Book of Common Prayer

Final judgment

⁷ When the thousand years are complete, the satan will be released from his prison. ⁸ Out he will come to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog. He will summon them for battle, a throng like the sand of the sea in number. ⁹ They came up over the full width of the earth, and closed in on the place where God’s holy people are encamped, and the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and burnt them up. ¹⁰ And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the monster and the false prophet had already been thrown. They will be tortured day and night forever and ever.

¹¹ Then I saw a large white throne, and the one who was sitting on it. Earth and heaven fled away from his presence, and there was no room left for them. ¹² Then I saw the dead, great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged on the basis of what was written in the books, in accordance with what they had done. ¹³ The sea gave back the dead that were in it; Death and Hades gave back the dead that were in them; and each was judged in accordance with what they had done. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, they were thrown into the lake of fire.

The transfiguration

17 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and James’s brother John, and led them off up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transformed in front of them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. ³ Then, astonishingly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them. They were talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter just had to say something. “Master,” he said to Jesus, “it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters here—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah!”

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Then there came a voice out of the cloud. “This is my dear son,” said the voice, “and I’m delighted with him. Pay attention to him.”

⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were scared out of their wits. ⁷ Jesus came up and touched them.

“Get up,” he said, “and don’t be afraid.”

⁸ When they raised their eyes, they saw nobody except Jesus, all by himself.

The question about Elijah

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them strict instructions. “Don’t tell anyone about the vision,” he said, “until the son of man has been raised from the dead.”

¹⁰ “So why,” asked the disciples, “do the scribes say that ‘Elijah must come first’?”

¹¹ “Elijah does indeed come,” replied Jesus, “and ‘he will restore everything.’ ¹² But let me tell you this: Elijah has already come, and they didn’t recognize him! They did to him whatever they wanted. That’s how the son of man, too, will suffer at their hands.”

¹³ Then the disciples realized that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.