Reading for Today:

• Numbers 25:1 Chapter 25 1 And Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab: –26:65
• Psalms 34:1-7 Chapter 34 1 I will bless Jehovah at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make her boast in Jehovah: The meek shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3 Oh magnify Jehovah with me, And let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought Jehovah, and he answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked unto him, and were radiant; And their faces shall never be confounded. 6 This poor man cried, and Jehovah heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of Jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him, And delivereth them.
• Proverbs 11:28 28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; But the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.
• Mark 13:21-37 21 And then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ; or, Lo, there; believe `it' not: 22 for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But take ye heed: behold, I have told you all things beforehand. 24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25 and the stars shall be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken. 26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then shall he send forth the angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. 28 Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh; 29 even so ye also, when ye see these things coming to pass, know ye that he is nigh, `even' at the doors. 30 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, until all these things be accomplished. 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 32 But of that day or that hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34 `It is' as `when' a man, sojourning in another country, having left his house, and given authority to his servants, to each one his work, commanded also the porter to watch. 35 Watch therefore: for ye know not when the lord of the house cometh, whether at even, or at midnight, or at cockcrowing, or in the morning; 36 lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Notes:

Numbers 25:3 joined to Baal of Peor. Israel engaged in acts of sexual immorality with the women of Moab. Since this was part of the pagan cult that was worshiped by the Moabites, the Israelites joined in these idolatrous practices. The Israelites yoked themselves to the false god of the Moabites and the Midianites, referred to as Baal of Peor. This was a violation of the first commandment.

Numbers 25:10–13 Because of Phinehas’s zeal for God’s holiness, the Lord made “a covenant of an everlasting priesthood” with him so that through his family line would come all future legitimate high priests (see Ps. 106:30, 31). This promise will extend even into the millennial kingdom (see Ezek. 40:46; 44:10, 15; 48:11).

Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD. A special manifestation of Yahweh Himself at strategic historical junctures (see Gen. 16:7ff,18, 19; 31:11ff.; Josh. 5; Judg. 6; 13). A strong case can be made that these were preincarnate appearances of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 13:26 Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Jesus will return to earth in the same manner in which He left it (see Acts 1:9 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. –11; Dan. 7:13, 14; Rev. 1:7). The psalmist said that God uses “clouds” as His chariot (Ps. 104:3), and Isaiah 19:1 Chapter 19 1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, Jehovah rideth upon a swift cloud, and cometh unto Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall tremble at his presence; and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. pictures the Lord riding on a cloud. Although these “clouds” could be natural, they more likely describe the supernatural “glory cloud” that represented God’s presence in Old Testament Israel (Rev. 1:7). While Christ possesses “great power and glory,” His return will be accompanied with visible manifestations of that power and glory (see Rev. 6:15–17; 11:15–19; 16:17–21; 19:11–16)—He will redeem the elect, restore the devastated earth, and establish His rule on earth.

DAY 14: Can anyone know the exact time and day of Christ’s return?

Jesus’ own words could not be clearer: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” ( Mark 13:32 32 But of that day or that hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. ). The exact day and time of Christ’s return will not be revealed in advance to any man. At this time, it was known only to God the Father. While all the angelic beings enjoy intimacy with God, hover around His throne to do His bidding (Is. 26:2–7), and continually behold Him (Matt. 18:10), they have no knowledge of the time of Christ’s return.

When Jesus spoke these words to the disciples, even He had no knowledge of the date and time of His return. Although Jesus was fully God ( John 1:1 Chapter 1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. , 14), when He became a man, He voluntarily restricted the use of certain divine attributes (Phil. 2:6–8). He did not manifest them unless directed by the Father ( John 4:34 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work. ; 5:30; 6:38). He demonstrated His omniscience on several occasions (see John 2:25 25 and because he needed not that any one should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man. ; 3:13), but He voluntarily restricted that omniscience to only those things God wanted Him to know during the days of His humanity ( John 15:15 15 No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I heard from my Father, I have made known unto you. ). Such was the case regarding the knowledge of the date and time of His return. After He was resurrected, Jesus resumed His full divine knowledge (see Matt. 28:18; Acts 1:7 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father hath set within His own authority. ).

Based upon that, a Christian’s role is to “watch and pray” ( Mark 13:33 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. ). Christ sounded a warning for believers to be on guard in two practical ways: 1) “watch” is a call to stay awake and be alert, looking for approaching danger; and 2) “pray” emphasizes the believer’s constant need for divine assistance in this endeavor. Even believers do not have in themselves sufficient resources to be alert to spiritual dangers that can so easily surprise them.

From The MacArthur Daily Bible Copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Bibles, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, TN 37214, www.thomasnelson.com.

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