1Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. (Mt 21:23)2But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (Lu 19:44)
Signs of the End of the Age
3As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Mt 13:39; Mt 21:1; Mt 24:37; Mt 24:39; Mr 4:34; Ac 1:6; Ac 1:7; 1Th 2:19)4And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. (Jer 29:8; Eph 5:6; Col 2:8; 2Th 2:3; 1Jo 3:7)5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. (Jer 14:14; Mt 1:17; Mt 24:11; 1Jo 2:18)6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. (2Th 2:2; Re 1:1)7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. (2Ch 15:6; Isa 19:2; Ac 11:28; Re 6:4; Re 6:8; Re 6:12)8All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Joh 16:21; Ac 2:24; Ro 8:22)9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. (Mt 10:17; Mt 10:21; Mt 10:22; Mt 23:34; Mt 24:21; Joh 16:2; Re 2:10)10And then many will fall away[1] and betray one another and hate one another. (Mt 10:21)11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. (Mt 7:15; Mt 24:5)12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. (Re 2:4)13But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mt 10:22)14And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Mt 10:18; Mt 24:6; Mt 28:19; Mr 14:9; Ro 10:18; Col 1:6; Col 1:23)
The Abomination of Desolation
15“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand), (Da 9:22; Da 9:23; Da 9:25; Da 9:27; Da 11:31; Da 12:11; Joh 11:48; Ac 6:13; Ac 21:28; Re 1:3)16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.17Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, (Lu 5:19; Lu 17:31)18and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.19And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! (Lu 23:29)20Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. (Da 12:1; Mt 24:29; Re 7:14; Re 16:18)22And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Isa 65:8; Isa 65:9; Mt 24:24; Lu 18:7; Lu 22:14)23Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. (Mt 24:5; Lu 17:23)24For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (De 13:1; Mt 24:11; Ac 8:9; 2Th 2:9; 1Jo 2:18; Re 13:13; Re 13:14; Re 16:14; Re 19:20)25See, I have told you beforehand. (Joh 13:19; Joh 14:29; 2Pe 3:17)26So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. (Ac 21:38)27For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Mt 24:37; Mt 24:39; Lu 17:24)28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (Job 39:30; Lu 17:37)
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.33So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. (Jas 5:9; Re 3:20)34Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. (Mt 16:28)35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Ps 102:26; Ps 119:89; Isa 40:8; Isa 51:6; Mt 5:18; Heb 12:27; 1Pe 1:23; 1Pe 1:25; 2Pe 3:10)
No One Knows That Day and Hour
36“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,[2] but the Father only. (Zec 14:7; Mt 25:13; Ac 1:7; Php 2:6; Php 2:7; 1Th 5:1; 1Th 5:2)37For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Mt 24:27; Lu 17:26; Lu 17:27)38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, (Ge 7:7; Mt 22:30; Mt 24:37)39and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Mt 24:37)40Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.41Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. (Ex 11:5; Isa 47:2; Lu 17:35)42Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. (Mr 14:34; Lu 12:37; Lu 21:36; Joh 13:13; Ac 20:31; 1Th 5:6)43But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. (Lu 12:39; 1Th 5:2; 2Pe 3:10; Re 3:3)44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Mt 24:27; Mt 25:10)45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant,[3] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? (Mt 7:24; Mt 10:16; Mt 25:2; Mt 25:21; 1Co 4:2; Heb 3:5)46Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. (Joh 13:17; Re 16:15)47Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. (Mt 25:21; Mt 25:23)48But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ (Mt 25:5)49and begins to beat his fellow servants[4] and eats and drinks with drunkards, (1Th 5:7)50the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know (Mt 25:13; 2Pe 3:12)51and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mt 8:12)
The destruction of the temple and signs of the end times
1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.2‘Do you see all these things?’ he asked. ‘Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.’3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’4Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no-one deceives you.5For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Messiah,” and will deceive many.6You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.8All these are the beginning of birth-pains.9‘Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,13but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.15‘So when you see standing in the holy place “the abomination that causes desolation,” spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand – (Da 9:27; Da 11:31; Da 12:11)16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.17Let no-one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house.18Let no-one in the field go back to get their cloak.19How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.21For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equalled again.22‘If those days had not been cut short, no-one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.23At that time if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Messiah!” or, “There he is!” do not believe it.24For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.25See, I have told you in advance.26‘So if anyone tells you, “There he is, out in the desert,” do not go out; or, “Here he is, in the inner rooms,” do not believe it.27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.29‘Immediately after the distress of those days ‘ “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” (Isa 13:10; Isa 34:4)30‘Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth[1] will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.[2] (Da 7:13)31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.32‘Now learn this lesson from the fig-tree: as soon as its twigs become tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[3] is near, right at the door.34Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The day and hour unknown
