THE ESCHATOLOGY OR END TIMES IN MARK

Midterm Exam Part 2

1. In which chapters and verses in Mark is this theme/topic dealt with?

What are the literary devices or tactics used?
2. What does the Gospel say about the theme in each of these passages?

Chapter Verses Literary Device Comment

2
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, A prophecy of Yahweh’s coming is about
"See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, to be fulfilled; the irruption of God into
1 who will prepare your way; 3 the voice of one crying out in Israel’s history
the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his
paths straight,'"
7
He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is Another prophecy about to be fulfilled
1 coming after me…”
14
…Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the Time is fulfilled; imminence of God’s
good news of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, Reign calls for conversion and faith
1 and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and
believe in the good news."
23
…a man with an unclean spirit, 24 and he cried out, Messianic secrecy Jesus is identified by a demon as the Holy
"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have One of God but he is silenced and driven
you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy out. Jesus is encroaching on Satan’s
One of God." 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, kingdom with exorcisms and miracle
and come out of him!" 26 And the unclean spirit,
1 healings.
convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of
him…
34
And he cured many who were sick with various The prohibition to declare his divine
diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not Summarization of actions identity suggests that it is not yet the time
permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. for final disclosure.
10
for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases As above As above
pressed upon him to touch him. 11 Whenever the unclean
3 spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted,
"You are the Son of God!" 12 But he sternly ordered them
not to make him known.
38
8 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this Reference to a future time of glory

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Chapter Verses Literary Device Comment
adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man preceded by a period of testing
will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his
Father with the holy angels."
1
And he said to them, "Truly I tell you, there are The fulfillment of the God’s Reign is
9 some standing here who will not taste death until they see future but not so remote; it can be seen
that the kingdom of God has come with power."
2
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and Messianic secrecy A glimpse into Jesus’ divinity and final
John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by glory is given to Peter, James and John, in
themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and addition to another hint at His suffering
his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth and death but they are told not to speak of
could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah
it. They did not understand and questioned
with Moses, who were talking with Jesus…7 Then a cloud
overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a among themselves.
9 voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"
8
Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with
them any more, but only Jesus. 9 As they were coming
down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about
what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen
from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what this rising from the dead could mean.
11
Then they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah will precede the eschaton to try and
Elijah must come first?" 12 He said to them, "Elijah is prepare the way; he has come – an allusion
indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it to John the Baptist. And because they
9 written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through imprisoned and killed him, the Son of Man
many sufferings and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell who comes after will suffer the same fate.
you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever All will be fulfilled as has been written
they pleased, as it is written about him." (fulfillment of Scriptures?)
Foretelling the destruction of the Temple
in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish life
2
(religious, political and social), considered
Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? to be God’s dwelling place.
Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be
thrown down." Apocalyptic genre
13

4
"Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that The eschaton will be preceded by the
all these things are about to be accomplished?" 5 Then
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Chapter Verses Literary Device Comment
Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you appearance of false prophets, wars, natural
astray. 6 Many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' calamities and human misery – these will
and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars signal only the beginning of the end times.
and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take
place, but the end is still to come. 8 For nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will
be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines.
This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
9
"As for yourselves, beware; for they will hand you over The testimony to Jesus and the
to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you proclamation of the good news to all
will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a nations will lead to persecution and
testimony to them. 10 And the good news must first be betrayal but the Holy Spirit will be the one
proclaimed to all nations. 11 When they bring you to trial
to speak and perseverance leads to
and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what
you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, salvation.
for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 Brother
will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and
children will rise against parents and have them put to
death; 13 and you will be hated by all because of my
name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
14
"But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where A time of sacrilege and incomparable
it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in suffering that will push one to leave
Judea must flee to the mountains; 15 the one on the everything behind but God will be merciful
housetop must not go down or enter the house to take
Apocalyptic genre
for the sake of the elect and shorten the
anything away; 16 the one in the field must not turn back to
duration of this time.
get a coat. 17 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those
who are nursing infants in those days! 18 Pray that it may
not be in winter. 19 For in those days there will be
suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the
creation that God created until now, no, and never will be.
20
And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one
would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he
chose, he has cut short those days.
21
And if anyone says to you at that time, 'Look! Here is Appearance of false messiahs and prophets
the Messiah!' or 'Look! There he is!' — do not believe it. 22 to lead people astray; a call to be
False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce discerning. It is Jesus who has told
signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 everything.
But be alert; I have already told you everything.

