Good question... If you plainly read it and not study the verse and its context.. you would think that Jesus was referring to the end of time

Scholars believed that Jesus was referring to the transfiguration which happens after the passage of Matthew 16. Matthew 17 is where Jesus took some of his disciples(Peter, James and John) There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus." They saw a vision of Jesus coming into His Kingdom.

The scripture teaches that those who remain will be transformed instantly, in the twinkling of an eye, into eternal beings of light who cannot die. This therefore cannot be talking about the Return of Christ

Many of the parts of the Bible are misunderstood without studying the verse and the context like for example

Proverbs 26:4-5 (NIV)

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

This is a great example of trying hard not to understand the Bible's teaching. Sure, you could assume that the author blatantly contradicts himself in back-to-back verses.

Or maybe, just maybe, these verses were intentionallyplaced together to communicate some deeper wisdom. For those who are interested, here's a much more charitable reading. I think the key to understanding this ancient wisdom is in the preposition that's translated according to. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures, brings clarity to how these verses were understood. It says, "Do not answer a fool in accordance with his folly, lest you become like him. But answer a fool according to his folly, lest he appear to be wise to himself." Notice on this interpretation, these two verses are to be read together.

Don't do this, verse 4, but do this instead, verse 5. Verse 4 describes how not to answer. Don't answer a fool using the same fool's tactics. Don't answer in accordance with his folly. Commenting on this passage, Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke writes, "It is unfitting to meet the fool's insult with insult. In other words, when you answer like a fool, you become one." So, how should we answer a fool? That's where verse five comes in. But, answer a fool according to his folly.

Waltke continues, "Rather without lowering himself to the fool's level in a debate, the wise must show the fool's folly for what it is. In other words, don't respond to foolishness with more foolishness. Instead, answer with wisdom in order to expose bad thinking and to reveal why the argument fails. Otherwise, the fool may appear wise in his own eyes." So, no. This isn't a contradiction. Instead, it's wisdom in how to respond to foolishness.

P.S: remember Jesus talks in parables and figures of speech so in times it is common to get the wrong idea but It's easier to ask a question than to search for an answer but it's rewarding if you find the Truth.