Mark 13:11-15
Mark 13:11 (KJB)
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.
Here Jesus gives instruction how to handle those times when Christians will be
delivered up. They must not give any thought beforehand to what they are going
to say. The admonition not to premeditate or study before hand to give an answer
is important because they would not know what the accusations would be or the
central theme beforehand. The answers were to be given to them by the Holy
Spirit at the moment they needed it so they could take no credit for the
answers. The answers given will be fit perfectly for the accusations. This
admonition is not to discourage proper Bible study but it is for those extreme
times of trial when God promises a proper answer to those who come against the
believer. The believer will also be given boldness at that time to give an
answer to their accusers. This verse should never be taken as an excuse why one
should not study the Bible. I was in a church once where a person who believed
in charismatic theology was preaching. He did not study and thought that he was
going to be given words at the moment he started preaching. Well guess what? He
flopped and made no sense as he tried to speak and he made no sense whatsoever.
In fact, the more of the Bible you study, the more the Holy Spirit has to work
with and can give you much more testimony at the time needed.
Mark 13:12 (KJB)
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.
Jesus knew that betrayal was going to be part of what the Christians would
experience. Jesus knew this first hand because soon Judas was going to betray
Him. This verse also teaches that the family relationship will not override the
hatred that family members have for Jesus. Those who become Christians will face
betrayal by those in their own families. We see this today in Muslim, Hindu,
Jewish families (just to name three) that will ostracize those who have become
saved in Christ. The Muslims will kill that person, the Jews will hold a funeral
for that person, the Hindus will physically attack that person. So not even the
family relationship will protect any Christian. This is something that has not
stopped. The words “shall betray” is one word in the Greek and is in the future
tense which means it will continually happen until the Lord returns.
Mark 13:13 (KJB)
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.
The words “be hated” in the Greek are in the present tense which means that that
this general hatred of Christians is always present on earth. You can be of any
religion in this world and talk about “Mother Earth,” migration of the soul,
becoming god, witchcraft, etc., and that will find favor with the unsaved but
the minute you mention the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in another way than a
swear word, you will be ostracized and hated and persecuted. This world hates
the Lord Jesus Christ because He represents the fact that there is coming a day
of reckoning for the sins of man. World religions like New Age, Islam, Buddhism,
etc. do not have a way of dealing with sins so they ignore it and teach
deceptions like reincarnation, so a person feels good about dying and then
coming back for a second chance to make it better. The reality is that true
Christians will be hated by all the unbelievers in the world and that means both
the non-religious unbelievers and the religious unbelievers. You may be
tolerated by friends until the moment you mention the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ or the Bible or Judgment Day, and then you will be out.
In the second half of this verse, Jesus gives a recognizable characteristic of a
true Christian. When the persecution is turned up and they refuse to recant or
betray true Christianity and Christians, this is evidence that a person is truly
saved. A person enduring to the end is not a method of salvation but the fact
that a Christian endures to the end is evidence that they have been truly saved.
Look at how many martyrs went to the stake and stayed faithful unto the end of
their life. When Hugh Latimer was martyred in 1555 with Nicholas Ridley, while
on the stake he said to Ridley, “Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day
light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put
out.” He did not ask for mercy nor did he recant but prayed that their martyrdom
would light a candle that would never be put out. This is what is meant by
enduring to the end.
Mark 13:14 (KJB)
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:
Jesus now specifically tells the disciples that when you “see” the abomination
of desolation. This is speaking of physical sight and not spiritual sight for
the usage of the word “eidon” at this point. The abomination of Desolation will
be the armies of Rome because they will be seen in the holy place. The term
“holy place” is normally used in connection with the temple and tabernacle.
However, the term “holy place” is also used as a description of the city of
Jerusalem. (Psa 46:4 KJV) There is a river, the streams whereof shall make
glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
Before Jesus went to the cross, the term holy place or holy city was a name for
Jerusalem. So now Jesus is telling the disciples that when they physically see.
What will they physically see? Luke 21:20 answers that question. (Luke 21:20
KJV) And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the
desolation thereof is nigh. Remember Jesus said that their place is left
unto them desolate and when the army of Rome marches into Jerusalem and razes
it, the temple will be destroyed. (Dan 11:31 KJV) And arms shall stand on
his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away
the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
Along with the temple being destroyed, the Mosaic law will also be discontinued
or taken away because it is no longer needed because it was only a shadow of
Christ and since He came and went back to Heaven, it is now pure grace for
salvation.
Since the time Israel was formed through the 12 patriarchs, they have been a
rebellious, recalcitrant nation even to the point of crucifying their own
Messiah. What is happening here is God is now taking vengeance on Israel for
their rebellion. (Luke 21:22 KJV) For these be the days of vengeance, that
all things which are written may be fulfilled. The principle is given to us
in Romans 12:19. (Rom 12:19 KJV) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but
rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will
repay, saith the Lord. So it is God Himself who brought the vengeance upon
rebellious Israel and since He is now dealing with all nations of the world, the
Gospel could not be sequestered in a temple in one small place but must go out
to the whole world. The holy place in this verse has absolutely nothing to do
with a local church because Jesus is describing the end of the Mosaic system and
the end of a rebellious nation. The “local church” has not even been born yet
and will come into existence under the Apostle Paul.
Mark 13:15 (KJB)
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:
Here Jesus is also telling His disciples that when they see the abomination of
desolation that the urgency to escape will be so great that they will not even
have time enough to go into their houses and pack, instead they will have to go
down the outside staircase and just keep going. This verse teaches how serious
the time was and that there would be no time for packing just time enough to
escape with what they had on their back and their lives.