Mark 13:3-8

Signs of the End of the Age

13:3 So ¹  while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, ²  and Andrew asked him privately, 13:4 “Tell us, when will these things ³  happen? And what will be the sign that all these things are about to take place?” 13:5 Jesus began to say to them, “Watch out ⁴  that no one misleads you. 13:6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ ⁵  and they will mislead many. 13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁶  13:8 For nation will rise up in arms ⁷  against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. ⁸  These are but the beginning of birth pains.

[13:3]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[13:3]  ² tn Grk “and James and John,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[13:4]  ³ sn Both references to these things are plural, so more than the temple’s destruction is in view. The question may presuppose that such a catastrophe signals the end.

[13:5]  ⁴ tn Or “Be on guard.”

[13:6]  ⁵ tn That is, “I am the Messiah.”

[13:7]  ⁶ tn Grk “it is not yet the end.”

[13:8]  ⁷ tn For the translation “rise up in arms” see L&N 55.2.

[13:8]  ⁸ sn See Isa 5:13-14; 13:6-16; Hag 2:6-7; Zech 14:4.