Matthew 24:3

Signs of the End of the Age

24:3 As ¹  he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things ²  happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Daniel 7:13

7:13 I was watching in the night visions,

“And with ³  the clouds of the sky ⁴ 

one like a son of man ⁵  was approaching.

He went up to the Ancient of Days

and was escorted ⁶  before him.

Mark 13:4

13:4 “Tell us, when will these things ⁷  happen? And what will be the sign that all these things are about to take place?”

Revelation 1:7

1:7 (Look! He is returning with the clouds, ⁸ 

and every eye will see him,

even ⁹  those who pierced him, ¹⁰ 

and all the tribes ¹¹  on the earth will mourn because ¹²  of him.

This will certainly come to pass! ¹³  Amen.) ¹⁴ 

[24:3]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[24:3]  ² sn Because the phrase these things is plural, more than the temple’s destruction is in view. The question may presuppose that such a catastrophe signals the end.

[7:13]  ³ tc The LXX has ἐπί (epi, “upon”) here (cf. Matt 24:30; 26:64). Theodotion has μετά (meta, “with”) here (cf. Mark 14:62; Rev 1:7).

[7:13]  ⁴ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[7:13]  ⁵ sn This text is probably the main OT background for Jesus’ use of the term “son of man.” In both Jewish and Christian circles the reference in the book of Daniel has traditionally been understood to refer to an individual, usually in a messianic sense. Many modern scholars, however, understand the reference to have a corporate identity. In this view, the “son of man” is to be equated with the “holy ones” (vv. 18, 21, 22, 25) or the “people of the holy ones” (v. 27) and understood as a reference to the Jewish people. Others understand Daniel’s reference to be to the angel Michael.

[7:13]  ⁶ tn Aram “they brought him near.”

[13:4]  ⁷ sn Both references to these things are plural, so more than the temple’s destruction is in view. The question may presuppose that such a catastrophe signals the end.

[1:7]  ⁸ sn An allusion to Dan 7:13.

[1:7]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) was translated as ascensive.

[1:7]  ¹⁰ sn An allusion to Zech 12:10.

[1:7]  ¹¹ tn In this context, tribes (φυλαί, fulai) could also be translated as “nations” or “peoples” (L&N 11.56).

[1:7]  ¹² tn The conjunction ἐπί (epi) is most likely causal here. The people who crucified him are those of every tribe on the earth and they will mourn because he comes as judge.

[1:7]  ¹³ tn Grk “Yes, Amen.” The expression “This will certainly come to pass” is an attempt to capture the force of the juxtaposition of the Greek ναί (nai) and the Hebrew ἀμήν (amhn). See L&N 69.1.

[1:7]  ¹⁴ sn These lines are placed in parentheses because they form an aside to the main argument.