Destruction from The Course of Empire

As Jesus was walking out of the temple courts, he said,

“See all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him and asked, ‘When will these things happen? What will be a sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered,

“Be careful that you are not deceived. Many will come in my name saying, “I am Christ” and they will mislead you. You will hear of wars but do not be alarmed. Nations will rise up in arms against other nations. There will be famines and earthquakes. All of these things are the beginning of birth pains.

They will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name.

Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will appear and deceive many. Because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. But the person who endures to the end will be saved. The gospel of the kingdom will be preached through the entire earth and then the end will come.

So when you see the abomination of desolation (let the reader understand), spoken about by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place, those in Judea must flee to the mountains. The one on the roof must not come down to take anything out of this house and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! Pray that your flight does not take place in winter or on a Sabbath. For there will be great suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of time.

But if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

If anyone says to you, ‘Look, there is Christ!’, do not believe him. False prophets and false messiahs will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

But just like the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

Immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven and all the tribes of earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man arriving on clouds of heave with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of heave to the other.”

After Jesus foresaw the destruction of the Temple, he told the disciples:

“Learn the lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs become tender and its leave sprout, you know Summer is approaching. Even so, when you use all the things I foretold, you know it is near, right at your door. Truly I tell you this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will linger forever.

What the story means to us today

Recognizing the Second Coming of Jesus

When Jesus mentions the destruction of the Great Temple, the disciples want to know more. Like many Christians today, they are concerned more with the timing of the apocalypse. Jesus, however, is more concerned that Christians are able to recognize the event when it occurs.

It can be scary to think that the apocalypse and the Antichrist will be difficult to identify. Jesus warned that even the “elect” could be deceived if they don’t pay attention to the signs he mentioned. Therefore, we should forget about guessing the timing of the second coming or attempting to predict the date of the End Times because only God knows when it will happen.

As Jesus warned, many Christians will be lost, but those who stand firm until the end will survive. The signs are clearly presented to us in these verses. As Jesus said, the coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning that comes from the east, visible even in the west. We have the tools to recognize it when it happens.

Additional thoughts and considerations

The Olivet Discourse – the last of the Five Discourses of Matthew

This apocalyptic discourse is sometimes called the Little Apocalypse of the Discourse of the End Times. It is the last of Matthew’s “Five Discourses”. The Five Discourses are as follows:

Matthew 5-7 – the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 10 – instructions to the Twelve Apostles

Matthew 13 – parables for the Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 18 – Discourse on the Church

Matthew 23-25 – the Olivet discourse

Jesus’ words here are called the Olivet discourse because it was given on the Mount of Olives. The interpretation of this discourse is much debated among scholars because of its unusual language and the ambiguousness of some passages. It is a difficult passage to understand. Indeed, by nature, much of biblical prophecy is difficult to comprehend upon reading but will clearly present itself when the event occurs.

The Abomination of Desolation

The disciples draw Jesus’ attention to the Great Temple, which we know from outside historical resources, was admired around the world. Jesus’s revelation that the Temple would be destroyed must have shocked the disciples.

Jesus further warns that the sighting of the “abomination of desolation” is a sign of the end times. A more accurate rendering of the phrase would be “the abomination characterized by desolation” or “the abomination characterized by misery”. The phrase could mean someone or something abominable that arrives because of the desolation that Jesus describes. Or it could refer to an entity that directly causes the desolation.

Beware of False Christs preaching messages of salvation and performing signs and miracles

Matthew 24:23 says, “At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’, do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

This is a dire warning issued by Jesus that every Christian must understand. There will be people who outwardly appear to be the returning Christ. They will preach a peaceful message of salvation. They will even perform signs and miracles as Jesus had done. And they will deceive – even God’s people will be deceived. Jesus is warning us that we are not to be fooled by anyone appearing to be a returned Jesus.

So how will we know who the true Messiah is? Jesus tells us in the very next verse.

“For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” This implies Jesus’ return will be clearly visible. He continues, “There will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And all the peoples of earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” Surely when the true Messiah returns, it will be clear to all.

