Knowledge of the future is a valuable commodity in our world. Financial advisers get paid good money to predict what stocks will take off in value. Others make a good living predicting what sports team they believe will win. And it’s not just valuable in the realm of making a quick dollar. Political advisers who can predict the reactions of voters are in high demand, and books that can predict how your employees will respond to certain business strategies fly off the shelves. The ability to predict the future is seen as a powerful tool in our world.
And it’s not something new. A desire to know what is going to happen tomorrow goes back to the serpent whose prediction of what would take place once Eve ate the fruit seemed so appealing to her that she rebelled against God. It was this desire to know the future that made Nebuchadnezzar desperate to find someone to interpret his dream. And it is why there has been a thriving industry seemingly throughout the history of the world for those who claim to be able to predict what one’s future holds.
But one thing that we must recognize in man’s ceaseless desire to know the future is that man’s goal in desiring this knowledge is action. In other words, the knowledge is always merely a means. We want to know what the stock market will do tomorrow so that we might act today in buying and selling what we should. We want to know how our product will perform in the market tomorrow so that we might stop or start mass-production today. The knowledge of tomorrow we crave is only powerful because it guides us in determining what we need to do today.
It is for this reason that when we turn to Mark 13, a text in which Jesus tells his disciples much about what the future holds, we find that it is a text filled with imperatives. Just hearing a sample of these commands is almost overwhelming, as Jesus tells his disciples, “See that no one leads you astray” (v. 5), “Be on your guard” (v. 9), “Do not be anxious” (v. 11), “Do not believe it” (v. 21), “Be on guard” (v. 23), “Be on guard, keep awake” (v. 33), “Stay awake” (v. 35), and “Stay awake” (v. 37). But this reality helps us to see something that many have missed – Mark 13 is not given to us in order to help us fill out our end of the world charts but is given to us in order that we might know how to think, act, and live during these days in which we live. Therefore, this morning, in order to be faithful to the text, I want us to see how this text tells us we need to live in these days between the first and second coming of Jesus Christ.
But before we get into that, I want to us to walk through the structure and some details of the text so that we might understand what’s going on in this chapter, which is Jesus’ longest section of teaching in Mark’s gospel. And there are three reasons I want to explain how I understand the structure and flow of this text: 1) it is a difficult text to understand, 2) many faithful believers have disagreed about the nature of these verses, and 3) how one understands the nature, structure, and flow of this text affects how one applies it. For example, if you think something Jesus talks about only applies to the generation of disciples listening to his words in that day, then you’ll not apply it to the present-day readers, necessarily. However, if you think Jesus is describing something about our own day as well, then you’ll see implications for us in Jesus’ exhortations.
So, with that said, here’s how I understand the flow of the text:
In verses 1-4, Jesus’ disciples marvel at the glory and splendor of the temple, but Jesus responds by telling them that these buildings will meet such utter destruction that “there will not be left . . . one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (v. 2). Then, four of his disciples ask him privately, “When will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” (v. 4).
Now, even though it looks like they’re simply asking when the temple will be destroyed, I think they’re actually asking two questions because of some confusion in their own minds. And you can see this in Matthew’s parallel account of this text in Matthew 24:3. There, we see that Matthew records them asking, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?”
In Matthew’s gospel, the phrase “close (or end) of the age” refers to the consummation and time of judgment. So, for example, when Jesus says in Matthew 28:20 that he will be with his followers in the great commission to the end of the age (same exact phrase as 24:3), he obviously means all the way until the point of his return and final judgment.
Therefore, it appears that the disciples are thinking that the destruction of the temple and the end of this present age must be one single event. That is, when Jesus talks about the temple being destroyed, he must be talking about the end of all things. That’s why his mention of the temple being destroyed leads them to ask about the end of this age. And I’ll also note that the reason I think Matthew includes this second part of the question and Mark doesn’t is simply because Matthew is simply making explicit in his writing of their question what Mark (and Jesus) knows they’re asking when they ask Jesus about “all these things.”
