Mark 13 1 -8
Καὶ ἐκπορευομένου ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ—And as he was coming out of the temple. The previous scene was in the court of the temple. ἱερόν denotes the whole temple-enclosure. εἷς τῶν μαθητῶν—one of his disciples. We are not told who it was. Mt. says, his disciples; Lk., certain people.1 ποταποὶ λίθοι—what manner of stones. Liddell and Scott2 Josephus gives the dimensions of these stones as 25 cubits in length, 12 in breadth, and 8 in height. Ferguson, in Bib. Dic., gives the measurements of the temple proper, the ναός, as about 100 cubits by 60, with inner enclosure about 180 cubits by 240, and an outer enclosure 400 cubits square, the enclosures being adorned with porticoes and gates of great magnificence.
2. Καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἷπεν αὐτῷ, Βλέπεις ταῦτας τὰς μεγάλας οἰκοδομάς; οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον, ὃς οὐ μὴ καταλυθῇ—And Jesus said to him, Seest thou these great structures? There will not be left here stone upon stone
Jesus’ disciples would have known more about birthpangs than most modern men. I watched three of my four children being born, but that’s the limit of my first-hand experience of such matters. In the ordinary world of the ancient Middle East, and many other places to this day, a good deal of intimate family life goes on in a semi-public world. Everyone knows everyone else’s business; children grow up knowing from direct observation what today’s children learn from television; and the way babies are born—and the agonies it takes for a woman to give birth—are part of the common knowledge of everyday life.
However, they are not to assume that as soon as they hear a rumour of a great war starting up somewhere (we need to remind ourselves that without electronic media people often wouldn‘t hear about a war until months or even years after it had happened, and reports would often be highly garbled) that means that Jerusalem is about to fall. Nor will an earthquake in one place necessarily mean that another one is about to strike the holy city. One of the arts that Jesus’ followers must learn after his departure is patience. False teachers, frightening rumours and natural disasters will all tempt them to panic. They must resist the temptation. ‘These are only the beginnings of the birthpangs.’
Its enormous stones mystified many, and the surrounding complex included sprawling courtyards, colonnaded courts, grand porches and balconies, covered walkways, and monumental stairs. Herod the great builder built it to impress the wealthiest and most powerful rulers of the day, and he succeeded.
Jesus’ response to his disciple is shocking (v. 2). It is surprising on one level because Herod’s temple was so much more massive than the earlier temples of Solomon and Zerubbabel. It is surprising on another level because it is God’s temple, the place many Jews believed to be the closest point of contact between God and God’s people. Would God allow such a thing to happen to this magnificent temple?
Jesus and his disciples leave Jerusalem and ascend the Mount of Olives. For Mark, mountaintops always connote nearness to God