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Gospel of Mark

Olivet Discourse 4: ‘Destruction of the Temple’ Mark 13:14-23

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Olivet Discourse 4: Mark 4: 14-23

’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 15 Let no-one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequalled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now – and never to be equalled again.

20 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. 21 At that time if anyone says to you “Look, here is the Messiah!” or “Look , there he is!” do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard: I have told you everything in advance.

Mark 4:14-23

Destruction of the Temple
There are various interpretations of these verses. For some, this prophecy concerns the Second Coming of Christ. We’ll look at that in my next post. in this post, I’m reflecting on the interpretation which concerns the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Run for the Hills!
The first part of this chapter dealt with the coming destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus warned of problems which will arise in the months and years to follow, but said clearly, ‘do not be alarmed!’.

There’s a real change of pace in verse 14, with the exhortation that those who are in Judaea should run for the hills. This reads rather like a fire alarm or tsunami response briefing. Do not stop to pick up your bags. Do not go back for your mobile phone. Abandon your laptop. Get out – do it now!

‘Up until this point they are to stand firm: now, at a given signal, they are to take to their heels.’ (Wright, p180)

There can be no doubt that in verses 14-23 Jesus is delivering a prophecy about the fall of Jerusalem. We know that a brutal invading army will arrive and take control of the city, including the Temple. These events came to pass in 70AD, when the Romans delivered a crushing response to the Jewish uprising of 66-70AD.

In the verses we’re looking at here, Jesus describes the signal to run. He refers to the ‘abomination which causes desolation’ (the NRSV translates this term as the ‘desolating sacrilege’), which will appear in the Temple and bring some kind of disaster on the people of Jerusalem.

‘Jesus doesn’t seem to know precisely what this [abomination] might be, but it sounds like a pagan idol, or an image of another god, in the place of the One true God, set up in the middle of the Temple.’ (Wright p181)

At a time of turmoil in the Roman empire, it was Titus, one day to become Emperor himself, who led the destructive assault on Jerusalem. The brutal invasion, during which thousands of Jews were subjected to brutal beatings, sexual violence and execution, To the Jews of Jerusalem, their experience felt like the end of the world. But in reality, it seems that Jesus is predicting the end of the Temple at Jerusalem. As we would anticipate, his prophecy was horrifically fulfilled in full measure.

End Piece
So how does a prophecy about the fall of Jerusalem speak to us today.

Christ has taught us to listen to his word and put it into practice. He warned us that we will face persecutions of all kinds (eg Luke 21:12). He prayed that we would be given strength to stand firm in our faith. Paul encourages us to stand firm in the face of adversity, in the knowledge that nothing can separate us from his love.

Yet here is an interesting turn in his teaching. As the writer of Ecclesiastes once wrote, there is a time for everything. Jesus now teaches that there is a time to run for safety.

 A believer is not to suppose that God will take care of him and provide for his needs if he does not make use of means and the common sense which God has given him as well as other people. Beyond doubt he may expect the special help of his Father in heaven in every time of need. But he must expect it in the diligent use of lawful means. To profess to love God while we idly sit still and do nothing, is nothing better than fanaticism and brings religion into contempt.

Ryle, p205

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

 

Gospel of Mark

Olivet Discourse 5: Mark 13:14-27: The Second Coming of Christ

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Olivet Discourse 5:

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. 15Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.

20“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. 21At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

24“But in those days, following that distress,

“ ‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
25the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

26“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And 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 13:14-27

1st October 2025: Horsham

Alternative Readings of this Prophecy
We’ve seen that there are various interpretations of these verses. Many people see in these verses, particularly vv 17-23, a direct prophecy of the brutal fall of Jerusalem which took place in 70AD (see Olivet Discourse 4).  In this post, I’m reflecting on the alternative reading of this prophecy of the Second Coming of Christ.

