When the Temple Will Be Destroyed and the Signs of the End
1Jesus was leaving the temple. One of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What huge stones! What wonderful buildings!”
2“Do you see these huge buildings?” Jesus asked. “Not one stone here will be left on top of another. Every stone will be thrown down.”
3Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the temple. Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him a question in private. 4“Tell us,” they said. “When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to come true?”
5Jesus said to them, “Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you. 6Many will come in my name. They will claim, ‘I am he.’ They will fool many people. 7You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen. But the end still isn’t here. 8Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many places. People will go hungry. All these things are the beginning of birth pains.
9“Watch out! You will be handed over to the local courts. You will be whipped in the synagogues. You will stand in front of governors and kings because of me. In that way you will be witnesses to them. 10The good news has to be preached to all nations before the end comes. 11You will be arrested and brought to trial. But don’t worry ahead of time about what you will say. Just say what God brings to your mind at the time. It is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12“Brothers will hand over brothers to be killed. Fathers will hand over their children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. 13Everyone will hate you because of me. But the one who remains strong in the faith will be saved.
14“You will see ‘the hated thing that destroys.’ (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) It will stand where it does not belong. The reader should understand this. Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains. 15No one on the roof should go down into the house to take anything out. 16No one in the field should go back to get their coat. 17How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! 18Pray that this will not happen in winter. 19Those days will be worse than any others from the time God created the world until now. And there will never be any like them again.
20“If the Lord had not cut the time short, no one would live. But because of God’s chosen people, he has shortened it. 21At that time someone may say to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ Or, ‘Look! There he is!’ Do not believe it. 22False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will do signs and miracles. They will try to fool God’s chosen people if possible. 23Keep watch! I have told you everything ahead of time.
24“So in those days there will be terrible suffering. After that, Scripture says,
“ ‘The sun will be darkened.
The moon will not shine.
25The stars will fall from the sky.
The heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ (Isaiah 13:10; 34:4)
26“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds. He will come with great power and glory. 27He will send his angels. He will gather his chosen people from all four directions. He will bring them from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
28“Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door. 30What I’m about to tell you is true. The people living now will certainly not pass away until all those things have happened. 31Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Are Not Known
32“But no one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows. 33Keep watch! Stay awake! You do not know when that time will come. 34It’s like a man going away. He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge. Each one is given a task to do. He tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35“So keep watch! You do not know when the owner of the house will come back. It may be in the evening or at midnight. It may be when the rooster crows or at dawn. 36He may come suddenly. So do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone. ‘Watch!’ ”
Dalili Za Siku Za Mwisho
(Mathayo 24:1-2; Luka 21:5-6)
113:1 Mt 24:1; Lk 21:5Yesu alipokuwa akitoka Hekaluni, mmojawapo wa wanafunzi wake akamwambia, “Mwalimu! Tazama jinsi mawe haya yalivyo makubwa, na majengo haya yalivyo mazuri!”
213:2 Lk 19:44Ndipo Yesu akajibu akasema, “Je, unayaona majengo haya yalivyo makubwa? Hakuna hata jiwe moja litakalobaki juu ya jingine, bali yote yatabomolewa.”
Mateso Yatabiriwa
(Mathayo 24:3-14; Luka 21:7-19)
313:3 Mt 21:1; 4:21Yesu alipokuwa ameketi kwenye Mlima wa Mizeituni mkabala na Hekalu, Petro, Yakobo, Yohana na Andrea wakamuuliza faraghani, 413:4 Mt 24:3; Lk 21:7“Tafadhali tuambie, mambo haya yatatukia lini? Nayo dalili ya kuwa hayo yote yanakaribia kutimia itakuwa gani?”
513:5 Yer 29:8; 1Tim 4:1Yesu akawaambia: “Jihadharini mtu yeyote asiwadanganye. 6Wengi watakuja kwa Jina langu wakidai, ‘Mimi ndiye,’ nao watawadanganya wengi. 7Msikiapo habari za vita na uvumi wa vita, msiwe na hofu. Mambo haya hayana budi kutukia, lakini ule mwisho bado. 813:8 Mt 24:8; Isa 19:2; 2Nya 15:6Taifa litainuka dhidi ya taifa na ufalme dhidi ya ufalme. Kutakuwa na mitetemeko sehemu mbalimbali na njaa. Haya yatakuwa ndio mwanzo wa utungu.
913:9 Mt 10:17“Lakini ninyi jihadharini. Kwa maana watawapeleka katika mabaraza yao na kupigwa mijeledi katika masinagogi. Mtashtakiwa mbele ya watawala na wafalme kwa ajili yangu, ili kuwa ushuhuda kwao. 1013:10 Mt 10:19-20Nayo habari njema lazima ihubiriwe kwanza kwa mataifa yote kabla ule mwisho haujawadia. 1113:11 Lk 12:11-12Mtakapokamatwa na kushtakiwa, msisumbuke awali kuhusu mtakalosema. Semeni tu lolote mtakalopewa wakati huo, kwa kuwa si ninyi mtakaokuwa mkinena, bali ni Roho Mtakatifu.
