The Destruction of Jerusalem

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE

An Exposition of Mark 13:1-31

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date: September 19, 2021

Series: Mark: Knowing and Following God’s Son

Note: Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION

Last week’s sermon was an extensive introduction to Mark 13. And that sermon paved the way for this sermon. If it so happens that you’re getting today’s sermon without the benefit and preparation of having heard last week’s sermon, I encourage you to listen to it at your earliest convenience.

Our focus this morning is on the first thirty-one verses, especially verses 1-27. Instead of reading these verses all at once, I’m going to read them section by section as we walk through the message.

Section 1: Jesus Foretells the Destruction of the Temple (v. 1-2)

The first section, covering verses 1-2, may be titled: Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple.

Scripture says,

¹ And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” ² And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (Mark 13:1-2)

At least one disciple was impressed by the magnificent temple that had been rebuilt, enlarged, and beautified by Herod. It featured massive stones, resplendent white marble, and gold. Human beings were impressed by what their eyes could see, but Jesus saw what it would become: a pile of rubble.

Section 2: Four Disciples Ask Jesus for Additional Information (v. 3-4)

The second section, covering verses 3-4, may be titled: Four disciples ask Jesus for additional information.

Scripture says,

³ And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” (Mark 13:3-4) 

The disciples are asking two questions: 1) When will the temple be destroyed? 2) What is the sign that the temple is about to be destroyed?

Jesus answers these questions in verses 5-30. In verses 28-29, Jesus said that just as leaves on a fig tree signal that summer is near, so some momentous events that He is about to identify would signal that the temple is about to be destroyed and, at the very same time, that He would be vindicated. Then Jesus says in verse 30 that “all these things”, stretching from verse 5 to verse 27, will “take place” before the current generation passes away. All the events described in verses 5-27 took place in the middle decades of the 1^st century and in the years leading up to and including 70 AD. 

Section 3: The Gospel Will Advance in a Troubled and Resistant World (v. 5-13)

The third section, covering verses 5-13, may be titled: The gospel will advance in a troubled and resistant world.

Scripture says,

 ⁵ And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. ⁶ Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. ⁷ And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. ⁹ “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. ¹¹ And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. ¹³ And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mark 13:5-13)

Remember, “the end” referred to in verse 7 is not the end of the world, but the end of the temple, the end of the city, the end of the Jewish leadership.

Regarding the disciples’ question in verse 4, the circumstances described in verses 5-13 are not signs that the temple is about to be destroyed. Instead, the events of verses 5-13 are preliminary things that must happen first.

Let’s keep it really simple. If you know that something big is about to happen, as in the destruction of the temple that represents your nation’s rich spiritual heritage, and the destruction of the capital city, and the destruction of the nation’s religious leadership and the dismantling of the nation’s religious system, then you are apt to be on edge. You would be tempted to be preoccupied with the when and the what. Every bit of bad news – social unrest, political instability, international conflict, earthquakes, famines – is likely to get you worked up into thinking that societal collapse is imminent, and that can be paralyzing. And when pressures mount and tensions rise, charismatic personalities and false saviors step onto the scene and peddle their fantastic ideas to a vulnerable group of people.

But Jesus tells His followers to keep their head and stay focused. “See that no one leads you astray.” (v. 5) “And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed.” (v. 7) The deception of verse 6 will happen and the depressing news of verse 7 “must take place”, but these things don’t need to drag you down. Don’t be frightened or alarmed. Be single-minded and do your job!

And what is their job? To proclaim the gospel (v. 10). Don’t get caught up in the bad news. Stay focused on preaching the good news. In order for them to do this, they must remain attentive and disciplined, always trusting God. The Jewish religious authorities and the secular political authorities are going to arrest and interrogate them (v. 9). As you stand trial before these opponents, don’t be anxious about what you are going to say, because the Holy Spirit will supply the necessary words as they are needed (v. 11).

