21. This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again.
22. If God doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter.
23. Someone may say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” But don't believe it.
24. False messiahs and false prophets will come and perform great miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God's chosen ones.
25. But I have warned you beforehand.
26. If you are told that the Messiah is out in the desert, don't go there! And if you are told that he is in some secret place, don't believe it!
27. The coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning that can be seen from east to west.
28. Where there is a corpse, there will always be vultures.
29. Straight after those days of suffering,“The sun will become dark,and the moonwill no longer shine.The stars will fall,and the powers in the skywill be shaken.”
30. Then a sign will appear in the sky. And there will be the Son of Man. All nations on earth will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31. At the sound of a loud trumpet, he will send his angels to bring his chosen ones together from all over the earth.
32. Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know that summer is near.
33. So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come.