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Señales del fin del mundo

24 Mientras salían, sus discípulos le suplicaron que los acompañara a recorrer los edificios del templo. Y él les dijo:

―¿Ven esos edificios? ¡Todos serán destruidos y no quedará ni una piedra sobre otra!

Una vez sentados en las laderas del monte de los Olivos, los discípulos le preguntaron:

―¿Qué acontecimientos indicarán la cercanía de tu regreso y el fin del mundo?

―No dejen que nadie los engañe —les contestó Jesús—: Muchos vendrán diciendo que son el Mesías y engañarán a un gran número. Cuando oigan rumores de guerras, no crean que ya estarán señalando mi retorno; habrá rumores y habrá guerra, pero todavía no será él fin. Las naciones y los reinos de la tierra pelearán entre sí, y habrá hambrunas y terremotos en diferentes lugares. Pero esto será sólo el principio de los horrores que vendrán. Entonces a ustedes los torturarán, los matarán, los odiarán en todo el mundo por causa de mí, 10 y muchos de ustedes volverán a caer en pecado y traicionarán y aborrecerán a los demás. 11 Muchos falsos profetas se levantarán y engañarán a muchas personas. 12 Habrá tanto pecado y maldad, que el amor de muchos se enfriará. 13 Pero los que se mantengan firmes hasta el fin serán salvos. 14 Las buenas nuevas del reino serán proclamadas en todo el mundo, para que todas las naciones las oigan. Y sólo entonces vendrá el fin.

15 »Por lo tanto, cuando vean que aparece en el Lugar Santo la desoladora impureza de que habla el profeta Daniel[a] (¡preste atención el lector!), 16 el que esté en Judea, que huya a los montes. 17 El que esté en la azotea, que no baje a hacer las maletas, 18 y el que esté en el campo, que no regrese a buscar la capa. 19 ¡Ay de las mujeres que estén encinta o que tengan niños de pecho en aquellos días! 20 Oren para que la huida no sea en invierno ni en el día de reposo, 21 porque como la persecución que entonces se desatará no se habrá desatado ninguna en la historia, ni se desatará después. 22 Si aquellos días no fueran acortados, la humanidad entera perecería; pero serán acortados por el bien de los escogidos de Dios.

23 »Si en aquellos días alguien les dice que el Mesías está en ese lugar o en el otro, o que apareció aquí o allá o en la ciudad de más allá, no lo crean. 24 Porque se levantarán falsos cristos y falsos profetas que realizarán milagros extraordinarios con los cuales tratarán de engañar aun a los escogidos de Dios. 25 Por lo tanto, repito: 26 Si alguien les dice que el Mesías ha regresado y está en el desierto, no se les ocurra ir a verlo. Y si les dicen que está escondido en cierto lugar, no lo crean, 27 porque mi venida será tan visible como un relámpago que cruza el cielo de este a oeste. 28 Y los buitres se juntarán donde esté el cuerpo muerto.

29 »Una vez que la persecución de aquellos días haya cesado, “el sol se oscurecerá, la luna no dará su luz, y las estrellas del cielo y los poderes que están sobre la tierra se conmoverán”. 30 Entonces aparecerá en el cielo la señal de mi venida, y el mundo entero se ahogará en llanto al verme llegar en las nubes del cielo con poder y gran gloria. 31 Y enviaré a los ángeles delante de mí para que, con toque de trompeta, junten a mis escogidos de todas partes del mundo.

32 »Apréndanse bien la lección de la higuera. Cuando la rama está tierna y brotan las hojas, se sabe que el verano está cerca. 33 De la misma manera, cuando vean que estas cosas empiezan a suceder, sepan que mi regreso está cerca. 34 Sólo entonces terminará esta era de maldad. 35 El cielo y la tierra desaparecerán, pero mis palabras permanecerán, para siempre.

