Mar 13 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Mark 13:1-37: 13:1-37 This passage brings to a conclusion the section begun at 11:1 . Israel’s failure to produce fruit (11:12-26 ; 12:38-40 ) and its leaders’ hostility toward God’s anointed, the Messiah (11:1-11 , 27-33 ; 12:13-17 , 18-27 ), would result in judgment and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. 13:1 Leaving the Temple, Jesus was heading to the Mount of Olives (13:3 ). • look at these magnificent buildings! The sight of the Temple would have been awe-inspiring. It was the largest temple complex in the world, with immense stones. One stone that has been uncovered in the western wall is estimated to weigh 600 tons. With its white stones, gold trim, and the gold-covered roof, the Temple complex looked like a snow-covered mountain; in the sun it was a blinding sight (Josephus, War 5.5.6). The Talmud says that “He who has not seen the temple in its full construction has never seen a glorious building in his life” ( Babylonian Sukkah 51b).

Summary for Mark 13:1-37: 13:1-37 ^a This passage brings to a conclusion the section begun at 11:1 ^b. Israel’s failure to produce fruit (11:12-26 ^c; 12:38-40 ^d) and its leaders’ hostility toward God’s anointed, the Messiah (11:1-11 ^e, 27-33 ^f; 12:13-17 ^g, 18-27 ^h), would result in judgment and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. 13:1 ⁱ Leaving the Temple, Jesus was heading to the Mount of Olives (13:3 ^j).

• look at these magnificent buildings! The sight of the Temple would have been awe-inspiring. It was the largest temple complex in the world, with immense stones. One stone that has been uncovered in the western wall is estimated to weigh 600 tons. With its white stones, gold trim, and the gold-covered roof, the Temple complex looked like a snow-covered mountain; in the sun it was a blinding sight (Josephus, War 5.5.6). The Talmud says that “He who has not seen the temple in its full construction has never seen a glorious building in his life” (Babylonian Sukkah 51b).
13:2 ^k Jesus’ reply to the disciples was shocking. This glorious and massive Temple complex, a symbol of strength and permanence and God’s favor for the Jews, would be totally, irrevocably destroyed.

• Not one stone will be left on top of another! Jesus’ prediction emphasized the total devastation that would result from the Roman army’s systematic attack on the entire Temple complex (Josephus, Antiquities 6.9.1; 7.1.1.). To say that Jesus’ prediction was not fulfilled because some of the foundation stones still stand is to misunderstand the language of prophecy. One does not expect a prophet to say that 97.9% of these stones will be removed! Anyone in the first century who visited Jerusalem after AD 70 would have acknowledged that Jesus’ prediction had been fulfilled.
Summary for Mark 13:3-4: 13:3-4 ^l Andrew appeared here with the trio, Peter, James, and John (5:37 ^m; 9:2 ⁿ; 14:33 ^o), completing the two sets of brothers (1:16-20 ^p; 3:16-18 ^q).

• Jesus’ prediction elicited two questions from the disciples. Although some scholars argue that the second question goes beyond the first in looking to the coming of the Son of Man at the end of the age, it is best to interpret these two questions as focusing on the time and the sign associated with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (cp. 13:29-30 ^r; Luke 21:7 ^s). These questions follow naturally from Jesus’ prediction in Mark 13:2 ^t. The desire to know the sign reflected the disciples’ desire to be forewarned and prepared for all ... these things.
Summary for Mark 13:5-23: 13:5-23 ^u This section is often divided into two parts, 13:5-13 ^v and 13:14-23 ^w. The first part is often interpreted as describing the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred in AD 70, while the second part is taken to describe the coming of the Son of Man in the future. It is best, however, to interpret all of 13:5-23 ^x as describing events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 because: (1) 13:5-23 ^y is Jesus’ answer to the two questions (13:4 ^z) that deal with the destruction of Jerusalem (13:2 ^aa); (2) The commands to flee Judea (13:14-16 ^ab), the woe announced upon pregnant and nursing women (13:17 ^ac), and the prayer that it not take place in winter (13:18 ^ad) make sense if they refer to the events of AD 70 but not if they refer to the future return of Christ; (3) Three warnings in this passage (13:5 ^ae, 9 ^af, 23 ^ag) tie this passage together and indicate that 13:5-23 ^ah should be understood as a unit.

