Jesus Warns His Disciples to Stay Ready

13:1 Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts, one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, look at these tremendous stones and buildings!" 13:2 Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!" 13:3 So while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 13:4 "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that all these things are about to take place?" 13:5 Jesus began to say to them, "Watch out that no one misleads you. 13:6 Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and they will mislead many. 13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. 13:8 For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains. 13:9 "You must watch out for yourselves. You will be handed over to councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them. 13:10 First the gospel must be preached to all nations. 13:11 When they arrest you and hand you over for trial, do not worry about what to speak. But say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 13:12 Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13:13 You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 13:14 "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 13:15 The one on the roof must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house. 13:16 The one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 13:17 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! 13:18 Pray that it may not be in winter. 13:19 For in those days there will be suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen. 13:20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them short. 13:21 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe him. 13:22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect. 13:23 Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time. 13:24 "But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; 13:25 the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 13:26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory. 13:27 Then he will send angels and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. 13:28 "Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 13:29 So also you, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, right at the door. 13:30 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 13:32 "But as for that day or hour no one knows it - neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son - except the Father. 13:33 Watch out! Stay alert! For you do not know when the time will come. 13:34 It is like a man going on a journey. He left his house and put his slaves in charge, assigning to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. 13:35 Stay alert, then, because you do not know when the owner of the house will return - whether during evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn - 13:36 or else he might find you asleep when he returns suddenly. 13:37 What I say to you I say to everyone: Stay alert!"

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Jesus says the temple will be torn down. He warns that wars, trouble, false teachers, and persecution will come, but these do not mean the end has fully arrived. He promises help in trial, speaks of the coming of the Son of Man, and ends by calling all his followers to stay alert.

This teaching begins when a disciple admires the temple. Jesus answers with a hard word: the temple will be destroyed. The disciples then ask when this will happen and what sign will show that it is near. So the whole passage must be read in light of the coming fall of the temple.

Jesus first warns them not to be misled. Many will come in his name and claim authority. Some will even say they are the Christ. Jesus also speaks of wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, and famines. But he says these things do not mean the end has already come. They are the beginning of birth pains. They show that trouble is real, but they are not the final event.

Jesus then tells his disciples what they themselves will face. They will be handed over, beaten, and brought before rulers because of him. Yet this will become a time for witness. The gospel must be preached to all nations. When they are arrested, they should not be afraid ahead of time about what to say. The Holy Spirit will give them words in that moment. Even family members will betray one another, and believers will be hated because of Jesus’ name. Still, the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Jesus then points to a more specific sign: the abomination of desolation. This is a sign of great crisis, and when it appears, those in Judea must flee at once. There will be severe suffering, and Jesus tells them to pray that it will not happen in winter. But even in that dark time, the Lord will shorten the days for the sake of the elect.

Jesus warns again about deception. False messiahs and false prophets will come with signs and wonders. So the disciples must not believe claims that Christ is here or there. His coming will not be hidden or secret. After that suffering, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not shine, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the Son of Man will come in the clouds with great power and glory, and he will gather his elect.

Jesus uses the fig tree to teach that believers can recognize when things are near. But he also says that no one knows the exact day or hour, not even the angels, nor the Son, but only the Father. So the right response is not date-setting. It is watchfulness.

He finishes with a picture of a man who leaves his house and gives work to his servants. They must stay alert because they do not know when he will return. That is the lesson for all disciples. Jesus’ followers must stay ready, keep doing their assigned work, and not be found asleep when he comes.

• The temple will be destroyed.
• Wars, earthquakes, and famines are not yet the end.
• False messiahs and false prophets will try to deceive people.
• Persecution becomes a setting for witness.
• The Holy Spirit will help believers speak in trial.
• The one who endures to the end will be saved.
• The abomination of desolation signals a crisis that calls for urgent flight.
• Jesus’ coming will be public and glorious.
• No one knows the exact day or hour.
• Watchfulness means faithful readiness, not date-setting.

• Do not be misled by false claimants.
• Do not panic when you hear of wars and troubles.
• Do not think every disaster means the end has already come.
• Do not be impressed by signs and wonders alone.
• Do not worry in advance about what to say in persecution.
• Flee at once when the sign of desolation appears in Judea.
• Endure to the end.
• Stay alert.
• Do the work the Master has given.

Jesus shows that God rules over judgment, suffering, mission, and the final coming of the Son of Man. The temple falls under his word, persecution becomes a place of witness, the elect are preserved, and the Lord’s timing stays hidden so that his people must live in ready obedience.

Believers should read frightening events with calm judgment, not panic. They should test spiritual claims by Jesus’ words, expect hardship for his name, trust the Holy Spirit in pressure, and stay faithful in the work Christ has given until he returns.

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