Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 13:4
Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
4. what shall be the sign ] The question is given more fully by St Matthew, Mat 24:3. It embraced three points: (i) the time of the destruction of the Temple; the sign (ii) of His Coming, and (iii) of the end of the world.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Mar 13:4
Tell us, when shall these things be?
Date fixing
Thats it! Fix the date of the coming failure, or the coming triumph. All of us are ready to join in that request. How we long to have the veil of the future lifted; and how well it is that the Lord does not gratify our longing in this. There is no greater blessing to us than Gods concealment of our future. There could be no surer curse from God than his opening before our eyes the pathway of our lives, so that we could see it to its very end. What heart breaking that would bring into a myriad homes! What a checking too, on every side, of hope and aspiration and noble endeavour! How it would paralyze loving effort, and check or destroy needed tenderness of love and deed in kindly ministry! We know not what we ask, when we crave an insight into the future. God knows what He does, and why, when He refuses every request of this kind from His loved and loving ones. (Sunday School Times.)
Leading astray
It is quite as important not to be led astray by false religious teachers as by any other class of deceivers or deceived; and there is quite as much danger in this line as in any other. Sincerity on our part is no guard against deception or wandering; nor is sincerity a safeguard to a religious teacher. Those who are themselves both honest and sincere would lead us astray if we followed them in their wrong path. There is danger of our being led astray by the sermons we hear, the papers or the books we read, the counsel or example of those whom we have supposed to be godly, or by the impulses or convictions of our own minds and hearts. There is such a thing as conscientious error teaching and devil serving. The warning of Jesus is, that ye take heed that no man lead you astray in doctrine or morals, through holding up a false standard of conduct, or a false interpretation of Gods Word. (Sunday School Times.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
4. Tell us, when shall these thingsbe? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall befulfilled?“and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, andof the end of the world?” They no doubt looked upon the date ofall these things as one and the same, and their notions of the thingsthemselves were as confused as of the times of them. Our Lord takesHis own way of meeting their questions.
Prophecies of the Destructionof Jerusalem (Mr13:5-31).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Tell us when shall these things be?…. When the temple will be destroyed, and these fine buildings shall be demolished, and not one of these large stones shall be left upon another:
and what shall be the sign when all these things [shall be] fulfilled? And what is the sign of his coming, and of the end of the world, as Matthew relates; [See comments on Mt 24:3].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Tell us, when shall these things be? ( ;). The Revised Version punctuates it as a direct question, but Westcott and Hort as an indirect inquiry. They asked about the
when () and the
what sign ( ). Mt 24:3 includes “the sign of thy coming and the end of the world,” showing that these tragic events are brought before Jesus by the disciples. See discussion of the interpretation of this discourse on Mt 24:3. This chapter in Mark is often called “The Little Apocalypse” with the notion that a Jewish apocalypse has been here adapted by Mark and attributed to Jesus. Many of the theories attribute grave error to Jesus or to the Gospels on this subject. The view adopted in the discussion in Matthew is the one suggested here, that Jesus blended in one picture his death, the destruction of Jerusalem within that generation, the second coming and end of the world typified by the destruction of the city. The lines between these topics are not sharply drawn in the report and it is not possible for us to separate the topics clearly. This great discourse is the longest preserved in Mark and may be due to Peter. Mark may have given it in order “to forewarn and forearm” (Bruce) the readers against the coming catastrophe of the destruction of Jerusalem. Both Matthew (Mt 24) and Luke (Lu 21:5-36) follow the general line of Mark 13 though Mt 24:43-25:46 presents new material (parables).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Tell us, when shall these things be?” (eipon hemin pote tauta estai) “Tell us, when will these things come to pass or exist?” The question has reference to the predicted destruction of the sacred temple and temple area edifices, Mar 13:2.
2) “And what shall be the sign,” (kai tis to semeion) “And just what will be the sign;” Three things are listed by Matthew Mat 24:3. First the things relating to the destruction and the temple, explicitly answered Luk 21:20-24, a thing that was fulfilled about AD 70. Second two questions sign of His coming and the end of the world or age.”
3) “When all these things shall be fulfilled?” (hotan melle tauta sunteleisthai panta) “When all these sign things are about to be completed?” to come to an end or completion, Luk 21:7. The latter two questions of Mat 24:3 are answered, Mat 24:4-33, with Mar 13:4-14 conveying or carrying a double interpretation, by first giving a description of the nature of this Gentile age as one of wars, international clashes, persecutions, pestilences, false Christs and prophets, Dan 9:26. Then all this state or condition described Mat 24:4-14 is to be “intensified” at the end or final approach to the end of the Gentile age, Dan 9:24-27.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(4) When shall these things be?Note, as, perhaps, characteristic of a Gospel written for Gentiles, the use of the vaguer words for the more definite sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world, in Mat. 24:3.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“Tell us, when shall these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are all about to be accomplished?”
