Mark 13:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet.

NIV: When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

NASB: When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end.

CSB: When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don't be alarmed; these things must take place, but it is not yet the end.

NLT: And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.

KJV: And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.

NKJV: But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.

Peter, James, John, and Andrew have asked Jesus what signs will precede the destruction of the temple (Mark 13:4) as well as His return and the end of the age (Matthew 24:3). Jesus starts with events that are not such signs: He explains events that do not, themselves, imply that the end times are approaching. Christ is clarifying that just because the world gets dangerous, or "worse," does not automatically mean the end is moments away.

"Wars" means active battles where you live while "rumors of wars" refers to battles you hear about but that don't directly affect you. Countless wars have taken place in the last two thousand years. It's estimated that 123 million people have died in the thirty-or-so wars of the 20th Century. But even if a worldwide nuclear war were to break out tomorrow, it would not mean that Jesus will return immediately.

These wars and rumors are necessary. For the most part, we don't know why God uses the tragedy of war to set the stage for His plans. We do know that World War II resulted in the re-formation of the nation of Israel. The existence of Israel is crucial to prophecy; the Antichrist will be definitively identified when he brokers peace between Israel and their enemies (Daniel 9:24–27).

Naturally, we have a hard time understanding how God could allow such atrocities as the Holocaust or trench warfare in WWI for His plan. But it is our inclination to be violent and cruel to each other. It is God's nature to provide opportunity for our redemption. He does this despite of and through our own sinfulness. Just as it was our cruelty that crucified Jesus, it will be human cruelty that will prepare the world for Jesus' return.

Mark 13:3–13 occurs less than a week after a crowd celebrated their belief that Jesus is the Son of David, come to restore Israel from her Roman oppressors (Mark 11:10). The disciples think Jesus spent the last three years preparing them to rule in His royal court (Mark 10:35–45). Moments ago, Jesus prophesied it is the temple and Jerusalem that will be destroyed, not the Romans (Mark 13:1–2). The disciples were understandably confused, even as He continues His dire predictions. Jesus' warnings are also recorded in Matthew 24:4–14 and Luke 21:8–19.

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.

The prior chapter contained several parables and Jesus' answer to assorted questions. In this section, Jesus turns His teaching towards the disciples. He explains concepts related to the end times: the still-future period when God will complete His plan for judgment on sin. Those details include a prophecy about the impending destruction of the temple. The final chapters of Mark then describe events up to and after the crucifixion of Jesus at the hands of His enemies.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.