Mark: The Olivet Discourse: Time for Flight [Mark 13:14-23]

Mark: The Olivet Discourse: Time for Flight []

Stand for the reading of the word of God []

At this point, Jesus’ focus changes dramatically. In the first 13 verses he generally characterizes the signs of the times between His ascension and the end of the age. Jesus, in verse 2, makes reference to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple [AD 70] {we will look at that more in detail today}.

Then He gives very general signs of the times, at the beginning of the discourse, from His ascension until He returns again…those signs are deceivers [v.5-6] will come and claim to be the Messiah; wars [v.7-8] wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom; catastrophes [v.8] earthquakes, famines, and other natural disasters; persecution [v.9-13] expect to be reject for Jesus sake, beaten, tried, imprisoned, and even killed in the name of Jesus. Jesus tells his disciples this, and us for it is for our benefit as well, to encourage His followers to endure to the end…with the chief goal being the spread of the gospel to all nations. i.e. even though there will be difficult days ahead…the gospel endures to the end, and God’s word will not pass away or return void. We have no need to fear.

So the first 13 verses Jesus generally characterizes the signs of the times from His ascension to His return, though the end is not yet. In verse 14-23, He turns His attention to a specific time of affliction [v.19], one dominated by drastic events and calling for believers to flee. Consequently, the interpretation of this part of the Olivet Discourse is more difficult and varied.

Last week we used Hermeneutics [the branch of study that has to do with interpretation], and we discovered that often times the plain things are the main things in the scripture…but in this section…it’s not so plain…so it’s a little harder to interpret. So, we’re going to use that same model and try to wade through this not so plain section and see if we can’t get a better understanding of some things.

A question we need to ask is: To what specific time of trouble was Jesus looking and referring to? For the most part, opinion is divided between two major possibilities. Some think that Jesus was speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. Others say that He was looking much farther to a time of great tribulation at the end of the age, before His return as the Messianic King. Both views are consistent with the words of Jesus in this discourse, He plainly made mention to the destruction of the temple in verse 2, and He plainly talks about His return in verse 24-27. So there in lies the problem…what specific time is He referring to.

I agree with Beasley-Murray, Gundry, Ladd, and many other scholars in that there is a third option that is probably better than just one or the other. Jesus does indeed address the imminent destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in AD 70, and in doing so he also provides a preview of distant attractions: The Great tribulation, His second coming, and the end of the age. There’s a kind of double intent here in the words of Jesus. So that’s how we’re going to approach this today, that Jesus is referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, which gives us a preview of things to come at the end.

The first things we’re going to look at is...

The Abomination of Desolation []

The abomination of desolation [v.14]: If you are familiar with your bibles you’ll say that’s a familiar phrase, it plainly has something to do with the end of the age. It does, but that’s not all. The phrase “abomination of desolation” occurs three times in the book of Daniel [; ; ] it’s also referred to in the book of one of the books of the apocrypha.

Abomination [Greek bdelugma] means a detestable or loathsome thing before God. Broadly, it could refer to sinful behavior, idol worship, or desecration of holy things. The meaning here, as Jesus uses it, refers to defilement of a holy place which left it desolate. Jesus when referring to this says, ‘standing where it ought not’ in the Greek the participle is masculine which indicates Jesus is personifying this abomination, it reads “standing where he ought not.” That’s interesting right, it’s not just some general things but it’s personal.

Now when Jesus used this phrase his disciples would have had a picture in their minds of an event that happened that fulfilled this prophecy of Daniel of this desolating sacrilege. In 167 BC, Anti-ochus Epiphanes, a Syrian leader, invaded Jerusalem and desolated the temple. Anti-ochus erected a statue of Zeus Olympus in the temple and demanded people to worship it, he also sacrificed pigs upon the altar in the temple and spread the blood of pigs on the holy things in the temple. The Jews considered pigs unclean animals therefore detestable to God. It was an abomination that left the temple desolate. This foreign persecutors desecration of the temple would serve as a prototype to future such desecration of the temple.

For example the Roman general Pompey in 63 BC conquered the city and entered the holy of holies, the governor Pilate brought idolatrous practices into the city around AD 26, The emperor Caligula tried to erect his statue in the temple in AD 40, and the Zealots took control of the temple during the Jewish rebellion in AD 66-70 and desecrated it by blood shed.

