Mark 13

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

¹Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”

²And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

³Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,⁴“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

⁵And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you.⁶For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He, ’ and will deceive many.⁷But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.⁸For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

⁹“But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.¹⁰And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.¹¹But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.¹²Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.¹³And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

The Great Tribulation

¹⁴“So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.¹⁵Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.¹⁶And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.¹⁷But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!¹⁸And pray that your flight may not be in winter.¹⁹For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.²⁰And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

²¹“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it.²²For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.²³But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁴“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;²⁵the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.²⁶Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.²⁷And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

²⁸“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.²⁹So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors!³⁰Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

³²“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.³³Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.³⁴It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.³⁵Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—³⁶lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.³⁷And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”