Christian endurance – nobody ever said it would be easy to be a Christian

Jesus says, “the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ” This implies Christians will experience difficulties and feel pain. But why must this be? To purify “professed” Christians from the flock. Those that are Christians by name only, will be easily misdirected to fall by the wayside.

Being a Christian is more than just a statement – it is a way of life and a commitment, one that is sometimes difficult to adhere to. Living your life as a Christian is important, not just in name, but by your actions.

“I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.”

This single verse seemingly throws the entirety of Matthew 24 into disarray. What did Jesus mean when he said, “this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened”?

If the “generation” he referred to were the disciples’ generation, the events Jesus described would have occurred two thousand years ago. But Jesus also added that the end would not come until the gospel had been “preached in the whole world” which would undoubtedly take more than a disciple’s lifetime to achieve. In addition, Jesus also stresses that nobody knows the “day or hour, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son.” Clearly, Jesus admits that even he does not know the day or hour.

So how can Jesus say these things will happen before this generation passes away when he freely admits that only God knows the date and time the events will occur. What did Jesus mean by “generation”? The age of the Jews or Christianity? The period through which mankind dodges extinction and remains viable?

There is no way of telling for certain and if that bothers you, remember what else Jesus told us immediately after. “About the day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father.” This is all we need to know to be prepared.

Was Jesus speaking to the disciples or us?

It is natural to ask, “Was Jesus speaking to the disciples or to those who followed?” The answer is clear – both.

Jesus describes the birth pains the disciples will experience as Christianity begins to blossom, and the persecution they must endure. Christians still feel persecution today. Jesus speaks of wars, famines, and earthquakes – all of which were experienced by the disciples during the first century. Those same events, however, are still experienced by us today.

An additional warning about false prophets

One aspect of Jesus’ prophecy may be taking place right before our eyes. Jesus says nation will rise against nation, there will be famines and earthquakes, and the disciples (or Christians in general) will be persecuted. He says false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Not a single false prophet – but plural.

The impact of their actions is described as this: the love of most will grow cold, and many will “turn away from the faith.” Much of this has happened because of our actions and, in particular, the actions of our leaders. Every year we hear about prominent pastors and leaders of our faith being involved in activities that are not Christian-like. We see some preach messages of hate and division, which are not the Christian creed. The false prophets Jesus mentions may be before us today – even amid our houses of worship. Remember how Jesus concludes his message: “The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

The science and history behind the story

Atop houses, cloaks in fields

The verses say: “Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back and get their cloak.” The two phrases may be unclear to modern readers.

In Jesus’ day, the top of the house was an extension of the home. Families communed on top of houses, said their prayers, met with friends, etc. The area was like our modern-day patios.

Cloaks were a necessity in ancient Jerusalem. In fact, laws forbade a creditor from seizing a man’s coat. Nights in Israel got very cold. Workers would wear their cloaks during the morning hours, then remove them when it became hotter and place them at the edge of the fields while they worked. Jesus is using both to describe the urgency or his warning, to emphasize that no time should be wasted.

The Jewish War of AD 66-73, aka First Jewish-Roman War or the Great Jewish Revolt

The Jewish War was the first of three major rebellions by the Jewish people. It began as anti-taxation protests against Rome and Nero. As a result, the Second Temple was raided and plundered, the Romans claiming the money was for the Emperor. This led to massive protests and escalating rebellion in Israel. Troops were brought in, and various battles occurred as the Jewish rebels fought back. Later, on August 30, 70 AD, Roman troops under Titus destroyed much of Jerusalem, including the Second Temple, thus fulfilling some of Jesus’ prophecy.

Bible Text

NIV

24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, 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, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ w spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days

         “ ‘the sun will be darkened,

         and the moon will not give its light;

         the stars will fall from the sky,

         and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ h

30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32 “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. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. Print.

The NET Bible

24:1 Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings. 24:2 And he said to them, “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!”

24:3 As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 24:4 Jesus answered them, “Watch out that no one misleads you. 24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many. 24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. 24:7 For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 24:8 All these things are the beginning of birth pains.