You’re not just going to be opposed by the cultural authorities, but by everyone. Internal family divisions will affect you (v. 12). And everyone will hate you because of your association with Jesus (v. 13). Therefore, stand firm. Hold onto Jesus. Believe His promises. Keep taking steps of obedience. If you turn back because you can’t handle the pressure, you will show yourself to be a false disciple. A true disciple must “deny himself and take up his cross and follow [Jesus]” (Mark 8:34). No turning back, but faithful all the way to the finish line. “[The] one who endures to the end will be saved.” (v. 13)

As Jesus’ disciples were faithful to their calling, they were assured of progress: “And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.” (v. 10) And that is just what happened in the middle decades of the 1^st century. On “the day of Pentecost” (Acts 2:1), which was only a couple of months after Jesus spoke these words in Mark 13, the Holy Spirit came upon that band of 120 disciples and empowered them to proclaim “the mighty works of God” to the people who were in Jerusalem. And what kind of people were in Jerusalem? Acts 2:5 says, “Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.” This by itself doesn’t fulfill Mark 13:10, because “all nations” must imply a diversity of people groups, encompassing not only Jews but also Gentiles. But if Jews “from every nation under heaven” heard the gospel in the year 30 AD, and some were converted, and some of those converted traveled back to their host nation or received visitors from other places over the next 30-35 years, don’t you think that the gospel would have traveled far and wide? The Book of Acts as a whole testifies to how the gospel traveled from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, and throughout the Roman Empire, and it ends with Paul preaching the gospel in Rome. In Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, he wrote: “in the whole world it [the gospel] is bearing fruit and increasing” (Colossians 1:6).

So yes, the temple is going to be destroyed. But don’t be preoccupied with that. Trouble and opposition notwithstanding, you’re going to have three-plus decades to preach the gospel far and wide. Take full advantage of it!

Section 4: Signs That the Temple’s Destruction is About to Take Place (v. 14-23)

The fourth section, covering verses 14-23, may be titled: Signs that the temple’s destruction is about to take place.

Scripture says,

¹⁴ “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, ¹⁶ and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ¹⁷ And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ¹⁸ Pray that it may not happen in winter. ¹⁹ For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. ²⁰ And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. ²¹ And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ²² For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. ²³ But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. (Mark 13:14-23)

With respect to the entire 40-year period from 30 AD to 70 AD, verses 5-13 cover approximately the first 35 years. They represented “the beginning of the birth pains” (v. 8).

But Jesus shifts gears in verse 14 and turns His attention to a time when things were going to get really bad: “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be”. The background to this concept of the abomination of desolation is found in the Old Testament Book of Daniel. Daniel 8:13, 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11 all refer to this concept of an abomination that makes desolate. The idea is that the temple, instead of being true to its holy purpose, gets defiled. The temple becomes a place of abomination. In Mark 11 Jesus said that though the temple was supposed to be a place of prayer for all nations, it had become a den of robbers. A den of robbery is bad enough, but rarely is a circumstance so bad that it can’t be made worse.

There might be multiple abominations of desolation that were to take place at least two different times in history (and possibly more than two times). The actions of the Greek king Antiochus in 167 BC are widely regarded as one instance of an abomination of desolation. R. T. France writes that “Antiochus’s emissaries desecrated the temple by setting up a pagan altar, [and] they also designated it the temple of [Zeus Olympias] (2 Macc. 6:2) and installed a statue of its new god.”[1] That inspired a Jewish revolt under the Maccabees and in due course the Jews reclaimed their independence for a time.

The abomination of desolation under Antiochus in the 2^nd century BC is part of the background to Mark 13:14. But Jesus foresaw another abomination of desolation that would take place in the middle of the 1^st century. Although we can’t necessarily pinpoint one specific action or event that constitutes the abomination in the 1^st century, we understand that it is connected to an extreme corruption of worship in the temple. The temple is profaned. The altar is violated. Perhaps a man or idol or symbol is set up in the place of God, and thus the temple becomes ground zero for highhanded rebellion against God.

We can only speculate as to the precise abominable event that Jesus was referring to. But Jesus expected His disciples to be able to recognize the abomination of desolation when it happened: “But when you see”. When you see that the temple has gone beyond the point of no return, then it is time to get far away. The abomination desecrates the temple, and it sets in motion a chain of events, characterized by unparalleled tribulation, that will lead to the destruction of the temple and the city.

Some Historical Information

Some historical information is helpful to understanding today’s passage. The Judean political district had existed under the rule of the Roman Empire since the year 37 BC. We read about Roman political figures in the early books of the New Testament: Caesar Augustus, Herod the Great, other men also named Herod, Pontius Pilate. We also read of Roman soldiers and the imperial tax. There were no doubt ups and downs with this arrangement, with some Jews wanting to play nice with the Romans and other Jews wanting to stage a revolution. Indeed, the Jewish messianic hope was that the Messiah would come and deliver Israel from the power of Rome. But the Messiah actually came in order to deliver His people from the power of sin – however, that is much less appealing to people who love their sin.

