Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen Mk. 13:1. And as He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him: Teacher! Look, what stones and what buildings! Mk. 13:2. Jesus said to him in answer: Do you see these great buildings? All this will be destroyed, so that not one stone will be left here upon another. Mk. 13:3. And when He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew asked Him privately: Mk. 13:4. Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be fulfilled? Since the Lord spoke much about the desolation of Jerusalem, for example: "your house is left unto you desolate" (Matt. 23:38), the disciples marveled that such magnificent and beautiful buildings were to perish, and therefore they showed Him the striking splendor of the temple. But He foretold that, nevertheless, of all this not even one stone would be left upon another. Against this, some say that many remnants of the ancient city of Jerusalem have survived, and thus they attempt to make Christ out to be a liar. But this is in vain, for even if some remnants have been preserved (which, however, is not true), before the universal end not one stone will be left upon another. Moreover, history testifies that Aelius Hadrian dug up the very foundations of the city and the temple, so that through him the prophecy was fulfilled that not one stone would be left upon another. When the Lord was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him asking: "When will this be?" — that is, when will what was foretold about Jerusalem be fulfilled? But He, before answering their question, strengthens their minds so that they would not be led astray. For at the beginning of the calamities in Judea, men appeared who called themselves teachers; therefore the Lord also says: "Take heed that no one deceive you." Mk. 13:5. Answering them, Jesus began to speak: take heed lest anyone deceive you, Mk. 13:6. For many shall come in My name, saying, It is I; and shall deceive many. Mk. 13:7. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled: for these things must come to pass, – but this is not yet the end. Mk. 13:8. Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be earthquakes in various places, and there shall be famines and troubles. These are the beginning of sorrows. Mk. 13:9. But take heed to yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils and beat you in synagogues, and you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. Mk. 13:10. And in all nations the Gospel must first be preached. "Many will come," such as, for example, Judas (the Galilean) and Theudas, who passed themselves off as God's anointed ones. "You will hear," He says, "of wars"; these are the wars about which Josephus Flavius also recounts and which took place before the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jews at that time revolted and ceased paying tribute to the Romans, and the angered Romans went to war against them and made constant attacks. "But this is not yet the end" of Jerusalem, for the Romans still showed clemency. And it was not wars alone, but also other God-sent punishments — famine and earthquakes — which clearly showed the Jews that God Himself was waging war against them. Yet all this was only "the beginning of sorrows," that is, of the calamities that awaited them. But you, He says, take heed, for they will deliver you up to councils. He introduces the discourse about them at the right moment — that they will be delivered up to councils — so that from the common calamities they might receive some consolation in their own personal afflictions. But when the Lord said, "before governors and kings you shall be brought for My sake," by these words too He gave no small consolation to the disciples, namely that they would suffer for His sake. "For a testimony against them," that is, so that they would be without excuse and would see their own condemnation in this very fact: that while persecuting you, they cannot overcome the truth. And lest the disciples should think that troubles and sorrows would hinder the preaching of the Gospel, the Lord says that "the Gospel must first be preached among all nations," and only then would Jerusalem be given over to desolation. And that the Gospel was indeed preached everywhere before the destruction of Jerusalem, hear Paul: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth," he says, "and their words to the ends of the world" (Rom. 10:18). And this circumstance served for the greater condemnation of the Jews — namely, that the preaching had spread everywhere even before the destruction of Jerusalem. For seeing that this preaching had spread throughout the whole world in a short time, they should have recognized in it the power of God, repented, and thus been delivered from their calamities. But they did not come to their senses; therefore they will be subjected to all the greater condemnation. Mk. 13:11. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit. Mk. 13:12. Brother shall deliver brother to death, and the father his children; and children shall rise up against parents and shall cause them to be put to death. Mk. 13:13. And you shall be hated by all for My name's sake; but he who endures to the end shall be saved. Indeed, before the decisive war of the Romans against the Jews began, what did the apostles not suffer from them, being delivered up to courts and led before kings: Herod, Agrippa, and Nero? But you, He says, "do not worry beforehand what you will" answer: at that very hour the Holy Spirit will give you what you must say. At the same time He also foretells to them that which is worst of all, namely, that they will be persecuted even by their own household members. He says this so that, hearing about it in advance, they might prepare themselves for the trials and afterward be able to bear them easily. Then follows consolation: for My sake, He says, you will be hated. This is the greatest relief in misfortune. Great consolation also lies in the fact that he who endures to the end will be saved. Mk. 13:14. When you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel (Dan. 9:27), standing where it ought not — let the reader understand — then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; Mk. 13:15. and let him who is on the housetop not come down into the house, nor enter it to take anything out of his house; Mk. 13:16. And let him who is in the field not turn back to take his garment. Mk. 13:17. