What helped me to put the verses in perspective is the subdivision of paragraphs in the Holman Christian Bible. The generation is the one that would witness the great tribulation. Problem solved!
Signs of the End of the Age
3 While He was sitting on the •Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” t
4 Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives u you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the •Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. v 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines wx and earthquakes in various places. y 8 All these events are the beginning of birth pains. z
Persecutions Predicted
9 “Then they will hand you over for persecution, a and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name. b 10 Then many will •take offense, betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets c will rise up and deceive many. 12 Because lawlessness d will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. e 14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world f as a testimony to all nations. g And then the end will come. h
The Great Tribulation
15 “So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, ij spoken of by the prophet Daniel, k standing in the holy place” l (let the reader understand m), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! 17 A man on the housetop n must not come down to get things out of his house. o 18 And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, p the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again! 22 Unless those days were limited, no one would q survive. r But those days will be limited because of the elect. s
23 “If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ t or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it! u 24 False messiahs v and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, w if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note: I have told you in advance. 26 So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the •Son of Man. x 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures y will gather. z
The Coming of the Son of Man
29 “Immediately after the tribulation a of those days:
The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not shed its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the celestial powers will be shaken.
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth b will mourn; c and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. d 31 He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, e and they will gather His elect from the four winds, f from one end of the sky to the other.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
32 “Now learn this parable g from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize h that He i is near—at the door! j 34 I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.k 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, l but My words will never pass away. m
No One Knows the Day or Hour
36 “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son n—except the Father only. o[1]
• A mountain east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley
t 24:3 Mt 21:1; 24:27, 37, 39
u 24:4 Jr 29:8; Eph 5:6; Col 2:8; 2Th 2:3
• Or the Christ; the Greek word is Christos and means the anointed one. Where the NT emphasizes Christos as a name of our Lord or has a Gentile context, “Christ” is used. Where the NT Christos has a Jewish context, the title “Messiah” is used.
v 24:5 Mt 1:17; Eph 5:2
w 24:7 Other mss add epidemics
x 24:7 Ac 11:28; Rv 6:8
y 24:7 2Ch 15:6; Is 19:2
z 24:8–20 Lk 21:12–24
a 24:9 Or tribulation, or distress
b 24:9 Mt 10:17, 22; Jn 16:2
• The Greek word skandalizo has a root meaning of snare or trap but has no real English counterpart.
c 24:11 Is 44:25; Mt 7:15; 24:24; Mk 13:22; Lk 6:26; Ac 13:6; 2Pt 2:1; 1Jn 4:1
d 24:12 Mt 13:41; 2Th 2:3
e 24:13 Or be saved
f 24:14 Or in all the inhabited earth
g 24:14 Mt 4:23; Rm 10:18; Col 1:6, 23; 1Th 1:8
h 24:14 Lk 2:1; 4:5; Ac 11:28; 17:6; Rv 3:10; 16:14
i 24:15 Or abomination of desolation, or desolating sacrilege
j 24:15 Dn 9:27
k 24:15 Dn 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Mk 13:14; Lk 21:20
l 24:15 Ac 6:13; 21:28
m 24:15 These are, most likely, Matthew’s words to his readers.
n 24:17 Or roof
o 24:17 1Sm 9:25; Mt 10:27; Lk 5:19; 12:3; 17:31; Ac 10:9
p 24:21 Dn 12:1; Jl 2:2; Mt 24:29; Rv 7:14
q 24:22 Lit short, all flesh would not
r 24:22 Or be saved or delivered
s 24:22 Mt 22:14; 24:24, 31; Mk 13:20, 22, 27; 1Tm 5:21; 2Tm 2:10; Rv 17:14
t 24:23 Lk 17:3; 21:28
u 24:23 Mk 11:24; Jn 6:64
v 24:24 Or False christs
w 24:24 Dt 13:1–3; Mt 24:11; Ac 8:9; 2Th 2:9–11; Rv 13:13–14; 16:14; 19:20
• Most frequent title Jesus used for Himself (Dn 7:13; Mt 8:20)
x 24:27 Zch 9:14; Mt 8:20; 24:3, 37, 39; Lk 17:24
y 24:28 Or eagles
z 24:28 Jb 39:30; Lk 17:37
a 24:29 Is 13:10; 24:23; Ezk 32:7; Jl 2:10, 31; 3:15; Zph 1:15; Rv 6:12–13
b 24:30 Or all the tribes of the land
c 24:30 Lit will beat; that is, beat their breasts
d 24:30 Dn 7:13; Zch 12:12; Mt 24:3; Rv 1:7
e 24:31 Is 27:13; 1Co 15:52; 1Th 4:16; Rv 8:2; 11:15
f 24:31 Dn 7:2; Zch 2:6; Rv 7:1
g 24:32 Mt 13:3, 34–36; 15:15; 21:33, 45; 22:1
h 24:33 Or things, you know
i 24:33 Or it; that is, summer
j 24:33 Jms 5:9; Rv 3:20
k 24:34 Mt 10:23; 16:28; 23:36
l 24:35 Ps 102:26; Is 51:6; Mt 5:18; Heb 12:27; 2Pt 3:10
m 24:35 Ps 119:89; Is 40:8; Mk 13:31; Lk 21:33; 1Pt 1:23, 25
n 24:36 Other mss omit nor the Son
o 24:36 Zch 14:7; Mt 25:13; Mk 13:32; Ac 1:7; 1Th 5:1–2
[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. 2009 (Mt 24:3–36). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
