This passage in Mark has bothered me throughout then years. But I think I have come to grips with it. My overriding question has been “Is this a prophetic word for the first-century Disciples or for us today?” My answer is…. Yes.

Here is the video link:

Mark 13… Prophecy – a Two Edged Sword

The audio links are to the right (Spotify and iTunes)

Here is the transcript I used for today’s Podcast:

Mark 13

This is one of the more difficult passages in Mark. There is general agreement that Jesus’ initial prophecy (v. 2) concerns the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in ad 70. While for some vv. 5–31 continue to deal with that destruction, others see an interwoven reference to the second coming (e.g., vv. 14–27 or vv. 24–27), with some suggesting that vv. 24–27 have a double fulfillment in both the ad 70 destruction and the second coming. Alternatively, some see vv. 5–31 dealing with only the second coming.

Edited by Carson, D. A. (2018). NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible. Zondervan.

The Destruction of the Temple 

1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, 

“Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

It is my opinion that this statement refers specifically to Rome’s sacking of Jerusalem in the late AD 60’s. In an article from Britannica we read the following:

In 63 BCE the Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem. The Romans ruled through a local client king and largely allowed free religious practice in Judaea. At times, the divide between monotheistic and polytheistic religious views caused clashes between Jews and Gentiles. This friction, combined with oppressive taxation and unwanted imperialism, culminated in 66 CE in the First Jewish Revolt. The revolt was successful at first: Jewish forces quickly expelled the Romans from Jerusalem, and a revolutionary government was formed that extended its influence into the surrounding area. In response, the Roman emperor Nero sent the general Vespasian to meet the Jewish forces, an endeavor that pushed the majority of the rebels into Jerusalem by the time Vespasian was proclaimed emperor in 69 CE.

By August 70 CE the Romans had breached the final defenses and massacred much of the remaining population. They also destroyed the Second Temple. The loss of the Temple for a second time is still mourned by Jews during the fast of Tisha be-Av. Rome celebrated the fall of Jerusalem by erecting the triumphal Arch of Titus.

Lohnes, K. (2018, August 29). Siege of Jerusalem. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Jerusalem-70

 

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

In other words… when will the Temple be destroyed? What follows answers THAT question.

5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Context, context, context! All of what we just read was Jesus answer to the question of WHEN the Temple would be destroyed. The Temple was destroyed in AD 70, approximately 30-35 years in the future.  Prior to the destruction, people would turn in relatives to the Romans, and Christian converts would be betrayed to the Romans by non-converted family members. There were three warring self-proclaimed deliverers. each with his own army declaring they would defeat the Romans.

14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’[a] standing where it[b] does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 

This could refer to an action by one of the false deliverers of v. 6 

6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.

Prior to the sacking of Jerusalem by Rome, there were actually three men who claimed leadership of Israel, each with their own armies. They fought not only Rome, but each other as well. As the total destruction of Jerusalem by Rome drew near, leaders of the Jewish rebellion, at one time or another used the Temple as their command headquarters. That seems pretty far removed from the purpose of the Temple. It became no longer the House of God, but the home of generals and leaders of the rebellion.

This year was marked by bitter civil war between the three factions under Simon, John, and Eleazar. According to Tacitus, “there were three generals and three armies, and between these three there was constant fighting, treachery, and arson” (Histories 5.12.3). Although Titus Flavius, the son of Emperor Vespasian, and his army were nearing Jerusalem, Eleazar and the other two leaders did not unite to prepare for the attack and were severely weakened by 70 CE. For example, some of the Zealots under Eleazar burned large stockpiles of food that would have lasted the Jews several years in order to “remove the security blanket” and force everyone to fight (Goodman 195).

Goodman, Martin. The Ruling Class of Judaea: The Origins of the Jewish Revolt Against Rome, A.D. 66–70.

 

15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.

Rome surrounded and put Jerusalem under siege around AD 69… and Jesus is telling them to leave before that happens. That event would be the most devastating thing Israel and Jerusalem had experienced.

20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

24 “But in those days, following that distress,

“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;

25 the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[c]

26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

It has been my observation that prophetic words sometimes have an immediate function and a future function, like two edges of the same sword. Verses 24 and 25 COULD be apocalyptic language describing the soon-coming complete destruction of the nation Israel by Rome.

However, it is verse 26 and verse 27 that tells me that there’s a futuristic application here. Why? Simply because the events in v26 have not happened yet. The Lord has not returned in power and glory. The angels have not gathered His elect.

So this entire passage  – with the exception of verses 26 and 27 – could be prophecy of what is about to immediately happen when Rome destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70. In fact, the historical details bear this out, in my mind. BUT….. verses 26 and 27 throws in the very real possibility that the second coming of Jesus is being talked about here. If that is the way of it, then this prophetic passage COULD be referring to human history from then until the future when Jesus returns. Personally, I think this is a perfect picture of the two-edged prophetic sword… aimed at AD 70, and ALSO aimed at the end of time when all of human history is concluded

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it[d] is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

If vv. 5–27 answer the disciples’ initial question concerning Jerusalem’s destruction, then “this generation” is straightforwardly the one to which the disciples belong, and “all these things” simply means the events leading up to and including (1) the city’s ad 70 judgment, (2) Jesus’ vindication through his resurrection and ascension, and (3) his gathering of God’s true people from all nations through the gospel. If, however, “all these things” is taken to mean events associated with the second coming, then “this generation” refers to those alive at that time (though “that generation” would be better grammar). For those who see a double fulfillment, both are in view.

Edited by Carson, D. A. (2018). NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible. Zondervan

 

Until He comes, the Servants are in Charge

32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert[e]! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

If this prophetic passage is about what happens in AD 70, then Jesus is preparing to leave the Disciples in charge.

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

If, however, Jesus is speaking of the end of time, when He returns in glory, then this command is for all of us. Each of us has a specific task, and we are commanded to keep watch, because the final events could come at any time.

Which leads me to my RLRMTR questions – What am I in charge of? What is MY specific assigned task? Remember that Jesus said:

He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task,

For me – it’s nothing the world would consider glorious but is to me of paramount importance: my family. I believe the assignment given to me is NOT to become the best Christian musician, or Christian composer. I believe my assignment is to be the patriarch of a God-fearing, Christ-honoring clan, full of generations of those who gladly bow their knee to the God of this universe. Secondarily, another assignment pertains to what He has called me to be – a music teacher to the Body of Christ and the world, impacting my students with the truth of the Gospel through the avenue of music lessons.

In His Grip,

Paige