The Coming of the Son of Man in His Generation Text: Mark 13:14-23
Introduction: Reading the Signs
We live in an age that is addicted to newspaper eschatology. Every time there is a war in the Middle East, or a new technology that seems a bit spooky, or a particularly villainous politician struts onto the world stage, a certain kind of Christian gets out his charts and highlighters and starts trying to fit current events into the book of Revelation. This is a profound mistake, but it is not a new one. The disciples themselves, looking at the magnificent Temple, asked Jesus a question that conflated two distinct events: the destruction of that Temple and the end of the world. Jesus, in this discourse on the Mount of Olives, patiently untangles their confusion.
What we must grasp, and what modern evangelicalism has largely failed to grasp, is that the primary focus of this prophecy is not our future, but their future. Jesus is giving his disciples an urgent, practical, and life-saving warning about a specific, historical event that was going to occur within their lifetime, within their generation. He is talking about the catastrophic end of the old covenant world, symbolized and actualized in the utter destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple by the Roman armies in A.D. 70. If we miss this, we will misread the entire chapter, and we will find ourselves looking for signs in the headlines instead of resting in the finished work of Christ and getting on with the business of discipling the nations.
Jesus is not giving them fuel for idle speculation. He is giving them a survival guide. He is telling them what to look for, and what to do when they see it, so that they might be saved from the most horrific tribulation that would befall that nation. This is not about a seven year tribulation two thousand years in the future; it is about the forty year season of tribulation that was about to fall upon the generation that rejected and crucified their Messiah. The central mistake of futurism is to take a passage that is clearly and explicitly about the judgment on first century Jerusalem and to airlift it into our time, leaving the original audience with a set of irrelevant instructions. But Jesus was a good shepherd, warning His sheep of a clear and present danger.
So as we come to this text, we must do what Jesus commands the reader to do. We must understand. We must read it with first century eyes, and see that the coming of the Son of Man in judgment that He describes here is not the final Second Coming, but a coming in judgment upon apostate Israel, a vindication of His own authority, and the final, decisive transition from the old covenant to the new.
The Text
“But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. And the one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his garment. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that it may not happen in the winter. For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; for false christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But as for you, see! I have told you everything in advance.”
(Mark 13:14-23 LSB)
The Unmistakable Sign (v. 14)
Jesus gives His disciples one great, unmistakable sign that the end of Jerusalem is at hand.
“But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.” (Mark 13:14)
This phrase, "the abomination of desolation," is a direct quote from the prophet Daniel. It refers to a sacrilegious desecration of the holy place that results in its utter ruin. The disciples would have known this prophecy well. But what is it, specifically? Futurists want to place this in a rebuilt temple in our future, with a computer chip antichrist. But Luke’s gospel gives us the divinely inspired, inerrant commentary on Mark's gospel. Luke says, "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near" (Luke 21:20). There it is, plain as day. The abomination of desolation is the pagan Roman armies, with their idolatrous standards, surrounding the holy city and standing in the holy land, where they ought not to be.
Mark includes a parenthetical note: "let the reader understand." This is a nudge in the ribs to the Christians who would be reading this gospel in the decades leading up to the great war with Rome. He is saying, "Pay attention! This is not abstract theology. This is your exit strategy." And history records that the Christians did understand. When the Roman general Cestius Gallus surrounded Jerusalem in A.D. 66 and then inexplicably withdrew, the Christians in the city recognized the sign. They took Jesus at His word and fled the city, mostly to a town called Pella across the Jordan. When Titus and his legions returned a few years later and sealed the city, not one Christian, as far as we know, perished in the ensuing siege. They saw the sign, they obeyed the command, and they were saved.
The command is specific: "flee to the mountains." This is not a spiritual metaphor for prayer. It is a direct, geographical command. Get out of Judea. Get to high ground. The judgment is coming like a flood, and the only safety is in immediate, radical obedience.
The Urgency of the Escape (v. 15-18)
Jesus then emphasizes the sheer urgency of this flight. There will be no time for leisurely packing.
"And the one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his garment. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that it may not happen in the winter." (Mark 13:15-18 LSB)
The imagery here is one of frantic haste. The housetops in that day were flat, used for work and relaxation. The external staircases meant you could get down to the street without going back inside. Jesus says, "Don't even think about it. Don't go back for your wallet, your family photos, your cloak. Just run." The man in the field has taken off his outer garment to work; he is to leave it. Life is more valuable than property. This is not a drill. When the sign appears, every second counts.
This kind of specific, practical instruction makes no sense if it refers to a global, end-of-the-world event. If the whole planet is ending, where would you flee to? What good would running to the mountains do? And why would it matter if you grabbed your coat? This is localized, geographical, and historical. It fits the siege of a city perfectly.
