First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

Chapter 1: The Study of Scripture

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betray one another. Then the deceiver of the world will appear as a son of God and he will do signs and wonders, and the earth will be delivered into his hands and he will do heinous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning. Then will the creation of humanity come into the fire of trial, and many will be made to stumble and will perish. Yet, those who endure in their faith will be saved from under the curse itself. And then will appear the signs of the truth. First, the sign of an opening in heaven, then the sign of the sound of the trumpet. And third, the resurrection of the dead—yet not of all, but as it is said, “The Lord will come and all His saints with Him” ( 1 Thess 3:13 ). Then will the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.