Matthew 24
Signs of the End of the Age
Jesus went out from
the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show
him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, "Don't you see all of these things? Most certainly I tell
you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be
thrown down."
As he sat on the Mount
of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us,
when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end
of the age?"
Jesus answered them,
"Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name,
saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will lead many astray. You will hear of wars and rumors
of wars. See that you aren't troubled, for all this must happen, but the
end is not yet. For
nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there
will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are the
beginning of birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to
oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for
my name's sake. Then
many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one
another. Many false
prophets will arise, and will lead many astray. Because iniquity will be
multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end,
the same will be saved. This Good News of the Kingdom
will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations,
and then the end will come.
"When, therefore, you see
the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the
prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea
flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop
not go down to take out things that are in his house. Let him who is in the field not
return back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are with
child and to nursing mothers in those days! Pray that your flight will not
be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath, for then there will be great
oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until
now, no, nor ever will be. Unless those days had been
shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen
ones, those days will be shortened.
"Then if any man tells you,
'Behold, here is the Christ,' or, 'There,' don't believe it. For there will arise false
christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders,
so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
"Behold, I have told you
beforehand. If therefore
they tell you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness,' don't go out; 'Behold,
he is in the inner chambers,' don't believe it. For as the lightning flashes
from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the
Son of Man. For wherever
the carcass is, there is where the vultures gather
together. But
immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened,
the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and
the powers of the heavens will be shaken; and then the sign of the Son of
Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn,
and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with
power and great glory. He will send out his angels with
a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones
from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
"Now from the fig tree
learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and puts forth
its leaves, you know that the summer is near. Even so you also, when you see
all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Most certainly I tell you, this
generation will not pass away, until all these things
are accomplished. Heaven
and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
The Day and Hour Unknown
"But no one knows of that day and
hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
"As the days of Noah were,
so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days which were
before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they didn't know until the
flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of
Man. Then two men will
be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left; two women grinding at the mill,
one will be taken and one will be left. Watch therefore, for you don't
know in what hour your Lord comes. But know this, that if the
master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was
coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be
broken into. Therefore
also be ready, for in an hour that you don't expect, the Son of Man will
come.
"Who then is the faithful
and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them
their food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his
lord finds doing so when he comes. Most certainly I tell you that
he will set him over all that he has. But if that evil servant should
say in his heart, 'My lord is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow
servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards, the lord of that servant will
come in a day when he doesn't expect it, and in an hour when he doesn't
know it, and will cut
him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There is where
the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.
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