36‘But about that day or hour no-one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[4] but only the Father.37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.41Two women will be grinding with a hand-mill; one will be taken and the other left.42‘Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.45‘Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.47Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, “My master is staying away a long time,”49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
When the temple will be destroyed and the signs of the end
1Jesus left the temple. He was walking away when his disciples came up to him. They wanted to call his attention to the temple buildings.2‘Do you see all these things?’ Jesus asked. ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. 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. There the disciples came to him in private. ‘Tell us’, they said. ‘When will this happen? And what will be the sign of your coming? What will be the sign of the end?’4Jesus answered, ‘Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you.5Many will come in my name. They will claim, “I am the Messiah!” They will fool many people.6You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don’t be alarmed. Those things must happen. But the end still isn’t here.7Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. People will go hungry. There will be earthquakes in many places.8All these are the beginning of birth-pains.9‘Then people will hand you over to be treated badly and killed. All nations will hate you because of me.10At that time, many will turn away from their faith. They will hate each other. They will hand each other over to their enemies.11Many false prophets will appear. They will fool many people.12Because evil will grow, most people’s love will grow cold.13But the one who remains strong in the faith will be saved.14This good news of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world. It will be a witness to all nations. Then the end will come.15‘The prophet Daniel spoke about “the hated thing that destroys.” Someday you will see it standing in the holy place. The reader should understand this. (Da 9:27; Da 11:31; Da 12:11)16Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains.17No one on the housetop should go down into the house to take anything out.18No one in the field should go back to get their coat.19How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers!20Pray that you will not have to escape in winter or on the Sabbath day.21There will be terrible suffering in those days. It will be worse than any other from the beginning of the world until now. And there will never be anything like it again.22‘If the time had not been cut short, no one would live. But because of God’s chosen people, it will be shortened.23At that time someone may say to you, “Look! Here is the Messiah!” Or, “There he is!” Do not believe it.24False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will do great signs and miracles. They will try to fool God’s chosen people if possible.25See, I have told you in advance.26‘So if anyone tells you, “He is a long way out in the desert,” do not go out there. Or if anyone says, “He is deep inside the house,” do not believe it.27Lightning that comes from the east can be seen in the west. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes.28The vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body.29‘Right after the terrible suffering of those days, ‘ “The sun will be darkened. The moon will not shine. The stars will fall from the sky. The heavenly bodies will be shaken.” (Isa 13:10; Isa 34:4)30‘Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. At that time, all the peoples of the earth will mourn. They will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven. He will come with power and great glory.31He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call. They will gather his chosen people from all four directions. They will bring them from one end of the heavens to the other.32‘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.33In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door.34What I’m about to tell you is true. The people living now will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.35Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.
The day and hour are not known
36‘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.37Remember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes.38In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking. They were getting married. They were giving their daughters to be married. They did all those things right up to the day Noah entered the ark.39They knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes.40Two men will be in the field. One will be taken and the other left.41Two women will be grinding with a hand-mill. One will be taken and the other left.42‘So keep watch. You do not know on what day your Lord will come.43You must understand something. Suppose the owner of the house knew what time of night the robber was coming. Then he would have kept watch. He would not have let his house be broken into.44So you also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you don’t expect him.45‘Suppose a master puts one of his slaves in charge of the other slaves in his house. The slave’s job is to give them their food at the right time. The master wants a faithful and wise slave for this.46It will be good for the slave if the master finds him doing his job when the master returns.47What I’m about to tell you is true. The master will put that slave in charge of everything he owns.48But suppose that slave is evil. Suppose he says to himself, “My master is staying away a long time.”49Suppose he begins to beat the other slaves. And suppose he eats and drinks with those who drink too much.50The master of that slave will come back on a day the slave doesn’t expect him. He will return at an hour the slave does not know.51Then the master will cut him to pieces. He will send him to the place where pretenders go. There people will weep and grind their teeth.