Things came to a boiling point in the year 66 AD. Historian Si Sheppard writes that the Judean province

“was fractured along ethnic, class and religious lines…. Would-be prophets, mystics and messiahs constantly sought to capitalize on the popular desire for some form of millenarian release; not just independence, but social justice and the restoration of the faith of a simpler time. This mounting frustration was reflected in the increasingly violent actions of extremist sects…. The spark that ignited this highly combustible tangle of class, ethnic and religious divisions was rioting that broke out in Caesarea when a Greek mob profaned the synagogue in May AD 66.”[2]

It was as if the damn began to break. Gessius Florus, the Roman procurator, went after overdue taxes from the Jews. Some Jews responded by mocking Florus. Florus demanded that the Jewish leaders hand over the mockers. The Jewish leaders refused. Florus sent troops to plunder and massacre a part of the city. Many Jews were crucified. The Jewish revolutionaries battled against the Roman troops and brought the temple under their control. The temple itself became a center of political revolutionary activity and violence.  There was in-fighting among the Jews, and ongoing conflict between the Jews and the Romans, and violence throughout the region.[3]

Now an empire like Rome doesn’t like civil unrest, and doesn’t like to be offended or attacked from within. In the spring of 67 AD, the Roman general Vespasian (who later became emperor) went to war against the Jews. Galilee, which forty years earlier had been graced by the feet of the One who brought good news, was now in the crosshairs of the Roman army. Japha fell; Jotapata fell; Joppa fell; Tiberias and Tarichaeae fell; Gamala fell; Mount Tabor fell; Gischala, Jamnia, and Azotus fell. That was in 67 AD.[4]

Around that time, one possible candidate for the abomination of desolation is described by Ben Witherington: “Josephus tells us how the Zealots took over from November 67 or the spring of 68, at which time they allowed criminals to roam the temple, including in the Holy of Holies, and even to murder others in the temple. As a sort of sick joke a man name Phanni was invested as high priest.”[5]

The war continued. In the spring of 68 AD the Roman army turned its attention south in the greater Judea area. Gadara, Bethennabris, Emmaus, Jericho and Qumran fell.[6] It is as if the Jewish conquest of Canaan in the days of Joshua was being undone by the Romans. That’s how judgment works.

There was a lot of in-fighting within the Roman Empire, and there was a lot of infighting among the Jews. But the war continued. Hebron, the place where David had ruled as king for the first several years of his kingship, fell in the middle of 69 AD. By the end of the year Vespasian had become emperor of the Roman Empire. Then in the spring of 70 AD, Vespasian’s son Titus led the Roman troops against Jerusalem. The siege of Jerusalem began in April and lasted several months.[7]

The number of people in Jerusalem at the time of the siege far exceeded the normal population, because pilgrims had come to celebrate the Passover.[8] The siege had begun just a few days prior to the Passover. Si Sheppard also shares a very interesting detail: “In addition, there were all those who had come in from the surrounding countryside in order to take refuge.”[9]

But Only Jesus is a Reliable Refuge

However, those who knew and trusted the words of the Lord, knew better than to take refuge in Jerusalem. The city and temple had no future as far as God’s kingdom is concerned, and they would not be a suitable refuge. Only Jesus is a suitable refuge. Only Jesus is the true temple. Only Jesus is the Passover Lamb. Trust Jesus, and flee the city. Indeed, Jesus advises people to flee. When you see the temple desecrated, then it is high time to “flee to the mountains.” (v. 14) Don’t procrastinate in order to pack a suitcase or gather extra belongings.

The tribulation of this time period is incomparable in its intensity: “For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of creation that God created until now, and never will be.” (Mark 13:19) The point is not to compare this tribulation period in the late 60s AD with other horrific periods in human history. The point is that it is one of those horrific periods that is incomparable and exceedingly awful. The conquering of town after town, the large numbers of deaths and prisoners of war, the five-month siege and ruin of Jerusalem, and the undoing of an entire culture, was an unparalleled experience.

Of course, such terrible times provided a ripe opportunity for false messiahs and false prophets to give people a false hope (v. 21-22). Those who belong to Jesus must remain steadfast in Him and must hold onto His words, and not be duped by false saviors, however impressive their claims and actions may be.

