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.

³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come ^(A)in the last days with scoffing, ^(B)following their own sinful desires. ^4 (C)They will say, “Where is the promise of ^(D)his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” ⁵ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth ^(E)was formed out of water and through water ^(F)by the word of God, ⁶ and that by means of these the world that then existed ^(G)was deluged with water and ^(H)perished. ⁷ But by the same word ^(I)the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and ^(J)destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and ^(K)a thousand years as one day. ^9 (L)The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise ^(M)as some count slowness, but ^(N)is patient toward you,^{[a] (O)}not wishing that any should perish, but ^(P)that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰ But ^(Q)the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then ^(R)the heavens will pass away with a roar, and ^(S)the heavenly bodies^[b] will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.^[c]

¹¹ Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, ^(T)what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ^12 (U)waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and ^(V)the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³ But according to his promise we are waiting for ^(W)new heavens and a new earth ^(X)in which righteousness dwells.

Judgment Before the Great White Throne

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence ^(A)earth and sky fled away, and ^(B)no place was found for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and ^(C)books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is ^(D)the book of life. And ^(E)the dead were judged by what was written in the books, ^(F)according to what they had done. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, ^(G)Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, ^(H)according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then ^(I)Death and Hades ^(J)were thrown into the lake of fire. This is ^(K)the second death, the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, ^(L)he was thrown into the lake of fire.