Mark 13 & 14

The disciples were excited by the majestic architecture of the temple. The stones used to built the temple were believed to weigh several tons each. An early church historian named Josephus described it as magnificent and said that there was nothing like it in the world. It even had beautiful white marble stones with gold ornamentation. Herod the Great started construction in 20 BC and it was later completed by Herod's descendants around 66 AD. The temple was surrounded by elaborate covered walkways, courtyards and stairways that filled twenty acres of the most prominent landscape in all Jerusalem. The disciples must have really taken notice when Jesus foretold that not one stone would remain. This prophecy was fulfilled in 70 AD when the Roman General Titus sacked the city and destroyed the temple.

End times are heavily debated among bible scholars and there are many different points of view. The old testament prophet Daniel warned of "the abomination of desolation that would stand where it ought not." In our new translation it is stated as "when you see the disgusting and destructive thing standing where it shouldn't be. This may be a reference to the Antichrist's presence in the rebuilt Jewish temple during what is called the tribulation period. The phrase "let the reader understand" is Mark's way of reminding the audience of the Hebrew origin of this teaching from the book of Daniel.