The below tabulation is the sequence events of harmonized from all 3 synoptic gospels for the destruction of 70 AD and Christ’s second coming. The interesting part in the table is the mix of those events and out-of-sync sequence events.
Luke deals with the Coming of Christ (chapter 17:20-37) and the destruction of Jerusalem (chapter 21:5-36) separately. He also deals with the parable associated with His coming separately (Luke 12:42-48). Matthew and Mark, however, mixes the two distinct account as one single account as we can read in Matthew chapter 24 and Mark chapter 13. Here is the problem. If we attribute prophetic events of the destruction of Jerusalem to Christ’s second coming, it may never happen and we will be waiting for it in vain. Hence, we must fix the jigsaw puzzle to first identify the prophetic events correctly and this harmonizing is the first step in achieving the goal.
The following sections must be fixed as they are out of sync and mixed with other prophetic details.
- Gospel to all nations
- Sign of Christ’s second coming
Gospel Harmony
| Gospel of Matthew | Gospel of Mark | Gospel of Luke |
| Question | ||
| Matt 24:1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. | Mark 13:1 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings [are here!]” | Luke 21:5 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, |
| Matt 24:2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not [one] stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” | Mark 13:2 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not [one] stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” | Luke 21:6 “These things which you see–the days will come in which not [one] stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.” |
| Matt 24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what [will be] the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” | Mark 13:3-4 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, Tell us, when will these things be? And what [will be] the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” | Luke 21:7 So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign [will there be] when these things are about to take place?” |
| Deception | ||
| Matt 24:4-5 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. | Mark 13:5-6 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am [He,]’ and will deceive many. | Luke 21:8 And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am [He,]’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them. |
| Wars, Famines, Pestilences, Earthquakes | ||
| Matt 24:6-8 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these [are] the beginning of sorrows. | Mark 13:7-8 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for [such things] must happen, but the end [is] not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These [are] the beginnings of sorrows. | Luke 21:9-11 But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end [will not come] immediately. Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. |
| Tribulation | ||
| Matt 24:9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. | Mark 13:9 “But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. | Luke 21:12-13 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute [you,] delivering [you] up to the synagogues and prisons. 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. |
| Gospel to all nations | ||
| Matt 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. | Mark 13:10 “And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. | |
| God will give a mouth and wisdom | ||
| Mark 13:11 “But when they arrest [you] and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. | Luke 21:14-15 “Therefore settle [it] in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. | |
| Betrayal | ||
| Matt 24:10-13 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. | Mark 13:12-13 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father [his] child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. | Luke 21:16-19 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put [some] of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls. |
| Destruction of Jerusalem | ||
| Matt 24:15-16 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. | Mark 13:14 “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. | Luke 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. |
| Matt 24:17-18 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. | Mark 13:15-16 Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. | Luke 21:21 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. |
| Luke 21:22 “For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. | ||
| Matt 24:19 “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! | Mark 13:17 “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! | Luke 21:23 “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. |
| Matt 24:20 “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. | Mark 13:18 “And pray that your flight may not be in winter. | |
| Matt 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. | Mark 13:19 “For [in] those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. | |
| Matt 24:22 “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. | Mark 13:20 “And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. | |
| Matt 24:23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here [is] the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe [it.] | Mark 13:21 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here [is] the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, [He is] there!’ do not believe it. | |
| Matt 24:24 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. | Mark 13:22 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. | |
| Matt 24:25 “See, I have told you beforehand. | Mark 13:23 “But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand. | |
| Matt 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.] | ||
| Luke 21:24 “And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. | ||
| Signs in Heaven | ||
| Matt 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. | Mark 13:24-25 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. | Luke 21:25-26 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. |
| Matt 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. | Mark 13:26 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. | Luke 21:27 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. |
| Matt 24:31 “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. | Mark 13:27 “And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven. | Luke 21:28 “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” |
| Parable of the fig tree | ||
| Matt 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. | Mark 13:28 “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. | Luke 21:29-30 Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. |
| Matt 24:33 “So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near–at the doors! | Mark 13:29 “So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near–at the doors! | Luke 21:31 “So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. |
| Matt 24:34 “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. | Mark 13:30 “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. | Luke 21:32 “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. |
| Matt 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. | Mark 13:31 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. | Luke 21:33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. |
| Matt 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. | Mark 13:32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. | |
| Sign of Christ’s second coming | ||
| Luke 17:20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; | ||
| Luke 17:21 “nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” | ||
| Luke 17:22 Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see [it.] | ||
| Luke 17:23 “And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after [them] or follow [them.] | ||
| Matt 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. | Luke 17:24 “For as the lightning that flashes out of one [part] under heaven shines to the other [part] under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. | |
| Luke 17:25 “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. | ||
| Matt 24:37 “But as the days of Noah [were,] so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. | Luke 17:26 “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: | |
| Matt 24:38-39 “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, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. | Luke 17:27 “They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. | |
| Luke 17:28 “Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; | ||
| Luke 17:29 “but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed [them] all. | ||
| Luke 17:30 “Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. | ||
| Luke 17:31 “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods [are] in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. | ||
| Luke 17:32 “Remember Lot’s wife. | ||
| Luke 17:33 “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. | ||
| Luke 17:34 “I tell you, in that night there will be two [men] in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. | ||
| Matt 24:41 “Two [women will be] grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. | Luke 17:35 “Two [women] will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. | |
| Matt 24:40 “Then two [men] will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. | Luke 17:36 “Two [men] will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” | |
| Matt 24:28 “For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. | Luke 17:37 And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” | |
| Summary | ||
| Matt 24:42-44 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 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. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. | Mark 13:33-37 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. [It is] like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming–in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning– lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch! | Luke 21:34-36 “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. |
| Parable of the faithful and evil servant | ||
| Matt 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? | Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom [his] master will make ruler over his household, to give [them their] portion of food in due season? | |
| Matt 24:46 “Blessed [is] that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. | Luke 12:43 “Blessed [is] that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. | |
| Matt 24:47 “Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. | Luke 12:44 “Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. | |
| Matt 24:48-49 “But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat [his] fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, | Luke 12:45 “But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, | |
| Matt 24:50-51 “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, and will cut him in two and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. | Luke 12:46-48 “the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for [him,] and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint [him] his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare [himself] or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes.] But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. |
Excellent. Thank you for this post. Putting Jesus’ return before all of the things that He mentioned makes Him out to be a liar. I’ll take His words at face value and believe that He’s coming back after the believer’s tribulation and right before He pours out His wrath on unbelievers. Thanks again!