1And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 3And 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?”
These verses set up the beginning of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse. When the disciples were enamored by the temple, Jesus prophesied its destruction. After leaving Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples went up the Mount of Olives, and the four disciples listed here asked Jesus when “these things” would be. Obviously, “these things” refer to the fulfillment of Jesus’ earlier prophecy that the temple would be destroyed. This phrase is key in understanding the rest of the chapter. Whenever Jesus talks about “these things,” he is answering the disciples’ question about the temple.
5And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8For 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.”
Dispensationalist interpreters of this passage usually start at verse 5 and assume that Jesus is talking about a far-future tribulation and Second Coming, but remember the question that the disciples just asked. There is nothing in the text to indicate that Jesus is jumping to something else. There are also no time indicators in these verses because, of course, all these things are always going on. There has never been a time without wars and rumors of wars, without false teachers, without earthquakes and famines. That’s why he says, “Do not be alarmed,” because these are not unique signs of the end times or any time. They are common to all times.
With regard to the birth pains, some will argue that they refer to some future tribulation, but again, there’s nothing in the text to indicate this. In fact, the New Testament writers attest to the fact that the birth pains are already happening. One clear example is Romans 8:22.
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. 10And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11And 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. 12And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
This passage is largely, if not completely, fulfilled in the book of Acts. Remember that Jesus is speaking privately to his disciples. This is not a public teaching; therefore, the “you” he is referring to are the disciples in front of him. Throughout Acts, the disciples experience the very things listed here: they are delivered over to councils, they were beaten in synagogues, and they stand before kings. The Holy Spirit fills them before they speak, and they are hated by their opponents. Acts 4-5 is just one example of these things.
Furthermore, some object to this interpretation because they say the gospel was not preached to all nations before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, but the New Testament presents a different view. Consider Colossians 1:6 and 1:23. One key thing to remember is that in Jewish thought, there was a strong distinction between Jews and Gentiles. When Jesus refers to “all nations,” he is talking about the Gentiles. Therefore, the temple cannot be destroyed until the Gentiles receive the gospel. This, again, is fulfilled in the book of Acts.
14“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. 20And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. 21And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.”
Now, Jesus finally turns to a specific answer to their question. “These things” will come to pass when the abomination of desolation is standing where he ought not. When Mark adds the phrase “let the reader understand,” he’s giving a little signal about what Jesus means. Mark, for some reason, is unable to identify the true identity of the abomination, but Luke gives us an additional insight. He says, “When Jerusalem is surrounded by armies” instead of using the abomination language (Luke 22:20). This happened in AD 70 when the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem and destroyed it. This is the sign to flee to the mountains.
The phrase “abomination of desolation” comes from Daniel 9:24-27. Daniel is given a prophecy of seventy weeks. They begin with the decree to rebuild the temple which best fits with Artaxerxes’ decree in 453 BC. Then, after a period of 69 weeks, Daniel says the Messiah will come to be cut off. If we count each week in Daniel’s prophecy as seven years, then the 69 weeks are completed in AD 26, which is the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Three and a half years later, Jesus is cut off in his crucifixion, marking the middle of the seventieth week. This is when the sacrifices in the Temple cease in any meaningful way. At Jesus’ death, the veil of the Temple is torn in two, signifying the end of the old Levitical system. In Daniel 9, the “abomination” refers to the torture and murder of Jesus, and it is the Romans who commit these abominations. So when Jesus refers to the “abomination of desolation,” he is referring to the world power, Rome, that was the evil cause of the end of sacrifices. It is this abomination who will also ultimately destroy the Temple in AD 70, not merely symbolically in Jesus’ death, but physically as well.
So verses 14-23 are dealing with this event, and all these things are fulfilled in AD 70.
24“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.”
In verse 24, we get a couple of markers that Jesus has shifted his subject. First, he begins with “but,” and instead of using the term “these days,” he says “those days.” Here, most interpreters agree that Jesus is talking about his Second Coming (although there are a few that make a plausible case that he is still talking about the destruction of the Temple). We see his promise to return in the clouds, just as he promised at his Ascension. At that point, he will gather his elect. If we want to use the word “rapture” (although I personally have qualms with it because of its connotations), this is it. Here, God is separating his elect from the evil world and gathering them unto himself so that he can judge. This separation language is a very common way to refer to the final judgment.
That Jesus says this will happen after the tribulation does not necessarily imply immediacy. He is simply saying the destruction of the Temple must come first. There are two ways to understand this. If we limit the tribulation that he’s talking about to simply the events of 70 AD, then there is an implied gap between the tribulation and the Second Coming. However, given Jesus description of the tribulation, I am inclined to think of the tribulation as an ongoing state until his return, with the destruction of the Temple as one key event within it.
It’s also worth noting that, even if you take a dispensational approach to Scripture, these verses completely rule out a pre-tribulational rapture. The gathering of the elect does not occur until after the tribulation.
28“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
Now Jesus brings the two parts of his discourse together. In verse 5-23, he was speaking of the destruction of the Temple (“these things”), and in verses 24-27, he was speaking of his Second Coming. Now, he shows the relationship between the two.
Verses 28-29 speak to the imminence of Christ’s return. As Christians, we can’t take any end times view that puts Jesus on a schedule; we’re supposed to always be prepared for his return. If we take “these things” as future things, we deny this reality.
Verse 30 also poses a major difficulty for those who teach that Jesus is only speaking about a future revelation. (There’s a great irony in those claiming to teach a “literal” interpretation trying to understand a generation as something other than a generation!) Jesus’ statement here is abundantly clear: he is simply saying the Temple will be destroyed with in a generation, and this prophecy is fulfilled. The Temple is destroyed within forty years of Jesus’ words.
32“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35Therefore stay awake–for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning– 36lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
Again, Jesus turn back to his Second Coming with the phrase “that day.” He gives very clear indicators of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, but with regard to the Second Coming, no one knows the day or the hour. So he repeats the principle of immanence. He is returning at an undisclosed time, so Christians ought to always be prepared for it.