Matthew
Summary
Jesus delivers a profound prophetic discourse on the Mount of Olives regarding the coming destruction of the Temple and the signs that will precede the end of the age. He warns against deception by false messiahs: while detailing a sequence of world events (including wars, famines, and earthquakes) that represent the beginning of "travail." He instructs His disciples to remain vigilant and faithful amidst intense persecution: as the Gospel of the Kingdom is proclaimed to all nations. Jesus describes the visible and unmistakable return of the "Son of Man" with great power and glory: while emphasizing that no one knows the exact day or hour of His appearing. The chapter concludes with a call to continuous spiritual alertness: through the parables of the fig tree and the faithful servant: as His followers await the definitive fulfillment of His words.
Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple.
And Jesus said to them, "See you not all these things? Truly I say to you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
And Jesus answered and said to them, "Take heed that no one deceives you.
For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."
"And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."
"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."
"All these are the beginning of sorrows."
"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."
"And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."
"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."
"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
"But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved."
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."
"When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoever reads, let him understand:)"
"Then let those who be in Judaea flee into the mountains:"
"Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:"
"Neither let him who is in the field return back to take his clothes."
"And woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!"
"But pray you that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:"
"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."
"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
"Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not."
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
"Behold, I have told you before."
"Wherefore if they shall say to you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not."
"For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."
"For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together."
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:"
"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putts forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh:"
"So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors."
"Truly I tell you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."
"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."
"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
"For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,"
"And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
"Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left."
"Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left."
"Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
"But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up."
"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?"
"Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing."
"truly I say to you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods."
"But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming;"
"And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;"
"The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,"
"And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."