The Coming of the Lord

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, ^(A)that you may not grieve as others do ^(B)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(C)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^(D)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(E)by a word from the Lord,^[a] that ^(F)we who are alive, who are left until ^(G)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(H)the Lord himself will descend ^(I)from heaven ^(J)with a cry of command, with the voice of ^(K)an archangel, and ^(L)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^(M)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^(N)caught up together with them ^(O)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^(P)we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

¹⁹ And ^(A)alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be ^(B)great tribulation, ^(C)such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. ²² And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for ^(D)the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. ^23 (E)Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For ^(F)false christs and ^(G)false prophets will arise and ^(H)perform great signs and wonders, ^(I)so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, ^(J)I have told you beforehand. ²⁶ So, if they say to you, ‘Look, ^(K)he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ^27 (L)For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be ^(M)the coming of the Son of Man. ^28 (N)Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁹ “Immediately after ^(O)the tribulation of those days ^(P)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and ^(Q)the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ Then ^(R)will appear in heaven ^(S)the sign of the Son of Man, and then ^(T)all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and ^(U)they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven ^(V)with power and great glory. ³¹ And ^(W)he will send out his angels with a loud ^(X)trumpet call, and they will ^(Y)gather ^(Z)his elect from ^(AA)the four winds, ^(AB)from one end of heaven to the other.

The Rider on a White Horse

¹¹ Then I saw ^(A)heaven opened, and behold, ^(B)a white horse! The one sitting on it is called ^(C)Faithful and True, and ^(D)in righteousness he judges and makes war. ^12 (E)His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are ^(F)many diadems, and he has ^(G)a name written that no one knows but himself. ¹³ He is clothed in ^(H)a robe dipped in^[a] blood, and the name by which he is called is ^(I)The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies of heaven, ^(J)arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, ^(K)were following him on white horses. ^15 (L)From his mouth comes a sharp sword ^(M)with which to strike down the nations, and ^(N)he will rule^[b] them with a rod of iron. ^(O)He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh ^(P)he has a name written, ^(Q)King of kings and Lord of lords.

²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Surely ^(A)I am coming soon.” Amen. ^(B)Come, Lord Jesus!

¹¹ Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, ^(A)what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,