24:9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name. 24:10 Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 24:11 And many false prophets will appear and deceive many, 24:12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. 24:13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved. 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation—spoken about by Daniel the prophet—standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 24:16 then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 24:17 The one on the roof must not come down to take anything out of his house, 24:18 and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 24:19 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! 24:20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 24:21 For then there will be great suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. 24:22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 24:23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him. 24:24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 24:25 Remember, I have told you ahead of time. 24:26 So then, if someone says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him. 24:27 For just like the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 24:28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Arrival of the Son of Man

24:29 “Immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. 24:30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 24:31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

24:32 “Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 24:33 So also you, when you see all these things, know that he is near, right at the door. 24:34 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Biblical Studies Press. The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2006. Print.

New King James Version

24 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “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: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 “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 many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (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 woe 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 then 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; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if 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 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the 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 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and 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 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

32 “Now learn this 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 that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982. Print.

The Message

      1–2 24 Jesus then left the Temple. As he walked away, his disciples pointed out how very impressive the Temple architecture was. Jesus said, “You’re not impressed by all this sheer size, are you? The truth of the matter is that there’s not a stone in that building that is not going to end up in a pile of rubble.”

      3 Later as he was sitting on Mount Olives, his disciples approached and asked him, “Tell us, when are these things going to happen? What will be the sign of your coming, that the time’s up?”

      4–8 Jesus said, “Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, ‘I am Christ, the Messiah.’ They will deceive a lot of people. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming.

      9–10 “They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name. And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other’s throat, everyone hating each other.

      11–12 “In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in—nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes.

      13–14 “Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come.

      15–20 “But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up in the Temple sanctuary. The prophet Daniel described this. If you’ve read Daniel, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you’re living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; if you’re working in the yard, don’t return to the house to get anything; if you’re out in the field, don’t go back and get your coat. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Hope and pray this won’t happen during the winter or on a Sabbath.

      21–22 “This is going to be trouble on a scale beyond what the world has ever seen, or will see again. If these days of trouble were left to run their course, nobody would make it. But on account of God’s chosen people, the trouble will be cut short.

      23–25 “If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, ‘Here’s the Messiah!’ or points, ‘There he is!’ don’t fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. But I’ve given you fair warning.

      26–28 “So if they say, ‘Run to the country and see him arrive!’ or, ‘Quick, get downtown, see him come!’ don’t give them the time of day. The Arrival of the Son of Man isn’t something you go to see. He comes like swift lightning to you! Whenever you see crowds gathering, think of carrion vultures circling, moving in, hovering over a rotting carcass. You can be quite sure that it’s not the living Son of Man pulling in those crowds.

      29 “Following those hard times,

           Sun will fade out,

             moon cloud over,

           Stars fall out of the sky,

             cosmic powers tremble.

    30–31 “Then, the Arrival of the Son of Man! It will fill the skies—no one will miss it. Unready people all over the world, outsiders to the splendor and power, will raise a huge lament as they watch the Son of Man blazing out of heaven. At that same moment, he’ll dispatch his angels with a trumpet-blast summons, pulling in God’s chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.

      32–35 “Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer’s just around the corner. So it is with you: When you see all these things, you’ll know he’s at the door. Don’t take this lightly. I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.

Peterson, Eugene H. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005. Print.

King James Version

24 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, hsuch as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of athe earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009. Print.

Sources: NIV, The Message, The NET Bible, King James Version, NET Bible Notes, Faithlife Study Bible, The Apologetics Study Bible, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary, The Bible Reader’s Companion, Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Holman Concise Bible Commentary, The Bible Exposition Commentary, The Teacher’s Bible Commentary, The Teacher’s Commentary, The Bible Guide, Word Studies in the New Testament, Holman Bible Handbook, Calvin Commentaries, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines, The New Manner and Customs of the Bible, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, The Lexham Bible Dictionary, Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Harper’s Bible Dictionary, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, The Archaeological Encyclopedia, Biblical Archaeology Review, The New Bible Dictionary, The Lexham Analytical Lexicon, Glossary of Morpho-Syntactic Database

Image Credits:
• Destruction from The Course of Empire via Wikimedia Commons by Thomas Cole with usage type - Public Domain, 1836

Featured Image Credit:
• Destruction from The Course of Empire via Wikimedia Commons by Thomas Cole with usage type - Public Domain, 1836