Matthew 24
King James Version
1And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.2And 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.3And 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?4And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.5For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.6And 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.7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.8All these are the beginning of sorrows.9Then 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.10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.11And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.15When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)16Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:17Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:18Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.19And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!20But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.23Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.24For 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.25Behold, I have told you before.26Wherefore 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.27For 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.28For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.29Immediately 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:30And 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.31And 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.32Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:33So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.37But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.38For 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,39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.43But 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.44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.47Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;50The 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,51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
1Als Jesus den Tempel verlassen hatte, wandten sich seine Jünger an ihn und wiesen ihn auf die Bauten des Tempels hin. (Mr 13:1; Lu 21:5)2Er antwortete und sagte zu ihnen: Seht ihr das alles? Amen, ich sage euch: Kein Stein wird hier auf dem andern bleiben, der nicht niedergerissen wird. (Lu 19:44)
Der Anfang der endzeitlichen Not
3Als er auf dem Ölberg saß, wandten sich die Jünger, die mit ihm allein waren, an ihn und fragten: Sag uns, wann wird das geschehen und was ist das Zeichen für deine Ankunft und das Ende der Welt? (Mr 13:3; Lu 21:7)4Jesus antwortete und sagte zu ihnen: Gebt Acht, dass euch niemand irreführt!5Denn viele werden unter meinem Namen auftreten und sagen: Ich bin der Christus! und sie werden viele irreführen.6Ihr werdet von Kriegen und Kriegsgerüchten hören. Gebt Acht, lasst euch nicht erschrecken! Das muss geschehen. Es ist aber noch nicht das Ende.7Denn Volk wird sich gegen Volk und Reich gegen Reich erheben und an vielen Orten wird es Hungersnöte und Erdbeben geben.8Doch das alles ist erst der Anfang der Wehen.9Dann wird man euch der Not ausliefern und euch töten und ihr werdet von allen Völkern um meines Namens willen gehasst. (Mt 10:22; Joh 16:2)10Und viele werden zu Fall kommen und einander ausliefern und einander hassen.11Viele falsche Propheten werden auftreten und sie werden viele irreführen. (Mt 24:23)12Und weil die Gesetzlosigkeit überhand nimmt, wird die Liebe bei vielen erkalten.13Wer aber bis zum Ende standhaft bleibt, der wird gerettet werden.14Und dieses Evangelium vom Reich wird auf der ganzen Welt verkündet werden - zum Zeugnis für alle Völker; dann erst kommt das Ende. (Mt 28:19)
Vom Höhepunkt der Not
15Wenn ihr dann am heiligen Ort den Gräuel der Verwüstung stehen seht, der durch den Propheten Daniel vorhergesagt worden ist - der Leser begreife -,[1] (Da 9:27; Da 11:31; Da 12:11; Mr 13:14; Lu 21:20; 1Macc 1:54)16dann sollen die Bewohner von Judäa in die Berge fliehen;17wer gerade auf dem Dach ist, soll nicht hinabsteigen, um etwas aus seinem Haus zu holen, (Lu 17:31)18und wer auf dem Feld ist, soll nicht zurückkehren, um seinen Mantel zu holen.19Weh aber den Frauen, die in jenen Tagen schwanger sind oder ein Kind stillen!20Betet darum, dass eure Flucht nicht im Winter oder an einem Sabbat geschieht!21Denn es wird dann eine große Drangsal sein, wie es sie nie gegeben hat, vom Anfang der Welt bis heute, und wie es auch keine mehr geben wird. (Da 12:1; Joe 2:2)22Und wenn jene Tage nicht verkürzt würden, dann würde kein Mensch gerettet; doch um der Auserwählten willen werden jene Tage verkürzt werden.23Wenn dann jemand zu euch sagt: Seht, hier ist der Christus! oder: Da ist er!, so glaubt es nicht!24Denn es wird mancher falsche Christus und mancher falsche Prophet auftreten und sie werden große Zeichen und Wunder wirken, um, wenn möglich, auch die Auserwählten irrezuführen.25Siehe, ich habe es euch vorausgesagt.26Wenn sie also zu euch sagen: Siehe, er ist in der Wüste!, so geht nicht hinaus; siehe, er ist im Innern des Hauses!, so glaubt es nicht. (Lu 17:23)27Denn wie der Blitz im Osten aufflammt und bis zum Westen hin leuchtet, so wird die Ankunft des Menschensohnes sein.28Wo ein Aas ist, da sammeln sich die Geier. (Lu 17:37)
Das Kommen des Menschensohnes
29Sofort nach den Tagen der großen Drangsal wird die Sonne verfinstert werden und der Mond wird nicht mehr scheinen; die Sterne werden vom Himmel fallen und die Kräfte des Himmels werden erschüttert werden. (Isa 13:10; Joe 2:10; Hag 2:6; Mr 13:24; Lu 21:25; 2Pe 3:10)30Danach wird das Zeichen des Menschensohnes am Himmel erscheinen; dann werden alle Völker der Erde wehklagen und man wird den Menschensohn auf den Wolken des Himmels kommen sehen, mit großer Kraft und Herrlichkeit. (Da 7:13; Mt 26:64; Mr 14:62; Re 1:7)31Er wird seine Engel unter lautem Posaunenschall aussenden und sie werden die von ihm Auserwählten aus allen vier Windrichtungen zusammenführen, von einem Ende des Himmels bis zum andern.