The Second Coming of Christ
Scripture tells us that Christ was crucified. He died. He was buried. He rose from the dead and during his resurrection was seen regularly over a period of 40 days. At the end of this period, he was taken up into heaven. At the moment of his resurrection, Christ declared that he would return.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:10-11

It is this predicted event, the ‘coming back’ of Jesus (v11), which is referred to as the Second Coming of Christ.

The phrase ‘abomination that causes desolation’ leads us directly to the prophecies of Daniel, which are closely referenced in the words of  Revelation, which in turn speak of the return of Christ.

The connection between this prophecy and the anticipated future return of Christ is not new. From the very beginning, followers of the risen Christ believed that this prophecy heralded his imminent return. This is strongly implied in Matthew’s version of this discourse, which includes the phrase 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened (Matthew 24:34), yet this has greater application when taken to refer to the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD. The verses which follow affirm that no-one will know the time or the hour of his return (Mark 13:32-34), and Jesus confesses  that nobody – even the Son, knows the hour of His return (Mark 13:32; Matthew 24:36).

So, do we now have a problem. If this prophecy is to be regarded as referring to the return of Christ, how do we respond to those who believe that it relates to the destruction of the Temple?

Single Fulfilment
There are those who contend that any prophecy can have only a single fulfilment. And so there are those for whom this prophecy must apply either to the fall of Jerusalem, of to the second coming, but cannot apply to both..

Dual Fulfilment
It seems to many commentators that the broad context of this section of Scripture is the destruction of the Temple. In the first verses of Mark 13, we have seen that Jesus appears to be  prophesying the fall of Jerusalem. We have seen that this came to pass in 70AD, when the Roman  Titus brutally crushed the Jewish uprising. This reading can suffice throughout the Olivet Discourse, and there are those who believe that this is the only valid interpretation. However, the latter part of the narrative under review here, can be taken to make the case that the current verses also speak of the Second Coming of Christ.

Multiple Fulfilment
For completion, some writers assert that there can legitimately be multiple fulfilments of prophecy, and this is an obvious case for consideration.

In addition to the widely discussed Fall of Jerusalem and the Second Coming of Christ, the original prophecy of Daniel relating to the ‘Abomination which causes desolation’, which is referenced in these verses by Jesus, some writers point to an earlier ‘fulfilment’.   In 167BCE, Antiochus Epiphanes IV entered Jerusalem and set up a statue of the Greek god Zeus in the Temple, and sacrificed a pig on the altar.

And then, of course, there are those who regard the presence of the  Al Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock and Dome of the Spirit on the ancient Temple Mount in Jerusalem as the most clear and powerful fulfilment of Daniel’s and Christ’s prophecy. The identification of these Islamic places of worship as ‘the Abomination’ is even explored by some Islamic writers. (Note: Construction of the Islamic sites started in around 638CE under the Umayyad Caliphate)

End Piece
In researching this section, I’ve been disappointed that some major evangelicals will state firmly that this prophecy relates only to the fall of Jerusalem (eg William Barclay), whilst others insist that it relates in its exclusively to the second coming of Christ (eg John Macarthur). Whilst the preceding sentence greatly oversimplifies the position of both Christian theological thinkers and writers, my point is simply that I am always counsel caution when anyone claims to have identified the truth about Jesus, and suggests that those who disagree with them are in the wrong.

For myself, I am comfortable to find that I am in good company when I say that it seems to me that this particular prophecy can have more than one fulfilment. Whether or not that is a valid interpretation, it seems to me that this prophecy fits well with Antiochus Epiphanes IV desecration of the Temple in 167BCE, and the fall of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in 70CE, when the Temple was thoroughly desecrated and ultimately destroyed. It is as possible that Christ was predicting  the future Second Coming at a date as yet unknown.

Ah, the mysteries of faith!

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Contemplative

Tragedies, Statistics and Real People

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Tragedies, Statistics and Real People

There is an apocryphal story which was sometimes told in Stalin’s Russia.

‘In Russia,’ the story goes, ‘it was often said that if there is an accident and three people are killed it is a tragedy. Yet if tens of thousands of people are deported or executed, that’s a statistic.’

Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo. The list, right now, seems endless. Our news feeds are full of horrific news, often presented as statistics. How easily we can become de-sensitised by statistics. We easily overlook the fact that behind every death, every injury is a real person. Therein lies the real tragedy.

Behind every individual number is a personal story. A maelstrom of physical and emotional trauma f or the victim, their family and their community.

As Christ wept over Jerusalem, so must we pray and stand up for nations and cities in their time of need. Christ looked upon the needy crowd and had compassion on them, and in our day so must we. Yet Christ dealt with individuals. He touched, blessed, encouraged and healed real people. And so must we.

Christ didn’t deal with statistics. He loved people for who they were. And so must we.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Contemplative

Adversity: A Reflection

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A Reflection about Adversity. 

When times are really bad, you will discover who your real friend is.
It will be someone  in whom you have invested time and energy.
Someone to whom you have given space and time.
You have confided in them – your hopes, your fears, your burdens:
You have made time to listen to them.
They have put up with you
They have challenged you 
Sometimes they have chided you.
Occasionally, you will have felt let down by them and you may even have turned your back on them
But later, when you felt the time was right, they have welcomed you back.
Their friendship has been strong. 
Their love has been profound.
They have encouraged you.
You have walked together through good times and bad.
That is the friend who will be there for you.
The One who will stand with you.

When you need them most, may you have such a friend as this.
May His name be Jesus.

August 2025, Horsham

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Personal

Anas al-Sharif: Assassinated in Gaza City

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Anas al Sharif: If this madness does not end…

Utterly disgusted today by the death of highly respected journalist Anas al-Sharif and his colleagues who have been a key source of honest reporting from the heart of Gaza City. Al-Sharif has been reporting the true horror faced by the Palestinian people in the face of the Israeli onslaught and genocide.

His assassination comes as Israel prepares to launch their assault on and occupation of the City. One of the strongest and most reliable voices on the ground has been silenced.

Israeli media describes al-Sharif as a terrorist leader, proudly declaring him to have been successfully ‘eliminated’ by the IDF.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

‘On Sunday, 10 August, an Israeli strike killed six media professionals in Gaza, five of whom currently work or formerly worked for the Qatari media outlet Al Jazeera and one freelance journalist. The strike, which has been claimed by the Israeli army, targeted Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif, whom it accuses, without providing solid evidence, of “terrorist affiliation.” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns this disgraceful tactic, which is repeatedly used against journalists to cover up war crimes, while the army has already killed more than 200 media professionals. RSF calls for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to stop this massacre.’

Reporters Without Borders, 11th August 2025

Anas Al-Sharif: The Last Word..

‘In the minutes before he was killed, Al Sharif said on social media, “If this madness does not end, Gaza will be reduced to ruins, its people’s voices silenced, their faces erased – and history will remember you as silent witnesses to a genocide you chose not to stop.”‘

CNN, 11th August 2024

Five other men were killed alongside al-Sharif. Israel has given no indication of why they were targeted. Like every one of the 63,000 Palestinians killed in this conflict, each of them had a name and a family.

Source: Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF)

Correspondent Mohammed Qraiqea
Video reporter Ibrahim al-Thaher
Assistant cameraman Mohamed Nofal
Freelance journalist:  Moamen Aliwa
Freelance journalist, Mohammed al-Khaldi,

Freelance reporters Mohammed Sobh, Mohammed Qita, and Ahmed al-Harazine were all injured in the same attack.

Christians for Palestine

Praying for peace and justice in Palestine.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

 

Gospel of Mark

Olivet Discourse 3: Mark 13:14-25 ‘The Abomination’

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Mark 3:14-25 ‘The Abomination’

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. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.
20 “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. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

24 “But in those days, following that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky.

