Painting by Greg Olsen
Painting by Greg Olsen

A  Harmonized
Version   of  
the   OLIVET 
DISCOURSE


A Linear Harmony of the Olivet Discourse framed on Matthew 24:1-14 conjoined with parallel passages from Mark 13:1-37 and Luke 21:5-38 in NKJV with some KJV restatements, clarifications, or corrections of the NKJV where noted.


- by Gavin Finley MD

Modified from
'A KJV Harmony of the Olivet Discourse'
- by William S. Hall Jr.


Matt 24

1. Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to Him to show him the buildings of the temple. And some spoke of the temple and how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts.

One of his disciples said unto him,
"Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"

2. And Jesus answered and said to him,

"Do you see these great buildings? Assuredly I say to you, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

3. Now as He sat on the mount of Olives opposite the temple, the disciples Peter, James, John and Andrew came to him and they asked him privately saying, "Teacher, Tell us, when will these things be? What will be the sign when these things are about to take place and be fulfilled And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?"

4. And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no one deceives you.

5. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ', 'I am He', and 'the time has drawn near', and will deceive many. Therefore do not go after them.

6. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars and commotions do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately. Then said he to them,

7. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences and troubles.

8. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

9. And there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, watch out for yourselves, for they will lay their hands on you, and persecute you. They will deliver you up to tribulation, and they will kill you. They will deliver you up to the councils, and into prisons, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.

You will be brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony to them, (or against them. - KJV).

But when they arrest you, and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak, and what you will answer. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Therefore, settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer. For I will give you the words and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to contradict or resist.

10. And then many will be offended. They will betray one another and hate one another. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. Brother will betray brother to death; and a father his child; and children will rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all nations for my names sake. But not a hair of your head will be lost.
By your patience possess your souls.

11. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

12. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

13. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

14. And this gospel of the kingdom must first be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations;
and then the end will come.

24:15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation', spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
standing in the holy place where it ought not" (let the reader understand),
"and when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.

24:16 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.

24:17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.

24:18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes ` for these are the days of vengeance, that all things that are written may be fulfilled.

24:19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.
And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive of all nations.
And Jerusalem shall be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

24:20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

24:21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

24:22 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved;
but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

24:23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!'
or 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.

24:24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive,
({or} seduce, if it were possible, even the very elect. - KJV)

24:25 But take heed; See, I have told you all things beforehand.

24:26 Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.

24:27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

24:28 For wherever the carcass, (dead body) is, there the eagles, (vultures), will be gathered together.

24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

24:30 Then THE SIGN of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,
and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn,
and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

24:31 And He will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

24:32 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:
When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

24:33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near--at the doors!

24:34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

24:38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

24:39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

24:40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.

24:41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

24:42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

24:43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

24:44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

24:45 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?

24:46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

24:47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

24:48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,'

24:49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,

24:50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,

24:51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.