Matthew 24
24
Destruction of the Temple Predicted
1As Jesus left and was going out of the temple,#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 its buildings. 2He replied to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell 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
4Jesus 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#24:7 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 labor pains.#Lk 21:12–24
Persecutions Predicted
9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, 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 fall away, 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 saved. 14This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world#24:14 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 of desolation, # 24:15 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), 16“then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17A man on the housetop#24:17 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 coat. 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 distress,#24:21 Or tribulation, also in v. 29#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 cut short, no one would#24:22 Lit short, all flesh would not be saved. But those days will be cut short 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, ‘See, here is the Messiah!’ #Lk 17:3; 21:28 or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it.#Mk 11:24; Jn 6:64 24For false messiahs 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, ‘See, he’s in the wilderness! ’ don’t go out; or, ‘See, he’s in the storerooms! ’ 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#24:28 Or eagles will gather.#Jb 39:30; Lk 17:37
The Coming of the Son of Man
29 “Immediately after the distress #
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 powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth#24:30 Or all the tribes of the land will mourn;#24:30 Lit will beat; that is, beat their chests 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 “Learn this lesson #
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#24:33 Or things, you know that he#24:33 Or it; that is, summer is near — at the door.#Jms 5:9; Rv 3:20 34Truly I tell 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 of heaven nor the Son # 24:36 Other mss omit nor the Son — except the Father alone.#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 until the flood came and swept them all away. 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 grain with a hand 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#24:42 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#24:43 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 are also to 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 Christ
45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, #
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 46Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes.#Jn 13:17; Rv 16:15 47Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49and starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards,#Ac 2:15; 1Co 11:21; 1Th 5:7; Rv 17:6 50that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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Matthew 24: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Matthew 24
24
The temple will be destroyed
(Mark 13.1,2; Luke 21.5,6)
1After Jesus left the temple, his disciples came over and said, “Look at all these buildings!”
2Jesus replied, “Do you see these buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left in place.”
Warning about trouble
(Mark 13.3-13; Luke 21.7-19)
3Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him in private and asked, “When will this happen? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?”
4Jesus answered:
Don't let anyone fool you. 5Many will come and claim to be me. They will say that they are the Messiah, and they will fool many people.
6You will soon hear about wars and threats of wars, but don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end. 7Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. People will starve to death, and in some places there will be earthquakes. 8But this is just the beginning of troubles.
9You will be arrested, punished, and even killed. Because of me, you will be hated by people of all nations.#Mt 10.22. 10Many will give up and will betray and hate each other. 11Many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people. 12Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others. 13But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved.#Mt 10.22. 14When the good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all nations, the end will come.
The Horrible Thing
(Mark 13.14-23; Luke 21.20-24)
Jesus continued:
15Some day you will see that “Horrible Thing” in the holy place, just as the prophet Daniel said. Everyone who reads this must try to understand!#Dn 9.27; 11.31; 12.11. 16If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. 17If you are on the roof#24.17 roof: In Palestine the houses usually had a flat roof. Stairs on the outside led up to the roof, which was made of beams and boards covered with packed earth. of your house, don't go inside to get anything.#Lk 17.31. 18If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. 19It will be a terrible time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. 20And pray that you won't have to escape in winter or on a Sabbath.#24.20 in winter or on a Sabbath: In Palestine the winters are cold and rainy and make travel difficult. The Jewish people were not allowed to travel much more than a kilometre on the Sabbath. For these reasons it was hard for them to escape from their enemies in the winter or on a Sabbath. 21This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again.#Dn 12.1; Rev 7.14. 22If God doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter.
23Someone may say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” But don't believe it. 24False messiahs and false prophets will come and perform great miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God's chosen ones. 25But I have warned you beforehand. 26If you are told that the Messiah is out in the desert, don't go there! And if you are told that he is in some secret place, don't believe it!#Lk 17.23,24. 27The coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning that can be seen from east to west. 28Where there is a corpse, there will always be vultures.#24.28 Where there is a corpse, there will always be vultures: This saying may mean that when anything important happens, people soon know about it. Or the saying may mean that whenever something bad happens, curious people gather around and stare. But the word translated “vulture” also means “eagle” and may refer to the Roman army, which had an eagle as its symbol.#Lk 17.37.
When the Son of Man appears
(Mark 13.24-27; Luke 21.25-28)
Jesus continued:
29Straight after those days of suffering,#Is 13.10; Jl 2.10,31; 3.15; Rev 6.12; Is 13.10; Ez 32.7; Jl 2.10; 3.15; Is 34.4; Rev 6.13.
“The sun will become dark,
and the moon
will no longer shine.
The stars will fall,
and the powers in the sky#24.29 the powers in the sky: In ancient times people thought that the stars were spiritual powers.
will be shaken.”
30Then a sign will appear in the sky. And there will be the Son of Man.#24.30 And there will be the Son of Man: Or “And it will be the Son of Man.” All nations on earth will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.#Dn 7.13; Zec 12.10-14; Rev 1.7. 31At the sound of a loud trumpet, he will send his angels to bring his chosen ones together from all over the earth.
A lesson from a fig tree
(Mark 13.28-31; Luke 21.29-33)
Jesus continued:
32Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. 33So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come.#24.33 the time has almost come: Or “he (that is, the Son of Man) will soon be here.” 34I can promise you that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. 35The sky and the earth won't last for ever, but my words will.
No one knows the day or time
(Mark 13.32-37; Luke 17.26-30,34-36)
Jesus continued:
36No one knows the day or hour. The angels in heaven don't know, and the Son himself doesn't know.#24.36 and the Son himself doesn't know: These words are not in some manuscripts. Only the Father knows. 37When the Son of Man appears, things will be just as they were when Noah lived.#Gn 6.5-8. 38People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day that the flood came and Noah went into the big boat. 39They didn't know anything was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man appears.#Gn 7.6-24.
40Two men will be in the same field, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. 41Two women will be together grinding grain, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. 42So be on your guard! You don't know when your Lord will come. 43Homeowners never know when a thief is coming, and they are always on guard to keep one from breaking in.#Lk 12.39,40. 44Always be ready! You don't know when the Son of Man will come.
Faithful and unfaithful servants
(Luke 12.35-48)
Jesus continued:
45Who are faithful and wise servants? Who are the ones the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their food supplies at the proper time? 46Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds them doing their job. 47You may be sure that a servant who is always faithful will be put in charge of everything the master owns. 48But suppose one of the servants thinks that the master won't return until late. 49Suppose that evil servant starts beating the other servants and eats and drinks with people who are drunk. 50If that happens, the master will come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. 51That servant will then be punished and thrown out with the ones who only pretended to serve their master. There they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012