The Destruction of
the Temple
and Signs
of the End
Times
1 As Jesus was leaving the
temple,
one of his
disciples
said to
him,
“Look,
Teacher!
What
massive
stones!
What
magnificent
buildings!”
2 “Do you see all these
great
buildings?”
replied
Jesus.
“Not one
stone here
will be
left on
another;
every one
will be
thrown
down.”
3 As Jesus was sitting on
the Mount
of Olives
opposite
the
temple,
Peter,
James,
John and
Andrew
asked him
privately,
4 “Tell
us, when
will these
things
happen?
And what
will be
the sign
that they
are all
about to
be
fulfilled?”
5 Jesus said to them:
“Watch out
that no
one
deceives
you.
6 Many
will come
in my
name,
claiming,
‘I am he,’
and will
deceive
many.
7 When
you hear
of wars
and rumors
of wars,
do not be
alarmed.
Such
things
must
happen,
but the
end is
still to
come.
8 Nation
will rise
against
nation,
and
kingdom
against
kingdom.
There will
be
earthquakes
in various
places,
and
famines.
These are
the
beginning
of birth
pains.
9 “You must be on your
guard. You
will be
handed
over to
the local
councils
and
flogged in
the
synagogues.
On account
of me you
will stand
before
governors
and kings
as
witnesses
to them.
10 And the
gospel
must first
be
preached
to all
nations.
11 Whenever
you are
arrested
and
brought to
trial, do
not worry
beforehand
about what
to say.
Just say
whatever
is given
you at the
time, for
it is not
you
speaking,
but the
Holy
Spirit.
12 “Brother will betray
brother to
death, and
a father
his child.
Children
will rebel
against
their
parents
and have
them put
to death.
13 Everyone
will hate
you
because of
me, but
the one
who stands
firm to
the end
will be
saved.
14 “When you see ‘the
abomination
that
causes
desolation’
standing
where it
does not
belong—let
the reader
understand—then
let those
who are in
Judea flee
to the
mountains.
15 Let no
one on the
housetop
go down or
enter the
house to
take
anything
out.
16 Let
no one in
the field
go back to
get their
cloak.
17 How
dreadful
it will be
in those
days for
pregnant
women and
nursing
mothers!
18 Pray
that this
will not
take place
in winter,
19 because
those will
be days of
distress
unequaled
from the
beginning,
when God
created
the world,
until
now—and
never to
be equaled
again.
20 “If the Lord had not
cut short
those
days, no
one would
survive.
But for
the sake
of the
elect,
whom he
has
chosen, he
has
shortened
them.
21 At
that time
if anyone
says to
you,
‘Look,
here is
the
Messiah!’
or, ‘Look,
there he
is!’ do
not
believe
it.
22 For
false
messiahs
and false
prophets
will
appear and
perform
signs and
wonders to
deceive,
if
possible,
even the
elect.
23 So
be on your
guard; I
have told
you
everything
ahead of
time.
24 “But in those days,
following
that
distress,
“‘the sun will be
darkened,
and
the moon
will not
give its
light;
25 the
stars will
fall from
the sky,
and
the
heavenly
bodies
will be
shaken.’
26 “At that time people
will see
the Son of
Man coming
in clouds
with great
power and
glory.
27 And
he will
send his
angels and
gather his
elect from
the four
winds,
from the
ends of
the earth
to the
ends of
the
heavens.
28 “Now learn this lesson
from the
fig tree:
As soon as
its twigs
get tender
and its
leaves
come out,
you know
that
summer is
near.
29 Even
so, when
you see
these
things
happening,
you know
that it
is near,
right at
the door.
30 Truly I
tell you,
this
generation
will
certainly
not pass
away until
all these
things
have
happened.
31 Heaven
and earth
will pass
away, but
my words
will never
pass away.
The Day and Hour
Unknown
32 “But about that day or
hour no
one knows,
not even
the angels
in heaven,
nor the
Son, but
only the
Father.
33 Be on
guard! Be
alert!
You do not
know when
that time
will come.
34 It’s
like a man
going
away: He
leaves his
house and
puts his
servants
in charge,
each with
their
assigned
task, and
tells the
one at the
door to
keep
watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch
because
you do not
know when
the owner
of the
house will
come
back—whether
in the
evening,
or at
midnight,
or when
the
rooster
crows, or
at dawn.
36 If he
comes
suddenly,
do not let
him find
you
sleeping.
37 What I
say to
you, I say
to
everyone:
‘Watch!’”