could have fed more than 300 people for a day but Judas said this knowing his own greed for riches:

Joh 12:5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

Starvation is the leading killer of the world's children, and the world's people and why?

The leading cause of poverty, is the control of the world's resources by powerful men who are just simply evil!

They are all like Judas!

Job said these words:

Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Job 14:2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: "he fleeth also as a shadow", and continueth not

A shadow flees from light until it can find total darkness!

These evil men are the same ones that love darkness more than the light!

The leading cause of wars and rumors of wars and the poor of our world, is because of these evil men seeking to control of the world's resources and having no regard for human beings.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Those "troubles" are disturbances! They could describe, hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons, and tsunamis but these troubles can also mean sedition or revolt and rebellion against tyranny.

Sedition happens when powerful and evil men control the world's resources.

BUT, the greatest famine in the last of the last days will be a famine from the Word of God!

As we see these things happen, Jesus says, these are just the beginnings of the end!

We can be sure that the disciples were seeing these things as they began the Church and Jesus was also speaking of what is happening in our world today!

Then Jesus gives a warning to all His disciples but especially to the 11 that were with Him this day.

*****Mar 13:9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

We must be prepared to defend the truth of the Gospel along with ourselves and our families!

This is not to say, we will start our own war, but when God says to put on the Holy Armor, this means we will be in a spiritual war, but a war that can cause our physical death.

Of the 11 disciples that began the early Church only the Apostle John lived to be an old man. The world destroyed the other apostles.

But God's Word cannot be destroyed nor stopped!

Satan hates God's people and He will do everything he can to stop the spread of the "Gospel"!

Satan has already used the Roman Caesars, the Spanish inquisitors, the Holy Roman emperors, Communism, and many evil dictators and along with these, he has infiltrated every government and has also made his way inside the church.

The persecuted church faces it's greatest war in these end times!

We do not see much of it in the news but there are more Christian martyrs today than at any time in the history of the church!

But the "Gospel" must still go forward and it is!

*****Mar 13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

The great commission given to the Church is to preach the "Gospel of the kingdom" to all nations.

That kingdom is achieved "on this earth" with every saved soul that comes to Jesus!

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Until the Rapture of the Church, God's spiritual kingdom is within each individual believer.

And, Within each individual believer must be that treasury of God's truth, which is the "Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ".

But individual believers can still only be a partial revelations of God's Glory!

In every case it is the Lamb of God, that must sit on the throne in the midst of God's kingdom!

Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

The Christian Temple must be a place of sacrifice.
The Christian Temple must be a place of worship.
The Christian Temple must be a Holy Place.
The Christian Temple must be dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ who abides within that Christian Temple.

This is the "Gospel of God's Kingdom" that must be spread throughout all nations, until the end of the Church Age!

This challenge to the Church will remain far from completion and upon the Rapture, the Holy Spirit will begin again to save souls until the second return of Christ Jesus to this earth.

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Rev 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

None of those that reject Jesus Christ in the Church Age will be in this great number that are saved during the Tribulation Period.

2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

But to the Apostles and also to those that are persecuted during the Church Age, Jesus gives us these words:

*****Mar 13:11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
Mar 13:12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
Mar 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

There is a time coming and now exist in many nations that the Christian will be persecuted just for teaching and preaching the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ. For the 12 apostles that time was immediate!

In America there is such a thing as "hate crime legislation" that will most likely allow the Word of God to be treated as a hateful language against the evils of this world.

BUT as Christians, we are to take a stand on the Word of God:

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, "to stand".

If we have taken that stand, then one day we will be "led" not "forced" before the judge, to defend the Word of God, and very willing do so!

1) 11 of the apostles were martyred because they stood on the Word of God.
2) John the Baptist was martyred because he stood on the Word of God.
3) Only the apostle John is said to have died of old age but their are many things told of John, that would have killed a normal man. God had a special task for John who brought us the Book of Revelation.
4) A Christian of today will not be treated differently!

When this happens, then our defence will be provided by the Holy Spirit who abides in every believer.

Jesus is our example in all things but especially in this:

Act 8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
Act 8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophesy.

Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Isa 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Our fulfillment is to follow the Lord, when these things happen!

We are all in the hands of God and it may be that God will not allow most of us to be delivered to such men, but we already know that many will be.

Remember these words:

2Ti 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

History has proven that even families take separate sides in most every conflict.

Treachery and betrayal always show up in times of persecution!

But these things will be more prevalent in the time of the Tribulation period.

Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, [I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held]:
Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

No mercy will be shown by the Anti-Christ to anyone who proclaims the Lord Jesus Christ!

BUT, We only get to see "the beginning" of these things as part of the Church!

*****Mar 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
Mar 13:15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:
Mar 13:16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.
Mar 13:17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
Mar 13:18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.
Mar 13:19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

Many say that this prophesy was fulfilled at the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem in 70 AD and it was, but only in part!

When the Anti-Christ arrives, and he may be actually on the scene now but only in the background, he will eventually become the world's dictator.

It is believed that at this time, he will unveil his secret plans to the world by seizing a newly rebuilt Jewish Temple and putting his own image within the Holy of Holies.

Now the Jews may not know who the true Messiah is, but they sure know who he is not and a war will break out, ending the false peace of the Anti-Christ!

The Anti-Christ will then command for all people to seek the "mark of the beast".

It is those martyrs under the altar that have refused this mark!

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

God says this Anti-Christ is just only part of His creation and not some god:

Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: "for it is the number of a man"; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

What is one of the greatest signs that we are in the end times?

May 14, 1948, Israel again became a nation!

But it is during this time of the Anti-Christ, that the Jews will flee again from Jerusalem:

Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
Rev 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Rev 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
Rev 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

*****Mar 13:20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elects sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

In the time of Titus and the destruction of Jerusalem, Titus himself realized that it was Jehovah, the God of the Jews who had allowed him to prevail with such a destruction.

But God had still allowed "a remnant" to escape this destruction!

That word "remnant" in the Bible always means "a holy seed".

What does God say about this remnant?

Mic 2:12 I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.
Mic 2:13 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.

In the time of the Church Age there will be only "a remnant" of the world's population that will actually be saved!

Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

This does not mean that we should be slack in reaching out to all that are lost because that is still the sin of disobedience!

After these are gathered at the time of the "Rapture", God will then turn His attention back to that "remnant" of the Jew!

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.

God will always shorten those days of destruction until He has removed "His remnant" because He has chosen these, who have selected Him!

Who are the elect?

Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

But God still give us all another warning!

*****Mar 13:21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:
Mar 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
Mar 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

The Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that His return will be a literal, and a physical event.

In fact He said He would return the exact same way as the disciples had seen Him leave.

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Jesus also said He would return to get His Church, His Bride.

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

These are two separate events.

If we believe these two things, then we cannot be fooled by false messiahs, nor false christians, not false prophets!

We must realize that Satan does have tremendous powers but he is still a deceiver and he teaches lies!

2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Perception Of God's Servant

The Perception Of God's Servant

"Answering His Enemies"

Book of Mark Chapter 12

As we have been seeing the actions of Jesus cause quite a stir among the religious leaders of Jerusalem and Jesus still causes quite a stir not only to the religious world but also the the so-called non-believers or Atheist.

Jesus said:

Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Sin is a fixed and an unyielding power on this earth but there is another overpowering force that can conquer sin, it is called Christianity.

It is obvious that there must then be a conflict, a war between these two, and that conflict can have only one ending. The most powerful will prevail!

It is the greatness of Jesus Christ that has set the world on fire!

In the time of Jesus, no one doubted the miracles that He had done. It is only since His death and His resurrection that people have disputed His miracles being real.

Shame on those, who will be judged by the same Word of God, that they themselves have rejected as the truth!

If those chief priests, scribes, and elders of Jerusalem wanted to know more about the "authority" of Jesus then they had to listen to His teaching!

Let's begin:

*****Mar 12:1 And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
Mar 12:2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
Mar 12:3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
Mar 12:4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
Mar 12:5 And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
Mar 12:6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
Mar 12:7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
Mar 12:8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
Mar 12:9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.
Mar 12:10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
Mar 12:11 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

We must not forget that a parable is a comparison of earthly things with heavenly things, or an earthly story that has a heavenly meaning.

In this parable, that certain householder would be Our Creator, The Living God, Our Father who is in Heaven.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth

That house would be His entire creation, but especially the Earth.

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

That vineyard would be the land given to Israel or Canaan Land.

Psa 80:8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

That hedge was the protecting hand of God.

Deu 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

That wine-press was the children of Israel.

Isa 5:2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

That tower was the Word of God.

Deu 31:26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

Those husbandmen would be the Jew, the religious leaders along with the elders of all of Israel.

Isa 5:7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

That far country is Heaven.

