The Gospel According to St. Matthew

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 24 -

(Mark 13:1–8; Luke 21:5–9)

As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, His disciples came up to Him to point out its buildings.

“Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you.

For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Witnessing to All Nations

(Mark 13:9–13; Luke 21:10–19)

Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another,

and many false prophets will arise and mislead many.

Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.

But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

(Mark 13:14–23; Luke 21:20–24)

So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’(a) described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),

then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house.

And let no one in the field return for his cloak.

How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!

Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.

For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.

If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.

For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

See, I have told you in advance.

The Return of the Son of Man

(Mark 13:24–27; Luke 21:25–28)

So if they tell you, ‘There He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.(b)’

At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,(c) and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.(d)

And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

(Mark 13:28–31; Luke 21:29–33)

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.

So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near,(f) right at the door.

Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

Readiness at Any Hour

(Genesis 6:1–7; Mark 13:32–37; Luke 12:35–48)

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,(g) but only the Father.

As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.

For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.

And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.

Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.

But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.

Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?

Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’

And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.

The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate.

Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Footnotes

(a)24:15 See Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31, and Daniel 12:11.

(b)24:29 Or and the celestial bodies will be shaken; see Isaiah 13:10, Isaiah 34:4, and Joel 2:10.

(d)24:30 See Daniel 7:13–14.

(e)24:32 Or this parable

(f)24:33 Or it is near

(g)24:36 BYZ and TR do not include nor the Son.

(Mark 13:1–8; Luke 21:5–9)

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, “You see all of these things, don’t you? 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.

Witnessing to All Nations

(Mark 13:9–13; Luke 21:10–19)

“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 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.

The Abomination of Desolation

(Mark 13:14–23; Luke 21:20–24)

“When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, (a) 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 the 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 suffering, (b) 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 false christs and false prophets will arise, 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.

The Return of the Son of Man

(Mark 13:24–27; Luke 21:25–28)

“If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; or ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it.

For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures (c) gather together.

“But immediately after the suffering (d) 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; (e)

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.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

(Mark 13:28–31; Luke 21:29–33)

“Now from the fig tree learn this parable: When its branch has now become tender and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near.

Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors.

Most certainly I tell you, this generation (f) will not pass away until all these things are accomplished.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Readiness at Any Hour

(Genesis 6:1–7; Mark 13:32–37; Luke 12:35–48)

“But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, (g) but my Father only.

As the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

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 ship,

and they didn’t know until the flood came and took them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left.

Two women will be 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. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.

Footnotes

(a)24:15 ℘ Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11

(b)24:21 or, oppression

(d)24:29 or, oppression

(e)24:29 ℘ Isaiah 13:10; 34:4

(f)24:34 The word for “generation” (genea) can also be translated as “race.”

(g)24:36 NU adds “nor the son”