Hello, welcome to the podcast, Bible Wisdom Today. My name is Stan Watkins.

The Bible has always been an important foundation for my personal faith, leading me to complete a Bible degree and enter Christian ministry, ultimately going with my wife and family to Europe for 6 years. There I served in the areas of Bible teaching and music. Since returning to the states, I have supported my local church as I have had opportunity, but now I would like a more regular outlet for teaching God’s word.

Understanding the Bible is not simply a matter of belief that it is God’s word. The Bible was written long ago, in a foreign language, within an alien culture, using unfamiliar literary styles. Today’s Bible student must overcome each of these obstacles. This podcast is for those willing to do the hard work to discover God's wisdom for life today.

In our last two episodes we saw Jesus’ judgment against the temple in Jerusalem. In Mark 11, Jesus arrives dramatically at the temple, riding into Jerusalem like a triumphant king. The following day he condemns the temple’s religious rituals for their barren hypocrisy, obstructing the merchandising of sacrifices and prophetically cursing a barren fig tree. In Mark 12 Jesus answers all the religious authorities’ questions, demonstrating his power over temple leadership. These stories tell why God’s judgment will come on the temple; Mark 13 now tells what that judgment will be. This is episode 18, which I have entitled simply, “Jesus explains the future.”

This is the longest block of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus speaks here about future events. Some are in the near future concerning the destruction of the temple in AD 70 under the Roman general, Titus, and the preceding siege of Jerusalem. Others are in the distant future concerning the coming of the Son of Man in final judgment. This is sometimes also called the second coming of Jesus. 

This is one of the most puzzling chapters in the Bible to interpret. Some consider this chapter to be apocalyptic, a genre of religious literature concerned with God’s judgment and the final triumph of good over evil, but Mark 13 only holds a limited resemblance. It follows the basic storyline of apocalyptic literature, telling first of a time of extreme distress followed by the coming of the Messiah to judge the wicked at the end of the age, but certain important elements of apocalyptic style are missing. There are no strange visions or bizarre imagery, no resurrection, no final judgment on Satan, and no subsequent messianic kingdom. Importantly, it also is not written as a first-person vision, which was typical of apocalyptic writing.

Mark 13 gives us important details about what the future holds and how this age will end. If that is of interest, then this message is for you. But if you are looking for a clear timetable of future events, you will not find it here. You will, however, hear everything that Jesus wants you to know on the subject.

Historical context (vv. 1-4)

Let’s begin our reading with Mark 13, verse 1.

As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 
 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
 Mark 13:1-4

The most important key to interpreting the meaning of this chapter is the historical context, “as Jesus was leaving the temple.” This is not only a literal description, but a symbolic picture of Jesus’ final definitive break from the temple system. As they left the temple, one of his disciples drew attention to the impressiveness of the structure, and so it was. In Jesus’ day the temple had been under construction for 40 years and was still unfinished. It was a monument to Herod the Great’s obsession with grandeur and permanence. The southeast corner of the retaining wall was 15 stories above the ground. The size of the temple site and the size of its stones exceed any other temple in the ancient world[1] Some of its stones were 40-60 feet long![2] The top of the temple was adorned by white marble with gold plates on the facade. Josephus says that the sun reflecting off it was blinding.[3]

Unlike his disciples, Jesus did not view the temple as permanent. “Not one stone here will be left on another,” he said. While a portion of the foundation remains to this day, known as the “wailing wall,” the sanctuary itself was completely leveled. The Romans broke apart the stones to get the gold embedded in them.[4] Earlier, Jesus had condemned the temple using the metaphor of a fig tree withered from the roots, but now he drops all symbolism and announces its destruction in physical terms, stone by stone.

We are not told which disciple enthused over the gorgeous temple structure, but we are told who came to ask Jesus for more explanation of his mysterious comment. It was the four fishermen whom he had called first by the Sea of Galilee, Peter, James, John and Andrew. To answer them, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple. This was the authoritative posture for a teacher, in Jesus’ day. The Mount of Olives, rising 300 feet above Jerusalem, gave a commanding view of the temple mount. Someone standing on the top of the Mount of Olives could look directly into the entrance of the sanctuary. In chapter 12, Jesus sat “opposite the treasury” to deliver his final judgment against the self-important scribes; now he sits “opposite the temple” to deliver his final judgment against the temple building. This repeated phrase ties these two chapters together.