Mark 13:14-25

Pocklington: 5th August 2025

These verses have been interpreted and abused in all sorts of ways. They have been used alongside other scriptures to create a sense of urgency, even panic, about the imminence of the end times, by pointing at various contemporary ‘abominations’. I grew up during the Cold War, and as a teen, I was personally taught, absurdly, that the USSR was the ‘abomination’ which. along with the threat of war, presaged the end of the world. Whilst that was distorted theology, it’s easy to find modern day candidates for the title of the ‘abomination’. But that’s not what these verses are about.

These words do not directly prophecy the end of the world. They do prophecy the end of an era. The prophecy was given by Christ. As we will see, it has been fulfilled.

Context Matters..

As ever, context matters.  Let’s start by reminding ourselves that this prophecy comes as part of Christ’s response to a question from his disciples about the timing of the destruction of the temple (Mark 13:1-4). We can see Verses 5-13 as saying to the disciples, and vicariously to us, don’t panic when bad things happen. There was a developing theme. ‘Don’t be discouraged – Be on your Guard – Stand Firm’. Yet here, suddenly, there’s a change of mood – a change of pace. There is a time, we learn, to flee to the mountains! There is a time, it seems, to run for your life!

The trigger for this panicked departure seems to be the ‘appearance of the abomination that causes devastation, standing where it does not belong.’ (v14). Again, context matters. The place where the Abomination should not be standing is very specifically the Temple at Jerusalem. This is a prophecy by Christ, and it was to be fulfilled within a few years of his death and resurrection.

In his reply to the Disciples, Jesus used language drawn from the Book of Daniel. These words would be familiar to the disciples, and their application here would be alarming. Daniel 11:31 and 12:11 refer to the invasion of Jerusalem by an invading army, and the disruption of worship in the Temple. Pagan invaders will, according to Daniel’s prophecy, set up an ‘abomination’. When these days approach, says Jesus, just get out of there – to run.

Daniels prophecies describe exactly what happened in Jerusalem just 40 years later.

Prophecy Fulfilled..

In drawing on the Old Testament prophecies of Daniel, these verses become a prophecy of Christ, relating specifically to the Temple in Jerusalem. So, how was that prophecy fulfilled?

Emperor Titus

In 66CE, there was a Jewish uprising against the Roman occupiers. This led to serious unrest and ultimately to war between Rome and the Jews. Many false prophets emerged, as Jesus said they would, promising victory for Israel over Rome. The ill fated war ended in 70CE with the arrival of future emperor Titus in Jerusalem. The brutality of the invading army to put down the rebellion defies description. They destroyed the city, murdering and plundering with genocidal zeal. They set fire to the Temple and the entire city. They razed Temple Mount to the ground, utterly destroying the Temple itself. Scarcely one stone remained upon another.

Jesus uses the words of Isaiah to describe the horror of these days:

24 “But in those days, following that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky.

The prophecies of Isaiah had seen fulfilment generations earlier, yet Jesus uses them himself to describe the horrors of the sacking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple to come.

In the build up to these events, there had been a moment of opportunity to get out – to run to the mountains. Those men, women and children who remained in Jerusalem faced destruction, starvation, and in most cases violent death.

This then, ‘is not a prophecy of the end of the world […] but it was the end of their world.’  (NT Wright, p181) For the people of Jerusalem, of that generation, their way of life, and their way of worship, was utterly devastated.

End Piece..

So, since we are saying that this prophecy was fulfilled nearly 2000 years ago, what do we learn? What is Christ saying to us through these verses today?

‘It is vital to read this passage as containing Jesus’ prophecies, fulfilled 40 years later, against the Temple. That is what Mark, at least, believes this whole chapter is about. But we should not suppose that there are no messages for our own day, nearly 2000 years later. Where human societies and institutions set themselves up against the gospel and its standards, producing arrogant and dehumanising structures, deep injustices and radical oppression, there may once more be a place for prophets to denounce and to warn, and for  God’s people to get out and run. If we do not find ourselves in that position we should be grateful; but we should remember to pray for those, even today, who do.’ (NT Wright, p182)

Reflecting on these comments from NT Wright, do any contemporary ‘human societies and institutions‘ come to mind? There are so many that it might seem overwhelming. However, we are to remember Christ’s earlier teaching:

‘Don’t be discouraged – Be on your Guard – Stand Firm’.

