Matthew 24
24
The Signs of the End
1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him. They wanted him to admire the temple buildings. 2“Do you see all this?” Jesus asked. “Truly I tell you, there won’t be one stone left here on top of another. Every building will be torn down, to the last stone.”
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and asked, “Tell us, when will this happen? And what will be the sign of your coming? What will be the sign of the end of the age?”
4Jesus answered, “Don’t let anyone trick you! 5Many people will come claiming to be me and saying, ‘I’m the Messiah!’ They’ll get many people to follow them. 6You’ll hear about wars, and you’ll hear people saying there are going to be wars. Don’t be afraid. Those things will happen, but that won’t be the end. 7Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom will fight against kingdom. People won’t have enough food, and there will be earthquakes in many places. 8But all of this will be only the beginning of the birth pains.
9“Then people will hand you over to be oppressed and killed, and all nations will hate you because of me. 10At that time, many will turn away from the faith. They will hate one another and hand each other over to their enemies. 11Many false prophets will appear, and they will trick many people. 12Wickedness will increase and many people’s love will grow cold. 13But anyone who remains strong in the faith will be saved. 14This good news of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.
15“The prophet Daniel spoke about ‘the detestable thing that brings desolation.’ One day you’ll see it standing in the holy place.” (Let the one who reads this be sure to understand.) 16“When that happens, those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains. 17No one who’s on a housetop should go down into the house to take anything out. 18No one who’s out in the field should go back home to get their coat. 19How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20Pray that you won’t have to run away in the winter or on a Sabbath day. 21There will be terrible suffering in those days, worse than any other time from the beginning of the world until now, and there will never be anything like it again.
22“If that time were not cut short, no one would survive. But because of God’s chosen people, it will be shortened. 23At that time someone may say to you, ‘Look! Here’s the Messiah!’ Or, ‘He’s over there!’ Don’t believe it. 24False messiahs and false prophets will appear, and they’ll do great signs and miracles. They’ll even try to trick God’s chosen people if they can. 25See, I’ve told you ahead of time.
26“So if anyone tells you, ‘He’s out in the desert,’ don’t go out there. And if anyone says, ‘He’s deep inside the house,’ don’t believe it. 27Lightning that comes from the east can be seen in the west. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. 28You know where a dead body is when you see vultures circling in the sky.
29“Right after the terrible suffering of those days,
“ ‘The sun will go dark,
the moon won’t shine,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the planets will be shaken.’
30“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. Then all the peoples of the earth will mourn, when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his chosen people from the north, south, east, and west—from one end of the sky to the other.
32“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. 33In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you’ll know that the end is near, right at the door. 34Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Day and Time Are Not Known
36“But no one knows what day or time this will happen. The angels in heaven don’t even know, and the Son doesn’t know either—only the Father knows. 37When the Son of Man comes, it will be the same as it was in the days of Noah. 38In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, getting married and arranging marriages, right up to the day when Noah entered the ark. 39They didn’t know anything about what was going to happen until the flood came and took them all away. That’s how it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken and the other will be spared. 41Two women will be grinding together with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other will be left.
42“So keep watch, because you don’t know on what day your Lord is coming. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the robber was coming, he would have kept watch. He wouldn’t have let his house be broken into. 44So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a time when you aren’t expecting him.
45“Suppose a master puts one of his slaves in charge of the other slaves and tells him to give them their food at the right time. The master would want to choose a faithful and wise slave to do that. 46It will be good for this slave if the master finds him doing his job when he returns. 47Truly I tell you, the master will put that slave in charge of everything he owns. 48But suppose the slave is a bad person and he says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time. I can do whatever I want.’ 49Suppose he then starts to beat the other slaves and to eat and drink with people who drink too much. 50The master of that slave will come back on a day when he isn’t expecting him and at a time when he isn’t watching. 51Then the master will cut him to pieces and send him to the same place where hypocrites go, where people will weep and grind their teeth.
