Mark 13:2 kjv
And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Mark 13:2 nkjv
And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
Mark 13:2 niv
"Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
Mark 13:2 esv
And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."
Mark 13:2 nlt
Jesus replied, "Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!"
Mark 13 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 24:2 | "Do you not see all these things? Truly, I say to you, not one stone..." | Direct parallel prophecy of Temple destruction. |
| Luke 21:6 | "As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will..." | Direct parallel prophecy of Temple destruction. |
| John 2:19 | "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." | Jesus' body as the new "temple," foreshadowing end of old. |
| Jer 7:11-14 | "Has this house...become a den of robbers in your eyes?...I will do to it." | God's warning to destroy His house due to sin. |
| Jer 26:18 | "Zion shall be plowed like a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins." | Micah's prophecy (7th cent. BC) of Temple/city destruction. |
| Mic 3:12 | "Therefore because of you, Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem..." | Prophecy against corrupted leadership leading to desolation. |
| Ps 79:1 | "O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled..." | Lament over a historical temple defilement/destruction. |
| Isa 64:10-11 | "Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness..." | Prophetic lament for the destruction and burning of the temple. |
| Lam 2:6-7 | "He has disdained his altar, spurned his sanctuary; he has delivered..." | Divine judgment resulting in the desecration of the sanctuary. |
| Ezek 7:22 | "I will turn my face from them, and they shall profane my treasured place." | God allows defilement of His temple due to people's iniquity. |
| Dan 9:26-27 | "The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and..." | Prophecy of the Messiah's cutting off and ensuing temple destruction. |
| Heb 8:13 | "In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete..." | The Old Covenant system, including the temple, being superseded. |
| Heb 9:8-9 | "The Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy place was not yet..." | The limitations of the old tabernacle/temple sacrifices. |
| Heb 10:1-4 | "For since the law has but a shadow...it can never, by the same sacrifices..." | Old covenant sacrifices were insufficient, pointing to a new way. |
| Eph 2:19-22 | "Built on the foundation...Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone...a holy temple." | Believers as living stones building a spiritual temple. |
| 1 Cor 3:16-17 | "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells..." | The community of believers as the new dwelling place of God. |
| 2 Cor 6:16 | "For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, I will dwell in..." | Emphasizing believers' identity as God's temple, for covenantal living. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | "You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house..." | Christians, individual believers, form a spiritual temple. |
| Rev 21:22 | "And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty..." | The New Jerusalem has no physical temple, God Himself is the Temple. |
| Luke 19:41-44 | "He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'Would that you...have known..." | Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's impending destruction for rejecting Him. |
| Matt 23:37-38 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...your house is left to you desolate." | Jesus' sorrow over Jerusalem's fate, house of Israel left desolate. |
Mark 13 verses
Mark 13 2 Meaning
Mark 13:2 records Jesus' prophetic declaration regarding the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. In response to a disciple admiring the grandeur of the temple buildings, Jesus foretells that a time will come when every stone of this magnificent structure will be overturned, leaving no two stones standing one upon another. This prophecy signifies a complete and utter demolition of what was considered the most sacred and enduring edifice in Judaism, challenging the popular belief in its permanence and inviolability. It marks a decisive shift from a physical, geographically centered worship system to a new era.
Mark 13 2 Context
The context of Mark 13:2 is the Olivet Discourse, a pivotal moment in Jesus' public ministry. In Mark 13:1, Jesus and His disciples are leaving the Temple courts. A disciple points out the immense and awe-inspiring structures, praising their greatness. The Temple of Herod was a magnificent project, taking decades to build, celebrated for its massive stones and grandeur. For the Jewish people, it was not merely a place of worship but the center of their national identity, religious life, and a symbol of God's presence among them, believed by many to be inviolable. Jesus' radical statement directly contradicts this deeply ingrained perception of security and permanence. It serves as a stark warning and sets the stage for the rest of chapter 13, which delves into prophecies concerning the end times, the suffering of believers, and the eventual return of the Son of Man. Historically, this prophecy was literally fulfilled in 70 AD during the Jewish-Roman War, when Roman legions under General Titus besieged Jerusalem and systematically destroyed the Temple.
Mark 13 2 Word analysis
- And Jesus said to him: This is a typical narrative transition, highlighting Jesus' immediate response to the disciples' observation in the preceding verse. The "him" likely refers to one of the disciples speaking in Mark 13:1, or to them collectively.
- "Do you see these great buildings?":
- "Do you see" (Greek: Blepeis βλέπεις): An emphatic question, inviting a direct and present observation of the visible reality. It's a challenge to their current perception versus what is to come.
- "these great buildings" (Greek: tas megalas oikodomas τὰς μεγάλας οἰκοδομάς): Refers specifically to Herod's Temple complex. "Great" (megalas) implies not just large in physical size, but also impressive in structure, magnificent in scale, and culturally and religiously significant. These structures were monumental, built with enormous stones, embodying Jewish pride and religious devotion. They were considered a testament to enduring faith and divine favor.
- "Not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be thrown down.":
- "Not one stone will be left upon another" (Greek: ouk aphethēsetai lithos epi lithon οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον): This is a powerful, hyperbole-like statement emphasizing absolute and total destruction. It implies complete demolition, to the extent that even foundational stones would be dislodged and overturned. This vivid imagery contrasts sharply with the visible solidity of the buildings.
- "which will not be thrown down" (Greek: hos ou mē kataluthē ὃς οὐ μὴ καταλυθῇ): This phrase reiterates the certainty and thoroughness of the destruction. The verb kataluō (καταλύω) means "to tear down," "dissolve," "destroy," or "demolish." The double negative (ou mē) intensifies the negation, assuring that destruction is inevitable and absolute. The prophecy highlights that not even the smallest element of the structure will remain in its original position, symbolizing the definitive end of that particular era.
- "Not one stone...which will not be thrown down": This phrase functions as a solemn, absolute, and prophetic utterance. It signifies a radical dismantling of a symbol of immense national and religious importance, heralding an end to an old covenant system. Its precise fulfillment in 70 AD, where the Temple was not just burned but methodically dismantled to retrieve melted gold, underscores the stunning accuracy of Jesus' words.
Mark 13 2 Bonus section
The Olivet Discourse, sparked by this prophecy, details future events to prepare Jesus' followers for tribulations and His return. The destruction of the Temple in 70 AD served as a watershed moment for early Christianity, confirming Jesus' words and further separating the nascent faith from Judaism. For many early Christians, this event signified divine judgment on those who rejected the Messiah, while also proving the validity of the new way of salvation found in Christ, independent of the Temple. The prophecy underlines that God's covenantal faithfulness extends beyond physical symbols and shifts to a new reality centered on Christ's body—His church—as the living temple where His Spirit dwells. It teaches reliance not on visible grandeur, but on the enduring power of God's Word and Spirit.
Mark 13 2 Commentary
Jesus' prophecy of the Temple's complete destruction was an audacious and shocking statement to His disciples, who admired its magnificence. This was not a minor modification but a pronouncement of utter demolition of Judaism's holiest site, symbolizing the end of an old order and the Old Covenant. It served as a stark warning against placing ultimate trust in physical structures or outward religious observance over spiritual faithfulness. The prophecy also pointed to God's ultimate sovereignty over human endeavors and the temporary nature of all earthly things, even those built for His worship. It signified that God's presence would no longer be confined to a single earthly edifice, preparing the way for the spiritual temple formed by believers in Christ and the New Covenant inaugurated by His sacrifice. The literal and meticulous fulfillment of this prophecy decades later powerfully validates Jesus' divine authority and foresight.