What are the signs of the end times?

Jesus gave the most comprehensive answer to this question in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 — often called the Olivet Discourse because He delivered it from the Mount of Olives. His disciples asked two questions: when will the temple be destroyed, and what will be the sign of His coming and the end of the age? Understanding which parts of His answer address which question is essential to reading the passage correctly.

Jesus listed several signs: false Christs and false prophets, wars and rumours of wars, famines, earthquakes, persecution of believers, and the gospel being proclaimed to all nations. He was explicit that these things are "the beginning of birth pains" — not the end itself. They describe the entire period between His first and second coming, not a specific final generation.

The most significant sign Jesus pointed to was "the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel" standing in the holy place (Matthew 24:15). This was partially fulfilled in AD 70 when Roman armies under Titus surrounded Jerusalem and destroyed the temple — an event Jesus explicitly warned about in Luke 21:20-

1. Many scholars believe this was the primary referent of the Olivet Discourse.

Whether there is also a future ultimate fulfilment of these signs is where evangelical scholars divide. Preterists believe most of Matthew 24 was fulfilled in AD

1. Futurists believe a final great tribulation is still coming. Both positions are held by serious Bible-believing scholars.

What is not debated: the return of Christ is certain, it will be unmistakable, and no one knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36). Jesus' practical application of all this prophecy was not a call to calculate timelines — it was a call to watchfulness and readiness: "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matthew 24:44). That is the takeaway He wanted.