AR 13{Verses 1, 2. As He went out of the temple, one of His disciples pointed out the magnificence of its stones and buildings. This makes an occasion for Him to tell them of its entire destruction, not one stone to be left on another, all thrown down.
Verses 3, 4. On the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, as He sat, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately: "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?”
In reply the Lord gives instruction and guidance for the path of the believing remnant of the Jews who shall be gathered back to the land of Palestine, after the Church is completed, and has been caught up to be with the Lord. Luke 21:8-248And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. 9But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. 10Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: 11And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. 12But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. 13And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 14Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 16And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 18But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 19In your patience possess ye your souls. 20And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:8‑24) speaks of what happened up to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. Mark 13, also Matt. 24, speaks of the future, the great tribulation period. (Compare Jer. 30:77Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7); Dan. 12:11And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1); Matt. 24:2121For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21); Mark 13:1919For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. (Mark 13:19).)
Verses 5, 6. "Take heed lest any man deceive you; for many shall come in My name, saving, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." This is warning them of the dangers of that Verses 7, 8. Wars, rumors of wars, risings of nations, kingdom against kingdom; earthquakes, famines, troubles, will be present; they are but the beginning of sorrows. It is in the land of Palestine and in connection with the Jews, and after the Lord has raised His dead and changed His living heavenly people, and taken them to Himself in heavenly glory.
The regathering of the Jews will have commenced; they are gathered in unbelief (Isa. 18), but a new work will begin, and some had already owned the name of Jesus; this is guidance for them. They have their temple built and go on with their own worship. Matt. 24:1515When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15) calls it "the Holy place." (See also Rev. 11:11And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. (Revelation 11:1).) The Holy Spirit will begin a work in some souls, for though the Holy Spirit who dwelt on earth during the Church period, will dwell on earth no longer. Yet all God does is done by Him at all periods of the world's history. This new work is in connection with the gospel that announces the coming of the King to reign (compare Psa. 2:10-1210Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:10‑12)), and what John and Jesus preached.
Verses 9, 10. But those who receive it shall suffer persecution, as well as those who preach it. They should take heed to themselves; they shall be delivered up to councils, and beaten in the synagogues, and brought before rulers and kings for His sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be preached among all the nations. The sheep on the right hand in Matt. 25. are some of those Gentiles who own Jesus as King.
Verse 11, is how they were to conduct themselves when led and delivered up for trial. They were to take no thought beforehand what they should say, nor premeditate (Isa. 26:33Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)), but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. What a comfort to them to know that thus God would be with them, and give them, by the Spirit, the very words they were to utter. Just as in old time, "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter 1:2121For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21).)
Verses 12, 13. To receive the truth that Jesus is the true Messiah, was to incur the hatred and arouse the enmity of man's heart, so that the dearest ties were disregarded, and brother shall betray brother to death, and children shall rise against parents and cause them to be put to death, and ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake; but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. From Rev. 14:13; 20:4-6,13And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them. (Revelation 14:13)
4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4‑6) we see that those martyrs get a place with Christ when He reigns. While those that are faithful to the end, and are spared, do not die"; but have a place on earth in the Kingdom. In Rev. 7 we find Israel and the Gentiles on earth in the Kingdom.
Verses 14-18, alludes to Dan. 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27) and 12:11. The beast and the false prophet command everyone to worship them; the true God is set aside. The godly must flee to the mountains, to the place prepared for them for a time, times and half a time-that is, three and one-half years, or 42 months, or 1,260 days. (Rev. 12.)
So sharp and sudden should this persecution arise, they were to flee at once, step on to the hill from the housetop, leave all their goods. It would be hard for mothers who could not flee, or leave their sucking babes. And they were to pray that it might be in good weather, when no torrents might block their way.
Verse 19. "For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which 'God created unto this time, neither shall he." This is the great tribulation. The mass of the Jews bow to the Antichrist; go in with his idolatry, and will share his doom in the lake of fire. (Rev. 14:9-11; 19:209And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (Revelation 14:9‑11)
20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20).) The godly will be preserved. (See the picture of it in Mark 5:13, 15,13And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. (Mark 5:13)
15And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. (Mark 5:15) also Matt. 12:43-4543When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. (Matthew 12:43‑45).)
Verse 20. The Lord watches over them; some He allows to be put to death, some He preserves, both of these are overcomers. And He knows how to shorten the days, for His elect's sake whom He has chosen.
Verses 21-23. God allows Satan to raise up miracle-working imposters who pretend to be the Messiah, who seek to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. "But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things." Obedience to His word would deliver them from the snares of the enemy.
Verses 24-27. The sun, moon, stars, and powers are symbolic of established authority. Their darkening and falling and shaking, speak of confusion and tumult, and from other Scriptures we see that dreadful wars are going on just at that time, and then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. He has with Him His mighty angels, and heavenly saints, and deals with Jews and Gentiles, and judges those who rejected Him, delivering His earthly people, and setting up His Kingdom, but here it is the gathering of His elect Israel to their own land. His elect heavenly people are already with Him.
Verses 28-31. The fig tree puts forth her leaves, and summer seems near, but Israel or the Jews are still the same unbelieving generation, and will remain so till Christ comes. "This generation" means their unbelieving character.
Verses 32-37. No one knows the day nor the hour, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. As prophet the Lord knows, and gives what is given Him of His Father. We do not know when the Lord will come for us, but they, and we, are to read a lesson from verses 32-37. "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." Our Master has gone, given us our place to fill, and our work to do. If He came today, would He be pleased at what we are doing? He may be here today or tomorrow. "What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." What a word for us this is! May we be awake to what is for His honor and glory, and in obedience to His word. May He not catch us sleeping among the dead (Eph. 5:1414Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. (Ephesians 5:14)), so that we can ever rejoice in expectation of soon seeing Him. Would we like Him to come just now? Why not?