The Signs and the
Fig Tree: Part 2 Pages 1-14
The last Message letter talked about the signs given us by Jesus in Mark 13,
and we covered the analogy of committing ‘spiritual adultery’ with Satan when
he arrives portraying Messiah. We also covered the ‘abomination of
desolation’, i.e., Satan setting himself up as God in the Temple of God
(see 2 Thess.2). I wish to stress the importance of understanding that the
teaching about the ‘abomination of desolation’ is not metaphor.
This will happen as written. Satan will sit in the rebuilt Temple in
Jerusalem, proclaiming himself as God.
As of this writing, many Orthodox Jews in Israel
are preparing for the rebuilding of the Temple. A ‘red heifer’ required for
purification of the Jews before they can enter the Temple mount, has also
appeared in Israel. It was born around May of 1997, declared without blemish,
(‘tamyin’ in Hebrew), and fits the requirement in Numbers 19.1
It must be three years old to be used, bringing us to the date of May 2000. These
Orthodox Jews have also been preparing sacrificial altars and have already held
some animal sacrifices, but not on the Temple Mount itself. There is also an
organization setup here in the United States called 'Jesus,
Inc.' composed of a minister from a certain Christian
denomination who is sending the orthodox Jews red heifers for sacrifice.
These Orthodox Jews do not recognize Jesus Christ as LORD, that He died on the
cross and are still waiting for the Messiah, and for this reason, they still hold
to the blood ordinances in God's Law which Christ fulfilled on the cross. Some
Jews have accepted the loss of the Temple destroyed in 70 A.D., and do not wish
to rebuild it. The heart of the matter is that God’s Word is True. If 2 Thess.
2 is true, then the ‘Temple of God’ will be rebuilt so that the ‘abomination
of desolation’ can take place as written. Don't mistake the events going on
at the Temple Mount today, by non-Jews who are desecrating the Temple area's
ancient artefacts, as the 'abomination of desolation'
of Daniel. Satan is that particular 'abomination of
desolation' sitting in God's Temple. It is these things
in the world that we as Christians, should be ‘watchers’ for, because they
parallel the signs that Jesus warned us about. Let’s continue with the
signs, and with the Sixth Seal of Revelation, picking it up in Mark
13:18. See Part 1 of this Message to get up to date on this subject.
Mark 13:18 And pray that your flight be not in the
winter.
The previous verses of Mark 13:14-17 talked about fleeing Judea when they see
the ‘abomination of desolation’, or Satan sitting in the Temple of God,
claiming to be God, as written in 2 Thess.2. This ‘flight’ is from Jerusalem
when the false messiah appears there. He will be claiming that it is ‘harvest’
time, for all of his children to ‘gather’ unto him in the way of Messiah. If
you remember the parable of the ‘tares’ and ‘sower’ taught by Jesus, then
harvest time is an important message. As there is only One True Messiah Jesus
Christ, but Satan playing the role of messiah first, there are two 'harvest'
times, and one of those times is also false. The main difference spiritually
is, the ‘time’ of harvest. Those who are deceived, and follow the false
Messiah, are harvested ‘out of season’, in the ‘winter’, spiritually
speaking. The true harvest can only be in summer, when Jesus returns. You don't
reap wheat in the winter. Therefore, this verse means that if your ‘flight’ be ‘in
the winter’, then it means you’re harvested, or 'taken' out of
season by the false Messiah, i.e., Satan who comes first. So why is this short
verse of (Mark 13:18) so important? It links the whole theme of worshipping the
wrong Christ and not staying a 'chaste virgin'.
Consider the following verses with Jesus’ warning
about the summer harvest time:
Luke
21:29 And He spake to them a parable; 'Behold the fig tree, and
all the trees;
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves
that summer is now nigh at hand.
31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye
that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.'
I.E.8 Page Links. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.