¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,^(A) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel^(B) and with the trumpet call of God,^(C) and the dead in Christ will rise first.^{(D) 17} After that, we who are still alive and are left^(E) will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(F) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord^(G) forever.

²⁵ See to it that you do not refuse^(A) him who speaks.^(B) If they did not escape when they refused him who warned^(C) them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?^{(D) 26} At that time his voice shook the earth,^(E) but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”^{[a](F) 27} The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken^(G)—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,^(H) let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,^(I)

The Lord Comes and Reigns

14 A day of the Lord^(A) is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions^(B) will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

² I will gather all the nations^(C) to Jerusalem to fight against it;^(D) the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.^(E) Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.^{(F) 3} Then the Lord will go out and fight^(G) against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.^{(H) 4} On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,^(I) east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split^(J) in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. ⁵ You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake^[a](K) in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come,^(L) and all the holy ones with him.^(M)