Peter and his friends ask Jesus two interrelated questions, “When will these events happen?” and “What will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled?” They were shocked by Jesus casual comment about the temple’s destruction and linked it with the message of the Old Testaments predictions of the Day of the Lord, the final, personal coming of God in judgment. They couldn’t imagine a situation without the Jewish temple and sensed that its destruction had some relationship to the coming of the kingdom. When would this be fulfilled? This is a technical term in the context of Jewish prophecy and refers to the time when the prediction of the prophet will come true.

When the four disciples ask Jesus about “these things,” they are referring back to Jesus’ comment about the destruction of the temple. As Jesus answers their question, he continues to use the term “these things” throughout his message to describe events surrounding the destruction of the temple in AD 70. He contrasts this time frame with the term “those days,” which was a stereotypical way Old Testament prophets referred to the end of the age. In this way Jesus declares that the events surrounding AD 70 prefigure the ultimate Day of the Lord when Jesus will return.

Jesus’ use of the terms “these things” and “those days” help to outline his message. He first speaks, through verse 13, of events in the near future concerning the destruction of the temple. Verse 14 acts as a turning point between “these things” and “those days” and then verse 15 begins his discussion of the distant future, the last days. Finally, he concludes in verses 28-37 with the application of his message, first concerning the near time frame and secondly concerning the distant time.

Near future: Destruction of the temple (vv. 5-13)

Once Mark has established the historical context, he goes on to relate Jesus’ answer to his followers’ questions, beginning with his lesson on the near future, which we can now recognize as the destruction of the temple in AD 70. I will begin reading with verse 5…

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 
 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
 Mark 13:5-13

The disciples wanted to know the future, as do we, but Jesus directs them to the present “Watch out that no one deceives you”. Jesus prioritizes our present obedience over speculative construction of a future timetable. He begins by listing six indicators that are not signs: false messiahs, war, earthquakes, famines, persecution, and family betrayal. If you hear someone say, “Look at all the earthquakes we have had lately. We must be living in the last days.” You can stop listening right there. Perhaps, instead, they point to wars or famines as signs of the last days. If they do, they clearly have not read this passage well. Jesus clearly says that these are not signs of the end. “The end is still to come.”

The first false sign is false Messiahs. There were many in the first century. When Jesus says that “many will come in my name,” he does not mean that they will claim to be Jesus, but that they will claim to be the Messiah.

The second false sign is wars and rumors of wars. These are not signs either, but normal tragedies in a sinful world. While the period between Jesus’ death and AD 70 was known as the pax Romana, there still were isolated wars and war rumors. In AD 40, Emperor Caligula attempted to erect a statue to himself in the Jerusalem temple as part of the Roman cult of the emperor. The Jewish population vowed to die rather than allow their sacred temple to be defiled and the local governor attempted to delay carrying out his orders because he understood the potential for a devastating war. The historian, Josephus describes rumors of war circulating at that time. This project was eventually abandoned. While Caligula’s statue was still enroute by ship he was assassinated by his own Praetorian Guard. Later in AD 66, Jewish zealots revolted against Rome and plunged Palestine into war, leading to their catastrophic defeat in AD 70. Meanwhile, in AD 68, civil war broke out in Rome after the suicide of Emperor Nero.

In addition to war, Jesus also mentions earthquakes and famines as false signs. These are just normal natural disasters. The Roman empire experienced famines during the reign of Claudius from AD 41-54. Additionally, an earthquake struck Phrygia in AD 61 and another leveled Pompei in AD 63, but these, along with war, were just the beginning of false labor which would culminate in the destruction of the temple. The point of describing these difficulties is not to draw believers into speculation about the future, but to provide a sure foundation for their faith in the present.

The metaphor of “birth pains” was significant for the Jewish believers in Jesus’ first audience, who saw motherhood as the ultimate validation of a woman’s worth. Birth pains signaled the end or her disgrace. Similarly, the “birth pains” of trouble for the church validated its existence and resulted in growth for God’s kingdom.

The fourth false sign predicted by Jesus was persecution. This also was not a sign of the end, since persecution would be normal for believers. Adversity would come from both Jews and Gentiles, both religious and secular authorities as a sign of faithfulness. Synagogues functioned as law courts as well as religious assembly halls, and Christian believers could expect to be rejected, opposed and even flogged. The Book of Acts is a commentary on early church persecution, but every age in church history, in varying degrees, can see themselves in this story.

