19
"These are going to be hard days - nothing like it from the time God made the world right up to the present. And there'll be nothing like it again.
20
If he let the days of trouble run their course, nobody would make it. But because of God's chosen people, those he personally chose, he has already intervened.
21
"If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, 'Here's the Messiah!' or points, 'There he is!' don't fall for it.
22
Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better.
23
So watch out. I've given you fair warning.
24
"Following those hard times, Sun will fade out, moon cloud over,
25
Stars fall out of the sky, cosmic powers tremble.
26
"And then they'll see the Son of Man enter in grand style, his Arrival filling the sky - no one will miss it!
27
He'll dispatch the angels; they will pull in the chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.
28
"Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer's just around the corner.
29
And so it is with you. When you see all these things, you know he is at the door.