Mark 13

CHAPTER 13THEME: Olivet Discourse; parable of the fig tree; parable of the man on a tripAgain in this chapter we will find that there are no miracles, but there is a great deal of action. Mark’s Gospel is a Gospel of action and has placed much emphasis on miracles. But in this chapter the action is future action. The action really hasn’t come to a standstill, but it is still future. It records the eschatological events which will end this age. The catastrophic events of the Great Tribulation are given, and the second coming of Christ is graphically described. This is action geared to the divine power, and that, my friend, is greater than atomic power. The Olivet Discourse, which we find in this chapter, is a parallel account with Matthew. It is much briefer here than in Matthew; in fact, it is an abridged edition. This has been generally true of Mark, except in some notable instances where he gives the longest account of an incident. In general, his policy is to abbreviate everything and give rapid action. This is my outline of the chapter:

1. Presentation of questions by disciples to Jesus on top of Mount of Olives (vv. Mar_13:1-4)
2. Panorama of this age (vv. Mar_13:5-7)
3. Persecution preceding the Great Tribulation (vv. Mar_13:8-13)
4. Prophecy of the Great Tribulation (vv. Mar_13:14-23)
5. Proclamation of the second coming of Christ (vv. Mar_13:24-27)
6. Parable of the fig tree (vv. Mar_13:28-33)
7. Program for God’s people (vv. Mar_13:34-37) There are a lot of “P’s” in that pod, don’t you think? That’s what we have in this chapter before us.

Mark 13:1

OLIVET DISCOURSENow here, I think, is an example of how there can be a misunderstanding of a passage of Scripture. One naturally asks the question, “What’s back of all this?” We have no indication why the disciples should make such a statement. Actually, we must go back to Mat_23:38 to find out. Jesus had pronounced a coming desolation upon the temple. The disciples were puzzled because there was a grandeur and a glory about the temple and the surrounding buildings. They wanted to be sure that He noted it. So one of them said, “Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”

Mark 13:2

He asks them a question. They had asked Him to see the buildings because they wanted to make sure that He hadn’t missed them. Now He asks them, “Do you really see them?” Jesus is teaching a great spiritual lesson here. During the last few years of my pastorate in downtown Los Angeles, a forty-two story building went up right next door to the church. Across the way, within a block and a half is a forty-story building, two fifty-story buildings within a block of us, and diagonally across the street from us will be a sixty-story building. Down the street from us they plan the greatest downtown shopping area in America. There will be several skyscrapers, a big shopping mall, a great department store, and two hotels. My friend, we could ask that question today.

Don’t you see all these beautiful buildings? They are brand new, and they are beautiful. But what do we really see? We see their beauty, strength, stability, and permanence. It looks to me as if they are here for a long time unless a bad earthquake comes along. Really, these buildings are temporary.

They are passing away. A true perspective would allow us to see that not one stone is going to be left upon another. Actually, these are of steel and concrete but still they are all coming down. Paul stated the spiritual truth this way: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2Co_4:18). My friend, that is the great truth. Did you know that Nebuchadnezzar walked through great Babylon in his day and saw all the glory of Babylon. As he walked through, he said, “Is not this great Babylon that I built?” Have you seen a picture of the ruins of Babylon today? Nothing to brag about there. It’s all gone, friend; the glory has disappeared. And the skyscrapers of Los Angeles are all coming down, too, by the way. He says it will all come down. These things are passing away. My friend, do you see the things that are eternal?

