Mark 13
13
When the Temple Will Be Destroyed and the Signs of the End
1Jesus was leaving the temple. One of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What huge stones! What wonderful buildings!”
2“Do you see these huge buildings?” Jesus asked. “Not one stone here will be left on top of another. Every stone will be thrown down.”
3Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the temple. Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him a question in private. 4“Tell us,” they said. “When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to come true?”
5Jesus said to them, “Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you. 6Many will come in my name. They will claim, ‘I am he.’ They will fool many people. 7You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen. But the end still isn’t here. 8Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many places. People will go hungry. All these things are the beginning of birth pains.
9“Watch out! You will be handed over to the local courts. You will be whipped in the synagogues. You will stand in front of governors and kings because of me. In that way you will be witnesses to them. 10The good news has to be preached to all nations before the end comes. 11You will be arrested and brought to trial. But don’t worry ahead of time about what you will say. Just say what God brings to your mind at the time. It is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12“Brothers will hand over brothers to be killed. Fathers will hand over their children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. 13Everyone will hate you because of me. But the one who remains strong in the faith will be saved.
14“You will see ‘the hated thing that destroys.’ (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) It will stand where it does not belong. The reader should understand this. Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains. 15No one on the roof should go down into the house to take anything out. 16No one in the field should go back to get their coat. 17How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! 18Pray that this will not happen in winter. 19Those days will be worse than any others from the time God created the world until now. And there will never be any like them again.
20“If the Lord had not cut the time short, no one would live. But because of God’s chosen people, he has shortened it. 21At that time someone may say to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ Or, ‘Look! There he is!’ Do not believe it. 22False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will do signs and miracles. They will try to fool God’s chosen people if possible. 23Keep watch! I have told you everything ahead of time.
24“So in those days there will be terrible suffering. After that, Scripture says,
“ ‘The sun will be darkened.
The moon will not shine.
25The stars will fall from the sky.
The heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ (Isaiah 13:10; 34:4)
26“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds. He will come with great power and glory. 27He will send his angels. He will gather his chosen people from all four directions. He will bring them from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
28“Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door. 30What I’m about to tell you is true. The people living now will certainly not pass away until all those things have happened. 31Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Are Not Known
32“But no one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows. 33Keep watch! Stay awake! You do not know when that time will come. 34It’s like a man going away. He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge. Each one is given a task to do. He tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35“So keep watch! You do not know when the owner of the house will come back. It may be in the evening or at midnight. It may be when the rooster crows or at dawn. 36He may come suddenly. So do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone. ‘Watch!’ ”
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Mark 13
13
The temple will be destroyed
(Matthew 24.1,2; Luke 21.5,6)
1As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at these beautiful stones and wonderful buildings!”
2Jesus replied, “Do you see these huge buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left in place.”
Warning about trouble
(Matthew 24.3-14; Luke 21.7-19)
3Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. 4They asked, “When will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
5Jesus answered:
Watch out and don't let anyone fool you! 6Many will come and claim to be me. They will use my name and fool many people.
7When you hear about wars and threats of wars, don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end. 8Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. There will be earthquakes in many places, and people will starve to death. But this is just the beginning of troubles.
9Be on your guard! You will be taken to courts and beaten with whips in their meeting places. And because of me, you will have to stand before rulers and kings to tell about your faith.#Mt 10.17-20; Lk 12.11,12. 10But before the end comes, the good news must be preached to all nations.
11When you are arrested, don't worry about what you will say. You will be given the right words when the time comes. But you will not really be the ones speaking. Your words will come from the Holy Spirit.
12Brothers and sisters will betray each other and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. 13Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved.#Mt 10.22.
The Horrible Thing
(Matthew 24.15-21; Luke 21.20-24)
Jesus continued:
14Some day you will see that “Horrible Thing” where it should not be.#13.14 where it should not be: Probably the holy place in the temple. Everyone who reads this must try to understand! If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains.#Dn 9.27; 11.31; 12.11. 15If you are on the roof#13.15 roof: See the note at 2.4. of your house, don't go inside to get anything.#Lk 17.31. 16If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. 17It will be an awful time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. 18Pray that it won't happen in winter.#13.18 in winter: In Palestine the winters are cold and rainy and make travel difficult. 19This will be the worst time of suffering since God created the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again.#Dn 12.1; Rev 7.14. 20If the Lord doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of his chosen and special ones, he will make the time shorter.
21If someone should say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” don't believe it. 22False messiahs and false prophets will come and perform miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God's chosen ones. 23But be on your guard! That's why I am telling you these things now.
When the Son of Man appears
(Matthew 24.29-31; Luke 21.25-28)
Jesus continued:
24In those days, straight after that time of suffering,#Is 13.10; Jl 2.10,31; 3.15; Rev 6.12; Is 13.10; Ez 32.7.
“The sun will become dark,
and the moon
will no longer shine.
25The stars will fall,#Is 34.4; Rev 6.13; Jl 2.10.
and the powers in the sky#13.25 the powers in the sky: In ancient times people thought that the stars were spiritual powers.
will be shaken.”
26Then the Son of Man will be seen coming in the clouds with great power and glory.#Dn 7.13; Rev 1.7. 27He will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the earth.
A lesson from a fig tree
(Matthew 24.32-35; Luke 21.29-33)
Jesus continued:
28Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know summer is near. 29So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come.#13.29 the time has almost come: Or “he (that is, the Son of Man) will soon be here.” 30You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. 31The sky and the earth will not last for ever, but my words will.
No one knows the day or time
(Matthew 24.36-44)
Jesus continued:
32No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don't know, and the Son himself doesn't know. Only the Father knows.#Mt 24.36. 33So watch out and be ready! You don't know when the time will come. 34It is like what happens when a man goes away for a while and places his servants in charge of everything. He tells each of them what to do, and he orders the guard to keep alert.#Lk 12.36-38. 35So be alert! You don't know when the master of the house will come back. It could be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or in the morning. 36But if he comes suddenly, don't let him find you asleep. 37I tell everyone just what I have told you. Be alert!
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