What does Mark 13:31 mean?
This is not as much a comment on the end times as an oath that what Jesus says is true. Jesus' truth is not transitory. It is not relative to time, place, or culture. Although He is primarily addressing Jews, the audience does not make the accuracy of His words relative.In a more literal interpretation, heaven and earth will pass away. After the final battle at the end of the millennial kingdom, after Satan is thrown permanently into the lake of fire and unbelievers are judged at the great white throne (Revelation 20:7–15), God will destroy the corrupted heaven and earth and create a new place for His followers to live (Revelation 21:1). Even then, Jesus' words will stand true.
Non-Christians and believers alike tend to put confidence in worldly things. We build and landmark giant trees that have lived hundreds of years. We do the same with cities that have existed for millennia. We see mountains that haven't moved in human memory. We describe businesses like banks as "too big to fail." Even more transitory things like politicians and investment plans (Isaiah 40:8) are treated as reliable or trustworthy. But Jesus says all these earthly things will be destroyed. They are not worth our trust compared to Jesus' words. Only His words bring true, everlasting life.
Mark 13:28–31 makes a lesson about recognizing the end times using an example from farming. Although no one can know when Jesus will return (Acts 1:6–7), God promises to give us signs to let us know the end times are approaching. More specifically, He has told us the sign of the beginning of the tribulation and how long the tribulation will last. If we pay attention, these signs will be as easy to read as the seasons' effects on a fig tree. Many words have been written over verse 30, but it merely means that the tribulation will be short. Matthew 24:32–35 and Luke 21:28–33 record nearly identical accounts.
Days before the crucifixion, the disciples praise the glory of the temple. When Jesus tells them the temple will be destroyed, they ask for signs of that coming destruction and of His return (Matthew 24:3). Jesus answers their second question with information crucial for believers in the end times, and any time. Tribulation Christians will face horrifying hardships and violence, as may believers of any era, but they must remember that the hardships will not last. Jesus will return so quickly, any attempt to live by the world's rules will be futile.
