Signs of Christ’s Return

24 Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to the [magnificent and massive] ^[a]buildings of the temple.^{(A) 2} And He said to them, “Do you see all these things? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, not one stone here will be left on another, which will not be torn down.”

³ While Jesus was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, and said, “Tell us, when will this [destruction of the temple] take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end (completion, consummation) of the age?”

⁴ Jesus answered, “Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. ⁵ For many will come in My name [misusing it, and appropriating the strength of the name which belongs to Me], saying, ‘I am the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ and they will mislead many. ⁶ You will continually hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end [of the age]. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish and the time of unprecedented trouble].

⁹ “Then they will hand you over to [endure] tribulation, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. ¹⁰ At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another. ¹¹ Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. ¹² Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come.

Perilous Times

¹⁵ “So when you see the ^[b]abomination of desolation [the appalling sacrilege that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the ^[c]reader understand),^{(B) 16} then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains [for refuge]. ¹⁷ Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things that are in his house [because there will not be enough time]. ¹⁸ Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. ¹⁹ And woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your flight [from persecution and suffering] will not be in winter, or on a Sabbath [when Jewish laws prohibit travel]. ²¹ For ^[d]at that time there will be a great tribulation (pressure, distress, oppression), such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will [again].^{(C) 22} And if those days [of tribulation] had not been cut short, no human life would be saved; but for the sake of the elect (God’s chosen ones) those days will be shortened. ²³ Then if anyone says to you [during the great tribulation], ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones). ²⁵ Listen carefully, I have told you in advance. ²⁶ So if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out there, or, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms [of a house],’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming [in glory] of the Son of Man [everyone will see Him clearly]. ²⁸ Wherever the corpse is, there the ^[e]vultures will flock together.^(D)

The Glorious Return

²⁹ “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not provide its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.^{(E) 30} And at that time the sign of the Son of Man [coming in His glory] will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth [and especially Israel] will mourn [regretting their rebellion and rejection of the Messiah], and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory [in brilliance and splendor].^{(F) 31} And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet and they will gather together His elect (God’s chosen ones) from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.^(G)

Parable of the Fig Tree

³² “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its young shoots become tender and it puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near;^{(H) 33} so you, too, when you see all ^[f]these things [taking place], know for certain that He is near, right ^[g]at the door. ³⁴ I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this generation [the people living when these signs and events begin] will not pass away until all these things take place. ³⁵ Heaven and earth [as now known] 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 [in His humanity], but the Father alone. ³⁷ For the coming of the Son of Man (the Messiah) will be just like the days of Noah. ³⁸ For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the [very] day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they did not know or understand until the flood came and swept them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be [unexpected judgment].^{(I) 40} At that time two men will be in the field; one will be ^[h]taken [for judgment] and one will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken [for judgment] and one will be left.

Be Ready for His Coming

⁴² “So be alert [give strict attention, be cautious and active in faith], for you do not know which day [whether near or far] your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But understand this: If the head of the house had known what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.^{(J) 44} Therefore, you [who follow Me] must also be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give the others [in the house] their food and supplies at the proper time?^{(K) 46} Blessed is that [faithful] servant when his master returns and finds him doing so. ⁴⁷ I assure you and most solemnly say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that servant is evil and says in his heart, ‘My master is taking his time [he will not return for a long while],’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards; 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 cut him in two and put him with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].

⁵ As some were talking about the ^[a]temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and consecrated offerings [of magnificent gifts of gold which were displayed on the walls and hung in the porticoes], He said,^{(A) 6} “As for all these things which you see, the time will come when there will not be one stone left on another that will not be ^[b]torn down.”

⁷ They asked Him, “Teacher, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to happen?” ⁸ He said, “Be careful and see to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name [appropriating for themselves the name Messiah which belongs to Me alone], saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not follow them. ⁹ When you hear of wars and disturbances [civil unrest, revolts, uprisings], do not panic; for these things must take place first, but the end will not come immediately.”

Things to Come

¹⁰ Then Jesus told them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.^{(B) 11} There will be violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and [deadly and devastating] pestilences (plagues, epidemics); and there will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven.

¹² “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, and bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.^{(C) 13} This will be a time and an opportunity for you to testify [about Me]. ¹⁴ So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; ¹⁵ for I will give you [skillful] words and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. ¹⁶ But you will be betrayed and handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, ¹⁷ and you will be continually hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish.^{(D) 19} By your [patient] endurance [empowered by the Holy Spirit] you will gain your souls.

²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by [hostile] armies, then understand [with confident assurance] that her complete destruction is near. ²¹ At that time, those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city (Jerusalem) must get out, and those who are [out] in the country must not enter the city; ²² for these are days of vengeance [of rendering full justice or satisfaction], so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. ²³ Woe to those women who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For great trouble and anguish will be on the land, and wrath and retribution on this people [Israel]. ²⁴ And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (completed).^(E)

The Return of Christ

²⁵ “There will be signs (attesting miracles) in the sun and moon and stars; and on the earth [there will be] distress and anguish among nations, in perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea and the waves,^{(F) 26} people fainting from fear and expectation of the [dreadful] things coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with [transcendent, overwhelming] power [subduing the nations] and with great glory.^{(G) 28} Now when these things begin to occur, stand tall and lift up your heads [in joy], because [suffering ends as] your redemption is drawing near.”

Parable of the Fig Tree

²⁹ Then He told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees;^{(H) 30} as soon as they put out leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is near. ³¹ So you too, when you see these things happening, know [without any doubt] that the kingdom of God is near. ³² I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this generation [those living at that definite period of time preceding the second coming] will not pass away until ^[c]everything takes place. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

³⁴ “But be on guard, so that your hearts are not weighed down and depressed with the giddiness of debauchery and the nausea of self-indulgence and the worldly worries of life, and then that day [when the Messiah returns] will not come on you suddenly like a trap; ³⁵ for it will come upon all those who live on the face of all the earth. ³⁶ But keep alert at all times [be attentive and ready], praying that you may have the strength and ability [to be found worthy and] to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man [at His coming].”