See Verse / Commentary

Mark

As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at these massive stones and magnificent buildings!” Jesus responded, “You see all these great buildings? There will not be left one stone on top of another. Everything will be demolished.” As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the Temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be fulfilled?” Jesus began by saying to them, “Be careful that no one deceives you. Many people will come in my name saying, ‘I am he — the Messiah,’ and they will mislead many. Do not be troubled when you hear of wars and rumors of wars. These things must happen, but that is not yet the end. Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are just the start of birth pains. “Be on your guard! You will be handed over to the courts, you will be beaten in the synagogues, and you will have to stand before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them. The Gospel must first be preached to all the nations. When they come to arrest you, do not worry about what you should say. Say what you are given to say at that time, because it will not be you speaking, but the holy spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but whoever endures until the end will be saved. “When you see the ‘Abomination of Desolation’ standing where he should not be (readers, understand!), then whoever is in Judea should escape to the mountains. Whoever is on the roof should not go back inside the house to get anything. Whoever is out in the fields should not go home to get his coat. How hard it will be for those who are pregnant or nursing babies at that time! You should pray that this will not happen during the winter. For those will be days of tribulation as never before — not since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, nor ever will be. If the Lord does not cut short those days, no one will survive, but for the sake of His elect, His chosen ones, He has cut them short. If anyone says to you at that time, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘Look, there he is,’ do not believe it. For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear, and they will perform miraculous signs and wonders to deceive God’s elect, if possible. Stay alert! I have told you everything before it happens. “In those days, after that tribulation, the sun will grow dark, and the moon will not shine; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly powers will be shaken. Then everybody will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with overwhelming power and glory. He will send out the angels to gather together all his chosen ones from every direction, from the most distant part of the earth to the furthest point of the sky. “Learn from the example of a fig tree: When its branches become soft and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that it is near, right at the door. I am telling you the truth: this present evil society will not pass away until all these things happen. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “No one knows that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Keep watching, stay awake — because you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a trip, who before leaving his house gave his servants the authority to do what he instructed each of them, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. So be alert, because you do not know when the owner of the house is coming back — during the evening, in the middle of the night, at dawn, or in the morning. And you do not want him to come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I am telling you, I am telling everyone: Stay awake!”

Mark