The Gospel of Mark, rightly Divided

Mark 13:1-13 | Session 50 | Mark Rightly Divided

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Mark 13:1-27 | The Olivet Discourse

Mark 13:1-2 | Jesus Predicts The Destruction of the Temple

Verse 1 -

The Temple, known today as the Second Temple or Herod's Temple, was built after the return of the exiles and massively rebuilt and remodeled by King Herod. It was one of the most impressive buildings in the world and a display of Herod's magnificent engineering feats and eye for architecture. It was the pride and joy of the Jewish people. Even having seen it many times, the disciples spoke of it with an awe and wonder that attests to its grandeur. The remodel of the temple had been in process for 46 years, and some work on the complex was ongoing even in the disciples' day.

Verse 2 -

Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple in a specific manner—the violent removal of stones. One might argue that this was merely a statement of fact, suggesting that "even the greatest buildings sometimes crumble." However, such a view would be far too casual about the Temple's significance in Judaism. Buildings that crumble with age do so because of neglect. Jesus is either predicting a violent earthquake or a military destruction. As we know from Josephus and other historians, approximately 40 years later, the Romans would remove every stone from the Temple so that not a single stone was left upon another. It's difficult to interpret this as anything other than a prophecy of the events of 70 A.D.

Mark 13:3-4 | Questions About The Future

Verse 3 -

The crowd with Jesus had left the Temple, walking east across the Kidron Valley and up the Mount of Olives. There, four of the disciples pulled Jesus aside for a private question. Jesus likely answered publicly, as it is recorded both here and in Matthew 24.

Verse 4 -

The disciples' question is often interpreted as addressing two separate events: the destruction of the Temple and the end of the age. However, it is more consistent with the disciples’ understanding of the prophetic timeline to see their inquiry as focused on one unified event. In their minds, the destruction of the Temple and the ushering in of the Messianic Kingdom were interconnected events that would occur in rapid succession. They anticipated that the end of the age and the Messiah's reign would immediately follow the Temple's downfall, leading to the establishment of a new, millennial Temple.

Therefore, their question in verse 4 is not about two distinct subjects, as so many argue, but one singular topic: the timing and signs of the end of the current age, which, for them, included the destruction of the Temple as part of a continuous eschatological sequence. This explains why they inquire both about "when" these things will happen and "what signs" will accompany them—they understood these events as part of the same prophetic chain.

Jesus' response was straightforward and fully aligned with the prophetic timeline as it had been revealed, albeit giving more detailed information. His answer directly addressed the disciples' unified question, focusing on the destruction of the second Temple and the coming tribulation, without any reference to the future age of grace, as neither Jesus nor the disciples had knowledge of that coming dispensation. In hindsight, now knowing about the age of grace and the delay of the Kingdom, we can see that Jesus' words, originally meant for that specific time, also apply to the future tribulation. This demonstrates the nature of prophecy, where events that were expected to unfold immediately are equally relevant for a future period, once the prophetic timeline resumes.

Had the age of grace not interrupted the timeline, the destruction of the Temple would have occurred near the end of the tribulation period, leading directly into the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. The fact that the second Temple's destruction occurred in AD 70, independent of the tribulation, highlights the interruption of the prophetic program. In the future, in order that this prophecy remains fully unified, the third temple will likely face destruction at the conclusion of the tribulation, followed by the construction of the Millennial Temple by the Messiah during His earthly reign.

Why is such a nuanced interpretation of this chapter necessary? There are two main reasons. First, nearly every dispensational teacher must explain why Jesus discusses the end times when the questions seemingly focus on the Temple's destruction. This often leads to the "two-question theory," which is rather weak. Second, this interpretation maintains a more coherent view by keeping Israel's concerns within Israel's context. Unfortunately, many in the church today attribute the destruction of Israel to "Israel's stuff" but then apply the rest of the chapter to the church. This approach results in a confused understanding of the end-times.

Mark 13:5-13 | General Warnings

Verses 5-6 -

Jesus first warned about deceptions, particularly those who would claim to be the Messiah ("Christ"). These deceptions would be especially potent because the nation desperately longed for the Messiah's arrival. This warning applies to anything we desire intensely. Such areas of strong desire become significant vulnerabilities, as our eagerness can lead us to suspend our critical thinking and discernment.