The "woe" to the pregnant and nursing mothers is not a curse, but a cry of deep compassion. Jesus is acknowledging the immense difficulty and sorrow of their situation. Fleeing for your life is hard enough. Fleeing with a baby in your arms, or heavy with child, is a unique and terrible burden. Likewise, the prayer that it not be in winter is a practical concern. Winter meant swollen rivers, muddy roads, and bitter cold, making a refugee's journey all the more perilous. This is the practical, pastoral heart of our Lord, caring for the physical realities His people would face.
An Unparalleled Tribulation (v. 19-20)
Jesus then describes the severity of this judgment. It will be a time of suffering without historical precedent for that nation.
"For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days." (Genesis 1:3 LSB)
Now, this is a key verse for the futurists. They say, "See? This must be a future, global tribulation, because it is the worst suffering of all time." But we must read carefully. Jesus is using a common form of Hebrew hyperbole to describe the intensity of a particular judgment. It is the worst tribulation of its kind, a covenantal judgment on God's people. The Jewish historian Josephus, who was an eyewitness to the siege of Jerusalem, describes horrors that are almost unreadable. He speaks of mass starvation, where mothers ate their own children; of rampant disease; of crucifixions so numerous there was no more wood for the crosses; of internal factional warfare that was as bloody as the Roman assault. By the end, over a million Jews were dead, and the city was a smoking ruin. For the nation of Israel, it was a tribulation that truly had no parallel.
But notice the grace. "Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved." The Greek word for "life" here is sarx, meaning flesh. It refers to physical life. If the war had dragged on, the entire Jewish population in Judea would have been annihilated. But for the sake of the "elect," God cut it short. Who are the elect here? In the first instance, it refers to the Jewish Christians who had fled the city. If the war had expanded and continued indefinitely, they too would have been caught up in the destruction. But it also refers to the elect remnant of Jews who would survive the siege, those whom God would preserve for His future purposes. God in His sovereignty put a limit on the carnage, preserving a remnant by grace.
Deception in the Chaos (v. 21-23)
Finally, Jesus warns that this time of unprecedented crisis will be a breeding ground for religious deception.
"And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; for false christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But as for you, see! I have told you everything in advance." (Mark 13:21-23 LSB)
In times of great desperation, people look for saviors. Josephus records that during the siege, numerous messianic pretenders and charlatans arose, promising supernatural deliverance to the trapped and starving populace. They would say, "The Messiah is in the desert, gathering an army!" or "He is in the inner rooms of the Temple, about to reveal himself!" Jesus says, "Do not believe it." His coming in this judgment would not be a localized, physical appearance that you have to go find. It would be a public, unmistakable vindication, like lightning flashing from east to west (Matt. 24:27).
And these false prophets would not just be smooth talkers. They would have power. They will "show signs and wonders." This is crucial. Miracles are not automatically a sign of divine approval. The magicians of Egypt replicated some of Moses' miracles. Satan is a supernatural being, and he can empower his servants to do things that dazzle and deceive. The ultimate test of a prophet is not his power, but his fidelity to the Word of God. These false prophets would perform these wonders with the aim of leading astray, "if possible, the elect."
The phrase "if possible" is a great comfort. It tells us that it is not, in fact, possible for the elect to be ultimately deceived and led astray. God's chosen people are secure in His hand. Their faith is preserved by His sovereign power, not by their own cleverness. But the warning is still necessary, because the deceptions will be potent and persuasive. The primary means by which God preserves His elect from deception is by giving them His Word in advance. "But as for you, see! I have told you everything in advance." The antidote to deception is prior instruction. The way to spot a lie is to know the truth beforehand. Jesus equipped His disciples, and He has equipped us, by telling us what to expect.
Conclusion: The Vindication of the King
The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was not just a geopolitical event. It was a theological event of the first magnitude. It was the public, historical vindication of Jesus Christ. The Jewish authorities had crucified Him, declaring, "We have no king but Caesar." Forty years later, the King they rejected came back in judgment, using the armies of the king they chose, and dismantled their entire world. The Temple was gone. The sacrificial system was gone. The priesthood was gone. The old covenant age was brought to a bloody and decisive end.
This was the "coming of the Son of Man" that Jesus prophesied would happen in that generation. It was not His final, personal return, but it was a true coming in power and glory. He came on the clouds of judgment, just as Isaiah prophesied Yahweh would come on the clouds to judge Egypt (Is. 19:1). He was vindicated as the true Prophet, Priest, and King.
The lesson for us is not to look for Roman armies, but to recognize the authority of the King who was enthroned at His ascension and who proved His reign in the judgment of A.D. 70. He is reigning now. He is sovereign over all the turmoil of our age, just as He was over the chaos of that one. Our duty is not to speculate, but to obey. Our safety is not in fleeing to the mountains of Pella, but in fleeing to the mountain of Calvary. We are not to be distracted by the signs and wonders of false prophets, but are to be steadfast in the Word He has given us in advance. He has told us everything we need to know for life and godliness. The King has been vindicated. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. Our task, therefore, is simple: go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey everything He has commanded. For behold, He is with us always, even to the end of the age.