Matthew 24:26

THE MESSAGE

"So if they say, ‘Run to the country and see him arrive!' or, ‘Quick, get downtown, see him come!' don't give them the time of day. The Arrival of the Son of Man isn't something you go to see. He comes like swift lightning to you! Whenever you see crowds gathering, think of carrion vultures circling, moving in, hovering over a rotting carcass. You can be quite sure that it's not the living Son of Man pulling in those crowds.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So if they tell you, ‘See, he’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; or, ‘See, he’s in the storerooms!’ do not believe it.

King James Version (1611)
Wherefore, if they shall say vnto you, Behold, he is in the desert, goe not foorth: Behold, he is in the secret chambers, beleeue it not.

King James Version
Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

English Standard Version
So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.

New American Standard Bible
"So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out; or, 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them.

New Century Version
"If people tell you, ‘The Christ is in the desert,' don't go there. If they say, ‘The Christ is in the inner room,' don't believe it.

Amplified Bible
"So if they say to you, 'Look! He is in the wilderness,' do not go out there, or, 'Look! He is in the inner rooms [of a house],' do not believe it.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore, if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them.

Berean Standard Bible
So if they tell you, 'There He is in the wilderness,' do not go out; or, 'Here He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.

Contemporary English Version
If you are told that the Messiah is out in the desert, don't go there! And if you are told that he is in some secret place, don't believe it!

Complete Jewish Bible
So if people say to you, ‘Listen! He's out in the desert!' don't go; or, ‘Look! He's hidden away in a secret room!' don't believe it.

Darby Translation
If therefore they say to you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth; behold, [he is] in the inner chambers, do not believe [it].

Easy-to-Read Version
"Someone might tell you, ‘The Messiah is there in the desert!' But don't go into the desert to look for him. Someone else might say, ‘There is the Messiah in that room!' But don't believe it.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Wherefore if they shall say vnto you, Beholde, he is in the desert, goe not forth: Beholde, he is in the secret places, beleeue it not.

George Lamsa Translation
Therefore, if they should say to you, Behold, he is in the desert, do not go out; or, behold, he is in the room, do not believe it.

Good News Translation
"Or, if people should tell you, ‘Look, he is out in the desert!'—don't go there; or if they say, ‘Look, he is hiding here!'—don't believe it.

Lexham English Bible
Therefore if they say to you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it!

Literal Translation
Then if they say to you, Behold, He is in the wilderness; do not go out. Behold, He is in the inner rooms; do not believe.

American Standard Version
If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe it not.

Bible in Basic English
If, then, they say to you, See, he is in the waste land; go not out: See, he is in the inner rooms; put no faith in it.

Hebrew Names Version
If therefore they tell you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness!' don't go out; 'Behold, he is in the inner chambers,' don't believe it.

International Standard Version
So if they say to you, 'Look! He's in the wilderness,' don't go out looking for him.looking for him">[fn] And if they say, 'Look! He's in the storeroom,' don't believe it.

Etheridge Translation
If therefore they shall say to you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: or, Behold, he is in the inner chamber; believe not.

Murdock Translation
If therefore they say to you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not out: or, Behold, he is in a secret chamber; give no credence.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wherfore, yf they say vnto you, beholde, he is in the desert: go not foorth. Beholde, he is in the secrete places: beleue it not.

English Revised Version
If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe it not.

World English Bible
If therefore they tell you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness!' don't go out; 'Behold, he is in the inner chambers,' don't believe it.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Therefore if they say to you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth: Behold he is in the secret chambers, believe it not.

Weymouth's New Testament
If therefore they should say to you, `See, He is in the Desert!' do not go out there: or `See, He is indoors in the room!' do not believe it.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor if thei seie to you, Lo! he is in desert, nyle ye go out; lo! in priuey placis, nyle ye trowe.

Update Bible Version
If therefore they shall say to you, Look, he is in the wilderness; don't go forth: Look, he is in the inner chambers; don't believe [it].

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore, if they shall say to you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not.

New English Translation
So then, if someone says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe him.

New King James Version
"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.

New Living Translation
"So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it!

New Life Bible
If they tell you, ‘See! He is in the desert,' do not go to see. Or if they say, ‘See! He is in the inside room,' do not believe them.

New Revised Standard
So, if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If therefore they should say unto you, Lo! in the desert, he is, Do not go forth; Lo! in the chambers, Do not believe it.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If therefore they shall say to you, Behold he is in the desert: go ye not out. Behold he is in the closets: believe it not.

