Mar 13:34-35 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Mark 13:34-35: 13:34-35 The point of the story is not that the return of the Lord is uncertain or unexpected (see Matt 24:45-51 ; 25:1-30 ; Luke 12:36-38 ; 19:12-27 ), 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.

a13:34-35►

bMatt 24:45-51►

c25:1-30►

dLuke 12:36-38►

e19:12-27►

‏ Mark 13:34-35

Summary for Mark 13:34-35: 13:34-35 ^a The point of the story is not that the return of the Lord is uncertain or unexpected (see Matt 24:45-51 ^b; 25:1-30 ^c; Luke 12:36-38 ^d; 19:12-27 ^e), 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.