Temple Destruction and Other Signs (Mark 13:1–8; Luke 21:5–9)
3 UST Later, Jesus sat down on top of the Mount of Olives. His apprentices came to him. No one else was with them. They asked him,“Please explain to us when what you have described will happen. Also,{ please explain to us} how we can tell when you are going to return{ to this world} and when this current time period will end.” BSB BSB: While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 UST Jesus replied,“Make sure that nobody deceives you! BSB BSB: Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you.
5 UST { I say that} because many people will meet you and say that God has authorized them as he has authorized me. They will say that they are the Messiah.{ By doing that,} they will deceive many people. BSB BSB: For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
7 UST Further, groups of people will attack each other. Many people will not have enough food to eat, and earthquakes will happen in many places. BSB BSB: Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 UST Those events are like the first pains a pregnant woman feels when she is going to birth. They are bad, but many more bad things will still happen after them. BSB BSB: All these are the beginning of birth pains.
Witnessing to All Nations (Mark 13:9–13; Luke 21:10–19)
9 UST While those things are happening, people will hurt you and kill you. Indeed, because you are my apprentices, many groups of people will be hostile to you. BSB BSB: Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
10 UST Also while those things are happening, many people will stop believing{ in me}. They will have people arrest their fellow believers. They will be hostile to each other. BSB BSB: At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another,
11 UST There will be many people who lie when they claim to speak for God. They will deceive many people. BSB BSB: and many false prophets will arise and deceive many.
12 UST Since more and more people will do what is wrong, many people will stop caring{ for each other}. BSB BSB: Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.
13 UST However, if you persevere{ in being my apprentices} while people harm you, God will rescue you. BSB BSB: But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
14 UST You, my apprentices, will proclaim the good news about God’ s kingdom throughout this world. That way, you will tell every group of people{ about me}. After that, the current time period will end. BSB BSB: And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The Abomination of Desolation (Mark 13:14–23; Luke 21:20–24)
16 UST “When you realize that, those of you who are in the region of Judea should escape to the hilly areas nearby. BSB BSB: then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 UST Those of you who are outside your homes should not go back into your homes to get anything. BSB BSB: Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house.
18 UST Those of you who are working in fields should not go back home to get your coats. BSB BSB: And let no one in the field return for his cloak.
19 UST When what I have described happens, how terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers! BSB BSB: How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!
20 UST Ask God to keep you from having to escape during the winter season or on the Jewish day of rest{, when it is difficult to travel}. BSB BSB: Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.
21 UST { I say that} because people will suffer very severely when what I have described happens. People have not suffered that severely since God created the world up to now, and no one will ever suffer that severely again. BSB BSB: For at that time there will be great tribulation, unseen from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.
22 UST Suppose that God were to allow what I have described to continue. In that case, nobody would survive. However, because of the people whom he has chosen{ to belong to him}, God will not allow what I have described to continue. BSB BSB: If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.
23 UST While those things are happening, there will be people who lie when they claim to be the Messiah or to speak for God. They will perform amazing miracles. They will try to deceive the people whom God has chosen{ to belong to him}, and they will almost succeed in doing so. Therefore, when people tell you that the Messiah is here or there, do not trust{ what they say}. BSB BSB: At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.
25 UST I have warned you about this before it happens! BSB BSB: See, I have told you in advance.
The Return of the Son of Man (Mark 13:24–27; Luke 21:25–28)
26 UST So, suppose someone says to you that the Messiah is in a place where no one lives. Do not go there.{ Similarly, suppose that someone says to you that the Messiah} is in some private rooms. Do not trust what that person says. BSB BSB: So if they tell you, ‘There He is, in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Here He is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
27 UST Here is why I say that: lightning lights up the sky from one side to the other{, and everyone can see it}. Similarly, when I, the Son of Man, return{ to this world},{ everyone will see it}. BSB BSB: For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28 UST Carrion birds assemble wherever there is a dead body. BSB BSB: Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 UST Once people suffer in the ways I have described, immediately God will cause the sun to become dark. The moon will not shine. Stars will drop down from the sky. God will disrupt the angels in heaven. BSB BSB: 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 the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
30 UST After that, people will see something in the sky that shows that I, the Son of Man,{ am about to act}. In response, many groups of people here on earth will grieve. They will see me, the Son of Man, arriving by means of clouds. I will be powerful and very great. BSB BSB: At that time 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 coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 UST I will{ have an angel} sound a loud trumpet. I will tell my angels to collect the people whom I have chosen. They will collect them from every place that exists. BSB BSB: And He will send out 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.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree (Mark 13:28–31; Luke 21:29–33)
33 UST Similarly, whenever you realize that what I have described is happening, you can tell that I will act very soon. BSB BSB: So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.
Readiness at Any Hour (Genesis 6:1–7; Mark 13:32–37; Luke 12:35–48)
38 UST Here is what I mean: at the time before God flooded the whole world, people did not realize what was going to happen. They did{ normal things, like} eating, drinking, and getting married. They did those things right up to the moment when Noah went into the big boat{ that he had built}. Then, God flooded the whole world and destroyed everyone{ who was not in the boat}. That is what it will be like when I, the Son of Man, return{ to this world}. BSB BSB: For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.
40 UST Consider what will happen to two men working on a farm when I return. God will bring one man{ to be with him}. He will leave the other man behind{ to punish him}. BSB BSB: Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41 UST Consider what will happen to two women using a stone to prepare grain. God will bring one woman{ to be with him}. He will leave the other woman behind{ to punish her}. BSB BSB: Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
43 UST Now learn from this situation: Suppose that a man who managed a household learned at what time a robber was going to steal from the house. In that case, he would be ready for the robber. He would prevent him from stealing from the house. BSB BSB: But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 UST So then, since I, the Son of Man, will return{ to this world} when you do not expect me, you too need to be ready. BSB BSB: For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.
45 UST To further understand what I am saying, consider an important servant. His master has put him in charge of all the other servants, and he needs to feed them at the proper times. He should be trustworthy and act wisely. BSB BSB: Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?
46 UST When his master returns, it will be very good for that servant if his master learns that he has done what he put him in charge to do. BSB BSB: Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
47 UST The master will put that servant in charge of everything that he owns. What I have said is true. BSB BSB: Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48 UST However, suppose that the servant were wicked. Then, he would think that his master was staying away for a long time. BSB BSB: But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’
49 UST So, he would start hitting the other servants. He would feast with drunk people. BSB BSB: And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.
50 UST However, then his master would return at a time when the servant does not expect him. BSB BSB: The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate.
51 UST The master will punish that servant severely. He will send him where he punishes people who pretend to obey but really do not. There, people will cry and sorrowfully grind their teeth. BSB BSB: Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.