What are the signs of the end times Jesus gave in Matthew 24?
In Matthew 24, Jesus lists a series of signs beginning with false christs, wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes, followed by persecution, betrayal, false prophets and a great falling away of love, then the abomination of desolation and great tribulation, and finally cosmic signs in the sun, moon and stars before He appears in glory.
When the disciples asked Jesus for the sign of His coming, He first warned them not to be deceived, for many would come saying, I am Christ, and many would be deceived. He said there would be wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom, with famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. These are called the beginning of sorrows, the early stage of trouble before the end.
Jesus then described a season of intense persecution: believers would be delivered up to affliction and death, hated of all nations for His name's sake. Many would be offended, betray one another and hate one another, many false prophets would rise and deceive many, and because iniquity would abound, the love of many would grow cold. Yet He promised that the one who endures to the end would be saved, and that the gospel of the kingdom would be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations before the end comes.
A further sign was the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel, standing in the holy place, an idol set up in the temple for worship. When that is seen, those in Judea are told to flee to the mountains without delay, for then would come great tribulation, worse than any before or after, so severe that no flesh would be saved unless those days were shortened for the elect's sake. Alongside this, false christs and false prophets would arise showing great signs and wonders, able to deceive even the elect if it were possible.
Immediately after that tribulation, Jesus said the sun would be darkened, the moon would not give her light, the stars would fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens would be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of man would appear in heaven, all the tribes of the earth would mourn, and they would see Him coming in the clouds with power and great glory, His angels gathering His elect from the four winds. Jesus added the parable of the fig tree, that when all these things are seen, His coming is near, even at the door, though the exact day and hour is known to the Father alone.
The scriptures
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. 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. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
From the books
This answer is drawn from these passages in the Mary Banks Faith Library.