10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
We have just seen Mary anointing Jesus with spikenard, a hugely expensive oil. Jesus saw this as a act of huge generosity and kindness, and so must we. To some who were there, this was seen as a hugely wasteful act. The oil could have been sold for a considerable sum and given to the poor.
Judas was the disciple who had responsibility amongst the disciples for looking after the money, so it is likely that he was amongst those who were angered by Mary’s actions.
We can’t be sure exactly when Judas made his decision to betray Jesus to the Jewish authorities. The chronology offered by Mark suggests that for him, this act of kindness by Mary was the last straw. Judas was resolved to put his plan into action.
The text tells us that Judas took the initiative. It was Judas who deliberately sought out one of the senior priests and made the offer to help them arrest Jesus. It was Judas who agreed to accept payment for his betrayal.
The Jewish leaders had been faced with an intractable problem of how to arrest Jesus at a place and time when it would be unnoticed by the crowds in Jerusalem. It was Judas who went out of his way to solve that problem for them.
It was Judas of who Jesus was later to say, ‘it would have been better for that one not to have been born.’
End Piece We know surprisingly little about him, but the little we do know makes Judas Iscariot an enigmatic and controversial character. We are not told how he met Jesus, or how and when he was called to follow. We do know that he was appointed as one of the twelve by Jesus only after deep prayerful consideration (Luke 6:12-16). We know that he was sent out as one of the twelve with the authority of Christ to serve and minister to the sick, and that he learned the same lessons as his eleven friends at the feet of Jesus. Yet now, he is a changed man. Both Luke (Luke 22:2-4) and John (John 13:27) are clear that Satan entered into Judas, yet whilst his motives are unclear, there is no reason to see him as the victim of anything other than his own decisions..
‘Judas was neither a martyr nor a robot. He was a responsible human being who made his own decisions but, in doing so, fulfilled the word of God.’ (Wiersbe p164)
The story of Judas Iscariot is unique, but we can learn something from his actions. It demonstrates that even the closest followers of Jesus can be led astray. We must never forget that temptations are out there. One unchecked and unrepented bad decision easily leads to another. It demonstrates our need to allow ourselves to be accountable to other Christians, and to constantly uphold one another in prayer.
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.7 The poor you will always have with you,[b] and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
John’s Gospel places this incident very specifically at the beginning of Holy Week, six days before the Passover (John 12:1-8). Mark places it here, in the midst of his account of the Holy Week story, to show the contrast between the love of Christ’s friends and the venom of the religious leaders who want to kill him (Wiersbe, p161).
Jesus has arrived at Bethany with his disciples in readiness for the Passover festival. He will be spending his days a few miles away in Jerusalem, mostly in the Temple Courts. At night, he will return to the village. Bethany is home to Martha, Mary, Lazarus and other friends of Jesus. One such friend is a man called Simon. They call him ‘the Leper’, so we assume that he was probably someone who had recovered from Leprosy, possibly after an encounter with Christ. Some believe that Simon is actually another name for Lazarus.
The men are reclining at the table, on low couches or maybe on the ground. At some point during the meal, a woman, John tells us that it was Mary, comes into the room. Culturally, the women would have only come to the table to serve food, or remove unwanted dishes.
There was a tradition of hospitality that when a guest arrived at the house, a few drops on perfume would be offered, to refresh them from the dust of the road. Let’s be honest, it probably worked as a deodorant.
Mary is carrying an ‘alabaster jar’. These small lightweight jars were commonly used to contain liquids, spices or ointments.
Mary stands above Jesus (remember he is laying down to eat), and breaks open the flask. The entire contents spill over Christ’s head. and drip down his neck and shoulders. The whole house smells of incredible perfume. This is an anointing, reminiscent of the preparation of a body for the tomb.
Mark tells us that the perfume was pure spikenard. Spikenard comes from a plant which only grew in India. It was rare. It was precious. It was very expensive The contents of the flask would have cost close to a year’s wages for a working man. It’s perhaps not so surprising that some, including some of the disciples, thought that this was a truly wasteful act. They rebuked Mary sharply. It could, of course, have been sold The proceeds given to the poor.
