Mark chapter 13

Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple, and the signs of the End of Days. Only God the Father knows when Jesus will return. Be vigilant!

 


 

JESUS FORETELLS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE

 

VERSE 1. As he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, see what kind of stones and what kind of buildings!”

stones … buildings. We humans are impressed by great construction projects.

 

VERSE 2. Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone on another, which will not be thrown down.”

 

THE SIGNS OF THE END OF DAYS

 

VERSE 3. As he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,

asked him privately. These four were an “inner circle.” Sometimes they asked him questions privately.

 

VERSE 4. “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are all about to be fulfilled?”

 

VERSE 5. Jesus, answering, began to tell them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 6. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and will lead many astray.

 

VERSE 7. “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be troubled. For those must happen, but the end is not yet.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 8. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines and troubles. These things are the beginning of birth pains.

 

THE COMING PERSECUTION

 

VERSE 9. But watch yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 10. The Good News must first be preached to all the nations.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

first be preached. Before Jesus Christ returns in glory, we Christians must first take his gospel to every nation on earth. However, after two millennia, we have still not evangelized the whole world. We Christians have often been quite lukewarm about evangelizing the world. We have overlooked entire people-groups.

all the nations. What does it mean to preach the gospel to all the nations? Let’s say we wish to evangelize a city of 15 million. Let’s say a missionary team toils for several decades, and establishes a new church of 40 people. That would be an exemplery accomplishment. However, could we say that have successfully evangelized 15 million people? Probably not.

 

VERSE 11. When they lead you away and deliver you up, don’t be anxious beforehand, or premeditate what you will say, but say whatever will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 12. “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

Jeremiah 9:4. “Everyone beware of his neighbor, and don’t trust in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go around like a slanderer.

 

VERSE 13. You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

You will be hated by all. Jesus does not promise us an ideal storybook lifestyle. We will encounter hardship for the sake of the gospel. There will be persecution, possibly even from within our own families.

 

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

 

VERSE 14. But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,

the abomination. This denotes idolatry and its detestable practices.

of desolation. The abomination of desolation is the presence of an idolatrous person or object in the temple. It was so detestable that it caused the temple to be abandoned and left desolate.

An “abomination of desolation” had taken place in 167 B.C. The Syrian ruler Antiochus Epiphanies built an altar to the pagan Greek god Zeus over the altar of burnt offering. On it, he sacrificed a pig.

Jesus speaks of another “abomination of desolation.” Perhaps it was the occupation and profaning of the temple in 67- 68 A.D. by the Zealots. They installed a usurper named Phanni as the high priest. Jewish Christians were forced to flee to Pella.

standing where it ought not. That is, in the temple.

 

VERSE 15. and let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house.

 

VERSE 16. Let him who is in the field not return back to take his cloak.

 

VERSE 17. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days!

 

VERSE 18. Pray that your flight won’t be in the winter.

 

VERSE 19. For in those days there will be oppression, such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be.

oppression. The Greek word is thlipsis. It means distress, tribulation.

 

VERSE 20. Unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days.

shortened the days. Is time itself sped up? Or is the number of days reduced?

 

VERSE 21. Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ don’t believe it.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 22. For there will arise false christs and false prophets, and will show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.

 

VERSE 23. But you watch. “Behold, I have told you all things beforehand.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

 

THE RETURN OF THE SON OF MAN

 

VERSE 24. But in those days, after that oppression, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light,

 

VERSE 25. the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.

powers that are in the heavens. That is, the heavenly bodies.

will be shaken. This could refer to a destabilization of the cosmos. Or it could refer to a perturbation of the spiritual forces of evil.

 

VERSE 26. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

 

VERSE 27. Then he will send out his angels, and will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky.

 

LEARN FROM THE FIG TREE

 

VERSE 28. “Now from the fig tree, learn this parable. When the branch has now become tender, and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near;

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 29. even so you also, when you see these things coming to pass, know that it is near, at the doors.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 30. Most certainly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen.

 

VERSE 31. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

my words will not pass away. The words of Jesus Christ will not pass away. They are eternal. Would you consider investing yourself in the words of Jesus Christ? Consider getting involved in our:

  • Bible Reading Project
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  • Gospel Bytes Project

 

NO HUMAN KNOWS WHEN JESUS CHRIST WILL RETURN

 

VERSE 32. But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

only the Father. God the Father is the only one who knows when Jesus Christ will return in glory.

The date of the return of the Lord Jesus is unknown. It will be unexpected. However, some Christians claim to know when it will happen. They are false prophets. Read more »

 

BE VIGILANT

 

VERSE 33. Watch, keep alert, and pray; for you don’t know when the time is.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 34. “It is like a man, traveling to another country, having left his house, and given authority to his servants, and to each one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch.

 

VERSE 35. Watch therefore, for you don’t know when the lord of the house is coming, whether at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning;

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 36. lest coming suddenly he might find you sleeping.

 

VERSE 37. What I tell you, I tell all: Watch.”

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.

 


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MARK

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Commands, Spirituality, Miracles

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.