The Lord Comforts Zion^(A)

Called to Blessing

⁸ Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be ^[a]courteous; ^9 (A)not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary ^(B)blessing, knowing that you were called to this, ^(C)that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For

Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King

⁸ Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans ^(A)came forward and accused the Jews. ⁹ They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ^(B)“O king, live forever! ¹⁰ You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; ¹¹ and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ^12 (C)There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have ^(D)not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”

¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar, in ^(E)rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. ¹⁴ Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? ¹⁵ Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, ^(F)good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ^(G)And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, ^(H)we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our ^(I)God whom we serve is able to ^(J)deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we ^(K)worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Saved in Fiery Trial

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. ²⁰ And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ²¹ Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. ²² Therefore, because the king’s command was ^[a]urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. ²³ And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his ^[b]counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”

They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”

²⁵ “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, ^(L)walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like ^(M)the^[c] Son of God.”

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the ^[d]mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the ^(N)Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. ²⁷ And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men ^(O)on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His ^(P)Angel^[e] and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! ^29 (Q)Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the ^(R)God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be ^(S)cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; ^(T)because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”

³⁰ Then the king ^[f]promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

The Gentiles Bless Zion

The Good News of Salvation

⁵ And Jesus, answering them, began to say: ^(A)“Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁶ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. ⁷ But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise against nation, and ^(B)kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines ^[a]and troubles. ^(C)These are the beginnings of ^[b]sorrows.

⁹ “But ^(D)watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will ^[c]be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. ¹⁰ And ^(E)the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. ^11 (F)But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, ^[d]or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, ^(G)but the Holy Spirit. ¹² Now ^(H)brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ^13 (I)And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But ^(J)he who ^[e]endures to the end shall be saved.

The Great Tribulation^(K)

^14 (L)“So when you see the ^(M)‘abomination of desolation,’ ^[f]spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then ^(N)let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. ¹⁶ And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. ^17 (O)But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! ¹⁸ And pray that your flight may not be in winter. ^19 (P)For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. ²⁰ And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

^21 (Q)“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. ²² For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and ^(R)wonders to deceive, if possible, even the ^[g]elect. ²³ But ^(S)take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man^(T)

^24 (U)“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; ²⁵ the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be ^(V)shaken. ^26 (W)Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And then He will send His angels, and gather together His ^[h]elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

The Parable of the Fig Tree^(X)

^28 (Y)“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So you also, when you see these things happening, know that ^[i]it is near—at the doors! ³⁰ Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but ^(Z)My words will by no means pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour^(AA)

³² “But of that day and hour ^(AB)no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the ^(AC)Father. ^33 (AD)Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. ^34 (AE)It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave ^(AF)authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. ^35 (AG)Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— ³⁶ lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. ³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”