Mark 13:30 kjv
Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
Mark 13:30 nkjv
Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
Mark 13:30 niv
Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
Mark 13:30 esv
Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
Mark 13:30 nlt
I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place.
Mark 13 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 13:2 | "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left..." | Prophecy of temple destruction. |
| Mk 13:4 | "...Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign..." | Disciples' question triggering the discourse. |
| Mk 13:31 | "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." | Certainty of Jesus' words. |
| Mt 24:34 | "Truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away..." | Parallel passage, same declaration. |
| Lk 21:32 | "Truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away..." | Parallel passage, same declaration. |
| Lk 19:43-44 | "For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build a wall..." | Jesus weeping over Jerusalem's destruction. |
| Lk 21:20 | "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its... is at hand." | Clarifies the abomination of desolation. |
| Lk 21:24 | "They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all... " | Prophecy of Jerusalem's downfall. |
| Dan 9:26 | "and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." | Old Testament prophecy of city/temple destruction. |
| Dan 12:7 | "...when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things would be finished." | End of an age's prophecy. |
| Isa 40:8 | "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." | God's word endures. |
| Isa 55:11 | "so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return... " | God's word accomplishes its purpose. |
| Mt 5:18 | "For truly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota..." | Law's certainty, connects to heavens/earth passing. |
| 1 Pet 1:25 | "but the word of the Lord remains forever." | Reinforces the enduring nature of God's word. |
| Mk 9:1 | "Truly, I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come..." | Prophecy of kingdom coming in that generation. |
| Mt 10:23 | "When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." | Similar immediate timeframe for a "coming". |
| Mt 16:28 | "Truly, I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." | Again, "some standing here" refers to that generation. |
| Rev 1:3 | "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear... for the time is near." | Emphasis on imminence for early church prophecies. |
| Jas 5:8 | "You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." | Expected nearness of "the Lord's coming". |
| 1 Jn 2:18 | "Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming..." | "Last hour" perspective for 1st-century believers. |
Mark 13 verses
Mark 13 30 Meaning
Mark 13:30 declares with solemn certainty that the generation contemporary with Jesus would not pass away until all the preceding prophetic "things" – largely related to the signs of the age, the intense tribulation, the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, and the vindication of the Son of Man – had been fulfilled. This verse provides a specific timeframe for the events described in Mark 13:5-29, pointing to their culmination within the first century.
Mark 13 30 Context
Mark 13, often called the Olivet Discourse, presents Jesus' response to His disciples' two-part question after He prophesied the Temple's destruction (Mk 13:2). They asked, "When will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" (Mk 13:4). Jesus then describes a sequence of events, including wars, famines, earthquakes, persecutions, the 'abomination of desolation,' and great tribulation, culminating in the "coming of the Son of Man." Mark 13:30 functions as a crucial interpretive key, setting the temporal boundary for the fulfillment of the preceding "all these things." Historically, the discourse points forward to the Roman-Jewish War (AD 66-70) and the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple by the Romans in AD 70, events that fell within the lifespan of many who heard Jesus' words.
Mark 13 30 Word analysis
- Truly (ἀμήν - amēn): A strong affirmation used by Jesus to introduce a significant and authoritative statement. It emphasizes the absolute certainty and truthfulness of what He is about to say, functioning like "Verily" or "Amen."
- I say to you (λέγω ὑμῖν - legō hymin): Reinforces Jesus' personal authority as the speaker and highlights the direct address to His disciples. This is His authoritative word concerning the future.
- this generation (ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη - hē genea hautē):
- "this" (αὕτη - hautē): Points directly to the present time, distinguishing it from future generations.
- "generation" (γενεά - genea): Can denote a group of people living at the same time, typically spanning 30-40 years, or sometimes a particular 'kind' or 'race' of people. In the context of the Olivet Discourse, and given its common usage in the Gospels, it most consistently refers to the contemporaries of Jesus—those alive then.
- Significance: This phrase grounds the prophecy within a specific, measurable timeframe, asserting that the primary fulfillment of the immediately preceding events would occur within the lifetime of those who were hearing Jesus speak.
- will not pass away (οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ - ou mē parelthē): This uses a strong double negative (οὐ μή), which conveys an emphatic impossibility or absolute certainty. It means "certainly will not come to an end," "will surely not vanish," or "will absolutely remain until." The generation itself will not die out before these things happen.
- until (μέχρις ἄν - mechri an): A temporal conjunction indicating a limit or endpoint. The stated condition must occur before the described action (the passing away of the generation) can happen.
- all these things (ταῦτα πάντα - tauta panta):
- "all" (πάντα - panta): Emphasizes comprehensiveness; no detail would be left unfulfilled from the prophecy.
- "these things" (ταῦτα - tauta): Refers directly and exclusively to the events Jesus had just detailed in Mark 13:5-29. This includes the tribulation, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the powerful manifestation (coming) of the Son of Man in judgment and triumph over His enemies. It speaks to a single, interconnected series of events.
- Significance: The events Jesus prophesied, encompassing persecution, signs, tribulation, the fall of Jerusalem, and the initial demonstration of His kingdom authority, were to unfold within the temporal boundaries of the very generation He was addressing.
- take place / be fulfilled (γένηται - genētai): Means "come to pass," "happen," or "be fulfilled." It indicates the full realization and completion of the predicted events.
Mark 13 30 Bonus section
- This verse firmly ties the bulk of the Olivet Discourse's prophecies to a first-century fulfillment, emphasizing their historical, rather than exclusively future, completion.
- It distinguishes the immediate prophetic warnings of judgment upon Jerusalem from the truly undefined "day or hour" of Christ's ultimate return (Mk 13:32).
- The nature of "coming of the Son of Man" in this passage, interpreted as an out-working of divine judgment and exaltation rather than solely a physical global advent, aligns with many Old Testament descriptions of God's "coming" to judge or save within history (e.g., Isa 19:1; Ps 18:9-10).
- Understanding "this generation" as Jesus' contemporaries validates His prophetic accuracy and highlights God's historical intervention and fulfillment of promises within time, not just in a distant eschaton.
Mark 13 30 Commentary
Mark 13:30 serves as the linchpin for understanding the timeframe of the Olivet Discourse. Jesus unequivocally states that "this generation" – His contemporary audience – would not pass away until "all these things" had transpired. "All these things" comprehensively covers the specific sequence of events Jesus outlined from Mark 13:5-29, which climaxes with the Temple's destruction and the appearance of the Son of Man in power. This primarily refers to the tribulation leading up to and including the catastrophic judgment on Jerusalem and its Temple in AD 70. The "coming of the Son of Man" (Mark 13:26) within this context is widely understood not as a final physical return of Christ to earth to inaugurate eternity, but as a visible and powerful vindication of His authority, often manifest in judgment (e.g., against the rejecting Jewish system) and the establishment of His kingdom. The absolute certainty indicated by "Truly, I say to you" and "will not pass away" underscores the reliable nature of Christ's prophetic word, offering both warning and reassurance to His disciples that these pivotal changes marking the end of one age and the beginning of another were imminent within their lifetime.