Eze 11:23 And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

Hos 4:1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

That vineyard was to be cared for and cultivated for God's use, not for the world but to teach the world about Jehovah God!

There are 3 plants in the Bible that symbolize Israel.

1) It is the "vine" that represents Israel in the Old Testament times through to the time they rejected Jesus Christ.

2) It is the "olive tree" that represents Israel in the future, after the Great Tribulation period, when the veil has been removed and they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.

3) And as we have just seen that it is the "fig tree" that represents Israel in between these two times.

The fig tree is then associated with sin and failure!

God had grown His vine into a nation, while it was in Egypt.

God had carried His vine into the "promised" land of Canaan.

God had protected Israel from her enemies as long as they were obedient to Him.

We should not be fooled here, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, were looking for a place far greater than the promised land of Canaan:

Heb 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

But God had provided everything in the promised land, so that Israel could prosper and become a mighty nation and they did reach a partial peak in the time of David and Solomon.

Israel had been a stubborn nation from the beginning and had rejected God's ownership.

Israel had rejected all the prophets that God had sent, even Moses, who they had claimed to adore and to follow.

They had also rejected the truth of Abraham!

Israel had sunk into apostasy!

So, God sent His Own Son.

The Son already knew the outcome but God had sent Him because of His Mercy and His Grace.

Joh 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

The Jews had already made their intentions perfectly clear.

Mar 11:18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: "for they feared him", because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

Israel had not realized that it was the "new land" promised to them, that city of God, that Abraham was seeking from God that was so valuable.

And only the believer can know that it is the New Heaven and the New Earth that has real value, not this world we live on now!

It was God's Son, Jesus Christ, who was actually the True Vine!

It is God Himself who is True Husbandman!

Joh 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

By destroying the Son, these Jewish leaders had sealed their doom!

*****We miss the point of this parable if we cannot see that this was Israel's final warning before The Lord would begin what we now call the Church Age!

But, at this time, there was still time for Israel to repent!

God will always offer a time to repent!

In fact we are in that time right now, the Church Age of God's "Mercy" and "Grace"!

Israel had been the apple of God's eye:

Zec 2:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

And they still are His elect nation!

But, the, "whosoever will come", Church is now God's peculiar treasure!

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

The Jewish nation had been appointed to spread the Word of God but the Jewish nation was unfaithful to that appointment.

The Jewish nation had rejected the moral government of Jehovah God. Most all nations are still rejecting the moral government of Jehovah God and His Son Jesus!

They rejected Theocracy in favor of a Monarchy and they had already had many kings.

We have seen with our own eyes, and history has proved, that God has punished this nation of Israel severely.

Why?

Mat 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
Mat 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, "His blood be on us, and on our children".

Israel had cursed their on selves!

The Word of God is now in the hands of the Church!

Jesus then sings to these rulers of Israel, this part of a song they should have memorized and known:

Psa 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
Psa 118:23 This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

These Jews clearly understood what Jesus had said but it had only made them an even a greater enemy!

Most people refuse to look on their own selves and can only see sin in others than themselves!

*****Mar 12:12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

These chief priests, and Scribes and elders of Israel only knew they had to silence the Lord Jesus Christ and only their fear of the people stopped from trying to do it this day.

Because at this point the people stood with Jesus but those same people would soon have change of heart.

Even good people can be incited to riot!

They had clearly understood that this parable was about them.

They knew that all these things had really happened and they were not shamed, but incited to do evil.

They again began to formulate their plan to kill, God's Son, The Lord Jesus Christ.

Even enemies became friends in order to unite all people against the Lord Jesus Christ!

They first sent certain Pharisees and Herodians who they knew also wanted to kill Jesus.

*****Mar 12:14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
Mar 12:15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.
Mar 12:16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.
Mar 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

These Pharisees were zealots of the Laws of Moses, but even more so to their own verbal interpretation and additions of those laws.

These Herodians showed themselves to be righteous men but were only spies for the government.

I believe we still have many Herodians that have been elected to office in our own nation.

That word "catch" gives us a picture of a hunting party, who came to set traps for some animal!

Jesus is truly the Master but these enemies had not come to be taught!

We all know, that you cannot teach a "know it all" anything new!

Instead of challenging the Lord, they pretended to consult with the Lord Jesus and they began by trying to flatter Him!

Where have we heard this before?

Dan 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

These are the same tactics that Satan employs but the Lord Jesus could not be fooled by such trickery!

