Mark 13 and the Return of the Shepherd

The Narrative Logic of Zechariah in Mark

Paul T. Sloan

• Publisher: T&T Clark
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9780567695529
• eBook ISBN:
  9780567685742
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

Paul T. Sloan presents a detailed interpretation of Mark's Olivet Discourse in light of the Gospel's many allusions to the book of Zechariah, and argues that previous studies have rightly demonstrated the influence of Zechariah 9–14 on the Passion Narratives. Sloan shows that this influence is not merely confined to Mark's description of Jesus' final week, but also permeates much of his narrative; informing the Gospel's presentation of Jesus' royal identity, his action in the temple, the role of suffering in the bringing of God's kingdom, and the arrangement and interpretation of the Olivet Discourse.

Sloan begins with an extensive review of scholarship on the presence of Zechariah in Mark before analyzing the reception of relevant texts from Zechariah in Second Temple literature. He proceeds to a fresh examination of potential allusions to Zechariah throughout Mark, focusing especially on Mark's use of Zechariah 13:7 and 14:5. In addition to influencing significant themes in Mark's Gospel, Sloan argues that Zechariah provides a helpful framework by which to interpret Mark 13, offering a potential solution to a notorious crux interpretum, namely, why Jesus answers a question about the temple with reference to the coming of the son of man.

Chapter 1

SHAPE OF THE QUESTION

1.1. Introduction

Mark employs Israel’s scriptures in his telling of the story of Jesus. Particularly important for Mark are Israel’s prophets. This project explores Mark’s use of one of those prophets—Zechariah—in his portrayal of Jesus’ actions and teaching. My purpose is to examine the extent of Zechariah’s influence upon Mark 13, and to offer an interpretation of that discourse in light of Mark’s allusions to that prophetic text. This project thus entails two distinct, but interrelated components: Mark’s intertextual use of Zechariah, and a comprehensive semiotic exegesis of Mark 13 within the context of Mark as a whole.¹

The Olivet Discourse of course generates numerous questions, but an underlying crux interpretum for nearly 200 years has been the relation of the disciples’ question about the destruction of the temple to Jesus’ answer that seemingly includes reference to his future second coming. D. F. Strauss, for example, writing between 1835 and 1840, concludes, “Thus it is impossible to evade the acknowledgment, that in this discourse, if we do not mutilate it to suit our own views, Jesus at first speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem, and…of his return at the end of all things, and that he places the two events in immediate connexion…. It follows that in this particular he was mistaken.”² In 2008, on the other hand, Michael Bird writes, “I cannot imagine Mark depicting the disciples as asking Jesus a question about the destruction of the Temple and then having Jesus respond by engaging in a speech about his return from heaven.”³ Bird thus concedes no error in Mark 13, but interprets the “coming of the Son of Man” not as his parousia, but as “Israel’s vindication through the fulfilment of Jesus’ prophecy against the Temple.”⁴

The above conclusions, in addition to indicating the vast range of possible interpretations of Mark 13, demonstrate the need to address apparent disparity between the disciples’ question and Jesus’ answer. Thus a major conundrum created by the Olivet Discourse is, why does it begin with a prophecy and question about the destruction of the temple and end with a statement about “the coming of the Son of Man”? How do those events relate? The different exegetical paths one could take throughout the discourse naturally lead to varied destinations. The outline in Figure 1.1 below⁵ lists four common interpretations of Mark 13:1-37, which is said to refer to:

Figure 1.1

1.Temple’s destruction
and Jesus’ parousia⁶

a.	13:1-4:	Jesus’ prophecy and disciples’ question about temple’s destruction
b.	13:5-23:	events leading up to the temple’s destruction
c.	13:24-27:	Jesus’ parousia
d.	13:28-31:	resumes discussion of Jerusalem and temple
e	13:32-37:	resumes discussion of Jesus’ parousia

2.Future tribulations
and Jesus’ parousia⁷

a.	13:1-4:	Jesus’ prophecy and disciples’ question about temple’s destruction
b.	13:5-23:	future tribulations
c.	13:24-27:	parousia
d.	13:28-37:	parables regarding the unknown time of Jesus’ parousia

3.Temple’s destruction⁸

a.	13:1-4:	Jesus’ prophecy and disciples’ question about temple’s destruction
b.	13:5-23:	signs and tribulations which precede temple’s destruction
c.	13:24-27:	vindication of Jesus and his prophecy regarding temple’s destruction
d.	13:28-37:	parables and exhortations regarding unknown time of previous predictions

