预言圣殿被毁

24 耶稣离开圣殿时,门徒上前把宏伟的圣殿指给祂看。 耶稣对他们说:“你们看见这殿宇了吗?我实在告诉你们,将来它要被完全拆毁,在这里找不到两块叠在一起的石头。”

世界末日的预兆

耶稣正坐在橄榄山上,门徒私下来问祂:“请告诉我们,这事什么时候会发生?你再来和世界末日的时候会有什么预兆?”

耶稣回答说:“你们要小心,免得被人迷惑。 因为将来会有许多人冒我的名而来,说,‘我是基督’欺骗许多人。 你们听见战争爆发、战讯频传时,不要惊慌,因为这些事必然发生,只是末日还没有到。 民族将与民族互斗,国家将与国家相争,各处将有饥荒和地震。 这些只是灾难[a]的开始。

“那时,你们将遭人迫害、杀害,并因我的名而被万民憎恨。 10 那时,许多人会放弃信仰,互相出卖,彼此憎恨。 11 许多假先知也会出现,迷惑许多人。 12 由于罪恶泛滥,许多人的爱逐渐冷淡。 13 但坚忍到底的必定得救。 14 这天国的福音将传遍天下,让万民都听见,然后末日才会来临。

15 “当你们看见但以理先知所说的‘那带来毁灭的可憎之物’站立在圣地的时候(读者须会意), 16 住在犹太地区的人要赶快逃到山上去, 17 在屋顶上的人不要下来进屋收拾行李, 18 在田间工作的人也不要回家取外衣。 19 那时,孕妇和哺育婴儿的母亲们可就遭殃了! 20 你们要祈求上帝,不要让你们在冬天或安息日逃难。 21 因为那时世上将有空前绝后的大灾难。 22 如果不缩短灾期,恐怕没有人能活命。但为了选民的缘故,灾期必被缩短。

23 “那时,如果有人对你们说,‘看啊!基督在这里’,或说,‘基督在那里’,你们不要相信。 24 因为假基督和假先知将出现,行很大的神迹奇事来迷惑人,如果可能,甚至要迷惑上帝拣选的子民。 25 你们要记住,我已经预先告诉你们了。

26 “因此,如果有人对你们说,‘看啊!基督在旷野’,你们不要出去;或者说,‘看啊!基督在屋里’,你们也不要相信。 27 人子降临时的情形就像闪电从东方发出一直照到西方。 28 尸体在哪里,秃鹰就会聚集在哪里。

29 “当灾难的日子一过,

“‘太阳变黑,
月亮无光,
众星陨落,
天体震动。’

30 “那时,天上会出现人子降临的预兆,地上的万族都要哀哭,他们将看见人子带着能力和极大的荣耀驾着天上的云降临。 31 在响亮的号声中,祂将差遣天使从四面八方、天涯海角招聚祂拣选的人。

无花果树的比喻

32 “你们可以从无花果树学个道理。当无花果树发芽长叶的时候,你们就知道夏天快来了。 33 同样,当你们看见这一切事发生时,就知道人子快来了,就在门口。 34 我实在告诉你们,这个世代还没有过去,这一切都要发生。 35 天地都要过去,但我的话永远长存。

警醒准备

36 “但没有人知道那日子和时辰何时来到,连天上的天使也不知道,人子[b]也不知道,只有天父知道。 37 人子降临时的情形就像挪亚的时代。 38 洪水来临之前,人们吃吃喝喝,男婚女嫁,一直到挪亚进方舟那天; 39 他们懵然不知,直到洪水来把他们全冲走了。人子降临时的情形也是这样。 40 那时,两个人在田里,一个将被接去,一个将被撇下; 41 两个妇人推磨,一个将被接去,一个将被撇下。 42 所以,你们要警醒,因为你们不知道你们的主会在哪一天来。 43 你们都知道,如果一家的主人知道贼会在半夜几点来,就必警醒,不让贼入屋偷窃。 44 同样,你们也要做好准备,因为在你们意想不到的时候,人子就来了。