Se desconocen el día y la hora

36 »Ahora bien, nadie, ni siquiera los ángeles, sabe el día ni la hora del fin. Sólo el Padre lo sabe. 37-39 Este mundo incrédulo continuará entregado a sus banquetes y fiestas de bodas hasta el día de mi venida, y le va a pasar lo mismo que a la gente que no quiso creer a Noé hasta que fue demasiado tarde y el diluvio la arrastró. 40 Cuando yo venga, dos hombres estarán trabajando juntos en el campo; uno será llevado y el otro dejado. 41 Dos mujeres estarán realizando sus quehaceres hogareños; una será tomada y la otra dejada. 42 Por lo tanto, deben estar listos, porque no saben cuándo vendrá el Señor. 43 De la misma manera que el padre de familia se mantiene vigilante para que los ladrones no se introduzcan en la casa, 44 ustedes también deben estar vigilantes para que mi regreso no los sorprenda. 45 ¿Son ustedes siervos sabios y fieles a quienes el Señor ha encomendado la tarea de realizar los quehaceres de su casa y proporcionar a sus hijos el alimento cotidiano? 46 ¡Benditos serán si a mi regreso los encuentro cumpliendo fielmente con su deber! 47 ¡Los pondré a cargo de mis bienes!

48 »Pero si son tan malvados que, creyendo que voy a tardar en venir, 49 se dedican a oprimir a sus consiervos, a andar de fiestas y a emborracharse, 50 el Señor llegará cuando menos lo esperen, 51 los azotará severamente y los enviará al tormento de los hipócritas. Allí será el llorar y el crujir de dientes.

Footnotes

  1. 24.15 Daniel 9.27; 11.31; 12.11

24 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

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

And Jesus answered and said unto them, 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 rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

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 rise, and shall deceive many.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

23 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 shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall 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 chambers; believe it not.

27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

29 Immediately after the tribulation 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 the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

36 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 shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

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

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

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

48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

24 (A)Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, (B)there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

As he sat on (C)the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him (D)privately, saying, “Tell us, (E)when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your (F)coming and of (G)the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, (H)“See that no one leads you astray. For (I)many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am (J)the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you (K)are not alarmed, for this (L)must take place, but the end is not yet. For (M)nation will rise against nation, and (N)kingdom against kingdom, and there will be (O)famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of (P)the birth pains.

“Then (Q)they will deliver you up (R)to tribulation and (S)put you to death, and (T)you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away[a] and (U)betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many (V)false prophets will arise (W)and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, (X)the love of many will grow cold. 13 (Y)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom (Z)will be proclaimed throughout the whole world (AA)as a testimony (AB)to all nations, and (AC)then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation (AD)spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in (AE)the holy place ((AF)let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 (AG)Let the one who is on (AH)the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And (AI)alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be (AJ)great tribulation, (AK)such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for (AL)the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 (AM)Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For (AN)false christs and (AO)false prophets will arise and (AP)perform great signs and wonders, (AQ)so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, (AR)I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, (AS)he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 (AT)For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be (AU)the coming of the Son of Man. 28 (AV)Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man

29 “Immediately after (AW)the tribulation of those days (AX)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and (AY)the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then (AZ)will appear in heaven (BA)the sign of the Son of Man, and then (BB)all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and (BC)they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven (BD)with power and great glory. 31 And (BE)he will send out his angels with a loud (BF)trumpet call, and they will (BG)gather (BH)his elect from (BI)the four winds, (BJ)from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, (BK)at the very gates. 34 (BL)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 (BM)Heaven and earth will pass away, but (BN)my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour

36 “But concerning that day and hour (BO)no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, (BP)nor the Son,[b] (BQ)but the Father only. 37 (BR)For as were the days of Noah, (BS)so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 (BT)For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, (BU)marrying and giving in marriage, until (BV)the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, (BW)so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 (BX)Two women will be grinding (BY)at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, (BZ)stay awake, for you do not know on what day (CA)your Lord is coming. 43 (CB)But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night (CC)the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be (CD)ready, for (CE)the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is (CF)the faithful and (CG)wise servant,[c] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 (CH)Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, (CI)he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master (CJ)is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants[d] and eats and drinks with (CK)drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come (CL)on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place (CM)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 24:10 Or stumble
  2. Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts omit nor the Son
  3. Matthew 24:45 Or bondservant; also verses 46, 48, 50
  4. Matthew 24:49 Or bondservants