And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
Signs of the End of the Age
3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The Abomination of Desolation
14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18 Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. 21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.
The Coming of the Son of Man
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
No One Knows That Day or Hour
32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” Mark 13: 1-37 ESV
Mark 13
There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down - Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple that is to come in 70 A.D at the hands of Rome. Very similarly, Ezekiel prophesied against the temple built by Solomon when the leaders were putting up idols, worshiping the sun, the goddess of heaven and Tammuz. They rejected the true teachings of God, murdered His prophets that preached reform, and His glory departed. This was followed by the destruction of that temple by Babylon, a 70 year captivity prophesied by Jeremiah, and then the Jews being released by Cyrus as prophesied by Isaiah. Cyrus and the Persians displaced Babylon. Now the Jews no longer sell idols or pray to them in Jesus' time, but they pervert the word of God, and they take advantage of people coming to the temple. It has become a place of outward show lacking any inward conviction, a place of hypocrisy. Malachi predicted that John the Baptist would come as the messenger and then the Lord would suddenly come to His temple. It is the temple of the living God, and this says much about Jesus, Who has surveyed the state of His temple. He is God and He is not pleased.
1“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts. 2But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. 3And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.… Malachi 3: 1-3
When will these things be - The disciples are curious about the destruction of so marvelous a place and in Matthew, link above, he unfolds even more of their question.
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24: 3
It is really 3 questions, the destruction of the temple that He had just told them about, His second coming, and the end of the age. The disciples are still set upon immediacy, that the kingdom is about to be ushered in at any moment, and Jesus has had to tell them some three times now that Messiah must suffer, just like the prophets Isaiah, David, Zechariah foretold, and the countless pictures of sacrifice in the OT revealed.
Many will come in My name saying, "I am he" - This will be a sign that marks the age before Christ returns. Until He comes many are going to claim to be Him, and that has happened throughout history. In Rome you have a Papal succession of Popes who claim to be Christ on earth, and they contend that this started with St. Peter who they say was a eunuch, but Scripture claims otherwise. There have been men all over the world including Haile Selassie of Rastafari fame in Jamaica. We have seen David Koresh, Inri Cristo in Brazil, Alan John Miller, Quilboy of the Philippines, who claimed to reach a sinless state with some 6 million followers, and the list goes on. In every place that the gospel has gone a counterfeit has popped up, someone who would detract men from the real Christ, the only Way to be right with God, and get men to follow them instead. This is in the spirit of antichrist.
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed - This must sound depressing in the disciple's ears, for it is putting things much further out, yet when it happens God is in control, it is accounted for so don't freak out.
The end is not yet - Now, just like for our disciples here, it gets more and more difficult for those who would try to fit all of this in before 70 A.D. It get's really difficult when you try to make 70 A.D. the end of the age, which is less than 40 years away from this conversation.
Earthquakes and famines, these are but the beginning of the birth pains - This is an interesting comparison, much like a pot of water over a fire, it starts to simmer, there's little bubbles, then more, then large bubbles and steam and sometimes it overflows the pot. Things are going to build like that up until a final delivery. Those that would put that at the point of Christ's death on the cross, say that the earthquake then, the eclipse of those hours fulfills all of what He is saying here still have a problem. This was the "beginning of the birth pains" with famine included. It also takes it more global with nations and rumors that you hear of other places. It is not centralized to Israel, she will always be the focal point, and that is where it is said that the Jews would return to, but watch, it will become even more than a global disaster.
And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations - This is still carrying on, but was no where near being fulfilled by 70 A.D. On a side note, some who I have talked to that believe we are now in the Millennial reign (A spiritual reign in their explanation, not literal physical one, also not literally a thousand years) maintain that this was fulfilled to it's intent, but that is weak and there were people in the Americas and elsewhere that the old world didn't even know of yet.
Cranfield writes “It is part of God’s eschatological purpose that before the End [of this age] all nations shall have an opportunity to accept the gospel.”
MacArthur - Even in the tribulation period, when the church has been raptured and the Antichrist is wreaking havoc, the Lord will raise up His witnesses in the world, including 144,000 believing Jews (Rev. 7:4–8; 14:1–5), the two resurrected witnesses (Rev. 11:1–13), an angel from heaven who continually proclaims the good news of salvation (Rev. 14:6–7), as well as the regenerated believers from every nation (Rev. 7:9–10).
The final fulfillment of world wide proclamation of the Gospel occurs in Revelation 14:6+ "And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people." - Precept Austin
But the Holy Spirit - The disciples and Christians throughout the Church age will suffer persecution, worse in some areas than others. When they go before their accusers or men and women of power, they are not to be afraid for the Holy Spirit will give them what to say in that hour. Remember, the Holy Spirit works through the Word of God, inspired the Word, and He will use this mightily in those who face such circumstances.
When you see the abomination of desolation - This would take the people Jesus is talking to back to Daniel, and they would also have a historical image of this from the intertestamental period described in the history of the Maccabees. During this time between the closing of the OT and Christ first advent there was a man named Antiochus Epiphanes, who put idols in the Temple, sacrificed pigs there, and forced pork down the mouths of the Jewish priests. This made the place desolate of true worshipers. It was desolate because it had been defiled. When Jesus chases out the money changers it is for the same reason, they are not using the temple for it's intended purpose and the name of the true God is being blasphemed.