• The subdivisions of this section are arranged as a chiasm (X-pattern): A: Deceivers claim to be the Messiah (13:5-6 ^ai). B: There are reports of fighting and natural disasters (13:7-8 ^aj). C: There is persecution of believers (13:9-13 ^ak). B': The fighting in Judea and resulting tribulation begin (13:14-20 ^al). A': Deceivers claim to be the Messiah (13:21-23 ^am).
Summary for Mark 13:5-6: 13:5-6 ^an Jesus warned his followers not to be misled by the many false messiahs who would come claiming, ‘I am the Messiah’ and would deceive many into following them. These false claimants would profess to be the long-awaited Jewish Messiah (not Jesus per se) or to speak on the Messiah’s behalf. Such claimants included Theudas the Galilean (Acts 5:36 ^ao), Simon the son of Gioras, and John of Gischala, who deceived many in the AD 60s.
13:7 ^ap The Greek word translated must is also used in 8:31 ^aq. In both instances, God’s sovereignty over events is emphasized.

• but the end won’t follow immediately: These things would occur, and just as birth pains are followed by childbirth, God’s judgment on Jerusalem would follow. However, these events did not indicate that it was going to happen right away.
13:9 ^ar The second watch out! warns of persecution that was to come upon Christians (see 6:11 ^as; 8:34-38 ^at; 10:30 ^au; see 4:17 ^av). Jewish Christians would be brought before local councils of Jewish leaders, who had authority over Jewish communities. We read of such a council in Matt 10:17 ^aw and probably in Matt 5:22 ^ax (see also Acts 4:1-22 ^ay).

• beaten in the synagogues: Paul’s beatings in 2 Cor 11:24-25 ^az were probably inflicted in the local synagogue.

• The followers of Jesus would also be susceptible to trial before governors and kings (see Acts 23:24 ^ba; 24:10-27 ^bb; 25:1–26:32 ^bc). Such trials were due to their being followers of Jesus (Mark 13:9 ^bd, 13 ^be), not on account of real wrongdoing (see 1 Pet 4:14-16 ^bf).
13:10 ^bg Such trials (13:9 ^bh, 11 ^bi) would be a means through which the Good News would be preached to all nations. This would all take place first—i.e., before the destruction of Jerusalem. For Paul’s understanding of how the Good News had already been preached to every nation in his day, see Rom 16:26 ^bj; Col 1:6 ^bk, 23 ^bl (see also Rom 1:5 ^bm, 8 ^bn; 10:18 ^bo; 15:19 ^bp, 23 ^bq).
13:11 ^br A word of encouragement follows the warning of 13:9 ^bs. Jesus’ followers need not fear what they should say in these circumstances. The early followers of Jesus were generally uneducated and without political influence (see Acts 4:10-17 ^bt; 1 Cor 1:26 ^bu), so this assurance would have comforted them. Believers are not prohibited from thinking about what they will say, but they need not worry about it.
Summary for Mark 13:12-13: 13:12-13 ^bv There would be no single group, not even their own families, to whom persecuted Christians could automatically flee or turn for help (see Matt 10:35-36 ^bw; Luke 12:53 ^bx). They would be universally hated because of their allegiance to Jesus (because you are my followers). Those who remain faithful to death (to the end) will be saved from eternal punishment (see also Mark 8:35 ^by; Rev 2:7 ^bz, 10 ^ca, 17 ^cb, 26-28 ^cc; 3:5 ^cd, 12 ^ce, 21 ^cf).
Summary for Mark 13:14-20: 13:14-20 ^cg Jesus now gave the sign requested in 13:4 ^ch and instructed his followers how to respond when they saw it. In 13:5-13 ^ci, they were told not to be alarmed. Here they are told that those in Judea must flee to the hills. 13:14 ^cj The day is coming when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration: Mark did not explain what this object would be, but Jewish readers in the first century were familiar with the term. The prophet Daniel had foretold that such an object would stand in the Temple in Jerusalem (Dan 9:27 ^ck; 11:31 ^cl), and many Jews understood the events in Jerusalem in 167–164 BC, during the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, to be a fulfillment of that prophecy. (The deuterocanonical book of 1 Maccabees, written about 100 BC, narrates Antiochus’s reign and describes how Antiochus and his followers erected a “sacrilegious object causing desecration on top of the altar for burnt offerings,” 1 Maccabees 1:54, 59).

• standing where he should not be: In light of the historical background and the reference to Jerusalem (Mark 13:2 ^cm, 4 ^cn) and Judea (13:14 ^co), this clause clearly refers to something inappropriate happening in the Temple in Jerusalem.

• (Reader, pay attention!): Mark alerted his original readers to pay attention to his description of this sign, which indicates that the expression required careful thought and discernment. Mark’s readers were to look for a sign that was similar to what had happened in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes.