Der nahe, aber unbekannte Zeitpunkt
32Lernt etwas aus dem Vergleich mit dem Feigenbaum! Sobald seine Zweige saftig werden und Blätter treiben, erkennt ihr, dass der Sommer nahe ist. (Mr 13:28; Lu 21:29)33So erkennt auch ihr, wenn ihr das alles seht, dass er vor der Tür ist.34Amen, ich sage euch: Diese Generation wird nicht vergehen, bis das alles geschieht.35Himmel und Erde werden vergehen, aber meine Worte werden nicht vergehen.36Doch jenen Tag und jene Stunde kennt niemand, auch nicht die Engel im Himmel, nicht einmal der Sohn, sondern nur der Vater.
Die Vollendung als Moment der Entscheidung
37Denn wie es in den Tagen des Noach war, so wird die Ankunft des Menschensohnes sein. (Lu 17:26)38Wie die Menschen in jenen Tagen vor der Flut aßen und tranken, heirateten und sich heiraten ließen, bis zu dem Tag, an dem Noach in die Arche ging, (Ge 7:7)39und nichts ahnten, bis die Flut hereinbrach und alle wegraffte, so wird auch die Ankunft des Menschensohnes sein.40Dann wird von zwei Männern, die auf dem Feld arbeiten, einer mitgenommen und einer zurückgelassen.41Und von zwei Frauen, die an derselben Mühle mahlen, wird eine mitgenommen und eine zurückgelassen.42Seid also wachsam! Denn ihr wisst nicht, an welchem Tag euer Herr kommt. (Mt 25:13; Lu 21:36)
Das Gleichnis vom Hausherrn als Mahnung zur Wachsamkeit
43Bedenkt dies: Wenn der Herr des Hauses wüsste, in welcher Stunde in der Nacht der Dieb kommt, würde er wach bleiben und nicht zulassen, dass man in sein Haus einbricht. (Lu 12:39; 1Th 5:2; 2Pe 3:10)44Darum haltet auch ihr euch bereit! Denn der Menschensohn kommt zu einer Stunde, in der ihr es nicht erwartet.
Das Gleichnis vom klugen und vom bösen Knecht
45Wer ist denn der treue und kluge Knecht, den der Herr über sein Gesinde einsetzte, damit er ihnen zur rechten Zeit die Nahrung gebe? (Lu 12:42)46Selig der Knecht, den der Herr damit beschäftigt findet, wenn er kommt!47Amen, ich sage euch: Er wird ihn über sein ganzes Vermögen einsetzen. (Mt 25:21)48Wenn aber der Knecht böse ist und in seinem Herzen sagt: Mein Herr verspätet sich!49und anfängt, seine Mitknechte zu schlagen, und mit Zechern isst und trinkt,50dann wird der Herr jenes Knechtes an einem Tag kommen, an dem er es nicht erwartet, und zu einer Stunde, die er nicht kennt;51und der Herr wird ihn in Stücke hauen und ihm seinen Platz unter den Heuchlern zuweisen. Dort wird Heulen und Zähneknirschen sein. (Mt 8:12; Mt 13:42; Mt 22:13; Mt 25:30; Lu 13:28)