Referred to as the Markan Apocalypse or the Olivet Discourse, Chapter 13 in MARK is
considered one of the most Jewish chapters in the New Testament. Throughout
its writing, the language and imagery of the Old Testament with Jewish history
and ideas, as well as "the day of the Lord," were incorporated.
Five different stands were pointed out by Dr. William Barclay in this chapter:
1) Prophecies of the
destruction of Jerusalem;
2) Warnings of persecution
to come;
3) Warnings of the dangers
of the last days;
4) Warnings of the Second
Coming;
5) Warnings of the
necessity to be on the watch. [i]
The prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction was combined in Mark 13:1-2 and 14-20. But first, some
historical perspective to enhance understanding.
Far back into time, the
great King Solomon built the First Temple which was described as grand and magnificent.
However in 597 BCE, the king of Babylon -- Nebuchadnezzar -- desecrated the temple
(allowed looting to occur), and eventually, Judean captives were taken to
Babylon --2 Chronicles 36.
In 586 BCE, the
Babylonians destroyed this vital place of worship (1 Kings 6-7). 70 years
later, under Z'rubavel, the Second Temple was built. Although it couldn't
compare to the original structure, the desecration of this sacred site didn't
end.
"Abomination of desolation," derived from Daniel 9:27,
11:30-31 and
12:11, was a
reference to Antiochus IV ("Epiphanes") who "conquered Jerusalem
in 167 BCE and erected an altar to Zeus in the Temple." [ii] The Jews were ordered to
worship this statue. And if that wasn't defiling enough, the King of Syria offered
swine's flesh on the great altar and set up public brothels in the sacred
courts. [iii]
Time-warp to 20 BCE, when
King Herod the Great began to reconstruct and expand the temple, which had
stood for nearly 500 years. The self-titled "King of the Jews" --
himself a Jew (although a convert) -- had a two-fold plan in this work: impress
Rome; please the Jews. Both were the mark of desperation. Sadly, in Herod's
self-absorbed world, his plans didn't include honoring God.
This king desired
admiration, respect and acceptance from men. Little did Herod know what he
started would take 46 years to complete (John 2:20),
well after his death, and then it would be utterly destroyed.
Nonetheless, what Herod
decided to build was certainly ambitious. At the highest point in Jerusalem --
the top of Mount Moriah, "a kind of vast platform was formed by raising up
walls of massive masonry and enclosing the whole area. On these walls a
platform was laid, strengthened by piers which distributed the weight of the
superstructure." [iv]
In the temple complex,
some of these stones measured 40x12x12 feet. Walk that off to see the sheer
magnitude and size of the blocks of stone! Along the eastern wall of the large
main structure, the buildings were covered with gold plates that reflected the
morning sun. This would be visible for miles away. And the parts not adorned
with gold ornamentation were made of gleaming white marble.[v] Imagine the awe felt by those journeying to
Jerusalem and to see this on their path. It had to be breathtaking!
Is it any wonder then one
of the disciples turned to Jesus and remarked on the size of the temple? In
essence, this disciple (as did others) admired Herod's achievement.
Jesus' reply is stunning. "You're
impressed by something that seems infallible? I won't mince words. This whole
temple will end up in a heap of rubble."
Say what?!? Come again? "Not one stone [of the temple] will be
left here upon another."
Note Jesus and his
disciple had their brief yet jaw-dropping conversation as they left the
temple. Were they were alone? Given that verse 3 mentions four disciples
spoke with Jesus "privately," it would seem logical other persons
were around them in verses 1 and 2. Jesus did have quite a following.
Why this
"private" versus "public" question? Because if people were
within earshot of Jesus, his words could be considered by some as a public
threat -- a chargeable offense.
Also, the destruction of
the Temple was unfathomable. For something like this to happen would be
perceived as the end to Jews (and later to Jewish Christians). No recovery
could ever occur from such a horrific incident.
Jesus doesn't stop there. "Be ready to run for it when you see
the monster of desecration set up where it should never be." [vi] Another interpretation of
the underlined words is "standing
where he should not." Jesus gives clear warning -- "When this
monster arrives, who will stand in the Holy of Holies, leave right away. Forget
your clothes, leave your material possessions, do not hesitate for one moment.
High-tail it for the hills!"
What did the people do
though in 70 AD when the Roman general Titus arrived in Jerusalem with his
army? Almost everyone did the exact opposite, as they believed being within the
city's walls would protect them.
After blocking all ways to
exit Jerusalem, Titus patiently waited and slowly starved the city. In their
hunger and weakness, people turned upon one another. Then Titus struck harshly,
as "large wooden scaffolds were built around the walls of the temple
buildings, piled high with wood and other flammable items, and set ablaze. The
heat from the fires was so intense that the stones crumbled. The rubble was
then sifted to retrieve the melted gold." [vii]
97,000 were taken captive
and 1,100,000 perished by slow starvation and the sword. [viii]
The monster Titus with his
Roman army ransacked Jerusalem, massacred over a million Jews and demolished
what had been considered indestructible -- the Temple.
Did You
Know…?
'Excavations made after
the Six-Day War revealed enormous stones from the Western Wall of the Temple
Court (of which the still-standing "Wailing Wall" is part) lying
helter-skelter, not one left on another.' [ix]
While a portion of the
western side of the retaining wall was left undisturbed under the temple mount,
the stones of the temple edifice ended up as rubble.
The walls had come
tumbling down!
NEXT
Persecution;
"suffering produces endurance,…"
[i]
The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- pp. 306-307
[ii]
Jewish New Testament Commentary -- p. 74
[iii]
The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- p. 310
[iv]
The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- p. 308
[v]
MacArthur Study Bible -- p. 1438
[vi]
The Message -- Mark 13:14
[vii]
MacArthur Study Bible -- p. 1438
[viii]
The Gospel of Mark -- p. 310
[ix]
Jewish New Testament Commentary -- p. 98
No comments:
Post a Comment