Jesus here is referring to AD 70 when Titus, the Roman general, marched on Jerusalem and destroyed the temple and laid waste to the entire city. Mark inserts something of a warning to the reader, “let the reader understand” perhaps serves as a warning of a future time of tribulation that will be horrific.

In his book “The war of the Jews” Josephus, a Jewish historian of the 1 century, recorded what it was like during the days of the seige by Titus in AD 70. Now at that time Jerusalem was under Roman rule, yet there had been numerous rebellions and uprisings from different factions in Jerusalem. The Zealots had taken over the temple and were using it as a fortress to ambush and kill people that approached. Other factions had been fighting and killing Romans, Gentiles, and each other. It was utter chaos in Jerusalem! So Titus marched on Jerusalem to put an end to the sedition.

Titus even sent Josephus to his countrymen to try to get them to settle this peacefully and stop the blood shed, but to no avail, they wouldn’t listen. During all this infighting the food and resources that had been stored up, that would have fed Jerusalem for three years was destroyed. So as the Roman army gathered around the city to cut them off from the outside, the people inside began to starve.

Josephus described this terrible famine like this. He said, “It was a miserable sight, one that brought tears to your eyes, how men stood over their food and were overpowered by stronger men who took it from them. Children pulled the very morsels from the mouths of their starving fathers, and mothers took the only food left from their infants so they wouldn’t starve.

When the word of this or that person had food got out, men would raid their homes in search for any morsel they could find. People would be beaten if it were thought they had food stashed. He said, “never had any age breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness that this was from the beginning of the world.”

While many Jewish believers fled to the mountains of Pella before Rome cut them off and it got this bad, at this point there was no hope of escape for the Jews. The famine devoured whole homes and families, homes and streets were full of dead bodies taken by the famine and sword. As for burying the dead, people were deterred from doing so because of the great multitude of dead bodies piled in the streets, they were scarred they would die themselves while burying the dead and many did die while burying the dead.

Men ran through the streets robbing homes stumbling and staggering along like mad dogs, reeling against the doors of houses like drunken men, looking for anything they could chew on like animals. Men ate inanimate things and their bellies were swollen because of the famine.

He even recalled woman who killed infant son and roasted him in a pot, when the smell of the stew was smelled, people ran to the home to discover the cannibalism that had taken place as she invited people in to eat.

Eventually the city was demolished as well as the temple, Josephus recorded that 97,000 Jews were take captive while 1.1 million Jews died by the famine or by the sword. I gave you a brief description of this, in Josephus’ works he has 7 books on this terrible time in the Jews history. A time like the Jew had never seen before…my point is when we talk about abomination, desolation, tribulation…we haven’t got a clue what that looks like.

As horrible as this event was, Jesus tells us there is coming a day in the future that’ll be much worse then this. When that time draws near there will be...

The need for hasty flight [v.14-16]: In contrast to verses 5-13 when Jesus says the disciples should not be troubled or alarmed. The wars and natural disasters and persecutions shouldn’t cause undue speculation that the end is at hand. But literally ‘whenever’- and this word is deliberately indefinite-they recognized the presence of the abominable thing that leads to destruction…they must take flight.

Verse 14-16 describe the flight in geographical terms. Those in Judea must escape to the mountains. They must be hasty in that flee, verse 15-16, don’t go back for your stuff…run, don’t even grab your coat. i.e. the danger is so great there is no time to delay. The words would hold historically true for the Jew during the days of the destruction of Jerusalem, there were many that fled to the mountains of Pella for refuge because of the words of Jesus, but they also give us a preview of what’s to come.

Time for flight: the unparalleled trouble []

The difficulties of flight [v. 17-18]: Jesus indicates that certain conditions would make flight even more difficult. Woman who are pregnant or nursing an infant will have more difficulty fleeing, “woe” in this instance is equivalent for alas for, i.e. it’s an expression of pity. Second, hope and pray the time is not during winter, which would make travel even harder. Luke accounts and pray it’s not on the Sabbath, because the Sabbath day is a day they recognize, and if it’s time to flee they’ll be torn between staying and going,

The Affliction [tribulation] {v. 19-20}: The abomination of desolation would signal the beginning of a time of trial or affliction. Affliction [Greek thlipsis] means trouble, trial, hardship, the kind that puts one under great pressure. It’s often translated “tribulation”. Literally Jesus says, “in those days there will be tribulation.” In this instance He characterizes this tribulation as “such as has not been since the beginning of creation.” Such description identifies this time period as “the great tribulation” at the end of the age.

