Bible Commentaries
Mark 13

Verse 1

Mark 13:1

Matt 24 // Mark 13 // Luke 21

(see the comment on Magarvey’s FourFold Gospel, Mark 13:1-24, p. 619 xxx)

Verse 3

Mark 13:3

Peter James John, Andrew ... The inner circle of apostles.

Verse 4

Mark 13:4

cf. note on Matthew 24:3

Many are confused from the wording of Matthew 24:3 and think there are two different questions, when really there is one question in two part? 1) when, and 2) what signs. Luke 21:7

Verses 3-6 At AD 70 several things ended:

1. End of civil Judaism - Colossians 2:14

2. End of the physical temple

3. End of the Levitical priesthood

4. End of the physical proof of Abraham’s seed (temple genealogical records)

5. End of the sonship of the Jews

Now it is OBVIOUS - Matthew 24:14; It is a witness

1. God’s Spiritual temple - is the church 1 Corinthians 3:16 1 Timothy 3:15

2. Obvious who are now the priests - every Christian 1 Peter 2:5 1 Peter 2:9

3. Who the seed of Abraham is today - Galatians 3:29

4. Who the Sons of God are today - 1 John 3:1

5. AD 70 was a day of witness - Deuteronomy 18:18-20

6. AD 70 bore witness to other NT prophets - such as Stephen, Acts 6:14

7. It bore witness that the NT is the revealed Word of God 1 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 2:10

8. It bore witness that the martyrs were really the martyrs of Christ and they were Righteous and Beloved of God. Revelation 6:9-11; Romans 1:7;

9. It bore witness to Christians themselves - Matthew 24:14

10. It bore witness that Jesus was not in a grave - but was in heaven - Matthew 24:14; Matthew 24:30

Verse 5

Mark 13:5

Jesus says one is deceived if he thinks these are signs! (notice the not in v. 7)

Not signs of the end of the temple:

1. False Christ and false prophets (false miracles)

2. Wars and rumors of wars, Mark 13:7

3. Earthquakes - Mark 13:8

4. Famines - Mark 13:8

5. Troubles and persecution v. 9-13

6. Gospel first preached among all the nations - Mark 13:10

* The true sign was Mark 13:14 (Luke 21:20)

you ... cf. Mark 13:3 Peter, James, John, Andrew, and the other apostles overhearing him.

Verse 7

Mark 13:7

the end ... the end of the temple (the end of that temple age, or the Jewish world as overseen by the temple and its sacrifices and rituals. This came about with the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the destruction of the temple by the Romans.) Matthew 24:6; Matthew 24:14;

1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 9:26;

Verse 9

Mark 13:9

deliver you up to councils ... This happens to the apostles in Acts 4 and Acts 5; Stephen in Acts 6 and 7; and apparently many others, Acts 8:1.

before rulers and kings ... This happens to Paul often, see Acts 24-36 before Roman rules Felix and Festus and King Agrippa,

Verse 10

Mark 13:10

gospel -- preached ... Colossians 1:23; Matthew 24:14; the gospel was widely preached to the world before AD 70 and the fall of Jerusalem and the temple. Romans 11:25

Verse 14

Mark 13:14

abomination of desolation ... Hebrew idiom = "the abomination that maketh desolate".

Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11; see Matthew 23:38; Luke 21:20 where the Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem is indicated.

168 BC Zeus statue and worship introduced by Syrian ruler, ...

AD 40 Caligula’s image erected in the temple.

Verse 17

Mark 13:17

See Josephus’ descripton in VII 8.8

Verse 18

Mark 13:18

winter -- Such a flight would be hard especially on aged.

Verse 19

Mark 13:19

affliction ... Mark 13:24; Remarkable; So severe it was call "the tribulation". Like the flood. In Revelation 1:9 John describes himself a brother in the Tribulation, Revelation 7:14.

Matthew 24:21; Matthew 24:29 "the"; Mark 13:24 also the definite article.

Verse 22

Mark 13:22

false Christs ... 2 Thessalonians 2:9

signs and wonders -- 2 Thessalonians 2:9

Verse 23

Mark 13:23

you ... His apostles

Verse 24

Mark 13:24

that tribulation -- The definite article is there. Cf Matthew 24:29

sun darkened -- moon -- Figurative language used in the Old Testament to describe the upheaval of governing authorities in a nation. Isaiah 24:23; Isaiah 30:26; Jer Isaiah 3:4; Joel 2:1-10; Acts 2:19-20

I 13:10, Isaiah 24:20-23; Jeremiah 4:23-25, Jeremiah 4:28; Ezekiel 32:7; Daniel 7:10, Daniel 12:1; Joel 2:30-31; Amos 5:20; Zephaniah 1:14-18; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:25-27; Acts 2:19-20; 2 Peter 3:10, 2 Peter 3:12; Revelation 6:12-14, Revelation 20:11

Verse 26

Mark 13:26

then ... Matthew 24:27

clouds ... Revelation 1:7; Isaiah 19:1 (end - 1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 9:26; Matthew 26:64;

The picture in the OT prophets of God coming in the clouds was not a happy one, but a picture of God coming in judgment, and the cloud was like a dark tornado, with power, might, and destruction.

Verse 27

Mark 13:27

angels ... messengers; like John, proclaiming the coming of Jesusk Matthew 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:24; Luke 7:27

four winds ... At Pentecost nations were gathered from all over, Acts 2:9-11;

Verse 28

Mark 13:28

Now learn ... The question to Jesus was, "When shall this be?" Mark 13:4

Verse 29

Mark 13:29

it ... Reference back to Mark 13:4 (cf Revelation 1:3 "nigh" "at hand" etc.)

Verse 30

Mark 13:30

this generation ... It is impossible to make this mean he 1980s, or AD 2000 +; Matthew 24:34; Jesus meant all this would be fulfilled in the time of the generation to which he was speaking. A generation was about 40 years, and in just about 40 years the city, the nation, the temple, would be overthrown.

* NIV and NASB have footnote to make this read "race" which is far out; and designed to accommodate premillennial theories.

Verse 31

Mark 13:31

earth ... kosmos

Verse 32

Mark 13:32

that day ... Does this refer to v.31 (the day of the earth’s passing), or to Mark 13:2? The whole discourse had been about the question in Mark 13:4

Some say, "I’ve read Daniel, and I’ve read Ezekiel, and I’ve read Revelation: and I say the world will end in 1988". Strange, Jesus had read Daniel, and Ezekiel, and wrote Revelation, and He said He didn’t know!"