Temple Destruction Foretold
(Matthew 24:1-4; Luke 21:5-9)
1And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! 2And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? 5And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 7And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. 8For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
9But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
Witnessing to All Nations
(Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 21:10-19)
10And the gospel must first be published among all nations. 11But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 12Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 13And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
The Abomination of Desolation
(Matthew 24:15-25; Luke 21:20-24)
14But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: 15And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: 16And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. 17But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 18And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. 19For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. 20And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. 21And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: 22For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. 23But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
The Return of the Son of Man
(Matthew 24:26-31; Luke 21:25-28)
24But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. 26And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
The lesson of the Fig Tree
(Matthew 24:32-35; Luke 21:29-33)
28Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: 29So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. 30Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 31Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Be Ready at Any Hour
(Genesis 6:1-7; Matthew 24:36-51; Luke 12:35-48)
32But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
33Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Temple Destruction and Other Signs
(Matthew 24:1–8; Luke 21:5–9)
1 As he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, see what kind of stones and what kind of buildings!” 2 Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone on another, which will not be thrown down.”
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are all about to be fulfilled?” 5 Jesus, answering, began to tell them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. 6 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and will lead many astray. 7 “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be troubled. For those must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines and troubles. These things are the beginning of birth pains.
Witnessing to All Nations
(Matthew 24:9–14; Luke 21:10–19)
9 But watch yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them.
10 The Good News must first be preached to all the nations. 11 When they lead you away and deliver you up, don’t be anxious beforehand, or premeditate what you will say, but say whatever will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 13 You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.
The Abomination of Desolation
(Matthew 24:15–25; Luke 21:20–24)
14 But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, 15 and let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house. 16 Let him who is in the field not return back to take his cloak. 17 But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days! 18 Pray that your flight won’t be in the winter. 19 For in those days there will be oppression, such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be. 20 Unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days. 21 Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ don’t believe it. 22 For there will arise false christs and false prophets, and will show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. 23 But you watch. “Behold, I have told you all things beforehand.
The Return of the Son of Man
(Matthew 24:26–31; Luke 21:25–28)
24 But in those days, after that oppression, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, 25 the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send out his angels, and will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
(Matthew 24:32–35; Luke 21:29–33)
28 “Now from the fig tree, learn this parable. When the branch has now become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near; 29 even so you also, when you see these things coming to pass, know that it is near, at the doors. 30 Most certainly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Readiness at Any Hour
(Matthew 24:36–51; Luke 12:35–48)
32 But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
33 Watch, keep alert, and pray; for you don’t know when the time is. 34 “It is like a man, traveling to another country, having left his house, and given authority to his servants, and to each one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you don’t know when the lord of the house is coming, whether at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning; 36 lest coming suddenly he might find you sleeping. 37 What I tell you, I tell all: Watch.”
Temple Destruction and Other Signs
(Matthew 24:1–8; Luke 21:5–9)
1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look at the magnificent stones and buildings!”
2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” Jesus replied. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
3 While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled?”
5 Jesus began by telling them, “See to it that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
Witnessing to All Nations
(Matthew 24:9–14; Luke 21:10–19)
9 So be on your guard. You will be delivered over to the councils and beaten in the synagogues. On My account you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations. 11 But when they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand what to say. Instead, speak whatever you are given at that time, for it will not be you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 13 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
The Abomination of Desolation
(Matthew 24:15–25; Luke 21:20–24)
14 So when you see the abomination of desolation a standing where it should not be b (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go back inside to retrieve anything from his house. 16 And let no one in the field return for his cloak.
17 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not occur in the winter. 19 For those will be days of tribulation unmatched from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and never to be seen again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short.
21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything in advance.
The Return of the Son of Man
(Matthew 24:26–31; Luke 21:25–28)
24 But in those days, after that tribulation:
‘The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ c
26 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. d 27 And He will send out the angels to gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
(Matthew 24:32–35; Luke 21:29–33)
28 Now learn this lesson e from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things happening, know that He is near, f right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
Readiness at Any Hour
(Matthew 24:36–51; Luke 12:35–48)
32 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on your guard and stay alert! g For you do not know when the appointed time will come.
34 It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. 36 Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch!”
Footnotes:
14 a See Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31, and Daniel 12:11; BYZ and TR include spoken of by Daniel the prophet .
14 b Or where he should not be
25 c Or and the celestial bodies will be shaken ; see Isaiah 13:10, Isaiah 34:4, and Joel 2:10.
26 d See Daniel 7:13–14.
28 e Or this parable
29 f Or it is near
33 g BYZ and TR Be on your guard, stay alert, and pray!
Temple Destruction Foretold
(Matthew 24:1-4; Luke 21:5-9)
1And as he is going forth out of the temple, one of his disciples saith to him, 'Teacher, see! what stones! and what buildings!' 2and Jesus answering said to him, 'Seest thou these great buildings? there may not be left a stone upon a stone, that may not be thrown down.'
