Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Mark
Chapter 13: Watch Ye Therefore
Mark 13 is the Olivet Discourse, Jesus' great prophecy of things to come. Leaving the temple, He foretells its ruin, 'there shall not be left one stone upon another,' and on the Mount of Olives His disciples ask when these things will be. He warns of deception, wars, and persecution as 'the beginnings of sorrows,' and calls His people to endure and to publish the gospel 'among all nations.' He speaks of the abomination of desolation, a tribulation 'such as was not from the beginning of the creation,' and false christs, then of His own return: 'they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory,' gathering His elect from the four winds. No one knows the day or hour but the Father, so the great command rings out again and again: 'Take ye heed, watch and pray... Watch ye therefore.' The chapter fixes the church's eyes on the certain, glorious return of Christ, and calls every servant to be found awake and at his work.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Mark chapter 13. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Jesus foretells the fall of the temple, the signs of the age, His coming in glory, and the call to watch. Prophetic details are held with humility, fixing on the Christ- centered meaning. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Not One Stone Upon Another
Jesus foretells the ruin of the temple and the troubles of the age.
Endure Unto the End
Deception, wars, and persecution mark the age; the enduring are saved.
In the Clouds with Glory
After tribulation, all shall see the Son of man come and gather His elect.
Watch Ye Therefore
No one knows the hour; the servant must be found awake and working.
He That Shall Endure unto the End (Mark 13:1-13)
Jesus foretells the temple's fall and the troubles of the age, warning against deception and calling His people to endure.
Take Heed Lest Any Man Deceive You
"And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
Word Study
"endure," Greek hupomeno (ὑπομένω). The word means to remain under, to bear up under a load, to persevere through hardship without giving way. "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." In an age of deception, persecution, betrayal, and hatred "for my name's sake," the mark of true, saving faith is not a flawless start but a faithful finish, the endurance that holds fast to Christ through it all. This is not salvation earned by our staying power, but the persevering faith that God gives and preserves in His own, and it is the evidence that our faith is real.
Explanation
As a disciple admires the temple's massive stones, Jesus foretells its utter ruin -- "there shall not be left one stone upon another" -- and on the Mount of Olives answers the question of when. He warns first of deception and turmoil: false christs, wars, earthquakes, and famines are only "the beginnings of sorrows," not the end. His followers will be handed over to councils and rulers, but this becomes their pulpit -- "the gospel must first be published among all nations" -- and "it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost." Endurance, not calculation, is the mark of the faithful: "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
Gospel Focus
As Jesus leaves the temple, a disciple admires its massive stones, and He stuns them: "there shall not be left one stone upon another." Within a generation, in A.D. 70, Rome would raze it, exactly as He said. On the Mount of Olives the disciples ask when this will be, and Jesus answers with a sweep of prophecy reaching from that generation to the last. His first and most repeated word is a warning against deception: "Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." The age between His two comings would be marked not by smooth progress but by counterfeit messiahs, "wars and rumours of wars," "earthquakes," and "famines", yet He tells His own not to be "troubled," for these are only "the beginnings of sorrows," not the end. And His people would suffer: hauled before "councils," "rulers and kings," beaten, betrayed even by family, "hated of all men for my name's sake." Two steadying words shine in the darkness. First, He promises help: when they stand before rulers, "take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak... for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost." The Spirit Himself would give them words. Second, He gives the goal: "the gospel must first be published among all nations." History is not drifting; God is driving it toward the worldwide witness of the gospel. And He gives the mark of the true: "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." For the believer this is not fear but steadying hope: do not be deceived, do not be troubled by the world's convulsions, expect opposition, lean on the Spirit's help, keep spreading the gospel, and endure to the end. The King is coming.
They Shall See the Son of Man Coming (Mark 13:14-27)
Through great tribulation and the lure of false christs, the church looks for the one unmistakable event: the glorious return of the Lord.
He Shall Gather Together His Elect
"But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven."
Word Study
"the elect," Greek eklektous (ἐκλεκτούς). The word means the chosen ones, those God has called to Himself. Three times in this section the "elect" appear: the days are shortened "for the elect's sake," the deceptions cannot finally seduce "the elect," and at His coming Christ gathers "his elect from the four winds." Through the worst of tribulation, God's chosen are held secure; He shortens the days for them, keeps them from final deception, and at the last gathers every one of them home. However dark the age, not one of the Lord's own will be lost; the coming of the Son of man is, for them, the great gathering.
Explanation
Jesus points to "the abomination of desolation" as the signal for immediate flight and foretells a tribulation so severe that, "except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved." Again He warns against false christs and prophets who deceive with signs. But His own coming will need no announcement: after that tribulation the heavens are shaken, "and then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory," gathering His elect from the four winds. The Jesus now walking to a cross is the glorious Son of man of Daniel 7, and history moves toward His unmistakable return.
Gospel Focus
Here Jesus speaks of days of unequaled distress. He points to "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet," and urges sudden flight, words that had an immediate reference to the horrors surrounding Jerusalem's fall, yet reach forward to the final tribulation before His coming. These are matters godly believers have read in more than one way, and we hold the precise timetable with humility; what Jesus makes unmistakably plain is the danger and the hope. The danger is deception: in such days "false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." So when they claim the Christ is here or there, "believe him not." Why can the church be sure? Because the real coming of Christ will be impossible to miss. After the tribulation, the heavens themselves will be shaken, "and then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." The same Jesus who left in lowliness will return in open majesty, seen by all, and He "shall send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds," His scattered people gathered home at last from every corner of earth and heaven. For the believer, this section is a shield and a comfort. It shields us from every counterfeit and date-setting deceiver, no secret, hidden "christ" is the true one, for His coming will be public and glorious. And it comforts us: however severe the tribulation, it will not have the last word or claim the last of God's people. The days are shortened "for the elect's sake"; the deceptions cannot finally seduce the elect; and the Lord Himself will appear to gather His elect. Keep your eyes on the sky, not on the whispers of false prophets; the King is coming for His own.