Then, when Jesus answers, his answer is first focused on the broader issue of what things will look like from that present time until the time of his return (his second coming). So, I believe in verses 5-23 Jesus is describing what will characterize the entire time between his ascension and his return at the end of this age. It will be filled with what he describes as “birth pains” (v. 8), which is a fitting metaphor, since the age will be filled with great distress until the time when the Lord returns to make all things new. These birth pains will include deception, persecution, cosmic upheaval, gospel witness, and great tribulation. Again, this time between the Lord’s two comings will be one of great distress.
Then, in verses 14-19 Jesus speaks of one particular birth pain – the fall of Jerusalem (which includes the destruction of the temple). I’ll outline in a bit why I think these verses refer to the this particular then.
Verses 24-27, then, address the return of Christ, which happens after those days of tribulation described in verses 5-23.
Next, verses 28-31 reflect on the events of verses 5-23, stressing the fact that Christ’s return is imminent and could happen at any moment.
Finally, verses 32-37 contain a parable with the exhortation to stay awake and obey the Lord as we await his return.
Therefore, in light of that structure, let’s consider some exhortations from these verses. First, I want to state something that is no doubt obvious but cannot afford to be assumed:
Now, as I stated, this is no doubt obvious from the fact that Jesus gives so many commands in these verses, but there are always temptations to think we’re wiser than God, know better than him, and can choose a better path. In fact, whether we consciously acknowledge those thoughts or not, that’s what we’re thinking and saying to ourselves every time we sin. Every excuse we make for not obeying God’s Word is a declaration that says, “I do not trust God’s Word and will not do what he says, for I am wiser than he is.”
Notice, after Jesus tells the disciples all that will characterize the time between his comings in verses 5-23, he ends, saying in verse 23, “But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.” That is to say, “I have spoken, you must trust what I have said, and you must obey.” And again, in verse 31, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” His words are eternal, they must be trusted, and they must be obeyed.
Now, let me give one illustration of the importance of trusting and obeying Christ’s words by considering the events Jesus describes in verses 14-19.
Jesus says in these verses, “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that it may not happen in winter. For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be.”
Now, these verses cause us to ask some questions, don’t they? One of which is, “What in the world is this ‘abomination of desolation’ mentioned in verse 14?” And if I told you that I think the phrase probably means the “abomination that causes desolation,” that’s probably not entirely helpful, is it? Well, first, we should consider that this isn’t the first time this phrase shows up. In the book of Daniel, we find the phrase three times (9:27, 11:31, and 12:11). And it seems that at least one of those uses of the phrase refers to Antiochus Epiphanes, who indeed brought desolation and was an abomination as he went into the temple, set up an altar to Zeus, and sacrificed pigs on the Lord’s altar. But the other references in Daniel seem to refer to another act to come in the future in which the temple will see desolation. And when Jesus (or Mark) notes, “Let the reader understand” in verse 14, I believe he means, “Let the reader of Daniel understand,” because Jesus is talking about the event that fulfills Daniel’s centuries-old prophecy.
But what is Jesus, then, talking about by this phrase, “abomination that causes desolation?” We see no real hints in the text, but thankfully in Luke’s parallel of this text, Luke does give us a hint. We read in Luke parallel account of Jesus’ teaching here, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near” (Luke 21:20). And you’ll note that the following verses are almost the same as those verses which follow Mark 13:14. Therefore, it seems that Jesus is here talking about the day when the Roman armies would gather around Jerusalem, lay siege to the city, and destroy it (including the temple).
Jesus tells his disciples that when the armies surround Jerusalem, they should flee to the mountains. Don’t waste any time. If you’re on the housetop (where the roofs of the houses would have been connected), don’t come down, just run across the housetops. If you’re in the field, don’t waste time getting your cloak. For those who are pregnant or nursing, it’ll pose a great challenge. And they should pray it doesn’t happen in winter, for that would make fleeing even more challenging. Indeed, he tells us that there will be such tribulation that there has not been any like it before nor after, till the end of the age.