**If Jesus yields to the foreign government of Rome the Pharisees will incite the Jews against Him.

**If Jesus teaches the refusal to pay taxes, the Herodians will incite the ruling Roman government against Him.

This was a trap that surely would work in favor of these false men and against the Lord Jesus, but they would be wrong again.

This question of paying taxes required a direct answer or at least so they thought.

At this time, Israel was not allowed to have a national coinage.

They were only allowed to produce a half-shekel and this was only allowed so the Temple tax could be paid to Rome.

Jesus did not ask for the half-shekel but asked only for a penny, knowing that it would be a Roman currency.

These leaders of Israel had already submitted to the rule of Rome.

So Jesus asked them a simple question?

One side of this coin had the image of Caesar and the other side had an inscription of the Roman government.

So, Jesus replied:

"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's"

When we accept the protection of our earthly governments then we are also to help maintain that government and this is a commandment!

1Pe 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
1Pe 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
1Pe 2:15 "For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men":
1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

But we should also clearly understand, that the things of God are Spiritual, and we cannot neglect these things!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Clearly these men, that had come to trap the Lord Jesus, did not understand the truth of the Word of God and they again marvelled at Our Lord!

Another song out of their song book had these words:

Psa 33:10 The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
Psa 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Psa 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

It is every nation that understands all these things that will be a prosperous nation!

These men knew they had failed and withdrew but there are always some others that think they can out do God!

*****Mar 12:18 Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,
Mar 12:19 Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
Mar 12:20 Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.
Mar 12:21 And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
Mar 12:22 And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.
Mar 12:23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

The Sadducees were another sect of Jewish religion who thought they were the aristocrats of Jewish society.

They looked down on everybody!

They rejected the principles of Abraham but were rigid in things of the Law of Moses.

But, they denied any future state of of punishment or reward was biblical. They denied Heaven and Hell existed.

They rejected the existence of angels and spirits.

They taught that to please God, He asked no more than to be good in this life. We know that we cannot work our way into Heaven!

They totally rejected any teaching of a future resurrection.

Jesus knew all these things!

So what had Moses written?

Deu 25:5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.
Deu 25:6 And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, "that his name be not put out of Israel".

We can see that the intent of this law was to preserve the ownership of the land that was divided to each family by Joshua.

These things had already been written before the Jews had entered Egypt so Moses intended this law to be an obligation when Israel entered in Canaan Land.

This is also where the law of the "kinsman redeemer" came from.

We must remember the promise given to Abraham which was ignored by the Sadducees:

Gen 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18 "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed"; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

The thought behind these things is that Israel could not become a great nation if the families produced no children and they would loose their land to a stranger.

This same thought drives Israel even today as they try to hold on to the land given to them by God and we should stand with them!

The Sadducees only recognized the first five books or what is known as the Pentateuch.

The word Pentateuch is not found in scripture but when we see the phrase "Book of Moses", or "The Law", or "Torah", this is what is intended.

When Jesus said "Do ye not therefore err", What Jesus was saying was that "you only accept the first 5 books of the Bible, but you cannot even get those right"!

And as we have just studied, "marriage was ordained" of God to perpetuate the "human" family!

In the future state of man after death, "there is no such ordinance as human life will end", but spiritual life can never end!

In this fashion, the glorified body of redeemed men are like the angels because the angels cannot die a physical death like the human!

Jesus adds, even in those same 5 books you should have read that "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob".

And Jesus adds:

"He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living"

Since God quickens each of the dead, the dead then have no God! Neither the soul of the saved nor the soul of the unsaved can die!

Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

God is the Creator, He gave life when there was no life!

God can then assure the existence of of those that trust Him, "which are not yet glorified", as if they already are eternal, and God can never fail to accomplish the things He has promised!

And again Jesus added, all these things are in the first 5 books of the Bible, "therefore you do greatly err".

These Sadducees were put in their place but there was another group that was looking on to see if they failed.

*****Mar 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

It was the scribes that held the important offices of public affairs and were somewhat like Secretaries of State of many nations in our times.

It was the scribes, in the times of Jesus, who also made the copies of the Bible because there was no means of printing at this time.

A scribe and a lawyer was the same person in most cases, at the time of Jesus.

It was the scribes who were considered the authority of what the Bible actually contained.

They may have made many copies but they had never taken the time to study the Word of God.

Memorizing the scripture is great and should be encouraged but if we cannot relate those scriptures to our lives we have missed the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ!

We must study the Word of God as He commands!