Revised Standard Version
So, if they say to you, 'Lo, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out; if they say, 'Lo, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Wherfore if they shall saye vnto you: beholde he is in ye desert go not forth: beholde he is in ye secret places beleve not.

Young's Literal Translation
`If therefore they may say to you, Lo, in the wilderness he is, ye may not go forth; lo, in the inner chambers, ye may not believe;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wherfore yf they shal saye vnto you: Beholde, he is in the wildernes, go not ye forth:Beholde, he is in the chamber, beleue it not.

Mace New Testament (1729)
wherefore, if they shall say to you, now he is in the desert, do not stir: or now, he is in the secret chambers, believe them not.

Simplified Cowboy Version
If a city slicker tells you that Jesus is out in the desert, don't believe them. If someone tells you that I am in a hidden place and they know where to find me, don't believe their forked tongue.

Contextual Overview

⁴Jesus said, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, ‘I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming. ⁹"They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name. And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other's throat, everyone hating each other. ¹¹"In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in—nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes. ¹³"Staying with it—that's what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry, and you'll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come. ¹⁵"But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up in the Temple sanctuary. The prophet Daniel described this. If you've read Daniel, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you're living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; if you're working in the yard, don't return to the house to get anything; if you're out in the field, don't go back and get your coat. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Hope and pray this won't happen during the winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹"This is going to be trouble on a scale beyond what the world has ever seen, or will see again. If these days of trouble were left to run their course, nobody would make it. But on account of God's chosen people, the trouble will be cut short. ²³"If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, ‘Here's the Messiah!' or points, ‘There he is!' don't fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. But I've given you fair warning. ²⁶"So if they say, ‘Run to the country and see him arrive!' or, ‘Quick, get downtown, see him come!' don't give them the time of day. The Arrival of the Son of Man isn't something you go to see. He comes like swift lightning to you! Whenever you see crowds gathering, think of carrion vultures circling, moving in, hovering over a rotting carcass. You can be quite sure that it's not the living Son of Man pulling in those crowds. ²⁹ "Following those hard times, Sun will fade out, moon cloud over, Stars fall out of the sky, cosmic powers tremble. ³⁰"Then, the Arrival of the Son of Man! It will fill the skies—no one will miss it. Unready people all over the world, outsiders to the splendor and power, will raise a huge lament as they watch the Son of Man blazing out of heaven. At that same moment, he'll dispatch his angels with a trumpet-blast summons, pulling in God's chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Wherefore: Our Lord not only foretells the appearance of these impostors, but also the manner and circumstance of their conduct. Accordingly, Josephus says that many impostors persuaded the people to follow them to the desert, promising them signs and wonders done by the providence of God. - See also Acts 21:38. One persuaded the people to go up into the temple, which being set on fire by the Romans, 6,000 perished in the flames.

he is in the desert: Matthew 3:1, Isaiah 40:3, Luke 3:2, Luke 3:3, Acts 21:38

Reciprocal: John 18:20 - and in Acts 5:36 - obeyed 2 Peter 3:14 - in peace

Cross-References

Genesis 24:52
When Abraham's servant heard their decision, he bowed in worship before God . Then he brought out gifts of silver and gold and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and mother. He and his men had supper and spent the night. But first thing in the morning they were up. He said, "Send me back to my master."

Exodus 34:8
At once, Moses fell to the ground and worshiped, saying, "Please, O Master, if you see anything good in me, please Master, travel with us, hard-headed as these people are. Forgive our iniquity and sin. Own us, possess us."

1 Chronicles 29:20
David then addressed the congregation: "Bless God , your God!" And they did it, blessed God , the God of their ancestors, and worshiped reverently in the presence of God and the king.

2 Chronicles 20:18
Then Jehoshaphat knelt down, bowing with his face to the ground. All Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping God . The Levites (both Kohathites and Korahites) stood to their feet to praise God , the God of Israel; they praised at the top of their lungs!

Psalms 22:29
All the power-mongers are before him —worshiping! All the poor and powerless, too —worshiping! Along with those who never got it together —worshiping!

Psalms 72:9
Foes will fall on their knees before God, his enemies lick the dust. Kings remote and legendary will pay homage, kings rich and resplendent will turn over their wealth. All kings will fall down and worship, and godless nations sign up to serve him, Because he rescues the poor at the first sign of need, the destitute who have run out of luck. He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out, he restores the wretched of the earth. He frees them from tyranny and torture— when they bleed, he bleeds; when they die, he dies.