And the fall of Jerusalem indeed fits this. From 66-70 A.D. the Jews were in revolt against Rome. And eventually Roman armies surrounded and laid siege to the city. It was a terrible scene. The Romans would take Jewish prisoners and crucify literally hundreds of them on a daily basis. Because they laid siege to the city, Jerusalem suffered through times of famine so severe that mothers were reported to have roasted and eaten their own children. But the cries of the mothers to stop the revolt achieved nothing. In fact, a number of zealous Jews went about killing their own people who wanted to end the revolt. Eventually, the Romans made their way to the temple where thousands of Jews had crowded around the altar, and they were slaughtered. There were hundreds of thousands Jews killed in all so that Carson notes, “Never so high a percentage has a great city’s population [been] so thoroughly and painfully exterminated and enslaved as during the Fall of Jerusalem.”2
But though there were many Christians in Jerusalem, there were very, very few who died after Rome laid siege to the city. Why? It is because they trusted their Lord’s words, and when they saw the armies surrounding the city, they fled to the mountains. They trusted and obeyed, and it saved them from being part of this horrendous event. We are called to trust our Lord’s words and obey him. And we also see in Jesus’ teaching here that,
In verses 5-23, as Jesus describes what this entire age will be like, he calls his disciples, in the middle of the section, to endure. He says in verse 13, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Endures what? Jesus tells us.
There will be deception.
Jesus actually brackets his teaching in these verses by warning his followers not to be deceived. In verses 5-6, Jesus says, “See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray.” And then, in verses 21-22, “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.”
Now perhaps from our vantage point, this doesn’t seem very tempting. But Jesus tells us that many will be led astray. And when times get difficult and are threatening to us, there is a temptation to follow anyone who promises brighter days and better times. In fact, I think that we risk setting up many for deception with the thought that if God is in something (whether some work you’re doing or the like) that it will go well, smooth, and easy. That is not how Jesus talks in this section. To follow him means walking through times of great distress. To be a follower of Christ will actually mean greater troubles, as we will see. So, it makes it crucial that we understand that Jesus said there would be many difficult days (perhaps more terrible than we might imagine), but during those days, we must not give in to the teachings and promises of those who do not submit to Christ’s word or who claim to be the savior. There is one Savior, and when he indeed returns, all the ends of the earth will know it.
There will be cosmic upheaval.
Jesus also makes it clear that this age will be filled cosmic upheaval. He says in verses 7-8, “And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.”
There will be cosmic upheaval in these days as if the earth were a woman experiencing labor pains. They may not be constant. There may be a break between these labor pains. But they will consistently characterize this age. There will be political upheaval, wars, and rumors of wars. We’ll witness earthquakes, famines, and the like. And every time this happens there are groups that say, “This must be it.” Every time there’s a war or rumor of war in the Middle East, there are people that say with great anxiety, “This is it. This is the end.” Every time there’s a huge natural disaster, there is panic among some that we must be at the end. But Jesus tells us not to be alarmed. These things will characterize this entire age. We are living in birth pains that will be consistent until the consummation. And all the political and cosmic upheaval around us does not change our orders. We obey our Lord.
Finally, there will be persecution.
Jesus tells us in verses 9-12, “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death.”
Do you see what Jesus is saying here? These days we live in are days when brothers will hand over brothers to be killed because they profess Christ. Parents will hand over children, and children will hand over parents to death. In fact, things will be so bad that if the Lord did not intervene to shorten this time period no human being would survive according to verse 20. But he will do so for the sake of his elect (v. 21).
