CHAPTER FOUR
CONTENT OF THE APPEAL
Content of the appeal, v. 2a that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure, either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, there is some question about the relationship between verse 1 and the clause in verse 2 plus the two infinitives (saleuqh'nai and qroei'sqai). Though this clause may give Paul’s purpose, here it would seem to indicate the content of Paul’s “request” from verse 1.19. The request is two-fold: first, that they would not be “quickly shaken from [their] composure.” The adverb “quickly” (tacevw") does not primarily refer to “haste.” Rather, it is used here in the unfavorable sense of “too easily.” Most commentators understand “spirit” (pneuvmato") to be some sort of prophetic utterance; “message” (lovgou), an oral report or teaching; and “letter” (ejpistolh'"), a written message.
Mark 13:1-3
As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples *said to Him, "Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" (2) And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down."
This exclamation by one of His disciples reminds me of Peter's comments about building a place for each of the people who were seen at the transfiguration. The temple had been rebuilt by Herod the Great since the second temple built by Zerubbabel had badly deteriorated. The courtyard had been greatly enlarged to about 400 by 500 yards for the Jews corning for the festivals. The temple covered about 1/6 the area of the city of Jerusalem.
The stones were massive as reported by Josephus to be 25 cubits long, eight cubits high and twelve cubits wide. The comment by the disciple was then appropriate for a country boy! The reply by Jesus was startling and would be fulfilled in 70 A.D. All the buildings on the temple platform and the temple itself were utterly destroyed by Titus. Perhaps Jesus said this now is because they had been speaking of the function of the fig tree and other items being to fulfill the way God designed them for their function. The temple was not to reflect the glory of the builders but of God and the people were not functioning there as per His will (Keil CF, 1988).
Mark 13:3-9
Jesus is now on the Mount of Olives with the first four disciples He called into service. They -- referred would have included more than just what Jesus had predicted regarding the destruction of the temple. They expanded the question to include all these things and surely they are referring to the End Times. Jesus told them of many things that will happen that people would interpret as the End but He said that such were just the beginnings. We hear the same warnings today. Jesus told them in verse seven that wars and rumors of wars will happen as part of God's plan but that does not mean the end is near. He even tells them of nations warring against each other, kingdoms against kingdoms, earthquakes, and famines. However all of these events are just the beginnings of the birth pangs of the God’s Kingdom. Jesus warns for they will suffer persecution at the hands of the religious courts. They will be flogged openly in the synagogues and stand before rulers to testify of Him to them. Clearly this event will occur soon so they must be prepared to stand firm for Him.
Mark 13:10-13
Mark then tells that Jesus said before the End comes the gospel must be preached to all the nations so the Gentiles must be reached. Then Mark switches to the event that will shortly occur and that is their arrest. Jesus promises them that the Holy Spirit will guide them in the proper response to the questioning. The Bible lets us know of some such situations:
Mark 13:14-18
"But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. “The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. "
But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! "But pray that it may not happen in the winter. This must not refer to the End Times for nobody can escape the judgment of God. Jesus must then be referring to the destruction of Jerusalem. The abomination is then probably the Roman army with its flags as they entered the temple area. This prophecy was remembered by the Christians when Jerusalem was put under siege. They left the city and lived in a city nearby (Pella in Perea) where they rekindled Christianity.
Mark 13:19-23
"For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. "Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
Many exegetes think that now the temporal reference shifts to the End Times. However I am not so sure that is correct. The section starts with "for" and that seems to connect this section with the previous section that obviously concerns the fall of Jerusalem. The fall of Jerusalem was horrible. The next group starts with "but" and that seems to be the transition point in Mark's letter. The siege of Jerusalem was a horrible event in history. The Jews began the revolt as the Zealots raged against Rome thinking that this would encourage the coming of the Messiah. The emperor Nero sent his famous general Vespasian with a large force to Palestine. He started the siege in 67 A.D. from the Syrian port town Ptomemais with an army of 60,000 men (Asbridge T, 2010). But Nero had killed himself so the general stopped the war and returned to Rome. After the quick failures of three more emperors, Vespasian took over in the year 69 A.D. and restored order to the empire.