两种奴仆

45 “谁是那个受主人委托管理家中大小仆役、按时分粮食给他们、又忠心又精明的奴仆呢? 46 主人回家时,看见他尽忠职守,他就有福了。 47 我实在告诉你们,主人一定会把所有产业都交给他管理。 48 但如果奴仆邪恶,以为主人不会那么快回来, 49 就殴打同伴,跟醉汉一起吃喝玩乐, 50 主人会在他想不到的日子、不知道的时辰回来, 51 严厉地惩罚[c]他,判他和伪君子同样的罪。他必在那里哀哭切齿。

Footnotes

  1. 24:8 灾难”希腊文是“生产之痛”。
  2. 24:36 人子”希腊文是“子”。
  3. 24:51 严厉地惩罚”或作“腰斩”。

24 2 The destruction of the Temple. 4 The signs of Christ’s coming. 12 Iniquity. 23 False Christs. 29 The signs of the end of the world. 31 The Angels. 32 The fig tree. 37 The days of Noah. 42 We must watch. 45 The servant.

And (A)Jesus went out, and departed from the Temple, and his disciples came to him, to show him the building of the Temple.

[a]And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, (B)there shall not be here left a stone upon a stone, that shall not be cast down.

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, his disciples came unto him apart, saying, Tell us when these things shall be, and what sign shall be of thy coming, and of the end of the world.

[b]And Jesus answered, and said unto them, (C)Take heed that no man deceive you.

For many shall come in my Name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many.

And ye shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars: see that ye be not (D)troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the [c]end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and realm against realm, and there shall be famine, and pestilence, and earthquakes in [d]divers places.

All these are but the beginning of [e]sorrows.

(E)Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations for my Name’s sake.

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11 And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many.

12 And because iniquity shall be increased, the love of many shall be cold.

13 (F)[f]But he that endureth to the end, he shall be saved.

14 And this [g]Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached through the whole [h]world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.

15 [i]When ye (G)therefore shall see the [j]abomination of desolation spoken of by (H)Daniel the Prophet, set in the holy place (let him that readeth consider it.)

16 Then let them which be in Judea, flee into the mountains.

17 Let him which is on the housetop, not come down to fetch anything out of his house.

18 And he that is in the field, let not him return back to fetch his [k]clothes.

19 And woe shall be to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days.

20 But pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the (I)[l]Sabbath day.

21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, nor shall be.

22 And except [m]those days should be shortened, there should no [n]flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

23 (J)Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not.

24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and [o]shall show great signs and wonders, so that if it were possible, they should deceive the very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before.

26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth: Behold, he is in the secret places, believe it not.

27 For as the lightning cometh out of the East, and is seen into the West, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

28 (K)[p]For wheresoever a dead [q]carcass is, thither will the Eagles be gathered together.

29 (L)[r]And immediately after the tribulations of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

30 And then shall appear the [s]sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the [t]kindreds of the earth [u]mourn, (M)and they shall see the Son of man [v]come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 (N)And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect, from the [w]four winds, and from the one end of the heavens unto the other.

32 [x]Now learn the parable of the fig tree: when her bough is yet [y]tender, and it putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near.

33 So likewise ye, when ye see all these things, know that the kingdom of God is near, even at the doors.

34 Verily I say unto you, this [z]generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

35 (O)[aa]Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

36 [ab]But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the Angels of heaven, but my father only.

37 But as the days of Noah were, so likewise shall the coming of the Son of man be.

38 (P)For as in the days before the flood, they did [ac]eat and drink, marry, and give in marriage, unto the day that Noah entered into the Ark,

39 And knew nothing, till the flood came, and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

40 (Q)[ad]Then two shall be in the fields, the one shall be received, and the other shall be refused.

41 [ae]Two women shall be grinding at the mill: the one shall be received, and the other shall be refused.

42 (R)[af]Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your master will come.

43 (S)Of this be sure, that if the good man of the house knew at what watch the thief would come, he would surely watch, and not suffer his house to be dug through.

44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in the hour that ye think not, will the Son of man come.

45 (T)Who then is a faithful servant and wise, whom his master hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in season?

