SUMMARY
JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. unfolds the coming tribulations for his disciples and urges them to stay vigilant.
ANALYSIS
This section of Mark goes by a few different names. It is sometimes called the “Eschatological Discourse” because it describes the “end times” which in Greek is called the eschaton. Others prefer to describe it as “apocalyptic.” While apocalyptic has to deal with “end times,” it also describes the revealing of hidden things, which Jesus does by interpreting the signs of the end for his disciples. Sometimes the adjective “little” is added to distinguish Mark 13:1-37 from the “big” apocalypseAt its root, being derived from a Greek word meaning "unveiling," apocalypse refers to a revelation of a divine or previously unseen reality. Some ancient Jewish and Christian literature used the term to describe destruction or cataclysm. Paul describes his encounter with Jesus Christ as..., the Book of Revelation.
The little apocalypse can be divided into five sections; each section contains both warning and comfort. The first has to do with the fate of the disciples themselves. Here, Jesus predicts their future suffering for his Gospel and places it in the general context of global upheaval. As a comfort in the midst of this, he promises them that the HolyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine Spirit will give them words to speak when they are called to testify.
The second section deals with the fate of Judea itself and of the TempleThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... in particular. Drawing on prophetic language from the book of DanielAn interpreter of dreams who was delivered from the lions' den. (9:27), Jesus predicts that the holiness of the Temple will be violated. This prediction carries with it the threat of war, because the Temple could only be violated if Jerusalem itself was conquered. This threatening prediction is balanced by Jesus’ assertion that even though the Temple will be desecrated, God will still watch over the elect and shorten the time of their suffering.
The third section moves from the earthly realm to the heavenly. Jesus lists a series of signs in the heavens: the darkening of the sun and the moon and the falling of the stars. While this is a terrifying set of events, it also carries an implicit promise, because it means that the cosmic powers that enslave humanity will be shaken. Jesus himself will appear in great power and glory to signify his triumph over these cosmic powers and he promises to send his messengers to gather his chosen together no matter how far scattered they are.
The fourth section contains a parableA parable is a brief story with a setting, an action, and a result. A prominent aspect of Jesus' teaching was telling parables to illustrate something about the kingdom, or reign, of God. in which Jesus uses watching for the signs of spring as a metaphor for watching for the end times. In this section, Jesus balances the terror of the destruction of the earth and heavens with the promise that his words will endure forever.
Finally, the fifth section is a call for vigilance and is also illustrated with a parable. The parable of the traveling man serves to prepare the disciples for Jesus’ departure and also to underline their need to watch for his return.