His son, Titus, took over the campaign against the Jews and was the hand of God in the punishment of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple. The siege began in April of 70 A.D. with 80,000 men. The Zealots responded with rage and inflicted considerable damage among the Romans. The crucifixion of hundreds of prisoners even engaged them more. But the famine began to take a huge toll as thousands died daily and a woman even roasted her own children. In July the castle of Antonia was surprised and taken by night. Daily sacrifices ended July 17 because everyone was needed for defense. The last sacrifice at the altar of burnt offerings was the slaughter of thousands of Jews crowded around it. Titus is recorded as trying to save the temple as a trophy of victory but his soldiers were inflamed by the events and could not be kept from its destruction as they also wanted the golden treasures. The temple was burned to the ground on August 10, 70 A.D. that is supposedly the same day that the first temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar (Kenyon, 1978). The ground was nowhere visible as it was covered with corpses and there was even more blood than the fire. Josephus claims that 1,100,000 people were killed during the siege, of which a majority were Jewish, and that 97,000 were captured and enslaved. The Romans planted their eagles on the shapeless ruins over against the eastern gate and offered their sacrifices to them. This fulfilled the prophecy of the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place. As stated above, many Christians remembered the Lord's admonition and fled the doomed city in time to the city of Pella in the Decapolis, beyond the Jordan, where King Herod Agrippa II opened a safe asylum for them. The church was reconstructed there without its Jewish base. After this time and events mankind would no longer look at Christianity as a sect of Judaism but treat it as a new and peculiar religion.
However Christianity still had its roots in the OT and Christians were now seen as spiritual descendants of Abraham: "Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham." (Gal 3:7).
Mark) 3:24-27
"But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. "Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. ''And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.
The transition to the End Times certainly begins at this point as the predicted tribulation has ended. The Greek word used for "but" is "alia" and is a very strong word. Mark's quotation is from Isaiah 13:10 and other OT verses use similar language (Isa 24:23; 34:4Ezek 32:7-8; Joel 2:10, 30-31; 3:15).The words are Hebrew poetry and it is difficult to know if they are to be taken literally or symbolically. (Bickell G, 1879). Mark may be using phenomenal language as we know that the End Times will be accompanied by celestial occurrences that are literal: "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10)
However Mark is quoting Jesus as He refers to the actual Parousia and not some years leading up to that event. These verses do not support any tribulation period as perceived by some popular writers.
In a way we have an advantage of having 2000 years of history past these writings. Also since we know that Jesus would not have been totally wrong about His prophecies. Certainly all His disciples (except Judas) would have seen the fall of Jerusalem and that awful tribulation. When He states that heaven and earth will pass away He is referring to all created things for there will be a new heaven and earth. Perhaps a good way to understand this passage is to remember that God’s time is not the same as our time. The events of the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Ascension are one event in the mind of God and the remaining event, the Parousia (Weber, 1984).The five events are linked and ever since the incarnation people have been living in the last days (Ladd and Eldon, 1975). The promise of God is that the Parousia is a promised event that will occur in His chosen time and nobody will escape the judgment of God and all of His people will live with Him forever.
Mark 13:33-37
"Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. “It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. "Therefore, be on the alert- for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning-- in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. “What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!"'
It is a mistake to spend a lot of time trying to know the date of the End but it is not a mistake to know that it will come about. Our alertness to knowing that it could come at any time should just make us all the more intent to do what God calls us to do now so that our judgment will not include our not having done what He has clearly told us to do. This parable is somewhat like the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-30) and the parable of the pounds (Luke 19:12-27). God has given each of His children specific gifts and talents that are designed to be used according to His will. Note carefully that in verse 37 Jesus is quoted as warning everyone, not just the disciples. So even after 2000 years we should all obey this command to be attentive