Matthew 24:5-13

24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ ¹  and they will mislead many. 24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. ²  24:7 For nation will rise up in arms ³  against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines ⁴  and earthquakes ⁵  in various places. 24:8 All ⁶  these things are the beginning of birth pains.

Persecution of Disciples

24:9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations ⁷  because of my name. ⁸  24:10 Then many will be led into sin, ⁹  and they will betray one another and hate one another. 24:11 And many false prophets will appear and deceive ¹⁰  many, 24:12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. 24:13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved. ¹¹ 

Matthew 24:20-23

24:20 Pray ¹²  that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 24:21 For then there will be great suffering ¹³  unlike anything that has happened ¹⁴  from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. 24:22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 24:23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ ¹⁵  or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him.

[24:5]  ¹ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[24:6]  ² tn Grk “it is not yet the end.”

[24:7]  ³ tn For the translation “rise up in arms” see L&N 55.2.

[24:7]  ⁴ sn See Isa 5:13-14; 13:6-16; Hag 2:6-7; Zech 14:4.

[24:7]  ⁵ tc Most witnesses (C Θ 0102 Ë^1,13 Ï) have “and plagues” (καὶ λοιμοί, kai loimoi) between “famines” (λιμοί, limoi) and “earthquakes” (σεισμοί, seismoi), while others have “plagues and famines and earthquakes” (L W 33 pc lat). The similarities between λιμοί and λοιμοί could explain how καὶ λοιμοί might have accidentally dropped out, but since the Lukan parallel has both terms (and W lat have the order λοιμοὶ καὶ λιμοί there too, as they do in Matthew), it seems more likely that scribes added the phrase here. The shorter reading does not enjoy overwhelming support ([א] B D 892 pc, as well as versional witnesses), but it is nevertheless significant; coupled with the internal evidence it should be given preference.

[24:8]  ⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[24:9]  ⁵ tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “nations” or “Gentiles”).

[24:9]  ⁶ sn See Matt 5:10-12; 1 Cor 1:25-31.

[24:10]  ⁶ tn Or “many will fall away.” This could also refer to apostasy.

[24:11]  ⁷ tn Or “and lead many astray.”

[24:13]  ⁸ sn But the person who endures to the end will be saved. Jesus was not claiming here that salvation is by works. He was simply arguing that genuine faith evidences itself in persistence through even the worst of trials.

[24:20]  ⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[24:21]  ¹⁰ tn Traditionally, “great tribulation.”

[24:21]  ¹¹ sn Suffering unlike anything that has happened. Some refer this event to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. While the events of a.d. 70 may reflect somewhat the comments Jesus makes here, the reference to the scope and severity of this judgment strongly suggest that much more is in view. Most likely Jesus is referring to the great end-time judgment on Jerusalem in the great tribulation.

[24:23]  ¹¹ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”