13:5-23 This section is often divided into two parts, 13:5-13 and 13:14-23. The first part is often interpreted as describing the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred in AD 70, while the second part is taken to describe the coming of the Son of Man in the future. It is best, however, to interpret all of 13:5-23 as describing events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 because: (1) 13:5-23 is Jesus’ answer to the two questions (13:4) that deal with the destruction of Jerusalem (13:2); (2) The commands to flee Judea (13:14-16), the woe announced upon pregnant and nursing women (13:17), and the prayer that it not take place in winter (13:18) make sense if they refer to the events of AD 70 but not if they refer to the future return of Christ; (3) Three warnings in this passage (13:5, 9, 23) tie this passage together and indicate that 13:5-23 should be understood as a unit. • The subdivisions of this section are arranged as a chiasm (X-pattern): A: Deceivers claim to be the Messiah (13:5-6). B: There are reports of fighting and natural disasters (13:7-8). C: There is persecution of believers (13:9-13). B': The fighting in Judea and resulting tribulation begin (13:14-20). A': Deceivers claim to be the Messiah (13:21-23). 13:5-6 Jesus warned his followers not to be misled by the many false messiahs who would come claiming, ‘I am the Messiah’ and would deceive many into following them. These false claimants would profess to be the long-awaited Jewish Messiah (not Jesus per se) or to speak on the Messiah’s behalf. Such claimants included Theudas the Galilean (Acts 5:36), Simon the son of Gioras, and John of Gischala, who deceived many in the AD 60s.