193. Discourse on the Mount of Olives: Concerning the Second Coming of the Lord. Mt. 24:3–14; Mk. 13:3–13; Lk. 21:7–19

‘Then, if someone says to you: Look, here is the Messiah, or Look, there He is, do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.’

‘So if they say to you: Look, He is in the wilderness, do not go out; or Look, He is in the inner rooms, do not believe it. For as lightning comes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will gather.’

There will be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity; and the sea roaring and tossing. Men will faint from fear and expectation of the calamities coming upon the whole world.

And suddenly in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will give no light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His Angels with a loud trumpet; and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the earth to the other end of heaven.

When these things begin to come to pass, straighten up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. And He told them a parable: Look at the fig tree and all the trees; when the branches of the fig tree become tender and put out their leaves, when also the trees are budding, then, seeing these things, you know of yourselves that summer is already near. So also when you see all these things coming to pass, know that the Kingdom of God is near, at the very doors.

Truly I say to you: this generation will not pass away, as long as all these things come to pass: heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the Angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.