Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. Turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And wait for God's Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
For you know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. Ye do shew the Lord's death till He come. The day of Christ is at hand. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither.
Love His appearing. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. The Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in His times He shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. And now, little children, abide in Christ; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as Jesus is pure.
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. Grace be unto you, and peace, from Jesus which is, and which was, and which is to come. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Jesus said, "I will come again."
