“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ don’t believe it.
- KJV And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:
- BSB At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.
- NASB And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Look, there He is’; do not believe it;
- NLT “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
If anyone claims the Christ is here or there, do not believe it. Jesus guards his people against false reports of his coming.
Overview
In times of crisis, deceivers exploit fear with sensational claims about the Messiah's whereabouts. Jesus warns that his true return will not be a localized rumor to be chased after, but an unmistakable, public, glorious event. Believers are to test every claim against his word and refuse to be drawn away by counterfeit messiahs.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Matt 24:23–25“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it.
- Luke 21:8He said, “Watch out that you don’t get led astray, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ Therefore don’t follow them.
- Matt 24:5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray.
- Deut 13:1–3If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
- Luke 17:23–24They will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away, nor follow after them,
- John 5:43I have come in my Father’s name, and you don’t receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 13:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.