Matthew 24
24
Jesus Teaches His Disciples on the Mount of Olives
(Mark 13:1–31; Luke 21:5–33)
1As Jesus left the temple courtyard and was walking away, his disciples came to him. They proudly pointed out to him the temple buildings. 2Jesus said to them, “You see all these buildings, don’t you? I can guarantee this truth: Not one of these stones will be left on top of another. Each one will be torn down.”
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign that you are coming again, and when will the world come to an end?”
4Jesus answered them, “Be careful not to let anyone deceive you. 5Many will come using my name. They will say, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many people.
6“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don’t be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don’t mean that the end has come. 7Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All of these are only the beginning pains ⌞of the end⌟.
9“Then they will hand you over to those who will torture and kill you. All nations will hate you because you are committed to me. 10Then many will lose faith. They will betray and hate each other. 11Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12And because there will be more and more lawlessness, most people’s love will grow cold. 13But the person who endures to the end will be saved.
14“This Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come.
15“The prophet Daniel said that the disgusting thing that will cause destruction will stand in the holy place. When you see this (let the reader take note), 16those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. 17Those who are on the roof should not come down to get anything out of their houses. 18Those who are in the field should not turn back to get their coats.
19“How horrible it will be for the women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days. 20Pray that it will not be winter or a day of rest—a holy day, when you flee. 21There will be a lot of misery at that time, a kind of misery that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and will certainly never happen again. 22If God does not reduce the number of those days, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.
23“At that time don’t believe anyone who tells you, ‘Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’ 24False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will work spectacular, miraculous signs and do wonderful things to deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen. 25Listen! I’ve told you this before it happens. 26So if someone tells you, ‘He’s in the desert!’ don’t go out ⌞looking for him⌟. And don’t believe anyone who says, ‘He’s in a secret place!’ 27The Son of Man will come again just as lightning flashes from east to west. 28Vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body.
29“Immediately after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the universe will be shaken.
30“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All the people on earth will cry in agony when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky with power and great glory. 31He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and from every direction under the sky, they will gather those whom God has chosen.
32“Learn from the story of the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and it sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 33In the same way, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the door.
34“I can guarantee this truth: This generation will not disappear until all these things take place. 35The earth and the heavens will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
No One Knows When the Son of Man Will Return
36“No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows.
37“When the Son of Man comes again, it will be exactly like the days of Noah. 38In the days before the flood, people were eating, drinking, and getting married until the day that Noah went into the ship. 39They were not aware of what was happening until the flood came and swept all of them away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes again.
40“At that time two men will be working in the field. One will be taken, and the other one will be left. 41Two women will be working at a mill. One will be taken, and the other one will be left.
42“Therefore, be alert, because you don’t know on what day your Lord will return. 43You realize that if a homeowner had known at what time of the night a thief was coming, he would have stayed awake. He would not have let the thief break into his house. 44Therefore, you, too, must be ready because the Son of Man will return when you least expect him.
45“Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant? The master will put that person in charge of giving the other servants their food at the right time. 46That servant will be blessed if his master finds him doing this job when he comes. 47I can guarantee this truth: He will put that servant in charge of all his property. 48On the other hand, that servant, if he is wicked, may think that it will be a long time before his master comes. 49The servant may begin to beat the other servants and eat and drink with the drunks. 50His master will return unexpectedly. 51Then his master will severely punish him and assign him a place with the hypocrites. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.
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Matthew 24: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Matthew 24
24
1 JESUS DEPARTED from the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to the buildings of the temple and point them out to Him.
2 But He answered them, Do you see all these? Truly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.
3 While He was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately and said, Tell us, when will this take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end (the completion, the consummation) of the age?
4 Jesus answered them, Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error].
5 For many will come in (on the strength of) My name [appropriating the name which belongs to Me], saying, I am the Christ (the Messiah), and they will lead many astray.
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place;
8 All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish].
9 Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.
10 And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.
11 And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error.
12 And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity,
13 But he who endures to the end will be saved.
14 And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.
15 So when you see the appalling sacrilege [the abomination that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place–let the reader take notice and ponder and consider and heed [this]–[Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11.]
16 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains;
17 Let him who is on the housetop not come down and go into the house to take anything;
18 And let him who is in the field not turn back to get his overcoat.
19 And alas for the women who are pregnant and for those who have nursing babies in those days!
20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
21 For then there will be great tribulation (affliction, distress, and oppression) such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now–no, and never will be [again]. [Dan. 12:1; Joel 2:2.]
22 And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would endure and survive, but for the sake of the elect (God's chosen ones) those days will be shortened.
23 If anyone says to you then, Behold, here is the Christ (the Messiah)! or, There He is!–do not believe it.
24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders so as to deceive and lead astray, if possible, even the elect (God's chosen ones).
25 See, I have warned you beforehand.
26 So if they say to you, Behold, He is in the wilderness (desert)–do not go out there; if they tell you, Behold, He is in the secret places or inner rooms–do not believe it.
27 For just as the lightning flashes from the east and shines and is seen as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28 Wherever there is a fallen body (a corpse), there the vultures (or eagles) will flock together. [Job 39:30.]
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. [Isa. 13:10; 34:4; Joel 2:10, 11; Zeph. 1:15.]
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and beat their breasts and lament in anguish, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory [in brilliancy and splendor]. [Dan. 7:13; Rev. 1:7.]
31 And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect (His chosen ones) from the four winds, [even] from one end of the universe to the other. [Isa. 27:13; Zech. 9:14.]
32 From the fig tree learn this lesson: as soon as its young shoots become soft and tender and it puts out its leaves, you know of a surety that summer is near.
33 So also when you see these signs, all taken together, coming to pass, you may know of a surety that He is near, at the very doors.
34 Truly I tell you, this generation (the whole multitude of people living at the same time, in a definite, given period) will not pass away till all these things taken together take place.
35 Sky and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
36 But of that [exact] day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For just as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, [men] marrying and [women] being given in marriage, until the [very] day when Noah went into the ark,
39 And they did not know or understand until the flood came and swept them all away–so will be the coming of the Son of Man. [Gen. 6:5-8; 7:6-24.]
40 At that time two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the hand mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
42 Watch therefore [give strict attention, be cautious and active], for you do not know in what kind of a day [whether a near or remote one] your Lord is coming.
43 But understand this: had the householder known in what [part of the night, whether in a night or a morning] watch the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be undermined and broken into.
44 You also must be ready therefore, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.
45 Who then is the faithful, thoughtful, and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household to give to the others the food and supplies at the proper time?
46 Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is that servant whom, when his master comes, he will find so doing.
47 I solemnly declare to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
48 But if that servant is wicked and says to himself, My master is delayed and is going to be gone a long time,
49 And begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken,
50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour of which he is not aware,
51 And will punish him [cut him up by scourging] and put him with the pretenders (hypocrites); there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
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