We must then rightly divide the Word of God! God wrote certain things to certain people and at certain times!

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

But these scribes had asked a great question and Jesus did not hesitate to respond:

*****Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

This phrase "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord" was recited twice a day by every professing Jew at this time and it is still done today!

Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Deu 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

This scripture was intended as a national protest against all false religions that had come into Israel and Jerusalem by all the invading armies and cultures, especially in the 400 years of what we call the silent period between the Old and the New Testament.

This was the voice of Israel against the polytheisms, the pantheisms and the atheisms of the heathen world.

There truly exist only One "Living" God and One "Personal" God, and His name is Jehovah!

Who is Jehovah?

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of [the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost]:

Jehovah is then the Tri-Une God!

God is three in respect to "Persons" but in Essence, these three are One!

1) The Father is God:

1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

2) The Son is God:

Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Heb 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

3) The Holy Spirit is God:

Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Act 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Jesus said, this is the God we must love and this is a command, and not a request!

It is "love" that fulfills all commandments and it is the "Love for this God" where redemption begins!

Christianity must take it's stand on the fact that we must love our Tri-Une God and then our fellow man and in that order!

How much are we to love Him?

A) With "all" our heart.

According to the Bible, the heart is the center of spiritual activity but also for all the operations of human life. The heart is also the seat of our conscience!

Pro 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

B) With "all" our soul.

According to the Bible, the soul is our living being. The soul contains our person, our desires, our appetite for life, our emotions and our passion for life!

It is the soul that separates the human from the animal world!

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life"; and man became a living soul.

C) With "all" our mind.

The mind is the organ of spiritual perception. It is in the mind where we store our understanding of the things of God!

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed "by the renewing of your mind", that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

D) With "all" our strength.

Our strength is our ability to control our body of flesh. Our strength is our means of movement toward God. Our strength is made stronger by "Faith"!

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and [with the mouth] confession is made unto salvation.

It is our Christian strength that is our force against the evil in this world!

Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

It is only our love for God that should come before our love for our fellow man!

And Jesus said "There is none other commandment greater than these"!

And that scribe responded:

*****Mar 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
Mar 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

That scribe only repeated what the Lord had said in agreement with Him, but he added a little something.

"is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices"

Samuel had confronted King Saul on his return from war with Amelek with these words:

1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

In other words, there is nothing in this world greater in this life that we can do for the Lord beyond obeying His every Word!

These words got the attention of the Lord Jesus Christ.

*****Mar 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

No doubt this scribe had witnessed every response of Jesus as He had answered all His enemies.

This scribe was no longer critical of Jesus but was under conviction because Jesus had answered every question according to the Word of God!

This man was realizing that the true "Gospel" was actually standing before him.

What is the kingdom?

The Kingdom, is the rule of God in the human heart.

It exists now but we will not fully realize the Kingdom until we get to Heaven!

We have to seek the Kingdom of God it to gain it!
We have to do the work the Lord has given us to do to retain the Kingdom of God!

Retaining the Kingdom of God is then winning it!

The Kingdom of God is then the "Truth of God"!

The Kingdom of God is not visible, so the Kingdom of God is not the Church even though the Church could be called the Kingdom of Christ!

This scribe understood the "Gospel" at this time even better than the disciples of Christ except for one thing.

He would not openly confess Christ Jesus!

Joh 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
Joh 12:43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

No one else had questions for Jesus, so Jesus then asked a question.

*****Mar 12:35 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?
Mar 12:36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Mar 12:37 David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

Jesus asked the multitude, "How do these that confess they know the Word of God so well, say as truth, that the Messiah is to be the son of David?"

Jesus answers that question this way. "David said by the Holy Ghost"

1) Jesus said, that what David had said was given to him by the Holy Ghost!

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2) Jesus said, David wrote, under the influence of the Holy Ghost[Holy Spirit] that the Messiah was his LORD.

Psa 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Psa 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

These Jews clearly understood that David was writing of the coming Messiah!

It should be obvious to us, that the way the scribes taught this scripture gave the intent that the Messiah was inferior to King David, which is apostasy and false.

Jesus in the flesh may have been inferior to King David in his flesh and King of Israel, but David had written that the Messiah was his LORD!

That title "LORD" always means Jehovah, the "I AM" of all scripture, the Tri-Une God!

To sit at "the right hand" denotes that the Messiah would have all the power and majesty of God!

But it also means that a part of the work of the Messiah was done to the satisfaction of the Father in Heaven.

