Mark 13:14-23 - Shadows, Actions, & Pitfalls

This week, we’re diving into Mark 13:14-23, a challenging passage where Jesus unveils prophecy with purpose—to warn, encourage, and sanctify His church. We’ll unpack the dual shadows of judgment, from the desolation of Jerusalem to the final days, and explore deliberate actions Jesus calls us to take: fleeing danger, praying earnestly, and staying vigilant. We’ll also confront dangerous pitfalls, like false messiahs, that threaten to deceive. This isn’t about timelines or speculation—it’s about living wisely for God’s glory, no matter when we’re found. Join me as we dig into this sobering yet hope-filled Word and look to Jesus, our true hope! 

Transcript

93 - Mark 13:14-23 - Shadows, Actions, & Pitfalls

Intro

• If you have your Bibles please turn with me to Mark 13 and find verse 14.
  • Today we have the privilege of stepping back into this chapter of prophecy that is meant to…
    • Display the wisdom and foreknowledge of Christ, Prepare the Church for what is to come, and to Bring Glory to the Father.
  • My hope and prayer as we take a look at these verses is that all three purposes will be clearly expressed in our time together. 
• Let me also point out, before we even read our verses, that these verses we will read in just a moment are some of the most challenging verses found in Mark 13.
  • Actually, they are some of the most challenging verses found across the New Testament.
    • I say that because of how they reference a prophecy found in the book of Daniel and because of that reference these few verses thrust us into the various interpretations of the timeline for the last days.
    • To say it differently, it is a difficult thing to cover these verses without stepping off into theories and speculations. 
  • However, we are going to strive today to walk through these verses without stepping off into speculations…
    • Instead we are going to try to view these verses as they were intended to be read.
    • What I mean is that we are going to strive to read and interpret these verses in a practical sense.
  • I have said it before, Jesus did not give us this chapter so that we can create a timeline of events or so that we could argue our point of view on those events.
    • He gave the church this prophecy for the good of the church.
      • It is meant to be a warning passage, a passage of encouragement, a passage that is meant to bring correction.
      • In other words, it is intended for our sanctification.
    • I firmly believe that regardless of the time in which we are found living…
      • Whether we are near the end or our Lord tarries for another 2000 years this scripture, and others like it, is meant for our good and for His Glory.
• To that end we are going to split our time across three points, those points are…
  • Dual Shadows…
  • Deliberate Actions… AND
  • Dangerous Pitfalls…
• With that intro let us open in read, beginning in verse 14, and open in prayer…

Mark 13:14-23

• As we start in our time together it is important to note some differences that are found across Bible translations.
  • Especially in verse 14 we find two very important differences that are worth noting.
• First, the difference in the King James Version and the New King James Version, and all other modern translations.
  • For those of you who have either a King James or New King James then you probably already noticed this difference.
  • For everyone else I want to read this verse 14 in the King James Version and then read it again from the ESV.
    • KJV Mark 13:14 - “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:”
    • ESV Mark 13:14 - “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.”
  • Did you catch it?
    • In the KJV and NKJV we find an additional statement that is not found in any other of our modern English translations.
    • They both mention that this “abomination of desolation” is spoken of by Daniel the prophet.  
      • Whereas all other translations exclude that statement entirely.
  • This is one of those situations where we find that different manuscripts were used to translate the New Testament from Greek to English.
    • When the King James version was originally translated they used the earliest that was available at the time, those manuscripts contained this phrase.
    • However, since that time earlier manuscripts have been discovered and the earliest manuscripts to date do not contain that phrase.
    • What we find is that this information was more than likely added to provide context for what Jesus was referring to and the earliest manuscripts did not contain that commentary.
  • We have seen this before, and we will see it again. 
    • It does not mean we should not use the King James or the New King James, and it does not mean we should avoid modern transitions…
    • It is simply worth noting as we come across it in the scripture.
• Now for the second difference, this one is more subtle and could be easily missed but again is worth pointing out from the start.
  • In verse 14 we find when the “abomination of desolation” is mentioned most of our english translations refer to this as an object.
  • However, there is one translation that stands out and refers to the “abomination of desolation” as a person.
    • The ESV refers to this not as an object but as a man.
      • ESV Mark 13:14a - “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be…”
        • Compare that to the New American Standard Bible…
      • NASB Mark 13:14a - “Now when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be…”
  • Though this is subtle it is a big difference and leaves us wondering…
    • Are we talking about a man or are we talking about an object?
      • This again is where we can get into the weeds and if we are not careful miss the forest for the trees.
  • Even though it is important to discuss and to have a view on this, the reality is that whether this abomination is a man or an idol the response of the church and the command of Christ does not change.
• Where I do think it is worth noting these differences as we come across them the bottom line is that it does not change the rest of the message.
  • In other words these differences will have little impact on how this passage can be understood and applied.
  • So let us leave behind these differences and step into our first point…

