Matthew 24

Signs of the End Times Matthew 24:3–8

³Verse 3. 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?” ⁴Verse 4. Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. ⁵Verse 5. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray. ⁶Verse 6. 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. ⁷Verse 7. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.

⁸Verse 8. But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.

Persecutions and the Gospel Matthew 24:9–14

⁹Verse 9. 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. ¹⁰Verse 10. Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. ¹¹Verse 11. Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray. ¹²Verse 12. Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³Verse 13. But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. ¹⁴Verse 14. 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 Matthew 24:15–28

¹⁵Verse 15. “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), ¹⁶Verse 16. then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷Verse 17. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house. ¹⁸Verse 18. Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. ¹⁹Verse 19. But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! ²⁰Verse 20. Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath,

²¹Verse 21. 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. ²²Verse 22. 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. ²³Verse 23. “Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it. ²⁴Verse 24. 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. ²⁵Verse 25. “Behold, I have told you beforehand.

²⁶Verse 26. If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it. ²⁷Verse 27. 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. ²⁸Verse 28. For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together.

Cosmic Signs and the Son of Man Matthew 24:29–31

²⁹Verse 29. 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; ³⁰Verse 30. 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. ³¹Verse 31. 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 Fig Tree Parable Matthew 24:32–36

³²Verse 32. “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. ³³Verse 33. Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. ³⁴Verse 34. Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished. ³⁵Verse 35. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ³⁶Verse 36. But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Parables of Vigilance and Readiness Matthew 24:37–51

³⁷Verse 37. “As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸Verse 38. 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, ³⁹Verse 39. and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Verse 40. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹Verse 41. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left.

⁴²Verse 42. Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. ⁴³Verse 43. 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. ⁴⁴Verse 44. Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come. ⁴⁵Verse 45. “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season? ⁴⁶Verse 46. Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.

⁴⁷Verse 47. Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has. ⁴⁸Verse 48. But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’ ⁴⁹Verse 49. and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards, ⁵⁰Verse 50. 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, ⁵¹Verse 51. and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.