Since the early church age, people have tried predicting the Second Coming of Christ. There’s something intriguing about trying to “read the times” and match them to biblical prophecy. But is that the point of biblical prophecy? Is that the point of a passage like Mark 13? In the last few chapters that we’ve looked at in Mark, we’ve seen Jesus in the temple. And it hasn’t exactly been a friendly scene. Jesus entered the temple in Mark 11 in order to clear it out. And in Mark 12, Jesus’ authority is constantly being challenged. There will always be opposition to Jesus. But will that opposition last forever? Followers of Christ understand that though opposition will increase throughout history, God will bring final judgment. And so, as Jesus says, Christians must stay awake and be on guard, always watching for Christ’s return.