Dual Shadows - Vs. 14a, 19-20

• As we step into this first point we must be reminded of two things…
  • First, as Jesus spoke these words He had in mind the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
    • We have talked about this a lot as we stepped into this chapter, He clearly had that in mind when He spoke these words.
  • Second, as Jesus spoke these words He had in mind the final judgment that is yet to come upon the Earth.
    • That is to say that what happened in 70 AD was a shadow of what is still to come.
  • We have to keep this dual understanding in mind as we walk through this chapter, these verses are no different.
• However, what is different as we step into this passage is that what Jesus calls the abomination of desolation is referenced in the book of Daniel.
  • Which is why Mark pauses the narrative and urges his readers to pay attention and to understand what Jesus is saying.
  • There are three places in Daniel where this abomination is referenced and it is spread across three chapters.
    • We will not turn there this morning, for the sake of time, but I do want to list them and share with you what Daniel has written about this abomination.
    • The first place we see it mentioned is in Daniel 9…
      • Daniel 9:27 - “And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
      • This is the first glimpse of this situation occurring, but we do see it described further…
    • If we were to keep reading we would find ourselves in Daniel 11…
      • Daniel 11:31 - “Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.”
    • Here we are told that whatever this is, it does bring an end to the burnt offering, the sacrifices will cease.
    • Then we find the final verse the abomination is mentioned in Daniel 12…
      • Daniel 12:11 - “And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.”
    • Here we are given a timetable for this event and throughout these chapters we find the mention of 70 weeks…
      • These 70 weeks are fundamental in how the last days are understood.
      • Every end times view has to take into account these 70 weeks and how they fit into their view on how things will unfold.  
  • At this time, we are not going to get into those different explanations on the 70 weeks.
    • I feel as though it would distract us from what Christ is warning us about in our current passage.  
• It is important to note though that those who lived during the time of Christ would have looked back at their history at an event that they considered to be this abomination of desolation that Daniel talked about.
• That is worthy of our attention and discussion and is something we should be familiar with when considering the Words of Christ in our verses.
  • In 167 BC, nearly 200 years before the cross the Jewish people lived under Greek rule.
  • During this rule there was a man named Antiochus AN-TIE-A-CUSS Epiphanes, he entered Jerusalem, he entered the Temple, and he desecrated it.
    • He set up the temple to be for Zeus worship, he sacrificed a pig upon the altar, and made Jewish religious practices illegal.
      • Not simply illegal but punishable by death.
    • This led to a revolt that has become known as the Maccabean revolt, this occurred during the time between the Old Testament and the New.
  • Just for context sake I want to share with you some of the writings of that time that detailed the events leading up to the revolt.
    • What I am about to read is found in 1 Maccabees, a book that is historical but not considered a part of the canon of scripture.
    • Therefore it should be used for historical context only and not be considered as the Word of God.
  • In chapter 1 we find these words…
    • 1 Maccabees 1:54-57 - “54 Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred forty-fifth year, they erected a desolating sacrilege on the altar of burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding towns of Judah, 55 and offered incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. 56 The books of the law that they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire. 57 Anyone found possessing the book of the covenant, or anyone who adhered to the law, was condemned to death by decree of the king.”
      • So we find they desecrated the altar, sought to destroy the Word of God, and killed any who lived by it.
      • Later on in the same chapter we find more descriptions of this time in Israel. 
    • 1 Maccabees 1:60-61 - “According to the decree, they put to death the women who had their children circumcised, 61 and their families and those who circumcised them; and they hung the infants from their mothers’ necks.”