These experiences would give unprecedented opportunities for witness. Jesus predicted that “the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” In the early days of the church, this task was powered by persecution. When a Christian is brought to trial, Jesus says, do not worry about what to say, but trust God to speak through you as you serve him. The expectation of persecution does not need to produce anxiety, but rather assurance in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

The final false sign of the end is family betrayal. The reference may not just be natural families but Christians informing on one another under interrogation. This is what the context suggests, and it was the method described by the Roman historian, Tacitus, concerning the persecution under Nero in AD 64.[5] When Christians experience betrayal by their Christian family, then they can understand the experience of Jesus, who was betrayed by one of the family of the Twelve. Jesus promises that “the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Christians are not expected to prevail over all their enemies, but they are expected to do what they can do in every trial—endure and remain steadfast. 

These signs given by Jesus are false signs of the end, not because they will not happen. In fact, they did happen in the lead up to the destruction of the temple. But the destruction of the temple in AD 70 was not the end. It only prefigured the Day of the Lord in the distant future.

Distant future: End of the age (vv. 14-27)

Having talked about six signs that are not signs of the end, Jesus moves on to talk about signs which are. In doing so, he also moves to a discussion of the distant future. The first true sign that Jesus mentions is traditionally called “the abomination of desolation,” although the New International Version which I am reading uses the phrase “abomination that causes desolation.” For clarity, I will continue to use the traditional term.

Abomination of desolation

Reading Mark 13:14,

“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 
 Mark 13:14

Verse 14 begins with “when you see,” and should be paired with verse 7 which began, “when you hear.” That first list of signs you might hear of could be discounted, because they were not signs of the end. When you see the abomination of desolation, however, this is the real deal. This is the end. Flee to the mountains.

This term, the abomination of desolation, is a reference to three cryptic passages in the book of Daniel, talking about a scandal which would defile and profane the temple of God in Jerusalem. While Daniel makes this reference three times, I will read only Daniel 11:31.

His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.
 Daniel 11:31

Daniel’s prophesy was fulfilled in the actions of the Syrian general Antiochus IV, also known as Epiphanes. He ruled the Seleucid Empire, one of four empires which were created out of the territory conquered by Alexander the Great. He wanted to destroy the Jewish faith, and in 167 BC outlawed Jewish observances, sacrificed a pig on the altar of burnt offering and erected an idol to Zeus in the temple. The book of First Maccabees also uses the phrase “abomination of desolation” to describe this extreme profanity which led directly to the Maccabean revolt and Israel’s brief period of self-rule for 80 years.[6] Jesus’ original audience would have been very familiar with this history, but Jesus shows that this historical fulfillment was not complete. It would be further fulfilled with the destruction of the temple under Rome. Even beyond that, Daniel’s prophecy would see its ultimate fulfillment in the distant future, immediately preceding the coming of Jesus in judgment. 

Mark adds a parenthetical statement, “let the reader understand,” but it is unclear exactly what inference the reader should make. Apparently Mark expects his readers to understand the prophetic reference to the abomination of desolation and know the historic partial fulfillment of Antiochos Epiphanes and thus recognize it again when it showed itself in the near future. Mark also wanted to exhort his readers to be faithful disciples in the present.

It is difficult to determine exactly how Daniel’s prophecy of the abomination of desolation relates to the events of AD 70, but with the advantage of historical hindsight we can examine some possibilities from that time. Jesus had said that this abomination would stand where he did not belong. If the plans of Caligula to raise a statue to himself for worship in the temple had come to fruition, that would have been a fitting fulfillment, but it did not come to pass. Another possibility is that, when the Zealots, who fought for independence from Rome, took over the sanctuary in AD 67-68, they selected a man who was not from a Levitical family, Phannias, as high priest. He allowed criminals to commit all kinds of evil in the sanctuary, even murder. Another suggestion is the desecration resulting from the Roman siege against Jerusalem. During that brutal war, Romans catapulted dead bodies into the temple precincts. When the city walls were finally breeched, the Roman general, Titus, entered the sanctuary, followed by his soldiers. The very presence of non-Jews standing in the temple was an abomination, but they further set up their standards in the temple. These were poles with flags containing images of Roman Gods and they offered sacrifices to them. Any one of these abominations could be seen as prophetic fulfillment, but all of them together brought a total desecration to the holy temple space. This climaxed in final desolation when the Roman soldiers totally levelled the temple fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy that no stone would be left upon another.

The abomination of desolation was not entirely fulfilled in AD 70 but will find ultimate fulfillment at the end of time. The Apostle Paul provides additional commentary on the abomination of desolation when he speaks, in chapter 2 of his second letter to the Thessalonians, of “a man of lawlessness…doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2 Thess. 2:3-4).” Paul wanted to comfort his readers, many of whom had questions about the future like Jesus original twelve. They were worried that the return of Christ had already come, and they had somehow missed it. Paul offered them a sure sign that would come before. The rise of a man of lawlessness, also referred to as the Antichrist by John in his letters, would be obvious when he proclaimed himself to be God. Some interpreters think that this will require a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, but others believe that the man of lawlessness is simply proclaiming his own divinity in a more general sense.