Indeed, numerous self-proclaimed Messiahs emerged in the first century, Barabbas being just one among many.

Verses 7-8 -

The period from Jesus' death to Jerusalem's destruction was indeed marked by "wars and rumors of war." This tumultuous era included Parthian-Roman conflicts, Jewish unrest and rebellions, serious clashes between Judah and the Nabateans, and even a Roman Civil War (68–69 AD, known as the "Year of Four Emperors").

Moreover, numerous natural disasters occurred, including earthquakes in Antioch (37 AD), Phrygia (60 AD), and Laodicea (60 AD), as well as famines (Acts 11:26).

This period also saw the persecution of Christians under Nero (54–68 AD), the Great Fire of Rome (64 AD), and the expulsion of Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2, 49-50 AD).

These events demonstrate that if Jesus was referring to the first century, His message was indeed accurate. However, my position is that with the rejection of the Kingdom, this message has been given a future fulfillment. It will now occur after the rapture of the church, and the message of Mark 13 will be equally accurate in that context.

Verse 9 -

This warning aligns perfectly with the experiences of the apostles after Jesus' ascension. James was beheaded, Peter faced arrest and nearly execution (Acts 12), and many Jewish messianic believers endured persecution—some even martyrdom.

These words will also apply to Jewish believers during the future tribulation, demonstrating their relevance to both first-century events and the forthcoming period of persecution.

Verse 10 -

We must remember that there was only one Gospel at this time, and it was not salvation by grace through faith, not of works, as a gift of God. Rather, it was the Gospel of the Kingdom, requiring obedience, devotion to the Law, and self-sacrifice of everything one owned to be ready for the Messiah.

It is precisely because this didn't happen (the nations never became aware of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah ready to establish the Davidic kingdom) that the end did not come. Upon Israel's rejection of Jesus as Messiah, God could have forced it through persecutions, but instead He chose to be longsuffering, offering the dispensation of the grace of God.

Do not mix the Gospel of grace with the gospel mentioned here, for such would be anachronistic, reading that which is yet future into the past.

For those who disagree that the gospel of grace was not available at this point, I would challenge them on two fronts. First, there had been no death, burial, and resurrection yet, upon which the grace gospel is based. Second, I would challenge them to take the first 12 chapters of Mark, which we have studied in detail, and build any kind of gospel presentation from those chapters. They will find that it is simply impossible.

Verses 11-12 -

Jesus provides additional details about Jewish believers being delivered to their persecutors and forced to defend themselves before councils, synagogues, and other authorities (v. 9). He instructs them not to worry about what they will say, as "the Holy Ghost" would speak on their behalf.

It's interesting that this reference to the Holy Ghost precedes any discussion about His coming, yet the knowledge is assumed. This suggests two possibilities: either our understanding of the Spirit's work is incomplete (i.e., the Spirit was active before Pentecost, just in different ways), or the disciples were so familiar with Joel's prophecy about the outpouring of the Spirit that no further explanation was necessary.

There is a contrast with what we are instructed to do today. 2 Timothy 2:15 encourages us to study so that we will not be ashamed. And 1 Peter 3:15 exhorts us to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us. These verses emphasize the importance of preparation and knowledge in our faith, rather than relying solely on spontaneous inspiration.

In the future, after the rapture, the Spirit's direct vocal guidance will resume.

Verse 13 -

These words reveal the intensity of hatred that those who believe Jesus is the Messiah will face: they will be universally despised. This hatred will stem solely from their association with Jesus' name.

During the age of grace, Christians have experienced persecution, but not to this extreme degree. Ironically, they have more often been the persecutors than the persecuted, although some promote a martyrdom narrative using isolated incidents. Since the 4th century, Christianity has been the dominant political and military force worldwide.

Here, the Lord instructs his followers on how to be saved: endure to the end. This concept, like the rest of this passage, is incompatible with the age of grace. However, it aligns perfectly with the prophetic program that would be paused and later resume.