Gaza: Christians for Palestine

Amongst so may situations which come to my mind, I find myself praying once more for my brothers and sisters in the Palestinian Christian community in Gaza, who, alongside their Muslim neighbours, are innocently caught in an endless and utterly avoidable cycle of devastating brutality, hunger and pain. For them, running is not an option.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Personal

Gaza: Christians for Palestine

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Horsham: 24th July 2025
Standing up for the people of Gaza

I was recently challenged by a Christian friend to explain why, over the last couple of years, I have attended a number of rallies in central London in support of the people of Palestine.

This post is my response.

A Disclaimer!

First, let’s be clear about something. Any large demonstration attracts people of diverse views. Some views expressed at these events are inconsistent with my own. I do not, for example support Hamas, and I do not advocate their political views or in any way support their strategic objective to destroy Israel. However, I am appalled by the deliberate actions of the Israeli government, directed towards the civilian population of Palestine, and in particular Gaza.

I do, on the other hand, support an organisation called ‘Christians for Palestine’, a small but strong group which is rooted in the Anglican Church in the UK, with supporters in most other denominations. The stated aim is to bring Christians together to join peace marches and protests for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. That, in a nutshell, explains why I have been on these marches. We normally meet before the event in a local Church or a park for prayer before joining the demonstration.

Check out Christians for Palestine Facebook page for events info

The Evangelical Narrative..

I’m frustrated by the views of some evangelicals. As Christian’s, their narrative seems to go, we should unquestioningly stand firmly with Israel.  Israel is God’s chosen people. Palestine is currently their enemy. Israel, they will say, is engaged in spiritual warfare against  Islam. From there, they jump to the assertion that the only viable position for a Christian is to offer absolute support to Israel.

This argument feels extraordinarily naive and simplistic. It is profoundly and dangerously flawed. It takes no account of God’s love for mankind which permeates Scripture.

7th October 2023

First things first. The events of 7th October 2023 were unspeakably evil. 1200 innocent people were murdered, and more than 250 kidnapped and taken back into Gaza. 75 of those hostages have died, some of them as a result of Israeli action. 148 have been released. The remainder are still in Gaza, either living or dead. The actions of Hamas on that day were wrong. They were disgusting. They were evil. They constitute a war crime.

Israel has the right to defend itself. They have the right to exercise military force to recover the remaining hostages in Gaza.

However… The Israeli Response

There is, of course, a big fat ‘however’.

Since 7th October 2023, more than 56,000 people have died in Gaza as a result of military action by Israel. Nearly 17,000 of those deaths were children (under the age of 16). We know that many more bodies lie unrecovered under the rubble cause by mass bombing and the deliberate or reckless targeting of civilian residential areas and infrastructure, including hospitals.

Behind these appalling statistics of deaths, lies an unspoken and largely uncounted number of men, women and children who have been injured and emotionally scarred by this ongoing horror.

Reuters reported that by January 2025, 60% of buildings across Gaza had been destroyed, with very few completely undamaged. The bombings continues.

A small and unconfirmed proportion of those killed were active Hamas combatants. The overwhelming majority of them were not.

Nothing in the events of 7th October 2023 justifies the extent of death and destruction, or the ongoing abuse and harassment of the civilian population of Gaza at the direction of the Israeli government under Benjamin Netanyahu.

Where’s the aid?

We now have the most extreme restrictions over civilian aid, with reliable reports that the majority of Palestinians now lack the basics of food, clean water and medicine. This is not the time to argue about whose fault that is. It is the time to do something about it.

People are dying of starvation and dehydration. People are being gunned down by Israeli forces whilst they are trying to collect food and water from aid collection points.

