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Mark 13

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Jesus Predicts the Temple’s Destruction 1–4

1
And as he went forth out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Teacher, behold, what manner of stones and what manner of buildings! ​
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And Jesus said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left here one stone upon another, which shall not be thrown down. ​
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And as he sat on the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ​
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Tell us, when shall these things be? and whatshall bethe sign when these things are all about to be accomplished? ​

Signs of the Beginning of Sorrows 5–13

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And Jesus began to say unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray. ​
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Many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and shall lead many astray. ​
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And when ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be not troubled: these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet.
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For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be earthquakes in divers places; there shall be famines: these things are the beginning of travail. ​
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But take ye heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in synagogues shall ye be beaten; and before governors and kings shall ye stand for my sake, for a testimony unto them. ​
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And the gospel must first be preached unto all the nations. ​
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And when they lead you to judgment, and deliver you up, be not anxious beforehand what ye shall speak: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit. ​
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And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.
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And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. ​

The Great Tribulation and Abomination 14–23

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But when ye see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not (let him that readeth understand), then let them that are in Judæa flee unto the mountains: ​
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and let him that is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house: ​
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and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak.
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But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!
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And pray ye that it be not in the winter.
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For those days shall be tribulation, such as there hath not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never shall be. ​
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And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days. ​
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And then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ; or, Lo, there; believe it not:
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for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, the elect.
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But take ye heed: behold, I have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man 24–27

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But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, ​
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and the stars shall be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken.
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And then shall they see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ​
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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. ​

Parable of the Fig Tree: Be Watchful 28–37

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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; ​
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even so ye also, when ye see these things coming to pass, know ye that he is nigh, even at the doors.
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Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, until all these things be accomplished. ​
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Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
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But of that day or that hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. ​
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Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. ​
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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. ​
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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;
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lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
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And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Mark 13

Verse 1

what manner of stones and what buildings — Spoken 'as he went out of the temple', after the teaching of 11:27–12:44, and after 'Behold, your house is left unto you desolate' (Matt 23:38). 'Stones' (lithos) is the word of 12:10, 'The stone which the builders rejected'. Luke says the temple was 'adorned with goodly stones and gifts' (Luke 21:5).

Verse 2

there shall not be left one stone upon another — 'Thrown down' is kataluo, the verb of the charge at his trial, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands' (14:58), and of the taunt at the cross (15:29). Micah 3:12 said, 'Zion for your sake be plowed as a field'. Luke 19:43–44 describes the siege that leaves not 'one stone upon another'.

Verse 3

Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately — The four are the fishermen first called (1:16–20). Peter, James and John alone were taken up the mountain (9:2) and to Gethsemane (14:33); Andrew is added here. 'Privately' is kat idian, as in 'aside' (7:33). He sits on the mount of Olives, 'over against the temple', the mount of Zech 14:4.

Verse 4

when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign — Two questions about 'these things' of v.2. Matthew's form of the question adds 'the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world' (Matt 24:3); Luke's keeps the two parts (Luke 21:7). The disciples ask for a 'sign' (semeion), as the Pharisees had in 8:11; Jesus' answer begins with a warning (v.5).

Verse 5

Take heed lest any man deceive you — 'Take heed' is blepo, literally 'look', and it returns in vv.9, 23 and 33 as the refrain of the discourse. 'Deceive' is planao, to lead astray, repeated in v.6. Paul warns in the same terms, 'Let no man deceive you by any means' (2 Thess 2:3).

Verse 6

many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ — 'Many' is repeated: 'shall deceive many'. The false Christs return in v.22, with 'signs and wonders', and v.21 says, 'believe him not'. Jesus had said, 'if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive' (John 5:43), and John writes that 'even now are there many antichrists' (1 John 2:18).

Verse 8

the beginnings of sorrows — 'Sorrows' is odin, the pains of a woman in labour, as in 1 Thess 5:3, 'as travail upon a woman with child'. The word is also used of 'the pains of death' loosed at the resurrection (Acts 2:24). Verse 7 says of the wars, 'the end shall not be yet'. A 'great dearth' is recorded in Acts 11:28.

Verse 9

ye shall be beaten — 'Beaten' is dero, the verb of the servants in the vineyard parable (12:3, 5). The apostles were called before the council and 'beaten' (Acts 5:40), and Paul answered 'for myself' before king Agrippa (Acts 26:2). 'Testimony' (martyrion) is the word of 1:44; the sufferings are 'for my sake'.

