Mark 13:14-23 Be on guard!
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 1, 2018, Mark 13:14-23
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
“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. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that it may not happen in winter. For 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. And 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. And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. (ESV)
(Understanding the Scriptures) This is one of the most confusing parts for me of the whole section because at the beginning it is obviously about the destruction of the temple because it says Judea, but then suddenly Jesus starts talking about all of humanity. He says “For in those days” which seems to imply the days previously talked about and those that follow. He says “no human being would be saved” which refers to all people, not just Jews.
I looked back at references for the abomination of desolation. There are three references to Daniel–9:27, 11:31, and 12:11. “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.” (Dan 9:27). This is an obvious reference to Jesus’ ministry and the destruction of the temple. “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.” (Dan 11:31). This is in the section on the Kings of the North and South. It may mean the literal temple or the symbolic temple. “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.” (Dan 12:11). I’m not sure about all of the meanings. The only thing I am sure of is that Jesus was referring to the prophecies of Daniel and telling people that at least one of them was referring to the literal destruction of the temple and that it would happen after His death and resurrection because His death was taking away the temple’s function of sacrifice and offering.
(Revelation of God) Jesus had definitely studied Daniel and understood the significance of the prophecies. A lot of times we think that Jesus miraculously just knew things, or that the Holy Spirit was constantly whispering in His ear telling Him what to say. However, we are told that He was a man like us. That implies to me that He learned the same way that we do. That means that as He grew, He studied the scriptures extensively. He may have had an advantage in that He was not looking at them from a sinful nature so the kingdom of heaven interpretation would have been His first idea rather than reading from a fallen worldview. In other words, just as some people have a natural understanding of math while others find it incomprehensible even after much study, I think Jesus’ mind naturally thought in a Biblical way and did not follow as many false roads of interpretation as those of us with sinful natures do. On the other hand, I think that His understanding required intensive study and did not just miraculously appear in His mind as the scripture reminded Him of what He already knew. Maybe, some of that changed at His baptism when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in power. We know that this was a life-changing event because of the Holy Spirit driving Him into the wilderness. He was now operating in a different manner than before with a different kind of communication. At this point, I start comparing His communication with that of the prophets who spoke through the Holy Spirit. Again, they did not have the Holy Spirit constantly whispering ideas into their ears. They had visions and God talking to them and angels interpreting things. Thus, Jesus’ knowledge of prophesy may have been clarified in communion with the Father and through visions and the Spirit speaking, but I do not believe that communication happened as He was talking to the disciples, but previously during solitary prayer and meditation. I need to pray and meditate on this passage more to understand. I need to study the prophecies more in order to understand this part of Mark.
I did find a lesson about God’s providence. God allowed Saul and others to persecute the early church in order to make many of them scatter. He did this partly to spread the gospel, but did He also do it to protect the believers from getting caught up in the activities that would lead to the fate of Jerusalem in 70 A. D.? There was still a Christian church in Jerusalem in 70 A.D., but I have been told that the Christians all remembered the prophecies of Jesus and fled when they got the chance. Thus, no believers were killed in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem as far as I know. My idea is that by causing many to flee in Saul’s persecution, God made it less likely that they would be caught up in Jerusalem’s destruction. My thought is that God allowed a smaller evil to hurt Christians so that the larger evil would not.
The ISBE dictionary describes the events that led to the destruction and the actual destruction like this:
“48. Rising Against Florus and Defeat of Gallus
Finally the long-smoldering discontent of the Jews against the Romans burst forth into open rebellion under the criminal incompetence of Gessius Florus, 66 ad (Ant., XX, xi, 1). Palaces and public buildings were fired by the angered multitude, and after but two days’ siege, the Antonia itself was captured, set on fire and its garrison slain (BJ, II, xvii, 6-7). Cestius Gallus, hastening from Syria, was soon engaged in a siege of the city. The third wall was captured and the suburb BEZETHA (which see) burnt, but, when about to renew the attack upon the second wall, Gallus appears to have been seized with panic, and his partial withdrawal developed into an inglorious retreat in which he was pursued by the Jews down the pass to the Beth-horons as far as Antipatris (BJ, II, xix).
49. The City Besieged by Titus (70 ad)
This victory cost the Jews dearly in the long run, as it led to the campaign of Vespasian and the eventual crushing of all their national hopes. Vespasian commenced the conquest in the north, and advanced by slow and certain steps. Being recalled to Rome as emperor in the midst of the war, the work of besieging and capturing the city itself fell to his son Titus. None of the many calamities which had happened to the city are to be compared with this terrible siege. In none had the city been so magnificent, its fortifications so powerful, its population so crowded. It was Passover time, but, in addition to the crowds assembled for this event, vast numbers had hurried there, flying from the advancing Roman army. The loss of life was enormous; refugees to Titus gave 600,000 as the number dead (BJ, V, xiii, 7), but this seems incredible. The total population today within the walls cannot be more than 20,000, and the total population of modern Jerusalem, which covers a far greater area than that of those days, cannot at the most liberal estimate exceed 80,000. Three times this, or, say, a quarter of a million, seems to be the utmost that is credible, and many would place the numbers at far less.
50. Party Divisions Within the Besieged Walls
The siege commenced on the 14th of Nisan, 70 ad, and ended on the 8th of Elul, a total of 134 days. The city was distracted by internal feuds. Simon held the upper and lower cities; John of Gischala, the temple and “Ophel”; the Idumeans, introduced by the Zealots, fought only Walls for themselves, until they relieved the city of their terrors. Yet another party, too weak to make its counsels felt, was for peace with Rome, a policy which, if taken in time, would have found in Titus a spirit of reason and mercy. The miseries of the siege and the destruction of life and property were at least as much the work of the Jews themselves as of their conquerors. On the 15th day of the siege the third wall (Agrippa’s), which had been but hastily finished upon the approach of the Romans, was captured; the second wall was finally taken on the 24th day; on the 72nd day the Antonia fell, and 12 days later the daily sacrifice ceased. On the 105th day – the ominous 9th of Ab – the temple and the lower city were burnt, and the last day found the whole city in flames.
51. Capture and Utter Destruction of the City
Only the three great towers of Herod, Hippicus, Pharsel and Mariamne, with the western walls, were spared to protect the camp of the Xth Legion which was left to guard the site, and “in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was and how well fortified”; the rest of the city was dug up to its foundations (BJ, VII, i, 1).”
(Application) I really don’t know what application to make for myself since I don’t really understand everything here. Maybe the application is that when Jesus tells me to do something, it is for my own good because He cares for me. Jesus was not only forecasting doom to the temple and the Pharisaical way of life. He was also taking care of His future brothers and sisters by warning them of a specific danger to them in the future. Jesus has also given me the scriptures to give me guidance and I need to understand and take His advice because He loves me and wants what is best for me. That guidance includes the prophecies, so I guess I should stop avoiding them.
(Prayer) Help me to understand and obey the warnings that You have given in Your word. Teach me to understand this scripture better and to be able to teach others the message that You have given us here. Thank You for always taking care of me and planning for me. Give me faith to trust Your wisdom and planning even when the worst seems to be happening around me because You are faithful to all who will accept You as their Lord.