Mark 13
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 13
The Destruction of the Temple Foretold.[a] 1 As he was making his way out of the temple area one of his disciples said to him, “Look, teacher, what stones and what buildings!”(A) 2 Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be one stone left upon another that will not be thrown down.”
The Signs of the End. 3 [b]As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple area, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,(B) 4 “Tell us, when will this happen, and what sign will there be when all these things are about to come to an end?” 5 Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one deceives you.(C) 6 Many will come in my name saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and reports of wars do not be alarmed; such things must happen, but it will not yet be the end. 8 Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes from place to place and there will be famines. These are the beginnings of the labor pains.
The Coming Persecution. 9 (D)“Watch out for yourselves. They will hand you over to the courts. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will be arraigned before governors and kings because of me, as a witness before them. 10 But the gospel must first be preached to all nations.[c] 11 When they lead you away and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say.(E) But say whatever will be given to you at that hour. For it will not be you who are speaking but the holy Spirit. 12 Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13 You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
The Great Tribulation. 14 (F)“When you see the desolating abomination standing[d] where he should not (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains,(G) 15 [and] a person on a housetop must not go down or enter to get anything out of his house,(H) 16 and a person in a field must not return to get his cloak. 17 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days. 18 Pray that this does not happen in winter. 19 For those times will have tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of God’s creation until now, nor ever will be.(I) 20 If the Lord had not shortened those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect whom he chose, he did shorten the days. 21 If anyone says to you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah! Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 False messiahs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders in order to mislead, if that were possible, the elect. 23 Be watchful! I have told it all to you beforehand.
The Coming of the Son of Man. 24 (J)“But in those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,(K)
25 and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 [e](L)And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the 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 end of the earth to the end of the sky.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree. 28 (M)“Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates. 30 Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Need for Watchfulness. 32 “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 (N)Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.(O) 35 Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. 36 May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”
Footnotes
- 13:1–2 The reconstructed temple with its precincts, begun under Herod the Great ca. 20 B.C., was completed only some seven years before it was destroyed by fire in A.D. 70 at the hands of the Romans; cf. Jer 26:18; Mt 24:1–2. For the dating of the reconstruction of the temple, see further the note on Jn 2:20.
- 13:3–37 Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the temple (Mk 13:2) provoked questions that the four named disciples put to him in private regarding the time and the sign when all these things are about to come to an end (Mk 13:3–4). The response to their questions was Jesus’ eschatological discourse prior to his imminent death. It contained instruction and consolation exhorting the disciples and the church to faith and obedience through the trials that would confront them (Mk 13:5–13). The sign is the presence of the desolating abomination (Mk 13:14; see Dn 9:27), i.e., of the Roman power profaning the temple. Flight from Jerusalem is urged rather than defense of the city through misguided messianic hope (Mk 13:14–23). Intervention will occur only after destruction (Mk 13:24–27), which will happen before the end of the first Christian generation (Mk 13:28–31). No one but the Father knows the precise time, or that of the parousia (Mk 13:32); hence the necessity of constant vigilance (Mk 13:33–37). Luke sets the parousia at a later date, after “the time of the Gentiles” (Lk 21:24). See also notes on Mt 24:1–25:46.
- 13:10 The gospel…to all nations: the period of the Christian mission.
- 13:14 The participle standing is masculine, in contrast to the neuter at Mt 24:15.
- 13:26 Son of Man…with great power and glory: Jesus cites this text from Dn 7:13 in his response to the high priest, Are you the Messiah? (Mk 14:61). In Ex 34:5; Lv 16:2; and Nm 11:25 the clouds indicate the presence of the divinity. Thus in his role of Son of Man, Jesus is a heavenly being who will come in power and glory.
Mark 13
1599 Geneva Bible
13 Of the destruction of Jerusalem. 9 Persecutions for the Gospel. 10 The Gospel must be preached to all nations. 26 Of Christ’s coming to judgment. 33 We must watch and pray.
