Mat 24 | HCSB | STEP | As Jesus left and was going out of the temple complex , His disciples came up and called His attention to the temple buildings .

Matthew 24

Destruction of the Temple Predicted

1 As Jesus left and was going out of the ^{▼▼temple complex: In the Jerusalem temple, the complex included the sanctuary (the holy place and the holy of holies), at least 4 courtyards (for priests, Jewish men, Jewish women, and Gentiles), numerous gates, and several covered walkways.}temple complex, ^b His disciples ^c came up and called His attention to the temple buildings. 2 Then He replied to them, “Don’t you see all these things? ^{▼▼I assure you: This is a phrase used only by Jesus to testify to the certainty and importance of His words; in Mt, Mk and Lk it is literally Amen, I say to you, and in Jn it is literally Amen, amen, I say to you.}I assure you: Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down!”

Signs of the End of the Age

3 While He was sitting on the ^{▼▼Mount of Olives: A mountain east of Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley}Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” ^f

4 Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives ^g you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the ^{▼▼Messiah: Or the Christ; the Greek word Christos means "the anointed one".}Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. ⁱ 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines ^{▼▼Other mss add epidemics
,} ^k and earthquakes in various places. ^l 8 All these events are the beginning of birth pains. ^m

Persecutions Predicted

9 “Then they will hand you over for persecution, ^{▼▼Or tribulation, or distress} and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name. ^o 10 Then many will ^{▼▼cause the downfall of/ causes to sin: The Greek word skandalizo has a root meaning of "snare" or "trap," but has no real English counterpart.}take offense, betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets ^q will rise up and deceive many. 12 Because lawlessness ^r will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. ^{▼▼Or be saved} 14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world ^{▼▼Or in all the inhabited earth} as a testimony to all nations. ^u And then the end will come. ^v

The Great Tribulation

15 “So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, ^{▼▼Or abomination of desolation, or desolating sacrilege} ^x spoken of by the prophet Daniel, ^y standing in the holy place” ^z (let the reader understand ^{▼▼These are, most likely, Matthew’s words to his readers.}), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! 17 A man on the housetop ^{▼▼Or roof} must not come down to get things out of his house. ^ac 18 And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, ^ad the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again! 22 Unless those days were limited, no one would ^{▼▼Lit short, all flesh would not} survive. ^{▼▼Or be saved or delivered} But those days will be limited because of the elect. ^ag

23 “If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ ^ah or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it! ^ai 24 False messiahs ^{▼▼Or False christs} and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, ^ak if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note: I have told you in advance. 26 So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the ^{▼▼Son of Man: The most frequent title Jesus used for Himself; Dn 7:13}Son of Man. ^am 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures ^{▼▼Or eagles} will gather. ^ao

The Coming of the Son of Man

29 “Immediately after the tribulation ^ap of those days:

The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not shed its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the celestial powers will be shaken.

30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth ^{▼▼Or all the tribes of the land} will mourn; ^{▼▼Lit will beat; that is, beat their breasts} and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ^as 31 He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, ^at and they will gather His elect from the four winds, ^au from one end of the sky to the other.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

32 “Now learn this parable ^av from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize ^{▼▼Or things, you know} that He ^{▼▼Or it; that is, summer} is near – at the door! ^ay 34 I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. ^az 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, ^ba but My words will never pass away. ^bb

No One Knows the Day or Hour

36 “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows – neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son ^{▼▼Other mss omit nor the Son} – except the Father only. ^bd 37 As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 38 For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. ^be 39 They didn’t know ^{▼▼They didn’t know the day and hour of the coming judgment.} until the flood came and swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one left. ^bg 42 Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day ^{▼▼Other mss read hour; = time} your Lord is coming. ^bi 43 But know this: If the homeowner had known what time ^{▼▼Lit watch; a division of the night in ancient times} the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. ^bk 44 This is why you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. ^bl

Faithful Service to the Messiah

45 “Who then is a faithful and sensible ^{▼▼slave: The strong Greek word doulos cannot be accurately translated in English by "servant" or "bond servant"; the HCSB translates this word as "slave," not out of insensitivity to the legitimate concerns of modern English speakers, but out of a commitment to accurately convey the brutal reality of the Roman empire's inhumane institution as well as the ownership called for by Christ.}slave, ^bn whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time? ^bo 46 That slave whose master finds him working ^bp when he comes will be rewarded. 47 I assure you: He will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and starts to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, ^bq 50 that slave’s master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. 51 He will cut him to pieces ^{▼▼Lit him in two} and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.