Now, this is sometimes hard for us to fathom because we’re such an anomaly in the history of the world and even geographically in the present day. The persecution of Christians has characterized this entire period since Christ’s ascension. Tradition tells us that all of the apostles were martyred except John. There was such animosity toward Christians at times in the early church that if something could be blamed on them it was. In fact, a proverb arose: If it doesn’t rain, lay it to the Christians. Throughout history, there are records of believers being burned alive, made to sit on iron chairs that were heated up so that they were roasted, being sawn into, having molten lead poured down their throats, being given over to wild animals to tear them to shreds, and on and on. And it wasn’t that this only happened long ago. Many have noted that the number of recorded martyrs in the 20th century was greater than the previous nineteen centuries combined.
And even in our day, just because we don’t see intense persecution in the U.S. doesn’t mean it isn’t happening all over the world. We could read of stories of horrendous persecution of believers today. Again, it’s almost hard to believe what an exception we are living in the United States. And while we have little reason to believe our relative peace will last, we have much reason to believe it will not – based on Jesus’ words.
So, what is the call to us during these times? It is to endure in faithfulness to our Lord. In fact, Jesus tells us that through these times of persecution, the gospel will continue to spread to all the nations. And this has proved true historically. Wherever there has been persecution, the gospel has spread. In fact, Tertullian noted that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. And we don’t even have to be anxious over what to say if we are dragged to stand trial and testify; the Spirit will give us the words, for Christ is more concerned about his name than we are.
There may be a day, and it may be soon where we, as Christians, are no longer tolerated in this country. There may be a day, and it may be soon where parents instruct their children to harass or beat up our children because their parents are those Bible-believing, obey-at-all-costs Christians.
Perhaps we should ask how our family devotions might be different if we saw family members delivering over family members to death because of their allegiance to Christ. And if we answer that question, it may give us insight into how our family devotions need to look right now. Indeed, part of teaching our children and discipling them is teaching them to obey in light of all the costs following Christ will surely bring.
No matter the cost, no matter the intensity of persecution or cosmic upheaval or deception around us, we are called to believe, obey, and to persevere. That is what Christ demands.
In verses 28-31, Jesus tells his disciples, “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.”
When he says “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place,” I think he means the very generation he was speaking to at that moment. And I think what he means is that within the lifetime of that generation, they would see all the birth pains that must take place before Christ returns. They would see people leading many astray, cosmic upheaval, and persecution. They would see the gospel go to the nations. They would see the fall of Jerusalem. Sure, these things would continue throughout the entire age, but I think he wanted them to know that by the end of that generation there would be nothing left that had to happen prior to Christ’s return.
What this means is that the only thing left that Jesus predicted would happen that has not happened is his return. And it would happen. That’s what he tells us in verses 24-27. He will come in clouds with great power and glory.
Don’t be deceived into a lull that says, “He isn’t coming soon.” There’s nothing that stops his imminent return. And Jesus tells us in verses 32-37 that no one knows when he’s coming but the Father.
So we must obey Christ with urgency. We must continue to make disciples of all the nations with an urgency that realizes Christ could return at any minute. We must continue to do our jobs each day with a heart that says, “If Christ returns I want him to find me working as unto him.” We must obey in hard times – whether in depression, in difficulties in marriage or with children, in sacrificial labors that cost us much – so that we may say, “I have endured in faithful obedience.”
And we must do all of these things, enduring all of these costs, while remembering that he indeed is returning. He will come on the clouds and gather his people from all over the earth to be with him forever. Even if your suffering endures to the end of the age, it will not last forever. He is coming. Even if your obedience costs you much, you’ll one day know the glories of eternity, for he is coming. Indeed he is coming.
As sure as he died and rose so that we might be saved, so he is coming to get those whom he has saved. So, we obey with urgency and we obey in hope. In the midst of an age where things will spiral to the point that unless the days were cut short no human would survive, we will endure by God’s grace and one day see our Lord face-to-face.
So, let us, having heard again of the cost, come to the table, delight in the gospel, and let our eating and drinking be a visible proclamation that we are by faith continuing to deny ourselves, taking up our cross, and following our Lord until he returns. Amen.