According to Save the Children:

“Since 27 May [2025], more than 500 Palestinians have been killed and at least 3,000 injured by Israeli forces while trying to access aid, either at or on route to GHF distribution points, or while attempting to approach the very few other aid convoys delivered by the UN or NGOs, according to OHCHR.”

“And to add to the dystopian horror show, children are also being killed and injured trying to reach aid – aid they have a right to.”

All this is avoidable, and it is obscene.

Enough!

For me, the only Christian response has to be to cry ‘enough!’ Of course, achieving a lasting peace is far more complex than it sounds. But it must surely start with a ceasefire. It must start with allowing food, water and medicine to people who are malnourished and dying.

Every nation should condemn the avoidable humanitarian disaster unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. In November 2024, they did.

A resolution was brought to the UN Security Council for a full and unconditional ceasefire. It was universally supported. Almost. Every member was in favour. Except one. The resolution  was vetoed by the United States.

Conclusion..

I am an evangelical. I try to base my views and conclusions on the Bible.

Scripture tells us that the kingdom of Israel had good kings, with whom God was pleased. But they also had bad kings, with whom he was not. Benjamin Netanyahu is not a king, but he is the worst of leaders. His conduct is ruthless, immoral and disgusting. It is offensive to any right reading of Scripture. He is responsible for the death of civilians on a vast scale. He is directing and presiding over preventable starvation and genocide. He is a war criminal.

In the face of all this we feel helpless. Apart from raising our voices and writing blog posts, there seems so little that we can do. Of course we can pray, and we must, but there are moments when we can also stand up and be counted.

So, I end with a question to my evangelical Christian friends who continue to stand unquestioningly alongside the government of Israel: ‘Yes, I was there. Where were you?’

Check out Christians for Palestine Facebook page for events info

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Olivet Discourse 2: Mark 13:9-13 ‘Stand Firm!’

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Today we’re looking at the second part of the Olivet Discourse (my notes on the first part are here).

In this reading from Mark 13, we join Jesus, sitting with some of his disciples on the Mount of Olives, looking across the valley towards the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. He has already prophesied that the Temple itself will be destroyed, and spoken of the need to be on your guard against apostate teachers and false messiahs. He has warned about wars, earthquakes and famines. Such things will happen, but they are not the end, says Jesus. Rather they are like birth pains which herald the end.

9 “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. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 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.
12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Mark 13:9-13

Horsham: 16th July 2025

These verses are deeply prophetic, and set out the reality of the Christian faith for generations of followers of Christ. Almost immediately we see the fulfilment of this prophecy in the lives of the disciples. The book of Acts contains stories of those disciples being brought before the leaders of Jerusalem and provincial Governors, and called to give account of their behaviour. All of the Apostles were arrested (Acts 5 17-18) and flogged (Acts 5:40)as a punishment for preaching Christ, and we see this pattern repeated with Paul, Silas (Acts 16:22-23) and others. James was beheaded by Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:2).

This pattern of persecution and physical abuse extended beyond the disciples. Stephen was not one of the twelve, yet he is stoned to death by the Jews (Acts 7). The early generation of Christians faced violence and persecution on a daily basis, risking their liberty and their lives to proclaim the Gospel. Men and women, touched and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit , standing firm for their beliefs. We know Stephen as the first Christian martyr. We know from historical records that many others quickly met a similar fate.

There is no question that in the years which followed, Jewish, Greek and Roman families and households were torn apart as individuals joined the early Church, often precipitating great suffering and familial betrayal. “The Christian faith was looked on as heresy and blasphemy by both Jews and Gentiles.’ (Wiersbe, p151).

This pattern continued after the first century and continues even today. I have friends in Cuba, Egypt, Nepal and Nigeria, for whom persecution, suffering, discrimination, loss of liberty and in some of those nations loss of life is the price of associating oneself with the Gospel of Jesus. For them, the price of standing firm is high. Sadly, even today, conversion to Christ can lead to family or community rejection, isolation or worse, even in the UK.