The Messiah would sit at the right hand as the great High Priest forever but also a King.

The Messiah is then to be King and Priest!

But the Messiah would only sit at the right hand of the Father for "a period of time" designated as "until I make thy foes thy footstool"

Peter explained it this way:

Act 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Lord means, "having all authority"!

Christ means "the Messiah"!

There is only One and that is Our God!

It was not David that was ascended into Heaven, for his body was still in his grave!

In fact until the Cross, David's soul may not have even ascended to Heaven under the Old Testament, but actually to place called Paradise:

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

This is the place that Jesus promised to meet that thief on the cross beside Jesus.

This is probably same place as Abraham's Bosom, where the soul of David would have been along with Lazarus:

Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

It is only after the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus where the believer can join the Lord Jesus in Heaven.

2Co 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

The Messiah would ascend to the right hand of God:

a) This would end the earthly ministry of the Messiah, as Savior.

b) This would end the place of humiliation of the God-man on Earth as He returned to the "Glory World".

Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

c) This would mark the beginning of a new work in Heaven, the Great High Priest.

Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

d) This would make the descent of the Holy Spirit possible!

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

And this would bring Holy Ghost Power to this earth:

Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

e) But this same Messiah will truly return as King!

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Where this same Messiah will reign with His "rod of power", His "rod of iron".

Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

The Lord has very little tolerance for those that claim to know the Word of God and do not teach the truth, when it is obvious the common people could understand what God has to say!

This why it is important to try to get a copy of the Bible into the hands of every individual on this Earth so they can read it themselves!

These common people gladly accepted the Word of God, so Jesus cautioned them.

*****Mar 12:38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
Mar 12:39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:
Mar 12:40 Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

Jesus said, "Be On Guard" when being taught by these men.

The scribes were mostly Pharisees and their principles and practices were very bad. Their teaching was to be avoided!

If we do not take the time to study the Word of God ourselves, we will never know if those that teach God's Word are teaching the truth!

It is the "doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ" where we begin to know the truth!

1) To be a believer is to be in the army of God, and one of the hardest things for most of us to do is to take a back seat and yield to the preeminence of others but that is exactly where God wants each of us.

We need to serve as the "private" because we only have One Captain, King Jesus!

These scribes dressed as if they were the General of the army !

2) These scribes would appear in places where people were gathered but not for the right reasons!

Jesus said:

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

This is "NOT" what these scribes were doing!

They came seeking their own glory!

3) These scribes, as a class, had a wholly false sense of values.

Their pride caused them to seek out all seats of preeminence!

Pro 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Pro 16:19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

4) One of the duties of the scribes was to prepare wills and other deeds.

Most of them were not content with the usual fee and they would particularly prey upon the fears and the lack of spiritual knowledge of those that were recently widowed.

In many cases they would persuade widows to deed over their entire property to the Temple, while these scribes would receive a great proportion of the proceeds for that transaction.

It is easy to see why the Lord despised all these religious leaders!

Pro 14:31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.

5) God will reward those that diligently seek Him, but these scribes sought only their own recognition!

The word "pretence" meant this prayer was only an outward showing, "in these very public prayers".

A "Pretender" will make a show of things that are not real and will claim the fulfillment of anything that they are involved with.

Jesus Christ knew all these things.

Psa 78:36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
Psa 78:37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

And after these things Jesus entered the Temple for the last time.

*****Mar 12:41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
Mar 12:42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
Mar 12:43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
Mar 12:44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

When Jesus sat to watch those who gave to the treasury of the Temple it was the last act of His ministry!

The Lord Jesus commended this record of this woman's two mites, which equaled a farthing.

A farthing is only 1/4 of a penny. This was a very small gift "in actual size" for the work of God!

But because she gave something that she truly needed herself, her rewards will be very great.

God does not measure gifts by the amount "but by its motive", and "by the amount left that is ungiven"!

This woman had nothing else to give but herself.

No matter what is taught about giving or even tithing, God really just has one rule!

Lev 5:7 And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.

We must give what we can of the things we need for our selves to build rewards in Heaven, at least a tenth!

Our Great High Priest has already made atonement for all our sin!

SO, 100 percent of what we have belongs to the Lord!

That 10 percent represents that part of our need!

"All of our abundance", more than we need, must be available to God at His request!

This treasury in the Temple was open for all to see who was giving the most and none gave more than this poor widow. We know this because God was watching and He said so!

Questions?

Let's Pray!