M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Christ reveals to his disciples the destruction of the temple, the end of the world, and the signs of the latter days. He warns them to awake, for the world will suddenly perish.
24 And Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. 2 Jesus said to them, Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be cast down.
3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us when these things will be, and what sign will be of your coming, and of the end of the world.
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name saying, I am Christ! and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and of the infamy of wars. But see that you be not troubled. For all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and realm against realm. And there will be pestilence, hunger, and earthquakes in all quarters. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then they will put you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many fall into offence, and will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise, and will deceive many. 12 And because iniquity will have the upper hand, the love of many will abate.
13 But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. 14 And this glad tidings of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come.
15 When you therefore see the abomination that betokens desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place, let him who reads it, understand it. 16 Then let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains. 17 And let him who is on the housetop not come down to fetch anything out of his house. 18 Neither let him who is in the field return back to fetch his clothes. 19 Woe shall be in those days to women that are with child, and to those who give suck. 20 But pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. 21 For then will be great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, nor will be. 22 Yea and unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the chosen, those days will be shortened.
23 Then if anyone says to you, See, here is Christ! or, There is Christ! – believe it not. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise, and will do great miracles and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, the very elect should be deceived. 25 Take heed, I have told you beforehand. 26 So if they say to you, Behold, he is in the desert! go not forth; or, Behold, he is in the secret places! believe it not. 27 For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines to the west, so will the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wherever the dead body is, there will the eagles resort.
29 Immediately after the tribulations of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall move. 30 And then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. And then shall all the kindreds of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with the great voice of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen from the four winds, and from the one end of the world to the other.
32 Learn from a similitude of the fig tree: when its branches are yet tender and its leaves sprung, you know that summer is near. 33 So likewise you, when you see all these things, may be sure that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Truly I say to you that this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall perish, but my words will abide. 36 But of that day and hour no man knows – no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 As the time of Noah was, so likewise will the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and were married, right up to the day that Noah entered into the ship, 39 and knew of nothing till the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then two will be in the fields; the one will be received, and the other will be refused. 41 Two will be grinding at the mill; the one will be received, and the other will be refused.
42 Watch therefore, because you do not know what hour your master will come. 43 Of this be sure: if the householder knew what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and not allow his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, because in the hour you think he would not, the Son of man will come.
45 If there be any servant faithful and wise, whom his master has appointed over his household, to give them food in due season, 46 happy is that servant whom his master (when he comes) finds so doing. 47 Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his goods. 48 But if the evil servant says in his heart, My master will defer his coming, 49 and begins to smite his fellow servants, yea and to eat and to drink with the drunken, 50 the servant’s master will come in a day when he is not expecting him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will separate him, and give him his reward with the hypocrites. And there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Paul is accused before Felix. He answers for himself.
24 After five days, Ananias, the high priest, descended with elders and with a certain orator named Tertullus, and made representations to the governor concerning Paul. 2 When Paul was called forth, Tertullus began the case against him, saying,
Seeing that we live in great quietness owing to you, and that many good things are done for this nation through your prudent government, 3 we receive and acknowledge it ever and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thanks. 4 But in order that I not be tedious to you, I pray that you would kindly hear a few words from us.
5 We have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of conflict among all the Jews throughout the world, and a maintainer of the sect of the Nazarites, 6 who has also taken in hand to profane the temple. We took him, and would have judged him according to our law, 7 but the high captain Lysias came upon us, and with great force took him away out of our hands, 8 commanding his accusers to come to you. You may, if you wish to enquire, ascertain from him the facts concerning all these things of which we accuse him.
9 The Jews maintained likewise, saying that it was even so.
10 Then Paul (after the governor himself had indicated to him that he should speak) answered, I shall with a more quiet mind answer for myself, 11 since I understand that for many years you have been a judge to this people, in order that you may know that it is yet only twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to pray, 12 and they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone, nor inciting the people, neither in the synagogues nor in the city. 13 Nor can they prove the things they accuse me of.
14 But this I confess to you: that in accordance with the Way, which they call heresy, so do I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in the law and the prophets. 15 And I have hope in God that the same resurrection of the dead that they themselves look for also will come, both of the just and the unjust. 16 And therefore I strive to have a clear conscience toward God, and toward man also.
17 But after many years I came, bringing alms and offerings to my people, 18 in the course of which they found me purified in the temple, neither with a lot of people, nor making a disturbance. However, there were certain Jews out of Asia, 19 who ought to be here present before you and accuse me if they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men here say if they have found any wrongdoing in me, while I stand here in the council – 21 unless it be for this one statement that I made standing among them: It is concerning the resurrection from death that I am on trial before you this day.
22 When Felix heard these things, he adjourned the hearing – for he knew very well of that Way – and said, When Lysias the captain arrives, I will hear the last of your matters. 23 And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and that he should have rest, and not to forbid any of his friends to minister to him or come to him.
24 And after some time, Felix and his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, came and called for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith that is toward Christ. 25 And as he preached of righteousness, temperance, and the judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, That is enough at this time; depart. When I have a convenient time, I will send for you. 26 He hoped also that Paul would give him money to set him free, so he called for him often and conversed with him.
27 But after two years, Festus Porcius succeeded Felix. And Felix, wanting to please the Jews, left Paul bound in prison.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.