Matthew 24

Signs of Christ’s Return

11Jesus 2came out from the temple and was going away 3when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, 4not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

3As He was sitting on 5the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of 6Your coming, and of the 7end of the age?”

4And Jesus answered and said to them, “8See to it that no one misleads you. 5For 9many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the 10Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6You will be hearing of 11wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7For 12nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be 13famines and earthquakes. 814But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

9“15Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and 16you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10At that time many will 1718fall away and will 19betray one another and hate one another. 11Many 20false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12Because lawlessness is increased, 21most people’s love will grow cold. 1322But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14This 23gospel of the kingdom 24shall be preached in the whole 2526world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Perilous Times

15“Therefore when you see the 27abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in 28the holy place (29let the reader understand), 16then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 1730Whoever is on 31the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 1832Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19But 33woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21For then there will be a 34great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22Unless those days had been cut short, no 35life would have been saved; but for 36the sake of the 37elect those days will be cut short. 2338Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the 39Christ,’ or ‘40There He is,’ do not believe him. 24For false Christs and 41false prophets will arise and will 42show great 4344signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even 45the 46elect. 25Behold, I have told you in advance. 26So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 2747For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the 48coming of the 49Son of Man be. 2850Wherever the corpse is, there the 51vultures will gather.

The Glorious Return

29“But immediately after the 52tribulation of those days 53the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and 54the stars will fall from 55the sky, and the powers of 56the heavens will be shaken. 30And then 57the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see 58the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31And 59He will send forth His angels with 60a great trumpet and they will gather together His 6162elect from 63the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Parable of the Fig Tree

32“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33so, you too, when you see all these things, 64recognize that 65He is near, right 66at the 67door. 34Truly I say to you, 68this 69generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 3570Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

36“But 71of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37For 72the 73coming of the Son of Man will be 74just like the days of Noah. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, 75marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that 76Noah entered the ark, 39and they did not 77understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the 78coming of the Son of Man be. 40Then there will be two men in the field; one 79will be taken and one 80will be left. 4181Two women will be grinding at the 8283mill; one 84will be taken and one 85will be left.

Be Ready for His Coming

42“Therefore 86be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43But 87be sure of this, that 88if the head of the house had known 89at 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 90broken into. 44For this reason 91you also must be ready; for 92the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

45“93Who then is the 94faithful and 95sensible slave whom his 96master 97put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46Blessed is that slave whom his 98master finds so doing when he comes. 47Truly I say to you that 99he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My 100master 101is not coming for a long time,’ 49and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50the 102master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51and will 103cut him in pieces and 104assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be 105weeping and gnashing of teeth.