Church Fathers Commentary Mark 13:14-20

"But when ye see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not (let him that readeth understand), then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains: and let him that is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out his house: and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak. But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that it be not in the winter. For those days shall be tribulation, such as there hath not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never shall be. And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the elect`s sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days." — Mark 13:14-20 (ASV)

Glossa Ordinaria: After speaking of the things that were to happen before the destruction of the city, the Lord now foretells those that happened during the destruction of the city itself, saying, “But when you shall see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not, (let him that reads understand).”

St. Augustine of Hippo: Matthew says, standing “in the holy place;” but with this verbal difference, Mark has expressed the same meaning, for he says “where it ought not” to stand, because it ought not to stand in the holy place.¹

The Venerable Bede: When we are challenged to understand what is said, we may conclude that it is mystical. But it may be said simply of the Antichrist, of the statue of Caesar that Pilate put into the temple, or of the equestrian statue of Hadrian, which for a long time stood in the Holy of Holies itself. An idol is also called an “abomination” according to the Old Testament, and He has added “of desolation” because it was placed in the temple when it was desolate and deserted.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Or by “the abomination of desolation,” He means the violent entrance of enemies into the city.

St. Augustine of Hippo: But Luke, in order to show that the abomination of desolation happened when Jerusalem was taken, gives the words of our Lord in this same place: “And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh” (Luke 21:20).²

It goes on: “Then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains.”

The Venerable Bede: It is on record that this was literally fulfilled. When the war with Rome and the extermination of the Jewish people approached, all the Christians in that province were warned by the prophecy and fled far away. As Church history relates, they retired beyond the Jordan and remained for a time in the city of Pella under the protection of Agrippa, the king of the Jews. Mention is made of him in the Acts, and with the portion of the Jews who chose to obey him, he always remained subject to the Roman empire.

Theophylact of Ohrid: And He rightly says, “who are in Judaea,” for the Apostles were no longer in Judea; before the battle, they had been driven from Jerusalem.

Glossa Ordinaria:ⁱOr rather, they went out of their own accord, being led by the Holy Spirit.

It goes on: “And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house.” For it is desirable to be saved from such a destruction, even if naked.

It goes on: “But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days.”

The Venerable Bede: This refers to those whose wombs or hands are so burdened with children that it greatly impedes their forced flight.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But it seems to me that in these words He foretells the eating of children, for when afflicted by famine and pestilence, they laid hands on their own children.

Glossa Ordinaria: Again, after mentioning this two-fold impediment to flight—which might arise either from the desire to take property or from having children to carry—He touches upon the third obstacle, namely, the season, saying, “And pray that your flight be not in the winter.”

Theophylact of Ohrid: This is so that those who wish to flee will not be impeded by the difficulties of the season. He then fittingly gives the reason for such a great need for flight, saying, “For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: For Josephus, who wrote the history of the Jews, relates that this people suffered such things as are scarcely credible. For this reason, it is said, not without cause, that there has not been such tribulation from the beginning of creation until now, nor ever shall be.³

But although there will be a similar or greater tribulation in the time of the Antichrist, we must understand that this saying—that such a thing will never happen again—refers to that specific people. For if they are the first and foremost to receive the Antichrist, that same people may be said to cause tribulation rather than to suffer it.

The Venerable Bede: The only refuge in such evils is that God, who gives strength to suffer, should shorten the power of those who inflict suffering.

Therefore, what follows is: “And except that the Lord had shortened those days.”

Theophylact of Ohrid: This means that if the Roman war had not been finished quickly, “no flesh should be saved”—that is, no Jew would have escaped. “But for the elect's sake, whom He has chosen”—meaning, for the sake of the believing Jews, or those who were to believe in the future—“He has shortened the days.” In other words, the war was finished quickly because God foresaw that many Jews would believe after the city’s destruction. For this reason, He would not allow the entire race to be utterly destroyed.

St. Augustine of Hippo: But some people more fittingly understand that the calamities themselves are signified by “days,” as “evil days” are spoken of in other parts of Holy Scripture; for the days themselves are not evil, but what is done in them. The woes themselves, therefore, are said to be shortened, because through the patience that God gave, they felt them less, and thus what was great in itself was shortened.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, these words, “In those days shall be affliction,” properly refer to the times of the Antichrist. In that time, not only will tortures more frequent and painful than before be heaped on the faithful, but also—what is more terrible—the working of miracles will accompany those who inflict the torments. But in proportion to how much greater this tribulation will be than those that preceded it, so much shorter it will be.

For it is believed that the Church is to be attacked for three and a half years, as far as can be conjectured from the prophecy of Daniel and the Revelation of John. In a spiritual sense, however, when we see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not—that is, heresies and crimes reigning among those who appear to be consecrated by the heavenly mysteries—then those of us who remain in Judea (meaning, in the confession of the true faith) ought to climb higher in virtue the more we see people following the broad paths of vice.

Pseudo-Jerome: For our flight is to the mountains, so that he who has ascended to the heights of virtue may not go down to the depths of sin.

The Venerable Bede: Then let him who is on the housetop—that is, one whose mind rises above carnal deeds and who lives spiritually, as if in the open air—not come down to the base acts of his former life. Nor should he seek again those things he has left behind: the desires of the world or the flesh. For our “house” can mean either this world or that in which we live: our own flesh.

Pseudo-Jerome: “Pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on the sabbath day,” that is, pray that the fruit of our work may not cease with the end of time, for fruit ceases in the winter, and time ceases on the sabbath.

The Venerable Bede: But if we are to understand this in relation to the end of the world, He commands that our faith and love for Christ should not grow cold. We should not grow lazy and cold in the work of God by taking a “sabbath” from virtue.

Theophylact of Ohrid: We must also avoid sin with fervor, not coldly and quietly.

Pseudo-Jerome: But the tribulation will be great and the days short for the sake of the elect, so that the evil of this time does not change their understanding.

1. de Con Evan, ii, 77
2. Epist., cxcix, 9
3. Epist., cxcix, 9