Stand Firm
Stand Firm

As I reflect on the extraordinary courage of my friends at home and abroad, and the generations of saints in every corner of the world, I am humbled by their confidence in  Christ. I am moved and challenged by their determination in the face of extreme persecution to stand firm.

It raises an inevitable question. When the pressure is on, will you – will I – have the courage to ‘stand firm to the end.’

End Piece

These verses emphasise the futility of wasting time and energy looking for signs of the end, or the imminent return of Jesus. There are many who try to read signs of the end times in contemporary circumstances. Their misjudgments have caused, and continue to cause, immeasurable anxiety and pain.

At a macro level, we know that throughout history tyrannical leaders  have abused people of faith. Familial betrayal has been common, and in many countries even today, conversion to Christianity attracts the most severe penalties. Yet the world continues. The words of Jesus in the Olivet discourse are, in a sense, a prophecy which just keeps on giving. Persecution of his disciples has always happened, and always will.

These things are horrific, but we are not to waste time poring over Daniel, Revelation and other Scriptures, trying to identify signs in our own times of the imminent end.

As Christian’s, we should speak out and stand firm against persecution, discrimination and abuse in all its forms, offering in its place the love of Jesus.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Until Christ does return, our primary role, as followers of Jesus, is to follow in the footsteps of the past and present Christian saints. To fulfil his Great Commission and to pray for the persecuted Church. We are called to do all that we can to stand up for Jesus in this deeply fractured world. Stand up and stand firm.

Never forget the greatest commandment.

“30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[b] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:30

When he does return, or you are called home to him, aim to be found doing these things!

He will return, but no-one, says Jesus, knows the time or the hour. The underlying theme of this discourse now becomes:

‘Don’t be discouraged – Be on your guard. – Stand firm’

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Olivet Discourse 1: Mark 13:1-8

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In this post I’m looking at the first part of a conversation between Jesus and some of his disciples. A question from the disciples leads to a lengthy and challenging answer from Jesus. The discussion took place on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Temple at Jerusalem. This gives it the commonly used name of the ‘Olivet Discourse’. Christ’s response runs from verse 3 to the end of the Chapter, and provides a key source for His explanation of eschatology, or what many Christians refer to as the ‘End Times’. The same conversation is recorded in similar format in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. We’ve already looked at verses 1 and 2, and today we’re looking at verses 3-8.

13: As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” 5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 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.

Mark 13: 1-8

Horsham: 12th July 2025

We’ve already looked at the first two verses, noting the incredible beauty and grandeur of the Temple. The conversation reported in verse 1 and 2 probably took place when the disciples were within the Temple  with Christ. We saw that the shocking prophecy of the destruction of the Temple actually became a reality in 70AD.

Jesus has now moved out of the Temple courts, probably through the Eastern gate, following the path which crosses the Mount of Olives. Remember that this is towards the end of Holy Week, and it is likely that Christ and his disciples are travelling along this road to the village of Bethany, where they have been spending the nights. From their vantage point on the Mount of Olives, the view back towards the Temple, with the city beyond, would be absolutely stunning, and it is here that Jesus pauses with his closest friends Peter, James, John and Andrew. Christ’s prediction that the Temple, with its massive stones and huge importance to the Jewish faith, would be destroyed, would seem unimaginable and frightening to the disciples.

In that context, it seems entirely reasonable that the disciples should ask, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” For them, the ‘things’ in question seem to relate to the destruction of the Temple. Yet Christ’s response goes far beyond that.

The Olivet discourse is a long passage with some big challenges. Through Chapter 13 , Christ leads our attention to the destruction of the Temple, and on towards the last days, often now called the ‘end times’.

‘Watch out that no-one deceives you’
The phrase ‘watch out’ is sometimes translated as ‘be on your guard.’ Jesus is saying that there will be deceivers.   His arguments with Temple leaders showed that there were many deceivers, even while he was alive. The deceptions continued throughout the centuries, so Christ’s warning resonates even today.  Be on your guard!