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Chapter Verses Literary Device Comment
24
"But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be cosmic signs
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.
An allusion to the Parousia with the elct
26
Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' coming from different parts of the world,
with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send out the not just Israel
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 Nature signals the imminence of the
13 becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that eschaton
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 tell you, this generation will not pass away until
It is not far away; it will happen in the
all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will present generation (1st or 2nd century Israel
pass away, but my words will not pass away. or the readers of any day and age?)
32
"But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the Only the Father knows the exact time. The
angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Apocalyptic genre proper disposition is one of wakefulness,
Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time alertness and watchfulness.
will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he
leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his
work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35
Therefore, keep awake — for you do not know when the
master of the house will come, in the evening, or at
midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may
find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37And what I say
to you I say to all: Keep awake."
Repetition (see 13, 26) The Parousia; an allusion to Daniel 7: 13
“In
my vision at night I looked, and there before
62 me was one like a son of man, coming with the
Jesus said, "I am; and 'you will see the Son of Man
clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient
14 seated at the right hand of the Power,' and 'coming with
of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He
the clouds of heaven.'"
was given authority, glory and sovereign
power; all nations and peoples of every
language worshiped him. His dominion is an

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 Chapter Verses Literary Device Comment
everlasting dominion that will not pass away,
and his kingdom is one that will never be
destroyed.

3. Summary of the Theology of Mark on Eschatology

The eschaton has begun (birth pangs felt), has been “inaugurated” through the words and works of Jesus, and in His very
person. God in Jesus comes with power to destroy Satan, his demons and the effects of sin through Jesus’ teachings, healings,
feedings and exorcisms. Glimpses of his glory are provided but are misunderstood and/or must be kept secret until a certain event
(the Resurrection).

In terms of timing, it is known only by the Father, but is imminent, coming suddenly or unexpectedly thus the “eschatological
consummation must not be anticipated prematurely” and “speculation about the exact time…is fruitless.”1 It is near, in fact, it has
come yet not in its fullness and finality which remains to be in the future. It will be preceded by signs on earth as well as signs in
heaven. It can be detected by observing signs in nature (the fig tree).

It will wreak havoc on human lives, inflicting suffering because it will test true knowledge that comes from God and calls for
discernment of God’s words and actions in history; it will test priorities and values, implying the primacy of choosing God above
all apparent necessities. Human relationships, the world and all that is known of and valued in it (the Temple) will be destroyed
and made new.

Fidelity to Jesus demands perseverance in testifying and witnessing to Him and the good news. Amidst all this, the Holy Spirit
will come to the aid of the faithful and for their sake, God, will be merciful and shorten this time of great suffering.

1 Richard B. Hays. The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics. (London: T&T Clark Ltd, 1997)
http://books.google.com/books?id=WmaPz_gch1QC&source=gbs_book_other_versions (accessed August 8, 2011).

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 The disposition that will save is one of wakefulness, alertness and watchfulness. The climax of the eschaton will be the
Parousia, the return of the Son of Man – the glorified Suffering Servant and Messiah – the Son of God in all His power and glory
to bring salvation and establish an everlasting reign. Those that will be saved shall come from all over the known universe (earth
and heaven).