4.Temple’s destruction and parousia⁹

a.	13:1-4:	Jesus’ prophecy and disciples’ question about temple’s destruction
b.	13:5-23:	tribulation preceding temple’s destruction
c.	13:24-27:	vindication of Jesus and his prophecy regarding temple’s destruction
d.	13:28-31:	parable about timing of temple’s destruction
e.	13:32-37:	Exhortations about unknown day of parousia

This outline does not represent an exhaustive list, but rather attempts to show common interpretations in currency. The above conclusions result from various methodologies, including form criticism, redaction criticism, and narrative criticism. Broadly speaking, however, a common denominator in each methodology is intertextuality.¹⁰ Scholars universally recognize that Mark 13 contains several allusions to Israel’s scriptures; every interpretation, therefore, must make decisions regarding their meaning in Mark. This study seeks to contribute to the discussion by attending to the presence of Zechariah throughout Mark, and particularly Mark 13, and by providing a detailed interpretation of the Olivet Discourse in light of that presence.

Mark’s Gospel contains numerous allusions to Zechariah throughout,¹¹ and these allusions partially shape his presentation of Jesus’ actions and teaching. This project aims to demonstrate both Mark’s use of Zechariah throughout the Gospel, and the underestimated importance of Zech. 13–14 for an understanding of the Olivet Discourse. In particular, I argue that allusions to Zech. 13–14 contribute to the shape and content of Mark 13. Undoubtedly Zech. 13–14 is not the sole influence to the exclusion of other texts. On the contrary, I argue that Mark brings Zechariah into conversation with other texts on the basis of shared themes and lexemes, and show, within the matrix of prophetic texts utilized in Mark 13, that recognition of the allusions to Zech. 13–14 affects the interpretation of the discourse.

I argue that Mark describes Jesus’ death and parousia with a citation of and allusion to Zech. 13:7 and Zech. 14:5, respectively.¹² Those allusions serve as frames, or bookends, for the tribulation depicted in Mark 13. Zechariah 13:7 prophesies the “striking of the shepherd,” and Zech. 14:5 describes God’s theophany with angels. The material between those bookends, namely Zech. 13:8–14:4, is (1) tribulation in all the land;¹³

(2) refinement by fire of God’s covenantal people;¹⁴ and (3) an international war waged in Jerusalem, with concomitant suffering for Jerusalem’s inhabitants.¹⁵ These events culminate in the arrival of the Lord “with all his holy ones.”¹⁶ Such events, I argue, comprise the material of Mark 13, the narrative fulfilment of which takes place precisely between “the striking of the shepherd” and the arrival of the Son of Man “with the holy angels.” The events of Mark 13 are (1) earthquakes, famines, and wars;¹⁷ (2) the persecution and affliction of God’s covenantal people;¹⁸ and (3) an attack on Jerusalem, with concomitant suffering for Jerusalem’s inhabitants.¹⁹ These events similarly culminate in a theophany with angels.²⁰ I argue that the sequence of events in Zech. 13–14 influences Mark’s description of the tribulations in the Olivet Discourse.

In short, Jesus’ quotation²¹ of Zech. 13:7 indicates that the striking of the shepherd signals the onset of the eschatological tribulations of Zech. 13:8-9 and 14:1-4, which culminate in the theophany of Zech. 14:5. Those tribulations, I argue, comprise the content of Mark 13, which also culminates in a theophany. I detect such influence not only by mapping thematic coherence between Zechariah and Mark, but also by identifying lexical parity between phrases from Zech. 13–14 and Mark, and interpreting them in light of Mark’s Gospel as a whole.

1.2. Narrative Analysis and the Cultural Encyclopedia

This study analyzes the narrative of Mark with special attention to its intertextual dynamics. Such analysis entails examining the G...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title
• Title
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1 SHAPE OF THE QUESTION
• Chapter 2 ANALYSIS OF SECOND TEMPLE LITERATURE
• Chapter 3 ALLUSIONS TO ZECHARIAH THROUGHOUT MARK
• Chapter 4 THE BOOKENDS: THE USE OF ZECHARIAH 13:7 AND 14:5 IN MARK
• Chapter 5 REVIEW OF SCHOLARSHIP ON MARK 13
• Chapter 6 MARK 13 AND THE RETURN OF THE SHEPHERD
• Chapter 7 CONCLUSION
• Bibliography
• Index of References
• Index of Authors
• Copyright