The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times^(A)

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;^(B) every one will be thrown down.”

³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives,^(C) the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming^(D) and of the end of the age?”^(E)

⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.^{(F) 5} For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.^{(G) 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.^(H) There will be famines^(I) and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted^(J) and put to death,^(K) and you will be hated by all nations because of me.^{(L) 10} At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets^(M) will appear and deceive many people.^{(N) 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.^{(O) 14} And this gospel of the kingdom^(P) will be preached in the whole world^(Q) as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

¹⁵ “So when you see standing in the holy place^(R) ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’^[a](S) 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^(T) 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!^{(U) 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.^(V)

²² “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect^(W) 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.^{(X) 24} For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders^(Y) 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^(Z) that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming^(AA) of the Son of Man.^{(AB) 28} Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.^(AC)

²⁹ “Immediately after the distress of those days

³⁰ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth^[c] will mourn^(AE) when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven,^(AF) with power and great glory.^{[d] 31} And he will send his angels^(AG) with a loud trumpet call,^(AH) 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^[e] is near, right at the door.^{(AI) 34} Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.^{(AJ) 35} Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.^(AK)

The Day and Hour Unknown^(AL)(AM)

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^[f] but only the Father.^{(AN) 37} As it was in the days of Noah,^(AO) so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,^(AP) up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.^{(AQ) 40} Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.^{(AR) 41} Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.^(AS)

⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.^{(AT) 43} But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming,^(AU) he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready,^(AV) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,^(AW) whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.^{(AX) 47} Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.^{(AY) 48} But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ ⁴⁹ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.^{(AZ) 50} The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. ⁵¹ He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.^(BA)

The Seals

6 I watched as the Lamb^(A) opened the first of the seven seals.^(B) Then I heard one of the four living creatures^(C) say in a voice like thunder,^(D) “Come!” ² I looked, and there before me was a white horse!^(E) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,^(F) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.^(G)

³ When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature^(H) say, “Come!” ⁴ Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.^(I) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth^(J) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

⁵ When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature^(K) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!^(L) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,^(M) saying, “Two pounds^[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,^[b] and six pounds^[c] of barley for a day’s wages,^[d](N) and do not damage^(O) the oil and the wine!”

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature^(P) say, “Come!” ⁸ I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!^(Q) Its rider was named Death, and Hades^(R) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.^(S)

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under^(T) the altar^(U) the souls of those who had been slain^(V) because of the word of God^(W) and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long,^(X) Sovereign Lord,^(Y) holy and true,^(Z) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth^(AA) and avenge our blood?”^{(AB) 11} Then each of them was given a white robe,^(AC) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,^[e] were killed just as they had been.^(AD)

¹² I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.^(AE) The sun turned black^(AF) like sackcloth^(AG) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth,^(AH) as figs drop from a fig tree^(AI) when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,^(AJ) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.^(AK)

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,^(AL) hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.^{(AM) 16} They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us^(AN) and hide us^[f] from the face of him who sits on the throne^(AO) and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day^(AP) of their^[g] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”^(AQ)

The Seals

6 I watched as the Lamb^(A) opened the first of the seven seals.^(B) Then I heard one of the four living creatures^(C) say in a voice like thunder,^(D) “Come!” ² I looked, and there before me was a white horse!^(E) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,^(F) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.^(G)

³ When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature^(H) say, “Come!” ⁴ Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.^(I) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth^(J) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

⁵ When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature^(K) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!^(L) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,^(M) saying, “Two pounds^[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,^[b] and six pounds^[c] of barley for a day’s wages,^[d](N) and do not damage^(O) the oil and the wine!”

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature^(P) say, “Come!” ⁸ I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!^(Q) Its rider was named Death, and Hades^(R) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.^(S)

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under^(T) the altar^(U) the souls of those who had been slain^(V) because of the word of God^(W) and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long,^(X) Sovereign Lord,^(Y) holy and true,^(Z) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth^(AA) and avenge our blood?”^{(AB) 11} Then each of them was given a white robe,^(AC) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,^[e] were killed just as they had been.^(AD)

¹² I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.^(AE) The sun turned black^(AF) like sackcloth^(AG) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth,^(AH) as figs drop from a fig tree^(AI) when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,^(AJ) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.^(AK)

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,^(AL) hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.^{(AM) 16} They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us^(AN) and hide us^[f] from the face of him who sits on the throne^(AO) and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day^(AP) of their^[g] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”^(AQ)

9 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth.^(A) The star was given the key^(B) to the shaft of the Abyss.^{(C) 2} When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.^(D) The sun and sky were darkened^(E) by the smoke from the Abyss.^{(F) 3} And out of the smoke locusts^(G) came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions^(H) of the earth. ⁴ They were told not to harm^(I) the grass of the earth or any plant or tree,^(J) but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.^{(K) 5} They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months.^(L) And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion^(M) when it strikes. ⁶ During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.^(N)

