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because those days will be full of trouble. There will be more trouble than there has ever been since the beginning, when God made the world, until now, and nothing as bad will ever happen again.
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God has decided to make that terrible time short. Otherwise, no one would go on living. But God will make that time short to help the people he has chosen.
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At that time, someone might say to you, 'Look, there is the Christ!' Or another person might say, 'There he is!' But don't believe them.
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False Christs and false prophets will come and perform great wonders and miracles. They will try to fool even the people God has chosen, if that is possible.
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So be careful. I have warned you about all this before it happens.
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"During the days after this trouble comes, 'the sun will grow dark, and the moon will not give its light.
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The stars will fall from the sky. And the powers of the heavens will be shaken.'
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"Then people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
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Then he will send his angels all around the earth to gather his chosen people from every part of the earth and from every part of heaven.
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"Learn a lesson from the fig tree: When its branches become green and soft and new leaves appear, you know summer is near.
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In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to come.