• Although the phrase sacrilegious object that causes desecration is grammatically neuter, the word standing is grammatically masculine, so it refers to a person and not a thing. Suggestions as to who it might have been include: (1) the emperor Caligula, who in AD 39–40 attempted to erect a statue of himself in the Temple (Josephus, Antiquities 12.8.2-3); (2) Pontius Pilate (AD 26–36), who attempted to have the Roman soldiers march into Judea displaying their standards, which were considered idolatrous by Jews (Josephus, War 2.9.2-3); (3) the Zealots in AD 69–70, when they committed atrocities in the Temple, appointed an unqualified person as the high priest of the nation, and “came into the sanctuary with polluted feet” (Josephus, War 4.3.4-8); (4) the Roman general Titus, who after conquering Jerusalem in AD 70 forced entry into the Temple as well (Josephus, War 6.4.7); (5) Titus’s soldiers, who set up their standards in the Temple, sacrificed to them, and proclaimed Titus as emperor (Josephus, War 6.6.1); (6) the destruction of the Temple itself in AD 70; or (7) a future event involving the coming of the antichrist (see 2 Thes 2:3-4 ^cp). The context and source of the expression eliminate several of these theories. In Daniel and 1 Maccabees, the expression involves the Temple, its altar, and its sacrificial rituals. In Mark 13:14-20 ^cq, it is a sign for people to flee Judea, and what it refers to must occur while there is still time to flee (i.e., before the Roman army had occupied Judea and besieged Jerusalem). Explanations 1 and 2 are too early to serve as a recognizable sign to flee Judea, they didn’t actually defile the Temple, and the Christians did not flee Jerusalem. Explanations 4–6 ^cr occurred too late, for there would have been no opportunity to flee after Titus entered Jerusalem. Explanation 7 does not refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, which is the subject of 13:14-20 ^cs, and the coming of the antichrist would not be limited to Judea. Explanation 3, however, fits well: It occurred in AD 69–70, shortly before Titus besieged Jerusalem, which would have given Christians a brief opportunity to leave Jerusalem before it was besieged; and it involved actions that defiled the holy place in the Temple. This interpretation also helps to distinguish the sign of the coming disaster (the sacrilegious person) from the disaster itself (the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple).

• Then: At the appearance of the sacrilege, those in Judea were to flee to the hills. The early church historian Eusebius tells of a prophetic oracle given to the Jerusalem church that caused them to flee the city before its destruction (Eusebius, Church History 3.5.3).
Summary for Mark 13:15-16: 13:15-16 ^ct A person relaxing on the roof of their Judean home should not even pack after seeing this sign, but come down and flee. Likewise, a person out in the field should not return home to retrieve his coat. Believers were to flee from the approaching Roman army as soon as they saw the sign of 13:14 ^cu. The Roman army did not practice a swift “blitzkrieg” kind of warfare. Their movement tended to be cautious, methodical, and relentless. But Jesus warned against playing a waiting game to see how things would develop.
13:17 ^cv The intensity of the coming disaster is illustrated by the suffering of the most vulnerable. In that day, the joy of motherhood (see Luke 1:25 ^cw, 57-59 ^cx) would be accompanied by terrible trouble.
13:18 ^cy In winter, the wadis (canyon-like riverbeds) are flooded, travel is more difficult, and survival is harder.
13:19 ^cz greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world: Such hyperbole is common in Semitic expression; it heightens the terror of that horrible time and should not be taken as an exact statistical analysis of how this suffering ranks alongside other disasters.

• And it will never be so great again: The events of 13:14-23 ^da would not bring history to an end; history would continue after the destruction of the Temple in AD 70.
13:20 ^db God’s shortening of his timetable for the days of calamity is referred to frequently in intertestamental Jewish literature (e.g., 2 Esdras 2:13; 2 Baruch 20:1). This statement emphasizes the horrors of this tribulation experienced by God’s people, but also God’s mercy in shortening this time.

• not a single person will survive: The whole population of Judea might have been destroyed if the days of anguish had been longer.

• chosen ones (literally elect): Followers of Jesus.
Summary for Mark 13:21-23: 13:21-23 ^dc The larger section (13:5-23 ^dd) concludes with another warning about messianic pretenders. Here the pretenders are associated with the events of AD 70, whereas in 13:5-6 ^de they were associated with the normal course of events. Along with false messiahs, prophets would appear and perform miraculous signs and wonders (13:22 ^df), hoping to deceive not only the Jews of Judea and Jerusalem but even the Christians (God’s chosen ones). Jesus warned his followers not to believe such reports. When the Messiah comes from heaven (13:26 ^dg), everyone will see and know it (see Rev 1:7 ^dh).

