Mark 13:14 - Barnes' Book Notes

Mark 13:14

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.

Book Notes:

Barnes' Book Notes

Preface to Mark

Of Mark, the writer of this Gospel, little is certainly known. He is commonly supposed to be the same that is several times mentioned in the New Testament. He was not an apostle, or companion of the Lord Jesus, during his ministry, though some of the fathers affirm that he was one of the seventy disciples. This is improbable, as he is mentioned by Peter I Peter 5:13 as "his son;" from which it is supposed that he was converted by the instrumentality of Peter.

From the New Testament we learn that he was sister' s son to Barnabas Colossians 4:10; and that his mother' s name was Mary, a pious woman in Jerusalem, at whose house the apostles and primitive Christians often assembled, Acts 12:12.

His Hebrew name was John Acts 12:12, and it is probable that he adopted a name better known or more familiar when he visited the Gentiles, a practice not uncommon in that age. He was at first the companion of Paul and Barnabas in their journeys to propagate Christianity, Acts 12:25; Acts 13:5; Acts 15:37. He chose not to attend them through their whole journey, but left them in Pamphylia, and probably returned to Jerusalem, Acts 15:38. Probably at this time he was the companion of Peter, and traveled with him to Babylon, I Peter 5:13. Afterward he went with Barnabas to Cyprus, Acts 15:39. Subsequently he went to Rome, at the express desire of Paul, in company with Timothy, II Timothy 4:11. He remained at Rome while Paul was a captive there, but how long is uncertain, Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24. From Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Jerome we hear that Mark went from Rome to Alexandria, in Egypt, where he planted a church, and died in the eighth year of the reign of Nero, 64 ad

The time when this Gospel was written is not certainly known. It is supposed to have been between the years 56 and 63 a.d. It is allowed by all that it was written at Rome; of course it was during the latter years of his life, after the apostles had left Judea, Mark 16:20. Mark was for a considerable time the companion of Peter. Though he had not himself been with the Saviour in his ministry, yet, from his long acquaintance with "Peter," he was familiar with the events of his life, and with his instructions. The uniform testimony of the fathers is that he was the "interpreter" of Peter, and that he wrote this Gospel under the eye of Peter and with his approbation. It has come down to us, therefore, with the sanction of Peter' s authority. Its right to a place among the inspired books has never been questioned. That it was written by Mark, that it was with Peter' s approbation, that it was a record of the "facts" which Peter stated in his ministry, and that it was therefore an inspired book, has never been questioned.