Jesus first answered the disciples' second question about the sign of the end of the present age. He did so negatively by warning them of false signs (vv. 5-13). Then He gave them positive information about the event that will signal great tribulation followed by His second coming (vv. 14-27). Finally Jesus answered their first question about the destruction of Jerusalem with a parable (vv. 28-32). The central part of this revelation is eschatological (vv. 14-27) flanked by moral exhortations. This discourse is a good example of the practical nature of biblical prophecy.
"The conditions associated with the impending local crisis of Jerusalem's fall foreshadow those connected with the worldwide end-time crisis. Thus Jesus' words, relevant to His first disciples, remain so for all disciples who face similar conditions throughout this Age."309
13:5-6 The first word of the discourse proper means "take heed"(Gr. blepete). This word occurs four times in the following verses indicating that warning is an important theme (vv. 9, 23, 33). Here Jesus warned the disciples about people who would claim to be the Messiah. There would be many of them before He would return. Mark's "I am"is a divine name (cf. Exod. 3:14; John 8:58). Jesus said these false Messiahs would claim to be God as well as Messiah.
13:7-8 Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, and famines will precede Jesus' return, but they are not signs of the end of the age. There will be many of these things before the end comes. The messianic kingdom will appear in history similar to an infant who emerges from a very painful birth experience (cf. Isa. 66:8; Jer. 22:23; Hos. 13:13; Mic. 4:9-10). Jesus compared wars, rumors of war, earthquakes, and famines to the beginning of these pains. These phenomena show that the kingdom is coming, but they do not enable observers to date its arrival precisely. They are part of God's program for the present age that includes judgment as well as salvation. They do not necessarily indicate that the Tribulation has begun. However these things will also mark the first part of the Tribulation (cf. Rev. 6). Verses 5-8 probably describe conditions before and during the first half of the Tribulation, and verses 9-23 describe conditions during the second half.310
