²⁷ For as lightning^(A) that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming^(B) of the Son of Man.^{(C) 28} Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.^(D)

²⁹ “Immediately after the distress of those days

³⁰ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth^[b] will mourn^(F) when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven,^(G) with power and great glory.^{[c] 31} And he will send his angels^(H) with a loud trumpet call,^(I) and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

³² “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ³³ Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it^[d] is near, right at the door.^{(J) 34} Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.^{(K) 35} Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.^(L)

The Day and Hour Unknown^(M)(N)

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^[e] but only the Father.^{(O) 37} As it was in the days of Noah,^(P) so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,^(Q) up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.^{(R) 40} Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.^{(S) 41} Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.^(T)

⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.^(U)

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes^(A) in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.^{(B) 32} All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate^(C) the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.^{(D) 33} He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom^(E) prepared for you since the creation of the world.^{(F) 35} For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,^{(G) 36} I needed clothes and you clothed me,^(H) I was sick and you looked after me,^(I) I was in prison and you came to visit me.’^(J)

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’^(K)

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,^(L) you who are cursed, into the eternal fire^(M) prepared for the devil and his angels.^{(N) 42} For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’^(O)

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.^(P)”^(Q)

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled.^(A) You believe^(B) in God^[a];^(C) believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there^(D) to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back^(E) and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.^(F)

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up^(A) before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white^(B) stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,”^(C) they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back^(D) in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge^(A) the world with justice^(B) by the man he has appointed.^(C) He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”^(D)

¹⁶ This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets^(A) through Jesus Christ,^(B) as my gospel^(C) declares.

¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us^(A) for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

²⁰ But our citizenship^(A) is in heaven.^(B) And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,^{(C) 21} who, by the power^(D) that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies^(E) so that they will be like his glorious body.^(F)

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.