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The Gospels · New Testament

Mark 13

Mark 13: stones thrown down and a charge to watch

General context

Leaving the temple, a disciple remarks on the stones and buildings, and Jesus says not one stone will be left on another. Sitting on the mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew ask him privately when these things will be and what the sign will be. He begins by warning them not to be deceived by those who come in his name, and says wars, rumours of wars, nations rising, earthquakes, famines and troubles are the beginnings of sorrows and not the end. He tells them they will be delivered to councils, beaten in synagogues and brought before rulers and kings, that the gospel must first be published among all nations, and that when they are led away they need not prepare what to say. Brother will betray brother, children will rise against parents, and they will be hated, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not, those in Judea are to flee, without going back for anything, and he adds a woe for those with child and a prayer that the flight not be in winter. The affliction will be unequalled, and the days are shortened for the elect. False Christs and false prophets will show signs. Then the sun will darken, the stars fall, and the Son of man come in clouds to gather his elect. He gives the fig tree as a parable, says this generation will not pass till these things are done, and that his words will outlast heaven and earth. Of that day and hour no one knows, not the angels nor the Son, but the Father. The chapter ends with a porter set to watch, and the command to watch.

Cited passages: Mark 13:1, Mark 13:2, Mark 13:3, Mark 13:4, Mark 13:5, Mark 13:6, Mark 13:7, Mark 13:8, Mark 13:9, Mark 13:10, Mark 13:11, Mark 13:12, Mark 13:13, Mark 13:14, Mark 13:15, Mark 13:16, Mark 13:17, Mark 13:18, Mark 13:19, Mark 13:20, Mark 13:21, Mark 13:22, Mark 13:23, Mark 13:24, Mark 13:25, Mark 13:26, Mark 13:27, Mark 13:28, Mark 13:29, Mark 13:30, Mark 13:31, Mark 13:32, Mark 13:33, Mark 13:34, Mark 13:35, Mark 13:36, Mark 13:37

Mark 13 (KJV)

1And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

2And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

4Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

5And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:

6For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

7And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.

8For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

9But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

10And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

11But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

12Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

13And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judæa flee to the mountains:

15And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:

16And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

17But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

18And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

19For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

20And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

21And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

22For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

23But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

24But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

25And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

26And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

27And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

28Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

29So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

30Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

31Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

32But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

33Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

34For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

36Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

Everything after the second verse is spoken privately to four disciples the text names, Peter, James, John and Andrew, in answer to their question about timing and signs. Mark names Daniel the prophet as the source of the phrase about the abomination of desolation, and inserts a direct aside to whoever is reading. The saying about the day and hour includes the Son among those who do not know it, and the text states it that way without qualification. The discourse names only the temple, the mount of Olives and Judea, and supplies no dates, rulers or external events. The statement that this generation shall not pass stands alongside the refusal to give the hour, and the chapter does not reconcile the two.

Cited passages: Mark 13:2, Mark 13:3, Mark 13:4, Mark 13:14, Mark 13:16, Mark 13:30, Mark 13:31, Mark 13:32, Mark 13:33, Mark 13:37

Literary context

A question about when is answered by a discourse that keeps refusing a timetable and keeps repeating a command. Take heed returns at the opening, in the middle of the persecutions, after the false prophets, and at the close, where it becomes watch. Words for delay do the same work: such things must needs be, but the end shall not be yet, and the gospel must first be published. The final image names the watches of a night, at even, at midnight, at the cockcrowing, in the morning, and the next two chapters move through an evening, a cock crowing and a morning. The parenthesis addressed to the reader is one of the few moments the narrator speaks past the scene to his audience.

Cited passages: Mark 13:5, Mark 13:7, Mark 13:9, Mark 13:10, Mark 13:14, Mark 13:21, Mark 13:23, Mark 13:28, Mark 13:29, Mark 13:33, Mark 13:34, Mark 13:35, Mark 13:36, Mark 13:37, Mark 14:17, Mark 14:72, Mark 15:1

Key moments

  1. Not one stone left (Mark 13:2). Jesus answers the remark about the buildings by saying they will be thrown down.
  2. Four ask privately (Mark 13:3). Peter, James, John and Andrew put the question on the mount of Olives.
  3. Brought before rulers (Mark 13:9). He tells them they will be delivered to councils and beaten in synagogues.
  4. A word to the reader (Mark 13:14). The abomination of desolation is named with an aside to whoever reads.
  5. The Son of man in clouds (Mark 13:26). After the darkening he says they will see the Son of man coming with power.
  6. Not even the Son (Mark 13:32). The day and hour are said to be unknown to angels and to the Son.
  7. Watch (Mark 13:37). The discourse closes by extending the command to watch to everyone.

For reflection

The four disciples ask when and what sign, and the answer gives signs but withholds the hour. What does the chapter ask of people who are told to watch without being told the time?

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