      • I do not want to be to crude here but please realize what the author is saying.
      • He is saying that they killed the infants and then forced the mothers to carry them around their necks.
      • I cannot imagine such a terrible thing but history gives us plenty of examples of terrible things that have occurred.
      • The author continues…
    • 1 Maccabees 1:62-64 - “62 But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. 63 They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. 64 Very great wrath came upon Israel.”
  • This time existed after the writings of Daniel and was considered the abomination that he had written about.
    • There are timelines for the 70 weeks that do fit for when this occurred.
• This is important context for this phrase and this passage and will help set the stage for what is to come.
  • Let us consider together what happened after Jesus spoke these words in Mark 13.
    • Yes, He was arrested, tried, and crucified.
    • He rose back to life and the church was born.
  • Then, nearly 40 years after that point Jerusalem was again found to be at the point of conflict.
    • The city was laid to waste, the temple was desecrated and destroyed and not one stone was left on top of another. 
    • You see what happened in 167 BC foreshadowed what was to come in 70 AD.
    • Likewise what occurred in 70 AD is but a shadow of what is to come in the last days.
  • Both represent a judgment of God falling upon His people because of their sinful rebellion.
• It is the same situation we find when we consider the flood of Noah’s time, it was but a shadow of what is to come.
  • Although there will be an important diction between God’s judgment in the flood and the judgment that is yet to come upon the Earth.
    • Peter points this out in the final chapter of his second epistle…
      • 2 Peter 3:5-7 - “For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”
    • What awaits this world is not the atrocities that occured in 167 BC, it is not even the destruction that occurred in 70 AD, it is the complete unmaking of this creation by the Holy fire of God.
  • Out of which will arise a New and perfection Creation that perfectly Glorifies the Father as it should.
• Jesus describes this time with words that we have already read but that we must turn our attention to once more.
  • Look with me at verse 19 as Jesus gives us a description of this judgment that is yet to come. 
    • Vs. 19-20
  • Though it is a terror to consider, let us not miss that even in the midst of such judgment we have a glorious promise that Christ made to His bride, the church.
    • “...for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.”
  • Here is the beauty in the midst of the terror that is to come, the church will not be forgotten by her Savior.
    • Throughout church history this is the thread of hope that exists continually upon the Saints…
      • Consider the perspective of the Apostle Paul…
        • 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 - “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;”
      • He continues to discuss these struggles and then concludes his thoughts on it in the close of that same chapter.  
        • 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light mo-mentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
    • I remind you brothers and sisters that we do not live for this day and for this life, we live for the eternal.
      • As we consider that perspective we can endure great pains, great heartaches, and great trials and sufferings.  
      • For we know even in the midst of the most heated trials that we are not forgotten and we will indeed endure.
  • Just as Noah and his family endured the flood, just as God preserved Lot and his daughters from the fire He rained upon Sodom, so also will He bring us through.
    • Peter uses this same idea in 2 Peter 2 as he references both the global flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and how God preserves the righteous.  
    • Therefore we can with great confidence also recognize that regardless of how we think the last days will play out…
      • We can without a doubt agree upon the fact that God will see us through. 
• So in this first point as we consider the shadow of judgment that is yet to come let us also be encouraged that our God is faithful and He has demonstrated this truth consistently throughout His Word.
  • Now, let us move into our second point…

