Matthew 24:3–41
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, cthe disciples came to Him privately, saying, d“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: e“Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For fmany will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ gand will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of hwars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for 1all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For ination will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be jfamines, 2pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 k“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then lmany false prophets will rise up and mdeceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow ncold. 13 oBut he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this pgospel of the kingdom qwill be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15 r“Therefore when you see the s‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” t(whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But uwoe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For vthen there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; wbut for the 3elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 x“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For yfalse christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, zif possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.
27 aFor as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 bFor wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
29 c“Immediately after the tribulation of those days dthe sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 eThen the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, fand then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 gAnd He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His 4elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 “Now learn hthis parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know ithat 5it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, jthis generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 kHeaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Illustration of the Days of Noah
36 l“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of 6heaven, mbut My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 nFor as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 oThen two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.