Mark 13 Mark 13:1–2 Christ foretells the destruction of the temple, Mark 13:3–23 shows what signs and calamities should go before, Mark 13:24–31 and what should happen at the time of his coming, Mark 13:32–37 no man knoweth the day or hour; we must therefore watch and pray, that we may not be found…

The perishing nature of the splendid and gay things of this world, are fitter objects for the meditation of such as are Christ’s disciples, than the splendour and magnificence of them, especially when they are the privileges of a sinful people.

Matthew puts two things more into the question, What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? The best of men have a great curiosity to know futurities, things that shall hereafter come to pass.

See Poole on “Matt. 24:4–5”. This is the first sign, fulfilled before the destruction of Jerusalem in part, and which had been fulfilling ever since; and probably before the day of judgment the number of such impostors will increase.

Matthew adds pestilences. Luke saith, pestilences, and fearful sights and great signs from heaven. See Poole on “Matt. 24:6”, and following verses to Matt. 24:8. Here are two or three more signs put together: 1.

This, so far as concerneth those to whom Christ spake, can only be a sign of the destruction of Jerusalem; but so far as it concerneth others, it is also a sign of the end of the world.

I am prone to think that our Lord gives this not only as a sign of the destruction of Jerusalem, but of the end of the world, and the latter principally; for before the destruction of Jerusalem (which was in less than forty years after Christ’s death) the gospel was not preached to all nations,…

See Poole on “Matt. 10:19–20”. By take no thought, he means, take no anxious thoughts to disquiet yourselves.

This is but an amplification of the fifth sign, given us Mark 13:9, viz. a furious persecution, eminently made good in the Jewish persecution before the destruction of Jerusalem; in the pagan persecution, for three hundred years after Christ; and in the popish persecutions at this day.

See Poole on “Matt. 24:15”, and following verses to Matt. 24:22, where we have before opened all these passages. This sign doth manifestly relate to the destruction of Jerusalem, and can have no relation to the end of the world. In our notes on Matt.

See Poole on “Matt. 24:23”, and following verses to Matt. 24:25. The history of Josephus, and those Roman historians who wrote the history of those times that went immediately before the destruction of Jerusalem, and give us account of the taking of that city, are the best commentary on these…

The usage of these phrases, of the darkening the sun and the moon, and the falling of the stars, to signify the ruin of nations, and changes wrought in them; as in Isa. 13:10, as to the destruction of Babylon, and Ezek.

See Poole on “Matt. 24:32”, and following verses to Matt. 24:35, where we met with the same things almost word for word; so as more words need not be repeated here in the explication of these verses.

See Poole on “Matt. 24:36”. See Poole on “Matt. 24:42”. Ideo latet ultimus dies ut observentur omnes dies, God hath concealed from us the knowledge of the last day that we might watch all our days. See the notes on Matthew, in what sense Christ saith he did not know the last day and hour.

In the Greek, those words, For the Son of man is, are not, but those, or some such like, are necessarily to be understood to make up the sense. The watching here again twice called for is the same with that before mentioned.