The horror of those days is unimaginable. Jesus says the world has never seen days of wickedness such as these. Yet I described some pretty gruesome days earlier, and I imagine those in that day couldn’t have imagined much worse than that. There is coming a day toward the end of the age that will be worse.

Jesus describes the severity of this tribulation as if God hadn’t shortened those days all would be devoured. But for His elect sake those days will be shortened. Even in such a time of horror and evil, God’s eyes are on His people.

Time for flight: warning against deceivers []

False Christ and false prophets will arise [v.21-22]: Apparently the severe trial to come will be especially conducive to deceivers and deception. Jesus warns again of this. He already warned of this deception during the present age…but apparently during this time the deception will be even more dangerous.

Imposters will give signs and wonders [v. 22]: This differs from the imposters of verse 5-6, This seems to indicate that these imposters have supernatural power. So much that Jesus even points out that the signs are so convincing that if it were possible they would even fool the elect, God’s chosen people. John refers to them in his epistle as having the spirit of anti-christ. Whether Jesus is referring directly to the anti-christ or the false prophet is not certain, but what is certain, in the last days, deceivers will be very very convincing as authentic.

Take Heed []

Take Heed [v. 23]: Jesus concludes this second part of the discourse as he began, take heed-watch out be on guard.

I have told you this before hand [v.23]: Jesus give pre-warning to the dangers of this time. Historically this connects to the time in the near future of Jesus day when the temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed. Many Jewish believers escaped that horrible tragic event by escaping from the Roman army by fleeing to Pella which was across the Jordan. This warning served as a help for Jews who listened to Jesus in that day.

The same connection can be made to verse 24-27 when Jesus speaks of His second coming. There is coming a day in the future of yet another abominable profaning of sacred things which leads to a laying waste, what form it will take in not clear. But what is clear is there will be another great tribulation, one like never before, and God’s elect, God’s chosen people will be involved in it in some way so we must be on guard.

So what’s the take away from all this? Do we walk away scarred and frightened about what lies ahead? If you do, you’ve missed the point all together. So what is the point? I think it’s simple…God Reigns!!!

Here’s what I believe we need to take away from this, it’s fine if you want to study eschatology [end times]…but if that is your favorite hobby horse and you get all caught up in learning about end times and that’s all you’re consumed with you’ve missed the point of Jesus words all together....The gospel is what matters!

What do we notice about this discourse, that we might be tempted to overlook? The gospel! There is always hope. The gospel never fizzles out, the gospel will never be stamped out, the gospel is the good news even in the worst of times!

We have a hope and happiness that can never be taken from us no matter how bad things get…the gospel never fails! We’re supposed to be the happy ones as Christians but we often look like a sorry pathetic defeated bunch…give me a smile would ya, we have the only hope that never fails…act like it!

I want to leave you with a story from Cuba in his book ‘against all hope’ the prison memoirs of Amando Valederiz, he describes being in prison in Cuba. He described that the prison guards would come and take away the Christians to the be executed by the firing squad. He notes that his interest in God was nominal at best until he saw the Christian men taken away to their death, and as they were taken away the shouted “Viva Christos Rei”

Amanod said, these Christians being taken to the death crying “long live Christ the king!” had awakened him to a new life and their cries echoed throughout the entire prison. The cries of these Christian men being dragged to their death became such a stirring symbol in the prison that by 1963, Cuban guards began to gag every person being taken to be executed because the jailers feared their shouts.

That speaks to what Paul said in , “don’t be terrified of your adversaries, your faith will be a proof to them of their own destruction.” In light of the horrifying things to come at the end of the age…Christians have a hope that stands the test of time! We have a hope that triumphs over the grave! We have a hope that is found nowhere other than in Jesus and in Jesus alone…if you do not know that hope I invite you to bow before the King today.