Mark 13:3-8 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 happen, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be fulfilled?” 5And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am!’ and they will deceive many. 7And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This is necessary to happen, 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 things are the beginning of the birth pains.
The first four disciples Jesus called as fishermen (1:16-20) now show up again in a private dialogue with Jesus. There is no mention here of the rest of the disciples, whether or not they were present, but the focus is on Peter, James, John, and Andrew. These four had been paying close attention to all that Jesus had been doing and saying. Jesus had left the temple, never to return again. He and the disciples were looking across the Kidron Valley to the temple mount, pondering deep thoughts. The Mount of Olives rises about 300 feet above Jerusalem, so the group had a good perspective of the city. The disciples had concluded from Jesus’ teaching that something big would happen to the temple, and so they were curious about when it would happen and how they would know it was about to happen. The word sign () is important in the Bible and describes how one thing points to something greater. People are curious about the signs of the end for many reasons; one of the most significant is so that they can be prepared for what is about to happen.
Jesus’ response comes as a warning and is divided into two parts marked by imperatives: watch (verse 5) and be on your guard (verse 9). The warning begins the longest teaching section recorded in Mark. The focus of this teaching is on the events or signs that will happen before Jesus’ second coming. His first concern for his disciples is that no one might deceive (planēsē) them. Deception often occurs when part of the truth is given, or something that appears to be true is accepted. The disciples needed to be careful about those who come in Jesus’ name, meaning they claim to have his authority and even to be him. They claim to be the I am. There are many examples of such self-proclaimed Messiahs and leaders of cults who claim new revelation or even to be the Son of God. Even within the lifetime of the first disciples, false messiahs arose, claiming miraculous powers and abilities. The disciples would know that the destruction of the temple was near by the rise of these false messiahs.
Other signs would happen before the destruction of the temple. These can be divided into political battles between nations and natural catastrophes. There have always been wars, earthquakes, and famines, but there will be something noticeable about the ones that take place before these things happen. One of the debated and difficult questions about this passage is the time period to which Jesus refers and to what these things of verse 4 refer. Is he talking about the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem that happened in AD 70 or the events at the end of time before his second coming? Has his prophecy been fulfilled or is it yet to happen? All of the signs mentioned in these verses happened before the fall of Jerusalem and have been documented in history, such as in the writings of Josephus. Yet, by the time Jesus finishes this discourse, he is talking about his coming again, which has obviously not taken place yet.
The purpose of this passage is not to give us a specific timeline but to show the need to be prepared and watchful for what will happen. We should not be caught off guard but be ready and doing as Jesus has called us to do. The way to avoid being deceived is to know the truth and know the One who is the Truth (John 14:6). There is only one person who is the I am.
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