Mark 13

Mark 13, Matthew 24 and Luke 21 and 17 are referred to as the Olivet Discourse. Most protestant churches today teach that these texts are prophecies about the time of the Second Coming. Looking at Mark 13 as representative of them, does the context support a Second Coming event in the future?

The question to ask ourselves: Are any of the following a reference to our future?

1. No one knows the hour or the day (v. 32), but Jesus did know that all these things listed before in this chapter will happen in this generation that Jesus lived in (v. 30). Even though he had told Peter, James, John and Andrew everything ahead of time (verse 23), he warned them to “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come” (verse 33).

2. Jesus told them that not one stone of the temple will be left on another (v. 2). Josephus recorded that the stones were taken apart by the Roman army and then they scraped the temple mount. This is why those Jews who today wish to rebuild the temple do not know where it should be placed. Jesus said that all of these things will happen in this generation and the destruction of the Herodian temple was one of them.

3. Six days before the Transfiguration, Jesus told his disciples that “ . . .  some who are standing here will not taste of death before you see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:28). Presumably all of them were present six days later at the time of the Transfiguration and none of them will be alive at the Second Coming. Therefore, the coming in his kingdom that some of them left alive will be able to see, will have to be experienced between the Transfiguration and the Second Coming. We do know positively that the apostle John was still alive in A.D. 70, which was in Jesus’ generation.                                                

4. You will be handed over to local councils and flogged in synagogues. Chapter 8 of Acts is the beginning of the great persecution of the Jews against the church, which ended with the destruction of Judea.

5. You will stand as a witness to governors and kings. Paul stood as a witness to the governors of Judea, Felix and later Festus and to King Agrippa (Acts 24 and 25).

6. The gospel to be preached to all the nations (v. 10, Roman Empire). Colossians 1:23b says “This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I Paul, have become a servant.” This was written before A.D. 70.

7. “ . . . When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong, -- let the reader understand --  then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (v. 14) and Luke. 21:20-22 says “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.”  According to Josephus, General Cestius Gallus surrounded the city of Jerusalem and could have set up a siege and taken the city, but for some unknown reason he left with his army allowing the people to flee the city of Jerusalem. Josephus says they fled to Pella and the mountains nearby. General Titus came later and set a siege around Jerusalem and either the people there died of starvation, were killed, or were taken captive.

8. Jesus appeared before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the high priest. Caiaphas asked him if he was the Christ, the Son of God to which he answered: “Yes, it is as you say.” Then Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:57-68). This was a reference to his ruling and judging since he by then would have ascended to his Father in heaven and would have been given authority, glory, and sovereign power (Daniel 7:13-14). He was saying that they themselves will see the destruction and know it is he, through the Roman army, who will be bringing judgment on Judea. Of the seventy members of the Sanhedrin, we could safely say that some of them would have been alive in A.D. 66 to 70, but none of them will be alive at the Second Coming.

9. Jesus said in vv. 24-26 about the days following the distress that “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. This is de-creation language foretelling the coming judgment on the nation of Judea, and we have numerous examples of this figurative language used in this way in the Old Testament. The following descriptions are figurative ways of expressing national judgment: Isaiah 13:10 is about the destruction of Babylon; Isaiah 34:3-5 about Edom; Isaiah 24:23 about Tyre; Ezekiel 32:7-8 about the destruction of Egypt and Ezekiel 38:19-20 about Gog.

10. An explanation is needed about the words angels and gather, in verse 27. First, the Greek word translated angels here is ἄγγελος but also can mean messenger as in Mark 1:2 where this Greek word is rendered messenger referring to John the Baptist. This rendering in Mark 13 to angels is because the translator interpreted this chapter as referring to the Second Coming. This is a sentence about messengers or believers doing evangelism.

Secondly, the Greek word for gather is ἐπισυναξει which means to gather together in one place or to others already gathered. Jesus used this word when he said in Matthew 23, “how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” We are not talking about the Second Coming here either because this is a horizontal gathering, not a vertical one. A vertical gathering at the Second Coming is expressed in First Thessalonians 4:16 when it is said that the dead in Christ will rise (ἀναστησονται) first. Verse 17 following says, “And after that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up (ἀρπαγηςόμεθα) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

The conclusion: Mark 13 is about the figurative coming in judgment of Christ on Judea using the Roman army in the last days of the Jewish age in which the apostles lived, not the Second Coming which will be in the future.