Verse 10

the gospel must first be published among all nations — 'Must' (dei) is the necessity of 8:31. 'Published' is kerysso, to proclaim as a herald, the verb of 1:14. Matthew ends the sentence, 'and then shall the end come' (Matt 24:14). Paul says the gospel 'was preached to every creature which is under heaven' (Col 1:23).

Verse 11

it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost — Promerimnao, to be anxious beforehand, is found only here. What is 'given you in that hour' is the Spirit's speech: Luke 12:12 has 'the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say', and Peter before the rulers is 'filled with the Holy Ghost' (Acts 4:8).

Verse 13

he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved — 'Endure' is hypomeno, to remain under a load. The saying is first given to the twelve when sent out (Matt 10:22) and repeated in Matt 24:13. 'Hated of all men' echoes John 15:18, 'If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you'.

Verse 14

the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet — The phrase is Daniel's: 'they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate' (Dan 11:31; also 9:27; 12:11). Luke words the same moment as 'Jerusalem compassed with armies' (Luke 21:20). Faithful readers differ on whether it refers to the siege of the city, to a later event, or to both.

Verse 15

let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house — The flat roof was in daily use, so the law required a battlement round it (Deut 22:8), and Peter went up on one 'to pray' (Acts 10:9); the command is to flee by it with nothing taken out of the house. Luke 17:31–32 gives the same saying and adds 'Remember Lot's wife'.

Verse 19

affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation — Thlipsis, pressure or tribulation, is also the 'tribulation' of v.24. The wording follows Dan 12:1, 'a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation', and Joel 2:2, 'there hath not been ever the like'. 'The beginning of the creation' is the phrase of 10:6.

Verse 20

for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen — 'Elect' (eklektos) and 'chosen' (eklegomai) share a root. 'Shortened' is koloboo, to cut short, found only here and in Matt 24:22; the days are limited by the Lord. Isa 65:8 gives the principle: 'Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it'.

Verse 24

the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light — The words are close to Isa 13:10, spoken there of 'the day of the LORD' (13:9), and to Joel 2:31, which Peter quotes at Pentecost (Acts 2:20). Mark places them 'after that tribulation' (v.19) and before the coming of the Son of man (v.26); Matthew adds 'Immediately' (Matt 24:29).

Verse 26

the Son of man coming in the clouds — Daniel 7:13: 'one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven'. Jesus says the same to the high priest, 'ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven' (14:62). The angels at the ascension say, 'shall so come in like manner' (Acts 1:11).

Verse 27

gather together his elect from the four winds — Episynago, to gather in, is the verb of Matt 23:37, 'how often would I have gathered thy children together'. The wording follows Deut 30:4, 'driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee', and Zech 2:6. Matthew adds 'a great sound of a trumpet' (Matt 24:31).

Verse 28

learn a parable of the fig tree — 'Learn' is manthano, the verb 'disciple' (mathetes) is formed from. The tree is the kind cursed in 11:13–14 and found withered in 11:20–21; here its leaves announce that 'summer is near'. Luke adds 'and all the trees' (Luke 21:29). Verse 29 applies it: 'know that it is nigh, even at the doors'.

Verse 30

this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done — Genea, 'generation', means those then living in 8:12, 8:38 and 9:19, and Matt 23:36 says 'All these things shall come upon this generation'. 'Pass' is the verb of v.31, 'Heaven and earth shall pass away'. Readers differ whether it means those then alive, the nation, or those who see the signs of v.29.

Verse 32

neither the Son, but the Father — The order rises: no man, the angels, the Son, the Father. Matthew has 'but my Father only' (Matt 24:36), and Acts 1:7 says the Father has put 'the times or the seasons' 'in his own power'. 'Neither the Son' has been read of his human knowledge, or of a knowledge not his to give.

Verse 33

watch and pray — 'Watch' here is agrypneo, to keep awake, which Mark uses only here; vv.34, 35, 37 use gregoreo. 'Time' is kairos, the appointed time. The pair 'Watch ye and pray' returns in Gethsemane (14:38), where Peter, James and John, three of the four listeners here, are found sleeping (14:37).

Verse 34

gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work — 'Authority' is exousia, the word of 11:28, where it was demanded of Jesus. The man 'taking a far journey' (apodemos, only here) leaves each servant his 'work', and the porter (thyroros, doorkeeper) is commanded 'to watch'. Matt 25:15 has a related parable: 'to every man according to his several ability'.

Verse 37

And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch — 'You' is the four of v.3, and 'all' extends the command past them. Verse 35 names the watches, 'at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning', and v.36 gives the reason, 'Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping'. The verb is gregoreo, the one in 'tarry ye here, and watch' (14:34).