A Prayer of Jesus I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will.
THE LOGOS OF GOD
PARALLEL SAYINGS FROM THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS
SECTION 10
Last Words From Jerusalem (Matthew 24:1-25:46)
1. The Prediction of the Destruction of the Temple
Matthew 24:1-3 l
1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.
2 But 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."
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying,
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"Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?Mark 13:1-4 l
1 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"
2 And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down."
3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
4 "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign when these things are all to be accomplished?"Luke 21:5-7 l
5 And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said,
6 "As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."
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7 And they asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?"
2. The Synoptic Apocalypse
Part 1 (Matthew 24:15-22, 32-35)
When Will the Temple be Destroyed?
("When will this be?"- Matthew 24:3)
(1). The Desolating Sacrilege
Matthew 24:15-22 l
15 "So when you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains;
17 let him who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house;
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18 and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his mantle.
19 And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days!
20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath.
21 For then there will be great tribulation, 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 shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.Mark 13:14-20 l
14 "But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand),
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then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains;
15 let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything away;
16 and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his mantle.
17 And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days!
18 Pray that it may not happen in winter.
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19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be.
20 And if the Lord had not shortened the days, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.Luke 21:20-24 l
20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.
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21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it;
22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written.
23 Alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days!
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For great distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people;
24 they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations;
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and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
(2). The Parable of the Fig Tree
Matthew 24:32-35 l
32 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.
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33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.Mark 13:28-31 l
28 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.
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29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away before all these things take place.
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.Luke 21:29-33 l
29 And he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees;
30 as soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near.
31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place.
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33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
2. The Synoptic Apocalypse
Part II (Matthew 24:4-14, 23-31, 36-44, 25:1-46)
What Will Be the Signs of the End?
(What willl be the sign of your coming and the close of the age? Matthew 24:3)
(1). The Signs of the Parousia
Matthew 24:4-8 l
4 And Jesus answered them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray.
5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.
6 And 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.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places:
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8 all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs.Mark 13:5-8 l
5 And Jesus began to say to them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray.
6 Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray.
7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is not yet.
8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines;
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this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs.Luke 21:8-11 l
8 And he said,
"Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them.
9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once."
10 Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;
11 there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
(2). Prediction of Tribulations
Matthew 24:9-14 l
9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation,Matthew 10:17-21
17 Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues,
18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles.
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19 When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour;
20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;
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24:9b and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.
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10 And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another.
11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
12 And because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold.
13 But he who endures to the end will be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.Mark 13:9-13 l
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9 "But take heed to yourselves; for they will deliver you up to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them.
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10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say; but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
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12 And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;
13 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake.
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But he who endures to the end will be saved.Luke 21:12-19 l
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12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake.
13 This will be a time for you to bear testimony.
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14 Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer;
15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.
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16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death;
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17 you will be hated by all for my name's sake.
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18 But not a hair of your head will perish.
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19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.
(3). The Prediction of False Christs and False Prophets
Matthew 24:23-25 23 Then if any one says to you, 'Lo, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it.
24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
25 Lo, I have told you beforehand.Mark 13:21-23 21 And then if any one says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it.
22 False Christs and false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
23 But take heed; I have told you all things beforehand.
(4). The Coming of the Son of Man
Matthew 24:26-31 l
26 So, if they say to you, 'Lo, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out; if they say, 'Lo, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man.
28 Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and
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the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
30 then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory;
31 and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.Mark 13:24-27 ll
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24 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,
25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and
the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
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26 And then they will see
the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
27 And then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.Luke 17:23-28, 37 l
23 And they will say to you, 'Lo, there!' or 'Lo, here!' Do not go, do not follow them.
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24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day.
37 And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."
25 "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
26 men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
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27 And then they will see
the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
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28 Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
(5). The Signs of the Coming of the Son of Man
Matthew 24:36-41 l
36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man.
38 For 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,
39 and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man.
40 Then two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left.
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41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left.Mark 13:32 l
32 "But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.Luke 17:26-27, 30, 34-35 l
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26 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man.
27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,and the flood came and destroyed them all.
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30 so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed.
34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.
35 There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left."
(6). Be Prepared for the Coming of the Son of Man
Matthew 24:42-44 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
43 But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.Luke 12:39-40 l
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9 But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.
40 You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour."
3. The "Be Prepared" Parables and the Last Judgment
(1). The Parable of the Faithful and Wise Servant
Matthew 24:45-51 45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?
46 Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.
47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,'
49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with the drunken,50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know,
51 and will punish him, and put him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.Luke 12:42-46 42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.
44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
45 But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,
46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the unfaithful.
(2). The Parable of the Ten Maidens
Matthew 25:1-131 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;
4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'
7 Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
9 But the wise replied, 'Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.
11 Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.'
12 But he replied, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
(3). The Parable of the Talents
Matthew 25:14-30 i
14 "For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property;
15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
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16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more.
17 So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more.
18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
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20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.'
21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.'
23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow;
25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
26 But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed?
27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
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l29 For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'Luke 19:12-27 l
12 He said therefore, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return.
13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them, 'Trade with these till I come.'
14 But his citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.'
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15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading.
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16 The first came before him, saying, 'Lord, your pound has made ten pounds more.'
17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.'
18 And the second came, saying, 'Lord, your pound has made five pounds.'
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19 And he said to him, 'And you are to be over five cities.'
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20 Then another came, saying, 'Lord, here is your pound, which I kept laid away in a napkin;
21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.'
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22 He said to him, 'I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?
23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming I should have collected it with interest?'
24 And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the pound from him, and give it to him who has the ten pounds.'
25 (And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten pounds!')
26 'I tell you, that to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
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27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.'"
(4). The Last Judgment
Matthew 25:31-46
31 "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.
34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'
37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?
38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?
39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?'
40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'
41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;
42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'
44 Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?'
45 Then he will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.'
46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."Return to Logos Listing E-mail Return to Home Page