24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” – Mark 13:24-37 ESV
Almost the entire focus of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse is the far-distant future. He is telling His disciples about events that will take place long after they are gone. But He uses language that conveys a sense of anticipation, almost as if these things could happen tomorrow. In a sense, He is trying to help them understand that, in just a few days, they will witness one of the most significant parts of God’s grand redemptive plan.
With all His emphasis on future events, it is easy to forget that Jesus was just days away from His own death. But that singular event will inaugurate a new age. With His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus will usher in the church age. His return to His Father’s side will make the coming of the Holy Spirit possible. On the day of Pentecost, His followers will receive the “power from on high” He promised, transforming them into bold, powerful ambassadors of the gospel, and their efforts will help give birth to the church. For generations, the church will grow and prosper, spreading throughout the world and impacting every tribe, nation, and tongue. But one day, Jesus will return for His bride, the church, and take them to be with Him in heaven. With all believers removed from the face of the earth, the stage will be set for the day of Tribulation: a seven-year period of divine judgment upon the earth and its inhabitants. And, as Jesus warned, “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” (Mark 14:19 ESV).
Yet even in those dark days, God will continue to redeem the lost, beginning with 144,000 Jews who will represent each of the 12 tribes of Israel (Revelation 7:4). They will become witnesses to the world, resulting in the salvation of countless individuals from every people group on the planet. Many of those believers will become martyrs, suffering death at the hand of the Antichrist. But according to God’s divine plan, the seven years of the Tribulation will finally end, and Jesus indicates that the end will be marked by cosmic disturbances.
“…the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” – Mark 13:24-25 ESV
These dramatic celestial displays will act as signs of another significant feature of God’s redemptive plan: The return of His Son.
“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.” – Mark 13:26-27 ESV
This will be the long-awaited Second Coming of Jesus. Unlike His first advent, when Jesus came to earth as a helpless baby, this time He will come as a mighty warrior and conquering King. John records his vision of this event in the book of Revelation.
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 ESV
Jesus will return to wage war against all the forces of evil on the earth. He will gather all His saints, both living and dead, and He will defeat the forces of Satan, capturing and imprisoning Antichrist and his associates (Revelation 19:19-21). Then Jesus will set up His earthly Kingdom, ruling from His throne in Jerusalem for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6).
All these amazing events are part of the future events Jesus described to His disciples. It is as if He were giving them a highly condensed preview of what will take place in the days ahead, and it will begin with His own death in Jerusalem.
So, Jesus told them, “When you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates” (Mark 13:29 ESV). He is not suggesting they will be around when these events take place; He is simply saying that before the end comes, there will be ample signs that make its arrival clear. Like the blooms on a fig tree that presage the arrival of summer, the various stages of God’s redemptive plan will have warning signs.
His reference to “this generation” in verse 30 seems to indicate that the disciples represent a new dispensation or age among mankind. They will become the firstfruits of those who make up the church age. But they will also represent all those who live after the cross and who face the choice between salvation through faith in Christ alone or the condemnation and death that come through disbelief.
“This generation” includes all those who will witness Christ’s ascension and all those who will see His second coming. They and the world they inhabit will not be destroyed until all these things take place. Believers and unbelievers will populate this planet until the bitter end.
Jesus knew His disciples were struggling to take in all He was saying, but He assured them His words were trustworthy and more permanent than the heavens or earth.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” – Mark 13;31 ESV
Everything Jesus told them will take place, but only according to God's secret plans. No one knows the timeline, not even Jesus Himself. That’s why Jesus told His followers, “Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13:33 ESV). Jesus wanted them to live with urgency, with their eyes fixed on the fulfillment of His mission. Jesus had not come just to die and rise again, but so that He might come again. His Second Coming will be the final act in God’s grand plan of redemption and restoration. That is why Paul told the believers living in Philippi, “We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior” (Philippians 3:20 NLT).
Jesus wanted His disciples to live expectantly, with their hope focused on the full scope of God’s plan. He had told them the joyous outcome, but they were about to witness the opening salvo of God’s battle against sin, death, and the grave. Jesus had already told them He would die in Jerusalem. So when He said, “Be on guard, keep awake” (Mark 13:33 ESV), His words were prophetic. On the night Judas betrayed Him, Jesus was with the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. “He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me’ (Mark 14:33-34 NLT).
Just moments earlier, Jesus announced that they would all desert Him, and Peter boasted, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will” (Mark 14:29 NLT). But Jesus informed him, “Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me” (Mark 14:30 NLT). Embarrassed by this accusation, Peter boldly proclaimed, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” (Mark 14:31 NLT).
But in the garden, when Jesus returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Mark 14:37-38 NLT).
As Jesus faced the prospect of a gruesome and painful death, His closest friends and allies were fast asleep. Little did they know that Judas, having betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, was on his way with the armed soldiers who intended to arrest Him. But the disciples were unaware and unconcerned. Three times Jesus returned and found them asleep. But they should have taken His earlier warning seriously, stayed on guard, and kept awake. There is no room for complacency or laziness among God’s people. We are to live in light of God’s plan, as if His Son could return at any moment. We are part of that “generation” that “will not pass away until all these things take place.” We may not live long enough to witness any of these events, but we are to live with confident assurance that they will happen, just as God has said.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.