Mark 13:31 kjv
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Mark 13:31 nkjv
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Mark 13:31 niv
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Mark 13:31 esv
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Mark 13:31 nlt
Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
Mark 13 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 5:18 | "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." | Eternity of divine law, echoing enduring truth. |
| Matt 24:35 | "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." | Direct parallel emphasizing Christ's authority. |
| Luke 16:17 | "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail." | Reinforces the permanence of God's Word over creation. |
| Luke 21:33 | "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." | Direct parallel within Olivet Discourse. |
| Ps 102:25-27 | "Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure..." | God's eternal nature contrasted with creation's decay. |
| Ps 119:89 | "Forever, O Yahweh, Your word is settled in heaven." | God's word is eternally fixed and established. |
| Isa 40:8 | "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." | Contrast of temporal creation with eternal Word. |
| Isa 51:6 | "Lift up your eyes to the heavens... for the heavens will vanish away like smoke... But My salvation will be forever..." | Heaven and earth's impermanence against God's enduring salvation. |
| Isa 34:4 | "All the host of heaven shall crumble to dust; The heavens will be rolled up like a scroll..." | Prophecy of cosmic dissolution, affirming transience. |
| Heb 1:10-12 | "...'You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands; They will perish, but You remain...'" | Citing Ps 102:25-27, attributing creation to Christ and His permanence. |
| 1 Pet 1:24-25 | "...'All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers... But the word of the Lord endures forever.'" | God's Word as eternally living and abiding Gospel. |
| Rev 21:1 | "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away." | Future replacement of the current creation. |
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it?..." | God's faithfulness ensures His word is fulfilled. |
| John 1:1, 14 | "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." | Connects Jesus (the Incarnate Word) to the eternal nature of God's Word. |
| John 8:51 | "Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death." | Emphasizes the life-giving, permanent effect of Jesus' words. |
| Heb 13:8 | "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." | His unchanging nature supports the unchanging nature of His words. |
| Titus 1:2 | "...in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began..." | God's truthfulness as the basis for the certainty of His promises. |
| Rom 8:20-21 | "For the creation was subjected to futility... because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption..." | Creation's impermanence and future transformation. |
| Col 1:17 | "He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." | Christ's pre-eminence and role in sustaining creation, highlighting His foundational stability. |
| John 17:17 | "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." | Defines God's word as absolute truth, inherently eternal. |
| Ps 33:9 | "For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." | The power and permanence of God's creative word. |
Mark 13 verses
Mark 13 31 Meaning
Mark 13:31 declares the absolute and enduring authority of Jesus' words, contrasting them sharply with the transient nature of the physical universe. It asserts that while "heaven and earth" – the entire created cosmos – are destined to pass away or undergo transformation, Jesus' teachings, prophecies, and every utterance are eternal, immutable, and irrevocably true, never to fail or lose their validity. This statement powerfully underlines His divine identity and the infallible nature of His revelation.
Mark 13 31 Context
Mark chapter 13, known as the Olivet Discourse, records Jesus' response to His disciples' questions about the destruction of the Temple and the signs of His coming and the end of the age (Mk 13:3-4). This discourse describes various future events: impending destruction for Jerusalem, signs preceding the end, persecutions for believers, the coming of the Son of Man, and calls for vigilance. Verse 31 stands as a pivotal assertion within this prophecy. Immediately preceding it, Jesus declares that "this generation" (likely referring to the generation witnessing the initial signs or the Jewish race until His return) will not pass away until "all these things" (some or all of His prophecies) take place (Mk 13:30). Following verse 31, Jesus emphasizes the Father's sole knowledge of the precise day and hour (Mk 13:32), reinforcing that the certainty lies in His words, not human predictions of timing. Thus, Mark 13:31 functions as a divine seal of infallibility upon all His prior statements, guaranteeing their ultimate fulfillment irrespective of any perceived delay or earthly changes.
Mark 13 31 Word analysis
Heaven and earth:
- Greek: Ho ouranos kai hē gē (ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ).
- Significance: Represents the entire created cosmos, the visible universe as understood in the ancient world, from the celestial bodies to the very ground beneath their feet. Its mention underscores its perceived stability and vastness, only to powerfully declare its eventual dissolution. This phrase commonly refers to the whole of creation (Gen 1:1).
will pass away:
- Greek: Pareleusontai (παρελεύσονται), from parerchomai (παραέρχομαι).
- Meaning: To pass by, to go past, to perish, to cease to exist or function. It is a strong future indicative verb, denoting certainty. The use here is not of merely fading but of ultimate cessation or transformation into a new state, affirming their temporal nature.
but:
- Greek: De (δέ) or an implied contrast in structure.
- Significance: Introduces a profound and absolute contrast. What follows is completely different from what precedes, highlighting the infinite permanence of Jesus' words in distinction to the finite, transient creation.
My words:
- Greek: Hoi logoi mou (οἱ λόγοι μου).
- Meaning: Logoi is the plural of logos (λόγος), referring to Jesus' teachings, utterances, prophecies, commands, and the entire message He delivered. In a broader theological sense, considering John 1:1, it can point to the divine wisdom and truth inherent in Jesus Himself as the incarnate Word of God. This term carries immense authority and significance.
will by no means pass away:
- Greek: Ou mē parelthōsin (οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσιν).
- Significance: This is a powerful double negative (οὐ μὴ) combined with the aorist subjunctive, creating the strongest possible negation in Greek. It means "never, by no means, absolutely not pass away." It guarantees the absolute permanence, infallibility, and unchangeable nature of everything Jesus said and taught. His words are not merely enduring but eternally binding and eternally true, incapable of ceasing to be.
Words-group analysis:
- "Heaven and earth will pass away" vs. "My words will by no means pass away": This dramatic juxtaposition is the core theological statement. It asserts a hierarchy of permanence: created matter is temporal, but the divine word is eternal. It elevates Jesus' authority far above the natural order, declaring that His truth transcends all physical reality and change. This implies His divine essence, as only God's word is eternal (Isa 40:8, Ps 119:89). The certainty of the "passing away" of creation equally guarantees the "not passing away" of His words.
Mark 13 31 Bonus section
The profound assertion in Mark 13:31 extends beyond just the verbal pronouncements of Jesus; it implicitly speaks to the entire Christian message. If "My words" encompass all that He taught and commissioned, then the Gospel itself, founded upon these words, possesses eternal validity. This provides immense assurance and a sense of enduring hope for believers. In a world characterized by constant change, technological advancements, shifting moral landscapes, and varying philosophies, the eternal nature of Christ's words offers an unchanging standard and an immutable truth. This verse also implicitly critiques any human philosophy, tradition, or temporal institution that might claim lasting authority. All such earthly constructs are finite and destined to fade, while the Word of Christ remains forever, standing as the ultimate standard for all generations.
Mark 13 31 Commentary
Mark 13:31 serves as a foundational affirmation of Jesus Christ's divine authority and the immutable truth of His message. Amidst prophecies concerning earthly destruction, cosmic upheaval, and unknown future timing, Jesus anchors His disciples' faith in the unshakeable certainty of His own words. His pronouncement means that every teaching, promise, and warning He issued stands valid forever, regardless of how drastically the world may change. This gives ultimate confidence in His prophecies, knowing that every detail, down to the minutest jot, will find its fulfillment. For the believer, it means relying not on fleeting human wisdom or unstable worldly structures, but solely on the eternal and infallible Word of God, as embodied and spoken by Jesus. It calls for an absolute trust in His message as the enduring bedrock of reality, a light for every age.