• Watch out! This warning unifies the section (Mark 13:5-23 ^di) and brings it to a close. Jesus’ teaching in this section was to warn his followers in Judea and Jerusalem not to be misled by false messianic hopes and claims. Many Jews succumbed to such claims in the late AD 60s, and Josephus (Antiquities 17.10.8) describes the great harm done by these pretenders, who encouraged the Jewish people to resist the Romans. Nothing should distract Christians from fleeing Judea and Jerusalem when they see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration taking place.

• For Mark’s readers in Rome, Jesus’ message had a different application. Mark wanted his readers to watch out for those who promised timetables for prophecy to be fulfilled. They could not know the time (13:32 ^dj), and a frenzy about the second coming of Christ was forbidden, but they were to be alert (13:33-37 ^dk) and prepare themselves for persecution (13:9-13 ^dl; see 8:34-38 ^dm) according to Jesus’ words of encouragement (13:11 ^dn, 13 ^do).
Summary for Mark 13:24-27: 13:24-27 ^dp At that time, after the anguish of those days: Many scholars argue that the cosmic signs of 13:24-25 ^dq, the coming of the Son of Man in 13:26 ^dr, and the gathering of the chosen ones from throughout the world in 13:27 ^ds are metaphorical ways of referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and to the vindication of the Son of Man by that event. The traditional interpretation, though, is that, whereas the former material refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, this passage refers to the coming of the Son of Man (the parousia) that will occur at the end of history. This interpretation fits better for several reasons: (1) After the anguish of those days means after the destruction of Jerusalem, not during it, and at that time (literally in those days) could occur at any time after the events of 13:5-23 ^dt; (2) several words used in 13:26 ^du are used elsewhere to describe the coming of the Son of Man: glory (8:38 ^dv), power and clouds (14:62 ^dw); and (3) in light of the early church’s longing and praying for the return of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor 16:22 ^dx; Rev 22:20 ^dy), Mark’s readers would have interpreted Mark 13:26 ^dz as the second coming of Jesus, which will bring history as we know it to a close. The prophets, Jesus, and the Gospel writers described this event as though seen through a telescope, and the distance between events is unclear; no one knows the time for this event except God himself (13:32 ^ea). The events of 13:5-23 ^eb and 13:24-27 ^ec are part of the same great, divine act that includes the coming of the Son of Man, his ministry, death, and resurrection, the judgment of Jerusalem in AD 70, and the Son of Man’s final coming in glory.
Summary for Mark 13:24-25: 13:24b-25 ^ed Some of the language used in the New Testament to describe Jesus’ second coming, such as the “trumpet call of God” (1 Thes 4:16 ^ee), appears to be metaphorical, and in the Old Testament, cosmic language is frequently used to describe historical events metaphorically (see Isa 11:1-9 ^ef; 13:9-11 ^eg; Jer 4:23-28 ^eh; Ezek 32:1-16 ^ei). So it is possible that this imagery could refer to a past event, such as the destruction of Jerusalem, if that is the meaning of Mark 13:24-27 ^ej. However, the New Testament writers clearly understood the coming of the Son of Man to be the visible and personal return of Jesus in the future (see Acts 1:9-11 ^ek).
13:27 ^el The Son of Man, at his coming, will gather his chosen people—those who believe in him and follow him—from all over the world (see Zech 2:6 ^em) and from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven (see Deut 13:7 ^en; 30:4 ^eo; Isa 42:10 ^ep; 62:11 ^eq). This hope is expressed frequently in the Old Testament (e.g., Ps 107:2-3 ^er; Isa 11:11-16 ^es; 27:12-13 ^et; 43:5-13 ^eu; 49:12 ^ev; 60:1-9 ^ew; Jer 31:10 ^ex). For Mark’s readers, this passage would have provided encouragement to endure and remain faithful despite the persecutions foretold in Mark 13:9-13 ^ey. The Son of Man’s coming will also bring judgment on the unrighteous (8:38 ^ez; 13:32-37 ^fa; Matt 13:41-43 ^fb; 24:36-51 ^fc; 25:1-12 ^fd, 31-46 ^fe).
Summary for Mark 13:28-31: 13:28-31 ^ff This passage contains the lesson (literally parable) of the fig tree (13:28-30 ^fg) and two sayings (13:30-31 ^fh). It is closely tied to 13:4-23 ^fi by the words all these things (13:4 ^fj) and the expression when you see (13:29 ^fk; cp. 13:14 ^fl).
13:29 ^fm his return (literally he/it is near): The Greek has no explicit subject, so the choice between “he is near” or “it is near” depends on whether 13:29-30 ^fn refers to 13:4-23 ^fo or to 13:24-27 ^fp. The NLT text understands it as referring to the return of the Son of Man. Because words in 13:4 ^fq are echoed in 13:29 ^fr and 30 ^fs (see study note on 13:28-31), others interpret it as referring to the destruction of Jerusalem. Just as the sprouting of the fig tree is a herald of summer, the desolating sacrilege (13:14 ^ft) would be a harbinger of Jerusalem’s destruction.
13:30 ^fu This generation was to witness the fulfillment of these events. That generation did witness the destruction of Jerusalem. Those, however, who hold that all these things refers to the coming of the Son of Man have to interpret this generation as meaning something other than “people alive at this time.” It could refer to the continued existence of the Jewish people, the whole human race, the Christian community, or the last generation of the end time.
13:31 ^fv Jesus personally guaranteed what he had said. My words include specifically what Jesus said in the whole discourse of Mark 13:1-37 ^fw. Mark’s readers would have understood this as guaranteeing the truth of all Jesus’ teachings known to them (Luke 1:2 ^fx). Like the Old Testament Scriptures (see Isa 40:8 ^fy), Jesus’ words are eternal. His teachings are more abiding than the fundamental elements of creation. The basic elements of creation will pass away (see also Ps 102:25-26 ^fz; Isa 40:6-8 ^ga; 51:6 ^gb; Matt 5:18 ^gc; Luke 16:17 ^gd; 2 Pet 3:7 ^ge, 10 ^gf; Rev 20:11 ^gg), but Jesus’ words will never disappear.
Summary for Mark 13:32-37: 13:32-37 ^gh Just as 13:28-31 ^gi seems to pick up the theme of 13:5-23 ^gj in speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem, 13:32-37 ^gk apparently picks up the theme of 13:24-27 ^gl and speaks of the coming of the Son of Man. An introductory warning against speculations concerning the end time (13:32 ^gm) is followed by a warning to be on guard because one cannot know the time of the end (13:33 ^gn). A story illustrates the need to be ready for the Lord’s return (13:34 ^go), and its application repeats the need to watch lest they be found unprepared (13:35-36 ^gp); the concluding warning is also for watchfulness (13:37 ^gq). 13:32 ^gr The statement no one knows the day or hour (cp. Acts 1:7 ^gs) introduces the warning to be watchful (Mark 13:33-37 ^gt) and discourages speculation.