Psalms 95:6
So come, let us worship: bow before him, on your knees before God , who made us! Oh yes, he's our God, and we're the people he pastures, the flock he feeds. Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks: "Don't turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising, As on the day of the Wilderness Test, when your ancestors turned and put me to the test. For forty years they watched me at work among them, as over and over they tried my patience. And I was provoked—oh, was I provoked! ‘Can't they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?' Exasperated, I exploded, ‘They'll never get where they're headed, never be able to sit down and rest.'"

Micah 6:6
How can I stand up before God and show proper respect to the high God? Should I bring an armload of offerings topped off with yearling calves? Would God be impressed with thousands of rams, with buckets and barrels of olive oil? Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child, my precious baby, to cancel my sin?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore if they shall say unto you,.... Any of the false prophets, or the deluded followers of false Christs:

behold, he is in the desert, go not forth: that is, should they affirm, that the Messiah is in such a wilderness, in the wilderness of Judea, or in any other desert place, do not go out of the places where you are to see, or hear, and know the truth of things; lest you should, in any respect, be stumbled, ensnared, and brought into danger. It was usual for these impostors to lead their followers into deserts, pretending to work wonders in such solitary places: so, during the siege, Simon, the son of Giora, collected together many thousands in the mountainous and desert parts of Judea t; and the above mentioned Jonathan, after the destruction of the city, led great multitudes into the desert:

behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not; or should others say behold, or for certain, the Messiah is in some one of the secret and fortified places of the temple; where, during some time of the siege, were John and Eleazar, the heads of the zealots u; do not believe them. Some reference may be had to the chamber of secrets, which was in the temple w;

"for in the sanctuary there were two chambers; one was called לשכת חשאים, "the chamber of secrets", and the other the chamber of vessels.''

Or else some respect may be had to the notions of the Jews, concerning the Messiah, which they imbibed about these times, and ever since retained, that he was born the day Jerusalem was destroyed, but is hid, for their sins, in some secret place, and will in time be revealed x. Some say, that he is hid in the sea; others, in the walks of the garden of Eden; and others, that he sits among the lepers at the gates of Rome y. The Syriac version here reads in the singular number, "in the bedchamber"; in some private apartment, where he remains till a proper time of showing himself offers, for fear of the Romans: but these are all idle notions, and none of them to be believed. The true Messiah is come, and has showed himself to Israel; and even the giving out these things discovers a consciousness, and a conviction that the Messiah is come.

t Joseph de Bello. Jud. l. 5. c. 7. u Ib. c. 6. l. 4. w Misn. Shekalim, c. 5. sect. 6. x Aben Ezra in Cant. vii. 5. Targum in Mic. iv. 8. y Vid. Buxtorf. Synag. Jud. c. 50.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Behold, he is in the desert - The Jews had formed the expectation that the Messiah would appear suddenly from some unexpected quarter; hence, many would be looking to desert places, expecting that he would come from them. Accordingly, most of the impostors and pretended prophets led their people into the deserts.

Go not forth - Do not follow them; they will only deceive you.

In secret chambers - Concealed in some house, or some retired part of the city. Many would, doubtless, pretend that the Messiah was concealed there, and, either for the purpose of encouraging or deceiving the people, would pretend that they had discovered him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 24:26. If they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert — Is it not worthy of remark that our Lord not only foretold the appearance of these impostors, but also the manner and circumstances of their conduct? Some he mentions as appearing in the desert. Josephus says, ANT. b. xx. c. 7, and WAR, book ii. c. 13: That many impostors and cheats persuaded the people to follow them to the desert, promising to show them signs and wonders done by the providence of God, is well attested. An Egyptian false prophet, mentioned by Josephus, ANT. b. xx. c. 7, and in the Acts, Acts 21:38, led out into the DESERT four thousand men, who were murderers, but these were all taken or destroyed by Felix. Another promised salvation to the people, if they would follow him to the DESERT, and he was destroyed by Festus, ANT. b. xx. c. 7. Also, one Jonathan, a weaver, persuaded a number to follow him to the DESERT, but he was taken and burnt alive by Vespasian. See WAR, b. vii. c. 11.

As some conducted their deluded followers to the DESERT, so did others to the secret chambers. Josephus mentions a false prophet, WAR, b. vi. c. 5, who declared to the people in the city, that God commanded them to go up into the temple, and there they should receive the signs of deliverance. A multitude of men, women, and children, went up accordingly; but, instead of deliverance, the place was set on fire by the Romans, and 6,000 perished miserably in the flames, or in attempting to escape them.