⁷ The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.^(O) On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.^{(P) 8} Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.^{(Q) 9} They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.^{(R) 10} They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.^{(S) 11} They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss,^(T) whose name in Hebrew^(U) is Abaddon^(V) and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

¹² The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.^(W)

¹³ The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns^(X) of the golden altar that is before God.^{(Y) 14} It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels^(Z) who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”^{(AA) 15} And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released^(AB) to kill a third^(AC) of mankind.^{(AD) 16} The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.^(AE)

¹⁷ The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths^(AF) came fire, smoke and sulfur.^{(AG) 18} A third^(AH) of mankind was killed^(AI) by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur^(AJ) that came out of their mouths. ¹⁹ The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

²⁰ The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent^(AK) of the work of their hands;^(AL) they did not stop worshiping demons,^(AM) and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.^{(AN) 21} Nor did they repent^(AO) of their murders, their magic arts,^(AP) their sexual immorality^(AQ) or their thefts.

The Lord’s Great Victory Over the Nations

38 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, set your face against Gog,^(A) of the land of Magog,^(B) the chief prince of^[a] Meshek and Tubal;^(C) prophesy against him ³ and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of^[b] Meshek and Tubal.^{(D) 4} I will turn you around, put hooks^(E) in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.^{(F) 5} Persia, Cush^[c](G) and Put^(H) will be with them, all with shields and helmets, ⁶ also Gomer^(I) with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah^(J) from the far north^(K) with all its troops—the many nations with you.

⁷ “‘Get ready; be prepared,^(L) you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. ⁸ After many days^(M) you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations^(N) to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.^{(O) 9} You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm;^(P) you will be like a cloud^(Q) covering the land.^(R)

¹⁰ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind^(S) and you will devise an evil scheme.^{(T) 11} You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people^(U)—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.^{(V) 12} I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.^[d]” ¹³ Sheba^(W) and Dedan^(X) and the merchants of Tarshish^(Y) and all her villages^[e] will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?^(Z)”’

¹⁴ “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety,^(AA) will you not take notice of it? ¹⁵ You will come from your place in the far north,^(AB) you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army.^{(AC) 16} You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud^(AD) that covers the land.^(AE) In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy^(AF) through you before their eyes.^(AG)

¹⁷ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. ¹⁸ This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. ¹⁹ In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake^(AH) in the land of Israel.^{(AI) 20} The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble^(AJ) at my presence. The mountains will be overturned,^(AK) the cliffs will crumble^(AL) and every wall will fall to the ground.^{(AM) 21} I will summon a sword^(AN) against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.^{(AO) 22} I will execute judgment^(AP) on him with plague and bloodshed;^(AQ) I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones^(AR) and burning sulfur^(AS) on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.^{(AT) 23} And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.^(AU)’

39 “Son of man, prophesy against Gog^(AV) and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of^[f] Meshek^(AW) and Tubal.^{(AX) 2} I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north^(AY) and send you against the mountains of Israel.^{(AZ) 3} Then I will strike your bow^(BA) from your left hand and make your arrows^(BB) drop from your right hand. ⁴ On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds^(BC) and to the wild animals.^{(BD) 5} You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(BE) 6} I will send fire^(BF) on Magog^(BG) and on those who live in safety in the coastlands,^(BH) and they will know^(BI) that I am the Lord.

⁷ “‘I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned,^(BJ) and the nations will know^(BK) that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel.^{(BL) 8} It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day^(BM) I have spoken of.

⁹ “‘Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up—the small and large shields, the bows and arrows,^(BN) the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel.^{(BO) 10} They will not need to gather wood from the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will use the weapons for fuel. And they will plunder^(BP) those who plundered them and loot those who looted them, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(BQ)

¹¹ “‘On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east of the Sea. It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried^(BR) there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog.^[g](BS)

¹² “‘For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.^{(BT) 13} All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I display my glory^(BU) will be a memorable day for them, declares the Sovereign Lord. ¹⁴ People will be continually employed in cleansing the land. They will spread out across the land and, along with others, they will bury any bodies that are lying on the ground.

“‘After the seven months they will carry out a more detailed search. ¹⁵ As they go through the land, anyone who sees a human bone will leave a marker beside it until the gravediggers bury it in the Valley of Hamon Gog, ¹⁶ near a town called Hamonah.^[h] And so they will cleanse the land.’

¹⁷ “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Call out to every kind of bird^(BV) and all the wild animals: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood.^{(BW) 18} You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls—all of them fattened animals from Bashan.^{(BX) 19} At the sacrifice^(BY) I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. ²⁰ At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.^(BZ)

²¹ “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them.^{(CA) 22} From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. ²³ And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.^{(CB) 24} I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them.^(CC)

²⁵ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob^[i](CD) and will have compassion^(CE) on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name.^{(CF) 26} They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety^(CG) in their land with no one to make them afraid.^{(CH) 27} When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations.^{(CI) 28} Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them^(CJ) to their own land, not leaving any behind.^{(CK) 29} I will no longer hide my face^(CL) from them, for I will pour out my Spirit^(CM) on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(CN)”