The Coming Judgment
(Jude 1:17–23)
1This second epistle,my beloved, I now write unto you; inboth which I stir up your sincere mind in remembrance,2that ye may be mindful of the words formerly spoken by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: knowing this first,
3that there will come in the last days scoffers,4walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the declaration of his coming? for except that the fathers are fallen asleep, all things remain asthey were from the beginning of the creation.5For they are willingly ignorant of this, that by the Word of God the heavens weremade of old, and the earthtoo from the water, and subsisting on the water.6Whence the old world being drowned in water perished.7But the heavens and the earth,that noware, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire on the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men.
The Day of the Lord
(1 Thessalonians 5:1–11)
8But, beloved; be not ignorant of this onething, that one dayis with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.9The Lord is not slow as to his promise (as some countit slowness) but is long-suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements being set on fire shall be dissolved, and the earth and the works therein shall be burnt up.
11Seeing then that all thesethings shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in holy conversation and godliness,12expecting and hastening on the coming of the day of God, whereby the heavens being set on fire shall be dissolved, and the burning elements shall be melted.13But we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwelleth.
Final Exhortations
14Wherefore, beloved, seeing ye expect thesethings, give diligence to be found of Him in peace, spotless and blameless;15and account the long-suffering of our Lord salvation, as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, hath written unto you;16as also in allhis epistles, speaking in them of thesethings: in which are somethings hard to be understood, which the illiterate and unstable wrest, asthey do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.17Do ye therefore, beloved, as ye knowthese things before, take heed least being seduced togetherwith them by the error of the wicked, ye should fall from your own stedfastness.18But grow in grace, and inthe knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: to Himbe glory both now and for ever. Amen.