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Matthew 24: RAD
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Matthew 24
24
Destruction of the Temple Predicted
1As Jesus left and was going out of the temple complex, # Mk 13:1-37; Lk 21:5-36 His disciples # Mt 9:10; Mk 10:10; Lk 6:1; Jn 6:3; 12:16 came up and called His attention to the temple buildings. 2Then He replied to them, “Don’t you see all these things? I assure you: Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down! ”
Signs of the End of the Age
3While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age? ” # Mt 21:1; 24:27,37,39
4Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives # Jr 29:8; Eph 5:6; Col 2:8; 2Th 2:3 you. 5For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. # Mt 1:17; Eph 5:2 6You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines # Other mss add epidemics # Ac 11:28; Rv 6:8 and earthquakes in various places. # 2Ch 15:6; Is 19:2 8All these events are the beginning of birth pains. # Lk 21:12-24
Persecutions Predicted
9“Then they will hand you over for persecution, # Or tribulation, or distress and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name. # Mt 10:17,22; Jn 16:2 10Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. 11Many false prophets # Is 44:25; Mt 7:15; 24:24; Mk 13:22; Lk 6:26; Ac 13:6; 2Pt 2:1; 1Jn 4:1 will rise up and deceive many. 12Because lawlessness # Mt 13:41; 2Th 2:3 will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. # Or be saved 14This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world # Or in all the inhabited earth as a testimony to all nations. # Mt 4:23; Rm 10:18; Col 1:6,23; 1Th 1:8 And then the end will come. # Lk 2:1; 4:5; Ac 11:28; 17:6; Rv 3:10; 16:14
The Great Tribulation
15“So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, # Or abomination of desolation, or desolating sacrilege # Dn 9:27 spoken of by the prophet Daniel, # Dn 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Mk 13:14; Lk 21:20 standing in the holy place” # Ac 6:13; 21:28 (let the reader understand # These are, most likely, Matthew’s words to his readers.), 16“then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! 17A man on the housetop # Or roof must not come down to get things out of his house. # 1Sm 9:25; Mt 10:27; Lk 5:19; 12:3; 17:31; Ac 10:9 18And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. 19Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21For at that time there will be great tribulation, # Dn 12:1; Jl 2:2; Mt 24:29; Rv 7:14 the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again! 22Unless those days were limited, no one would # Lit short, all flesh would not survive. # Or be saved or delivered But those days will be limited because of the elect. # Mt 22:14; 24:24,31; Mk 13:20,22,27; 1Tm 5:21; 2Tm 2:10; Rv 17:14
23“If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah! ’ # Lk 17:3; 21:28 or, ‘Over here! ’ do not believe it! # Mk 11:24; Jn 6:64 24False messiahs # Or False christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, # Dt 13:1-3; Mt 24:11; Ac 8:9; 2Th 2:9-11; Rv 13:13-14; 16:14; 19:20 if possible, even the elect. 25Take note: I have told you in advance. 26So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness! ’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms! ’ do not believe it. 27For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. # Zch 9:14; Mt 8:20; 24:3,37,39; Lk 17:24 28Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures # Or eagles will gather. # Jb 39:30; Lk 17:37
The Coming of the Son of Man
29“Immediately after the tribulation # Is 13:10; 24:23; Ezk 32:7; Jl 2:10,31; 3:15; Zph 1:15; Rv 6:12-13 of those days:
The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not shed its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the celestial powers will be shaken.
30“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth # Or all the tribes of the land will mourn; # Lit will beat ; that is, beat their breasts and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. # Dn 7:13; Zch 12:12; Mt 24:3; Rv 1:7 31He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, # Is 27:13; 1Co 15:52; 1Th 4:16; Rv 8:2; 11:15 and they will gather His elect from the four winds, # Dn 7:2; Zch 2:6; Rv 7:1 from one end of the sky to the other.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
32“Now learn this parable # Mt 13:3,34-36; 15:15; 21:33,45; 22:1 from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 33In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize # Or things, you know that He # Or it ; that is, summer is near — at the door! # Jms 5:9; Rv 3:20 34I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. # Mt 10:23; 16:28; 23:36 35Heaven and earth will pass away, # Ps 102:26; Is 51:6; Mt 5:18; Heb 12:27; 2Pt 3:10 but My words will never pass away. # Ps 119:89; Is 40:8; Mk 13:31; Lk 21:33; 1Pt 1:23,25
No One Knows the Day or Hour
36“Now concerning that day and hour no one knows — neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son # Other mss omit nor the Son — except the Father only. # Zch 14:7; Mt 25:13; Mk 13:32; Ac 1:7; 1Th 5:1-2 37As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 38For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. # Gn 6:5; 7:6-23; Mt 22:30; Lk 17:26 39They didn’t know # They didn’t know the day and hour of the coming judgment. until the flood came and swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: 40Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left. 41Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one left. # Ex 11:5; Is 47:2; Lk 17:35 42Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day # Other mss read hour ; = time your Lord is coming. # Mt 25:13; Lk 12:40; 21:36 43But know this: If the homeowner had known what time # Lit watch ; a division of the night in ancient times the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. # Lk 12:39; 1Th 5:2; Rv 3:3 44This is why you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. # Mt 25:10; 1Th 5:6
Faithful Service to the Messiah
45“Who then is a faithful and sensible slave, # Lk 12:42-46 whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time? # Mt 7:24; 10:16; 25:2,21 46That slave whose master finds him working # Jn 13:17; Rv 16:15 when he comes will be rewarded. 47I assure you: He will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But if that wicked slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49and starts to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, # Ac 2:15; 1Co 11:21; 1Th 5:7; Rv 17:6 50that slave’s master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. 51He will cut him to pieces # Lit him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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