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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Matthew 24: HCSB
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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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