Days of distress

The abomination of desolation will be followed by days of distress. Let me read again verse 14 and then continue reading through the end of the paragraph.

“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. 
 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
 Mark 13:14-23

As mentioned before, verse 14 is the turning point between the near future and the distant future, the time frames of “these things” and “those days.” The reference to “those who are in Judea” shows that it initially refers to the events of AD 70 but it is not exhausted by them. The swiftness and suddenness of the distress do not match well the events of the Roman invasion, which required over two years of battle before they finally laid siege to Jerusalem. Only three verses later, however, we read “how dreadful it will be in those days” which indicates that the focus has turned toward the end of the age.

Jesus described the distress of those days as “unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.” The redundancy is intended to emphasize the uniqueness of the times. The word “distress” is often translated as “tribulation.” This term along with “those days” are stereotypical terms in Jewish literature describing the troubles of the end time. In using this description, Jesus alludes to the prophecy of Daniel 12:1,

There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. 
 Daniel 12:1

Because of the difficulty of those days, Jesus says to pray that this sudden flight would not take place in winter. In winter the creek beds, which normally were dry, would fill with water and make flight difficult. Jesus’ instruction to flee was radical. Normally, in times of siege warfare, residents of small villages would flee to the nearest walled city, in this case Jerusalem, but Jesus instructed Christians to do the opposite. The early Christian historian, Eusebius, records that this is exactly what believers did when they saw the Roman armies preparing for siege around Jerusalem. They fled to the city of Pella in the foothills of the mountains to the east of Jordan, outside the battle zone.

Except for the grace of God shortening those days, they would be unsurvivable. This exceeds any horror known in human history and seems to point beyond AD 70, with the fall of Jerusalem as a prototype. 

Jesus reference to false messiahs and false signs is similar to the many pretenders that he mentioned earlier, except that there they were a sign that the destruction of the temple had not yet come. Here they are a sign that the end of time is at hand. 

[They will] deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
 Mark 13:22-23

God is watching over his people and protecting them. No believer, whether in AD 70 or at the end time, should be surprised. Jesus has given a direct command, “Pay attention.” “Keep watch.” We are not called to figure out when Christ will return; we are only called to be ready. No one will miss it. Jesus has told us everything we need ahead of time.

Coming of the Son of Man

We continue reading from Mark 13:24.

“But in those days, following that distress,
 “‘the sun will be darkened,
 and the moon will not give its light;
 the stars will fall from the sky,
 and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 
 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
 Mark 13:24-27

The signs described here are not signs that the end is coming soon. They are signs that the end has come. The great astronomical calamities are standard metaphors of God’s judgment in Jewish prophetic writing. Some in Mark’s day (and some in ours), thought heavenly bodies influenced human affairs. At the end of time, all imagined power will be extinguished by the power of the coming of Jesus, the Son of man, in the clouds. Clouds are a frequent Old Testament metaphor for the glory of God. God led his covenant people with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When they had completed the construction of the tabernacle, his cloud descended upon it, filling it with his glory. He repeated this indwelling in the temple of Solomon. The references to clouds, power and glory allude to Daniel’s vision in chapter 7 of his writing,

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
 Daniel 7:13-14

Jesus sends out angels to gather his elect from everywhere into his kingdom. Old Testament prophets, like Daniel, frequently spoke of the faithful gathering to Jerusalem at the Day of the Lord. Here, Jesus, acting as only God can, sends the angels to gather the elect to himself. He is the focal point of redemption history.

Application (vv. 28-37)

To close his discourse, Jesus revisits the two time frames he has detailed and applies his message to his listeners. He does this with two metaphors, the fig tree, which refers to the near future, and servants waiting for their master to return, which he applies to the distant future.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree (vv. 28-31)

Let me read, beginning with Mark 13:28.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
 Mark 13:28-31

This message was delivered on the Mount of Olives, but the Mount of Olives also had fig trees, so it was a natural metaphor. Just like his listeners could predict summer was coming when the fig tree leafed out, so they could predict when this time of distress would come. This was a good metaphor, since both the coming of summer and the coming of distress were in God’s hands. The fig tree signaled that summer was near, but not exactly when it would come. Jesus reinforces the concept of imminence with the simple phrase “it is near.” He confirms that he is speaking of the near future destruction of the temple by using the term “these things.” He further emphasizes its nearness by saying, “this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” Notice again the use of our key phrase, “these things.” “This generation” does not refer to a distant future generation before Jesus’ second coming, but to the generation of the temple’s destruction, which was standing right in front of Jesus. While it is true that the destruction of Jerusalem prefigures the final judgment, in a similar way to how Mark used the transfiguration to prefigure Jesus’ resurrection, we must keep these near future and distant future time frames clear in our mind. 