Mercifully, those days of tribulation would not last forever (v. 20). They wouldn’t last as long as they might have lasted if men were in charge. But those days were “cut short” (v. 20). Why did the Lord God “cut short” those days? Not for the sake of Jerusalem (it will be destroyed). Not for the sake of the temple (it will be destroyed). Not for the sake of people in general and not for the sake of Jews in general (vast numbers will die). “But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.” (v. 20) The elect are the people that God has chosen to bring into fellowship with His Son. Which means that the elect are the true followers of the Messiah. God holds His chosen ones in His fatherly hand and shepherds them through trial and tribulation. He guards them from deception (v. 22). And He “shortened the days” of tribulation for their sake (v. 20). If ever there was a time for the disciples to pay close attention to their spiritual health, it was this time: “But be on your guard; I have told you all things beforehand.” (v. 23)

Section 5: Destruction, Vindication, and Mission (v. 24-27)

The fifth section, which covers verses 24-27, may be titled: Judgment, Vindication, and Mission.

Scripture says,

²⁴ “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in 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 ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. (Mark 13:24-27)

Verse 24 shows that the events of verses 24-27 take place on the heels of the events of verses 14-23. Verse 19 refers to “in those days”, and it is referring to the tribulation that characterizes those days. Now verse 24 begins: “But in those days, after that tribulation”. Those days began with the abomination of desolation (v. 14); those days, all too long but shortened nonetheless, then unfolded into untold tribulation (v. 14-23); now those days reach their appointed end (v. 24-27).

Remember, those days of incomparable tribulation in verses 18-23 were “cut short”. How are they “cut short”? What happens to bring the awful mess to completion? Well, what happens is that the war comes to an end. The cup of judgment is poured out and emptied – and there is nothing left to be poured out. The destruction is completed. Judgment overtakes the people who were under judgment. But the people who were not under judgment enter into the light of a new day.

Judgment

So after the season of unparalleled tribulation, finally the cosmic lights go out: “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” (v. 24-25) Language about the cosmic lights going out is drawn from the Old Testament and indicates that something big is happening, and it typically means that God is bringing judgment against a disobedient people. Isaiah 13 is an “oracle concerning Babylon” which describes judgment against the Babylonian kingdom, which took place in the 6^th century BC. This act of judgment against Babylon is referred to as “the day of the LORD”:

“Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.” (Isaiah 13:9-13)

One is tempted to think that the whole universe is collapsing, but the oracle is describing and pinpointing judgment against one empire, Babylon, in 539 BC:

“Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them…. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.” (Isaiah 13:17, 19)

Similar language is used in Ezekiel 32 to describe judgment against Egypt, and similar language is used in Joel 2 and Amos 8 to describe “the day of the LORD” (Joel 2:11) coming against the inhabitants of Zion. So this language about the cosmic lights going out and the heavens trembling doesn’t mean that the universe is collapsing or that the world is ending; what it means is that God is doing something big on earth. Something seismic, earth-shattering, and of great consequence is happening. In the context of Mark 13, it refers to judgment against Jerusalem and against the temple. It is another ‘day of the LORD’ in which God comes to enact judgment against a disobedient people, in this case the Jewish people who had rejected the Messiah.

In terms of the parable of the tenant farmers in Mark 12, the vineyard owner comes and destroys the tenants (Mark 12:9). Similarly, in the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22, here is how the king responded to the people who refused to honor his son and who had killed his servants: “The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.” (Matthew 22:7)

And that’s how it went down. That is how God responded to Israel’s rejection of His beloved Son.

Jesus had foreseen the destruction of Jerusalem under the thumb of the Roman armies. In Luke 19 Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem:

“Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:42-44)

The barricade that Jesus mentions probably refers to the “wall of circumvallation” that the Roman army built around Jerusalem in June of 70 AD.[10] This wall trapped the people inside the city.

Then in Luke 21 (note: Luke 21:5-33 is Luke’s version of Mark 13:1-31) Jesus said, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near…. [There] will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:20, 23-24)

So as a direct consequence of Israel’s refusal to receive her Messiah, God saw to it that Jerusalem and its temple would be destroyed.

