Matthew 24:22-32

22 and if those days had not been cut short, no flesh had been saved; but on account of the elect those days shall be cut short.
23 Then if any one say to you, Behold, here is the Christ, or here, believe [it] not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall give great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
25 Behold, I have told you beforehand.
26 If therefore they say to you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth; behold, [he is] in the inner chambers, do not believe [it].
27 For as the lightning goes forth from the east and shines to the west, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
28 [For] wherever the carcase is, there will be gathered the eagles.
29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the land lament, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from [the one] extremity of [the] heavens to [the other] extremity of them.
32 But learn the parable from the fig-tree: When already its branch becomes tender and produces leaves, ye know that the summer is near.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. 'If possible' gives the purpose of the deceivers; 'if it were possible' would be the judgment of the writer. It seems to me simpler to take it as in text. It still implies 'it is not possible.'
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.