3And as he is sitting at the mount of the Olives, over-against the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, were questioning him by himself, 4Tell us when these things shall be? and what is the sign when all these may be about to be fulfilled?' 5And Jesus answering them, began to say, 'Take heed lest any one may lead you astray, 6for many shall come in my name, saying -- I am he, and many they shall lead astray; 7and when ye may hear of wars and reports of wars, be not troubled, for these behove to be, but the end is not yet; 8for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles; beginnings of sorrows are these.
9'And take ye heed to yourselves, for they shall deliver you up to sanhedrims, and to synagogues, ye shall be beaten, and before governors and kings ye shall be set for my sake, for a testimony to them;
Witnessing to All Nations
(Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 21:10-19)
10and to all the nations it behoveth first that the good news be proclaimed. 11'And when they may lead you, delivering up, be not anxious beforehand what ye may speak, nor premeditate, but whatever may be given to you in that hour, that speak ye, for it is not ye who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12'And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child, and children shall rise up against parents, and shall put them to death, 13and ye shall be hated by all because of my name, but he who hath endured to the end -- he shall be saved.
The Abomination of Desolation
(Matthew 24:15-25; Luke 21:20-24)
14'And when ye may see the abomination of the desolation, that was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (whoever is reading let him understand), then those in Judea, let them flee to the mountains; 15and he upon the house-top, let him not come down to the house, nor come in to take anything out of his house; 16and he who is in the field, let him not turn to the things behind, to take up his garment. 17'And woe to those with child, and to those giving suck, in those days; 18and pray ye that your flight may not be in winter, 19for those days shall be tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the creation that God created, till now, and may not be; 20and if the Lord did not shorten the days, no flesh had been saved; but because of the chosen, whom He did choose to Himself, He did shorten the days. 21And then, if any may say to you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Lo, there, ye may not believe; 22for there shall rise false Christs and false prophets, and they shall give signs and wonders, to seduce, if possible, also the chosen; 23and ye, take heed; lo, I have foretold you all things.
The Return of the Son of Man
(Matthew 24:26-31; Luke 21:25-28)
24'But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25and the stars of the heaven shall be falling, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken. 26'And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in clouds with much power and glory, 27and then he shall send his messengers, and gather together his chosen from the four winds, from the end of the earth unto the end of heaven.
The lesson of the Fig Tree
(Matthew 24:32-35; Luke 21:29-33)
28'And from the fig-tree learn ye the simile: when the branch may already become tender, and may put forth the leaves, ye know that nigh is the summer; 29so ye, also, when these ye may see coming to pass, ye know that it is nigh, at the doors. 30Verily I say to you, that this generation may not pass away till all these things may come to pass; 31the heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Be Ready at Any Hour
(Genesis 6:1-7; Matthew 24:36-51; Luke 12:35-48)
32'And concerning that day and the hour no one hath known -- not even the messengers who are in the heaven, not even the Son -- except the Father.
33Take heed, watch and pray, for ye have not known when the time is; 34as a man who is gone abroad, having left his house, and given to his servants the authority, and to each one his work, did command also the porter that he may watch; 35watch ye, therefore, for ye have not known when the lord of the house doth come, at even, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or at the morning; 36lest, having come suddenly, he may find you sleeping; 37and what I say to you, I say to all, Watch.'
The Favor of God Message paraphrase
Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple
¹ As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
² Jesus replied, “Do you see all these great buildings? Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,
⁴ “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
⁵ Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.
⁶ Many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.
⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
⁸ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
⁹ You must be on your guard! You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of Me, you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.
¹⁰ And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
¹¹ Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given to you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
¹² Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.
¹³ Everyone will hate you because of Me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
The Abomination That Causes Desolation
¹⁴ “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’* standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
¹⁵ Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out.
¹⁶ Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.
¹⁷ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
¹⁸ Pray that this will not take place in winter,
¹⁹ because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.
²⁰ If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has shortened them.
²¹ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there He is!’ do not believe it.
²² For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
²³ So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
The Coming of the Son of Man
²⁴ “But in those days, following that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;
²⁵ the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
²⁶ At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
²⁷ And He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
²⁸ “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
²⁹ Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.
³⁰ Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Unknown
³² “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
³³ Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
³⁴ It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
³⁵ “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
³⁶ If He comes suddenly, do not let Him find you sleeping.
³⁷ What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Footnotes:
13:14: The “abomination that causes desolation” is a reference to Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11). This phrase refers to something deeply offensive to God, likely an act of desecration in the temple.
13:19: The “days of distress” reflect unparalleled turmoil that will impact not just the physical world but spiritual realms, ushering in a new stage of God’s plan.
13:22: False messiahs and prophets will deceive by performing seemingly miraculous acts, underscoring the need for discernment even among believers.
13:24: The darkening of the sun, moon, and falling stars draws imagery from the Old Testament (Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7), symbolizing divine judgment and the collapse of earthly powers.
13:27: The gathering of the elect represents God’s protection of His people through His angels, who will bring them to safety at the final judgment.
13:31: Jesus declares the enduring nature of His words, setting them above creation itself, affirming their divine authority and permanence.
13:33: Jesus emphasizes the importance of vigilance and spiritual readiness, using the metaphor of a house’s servants keeping watch for their master’s return, a call to always be prepared for the end times.
