The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen ^[a]asleep, lest you sorrow ^(A)as others ^(B)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(C)if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him ^(D)those who ^[b]sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵ For this we say to you ^(E)by the word of the Lord, that ^(F)we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are ^[c]asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(G)the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with ^(H)the trumpet of God. ^(I)And the dead in Christ will rise first. ^17 (J)Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them ^(K)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus ^(L)we shall always be with the Lord. ^18 (M)Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 But concerning ^(A)the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. ² For you yourselves know perfectly that ^(B)the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³ For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then ^(C)sudden destruction comes upon them, ^(D)as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ^4 (E)But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵ You are all ^(F)sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ^6 (G)Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but ^(H)let us watch and be ^[a]sober. ⁷ For ^(I)those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk ^(J)are drunk at night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, ^(K)putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For ^(L)God did not appoint us to wrath, ^(M)but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^10 (N)who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

¹¹ Therefore ^[b]comfort each other and ^[c]edify one another, just as you also are doing.

⁵ which is ^(A)manifest^[a] evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, ^(B)for which you also suffer; ^6 (C)since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with ^[b]tribulation those who trouble you, ⁷ and to give you who are troubled ^(D)rest with us when ^(E)the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, ⁸ in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^9 (F)These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and ^(G)from the glory of His power, ¹⁰ when He comes, in that Day, ^(H)to be ^(I)glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who ^[c]believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

¹¹ Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would ^(J)count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and ^(K)the work of faith with power, ^12 (L)that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Great Apostasy

2 Now, brethren, ^(M)concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ^(N)and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ^2 (O)not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of ^[d]Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come ^(P)unless the falling away comes first, and ^(Q)the man of ^[e]sin is revealed, ^(R)the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and ^(S)exalts himself ^(T)above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits ^[f]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For ^(U)the ^[g]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only ^[h]He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, ^(V)whom the Lord will consume ^(W)with the breath of His mouth and destroy ^(X)with the brightness of His coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is ^(Y)according to the working of Satan, with all power, ^(Z)signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among ^(AA)those who perish, because they did not receive ^(AB)the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And ^(AC)for this reason God will send them strong delusion, ^(AD)that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but ^(AE)had pleasure in unrighteousness.