Mark 13:3

Mark is always putting in a little something that we don’t get in the other Gospels. We wouldn’t have known it was these four men who actually were delegated as the committee who waited on Jesus with the questions, but here they are named. Remember, this is Peter’s gospel. Peter told Mark that these four men were in the group that asked Him privately. Mark states two of the questions. Matthew states three questions that they asked. Luke gives part of the answer. When we put it all together, we find that Matthew records all three questions put to our Lord by the disciples: (1) “…Tell us, when shall these things be?” This refers to when one stone will not be left on another, and Luke gives our Lord’s answer to this question; (2) “and what shall be the sign of thy coming,” and (3) what shall be the sign “of the end of the world?” (Mat_24:3). Matthew and Mark give our Lord’s answer to the last two questions. Matthew has it in a great deal more detail than Mark, but we will look at Mark’s emphasis. Remember that he is writing to the Romans, and he is going to call attention to that which reveals power and action and drama.

Mark 13:5

We find this is a constant warninga warning against false Christs. Some may think that this is not a danger today. I think it is very pertinent right now. For example, the Christ of liberalism is an antichristhe is not the real Christ! Some of you may think that liberals preach the Christ of the Bible. They do not.

According to their statements, the Christ they preach was not virgin born, never performed a miracle, did not shed his blood for the sins of the world, was not raised bodily from the grave, did not ascend into heaven, and is not coming again bodily. Do you know there is no Jesus like that in the Bible? The Jesus of the Bible was virgin born and did perform miracles and did shed His blood for the sins of the world. He was raised bodily from the grave and ascended into heaven and is coming again. That is what the Bible says, and the Bible contains the only documents of a historical nature concerning Him. The Bible claims all these great cardinal facts of the faith.

Evidently the liberal is talking about another Christ, another Jesus. And any other Christ, friend, is antichrist. Listen to the apostle John: “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1Jn_2:18). There are a lot of antichrists. I have called your attention to the one of liberalism, but there are a lot of phonies around today claiming to be Christ. I understand that a founder of a religion here in Southern California is claiming today that he can do what Christ could not do. One of the Beatles claimed that their group was more popular than Christ and that they were able to do more than He was able to do for our day. There are a lot of antichrists around. Our Lord did well to warn us about that.

Mark 13:7

And then wars, like false Christs, characterize the whole age. No believer should be disturbed by wars. They are not the sign of the end of the age. Neither antichrists nor wars indicate that we are at the end of the age. When I say “antichrists” I am not referring to the Antichrist, although all of these false Christs are pointing to him, the final Antichrist.

Mark 13:8

Today man feels he is so civilized because he has so many gadgets, and he thinks he is making the world such a wonderful place. Then all of a sudden he discovers that he is polluting the earth and that he is going to make it uninhabitable. And before long, unless he cuts down the population explosion, he’s going to starve to death. The Bible says, friend, that troubles and famines will come. It is interesting that this Book, which men have despised, is so accurate about it all. A few years ago men thought science would solve the problems of the world. Now we know it has made problems that neither science nor the world can solve. Even Bernard Shaw had to say, “The science to which I pinned my faith has failed, and you are beholding an atheist who has lost his faith.” What a tragedy! May I say to you, these are the things that characterize the end of the age.

Mark 13:9

Now I don’t think He’s talking about the church here. By “gospel” He means the gospel of the Kingdom. This is also the gospel of grace. There are not two gospels. The gospel of the Kingdom is actually a facet of the gospel of grace. All salvation is by the grace of God, and God has never had but one way to save sinners and that is by the blood of Jesus Christ. But the gospel of the Kingdom will emphasize “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In other words, “He is coming.” And when they say it in that day, it will be in the Great Tribulation period, and it will be accurate.

Mark 13:11

This is no verse for a lazy preacher to use as an excuse for not preparing a sermon. I remember a friend of mine down in Texas told me that he was in Temple, Texas, one morning. He had changed trains there as he was going out to a little town to preach. Another preacher there was watching him and saw him walking up and down and going over his notes for his sermon. “Are you a preacher?” my friend was asked. “Yes.” “What are you doing?” “I’m going over my notes for my sermon.” “You mean that you prepare your sermon beforehand?” “Of course, don’t you?” “No, I don’t. I wait until I get up there and the Spirit of God gives me a message.” “Well, suppose the Spirit of God doesn’t give you the message immediately. What do you do then?” “Oh, I just mess around until He does.” Friend, I’m afraid there is a lot of messing around today. This verse is not talking about anything like that. This refers to the day when the 144,000 of the nation Israel are witnesses. This is a message for them in that day. This is not an excuse for you and me not to prepare our Sunday school lesson.