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Jesus words are surer than the cosmos. What an incredible assertion of authority! What he predicts will surely come to pass.

Awaiting the Master’s Return (vv. 32-37)

Jesus closes his sermon with a final metaphor about being a watchful servant. Beginning with Mark 13:32…

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
 Mark 13:32-37

As we have seen throughout this chapter, Jesus makes clear what time frame he is talking about with the phrase “that day.” This is just the singular form of “those days,” which we have understood throughout as a reference to the final days.

Concerning the timing of that day, “No one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son.” The angels are mentioned because they have a role in the final day of the Lord. We know this statement is a direct quotation of Jesus, since the early church is not likely to have ascribed to him a claim of ignorance if it did not come directly from his lips. Jesus identifies, here, with the ignorance and limitation of humanity but also sets Himself apart from us by his dependence on his father.

Just like the disciples had asked for sure knowledge, a sign, the church often looks for unmistakable proofs concerning the end. That would relieve us of the responsibility to watch faithfully, but Jesus offers mystery. Along with that mystery, however, he offers a father, his father, who truly knows when the end will come. This is the only passage in Mark where Jesus explicitly calls himself the Son of God. It is ironic that he also pairs this with an admission of ignorance. Just like Jesus, we too can trust the Father’s justice, compassion and providence.

The main point of this application is obvious. Using three different words, Jesus warns his disciples to be on guard! Be alert! Watch! He illustrates this with a mini parable. The unknown timing of Jesus’ return is like a man who goes away and leaves his house in the charge of his servants. Each has his assigned task and always needs to be prepared for his master’s return, but the one in charge of the door has only one task, to watch. This is the role of all disciples. We are doorkeepers with one vocation, to watch.

If you want to prepare for Jesus’ return, this is the only preparation to make. All the signs that Jesus gives ultimately add up to this one idea, we cannot foretell the end. Because the time of the end is unknown, the end is not “then,” but somehow, mysteriously, it is an ever-present “now.” In that context, the only response is to watch. Mark includes the four Roman watches of the night, evening, midnight, cock crow, and dawn, for the benefit of his Roman readers, to emphasize the unexpected nature of Jesus return. “If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.” This makes explicit the warning implied by this parable and also foreshadows the failure of the disciples two days later in the Garden of Gethsemane. When Jesus asked them to “watch and pray,” they fell asleep instead.

Jesus final word, “Watch!” has two implications. First it encourages us to long for the “blessed hope” of Jesus return. Secondly, it reminds us of our somber responsibility. Each of us will give an account before God and be judged on the basis of our faithfulness. This is the main point of the passage, and not just to the original listeners. Jesus specifically says, “What I say to you, I say to everyone.” As James Edwards says in his commentary on Mark, “It is the word of Jesus to the Twelve, the word of Mark to his readers, the word of the Spirit to believers in every age.”[7]

Closing comments

This difficult, detailed passage we have studied today can be summarized rather simply. Jesus second coming is certain, but the timing is unknown. In our next episode we will find Jesus spending time with his close friends before the terrible suffering that is sure to follow. A woman anoints him with expensive perfume, he eats his final Passover with his disciples, and he retires to a garden to pray while his disciples, who should have watched with him, fell asleep. We are coming closer to the final, climactic ending of Jesus earthly mission.

If you have found this podcast helpful, I would appreciate your help in expanding its reach. One of the best ways to assist is by recommending it to your friends. Perhaps the easiest way to accomplish this is to go to the podcast website, biblewisdomtoday.com, and share that link with your friend, along with your comment. Your personal recommendation is powerful. I look forward to spending time again, soon, with you and your friends. Thank you for your help in growing this Bible Wisdom Today family.

[1] Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel According to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Eerdmans.
[2] Osborne, G. R. (2021). Mark (Teach the Text Commentary Series). Baker Books.
[3] Osborne
[4] Osborne
[5] Edwards
[6] Wikimedia Foundation. (2025, September 9). Maccabean Revolt. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maccabean_Revolt#:~:text=The%20Maccabean%20Revolt%20(Hebrew:%20%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%93,the%20Maccabees%20eventually%20attaining%20independence.
[7] Edwards