Temple Destruction Foretold

(Matthew 24:1-4; Luke 21:5-9)

1And as he is going forth out of the temple, one of his disciples saith to him, ‘Teacher, see! what stones! and what buildings!’ 2and Jesus answering said to him, ‘Seest thou these great buildings? there may not be left a stone upon a stone, that may not be thrown down.’

3And as he is sitting at the mount of the Olives, over-against the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, were questioning him by himself, 4‘Tell us when these things shall be? and what [is] the sign when all these may be about to be fulfilled?’ 5And Jesus answering them, began to say, ‘Take heed lest any one may lead you astray, 6for many shall come in my name, saying — I am [he], and many they shall lead astray; 7and when ye may hear of wars and reports of wars, be not troubled, for these behove to be, but the end [is] not yet; 8for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles; beginnings of sorrows [are] these.

9‘And take ye heed to yourselves, for they shall deliver you up to sanhedrims, and to synagogues, ye shall be beaten, and before governors and kings ye shall be set for my sake, for a testimony to them;

Witnessing to All Nations

(Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 21:10-19)

10and to all the nations it behoveth first that the good news be proclaimed. 11‘And when they may lead you, delivering up, be not anxious beforehand what ye may speak, nor premeditate, but whatever may be given to you in that hour, that speak ye, for it is not ye who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12‘And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child, and children shall rise up against parents, and shall put them to death, 13and ye shall be hated by all because of my name, but he who hath endured to the end — he shall be saved.

The Abomination of Desolation

(Matthew 24:15-25; Luke 21:20-24)

14‘And when ye may see the abomination of the desolation, that was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (whoever is reading let him understand), then those in Judea, let them flee to the mountains; 15and he upon the house-top, let him not come down to the house, nor come in to take anything out of his house; 16and he who is in the field, let him not turn to the things behind, to take up his garment. 17‘And wo to those with child, and to those giving suck, in those days; 18and pray ye that your flight may not be in winter, 19for those days shall be tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the creation that God created, till now, and may not be; 20and if the Lord did not shorten the days, no flesh had been saved; but because of the chosen, whom He did choose to Himself, He did shorten the days. 21‘And then, if any may say to you, Lo, here [is] the Christ, or, Lo, there, ye may not believe; 22for there shall rise false Christs and false prophets, and they shall give signs and wonders, to seduce, if possible, also the chosen; 23and ye, take heed; lo, I have foretold you all things.

The Return of the Son of Man

(Matthew 24:26-31; Luke 21:25-28)

24‘But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25and the stars of the heaven shall be falling, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken. 26‘And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in clouds with much power and glory, 27and then he shall send his messengers, and gather together his chosen from the four winds, from the end of the earth unto the end of heaven.

The lesson of the Fig Tree

(Matthew 24:32-35; Luke 21:29-33)

28‘And from the fig-tree learn ye the simile: when the branch may already become tender, and may put forth the leaves, ye know that nigh is the summer; 29so ye, also, when these ye may see coming to pass, ye know that it is nigh, at the doors. 30Verily I say to you, that this generation may not pass away till all these things may come to pass; 31the heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Be Ready at Any Hour

(Genesis 6:1-7; Matthew 24:36-51; Luke 12:35-48)

32‘And concerning that day and the hour no one hath known — not even the messengers who are in the heaven, not even the Son — except the Father.

33Take heed, watch and pray, for ye have not known when the time is; 34as a man who is gone abroad, having left his house, and given to his servants the authority, and to each one his work, did command also the porter that he may watch; 35watch ye, therefore, for ye have not known when the lord of the house doth come, at even, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or at the morning; 36lest, having come suddenly, he may find you sleeping; 37and what I say to you, I say to all, Watch.’