” … But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the door-keeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake – for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the cock crows, or in the morning – lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Yeshu now completes his answer to the disciples’ question: ‘How can we know when the great day of the end of this world is about to come?’ Watch out, it could be today, even this minute!

Each disciple of Christ, like the life-servants (tshe-g.yog) in a great house (dpon-shag), has his own duty. So too each one of us must this very day, like the door-keeper (sgo-r-ba), be alert and ready for Yeshu’s return. Are we watchfully doing his work?

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Yeshu’s words ‘these things take place’ are the things foretold by him in Mark 13:14-20 (see Meditation dated May 20, 2015), and they did all happen in the lifetime of some of the disciples in the years AD 68 to AD 70.

But such catastrophic events, like the ones in verses 24-27, must also be taken as a reminder to us that Yeshu is standing at the door ready to come again at any time to take us (see last Meditation dated May 29, 2015). Why so? It is because his words remain for ever true.

” … And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.                                                                                                                                               But in those days after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.”

Yeshu continues speaking, and again forewarns his disciples of self-appointed Messiahs and prophets, for example as would happen before the final uprising of the Jews against the Romans in AD 132.

He then reminds them of various prophetic sutras. Great darkness and other events will sigify God’s judgment and punishment of evil men. It is He himself, called the Son of Man, who, having been received as the Messiah in heaven, will come again to summon his own chosen ones from places all over the world including Tibet.