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing in those days. By "the abomination of desolation" is meant the statue of the one who subjected the city of Jerusalem to desolation. For "abomination" is the name given to every idol; it was called "the abomination of desolation" because it was placed inside the inaccessible sanctuary of the temple, when Jerusalem was taken and through this was subjected to desolation. Moreover, Pilate had already brought an image of Caesar into the temple by night, and through this was the cause of a great uprising among the people. From that time began both the wars and the desolation of Jerusalem. "Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." He said well: "those who are in Judea" (everyone in general, and not the apostles), for the apostles were not in Judea at that time, but, as has been said, even before the war they had been driven out of Jerusalem or, rather, had departed from it of their own accord, being moved by the Holy Spirit. So let those remaining in Judea flee. And whoever is on the housetop, let him not return to his house for anything: he should be glad even if he escapes naked. But woe then to women who have children and to those who are pregnant. Why? Because the former, having children and being held back by love for them, cannot flee; and for those with child it will be difficult to flee because of the burden of pregnancy. But I think that here child-eating is also indicated, for the besieged Jews during the famine laid hands even upon their own children. Mk. 13:18. Pray that your flight may not happen in winter. Mk. 13:19. For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of creation, which God created, until now, and never will be. Mk. 13:20. And if the Lord had not shortened those days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened those days. If the flight had occurred in winter, the difficulty of the season would have hindered those wishing to flee. And in general, the tribulation will be the most grievous of all that have ever been or will be. "And if the Lord had not shortened those days," that is, if He had not quickly ended the wars of the Romans, "no flesh would have been saved," not a single Jew would have remained. But "for the sake of the elect," that is, those from among the Jews who had believed and those who were to believe afterward, the war ended quickly. For God, foreseeing that after the captivity many of the Jews would come to believe, for this reason did not allow the Jewish people to perish utterly. But one can also understand this in a moral sense. Thus, the "abomination of desolation" is every satanic thought standing "in the holy place" — in our mind. In this case, "let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains," that is, through confession let them ascend to the mountains of virtues (Judea means "confession," "proclamation"). And whoever already stands on the height, let him not come down from it. For when any passionate thought arises in us, then we must through confession hasten to the height of virtue and not descend from that height. And let the one doing good not turn back to take up his former conscience — the old garment which he had stripped off. And woe to the one fleeing in winter, for we must flee from sin with warmth, that is, with repentance, and not with coldness, motionlessly — which is what fleeing in winter signifies. Mk. 13:21. Then, if anyone says to you: behold, here is Christ, or: behold, there, – do not believe it. Mk. 13:22. For false christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. Mk. 13:23. But take heed; behold, I have foretold you all things. Mk. 13:24. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, Mk. 13:25. Stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. Mk. 13:26. Then they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. The Lord finished His discourse about Jerusalem; next He begins to speak about the coming of the Antichrist. The word "then" should not be understood as meaning that when the above-mentioned things concerning Jerusalem begin to be fulfilled, then do not believe if someone says to you, "Behold, here is Christ"; but know that this is a particular characteristic of Scripture. Thus, the evangelist Matthew, having spoken of the Nativity of Christ, says, "In those days John comes" (Mt. 3:1). In what days? In those which immediately followed the Nativity of Christ? No, but indefinitely. So here too Christ says: then do not be deceived, that is, not at the time when Jerusalem will be devastated, but at the time of the coming of the Antichrist. Do not be deceived, He says, for many will call themselves by the name of Christ, in order to lead astray even the elect. And upon the coming of the Antichrist, all creation will be changed: the stars will grow dark from the superabundance of Christ's light, and the angelic powers "will be shaken," that is, they will be horrified, looking upon such an upheaval in the world and seeing their fellow servants being judged. And then they will see the Lord as the Son of Man, that is, in the flesh, for what is visible in Him is His body. But although He will come both in the body and as the Son of Man, nevertheless it will be "with great power and glory." Mk. 13:27. And then He shall send His Angels and shall gather His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. Mk. 13:28. From the fig tree learn this parable: when its branches become tender and put forth leaves, you know that summer is near. Mk. 13:29. When you see these things coming to pass, know that it is near, even at the doors. Mk. 13:30. Truly I say to you: this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Mk. 13:31. