The Signs of End Times in Mark 13

Read Mark chapter 13

Matthew 24 has a more complete summary of end times prophecy.

Introduction: Mark 13 speaks of the end times and Jesus’ prophecy about the destruction of the temple and the signs of the end of the age. The chapter is also known as the “Olivet Discourse” because Jesus delivers it on the Mount of Olives. The chapter is a mix of warning, instruction, and encouragement for believers to remain watchful and faithful in the face of persecution and tribulation. The main points of the chapter are the prediction of the temple’s destruction, the signs of the end times, the coming of the Son of Man, and the exhortation to stay alert.

I. The prediction of the temple’s destruction (Mark 13:1-2)
Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple, which would later be fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. This prediction serves as a sign of the end times and the judgment to come. (Matthew 24:1-2; Luke 21:5-6)

II. The signs of the end times (Mark 13:3-23)
Jesus warns his disciples about the signs that will precede his coming, including false prophets, wars, natural disasters, and persecution. He also speaks of the “abomination that causes desolation” which refers to the desecration of the temple by an invading army. (Matthew 24:3-28; Luke 21:7-24)

III. The coming of the Son of Man (Mark 13:24-27)
Jesus describes his return in power and glory, with the gathering of the elect from the four corners of the earth. These verses emphasize the certainty of Jesus’ return and the hope it brings to believers. (Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:25-28)

IV. The exhortation to stay alert (Mark 13:28-37)
Jesus uses the parable of the fig tree to illustrate the need for believers to be watchful and ready for his return. He emphasizes that no one knows the day or hour of his coming, and so it is crucial to remain vigilant and faithful. (Matthew 24:32-51; Luke 21:29-38)

Conclusion: Mark 13 calls on believers to remain watchful and faithful in the face of uncertainty and tribulation. The prediction of the temple’s destruction, the signs of the end times, the coming of the Son of Man, and the exhortation to stay alert all are reminder to believers of the importance of being prepared for Jesus’ return. The chapter is a mix of warning and encouragement, urging believers to remain steadfast in their faith and to look forward to the hope of Jesus’ return, even so come Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20).

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Verses throughout the Bible that mention the signs of end times.

1. Matthew 24:3-14 – Jesus’ disciples ask him about the signs of the end times and he lists several events that will occur, including wars, famines, earthquakes, and persecution of believers.
2. Mark 13:3-13 – Mark’s account of Jesus’ description of the end times, which includes similar events to those listed in Matthew 24.
3. Luke 21:7-19 – Luke’s account of Jesus’ description of the end times, which also includes similar events to those listed in Matthew 24.
4. Revelation 16:12 – John the revelator foretells the Euphrates river drying up to prepare a way for the kings of the east to cross the river for the great battle (apocalypse) mentioned in Revelation 19:11-21.
5. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 – Paul writes about the difficult times that will come in the last days, listing several characteristics of people that mirror the events described in Matthew 24.
6. Revelation 6:1-17 – The opening of the seals in Revelation includes events such as war, famine, and death, which are similar to the signs of the end times described in Matthew 24.
7. Daniel 9:27 – The prophecy of the “abomination that causes desolation” is mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24:15 as a sign of the end times.
8. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 – Paul writes about the day of the Lord coming like a thief in the night, which echoes Jesus’ warning in Matthew 24:42-44 to be ready for his return.
9. 2 Peter 3:3-13 – Peter writes about scoffers who will come in the last days, doubting the return of Christ, which is similar to the false prophets and false messiahs mentioned in Matthew 24:24.
10. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 – Paul writes about the great falling from the faith in the last days as a sign of the end times, as well as the man of sin being revealed.
11. Joel 2:28-32 – The prophet Joel writes about signs in the heavens and on the earth before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, which parallels Jesus’ description of celestial signs in Matthew 24:29-30.
12. Zechariah 14:1-9 – The prophet Zechariah writes about the day of the Lord and the coming of the Messiah, which is similar to Jesus’ description of his return in Matthew 24:30-31

End time prophecies from Revelation related to Mark 13:

1. Matthew 24:3 –  As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?
   Revelation 1:1 – The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
2. Matthew 24:21 –  For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
   Revelation 7:14 –  I answered,  Sir, you know. And he said, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
3. Matthew 24:29 – Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
   Revelation 6:12-13 – I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.
4. Matthew 24:30 –  At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
   Revelation 1:7 –  Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
5. Matthew 24:31 – And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
   Revelation 11:15 – The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.
6. Matthew 24:42 –  Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
7. Revelation 16:15 –  Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.