The disciples then asked when all these things were to be, and what signs would warn of their approach. Certain points should be noted here.
‘b7 Firstly that they were asking concerning the Temple that they were looking at, not some mythical Temple of the future.
‘b7 Secondly that it was the destruction of that Temple that the disciples had in mind.
‘b7 And thirdly that Mark does not mention any other question. He wants to concentrate attention on the destruction of the Temple and the events that lead up to it and surround it. And that, to Mark, is therefore what ‘these things’ refers to.
However it was such a devastating idea that both he and the disciples, with their limited insight, would undoubtedly think of it in the same terms as the coming final consummation. They had after all no conception at this stage of the many centuries still lying ahead before Christ’s second coming. But Jesus, although He dealt with both aspects, did not specifically differentiate them. They were two ‘mountains’ that lay ahead. The distance between them was irrelevant. He was also aware of the coming age of the Gentiles that would follow the destruction of the Temple (Luk 21:24) although He did not know how long it would be.
So in Mark there were two questions. Firstly, when will these things be? Jesus then went on to describe the events that would take place in the years that were coming, and then finally assured them that ‘this generation will not pass away until all these thing are accomplished’ (Mar 13:30).
Secondly, what will be the sign when all these things are to be accomplished? Jesus answered by outlining the events which would precede it and then depicted the final sign, that of ‘the Desolating Abomination’, a combination of destruction and blasphemous idolatry inflicted on the holy city itself, fulfilled when the Roman legions first surrounded and then poured into the city with their idolatrous standards (Luk 21:24) and Titus entered the Holy Place just before it was destroyed by fire (probably with his standard bearer). The Jews were appalled and infuriated, and fought fanatically but hopelessly. To them it was certainly the Desolating Abomination. (With regard to Titus we should remember when reading Josephus that he wanted to vindicate Titus. Other near contemporary historians were not so kind to him).
Then Jesus finally sealed off the matter by describing cataclysmic events as following this, which would lead up to His own return, the date of which He clearly stated that He did not know (Mar 13:32).
Now while it is true that Matthew opens up a wider field (Mat 24:3), Mark deliberately does not do so. He thus made clear that, in his view as an inspired writer, the destruction of the Temple before their eyes was the main thing in Jesus’ mind. Luke agrees with Mark. Thus we do well to heed the words of Scripture.
Jesus then outlined the coming dreadful cataclysms (Mar 13:5-8); the coming persecutions on the people of God and the success of the Gospel (Mar 13:9-13); the Desolating Abomination itself (Mar 13:14-20); followed by even more cataclysm (Mar 13:21-25); and then the coming of Christ in glory (Mar 13:26-27). As Jesus specifically stated in context that He did not know the time of His coming that is to clearly to be excluded from the ‘these things’ of Mar 13:30. Thus Jesus did go beyond answering their question, but only once He had answered it fully and in detail.
What follows is mainly general until we come to the destruction of Jerusalem itself. It happened in the days prior to that destruction, and it continued after that destruction for it is simply the outworking of history. It is mainly the result of what man is and of the effectiveness of the Gospel.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
Ver. 4. Shall be fulfilled ] or, have an end, , that is, be destroyed, as Mat 13:2 . Which yet these apostles held not destroyable till the world’s destruction, as appears Mat 24:1-51 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
4. ] . implies that they viewed the destruction of the temple as part of a great series of events, which had now by frequent prophecy become familiar to them. ‘ All these things about which thou so often speakest .’
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 13:4 . The question of the four has exclusive reference to the predicted destruction of the sacred buildings. In Mt. three questions are mixed together: vide notes there.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
when. Note the first question (M1).
what . . . sign. The second question (M 2).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
4.] . implies that they viewed the destruction of the temple as part of a great series of events, which had now by frequent prophecy become familiar to them. All these things about which thou so often speakest.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 13:4. , these things) viz. as concerns the temple.- , all these things) viz. as concerns not only the temple, but also all other things, that is, the whole world.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Dan 12:6, Dan 12:8, Mat 24:3, Luk 21:7, Joh 21:21, Joh 21:22, Act 1:6, Act 1:7
Reciprocal: Mat 24:30 – the sign Luk 13:23 – And
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4
The subject matter of this and the remaining verses of the chapter is the same as that in Matthew 24. It has been dealt with in much detail at that place and the reader is urged to consult those comments. In view of saving space, the comments in the present chapter will be brief and the reader may supplement the information obtained in this chapter with the more exhaustive remarks in Matthew.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 13:4. When these things are all about to be accomplished. In all three accounts the sign is asked for. The full form of the question here given (especially the position of all) shows mat they classed together the destruction of Jerusalem, the return of our Lord and the end of the world, as one great series of events, about which He had often spoken to them. Hence both are spoken of in the answer, though not joined in time.