THE END AND THE SECOND COMING:

During the day, Jesus was teaching in the temple area, but at night, he would leave and stay at the place called the Mount of Olives. All the people would get up early each morning to listen to him in the temple area. As Jesus was making his way out of the temple area and was going away, some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings. One of his disciples approached him to point out the temple buildings. “Look, teacher, what stones and what buildings!” He said to them in reply, “You see all these things, do you not? Amen, I say to you, there will not be left here a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple area, the disciples Peter, James, John, and Andrew approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will this happen? What sign will there be when all these things are about to happen, and what sign will there be of your coming, and of the end of the age?” Jesus said to them in reply, “See that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying, “I am he. I am the one. I am the Messiah, and “The time has come.” They will deceive many. Do not follow them! You will hear of wars and reports of wars and insurrections; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; you will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky. All these are the beginning of the labor pains. Then they will hand you over to persecution. Watch out for yourselves. Before all this happens, however, they will lead you away and hand you over to the courts, synagogues and to prisons. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say. However, say whatever will be given to you at that hour. For it will not be you who are speaking but the Holy Spirit. For I shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will be beaten in synagogues; you will be arraigned before governors and kings because of me, as a witness before them. It will lead to your giving testimony. In addition, they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. Then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold. However, the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.” “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, when you see the desolating abomination spoken of through Daniel the prophet (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11)  standing in the holy place then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. A person on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house, a person in the field must not return to get his cloak. Let those within the city escape from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city, for these days are the time of punishment when all the scriptures are fulfilled. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days. Pray that your flight not be in winter or on the Sabbath. At that time there will be great tribulation, (Daniel 12:1)  such as has not been since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be, for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. If those days had not been shortened, no one would be saved. However, they will be shortened for the sake of the elect. If anyone says to you then, “Look, here is the Messiah!” or, “There he is!” do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform signs and wonders so great as to deceive, if that were possible, even the elect. Behold. Be watchful! I have told it to you beforehand.” “So if they say to you, “He is in the desert,” do not go out there; if they say, “He is in the inner rooms,” do not believe it. For just as lightning comes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, there will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars. The sun will be darkened, (Amos 8:9)  the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken and on earth, nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Daniel 7:13-14) However, when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. He will send out his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.” (Deuteronomy 30:4) He taught them a lesson. “Learn a lesson from the fig tree and all the other trees. When its branch becomes tender, their buds burst open, and sprouts leaves, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near. In the same way, when you see all these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. However, of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” “For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man; in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. (Genesis 7:11-23) They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. Therefore, will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.” “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. However, if that wicked servant says to himself, “My master is long delayed,” and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely. He will assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man." What I say to you, I say to all, “Watch!” Return