1213:12 Mik 7:6; Lk 12:51-53“Ndugu atamsaliti ndugu yake ili auawe, naye baba atamsaliti mtoto wake. Watoto nao wataasi dhidi ya wazazi wao na kusababisha wauawe. 1313:13 Yn 15:21; Mt 10:22Watu wote watawachukia kwa ajili ya Jina langu. Lakini yule atakayevumilia hadi mwisho ataokolewa.
Chukizo La Uharibifu
(Mathayo 24:15-28; Luka 21:20-24)
1413:14 Dan 11:31; 12:11“Mtakapoona ‘chukizo la uharibifu’ limesimama mahali pasipolipasa (asomaye na afahamu), basi wale walioko Uyahudi wakimbilie milimani. 15Yeyote aliye juu ya dari ya nyumba asishuke au kuingia ndani ili kuchukua chochote. 16Aliye shambani asirudi nyumbani kuchukua vazi lake. 1713:17 Lk 22:39; 21:23Ole wao wenye mimba na wale wanaonyonyesha watoto siku hizo! 18Ombeni mambo haya yasitokee wakati wa baridi. 1913:19 Mk 10:6; Dan 9:26; Yoe 2:2Kwa maana siku hizo zitakuwa za dhiki kuu ambayo haijapata kuwako tangu mwanzo, hapo Mungu alipoumba ulimwengu, mpaka leo, na wala haitakuwako tena kamwe. 20Kama Bwana asingelifupisha siku hizo, kamwe asingeliokoka mtu yeyote. Lakini kwa ajili ya wateule, wale aliowachagua, amezifupisha siku hizo. 2113:21 Lk 17:23; 21:8Wakati huo mtu yeyote akiwaambia, ‘Tazama, Kristo13:21 Kristo maana yake ni Masiya, yaani Aliyetiwa mafuta. huyu hapa!’ au, ‘Tazama, yuko kule,’ msisadiki. 2213:22 Mt 7:15; Yn 4:48; 2The 2:9-10Kwa maana watatokea makristo wa uongo na manabii wa uongo, nao watafanya ishara na maajabu ili kuwapotosha, ikiwezekana, hata wale wateule. 2313:23 2Pet 3:17Hivyo jihadharini. Nimekwisha kuwaambia mambo haya yote mapema kabla hayajatukia.
Kuja Kwa Mwana Wa Adamu
(Mathayo 24:29-31; Luka 21:25-28)
2413:24 Isa 13:10“Lakini katika siku hizo, baada ya hiyo dhiki,
“ ‘jua litatiwa giza
nao mwezi hautatoa nuru yake;
2513:25 Isa 34:4; Mt 24:9nazo nyota zitaanguka kutoka angani,
na nguvu za anga zitatikisika.’
2613:26 Dan 7:13; Ufu 1:7“Ndipo watu wote watakapomwona Mwana wa Adamu akija mawinguni kwa nguvu nyingi na utukufu. 2713:27 Zek 2:6Naye atawatuma malaika wake wawakusanye wateule wake kutoka pande zote nne za dunia, kutoka miisho ya dunia hadi miisho ya mbingu.
Somo Kuhusu Mtini
(Mathayo 24:32-35; Luka 21:29-33)
2813:28 Mt 24:32; Lk 21:29“Basi jifunzeni somo hili kutokana na mtini: Matawi yake yanapoanza kuchipua na kutoa majani, mnatambua kwamba wakati wa kiangazi umekaribia. 29Vivyo hivyo, myaonapo mambo haya yakitukia, mnatambua kwamba wakati u karibu, hata malangoni. 3013:30 Lk 17:25; Mk 9:11Amin, nawaambia, kizazi hiki hakitapita hadi mambo haya yote yawe yametimia. 3113:31 Mt 5:18Mbingu na nchi zitapita, lakini maneno yangu hayatapita kamwe.
Hakuna Ajuaye Siku Wala Saa
(Mathayo 24:36-44)
3213:32 Mdo 1:7; 1The 5:1-2“Kwa habari ya siku ile na saa hakuna yeyote ajuaye, hata malaika walio mbinguni wala Mwana, ila Baba peke yake. 33Jihadharini! Kesheni! Kwa maana hamjui wakati ule utakapowadia. 3413:34 Mt 25:14Ni kama mtu anayesafiri. Anaiacha nyumba yake na kuwaachia watumishi wake kuiangalia, kila mtu na kazi yake, kisha akamwamuru yule bawabu aliye mlangoni akeshe.
3513:35 Mt 24:42, 44“Basi kesheni kwa sababu hamjui ni lini mwenye nyumba atakaporudi: iwapo ni jioni, au ni usiku wa manane, au alfajiri awikapo jogoo, au mapambazuko. 36Kama akija ghafula, asije akawakuta mmelala. 3713:37 Lk 12:35-40Lile ninalowaambia ninyi, nawaambia watu wote: ‘Kesheni!’ ”