This list is not a complete list of end time prophecies, as the subject of end times prophecy is vast and found throughout both the Old and New Testaments. However, these verses provide a good place to start in understanding the connections between Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation in relation to end times prophecy.

End time prophecies from Daniel related to Mark 13:

1. Daniel 2:31-45 – These verses outline the vision of the statue made of various metals, which represents different kingdoms that will rise and fall before the end times. This vision is related to the “abomination of desolation” mentioned in Matthew 24:15, which refers to the destruction of the temple and the rise of an oppressive ruler.
2. Daniel 7:1-28 – This chapter gives us a vision of four beasts, which represent different empires that will rule before the end times. The description of the fourth beast, with ten horns and a little horn that speaks boastfully, can be related to the “false prophets” mentioned in Matthew 24:24 who will deceive many during the end times.
3. Daniel 9:24-27 – This section discusses the prophecy of the “seventy weeks,” which is a timeline for the coming of the Messiah and the events leading up to the end times. The “abomination of desolation” is also mentioned here, which connects to Matthew 24:15.
4. Daniel 11:31-45 – These verses describes a king who will rise to power and desecrate the temple, which can be related to the “abomination of desolation” in Matthew 24:15. It also mentions a time of great distress, which parallels the “great tribulation” mentioned in Matthew 24:21.
5. Daniel 12:1-13 – This chapter talks about the end times in more detail, mentioning a time of distress and the resurrection of the dead. This can be related to the events described in Matthew 24:29-31, which include the return of the Son of Man and the gathering of the elect.

End time prophecies from Ezekiel related to Mark 13:

1. Ezekiel 38:16 – You will come up against my people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes. Matthew 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
2. Ezekiel 39:25-29 – And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God. Matthew 24:29 – Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
3. Ezekiel 38:19-20 – For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. Matthew 24:7 – For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
4. Ezekiel 38:22 – And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Matthew 24:21 – For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

End time prophecies from Zechariah related to Mark 13:

1. Zechariah 14:1-9 – This passage speaks of the Lord’s return to earth to fight against the nations that have gathered against Jerusalem. This is related to Matthew 24:30 which talks about the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory, and Revelation 19:11-21 where Jesus returns on a white horse to defeat the beast and the false prophet.
2. Zechariah 12:10 – This verse talks about the inhabitants of Jerusalem looking on the one they have pierced and mourning for him. This is related to Matthew 24:30 where it says that all the tribes of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds, and Revelation 1:7 which also speaks of every eye seeing him and mourning.
3. Zechariah 13:8-9 – This passage talks about a refining process where two-thirds of the people will be struck down and perish, but one-third will be left and refined like silver. This is related to Matthew 24:21-22 which speaks of a great tribulation where, if not cut short, no one would survive, and Revelation 7:14 which talks about a great multitude coming out of the great tribulation.
4. Zechariah 14:16-19 – This passage speaks of the survivors of the nations that attacked Jerusalem going up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty. This is related to Matthew 24:31 where the Son of Man sends his angels to gather his elect from the four winds, and Revelation 20:4-6 where those who have been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and the word of God reign with Christ for a thousand years.
5. Zechariah 14:4 – This verse talks about the Mount of Olives being split in two, with a valley being formed for people to flee through. This is related to Matthew 24:15-16 where Jesus tells his followers to flee to the mountains when they see the abomination of desolation, and Revelation 16:18-20 where there is a great earthquake that splits mountains and islands.
6. Zechariah 9:14 – This verse speaks of the Lord appearing and his arrow flashing like lightning. This is related to Matthew 24:27 where it says that the coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning that flashes from the east to the west, and Revelation 4:5 where there are flashes of lightning coming from the throne of God.
7. Zechariah 9:10 – This verse talks about the Lord’s dominion extending from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. This is related to Matthew 24:14 where the gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all nations, and Revelation 11:15 where the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ.

Overall, the end times prophecies in Zechariah closely resemble the events described in Matthew 24 and Revelation, with the topic of the Lord’s return, judgment, and the establishment of his kingdom on earth.

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The King is coming – Revelation 19:16