Jesus, in turn, rebukes them. The woman has done something beautiful. The Greek work here (kalos) means ‘lovely’. She has done something very special. Something extravagant and generous. Something loving. She may have known that Jesus expected to die. Whether she did or not, she has anointed his body, as it were, in preparation for his burial.
Others criticised Mary, Jesus commended her.
End Piece
In this little scene, we see a woman doing all that she can to demonstrate her extravagant love for Jesus. Her reward is to face the frustration of people around her, even her friends. Yet her act of generosity and love is welcomed by Jesus.
‘No matter what others may say about our worship and service, the most important thing is that we please the Lord. The fact that others misunderstand and criticise us should not keep us from showing our love of Christ. Our concern should be his approval alone.’ (Wiersbe, p162)
14Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
Horsham: 20th October 2025
The authorities in Jerusalem have a problem. They have had enough of this troublesome rabbi. They want rid of him. Not for the first time, they are looking for a plan to do that. This is the Wednesday, just two days before the Passover celebrations, which will be followed by the Festival of Unleavened Bread. That, in a nutshell is their problem.
Passover was one of the major festivals of the Jewish year (the others were Festivals of Weeks (Shauvot) and Tabernacles (Sukkot)). So many people have travelled for the celebration that a city which has a permanent population of less than 100,000 people, has grown exponentially with visitors for the festivals. Some commentators suggest that there might have been close to 2-3 million people crammed into the city (Barclay, Loc 6534). This overcrowding would of itself create a volatile atmosphere, even before you add in the religious fervor which was an attendant part of the celebration.
Just a few days ago, Jesus was welcomed by crowds of people as a hero. They called him the King, riding the colt of a donkey. Some in that crowd hailed him as the Messiah. For the Jewish leaders, things were getting out of control.
Since then, he has been commuting between Bethany and Jerusalem, where he is spending much of the day in the Temple. In recent days he has offered a masterclass in dealing with, and sometimes publicly humiliating, the religious leaders who have tried again and again to catch him out and arrest him for blasphemy.
The problem for the religious leaders is that the crowd, or more accurately a significant number of people in this crowd, are believing that this Jesus is, or might be the Messiah. If the Jewish leaders have him arrested at the wrong time, or in the wrong place, there will be serious public disorder, which will bring the Romans out in strength. Not only would the festival be disrupted, but that could only lead to greater violence towards and greater suppression of the Jewish people.
Their determination to do something about Jesus is now at fever pitch. One way or another, they will arrest him. They will do away with him.
“But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
End Piece
To me, one of the most surprising features of this whole story is that Jesus has, so far, escaped arrest. There must have been many opportunities. At this point, they could surely arrange for a staged robbery or violent assault at a quiet location, perhaps on the path between Jerusalem and Bethany. Jesus could easily be done away with.
At the start of his ministry, one of his first encounters was with John the Baptist, who saw Jesus approaching and said “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
The Passover is celebrated with the killing of an unblemished lamb, commemorating the moment when the spirit of death ‘passed over’ the people of Israel before their escape from Egypt (You can read the story in Exodus 12).
Could it be that it was God’s will that the death of Jesus, the unblemished Lamb of God, should take place at such a time as it is inextricably linked to the Passover festival.
Every attempt to catch him out and arrest him has failed. So far. These verses stand out as a kind of punctuation mark. They mark a tipping point. They stand as an introduction to the sequence of events which will take Jesus to Gethsemane, to prison, and to the cross.
Things are about to move forwards, and when they do, they will move rapidly.
As in all things of His Kingdom, this is God’s timing. For in His Kingdom,
‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
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.29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.34 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.
Mark concludes his record of the Olivet Discourse with two messages. The first paragraph references the fig tree.