4. Relevance

From January 1 to August 12, 2011 alone, the world has experienced disasters that many would interpret as signs of the eschaton:
28 earthquakes; 8 occurrences of massive death of birds and at least 20 of fish and other marine animals; 3 major land shifts; 3 major
floods; 182 tornadoes; 2 major volcanic eruptions; and wildfires. In http://www.jesusblogspot.com we read: “The frequency and closeness of
these natural disasters tell us that the earth is indeed going through “birth pains”. We’ve had many earthquakes and other disasters in 2010, and
2011 doesn’t look better, but actually worse! Keep praying and stay positive. Although these disasters get worrisome, we have to remember that
these signs mean one thing: Jesus is coming soon! I’m ready for the new earth, are you?” 2

In addition, just quite recently, an end times prediction was made by American Christian radio host Harold Camping who stated
that the Rapture and Judgment Day would take place last May 21, 2011, and the end of the world five months later on October 21,
2011.3 Obviously the prediction failed and Camping, on May 22, “emerged briefly from his home, saying ‘Give me a day, no
interviews today ... I've got to live with it, I've got to think it out.’ He said he would make a public statement on (the following day).
On May 23, (he) stated that May 21 had been a "spiritual" day of judgment, and that the physical Rapture would occur on October 21,
2011, simultaneously with the destruction of the universe by God.”4 That’s less than ten weeks away and many would ridicule such

2 “Natural Disasters 2011 – a Recap of the 7 Months of 2011,” http://www.jesusblogspot.com/2011/01/natural-disasters-2011-recap-of-first.html (accessed August 14, 2011).
3
“2011 End Times Prediction,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_end_times_prediction (accessed August 13, 2011).
4 Ibid.

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pronouncements and their heralds yet perhaps many too would take these quite seriously. Certainly, Camping claims to have based his
prediction using numerological arguments and biblical proofs.5

This concern for (and at times obsession with) the end times is not novel. It dates back to biblical times as far back as the Diaspora
but its enigma remains attractive and the response to it can range from the silly to the paralyzing to the destructive – literally and
otherwise. How are we to deal with it as Christians?

The signs of the eschaton described in Mark have been recurring for centuries. God’s concept of time is obviously not our concept
of time. Even as we are called not to ignore such signs, as Jesus Himself exhorted his disciples, it is important to note that he neither
exhorted them to passivity or surrender or fear nor to anxious chasing after signs. Instead, Jesus tells that we must continue His
mission of proclaiming the good news in word and deed to all the nations until the end, until we are able, until our earthly sojourn is
over. But not just in a so-so manner.

The eschatology of Mark’s Gospel implies an uncompromising discipleship that endures no matter what the consequences 6 which
unavoidably involves suffering and persecution (note the attacks on the Catholic Church resulting from its stand on the RH Bill; the
bishops’ use of PCSO funds for social projects and the criticism of the CCP art exhibit “Poleteismo” by Mideo Cruz to name a few).
We also observed that this eschatology involves a time of testing and a call for discernment. Richard Hays in his book, The Moral
Vision of the New Testament, writes that the “imminence of the inbreaking of the kingdom dramatically relativizes the norms of the
old order which for Mark certainly includes the Torah…the new eschatological reality eclipses the old rule-based norms.” (87) God’s
new order is one of compassion and service as epitomized by Jesus and not one of “rigid and sterile” rules. We must then always seek
to grow in our knowledge of Jesus that we may live according to His example. Helpful to our understanding would be a serious study
and reflection on the official teachings of our Catholic faith tradition on these matters (see CCC 668-682).

5
Ibid.
6 Hays op.cit.
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 Finally, as the preoccupation with the end times is often if not always related to a great judgment day that can all too easily evoke
fear and trembling, we must best continue to see even this in the light of God’s compassionate order. Judgment, in a sense, has been
passed…on the Cross. There, God says, “the cycle of sin and violence stops here”; God says, “I have seen and known you and have
judged that you are worth dying for.” For “the Son did not come to judge, but to save and to give the life he has in himself.” (CCC
679)