Mark 13:4

“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 (Luke 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' (Mark 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 (Luke 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 (Mark 13:32).

Now while it is true that Matthew opens up a wider field (Matthew 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 (Mark 13:5); the coming persecutions on the people of God and the success of the Gospel (Mark 13:9); the Desolating Abomination itself (Mark 13:14); followed by even more cataclysm (Mark 13:21); and then the coming of Christ in glory (Mark 13:26). 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 Mark 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.