The Fig Tree We have seen before that in Scripture, the fig tree may be taken to represent the nation of Israel. In this story we see the first leaves of the fig tree unfurling, heralding the start of summer. The Imagery of the preceding verses shows ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds of glory..’ and drawing together his elect from every corner of the world (Mark 13:26-27). This draws our mind to the second coming of Christ. So, says Jesus, in the same way as you recognise the time of year by the fresh new leaves on the tree, at the right time his people will discern that he, the Son of Man, is coming. Yet when that will actually happen is a divine mystery.
The phrase ‘this generation ‘ will not pass away until these things have taken place *v33) has caused all kinds of confusion. It implies imminence of Christ’s return within a few years of his ascension into heave. To the Jews, a generation was generally understood as representing 38 years (Deuteronomy 2:14). After his death and resurrection, many early followers of Jesus looked back on these comments and they were disappointed. Other followers were passing away. This seemed to mean that Christ’s words were unfulfilled. Many stepped back from the early Church because Christ had still not returned.
However, the Greek word translated here as ‘generation ‘ has much wider meaning beyond the simple concept of a 38 year ‘generation’.
[it…] can also mean “race, stock, family.” On several occasions, Jesus used it to refer to the Jewish nation (Mark 8:12, 38; 9:19), and that is probably how He used it in Mark 13:30. The chosen nation, God’s elect, would be preserved to the very end, and God would fulfill His promises to them. (Wiersbe, p155)
On the other hand, many of those who heard Christ’s words, although obviously not all, did live to see the fall of Jerusalem in 70CE. It is interesting to note that Jerusalem fell approximately 38 years (one Jewish generation) after Christ’s ascension into heaven?
Jesus goes on to say that, in contrast to the transient nature, even of such extraordinary buildings as the Temple and the wider city, he claims the authority to assert that His Word is eternal.
31 Heaven and earth’, says Jesus, ‘will pass away, but my words will never pass away..’
The Day and the Hour..
The second paragraph tells us that no-one, not even the Son, knows the day or the hour. Interestingly this phrase doesn’t appear in either Matthew or Luke. According to Adam Clark, it is absent from some Marcan manuscripts. Whether or not it is accurate and original, Wesley reminds us that Christ – as man – does not have the knowledge or attributes of God as Father. There will be things known to the Father, which are beyond the knowledge of Jesus.
‘as man [Jesus] was no more omniscient than omnipresent. (Collective Wisdom, Wesley, Loc 2483)
This means that Taken together, the whole paragraph leaves us in no doubt of our need for vigilance. This Scripture gives us the assurance that Christ will return, and makes clear that we need to be ready (Matthew includes the parables of the Ten Virgins, the Bags of Gold and the Sheep and the Goats). Like the doorman, left on watch at all hours, this not a time to sleep. Be on your guard – be alert.
End Piece
There may be differing views of whether the Olivet Discourse offers prophecy of the end times, Christ’s return, or simply the Fall of Jerusalem. I’ve read commentaries by deeply spiritual commentators who take differing views. I have read commentators who use the words of Daniel to carefully calculate dates and times of the fall or Jerusalem or alternatively to prove conclusively that these words refer to the Second Coming.
I’m not qualified to judge the merits in detail or to argue with theologians who have drawn differing conclusions. For myself, I’ve learned to be cautious people who adamantly take sides on matters of theology.
It seems to me that the concept of multiple fulfilment of prophecy fits the Olivet Discourse.
Jerusalem did fall in 70CE
Christ will come again. (As he said he would) (Acts 1)
Jesus (the Son of Man) had not been given the time or the hour, so perhaps it’s not so surprising that we haven’t either.
There are things we can learn from the events of 70CE, but don’t lets waste time trying to second guess the timing for the return of Christ.
The resulting command, then, is not ‘sit down and work out a prophetic timetable’ – always a more exciting thing to do – but ‘keep awake and watch!’ (NT Wright, p185)
’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.
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.
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.
“ ‘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.
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.”
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 UmayyadCaliphate)
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, 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. 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.
This is a prophecy which transcends a single moment in history.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
“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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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 hereLink to www.chabad.org).
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