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. Do you see that the Son also sends the Angels, just as the Father does? Where then are those who say that He is not equal to God the Father? The Angels will come then in order to gather the elect, who, having been caught up on the clouds, will in this manner meet the Lord. And what I say, the Lord continues, you can understand from the example of the fig tree. Just as the fig tree, having covered itself with leaves, shows that the harvest is near, so too after the sorrowful time of the Antichrist, the second coming of Christ will immediately follow, which for the righteous will be exactly like the harvest after winter, and for sinners — winter after the harvest. "Truly I say to you: this generation shall not pass away," that is, the generation of the faithful or of Christians, "until all these things come to pass" – everything said concerning Jerusalem and the coming of the Antichrist. The Lord speaks here not of the apostolic generation, for the apostles will not continue living until the end of the world: many of them did not even live to see the destruction of Jerusalem. Therefore, by "this generation" He here means the Christian generation, thus comforting the apostles, lest they think that amid such grievous calamities the faith might perhaps utterly fail. The Lord says: take courage, the generation of the faithful shall not pass away nor shall it fail. Sooner shall heaven and earth, those seemingly unshakable elements, pass away than My words fail to be fulfilled in anything, for all that I have said shall come to pass. Mk. 13:32. But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the Angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Mk. 13:33. Watch, be vigilant, pray, for you do not know when the time will come. Mk. 13:34. It is like a man going on a journey, who left his house and gave his servants authority, and to each one his own task, and commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch. Mk. 13:35. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming: in the evening, or at midnight, or at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning; Mk. 13:36. Lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. Mk. 13:37. Watch! What I say to you, I say to all: Be vigilant. Wishing to restrain the disciples from curiosity about the last day and hour, the Lord says that neither the Angels nor the Son know of this. If He had said, "I know, but I do not wish to reveal it to you," then He would have grieved them. But now, when He says that neither the Angels nor I know, He acts most wisely and completely restrains them from the desire to know and to pester Him. You can understand this from an example. Small children, seeing something in their fathers' hands, often ask them for it, and if the fathers do not wish to give it, the children, not receiving what they ask for, begin to cry. In such a case, fathers usually hide the thing held in their hands and, showing the children their empty hands, restrain them from tears. So also the Lord, dealing with the apostles as with children, hid the last day from them. Otherwise, if He had said, "I know, but I will not tell you," they would have been grieved that He did not wish to tell them. But that the Lord knows about the last day and hour is obvious, for He Himself created the ages. How then could He not know what He Himself created? Moreover, for our benefit God has hidden the end of life, both of the common life and of each of us individually, so that we, in the uncertainty of this end, might ceaselessly strive, expecting it and fearing lest it find us unprepared. But let us also consider what is said from another perspective. Evening signifies the end when someone dies in old age; midnight, when someone reaches the middle of life; cockcrow, when reason begins to unfold in us, for the cock signifies reason, which awakens us from the sleep of unconsciousness, and therefore, when a youth begins to exercise reason and to understand, then the cock, as it were, crows in him. Finally, morning signifies the very earliest age of childhood. Thus, all must think about the end of life. Even if there is an infant, care must be taken for it, lest it die unbaptized. The Lord commands this to all in general — both to people in the world and to hermits. Therefore, we must watch and pray, fulfilling both the one and the other, for many, although they watch, spend the nights not in prayer but in wicked deeds. Note also that Christ did not now say, "I do not know when the time of the end will come," but "you do not know," for He hid this time for our benefit. If even in the uncertainty of the end we are hostile toward one another, what would we not have done if we knew the time of the end? Then we would spend all the time of life until death in exceedingly wicked deeds, and on the last day, expressing repentance, we would fall into an even worse state.