DIDACHE
— IV —
THE LORD IS COMING
waTch over your life. Do not let your lamps burn out, nor your waist be ungirded,i
but be ready,
for you do not know when our Lord is coming.j
And gather together frequently, seeking what is
necessary for your souls, for all your years of faith will count for nothing unless you are perfected in the
last days.k
In the last days, false prophets and corrupters will multiply,l
and the sheep will turn into wolves,
and love will be turned into hate.m As lawlessness increases, men will hate and persecute and betray one
another.n
And then the Deceiver of the world will appear as a son of God, and will do signs and wonders,o
and the earth will be delivered into his hands. He will commit abominations which have never been seen
since the world began.p
Then all mankind will come to the fre of testing,q
and many will fail and perish.r
But those who endure in their faith will be saveds
by him who was accursed.t
And then shall the signs of the truth appear: frst a sign of a rift in the heavens,u
then a sign of a voice of
a trumpet,v
and thirdly the resurrection of the dead.w Yet not of all, but as it was said:
The Lord shall come and all his saints with him.x
Then shall the world see the Lord coming
upon the clouds of heaven with power
and dominiony
to repay each man
according to his works,z
with
justice, before all men
and the angels.
aM eN.
i Luke 12:35. j Mat. 24:42, 44; Mark 13:35; Luke 12:40. k Epistle of Barnabas 4:9. l Mat. 24:11. m Mat. 24:12. n Mat. 24:10; 2 Pet. 3:3. o Mark 13:22; 2 Tess. 2:4, 9. p Dan. 12:1; Mark 13:19; 2 John 7; Rev. 12:9, 13:2, 19:20. q 1 Pet. 4:12. r Mat. 24:10, 13. s Mark 13:13. t Gal. 3:13. u Mat. 24:30. v Mat. 24:31; 1 Tess. 4:16. w 1 Cor.
15:52. x Zech. 14:5. y Mark 13:26. z Ps. 62:12; Mat. 16:27