‘Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many’
We know that there were people who, soon after Jesus died, claimed to be the Messiah. Throughout the generations there have been those who claim to be the one we should follow, and in many cases they have been successful. Many have been deceived. Even now there are those who would lead you astray. Be on your guard.

‘When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed’
Palestine was firmly in the grip of Roman occupation, but even so, there were wars and rumours of wars. Then, as now, such things created anxiety. These, said Jesus, were not automatically signs that the destruction of the Temple is imminent, nor, in the wider context of the Olivet discourse, do they indicate the imminent return of Christ. As I write, there is war between Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, civil wars in Yemen, South Sudan, and the list co. These are horrific conflicts, and I am alarmed by the incredible suffering caused by these conflicts, and I am perhaps even more anxious by threats of other wars which could so easily involve my own children and grand-children. But of course, the context here is that we should not be alarmed that these events herald the end of the world. Be on your guard.

‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines.’
As I write, the political ‘world order’ is changing.  Globally, there is political posturing at a level which has never occurred before during my lifetime. Nations are rising up against one another. Earthquakes are common. Globally there are nearly 80,000 earthquakes every year, and there is nowhere safe from them (even the UK has experienced 85 quakes in the first half of 2025, thankfully all of them have been minor). Globally we produce enough food to feed everyone, and yet there are famines. These things are upsetting and cause us anxiety, but they do not, of themselves, herald the return of Christ. Be on your guard.

All of these things, says Jesus, are like the beginnings of birth pains (v8b)

End Piece

We have much more to cover in this difficult Chapter, but I want to suggest that there is a growing theme which permeates Chapter 13. It is a theme which is consistent with the wider teaching of Jesus. It s simple. It is direct.

Be on your guard!

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Temple Destroyed: Mark 13:1-2

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The Temple Destroyed

13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Mark 13:1-2

Horsham: 9th July 2025

The Temple which was familiar to Jesus and the Disciples is sometimes known as ‘Herod’s Temple’. It  had actually existed since 516BCE, but during the time of Christ it was undergoing renovation. The renovations had started in 18BCE under the direction of Herod the Great, but were continuing during the life of the disciples. We cannot overstate how unusual this complex and the Temple building in particular was. The Disciples could have never seen any building of anything like the size or quality of the Temple. It was truly impressive sight.

Rather than flattening the top of the hill on which Jerusalem was built,  Herod built up a vast retaining wall which surrounded the peak, and created a huge platform which became the foundation of the Temple complex. We read that some of the stones used in building the Temple were 40 feet long, 12 feet high and 18 feet wide. Parts of the building were cladded with gold, whilst other exposed stone was pure white in colour. If we were to see it as the disciples saw it, we too would exclaim ‘What magnificent buildings!’

To be told by Jesus that this awesome structure would be destroyed would have been shocking. Not one stone left upon another. Utter devastation.

In 66AD, a little less than 35 years after this conversation took place, there was an Jewish uprising against the Roman occupiers. The ensuing war and overwhelming force of the Roman empire led to the occupying forces laying siege to the city of Jerusalem in 69AD. After months of fighting, as hunger and disease became rife in the city,  the Romans eventually gained access to the Temple in 70AD. They set fire to anything which would burn, before literally taking the Temple apart, stone by stone. Whilst some small parts of the platform remained and are still visible even today, this extraordinary building was reduced to rubble. Not one stone of the temple buildings remained upon another.

The Romans continued the destruction of the entire city, killing thousands of men, women and children, with others enslaved.

End Piece

As we will see, Chapter 13 can be complex and challenging, but here at the beginning is a simple, clear prophecy from the Messiah. As we see, within a generation, to the lasting dismay of the Jewish nation, the prophecy was entirely and accurately fulfilled.

The destruction of the Temple is one of the most devastating moments of Jewish history, and is commemorated even today with the annual fast of  Tisha B’Av.

For a wonderful source of information about historical and contemporary views of Jewish history and in particular the Destruction of the Temple, click here Link to www.chabad.org).

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK