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were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles
of the Lord and Saviour:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days

scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

And saying, Where is the promise of his

coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the
beginning of the creation.

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of

God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

But the

heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved
unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

But, beloved, be

not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some

men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a

thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein
shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner

of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

Looking for and

hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be
dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Nevertheless we, according

to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be

found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

And account that the

longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according
to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

As also in all his epistles,

speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures,
unto their own destruction.

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things

before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your
own stedfastness.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour

Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Mark 13:24-31

But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the

moon shall not give her light,

And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that

are in heaven shall be shaken.

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the

clouds with great power and glory.

And then shall he send his angels, and shall

gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to
the uttermost part of heaven.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is

yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

So ye in like

manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the
doors.

Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things

be done.

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Bibliography

The Explanation of the Holy Gospel according to St Mark, by Blessed Theophylact, published by
Chrysostom Press -

http://www.chrysostompress.org/

. ALL FOUR BOOKS ARE HIGHLY

RECOMMENDED!