Mark 13:1 - Matthew Henry

Mark 13:1

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

1 Then ^aas He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”

2 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? ^aNot one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, ^aPeter, ^bJames, ^cJohn, and ^dAndrew asked Him privately,

4 ^a“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: ^a“Take heed that no one deceives you.

6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.

7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.

8 For nation will rise against nation, and ^akingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines¹ and troubles. ^bThese are the beginnings of sorrows.

9 “But ^awatch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will¹ be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.

10 And ^athe gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

11 ^aBut when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand,¹ or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, ^bbut the Holy Spirit.

12 Now ^abrother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

13 ^aAnd you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But ^bhe who endures to the end shall be saved.

The Great Tribulation

14 ^a“So when you see the ^b‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then ^clet those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

15 Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.

16 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.

17 ^aBut woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

18 And pray that your flight may not be in winter.

19 ^aFor in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.

20 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

21 ^a“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it.

22 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and ^awonders to deceive, if possible, even the¹ elect.

23 But ^atake heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man

24 ^a“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;

25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be ^ashaken.

26 ^aThen they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His¹ elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

28 ^a“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that¹ it is near—at the doors!

30 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but ^aMy words will by no means pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

32 “But of that day and hour ^ano one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the ^bFather.

33 ^aTake heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.

34 ^aIt is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave ^bauthority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

35 ^aWatch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—

36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.

37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

Commentaries:

Matthew Henry

<< Mark 12:44

Mark 13:2 >>

Mark 13:1-37

The destruction of the temple foretold. (1-4) Christ's prophetic declaration. (5-13) Christ's prophecy. (14-23) His prophetic declarations. (24-27) Watchfulness urged. (28-37)

Verses 1-4 See how little Christ values outward pomp, where there is not real purity of heart. He looks with pity upon the ruin of precious souls, and weeps over them, but we do not find him look with pity upon the ruin of a fine house. Let us then be reminded how needful it is for us to have a more lasting abode in heaven, and to be prepared for it by the influences of the Holy Spirit, sought in the earnest use of all the means of grace.

Verses 5-13 Our Lord Jesus, in reply to the disciples' question, does not so much satisfy their curiosity as direct their consciences. When many are deceived, we should thereby be awakened to look to ourselves. And the disciples of Christ, if it be not their own fault, may enjoy holy security and peace of mind, when all around is in disorder. But they must take heed that they are not drawn away from Christ and their duty to him, by the sufferings they will meet with for his sake. They shall be hated of all men: trouble enough! Yet the work they were called to should be carried on and prosper. Though they may be crushed and borne down, the gospel cannot be. The salvation promised is more than deliverance from evil, it is everlasting blessedness.

Verses 14-23 The Jews in rebelling against the Romans, and in persecuting the Christians, hastened their own ruin apace. Here we have a prediction of that ruin which came upon them within less than forty years after this. Such destruction and desolation, that the like cannot be found in any history. Promises of power to persevere, and cautions against falling away, well agree with each other. But the more we consider these things, the more we shall see abundant cause to flee without delay for refuge to Christ, and to renounce every earthly object, for the salvation of our souls.

Verses 24-27 The disciples had confounded the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world. This mistake Christ set right, and showed that the day of Christ's coming, and the day of judgment, shall be after that tribulation. Here he foretells the final dissolution of the present frame and fabric of the world. Also, the visible appearance of the Lord Jesus coming in the clouds, and the gathering together of all the elect to him.

Verses 28-37 We have the application of this prophetic sermon. As to the destruction of Jerusalem, expect it to come very shortly. As to the end of the world, do not inquire when it will come, for of that day and that hour knoweth no man. Christ, as God, could not be ignorant of anything; but the Divine wisdom which dwelt in our Saviour, communicated itself to his human soul according to the Divine pleasure. As to both, our duty is to watch and pray. Our Lord Jesus, when he ascended on high, left something for all his servants to do. We ought to be always upon our watch, in expectation of his return. This applies to Christ's coming to us at our death, as well as to the general judgment. We know not whether our Master will come in the days of youth, or middle age, or old age; but, as soon as we are born, we begin to die, and therefore we must expect death. Our great care must be, that, whenever our Lord comes, he may not find us secure, indulging in ease and sloth, mindless of our work and duty. He says to all, Watch, that you may be found in peace, without spot, and blameless.

<< Mark 12:44

Mark 13:2 >>

DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.

Join 137,316+ readers

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning

Consistent Bible study is hard to start.

The Berean gives you the starting point: one scripture and a focused commentary in your inbox each morning — read it in minutes, or go as deep as you like.

Free, daily, and spam-free. We never share your address. Unsubscribe anytime.