The siege of Jerusalem had begun in April and lasted deep into the summer. The temple was destroyed in August, and Herod’s palace fell in September.[11] The land, the leading city, and the prized temple had been ruined, and the population had been decimated. Hundreds of thousands had died. Tens of thousands had become prisoners of war.[12] Si Sheppard writes,

“The siege had been the hardest fought and most comprehensive manifestation of Classical Era total war since the fall of Carthage over two centuries earlier. Even by Roman standards, the human toll was appalling. The victors kept 700 of the tallest and best-looking young men for Titus’s triumph at Rome. Of the remaining males, those over 17 were sent in chains to a living death as forced labour in Egypt or to arenas all over the Roman Empire where they would die in gladiatorial combats or be fed to wild animals. Women and children were packed off to the slave markets.”[13]

This terrible judgment came upon them because they had rejected the Prince of Peace (Luke 19:41-44).

Judgment Has Two Sides

The enactment of God’s judgment always means darkness and gloom for anyone who is not trusting in the Lord. But when we speak about God’s earth-shattering judgments in Mark 13:24-25 and in other biblical passages, we have to remember that God’s judgment against a disobedient people has another side to it. There is a recurring pattern in Scripture: God judges the disobedient, but He vindicates His chosen ones. He judges the ungodly, but saves those who belong to Him. He pours out wrath on the wicked, but protects those who take refuge in Him. He desolates the rebellious house, but honors and builds up His faithful ones. That’s the pattern. Two sides of the same coin. We see this pattern in Mark 11: Jesus speaks judgment against the temple because it is not fulfilling its role as a house of prayer for all nations (in v. 17), and afterward He identifies His own community of disciples as God’s faithful house of prayer (in v. 22-25). We see this pattern in Mark 12: the vineyard owner “will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.” (Mark 12:9) God’s judgment involves both judgment against one group (the unfaithful) and judgment in favor of another group (the faithful).  

Now in Mark 13, the judgment upon Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple is one side of the coin. But the other side of the coin is that the beloved Son is vindicated and honored, and God’s chosen ones who belong to His Son are gathered from the far reaches of the world.

Vindication

And this brings us to verse 26: “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” I do not think that this verse refers to Jesus’ second coming at the end of history. Instead, I think that this verse refers to Jesus’ exaltation and vindication in the 1^st century.

One of the barriers to understanding verse 26 is the assumption that “coming” means coming to earth. But why assume this? The concept of “the Son of Man coming in clouds” takes us back to the Book of Daniel, Chapter 7.

Daniel 7 tells us about a succession of five kingdoms, each successive kingdom following on the heels of the one before it. The first lion-like kingdom is Babylon, the second bear-like kingdom is Media-Persia, the third leopard-like kingdom is Greece, and the fourth iron-like kingdom is Rome. These four kingdoms held sway, one after another, from the 600s BC down to the 1^st century AD. Then a fifth kingdom, an everlasting kingdom, emerged. Daniel 7:9-14 shows us a heavenly court scene in which the Ancient of Days (God the Father) is seated on His throne, surrounded by innumerable heavenly attendants, and He renders judgment against the four kingdoms. Then the Ancient of Days gives universal dominion to a very special person. Daniel 7:13-14 says,

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)

Behold “the Son of Man coming in clouds” – but coming to where, coming to whom? Coming to the Ancient of Days. The beloved Son comes to the Father and receives an everlasting kingdom that makes a rightful claim on “all peoples, nations, and languages”.

Of course, someone will ask: ‘Okay, I’m tracking with you, but verse 26 begins “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds”. Doesn’t it mean that His coming is visible?’ Now that is a good question. Consider this: In the next chapter, Mark 14, Jesus is being interrogated by the high priest in the presence of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish leadership council. People were giving garbled testimony against Jesus, and Jesus remained quiet. Then, beginning with verse 60, the passage says:

“And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62)

In Matthew’s account of this conversation, Jesus’ remark is even more pointed: “But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:74)

Here’s the basic point. Jesus is in the process of being dishonored, rejected, and killed by Israel’s religious leaders. But Jesus knows that He, “[the] stone that the builders rejected” (Mark 12:10), is actually the beloved Son who is the Cornerstone of salvation. And so Jesus says to the high priest, in essence: although you and your cohorts see me as worthy of death, God will render judgment in my favor and – going forward – you will see me exalted, vindicated, and entrusted with universal sovereignty over the nations. And frankly, sooner or later, everyone will see and understand and have to reckon with the sovereign authority of Jesus Christ.

So taking Mark 13:26 in conjunction with Mark 14:62 and Matthew 26:74, I don’t think that the “see” of verse 26 requires that Jesus be visibly seen with physical eyes. I think R. T. France is on the right track when he says that “what is being ‘seen’ is a heavenly authority.”[12] What people see is the reality and demonstration of Jesus’ heavenly and sovereign authority. People see the manifestation of the truth that Jesus is exalted and vindicated in the presence of the Father.

