Monday Devotional: About that day or hour, no one knows (Mark 13:28-37)

And a few comments on Markan eschatology

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he^e is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake” (Mark 13:28-37).

It is not the case that all causes are created equal. Some causes are righteous. Others are not. We may experience righteous anger or great excitement about some cause, but that doesn’t mean it is consistent with the will of God. We may be swept up in a cultural moment or movement and simultaneously be swept into sin. It is crucial that we exercise discernment, individually and as the church. In Mark 13, Jesus warns his followers to observe the signs of the times. They should not be swept up into the coming wave of violent nationalism. It is a fool’s errand. God is doing something new, and Jesus wants his followers to trust in him rather than a government, nation, or temple.

Following his eschatological (end-times) language about the Son of Man coming with power and the gathering of the elect, Jesus returns to the metaphor of the fig tree. As we’ve seen before, the fig tree is a metaphor for Israel, and, more specifically, the sacrificial/priestly system of atonement located in the temple. That season, says, Jesus, is over. He himself is priest, temple, and sacrifice, and his death effects a new season in which he has become the meeting point between humanity and God. Here Jesus uses the metaphor of the fig tree in a different but related way: just as you can recognize the seasons by the branches and leaves of the fig tree, so you can understand the times by observing the signs Jesus has prophesied.

Photo by Rubén Bagüés on Unsplash

“Truly I tell you,” he continues, “this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.” People there with Jesus will see the unfolding of these events. Indeed this was the case. The First Jewish Revolt began around 33 years after Jesus spoke. His statement, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away,” testifies to the prophetic nature of his speech.

The next verses speak to the mysterious nature of these events. God has not revealed precisely when they will take place. Rather, God has revealed the signs indicating they are about to take place. Jesus admonishes his followers to pay attention and act accordingly. Keep awake, he says. Don’t fall asleep on the job. Don’t become complacent. Pay attention.

As a couple of commenters have noted, I’ve offered what is called a “preterist” reading of Mark 13. This means I understand Jesus’ language in this chapter of Mark to refer to events of the first century, rather than his second coming and the end of this age. To be clear, I do believe that Christ will come again in both victory and judgment. I derive that belief from other parts of Scripture and from the interpretive framework of consensual Christianity. My view on Mark 13, however, is that it recounts prophecy of Jesus regarding the First Jewish Revolt (AD 66-73) and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (AD 70).

Here’s the thing: I could be wrong. I always tell my students, at least 30% of what I teach is wrong. I just don’t know which 30% it is. Other interpreters take a “futurist,” rather than “preterist,” approach to this chapter. In other words, they believe that Jesus’ language, particularly in 13:24-27, refers to the parousia—the second coming of Christ and the beginning of an eschatological future (the end of one age and the beginning of another). This eschatological future might take many forms, such as a time of tribulation, the thousand-year reign of Christ, or something else. Perhaps, then, a futurist reading is the right one. I don’t think so, but, as I said, I could be wrong.

One of my favorite commentaries on the Gospel According to Mark is Mark L. Strauss’s contribution to the Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series (Zondervan Academic, 2014). Strauss’s readings of the text are consistently balanced, informed, and well-reasoned. He takes a “both-and” approach to Mark 13 by dividing the text into segments:

A¹ 13:5-23 Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple

B¹ 13:24-27 Parousia and the End of the Age

A² 13:28-31 Destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (lesson of the fig tree)

B² 13:32-37 Parousia and Call to Watchfulness

Strauss’s approach is sensible and perhaps accurate. I’m still not convinced we can break up the references in the chapter in this way, interpreting part of the chapter from a preterist perspective and part from a future perspective. Nevertheless, he does provide another plausible option for reading Mark 13.

The Church Fathers tended to identify multiple senses of Scripture. Perhaps theirs is the example we should follow here. It is possible to read texts such as Mark 13 as having multiple layers of meaning. The coming of the Son of Man may signify the destruction of the temple as a “type” of the vindication of all believers in the parousia. We moderns, and particularly Protestants, like to identify a single, clear meaning of the text, but many Christians across the ages would see such an approach as unnecessarily constraining. To follow their lead in this case may be wisdom.

Questions:

1. How do you understand Mark 13? Is a preterist reading, a futurist reading, or some combination more reasonable?

2. What are some cultural trends in which we might be swept up today?

3. How can we exercise discernment regarding righteous and unrighteous causes?