Deliberate Actions - Vs. 14b-18

• What we find is that even though our God will take care of us He still expects us to be wise in the midst of trials.
  • Look again with me at our verses and we will see two things that our Lord urges for His people during this difficult time.
    • Vs. 14b-18
  • Consider again the destruction of Jerusalem, the city is surrounded and the wrath of the armies are being poured out upon the city.
    • Jesus practically tells the people to recognize the danger and to flee from the destruction.
    • In the same way you do not run back into a burning building for your jacket so also are the people to flee from this dangerous situation.
  • Here we must realize that even though a mark of Christianity is suffering for the sake of Christ, it is not something we should seek out.
    • There are times when the right thing to do is to flee from physical harm, it is not a cowardly thing to preserve life.
    • Consider the Apostle Paul, again one who knew suffering, also seemed to know when to flee from danger.
      • Acts 9:23-25 - “When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.”
    • We could also consider the church in a broad sense after the death of Stephen Acts 8.
      • The church was scattered because of persecution, they fled from the region of Israel to preserve their lives.
      • Though Stephen was killed, others were preserved, and in his death and in their preaching the Gospel continued to spread.  
  • Jesus urges us in these verses to be wise, to be watchful, and to preserve life.
• He urges one final thing before we move on to our final point, He urges us to be a people of prayer.
  • He tells His Apostles to “...pray that it may not happen in winter.”
    • In other words to pray that it would not be more dangerous than it already would be on its own.
    • He is telling them to look at the danger and to pray in response to what is to come.
  • Let us consider the time in which we live, as we do I would urge you to pray in three different ways…
    • First, pray for the sanctification of this local body…
      • Pray for your brothers and sisters who are here with you, pray for those who cannot be here with us.
      • Do not just pray for them physically but pray that their spirit would be strengthened and that they would be brought nearer to Christ.
      • Pray for our unity and the holiness of us corporately.  
    • Second, pray for the salvation of the lost around us…
      • We cannot consider eternity without considering those who are in true danger of hell fire.
      • Pray for them, we all know some who are outside of Christ and need to be saved.
      • Though they may mock our preaching, though they may argue with the Gospel, they will not be able to stand against the mighty hand of a loving Father who draws them.
      • Pray for them.
    • Third, pray for the success of the Gospel among the nations…
      • Remember verse 10 of this chapter, and be reminded of the mission we have before us.
      • It does not end with us sharing the Gospel locally but it ends with the success of the Gospel globally.  
  • As we pray in this way we are praying considering the coming judgment, we are praying in agreement with the command of Christ as He taught us to pray…
    • “Father,... your kingdom come…” - Luke 11:2
• Here we find clear actions we can take as we are mindful of what is to come and we are prayerful as we have been commanded.
  • Now let us turn our attention to the final verses and to our final point as we consider…

Dangerous Pitfalls - Vs. 21-23

• Look again with me at our final verses of this section…
  • Vs. 21-23
• Here we see again, very clearly, one of the purposes of this prophecy…
  • It is to prepare the church, to prepare the elect for what is to come.
  • Here we are told two things…
    • First, that there will be false messiah’s arise that try to deceive the church.
      • History has revealed many false prophets who have led many astray.
        • Church please recognize that there are many false teachers that prevail even in our day.
          • Do not lend your ear to them.
        • We need not look very far at all to see deception and to see people deceived.
        • Many who claim to follow Christ live completely contrary to the Word of God.
      • I remind you that God has given us His Word to show us how we are to live, how we are to worship.
        • He has ordained it and He alone gets to command us how we are to live.
        • Our feelings on the matter do not matter, the bottom line is what the Word of God has to say.
      • In this way we stand against false teaching and a false Gospel, in this we need to have no fear of man.
    • Second, the Lord tells us again that we are to be “on guard”.  
      • This means to be vigilant, to be on the lookout, and to be careful.
        • We are living in the midst of a fallen people who stand in opposition to their Creator and His children.
        • We can expect those to stand against us, to stand opposed to us, and as we expect it we are to be wise and watchful.
      • As our Lord has told us before, so also will He tell us again later on in this same chapter.
  • There are dangerous pitfalls all around us but we have a Good God that has a hold of us, let us rest in Him today. 
• It is here that we will close out…

Closing

• The question we should always come to as we close out our time together is this…
  • How should I respond to these verses or how should I respond to this passage?
    • The Word is meant to sanctify us, to move us nearer to Christ, to mold us into His image, to make us holy.
    • How is that to play out across our congregation today?
      • I trust that the Spirit of God is able to use the Word of God to draw us nearer to the Father and make us more like the Son.
      • So I urge you to yield yourself to God today, the altar is open for prayer and I will be down front as well.  
  • To that end I say once more…
    • As you consider eternity and the judgment that is to come…
      • Be prepared…
      • Be prayerful…
      • Be watchful…
      • Be wise…
  • Cling to the Word, Cling to the Lord, and let us persevere whatever is to come.
• Let us pray.