Remember, the Father had raised Jesus from the dead, exalted Him to the place of highest honor and given Him the name above every name, and entrusted to Him all authority in heaven and on earth. And then what happened in 70 AD was a very clear vindication of Jesus: that He is Israel’s true Messiah, that in rejecting Him the Jews brought judgment upon themselves, that He is the true temple and true sacrifice who brings believing Jews and believing Gentiles into fellowship with the Father, and that He rightly foretold the destruction of Jerusalem – the temple will pass away (Mark 13:2), and “[heaven] and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mark 13:31). The city of Jerusalem is destroyed, but the heavenly Mount Zion stands forth with Jesus at the helm. The temple is toppled and the lifeless stones are a pile of ruble, and the sacrificial system under the old covenant is buried with it. But believers in Jesus – believers from all over the world – are like living stones who are being built up as God’s house, the true temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. Jesus is the true King who has received sovereignty over all nations from the Father: the old covenant Jewish age is decisively over and done, and the new covenant global reality is here to stay, forever and ever.

Mission

Now in light of the exaltation of Jesus in verse 26, what follows? Well, what is intended to follow the exaltation of the Son of Man in Daniel 7:13-14? The Ancient of Days gave the Son of Man “dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him” (Daniel 7:14). So what follows? This: the universal Kingship of the Son of Man, the sovereign authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, is proclaimed far and wide, so that “all peoples, nations, and languages” might come to know Him, love Him, and worship Him. And this transitions to verse 27: “And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.” Whether “the angels” refers to angelic messengers or human messengers (the underlying word can carry both meanings), what is in view here is the global missionary enterprise that will endure until the end of history. It began to happen in the 1^st century, and it will continue to happen until the Lord returns.

Of course, Mark 13:10 teaches us that a preliminary proclamation of the gospel “to all nations” actually happened in the middle decades of the 1^st century. But now we see that global missions, authorized by the exalted Son of Man, will characterize the remainder of human history, until all of God’s chosen ones – among both Jews and Gentiles – are gathered into God’s forever family. Are you one of the chosen ones that the Good Shepherd has gathered into His fold?

The Question You Face

Let me close with this. Around the year 30 AD, the Romans, at the insistence of the Jewish leaders, crucified the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was made desolate, forsaken by God, because He was bearing the sins of His people. Forty years later, as a result of Israel’s rejection of the Messiah, it is as if the Roman army crucified the entire nation. Israel was made desolate, forsaken by God, because they were bearing their own sins. The people and their temple were torn down, with no one to rescue. But the true temple, the true sacrifice, God’s Lamb, three days after His death had risen from the dead, and shortly thereafter He ascended into heaven and sat down at God’s right hand. He alone has the grace and power to redeem any sinner who believes in Him. And here is the question that you face. Will you trust Jesus as the gracious sin-bearer who died on your behalf in order to bring you peace with God? Or will you hold onto your sins and face God’s wrath alone, with no one to intercede? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be delivered. But if you refuse, you will be desolate.

ENDNOTES

[1] R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Greek Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002: p. 523.

[2] Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt AD 66-74. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2013: p. 6.

[3] Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt, pp. 6-9.

[4] Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt, pp. 18-19.

[5] Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001: p. 345.

[6] Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt, p. 19.

[7] Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt, p. 19.

[8] Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt, p. 80.

[9] Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt, p. 80.

[10] Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt, p. 19 and 63.

[11] Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt, p. 19.

[12] Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt, p. 80.

[13] Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt, p. 80.

[14] R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark, p. 535.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

R. T. France. The Gospel of Mark (The New International Greek Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

Kenneth L. Gentry, The Olivet Discourse Made Easy: You Can Understand Jesus’ Great Prophetic Discourse. Chesnee: Victorious Hope Publishing, 2021 reprint (copyright 2010).

William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mark (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Vol. 2). Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017. 

Si Sheppard, The Jewish Revolt AD 66-74. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2013.

R. C. Sproul, The Last Days According to Jesus: When Did Jesus Say He Would Return? Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998.

James W. Voelz, Mark 8:27–16:20 (Concordia Commentary). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2019.

Walter W. Wessell and Mark L. Strauss, “Mark”. In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised Edition, Volume 9: Matthew and Mark. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2010.

Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.

N. T. Wright. Jesus and the Victory of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996.