Kata Markon

["Larry & Sharon Hooge" <thehooges AT home.com>]

Is there any significance to the way Mark structures Mark 13?  I believe it's the same way he structures Mark 3.22-30.

 

It seems Mark 13 is laid out as follows:

 

Question 1 (v.4a ... "When will these things be ..."

   Question 2 (v.4b ... "... and what will be the signs ...?"

   Answer to Question 2 (the signs ... v.5-27)

Answer to Question 1 (when? ... v.28-37)

 

And Mark 3 lays out as follows:

 

Comment 1 (v.22a ... "He is possesed by Beelzebul")

   Comment 2 (v.22b ... "He casts out ... by the ruler of the demons."

   Answer to Comment 2 (v. 23-27)

Answer to Comment 1 (v.28-30)

 

They both appear to be chiastic (at least, "hysteron proteron")

 

Nothing unusual here so far, but what interests me is that in both chapter 3 and 13, the answer to question 2 and comment 2 can both be broken down further - into two parts (Mk. 3: part A: v.23-26; part B: v. 27 ... Mark 13: part A: v.5-23; part B: v.24-27).  And what strikes me is that it seems that it's the part B in both chapters which appears to contain what perhaps Mark found to be most significant concerning Jesus:  in Mk 3 (Jesus' goal in ministry: 3.27 "To bind the strong man, so he could plunder his house)" and in Mk. 13 (Jesus' second coming?: 13.24-27).  It seems to me that in both cases, Mark has saved his best stuff for this structural location.  It's almost as though Mark has placed it here in a kind of chiastic central location, sandwiched between the lesser significance of his answers to the comments and questions he was otherwise facing.  It could perhaps be written up as follows:

 

Question of Comment 1

   Question or Comment 2

   Answer to 2

 **Something theologically significant from Mark (plunder Satan's house, 2nd coming)

Answer to 1

 

(Perhaps a similar thing also appear in miniature shortly after 3.22-30, in 3.34-35 with

 

mother

  brother

  brother

 **Something added, though not theologically significant ... sister

mother)

 

If the above is true (??) could it have anything to say to us regarding how Mark 13 should be interpreted? 

 

Incidentally, I would break down Mark 13.24-27 chiastically as well ... as follows:

 

A 1 THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED,

   2 AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT,

   3 AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven,

                       

            B  and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken (cf., 8.38)

 

                 C  And then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory.

 

            B'  And then he will send forth the angels, and will gather together his elect

 

 A' 1 from the four winds,

     2 from the farthest end of the earth,

     3 to the farthest end of heaven

 

(A 1 and A' 1 both seem to run there parallels beginning with what is near and moving out to what is farther - both ending with "heaven".  I like the imagery of C: "coming in clouds" followed relatively closely by A' 1 "four winds":  clouds and wind.  Maybe it's just me :-) ... )

 

Happy New Year!!!