• Jesus refers to himself as the Son, higher than the angels in an ascending hierarchy that begins with no one and ends with only the Father. The authenticity of this saying is assured by the limitation it places on the Son’s knowledge, something the early church would not likely have imagined—in the apocryphal gospels (about AD 150–300), the tendency is to exalt and magnify Jesus’ divine attributes (e.g., see the Infancy Gospel of Thomas). In the miracle of the incarnation, Jesus experienced limitation (Mark 10:40 ^gu; 13:32 ^gv). If the Son himself did not know the day or hour, Christians should refrain from seeking such knowledge for themselves.
Summary for Mark 13:33-37: 13:33-37 ^gw These verses contain several variations of the same basic warning: Be on guard! Stay alert! and watch. The repetition emphasizes the need to be vigilant.
Summary for Mark 13:34-35: 13:34-35 ^gx The point of the story is not that the return of the Lord is uncertain or unexpected (see Matt 24:45-51 ^gy; 25:1-30 ^gz; Luke 12:36-38 ^ha; 19:12-27 ^hb), but that there will be no sign or warning of his coming. The parable is allegorical in at least two respects, with the master (Greek kurios) understood as the Lord [kurios] Jesus Christ and the slaves or household servants as the Christian community. But to allegorize the gatekeeper as the apostles or Peter was a post–New Testament development.

• in the evening, at midnight, before dawn (literally the cock’s crowing), or at daybreak: The four periods of the night correspond to the Roman division of the night into four watches of three hours each and simply mean that the master can return at any time during the night.
13:37 ^hc The passage, originally addressed to the disciples (you, see also 13:5 ^hd), is also directed to all readers of Mark’s Gospel (everyone).

• Watch for him! Although 13:32-37 ^he warns about being ready, the early church experienced this vigilance as a joyous anticipation of “that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed” (Titus 2:13 ^hf). Even Greek Christians in the first century repeated the Aramaic prayer, Marana tha (“Come, Lord,” see 1 Cor 16:22 ^hg; Rev 22:20 ^hh) and today, we still “eagerly look forward to his appearing” (2 Tim 4:8 ^hi).