What did Jesus say when asked how we will know when the end is near?

Answer 1

Chapter 13 of Mark's Gospel, which has Jesus prophesy the end of the world and his own return on clouds of glory, during the lifetimes of those then living. The references to the destruction that occurred in the late 60s gives an indication of when this was expected to occur. Jesus told his listeners that they would see the Temple destroyed, and the abomination of desolation, followed by the Son of man coming in clouds of glory, and that this would take place during their own generation. Mark 13:24-26: "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken and then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." He concluded by saying that he would return within the lifetimes of some of his own generation: "Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done."

Mark's Gospel was written approximately 70 CE, when some of those to whom Jesus would have spoken were still alive, but the other three New Testament gospels were written later and even by the 80s, when Matthew's Gospel was written, it was becoming clear that this prophecy would not occur. The author of Matthewchanged the emphasis away from an impending end of the world. While copying as faithfully as possible from Mark, he changed the position of the sentence about "this generation", relative to the destruction of the great buildings, so that it referred to something else altogether. He added, and emphasised, material where Jesus told the disciples that the end is not yet, and (24:36) that no man knows when the end of the world will occur.