Mark 13:12

There shall be base betrayal.

Mark 13:13

There will be worldwide anti-Semitism in that day. But when God puts His seal upon them in that day, they are going to make it through to the end. And now we come to a very dramatic part.

Mark 13:14

This is the beginning of the Great Tribulation. The first three and a half years of it are comparatively quiet; it is the false peace of the Antichrist. Then, in the midst of it, there appears this “abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel the prophet. It will stand where it ought not, that is, in the Holy Place. You see, if Mark had said to the Romans that the abomination of desolation would stand in the Holy Place, they would have said, “Where is that?” He says it will stand where it shouldn’t stand. That’s more understandable to many of us too. We need to understand that the Holy Place was given only to the nation Israel. It was a specific place in the temple on earth. The church has no Holy Place.

Mark 13:15

Note the urgency. They are not to go back and get their belongings but to start running.

Mark 13:17

This is the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

Mark 13:19

Those will be terrible days.

Mark 13:22

False Christs and false prophets will perform genuine wonders by the power of Satan. The second coming of Christ is introduced by the darkening of the universe and a universal display of heavenly fireworks, a fulfillment of Joe_2:28-32.

Mark 13:24

Those are not rain clouds that He is describing. They are the glory clouds, the shekinah glory. I believe that is the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.

Mark 13:27

This is not the Rapture of the church. Christ will not send angels to gather out His own, but they will be caught up to meet Him in the air (see 1Th_4:13-18). Rather, this section is describing events which will take place after the Tribulation (see v. Mar_13:24) when Christ will return to the earth in glory and judgment.

Mark 13:28

PARABLE OF THE FIG TREEThe fig tree speaks of the nation Israel. I recognize that there is disagreement here, and I don’t mind folk disagreeing with me and thinking the fig tree means something else. But I personally believe there is Scripture to make it clear. After all, the nation Israel is God’s timepiece. He says we are to look to the fig tree. God’s timepiece is not G-R-U-E-N, nor is it B-U-L-O-V-A; God’s timepiece is I-S-R-A-E-L.

Mark 13:30

“This generation” could refer to the race of Israel. It would then teach the indestructibility of this people. Or “this generation” could refer to a generation of people and their total life span. In that case it would mean that those who saw the beginning of these events would see the conclusion of them also. The latter is the more likely meaning, it seems to me. The emphasis appears to be on the rapidity in which these events transpire rather than upon the permanence of the nation Israel. However, both facts are sustained by Scripture.

Mark 13:31

This verse is admittedly difficult. If Jesus is God, it is difficult to account for this lack of omniscience. “Neither the Son” is added by Mark (cf. Mat_24:36). Mark presents Jesus as “the servant, and the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth.” The servant character of Jesus represents His most typical and true humanity. He “took upon him the form of a servant.” When He became a man, He limited Himself in order to be made like us. He was not omnipresent when He became man. Martha rebuked Jesus, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” It is reasonable to assume that there was a self-limitation relative to His omniscience.

Mark 13:33

The proper attitude of God’s people in all ages as they face the prophetic future is one of watching and praying.

Mark 13:34

PARABLE OF THE MAN ON A TRIPThis parable concludes Mark’s account of the Olivet Discourse. Jesus applied this parable to Himself in relationship to His second coming. There is a responsibility of God’s people in view of the fact that Jesus will demand a report at His return. Added to praying and watching is the task of working. This instruction is for you and me today also, although the watching is different. One can watch in anxiety and one can watch in fear. But the child of God is to be watching, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing. That is joyful anticipation.