The Temple Will Tumble
1When Jesus walked out of the Temple, his disciples came over to him and started talking about the buildings of the Temple complex. [1] 2Jesus told the disciples, “You can see all of this, can’t you? I’m telling you the truth, not one stone will be left sitting on top of another. They will all be ripped down and leveled.”Signs That the End Is Almost Here
3Jesus walked over to the Mount of Olives and sat down. The disciples came to him privately with a question. They said, “Would you tell us when these things you’ve been talking about are going to happen? How will we know when you’re about to come back and bring this age to an end? [2] What signs will clue us that it’s about to happen?”4Jesus told them, “Be careful not to let anyone mislead you. 5A lot of people will borrow my name. [3] They’ll say, ‘I’m the Messiah.’ They’ll fool a lot of people and mislead them.
6“You’ll hear news about wars breaking out. You’ll hear rumors about other wars that could start. But don’t sound the alarm. These aren’t signs that the end is almost here. Wars are going to happen. 7One country will go to war against another, one kingdom against another. Scattered earthquakes are coming. Famines too. 8But these are only signs of the beginning of the end—like the first wave of birth pains.
9“There’s coming a time when you will be arrested, prosecuted, and killed. People scattered throughout all the countries will hate you because you embrace my name. 10During these hard times, many believers will bail on the faith. Believers will not only leave, they’ll betray one another and they’ll even grow to hate one another.
11“A lot of fake prophets will mislead a lot of people. 12The world is going to get more sinful. Because of it, people are going to find it harder to love each other. 13But believers who go the distance will be saved. 14This good news I’ve been spreading about the kingdom will eventually make its way into every nation. After it does, that’s when the end will come.
Something Detestable Comes
15“Keep your eyes open for what the prophet Daniel predicted: something detestable and destructive [4] standing in the holy place. (Note to readers: Do your homework if you want to understand.) [5]16“When you see this, that’s the clue for everyone in Judea to escape to the hills. [6] 17If you’re on the roof of your house when this happens, get out of the house. Don’t stop to pack anything. Just go. 18If you’re in the field when this happens, don’t take the time to go back to the house to get a coat. 19When this happens, it’ll be bad news for pregnant women and for those who are nursing babies. 20Pray that it doesn’t happen in the winter or on the Sabbath day. [7]
Time of Great Suffering
21“What’s coming is a time of great suffering. It’s going to be worse than anything that has ever happened before—since the beginning of creation until now. And it’s going to be worse than anything that will ever happen again.22“Every human would die if this time of great suffering were not shortened. But the time will be cut short. It’ll happen for the sake of the believers. [8] 23During this time, if anyone says to you, ‘Oh my, look! Here’s the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’ don’t believe it. 24Fraud messiahs and fake prophets are coming. They’ll perform signs and miracles, hoping to trick my chosen people and lead them away from me.
25“Stay alert. I’ve told you ahead of time what’s going to happen. 26So if they tell you, ‘He’s out in the badlands!’ don’t go there. If they say, ‘He’s here, inside the house!’ don’t believe it.
27“The Son of Humans will come. And when he does, it’s going to be as obvious as lightning flashing from one end of the sky to the other, east to west. 28If you want to find a corpse, go where the vultures gather. [9]
Jesus Comes Back in the Sky
29“After the great suffering, the sun won’t shine and the moon won’t glow. Falling stars will paint the sky, their powers shaken in the heavens. [10]30“That’s when the sign of the Son of Humans will finally appear in the sky. People all over the world will cry. Then they’ll see the Son of Humans descending through the clouds in a powerful and glorious entrance. 31A loud trumpet will blow, and he’ll send his angels on a mission: Bring all the chosen people from everywhere in heaven and on earth.
Know When to Pick a Fig, the Parable
32“Take a lesson from this parable of the fig tree. When the tree’s tender branches pop out leaves, you know summer is almost here. 33In the same way, when you see the events I’ve been describing, you know the time is near—right at the front door.34“I’m telling you the truth, this generation of human beings will live to see everything I’ve described. [11] 35The earth and everything in the sky will die someday. But my words will live forever.
36“No one knows when this is going to happen. Not the day. And certainly not the hour. Angels don’t know it. Even the Son doesn’t know it. The only one who knows it is the Father. 37When the Son of Humans comes, life on earth will be like it was at the time of Noah. 38Before the Flood, people went about their lives. They would eat, drink, get married, and give their children away in marriage. They did that right up until the time Noah got into the boat.
39“They had no idea what was coming. Then the Flood came and swept them all away. That’s what it’s going to be like when the Son of Humans gets here. 40Two men will be working in the field. Then suddenly one will be taken away, and the other will be left standing alone. 41Two women will be grinding grain at the village mill. One will be taken, and the other will be left.
Jesus Is Coming, So Stay Ready
42“So stay alert, and keep your eyes open because you know it’s coming; but you don’t know when. 43I want you to get this: If a homeowner knows that a thief is coming, and when, the homeowner is going to be prepared. No one’s going to break into that house. 44You, too, need to stay alert. The Son of Humans is coming, but you don’t know when.Help Wanted, the Parable
45“Where does the master of a household find a servant he can trust to manage his home—a servant wise enough and devoted enough to do a good job? This servant would have to feed the other servants at the right time every day. 46Let me tell you it is one happy servant who gets caught doing a good job when the master gets back from a trip. 47I’ll tell you the truth, the master will put a servant like that in charge of everything he owns.48“But suppose that servant is rotten from the heart to the bone. He says to himself, ‘The master isn’t coming back for a long time.’ 49So he exploits his authority by beating his fellow servants. And in his spare time, he eats and drinks with the village drunks.
50“The master will come back when that servant least expects it. 51Then the master will tear the servant to pieces and ship him off to the place where all hypocrites go, where the people cry and clench their jaws and grind their teeth in misery.” [12]