Of That Day Knoweth No Man (Mark 13:28-37)
Because the day is certain but its hour unknown, the King commands His servants to constant, wakeful readiness.
What I Say unto You I Say unto All, Watch
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."
Word Study
"Watch," Greek gregoreite (γρηγορεῖτε). The word means to stay awake, to be alert and on guard, like a watchman through the night. It is the command that closes the whole discourse, repeated for emphasis: "Watch ye therefore... And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." It is not anxious calculation of dates, which Jesus forbids, but a settled, wakeful readiness. Because the master may return "at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning," the servant must live always prepared, doing his appointed work, so that whenever the Lord comes, He does not "find you sleeping."
Explanation
The fig tree teaches discernment of the signs, yet the day and hour remain unknown -- "neither the Son, but the Father" -- so the disciple lives not by prediction but by vigilance. The Son, speaking from within His true humanity, shares the servant's not-knowing even as He commands the watching. Jesus closes with a parable of a master who leaves servants at their posts and returns "at even, or at midnight... or in the morning," and the charge to all is one word: "Watch." Readiness is faithfulness in the ordinary tasks assigned, sustained because the Lord may come at any hour.
Gospel Focus
Jesus draws the discourse to its practical point. Like the fig tree whose tender leaves announce that "summer is near," the signs He has given show that His coming is "nigh, even at the doors." His word is utterly sure: "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." Yet the exact time is deliberately hidden: "of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." This is a striking word. In His true humanity, having "made himself of no reputation" and taken the form of a servant, the Son willingly did not know the day, laying aside the exercise of that knowledge in His human life on earth, while the one God knows all things. It is the mystery and the depth of the incarnation: God come in flesh, truly man, dependent and humble, even in this. And the point Jesus draws is not speculation but readiness: since even the appointed time was hidden from Him in His earthly ministry, how foolish for us to try to calculate it. This double truth, certain event, unknown hour, is the ground of everything. Because the day is certain, we must be serious; because the hour is unknown, we must be always ready. So the great command rings out: "Take ye heed, watch and pray." He tells the parable of a man on "a far journey" who "gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch." Each servant has his task; the porter must stay awake, for the master may come "at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning." The surest response to Christ's return is not date-setting but faithful watchfulness, doing the work He has given, so that He does not "find you sleeping." And lest anyone think this concerns only the apostles, Jesus ends: "what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." He is coming; keep awake, keep working, and be ready.
Chapter 13 in Review
Mark 13 is the Lord's prophecy of the age and His coming. Foretelling the temple's ruin, "there shall not be left one stone upon another," He answers His disciples' question about the end. He warns against deception by false christs, and describes wars, earthquakes, famines, and persecution as "the beginnings of sorrows," calling His people to endure, to lean on the Holy Ghost's help, and to publish the gospel "among all nations." He speaks of the abomination and a tribulation "such as was not from the beginning of the creation," insists His coming will be no secret but seen by all, "they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory," gathering "his elect from the four winds." And because "of that day and that hour knoweth no man," He commands again and again, "Take ye heed, watch and pray... Watch ye therefore... Watch."
For the Apostolic reader the chapter fixes the church's hope on the certain return of Christ. Much of the prophetic detail, the timing, the tribulation, the abomination, has been read in more than one way by godly believers, and we hold those details with humility. But the central truths are plain: do not be deceived by counterfeits, for the real coming will be seen by all; do not be troubled by the birth pangs of the age; endure to the end; keep spreading the gospel to all nations; and above all, watch and be ready. The chapter also unveils the depth of the incarnation, that the Son, in His true humanity, did not know the day, laying aside its exercise while the one God knows all, humbling Himself even in this. And it holds sweet comfort for the elect: through the worst of tribulation, God shortens the days for them, guards them from final deception, and gathers every one of them home. So the whole weight falls on how we live now. Be the faithful servant at his work and the wakeful porter at his post, so that whenever the Lord comes, He finds you watching. He is coming. Watch, endure, and be ready.
- Beware deception; many false christs will come, but the real coming is unmistakable (13:5-6, 21-22).
- The troubles of the age are "the beginnings of sorrows," under God's hand (13:8).
- Endure to the end, lean on the Spirit's help, and preach the gospel to all nations (13:10-13).
- Christ will return visibly and gloriously, gathering His elect (13:26-27).
- No one knows the day but the Father; even the Son, in His humanity, laid aside its exercise (13:32).
- The command to all is to watch, awake and at our work (13:33-37).
Questions for Reflection
- Are you guarding against the deceptions and counterfeits Jesus warned of?
- Are you enduring in faith and helping spread the gospel while there is time?
- Do the world's convulsions trouble you, or do you rest in the coming King?
- If the Lord came today, would He find you watching and at your work, or sleeping?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. The abomination and Daniel's prophecy: Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. The Son of man coming in the clouds: Daniel 7:13-14; Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7. The Son's self-emptying in the incarnation: Philippians 2:5-8; John 5:19; Hebrews 2:17. The certainty of Christ's words: Matthew 5:18; 1 Peter 1:25. The call to watch: 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6; Luke 21:34-36. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The beginning of sorrows and the call to endure: Mark 13:1-13; Matthew 24:1-14; Luke 21:5-19.
- The tribulation and the coming of the Son of man: Mark 13:14-27; Matthew 24:15-31; Luke 21:20-28; Daniel 7:13-14.
- The fig tree, the unknown hour, and the call to watch: Mark 13:28-37; Matthew 24:32-51; Luke 21:29-36.