³ And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” ⁵ And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. ⁶ Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. ⁷ And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

⁹ “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. ¹¹ And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. ¹³ And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” – Mark 13:3-13 ESV

After delivering the shocking news that the temple would one day be destroyed, Jesus led His disciples out of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives. This location, just across the Kidron Valley, provided an elevated vantage point from which to view the temple and the entire city of Jerusalem. From this secluded spot, Jesus continued to teach His disciples and prepare them for the fateful days that lie ahead. His address to these men is known as the Olivet Discourse.

As usual, the disciples wrestled with Jesus’ stunning pronouncement that the sacred house of God would be destroyed. This information would have been unfathomable to the disciples, and caused them to consider the last time the temple of God was destroyed. More than six centuries earlier, the Babylonians had conquered Jerusalem, leaving a wake of death and destruction. In the process, they destroyed the majestic temple that Solomon had constructed. The city and its once-magnificent temple sat abandoned for 70 years until God orchestrated the return of a remnant of the people from their exile in Babylon. This ragtag group of former slaves, under Nehemiah’s leadership, rebuilt and restored the temple and the city. But it was more than five centuries later before Herod the Great orchestrated a massive remodeling project that greatly enhanced and expanded the temple.

As the disciples looked back across the Kidron Valley, they could see the facade of this beautiful structure gleaming in the afternoon sun. This sight, coupled with Jesus’ words, led four of the disciples to approach Him for more information. James, John, Peter, and Andrew wanted to know more, so these two sets of brothers asked Jesus for an explanation.

“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” – Mark 13:4 ESV

Their questions reveal that they were focused on the temple’s destruction. They wanted to know when this horrific event would take place and if there would be a warning sign. Basically, they wanted to know whether it would happen soon and if they would have ample warning to escape the city before it did. Their attention appears to be on the city and the temple. Despite all of Jesus’ earlier announcements regarding His pending death in Jerusalem, these men were more concerned about the possible destruction of the temple.

In his gospel account, John records another Passover, three years earlier, when Jesus cleared the temple of the moneychangers and vendors. The Jewish religious leaders demanded that Jesus show them a sign that would prove His authority to do such a thing, and Jesus responded, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19 ESV).

But these learned men failed to catch the symbolic nature of His answer. Instead, they took Him literally, viewing His answer as utterly ridiculous and impossible.

“It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”  – John 2:20 ESV

But as John reveals in his gospel account, Jesus “was speaking about the temple of his body” (John 2:21 ESV). John goes on to reveal that even the disciples would not connect the dots until after Jesus had died and been raised back to life. So, as they sat on the Mount of Olives watching the rays of the setting sun reflect off the temple’s gold, they were fixated on its destruction, not on the fast-approaching death of their Lord and Master.

But Jesus, sensing their confusion and concern, gives them a foretaste of what’s to come.

“Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” – Mark 13:5-8 NLT

Jesus fast-forwarded the narrative to a far-distant future, when the end of the age will take place. Jesus compressed and combined many events into a single answer, giving His disciples an overview of what would come. They were fixated on the present and wanted to know when the temple would be destroyed and under what conditions. But Jesus was speaking of future events that would take place long after the disciples were dead.

Roughly four decades later, the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem and its magnificent temple. Some of the disciples would live long enough to witness that fateful day. But Jesus was speaking of events that remain unfulfilled even today. He described those who will appear, declaring themselves a messiah or savior and offering deliverance. He warned of a future marked by wars, civil unrest, and natural disasters. But these “signs” would be nothing but the “birth pains” that precede the “birth” of what is to come. They will merely preface the end of the age.

Jesus provided James, John, Peter, and Andrew with a comprehensive overview of the end times. But He did not do so in easy-to-understand terms or in a simple chronological order. The disciples had no idea what was about to happen. In just a matter of days, their world would be rocked by Jesus’ death. But then, three days later, He would rise again and return to His Father in heaven. But His departure would preface the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would indwell and empower the disciples to accomplish their commission. They would play a major part in spreading the gospel and in the church’s subsequent growth.

But centuries have passed, and even as the church continues to grow, the world’s spiritual state continues to decay, and it will do so until Jesus returns. The downward spiral of humanity’s spiritual condition will continue to accelerate and intensify, reaching its lowest point when the church is raptured from the scene. This mass exodus of all believers from the face of the earth will usher in a time of tribulation, “such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be” (Matthew 24:21 ESV).

Jesus was giving these four men a crash course in eschatology, the study of the end times. While their minds were fixated on the temple and its possible destruction, Jesus was showing them the bigger picture. More was going on than they realized. The temple was not as important or integral as they believed. Jesus’ emphasis on nations and kingdoms subtly reveals that the people of Israel will no longer be the focal point of God’s redemptive story. It is not that He will abandon them, but that He will use their rejection of His Son and their subsequent role in His death as an impetus for the inclusion of people of every tribe, nation, and tongue into His family.

The apostle Paul reminds us that God has great plans in store for His chosen people. Their initial rejection of the Messiah did not permanently invalidate His covenant commitments to them. He will remain faithful and fulfill every promise He has made to them.

Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. – Romans 11:11-12 NLT

But Jesus wanted James, John, Peter, and Andrew to understand that while much of what He just described would take place in the distant future, they should stay on their guard. The days ahead would bring uncertainty and the very real threat of persecution. With His death, resurrection, and ascension, their lives would become more complicated. As they took the gospel to the nations, they would face trials and difficulties, but the indwelling Spirit of God would guide, protect, and empower them. They needed to stop worrying about the temple’s destruction and consider what God was doing in their midst. What did He have planned for them to do in the days ahead? Jesus told them that while things would get far worse before they got better, this story would have a happy ending.

“…you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” – Mark 13:13 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.