46 Blessed is that servant, whom his master when he cometh, shall find so doing.

47 Verily I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

48 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My master doth defer his coming,

49 And begin to smite his fellows, and to eat, and to drink with the drunken,

50 That servant’s master will come in a day, when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

51 And will [ag]cut him off, and give him his portion with hypocrites: (U)there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 24:2 The destruction of the city, and especially of the Temple is foretold.
  2. Matthew 24:4 The Church shall have a continual conflict with infinite miseries and offences, and that more is, with false prophets, until the day of victory and triumph cometh.
  3. Matthew 24:6 That is, when those things are fulfilled, yet the end shall not come.
  4. Matthew 24:7 Everywhere.
  5. Matthew 24:8 Word for word, of great torments, like unto women in travail.
  6. Matthew 24:13 The Gospel shall be spread abroad, rage the devil never so much: and they which do constantly believe, shall be saved.
  7. Matthew 24:14 Joyful tidings of the kingdom of heaven.
  8. Matthew 24:14 Through all that part that is dwelt in.
  9. Matthew 24:15 The Kingdom of Christ shall not be abolished when the city of Jerusalem is utterly destroyed, but shall be stretched out even to the end of the world.
  10. Matthew 24:15 The abomination of desolation, that is to say, which all men detest and cannot abide, by reason of the foul and shameful filthiness of it: and he speaketh of the idols that were set up in the Temple, or as others think, he meant the morning of the doctrine in the Church.
  11. Matthew 24:18 This betokeneth the great fear that shall be.
  12. Matthew 24:20 It was not lawful to take a journey on the Sabbath day; Josephus, book 13.
  13. Matthew 24:22 Those things which befell the people of the Jews, in the 34 years, when as the whole land was wasted, and at length the city of Jerusalem taken, and both it and their Temple destroyed, are mixed with those which shall come to pass before the last coming of our Lord.
  14. Matthew 24:22 The whole nation should utterly be destroyed: and this word Flesh is by a figure taken for man, as the Hebrews used to speak.
  15. Matthew 24:24 Shall openly lay forth great signs for men to behold.
  16. Matthew 24:28 The only remedy against the furious rage of the world, is to be gathered and joined to Christ.
  17. Matthew 24:28 Christ, who will come with speed and his presence will be with a majesty to whom all shall flock even as Eagles.
  18. Matthew 24:29 Everlasting damnation shall be the end of the security of the wicked, and everlasting bliss, of the miseries of the godly.
  19. Matthew 24:30 The exceeding glory and majesty, which shall bear witness, that Christ the Lord of heaven and earth draweth near to judge the world.
  20. Matthew 24:30 All nations: and he alludeth to the dispersion which we read of, Gen. 10 and 11, or to the dividing of the people of Israel.
  21. Matthew 24:30 They shall be in such sorrow, that they shall strike themselves: and it is transferred to the mourning.
  22. Matthew 24:30 Sitting upon the clouds, as he was taken up into heaven.
  23. Matthew 24:31 From the four quarters of the world.
  24. Matthew 24:32 If God hath prescribed a certain order to nature, much more hath he done so to his eternal judgments, but the wicked understand it not, or rather make a mock at it: but the godly do mark it, and wait for it.
  25. Matthew 24:32 When his tenderness showeth that the sap which is the life of the tree, is come from the root into the bark.
  26. Matthew 24:34 This age: this word generation or Age, being used for the men of this age.
  27. Matthew 24:35 The Lord doth now begin the judgment, which he will make an end of in the latter day.
  28. Matthew 24:36 It is sufficient for us to know that God hath appointed a latter day for the restoring of all things, but when it shall be, it is hidden from us all, for our profit, that we may be so much the more watchful, that we be not taken as they were in old time in the flood.
  29. Matthew 24:38 The word which the Evangelist useth, expresseth the matter more fully than ours doth: for it is a word which is proper to brute beasts: and his meaning is, that in those days men shall be given to their bellies like unto brute beasts: for otherwise it is no fault to eat and drink.
  30. Matthew 24:40 Against them that persuade themselves that God will be merciful to all men, and do by that means give over themselves to sin, that they may in the meanwhile live in pleasure void of all care.
  31. Matthew 24:41 The Greek women and the Barbarians did grind and bake. (Plutarch, book Problem)
  32. Matthew 24:42 An example of the horrible carelessness of men in those things whereof they ought to be most careful.
  33. Matthew 24:51 To wit, from the rest, or will cut him into two parts, which was a most cruel kind of punishment, wherewith as Justin Martyr witnesseth, Isaiah the Prophet was executed by the Jews: the like kind of punishment we read of, 1 Sam. 15:33 and Dan. 3:29.