Leviticus 1; Leviticus 2; Leviticus 3; Matthew 24:1-28

Leviticus 1

1 The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said,

2 "Tell the Israelites: If any of you bring a sacrifice to the LORD, you must offer an animal from your cattle, sheep, or goats.

3 "If you bring a burnt offering from your cattle, you must offer a male that has no defects. Offer it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that the LORD will accept you.

4 Place your hand on the animal's head. The burnt offering will be accepted to make peace with the LORD.

5 Then slaughter the bull in the LORD's presence. Aaron's sons, the priests, will offer the blood. They will throw it against all sides of the altar that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

6 Skin the burnt offering, and cut it into pieces.

7 Then the sons of the priest Aaron will start a fire on the altar and lay the wood on the fire.

8 Aaron's sons, the priests, will also lay the pieces, the head, and the fat on top of the wood burning on the altar.

9 Wash the internal organs and legs. Then the priest will burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD.

10 "If your offering is a sheep or goat, you must bring a male that has no defects.

11 Slaughter it in the LORD's presence on the north side of the altar. Aaron's sons, the priests, will throw the blood against the altar on all sides.

12 Then cut it into pieces. The priest will lay the head and the fat on the wood burning on the altar.

13 Wash the internal organs and legs. Then the priest will burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD.

14 "If your offering to the LORD is a bird, you must sacrifice a mourning dove or pigeon.

15 The priest must bring it to the altar. He will break its neck and burn the bird on the altar. First, he will drain the blood against the side of the altar.

16 Remove the gizzard with its filth and throw it on the east side of the altar on the place for the ashes.

17 Then pull on the bird's wings to tear the bird open, but don't pull the wings off. Then the priest will lay the bird on the wood burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD."

Leviticus 2

1 [The LORD continued,] "Now, if any of you bring a grain offering to the LORD, your offering must be flour. Pour olive oil on it, and put incense on it.

2 Then bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests. Take from this a handful of flour with olive oil, and all the incense. The priest will burn it on the altar as a reminder. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD.

3 The rest of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and his sons. It is very holy, set apart from the LORD's offering by fire.

4 "If you bring a grain offering which has been baked in an oven, it must be rings of unleavened bread made of flour mixed with olive oil or wafers of unleavened bread brushed with olive oil.

5 If your grain offering is prepared in a frying pan, it, too, will be unleavened bread made of flour mixed with olive oil.

6 Break it into pieces and pour olive oil over it. It is a grain offering.

7 If your grain offering is prepared in a skillet, it will be made of flour with olive oil.

8 "Bring the LORD the grain offering prepared in any of these ways. Offer it to the priest who will bring it to the altar.

9 The priest will remove part of the grain offering and burn it as a reminder on the altar. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD.

10 The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons. It is very holy, set apart from the LORD's offering by fire.

11 "Every grain offering that you bring to the LORD must be prepared without yeast. Never burn yeast or honey as an offering to the LORD.

12 You may bring them to the LORD as offerings of your first products. But they must never be placed on the altar to make a soothing aroma.

13 Also put salt on each of your grain offerings. The salt of God's promise must never be left out of your grain offerings. Put salt on all your offerings.

14 "If you bring a grain offering to the LORD from the first grain you harvest, roast the cracked grain over fire.

15 Put olive oil on it, and place incense on it. It is a grain offering.

16 The priest will burn the flour, olive oil, and all the incense as a reminder. It is an offering by fire to the LORD."

Leviticus 3

1 [The LORD continued,] "If your sacrifice is a fellowship offering of cattle in the LORD's presence, it must be a male or female animal that has no defects.

2 Place your hand on the animal's head. Then slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons, the priests, will throw the blood against the altar on all sides.

3 From your offering remove the fat that covers the internal organs

4 and the two kidneys with the fat on them and offer them by fire to the LORD. Also cut off the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys.

5 Then Aaron's sons will lay them on top of the burnt offering on the burning wood. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD.

6 "If your sacrifice is a fellowship offering of sheep to the LORD, you must bring a male or female animal that has no defects.

7 If your offering is a lamb, you must bring it to the LORD.

8 Place your hand on the animal's head. Slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons will throw the blood against the altar on all sides.

9 Then take the fat from the fellowship offering and offer it by fire to the LORD. Remove all the fat from the tail and the fat that covers the internal organs.

10 Also remove the two kidneys with the fat on them along with the lobe of the liver.

11 Then the priest will burn the fellowship offering on the altar. It is food, an offering by fire to the LORD.

12 "If your offering is a goat, you must bring it to the LORD.

13 Place your hand on its head. Slaughter it in front of the tent of meeting. Then Aaron's sons will throw the blood against the altar on all sides.

14 Then bring the fat that covers the internal organs

15 and the two kidneys with the fat on them as an offering by fire to the LORD. Also remove the lobe of the liver along with the kidneys.

16 Then the priest will burn them on the altar. It is food, an offering by fire to the LORD. It is a soothing aroma. All the fat belongs to the LORD.

17 This is a permanent law for generations to come wherever you live: Never eat any fat or blood."

Matthew 24:1-28

1 As Jesus left the temple courtyard and was walking away, his disciples came to him. They proudly pointed out to him the temple buildings.

2 Jesus said to them, "You see all these buildings, don't you? I can guarantee this truth: Not one of these stones will be left on top of another. Each one will be torn down."

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign that you are coming again, and when will the world come to an end?"

4 Jesus answered them, "Be careful not to let anyone deceive you.

5 Many will come using my name. They will say, 'I am the Messiah,' and they will deceive many people.

6 "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don't be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don't mean that the end has come.

7 Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8 All of these are only the beginning pains [of the end].

9 "Then they will hand you over to those who will torture and kill you. All nations will hate you because you are committed to me.

10 Then many will lose faith. They will betray and hate each other.

11 Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

12 And because there will be more and more lawlessness, most people's love will grow cold.

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

14 "This Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come.

15 "The prophet Daniel said that the disgusting thing that will cause destruction will stand in the holy place. When you see this (let the reader take note),

16 those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains.

17 Those who are on the roof should not come down to get anything out of their houses.

18 Those who are in the field should not turn back to get their coats.

19 "How horrible it will be for the women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days.

20 Pray that it will not be winter or a day of worship when you flee.

21 There will be a lot of misery at that time, a kind of misery that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and will certainly never happen again.

22 If God does not reduce the number of those days, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.

23 "At that time don't believe anyone who tells you, 'Here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!'

24 False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will work spectacular, miraculous signs and do wonderful things to deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen.

25 Listen! I've told you this before it happens.

26 So if someone tells you, 'He's in the desert!' don't go out [looking for him]. And don't believe anyone who says, 'He's in a secret place!'

27 The Son of Man will come again just as lightning flashes from east to west.

28 Vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body.