…26Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. Then the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations have been decreed. 27And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.” Daniel 9: 26-27
I agree with Dr John Walvoord who wrote "This portion of the Olivet discourse is crucial to understanding what Christ reveals about the end of the age. The tendency to explain away this section or ignore it constitutes the major difficulty in the interpretation of the Olivet discourse. In the background is the tendency of liberals to discount prophecy and the practice of some conservatives of not interpreting prophecy literally. If this prediction means what it says, it is referring to a specific time of great trouble which immediately precedes the second coming of Christ. As such, the prediction of the great tribulation is "the sign" of the second coming, and those who see the sign will be living in the generation which will see the second coming itself." (The Signs of the End of the Age)
To amplify Dr Walvoord's comments, to misinterpret Jesus' specific sign Jesus' Olivet Discourse (either Matthew or Mark) is analogous to driving to some desirable destination but to fail to correctly interpret one very crucial, strategically placed sign (how many of us haven't done that!) with the result being that one ends up lost and/or at the wrong destination! Just as it is best to read road signs "literally," so too it is best to read Jesus' sign in Mark 13:14 literally (and in context) lest one ends up "dazed and confused"! - Precept Austin
Has not been seen from the beginning of the Creation that God created until now, and never will be - This coming persecution, this global catastrophe is beyond any singular event in history. There is nothing like it, and this makes it difficult to believe that this happened in 70 A.D., especially when something similar to what happened in 70 A.D. had already taken place when Babylon destroyed the temple and later when Antiochus defiled the new temple. This goes more to the world stage, requires that more be accomplished with the spreading of the gospel, and that more persecution comes. The holocaust under Hitler was an attempt at wiping out the Jews that went over many countries, and yet they survived, and there is now a nation again. What occurred in 70 A.D. is not to the level of what is being described here.
Look, there He is, do not believe it - Jesus actual coming will be unmistakable, don't believe false teachers and people who claim to be Him. I have heard some claim that He came back in 70 A.D. as well, and of course cult teachers like Joseph Smith claimed He went to the Indians in the Americas, other cultists claim that He went to India. You have false prophets now who are part of "signs and wonders" ministries who claim to heal and do other miracles, but they are all frauds, yet the one's closer to the end, at the time of the last week, the 7 year Tribulation, they will fool people with great signs and wonders. If you fall for the likes of Benny Hinn, Todd White, Joyce Meyer and so many other frauds now, well they are child's play compared to the last false prophets and the antichrist, you will be ripe for their picking.
After that tribulation - Look carefully, a moment in history, after that, look what marks the coming of the Son of Man, the Messiah's return.
The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give it's light - The moon depends upon the sun; it reflects the light of the sun. This is also in contrast to the signs of the false prophets and antichrist's, this is no whisper that He is over here or in the desert, no this is clearly seen by the whole world.
The stars will be falling from heaven - Even the side of our planet that is in night will know that something incredible is taking place. This is beyond evident, beyond anything that has ever occurred.
Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory - This will be the Shekinah.
MacArthur on those days (in context) - The Sequence. After warning His disciples about the abomination of desolation in the temple (Mark 13:14), and the terrible holocaust that will follow it (Mark 13:15–23), Jesus explained that in those days, after the tribulation period ends, He will return. In light of the context, those days can only refer to the three and a half years of great tribulation that will follow the Antichrist’s desecration of the temple in Jerusalem (Mark 13:14–19; cf. Mt. 24:21; Rev 6–19). Earth’s final days will be characterized by unrestrained immorality, unparalleled devastation, and unrelenting violence (toward all believers and also toward the Jewish people) under the satanically inspired influence of the Antichrist and his forces. Only as the tribulation ends and its judgments are exhausted will the Lord return to conquer His enemies and establish His earthly reign and rule. (MNTC-Mark)
Stuart Weber - The Messiah's coming will be accompanied by supernatural manipulations of celestial bodies—or at least manipulations of their appearance, or their ability to give light. These signs in the sky will be such that all people of earth can see them and realize that the Messiah is coming, If only one of these, signs were given, it might be explained away as an eclipse or a meteor shower. But all of them together can be caused only by the hand of God. The second coming of Christ to establish his kingdom on earth will be a majestic event that will extend over many hours. The earth and its occupants will be forced to watch, amazed, as the armies of the hosts of heaven descend to the earth in the vicinity of the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4+). (Holman New Testament Commentary) - Precept Austin
This generation will not pass away - I believe it is the generation that sees these signs, the ones living during the time of the Tribulation, when the birth pains have reached this crescendo. Preterist try to hang a lot on interpreting this as the generation that Jesus is talking to and this has too many problems, both preterist and Amillennials rely heavily upon the book of Revelation being dated prior to 70 A.D. as well, which they haven't proven, but is necessary to their position. Here are two interpretations that are more sound and without so many technical difficulties, but I think MacArthur is right here.
(1) Jesus was using "this generation" to refer to the people who are living at the time of the Tribulation and witness all the signs Jesus had described. "The simple and most reasonable interpretation that the leaves of the fig tree represent the birth pains and the other signs of His coming Jesus has mentioned in this chapter and that this generation refers to the people living at the end time who will view those signs." (John MacArthur)
(2) Jesus was using the word generation as a qualitative term (as He had done numerous times in Matthew) and not as a quantitative term. Richard Mayhue - The pejorative view understands "generation" in the sense of referring to the category of rebellious, sinful people who have rejected God's truth and righteousness (cf. Mt 12:45; 23:35-36); this has an OT precedent in Dt 32:5, 20 and Pr 30:11-14. (See more detailed discussion)
Concerning that day or hour no one knows - Well that disqualifies the Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventist, and many other aberrant groups who claimed to know, they are cults so come out of them. We are to remain alert but we do not know the hour or the day, those that claim to are false prophets, apostates.
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