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Book: Mark
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Mark 13:1-4 Lord Of Glory
I. The magnificent temple, "What manner of stones and what buildings are
here."
A. Herod the great was a superb builder, all over Israel you can
today see the ruins of the great and elaborate buildings that
were built during his reign.
1. The winter palaces of Jericho and Masada.
2. The Herodian fortress.
3. The Western wall of the Temple mount.
4. The amphitheater at Cesaerea as well as the ruins of
the breakwater.
B. It was his desire to make the temple his grandest building
ever, and the one that would forever engrave his name in
history.
1. When in a speech to the people he first told of his
desire to build a new temple, the plans that were
presented were so grandiose, that the people felt that
it could never be built,
a. They felt that he would probably just destroy
the temple that had been rebuilt by Ezra and
Zerubbabel, and never be able to finish the new
temple.
b. To allay their fears, he gathered all the
materials before the beginning of the project.
2. The height of the temple built by Zerubbabel was only
90 feet, according to the limitations that had been set
by the Persian king, Herod wanted to add another 60
cubits to the height a total of 120 cubits, or 180 feet
high, about as high as a eighteen story building.
3. The temple was to be surrounded by large buildings,
porches, and colonnades.
4. It was to made of the white Jerusalem stone which was
highly polished.
5. Josephus tells us that the stones were 25 cubits long,
8 cubits high, and 12 cubits thick, or 37 feet long, 12
feet high, and 18 feet thick.
6. No wonder the disciples were calling the attention of
Jesus to the stones and the buildings.
II. The prophecy of Jesus. "Do you see these buildings? There shall not be
left one stone standing upon another, that shall not be throne down."
A. The likelihood of this prophecy being fulfilled is next to
zero.
1. This whole great complex of buildings is going to be so
thoroughly destroyed, that not one stone will be left
standing upon another.
2. This is probably one of the most unlikely predictions
that Jesus ever made.
3. This one prediction can forever establish Him as a true
or false prophet.
B. All over the old world you can find the ruins of temples that
were built even before this temple still standing.
1. In Athens Greece you have the Parthenon with the ruins
of temples that were not nearly as great and massive as
the Temple in Jerusalem.
2. In the Agura below, the ruins of the great temple of
Jupiter still marvelously preserved.
3. Throughout Turkey the ruins of the cities of Ephesus,
Pergamus, with the many structures still standing.
4. Even throughout Israel you see the buildings and
projects that were done by Herod the Great still
standing, and they boggle the mind by their
massiveness.
5. The Western Wall, that was built by Herod as a
retaining wall to enlarge the Temple Mount still
stands, many stones upon another, some of these stones
are as long as 45 feet, and 5 feet high and 8 feet
thick.
C. You can walk around the Temple Mount today, and not find a
single trace as to where the Temple built by Herod once stood.
1. In one area near the Dome of the Spirits, at the bottom
of the stairs, there is a row of 13 great stones that
today comprise a part of the pavement. Dr. Assur
Koffman thinks that they possibly were a part of the
foundation stones of the back wall of the Temple, still
not one stone is standing upon another.
2. Herod intended that this Temple be a permanent monument
to him, but God had other plans.
3. If there were any traces of the great temple today, a
portion of a wall, even some of the great stones still
lying around the Temple mount on top of each other,
Jesus would rightly be branded as a false prophet.
4. But there is nothing, zero, da natha.
D. Many of the stones were pushed over the Western wall, and
crashed on the pavement of the road going down the Terropian
Valley. The area of the Western Wall where the Jews pray today
is about 60 feet above the level of the valley floor at the
time of Jesus. Underneath the present stones, are the huge
stones that once were a part of the great Temple complex that
stood on the mount above.
III. Another remarkable prophecy of Jesus here in Mark 13. But in those
days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the
moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall,
and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall
they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and
glory.
A. The prophecy of Jesus coming again, in power and great glory.
1. It will follow a time of unprecedented evil and turmoil
on the earth.
2. A time of great earthquakes, pestilence's, and famines.
3. A time of wars and conflicts with weapons that are so
exotic that man would actually be able to destroy
himself off of the planet. Man will become an
endangered species, saving rats and mice seems to be
higher on the agenda of many of the tree huggers, and
the worshippers of mother earth, than preserving man.
The world is crazy except for me and you, and
sometimes I wonder about you. The inmates are running
the institution.
B. Should you ever doubt that Jesus is coming again, you should
just travel to Jerusalem and go up on the Temple Mount and see
if you can find any traces or vestiges of the Temple that was
built by Herod.
C. Just as sure as there is nothing left, not one stone upon
another is the return of Jesus Christ in power and glory to
this earth.
D. His first coming was as a Servant, obedient unto the will of
His Father, to give His life as a Sacrifice for man's sin.
1. He said that He did not seek His own will, but the
will of His Father who sent Him.
2. In the garden of Gethsemene He prayed, "Not My will,
but Thy will be done."
3. Paul tells us that He was obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross.
E. The coming again of Jesus the Messiah, this time in power and
glory clears up seeming discrepancies in the Old Testament
prophecies concerning the Messiah. For there are prophecies of
His being despised and rejected, mutilated and killed, as well
as His reigning over the whole earth in a glorious utopia.
1. The disciples were even confused on this issue. They
were expecting the glorious reign of Jesus over the
world when He was here.
2. Every time Jesus would make reference to His death on
the cross, the disciples were confused, Peter even took
it upon himself to rebuke Jesus for such talk.
3. Paul spoke of the cross being a stumbling block to the
Jews. Their concept of the Messiah reigning in glory
and power was far different from a Messiah being hung
on a cross.
F. Let it be affirmed in the strongest terms, "Jesus is coming
again."
G. Verse 32, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, neither the
angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, only the Father."
1. Any predictions that man may make as to the timing of
the coming of the Lord, seeking to place it within
certain parameters is doomed to bring disappointment
and shame to the one making the prediction.
2. Jesus said, "No man knows the day or the hour" in the
Greek it means that no man knows the day or the hour.
3. There were certain signs given to let us know when we
were getting close.
4. One of those signs was given in the Psalm that we read
today. Ps.102:16 "When the Lord shall build up Zion, He
shall appear in His glory."
5. The rebirth of the nation of Israel tells us that we
are getting close.
6. Seemingly unsolvable national problems tell us that we
are getting close. "Distress of nations, with
perplexity."
7. Exotic new viruses tell us we are getting close.
8. Many things that tell us we are getting close, and the
time has come to obey the last word of the chapter.
"Watch"
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