^aLooking up, He saw the rich people putting their gifts into the treasury. Mark 12:41-44 2 And He saw a poor widow putting in ^atwo ¹small copper coins. 3 He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in proportionally more than all of them; 4 for they all put in gifts from their abundance; but she out of her poverty put in all she had ^ato live on.”

5 ^aAs some were talking about the ¹temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and consecrated offerings of magnificent gifts of gold which were displayed on the walls and hung in the porticoes, He said, Matt 24; Mark 13 6 “As for all these things which you see, the time will come when ^athere will not be one stone left on another that will not be ¹torn down.”

7 They asked Him, “Teacher, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to happen?” 8 He said, “Be careful and see to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name appropriating for themselves the name Messiah which belongs to Me alone, saying, ‘^aI am He,’ and, ‘The time is near!’ ^bDo not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and disturbances civil unrest, revolts, uprisings, do not panic; for these things must take place first, but the end will not come immediately.”

10 Then Jesus told them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. 2+@Chr 15:6; Is 19:2 11 There will be violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and deadly and devastating pestilences (plagues, epidemics) ; and there will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven.

12 “But before all these things, ^athey will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, and bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. Matt 10:19-22; Mark 13:11-13 13 ^aThis will be a time and an opportunity for you to testify about Me. 14 ^aSo make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; 15 for ^aI will give you skillful words and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. 16 But you will be betrayed and handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 17 and you will be continually hated by everyone because of your association with My name. 18 But ^anot a hair of your head will perish. 1+@Sam 14:45 19 ^aBy your patient endurance empowered by the Holy Spirit you will gain your souls.

20 “But when you see Jerusalem ^asurrounded by hostile armies, then understand with confident assurance that her complete destruction is near. 21 At that time, those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city (Jerusalem) must get out, and ^athose who are out in the country must not enter the city; 22 for these are ^adays of vengeance of rendering full justice or satisfaction, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. 23 Woe to those women who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For ^agreat trouble and anguish will be on the land, and wrath and retribution on this people Israel. 24 And they will fall by ^athe edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all nations; and ^bJerusalem will be ^ctrampled underfoot by the Gentiles until ^dthe times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (completed) . Is 63:18; Dan 8:13

25 “There will be signs (attesting miracles) in the sun and moon and stars; and on the earth there will be distress and anguish among nations, in perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea and the waves, Is 13:10; Joel 2:10; Zeph 1:15 26 people fainting from fear and expectation of the dreadful things coming on the world; for the very powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 ^aThen they will see ^bTHE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with transcendent, overwhelming power subduing the nations and with great glory. Dan 7:13, 14 28 Now when these things begin to occur, stand tall and lift up your heads in joy, because suffering ends as ^ayour redemption is drawing near.”

29 Then He told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; Matt 24:32, 33; Mark 13:28, 29 30 as soon as they put out leaves, you see it and ^aknow for yourselves that summer is near. 31 So you too, when you see these things happening, know without any doubt that ^athe kingdom of God is near. 32 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this generation those living at that definite period of time preceding the second coming will not pass away until ¹everything takes place. 33 ^aHeaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

34 “But ^abe on guard, so that your hearts are not weighed down and depressed with the giddiness of debauchery and the nausea of self-indulgence and the worldly worries of life, and then that day when the Messiah returns will not come on you suddenly like a trap; 35 for it will come upon all those who live on the face of all the earth. 36 But ^akeep alert at all times be attentive and ready, praying that you may have the strength and ability to be found worthy and to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to ^bstand in the presence of the Son of Man at His coming.”

37 Now in the daytime Jesus was ^ateaching in the porches and courts of the temple, but ^bat night He would go out and spend the night on ^cthe mount that is called Olivet. 38 And ^aearly in the morning all the people would come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.