使徒行傳史詩 第 151 章

MATTHEW XXIV, 3-31; MARK XIII, 3-27; LUKE XXI, 7-28. And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, the disciples came to him privately and asked him, saying: 'Teacher, tell us when these things shall be? And what shall be the sign of your coming, when all these things shall begin to be accomplished?' And he said to his disciples: 'Days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you shall not see it. See that no one deceive you. For many will come in my name, saying: I am the Christ; and they will deceive many. When you hear of battles and rumors of wars and seditions, do not be terrified; for these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;'

'and there shall be pestilences and famines and earthquakes in various places, and terrors from heaven, and great signs. But all these are the beginnings of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and will kill you; and you shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And not a hair of your head shall perish. In your patience you shall possess your souls. Settle therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how you shall answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist or contradict. Then many shall be scandalized, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold.'

'But he who shall persevere to the end, the same shall be saved. And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all nations; and then shall come the consummation. When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place — let him who reads understand. — LUKE XXI, 20-24. But when you shall see Jerusalem surrounded by an army, then know that its desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let those who are in the midst of it depart; and let those who are in the regions not enter into it; because these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and nursing in those days!'

'For there shall be great distress upon the earth, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the nations are fulfilled. But pray that your flight be not in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there shall be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor shall be. And there shall be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations by reason of the confusion of the sound of the sea and the waves, men withering away for fear and expectation of the things that shall come upon the whole world. And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.' — LUKE XVII, 23-24. 'Then if anyone shall say to you:'

'Behold, here is the Christ; behold, there — do not believe. For false christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall give great signs and wonders, so as to lead into error, if it were possible, even the elect. Behold, I have foretold it to you. If therefore they shall say to you, Behold, he is in the desert — do not go out; Behold, he is in the inner rooms — do not believe. For as the lightning goes out from the east and appears even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be moved. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn.'

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. And then shall he send his angels with a trumpet and a great voice, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the highest of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.