²⁶ “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds^(A) with great power and glory. ²⁷ And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.^(B)

Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress

¹⁴ I looked, and there before me was a white cloud,^(A) and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man^[a](B) with a crown^(C) of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ Then another angel came out of the temple^(D) and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle^(E) and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest^(F) of the earth is ripe.” ¹⁶ So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

Believers Who Have Died

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed^(A) about those who sleep in death,^(B) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.^{(C) 14} For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,^(D) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.^{(E) 15} According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,^(F) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.^{(G) 16} For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,^(H) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel^(I) and with the trumpet call of God,^(J) and the dead in Christ will rise first.^{(K) 17} After that, we who are still alive and are left^(L) will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(M) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord^(N) forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another^(O) with these words.