Times are Changing
The prophetic nature of Mark 13 can set readers on edge. What is Jesus talking about here? Is it the end of the world? Read this week’s readings here.
War on The Horizon
We have to take a look at contemporary history sources to understand the climate of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. Israel and the surrounding communities were all under Roman occupation. The crackling charge of war happening any minute was everywhere. It is easy to forget about this reading certain parts of the Gospels, because of so many mentions of Herod. However, he was a puppet king, and when the local government couldn’t handle things, Roman rule would suddenly be present, such as during Jesus’s passion and crucifixion.
Get Rid of Those Romans
According to Tacitus, a contemporary Roman chronicler and historian, “The Jews regard as profane all that we hold sacred; on the other hand, they permit all that we abhor.” So while the Romans could conquer other peoples and pacify them by offering the benefits of Roman society, this never worked in Israel. There was no way that the people of God would ever accept roman pagan rule.
That is why many Jews doubted Jesus. They wanted the Messiah to be the military leader who would build a Godly Jewish army that could drive the Romans out. However, Jesus was much more concerned with the eternal salvation of our souls than he was with making war with the Romans. Jesus had been telling his disciples to worship in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23-24), and not only in the temple for some time.
A Startling Prediction
Still, Jesus makes this startling prediction during Mark’s Gospel. While modern readers might see this passage as an end-of-the-world prophesy that did not come to pass, it is not. It is the prediction of first, the transfiguration of Jesus, and later, the destruction of Jerusalem. The transfiguration happens a week later than this passage, and it happens just as He describes it here, with Peter, James and John in attendance. The destruction of Jerusalem (and the Temple) happens later, in 70 AD, just after the events in the Acts of the Apostles. For us today, being watchful and vigilant is the lesson we should keep from this turbulent period of history. Jesus is telling us to focus on our salvation, and less on things of the world, which can be distractions. This is something we can heed in our modern lives.
Look Here for More
This is an interesting article from which I began my research from Catholic Answers here. I also dug in to Josephus Flavius and Tacitus contemporary histories for historical accounts.