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Mark 13:32-37
In this parable, it is even more apparent that the Master intends for the servants to be watchful—diligent, alert, taking heed to themselves—in their work and authority rather than for His return. Twice, He says that no one knows the timing of His return—not even Himself! Here, He tells us that we do not know the "day and hour," but after His resurrection He expands this unknown variable to "times or seasons" (Acts 1:6-7).
So, even though we might be able to have a rough idea when that time draws near (see Matthew 24:32-33; Luke 21:29-31), in general, it is secret and indeterminable. Our time, then, is best spent focusing on our responsibilities before God rather than being caught up in the details of how it might unfold. These things are unknowable, but even if one could correctly anticipate them, it would all be for naught if the individual is not spiritually prepared for Jesus Christ's return (see also Matthew 24:42-44).
David C. Grabbe
'As a Thief in the Night'Related Topics: Diligence | Hour You Think Not | Indicator Markings of Christ's Return | Jesus Christ's Return | Parable of the Faithful and Evil Servants | Parable of the Faithful and True Servants | Preparation, Spiritual | Preparedness | Signs of Christ's Return | Sober Watchfulness | Spiritual Preparedness | Thief Imagery | Thief in the Night | Times and Seasons | Timing of Christ's Return | Vigilance | Watchfulness
Mark 13:32-37
Our Savior Himself sets some necessary ground rules regarding understanding prophecy. He gets the timing of His return out of the way first: No one knows but the Father, not even Himself! So that should not be an issue with us—we should not worry about it or even be eager to figure it out, as it is a futile task, a time-waster. We will never be right, and it is unverifiable until it happens. Besides, most importantly, doing so provides little-to-no spiritual benefit.
What, then, are we to do? “Take heed, watch, and pray.” Because we do not know when He will return (notice He uses the more general “time” in verse 33, not just the specific day and hour), we must be ready for His return constantly. We do this by taking heed and watching.
“Take heed” is Greek blepete, which means “to notice carefully,” “to be ready to learn,” “to pay attention,” “to be prepared to respond appropriately.” The word-picture within it is a runner on a starting line who hears, “Ready. Get set. . . ,” and is poised to explode out of his stance as soon as the gun fires.
“Watch” is Greek agrypneite, which means “to keep oneself awake,” “to remain alert,” “to be sleepless,” “to be on the lookout,” “to be vigilant,” “to be on watch [duty].” The obvious illustration is a guard standing watch, keeping himself awake and alert to notice anyone approaching.
These commands are modified by “pray,” which implies being in constant communication with God. This modification suggests that our taking heed and watching are spiritual, not physical. The parallel verse in Luke 21:36 says explicitly that our watching and praying are focused on being counted worthy to escape the dangers of the end times and to stand before Christ.
That is how true Christians will be prepared for the Master's return—and for the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, for that matter: by being diligent in keeping themselves on the straight and narrow path to God's Kingdom. This advice is the essence of Jesus' three parables in Matthew 25: We are not to sleep but to keep our lamps full of oil, faithfully use our talents for growth, and serve the brethren as we wait for the coming of our Savior.
Even so, Jesus also gives us signs of His coming so we will know when our redemption draws near. These prophetic guideposts are necessary to motivate us to trust Him and endure to the end.
In Matthew 24:3-8, Jesus lays out the first four seals of Revelation 6, but He twice emphasizes that these kinds of things will happen almost as a matter of course. He says, “All these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (verse 6), and “All these are the beginning of sorrows” (verse 8). As such, they do not indicate that the end is imminent. At best, these sorts of events mark the beginning of the end. Of course, religious deception, wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes have been happening all along, from before Jesus spoke this prophecy up until modern times. Their value in assessing how close we are to the end lies in their frequency and intensity.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The End Is Not YetRelated Topics: agrypneite | Being Watchful | blepete | Christ's Return | Day of the Lord | Deferred Expectation of Christ's Return | Diligence | Diligence in Prayer | Great Tribulation, The | Increasing Intensity | Incremental Intensity of Seals of Revelation | Intensity of Deceit Prior to Christ's Return | Preparedness | Preparedness for Christ's Return | Take Heed | The End is Not Yet | VigilanceOther Forerunner Commentary entries containing Mark 13:32:
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What Does Mark 13:32 Mean?
Since no one—not even the Son—knows the day and hour of Christ's return, attempting to calculate it is futile, unverifiable, and spiritually unprofitable. Rather than worrying about timing, believers should take heed (blepete), watch (agrypneite), and pray, remaining constantly ready, alert, and in communication with God. This watchfulness is spiritual, focused on being counted worthy to escape end-time dangers and stand before Christ. The parables of Matthew 25 illustrate this readiness: keeping lamps full of oil, using talents, and serving the brethren. After His resurrection, Jesus expands this unknown to "times or seasons" (Acts 1:6-7). Though signs may indicate when redemption draws near, the timing remains secret. Time is best spent focusing on one's responsibilities before God and being spiritually prepared.