1Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. (Mt 21:23; Mr 13:1; Lu 21:5)2But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (Lu 19:44)
Signs of the End of the Age
3As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Mt 13:39; Mt 21:1; Mt 24:27; Mt 24:37; Mt 24:39; Mr 4:34; Ac 1:6; 1Th 2:19)4And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. (Jer 29:8; Eph 5:6; Col 2:8; 2Th 2:3; 1Jo 3:7)5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. (Jer 14:14; Mt 1:17; Mt 24:11; Mt 24:24; 1Jo 2:18)6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. (2Th 2:2; Re 1:1)7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. (2Ch 15:6; Isa 19:2; Ac 11:28; Re 6:4; Re 6:8; Re 6:12)8All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Joh 16:21; Ac 2:24; Ro 8:22)9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. (Mt 10:17; Mt 10:21; Mt 10:22; Mt 23:34; Mt 24:21; Mt 24:29; Joh 16:2; Re 2:10)10And then many will fall away[1] and betray one another and hate one another. (Mt 10:21)11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. (Mt 7:15; Mt 24:5; Mt 24:24)12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. (Re 2:4)13But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mt 10:22)14And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Mt 10:18; Mt 24:6; Mt 28:19; Mr 14:9; Ro 10:18; Col 1:6; Col 1:23)
The Abomination of Desolation
15“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), (Da 9:22; Da 9:25; Da 9:27; Da 11:31; Da 12:11; Joh 11:48; Ac 6:13; Ac 21:28; Re 1:3)16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.17Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, (Lu 5:19; Lu 17:31)18and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.19And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! (Lu 23:29)20Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. (Da 12:1; Mt 24:29; Re 7:14; Re 16:18)22And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Isa 65:8; Mt 22:14; Mt 24:24; Mt 24:31; Lu 18:7)23Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. (Mt 24:5; Mt 24:26; Lu 17:23)24For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (De 13:1; Mt 24:11; Ac 8:9; 2Th 2:9; 1Jo 2:18; Re 13:13; Re 16:14; Re 19:20)25See, I have told you beforehand. (Joh 13:19; Joh 14:29; 2Pe 3:17)26So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. (Ac 21:38)27For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Mt 24:3; Mt 24:37; Mt 24:39; Lu 17:24)28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (Job 39:30; Lu 17:37)
32“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.33So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. (Jas 5:9; Re 3:20)34Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. (Mt 16:28)35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Ps 102:26; Ps 119:89; Isa 40:8; Isa 51:6; Mt 5:18; Heb 12:27; 1Pe 1:23; 1Pe 1:25; 2Pe 3:10)
No One Knows That Day and Hour
36“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,[2] but the Father only. (Zec 14:7; Mt 25:13; Ac 1:7; Php 2:6; 1Th 5:1)37For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Mt 24:27; Lu 17:26)38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, (Ge 7:7; Mt 22:30; Mt 24:37)39and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Mt 24:37)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; Isa 47:2; Lu 17:35)42Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. (Mr 14:34; Lu 12:37; Lu 21:36; Joh 13:13; Ac 20:31; 1Th 5:6)43But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. (Lu 12:39; 1Th 5:2; 2Pe 3:10; Re 3:3)44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Mt 24:27; Mt 25:10)45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant,[3] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? (Mt 7:24; Mt 10:16; Mt 25:2; Mt 25:21; 1Co 4:2; Heb 3:5)46Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. (Joh 13:17; Re 16:15)47Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. (Mt 25:21; Mt 25:23)48But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ (Mt 25:5)49and begins to beat his fellow servants[4] and eats and drinks with drunkards, (1Th 5:7)50the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know (Mt 25:13; 2Pe 3:12)51and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mt 8:12)
Matthew 24
New International Version
The destruction of the temple and signs of the end times
1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.2‘Do you see all these things?’ he asked. ‘Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.’3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’4Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no-one deceives you.5For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Messiah,” and will deceive many.6You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.8All these are the beginning of birth-pains.9‘Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,13but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.15‘So when you see standing in the holy place “the abomination that causes desolation,” spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand – (Da 9:27; Da 11:31; Da 12:11)16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.17Let no-one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house.18Let no-one in the field go back to get their cloak.19How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.21For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equalled again.22‘If those days had not been cut short, no-one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.23At that time if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Messiah!” or, “There he is!” do not believe it.24For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.25See, I have told you in advance.26‘So if anyone tells you, “There he is, out in the desert,” do not go out; or, “Here he is, in the inner rooms,” do not believe it.27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.29‘Immediately after the distress of those days ‘ “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” (Isa 13:10; Isa 34:4)30‘Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth[1] will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.[2] (Da 7:13)31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.32‘Now learn this lesson from the fig-tree: as soon as its twigs become tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[3] is near, right at the door.34Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly 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 hour unknown
36‘But about that day or hour no-one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[4] but only the Father.37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.41Two women will be grinding with a hand-mill; one will be taken and the other left.42‘Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.45‘Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.47Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, “My master is staying away a long time,”49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.