²⁵ For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be ^(A)wise in your own ^[a]opinion, that ^(B)blindness in part has happened to Israel ^(C)until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And so all Israel will be ^[b]saved, as it is written:

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 ^(A)the ^[a]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only ^[b]He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, ^(B)whom the Lord will consume ^(C)with the breath of His mouth and destroy ^(D)with the brightness of His coming.

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.