MARK 13:1-37
1And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
Signs of the End of the Age
3And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The Abomination of Desolation
14“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. 20And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. 21And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.
The Coming of the Son of Man
24“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
28“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
No One Knows That Day or Hour
32“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard, keep awake.a For you do not know when the time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servantsb in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows,c or in the morning— 36lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
10 POINTS TO PONDER
When studying difficult portions of the Bible, don’t be too obsessed or concerned by the complex ideas you read. Allow the plain things to interpret the not so plain things. Look for the main ideas and let them be the foundation to understand the secondary ideas.
We can use observation and logic to learn because God has created an orderly universe. If creation were the result of chance and chaos, we could never trust our observations because we would have no guarantee that what we noticed would be the same next time.
Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that the end times would be recognizable even though they wouldn’t know the actual days or times.
Jesus was not sharing this information so they could grow in knowledge. He was clear about the action He expected:
- Don’t be led astray
- Don’t be alarmed
- Be on your guard
- Do not be anxious
- Endure to the end
Birthpains are “something difficult that precedes something wonderful.” The end of the world will be difficult, but it will precede the most wonderful thing to ever happen (eternity with God).
The birthpains of Christ’s second coming were inaugurated by His first coming. We are living in the times of the birthpains.
Often in biblical prophecy, the author can see events in the distant future and events in the near future. However, they cannot always clearly distinguish between the two, and they cannot always see everything that will transpire (or the amount of time it will take) between the two.
Everything Jesus predicted would happen to the disciples in their lifetime came to pass. Most of it is recorded in the book of Acts.
Because heaven and earth will pass away, and because Christ will return and make all things new; it is illogical for the Christ-follower to be defeated by the worries or the wealth of this world.
Because Jesus’ words will never pass away, they should be the source of our stability, confidence, joy, and peace in life. If we look anywhere else, what we find will not last.
Parallel Passages to Jesus’ End-Times Teaching in Mark 13
The abomination that causes desolation.
- Daniel 9:24-27 — 24“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
- Revelation 13:14-15 — and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.
Natural Disasters
- Isaiah 13:10 — Behold, the Day of the LORD is coming— cruel, with fury and burning anger— to make the earth a desolation and to destroy the sinners within it. 10For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.
- Revelation 6:12-13 — When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.
The coming of the Son of Man
- Daniel 7:13-14 — In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. 14And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
- Revelation 19:11-16 — Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
7 VERSES ABOUT MAKING GOD YOUR FIRST PRIORITY
Do you MAKE TIME for God, or do you only serve God when you HAVE TIME? This is the difference between a PRIORITY and an OPTION.
For too many Christians, God is a great option, but He is not a priority. Check out these seven verses (with commentary) to help you think through what it means to make God your first and central priority.
Mark 12:30 — “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
If you love God, you’ll give Him every corner of your life.
Matthew 6:33 — “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Your first decision should always be building God’s Kingdom. Everything else will take care of itself.
Romans 12:2 — Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
If you always think the way you’ve always thought, you’ll always live the way you’ve always lived. Discipline your mind to think differently.
Luke 12:34 — “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Your desires will chase your treasures. If you want to prioritize the things of God, invest your treasures in the things of God.
2 Timothy 2:22 — So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Put physical distance between yourself and anything that tempts you to drift from God.
Ecclesiastes 12:1 — Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”;
Build lifelong habits that will help you keep your eyes, mind, and heart on God.
Psalm 37:4 — Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The more you focus on God, the more He will change your desires so that your heart aligns with His.
Click on the image to download the DiscipleQuest PDF
The DiscipleQuest PDF includes 7 days of verse study prompts. You can use these seven studies to dig deeper into what the Bible teaches about enduring to the end:
- James 1:12
- Romans 5:3-4
- Hebrews 12:1-2
- Revelation 2:10
- Isaiah 40:31
- 1 Peter 5:8-10
- 1 Corinthians 9:24
Use these questions as journal prompts or as conversation starters with a group of friends or a Bible study group:
What is something in your life right now that takes up a lot of your time, energy, or attention? Why does it matter so much to you?
Have you ever invested heavily in something that didn’t last (a job, possession, relationship, opportunity)? What did that experience teach you?
According to Mark 13:30–31, what does Jesus say will pass away—and what will not?
Read 1 John 2:17. What connection do you see between this verse and what Jesus says in Mark 13?
Why do you think it is so easy for people to live as if this world is permanent, even though Scripture clearly says it is not?
Read Matthew 6:19–21. What does this passage reveal about how your priorities and your heart are connected?
If Jesus’ words are the only thing that will never pass away, how seriously should you take them? How much impact should His words have on your life?
What are some of Jesus’ Words that are difficult to take literally or seriously? Why?
What is one area of your life where you may be over-investing in something temporary (time, money, energy, emotion)? What would it look like to realign that toward something eternal?
What is one specific action you can take this week to invest more intentionally in something that will last (your relationship with God, people, or eternal impact)?
Lake Bible Notes 
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