1 (A)And [a]as he went out of the Temple, one of his disciples said unto him, Master, see what manner stones, and what manner buildings are here.
2 (B)Then Jesus answered and said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon a stone, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat on the mount of Olives, over against the Temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew asked him secretly,
4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
5 And Jesus answered them, and began to say, (C)Take heed lest any man deceive you.
6 For many shall come in my Name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many.
7 Furthermore when ye shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars, be ye not troubled, for such things must needs be: but the end shall not be yet.
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers quarters, and there shall be famine and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
9 But take ye heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to the Councils, and to the Synagogues: ye shall be beaten, and brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a [b]testimonial unto them.
10 And the Gospel must first be published among all nations.
11 (D)But when they lead you, and deliver you up, [c]be not careful before hand, [d]neither study what ye shall say: but what is given you at the same time, that speak: for it is not you that speak, but the holy Ghost.
12 Yea, and the brother shall deliver the brother to death, and the father the son, and the children shall rise against their parents, and shall cause them to die.
13 And ye shall be hated of all men [e]for my Name’s sake: but whosoever shall endure unto the end, he shall be saved.
14 (E)Moreover, when ye shall see the abomination of desolation (spoken of by (F)Daniel the Prophet) [f]set where it ought not, (let him that readeth, consider it) then let them that be in Judea, flee into the mountains.
15 And let him that is upon the house, not come down into the house, neither enter therein, to fetch anything out of his house.
16 And let him that is in the field, not turn back again to take his garment.
17 Then woe shall be to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days.
18 Pray therefore that your flight be not in the winter.
19 For [g]those days shall be such tribulation, as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, which he hath chosen, he hath shortened those days.
21 Then (G)if any man say to you, Lo, here is Christ, or lo, he is there, believe it not.
22 For false Christs shall rise, and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, to deceive if it were possible the very elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have showed you all things before.
24 ¶ Moreover in those days, after that tribulation, (H)the sun shall wax dark, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 And the stars of heaven shall fall: and the powers which are in heaven, shall shake.
26 And then shall they see the Son of man, coming in the clouds, with great power and glory.
27 (I)And he shall then send his Angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, and from the utmost part of the earth to the utmost part of heaven.
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When her bough is yet tender, and it bringeth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near.
29 So in like manner, when ye see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is near, even at the doors.
30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
31 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
32 [h]But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the Angels which are in heaven, neither the Son himself, but the Father.
33 (J)Take heed: watch, and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
34 For the Son of man is as a man going into a strange country, and leaveth his house, and giveth authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commandeth the porter to watch.
35 Watch ye therefore, (for ye know not when the master of the house will come, at even, or at midnight, at the cock crowing, or in the dawning,)
36 Lest if he come suddenly, he should find you sleeping.
37 And those things that I say unto you, I say unto all men, Watch.
Footnotes
- Mark 13:1 The destruction of the Temple, city, and whole nation is aforetold, and the troubles of the Church, but yet there are annexed many comforts, and last of all, the end of the world is described.
- Mark 13:9 The hearing of you preaching shall be a most evident witness against them, so that they shall not be able to pretend ignorance.
- Mark 13:11 We are not forbidden to think beforehand, but pensive carefulness whereby men discourage themselves, which proceedeth from distrust, and want of confidence and sure hope of God’s assistance: that carefulness we are willed to beware of, see also Matt. 6:27.
- Mark 13:11 By any kind of artificial and cunning kind of tale what to speak.
- Mark 13:13 For me.
- Mark 13:14 When the heathen and profane people shall not only enter into the Temple, and defile both it and the city, but also clean destroy it.
- Mark 13:19 This is a kind of speech which the Hebrews use, and it hath a great force in it, for it giveth us to understand that in all that time one misery shall so follow upon another, as if the time itself were very misery itself: So the Prophet Amos, 5:20 saith, that the day of the Lord shall be darkness.
- Mark 13:32 The latter day is not curiouly to be searched for which the Father alone knoweth: but let us rather take heed, that it come not upon us unaware.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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