Mark 13:26-37 The Lord is at the doors
26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 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.
This refers to the rapture. I subscribe to the theory that Luke is speaking to those who are raptured prior to the tribulation and Mark is written to those who are raptured in the middle of the tribulation about 42 months after the first rapture.
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: 29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
OK a lot is here, let’s unpack it. The fig tree signifies Israel. In 1948 Israel as a nation was reformed, that was the fig tree putting forth leaves. You knew this was a major fulfillment of prophecy. This term “it is at the doors” is also very significant. One day Noah entered the ark, the door was shut, and from that point no one could enter in, the flood began. This is given to us as an example of the rapture. A door in heaven is opened, once we enter in, the door is closed. The foolish virgins went and bought oil at the last minute, then they came knocking on the door for the Lord to let them in, but it was too late. Right now we know that “it is at the doors” but at some point in the future those doors will be opened and the rapture will take place.
30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
A generation is 70 to 80 years. 80 years from 1948 is 2028, that means that all these things would have to be completed before that point. The tribulation is 7 years long, so that means it must start by 2021 to fall within this parameter. In 2017 we had the Revelation 12 sign during the Feast of Trumpets to let us know that Jesus was at the door. There is a story about a fig tree that hadn't born fruit after 3 years and the farmer decided to dung it for a 4th year. This year on the Jewish calendar is the "dung year". It is also the fourth year since the Revelation 12 sign. Now is the time to find the fruit of righteousness on this tree.
31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 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.
Again, a lot here that we need to unpack. Most of us understand “turkey day” to refer to the fourth Thursday in November, it is an idiom we all understand. This phrase “no one knows the day nor the hour” is a Jewish idiom for the Festival of Trumpets. A typical day for the Jews begins at sunset. However, this festival begins at a new moon. They need two witnesses to testify they saw the new moon, then they blow the trumpets to signify the day has begun. So when Jesus said this the disciples understood He was talking about the festival of Trumpets. Paul said that these festivals are a shadow of things to come. The age began with Jesus being sacrificed as our Passover on Passover. That was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, which became our Lord’s table. He was raised on the feast of firstfruits. The church was born on Pentecost. Those are the first four festivals of the Jewish year, they were each very significant in the move of God in this age. The fifth feast is the festival of Trumpets. Jesus referred to it here, and not only so He said “neither the Son, but the Father”. This is a very significant expression. When a man got married he would first have an engagement contract with his bride (the New Testament), he would pay the price for her (Jesus sacrificing Himself for us) then he would go and prepare a house for them to live in (Jesus said I go to prepare a place for you). Once the house was ready He would then go and get His bride. However, the Father had to tell Him when it was ready, hence no man knoweth but the Father. The festival of Trumpets is also the time when the Messiah marries His bride. Once again, Jesus referred to this when He said “you will not see me again until you say ‘blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord’”. This also is a reference to the wedding. When a Jewish man was going to get married the rabbi would “call him up” to the front to read from the Torah. When he approached the congregation would say “blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord”. However, to say "of that day no one knoweth" suggests this day is quite special. So whereas September 23, 2017 has to be viewed as a fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets, a day that everyone could see and hear the Trumpet warning (there is much more about that day that I do not have time to go into here). There is another day on the Jewish calendar that no one knows of and that is Tu B'AV, the day Israel should have entered into their inheritance. Now look at
Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
After this refers to the discussion of the seven churches, it is after the church age. The church age ends when Israel signs the peace treaty with the many for “peace and security”. The door in heaven is standing open at the festival of trumpets. A voice like a trumpet spoke to him. The rapture takes place at the trumpet of God. Come up here foreshadows our rapture. After this is after the church in Philadelphia is kept from the hour of tribulation, and after those in the synagogue of Satan confess that God was with them, and after the rebuke to the lukewarm church in Laodicea. All of that happens prior to chapter 4.
And it is a reference to the rabbi calling the groom to “come up here”. So this also refers to the wedding of the Lamb. I will show you what must take place shortly after this, everything else that happens in Revelation, the tribulation, the wrath of God, that happens “after this”. Some refer to this as the “pre tribulation rapture” but I think that is a mistake. The great sign in heaven appeared in September 23, 2017, that was three years ago. How do you explain that? After the festival of Trumpets there are ten days of awe, these are known as “Jacob’s trouble” and is a reference to the tribulation. So although the 70th week refers to a seven day period (seven year period), Jacob’s trouble is a ten day period. During this time the books are opened and the Lord judges His people and puts them into three categories. You have the good and faithful servants, you have the wicked who are given to Satan, and you have those in a gray area where it isn’t clear. We know that at the mid point of the tribulation when the Antichrist sets himself up on the temple there is a rapture of the believers who remain. We know at the end of this seven year period there is the Great White Throne where many unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire. Suppose at the beginning of this 7 year period the good and faithful servants are raptured, those to whom the Lord says to “enter into the joy of your Lord”.
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
Many Christians will say that since we don’t know the day and the hour there is no reason to watch. This is a misunderstanding. On the festival of trumpets you have to watch for the new moon precisely because you don’t know the day and the hour. You don't know the day, you don't know the hour, but the witnesses do know what to watch for, what signs will signal the beginning of this day.
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.
Every one of us has been assigned a job to do by the Lord. You want to be doing that job faithfully when He returns.
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: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
This is a reference to the High Priest. He would walk around the temple at night and if he found those who were supposed to be watching sleeping he would set their clothes on fire. They would wake up, throw off the cloak and run naked in shame. The same thing the Lord warned the lukewarm church in Laodicea of.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Three times we are told to watch. Think of the audacity of believers who teach we don’t need to watch. They say “if you are ready at the Lord’s return that is all that matters”. Time and time again we are told that honoring God’s word, keeping His word, meditating on it, is to honor God. When the Lord tells us to watch and take heed repeatedly to this word, you have a lot of chutzpah to tell saints they don’t need to watch and don’t need to take heed to this word.