We are a restless bunch, we humans. We're always looking over there, and over there may mean ...

415 Pages·2015·40.62 MB·English

“We are a restless bunch, we humans. We’re always looking over there, and over there may mean oceans
or mo untains or continents away. This is our hardwiring, our DNA.”—Mankind: The Story of All of Us (S1:E1)
[cf. Ge nesis 3:23-24, “…the Lord God SENT HIM FORTH from the garden…So he DROVE OUT the man…” (cf. Dan. 4:32-37)]

“At 300°, a spark. FIRE. Our planet is the only

known place in the universe with the right conditions

for fire to burn. It’s the element that makes

us who we are.”—Mankind: The Story of All of Us

(S1:E1) [cf. Prov. 6:27]

“A philosophe r once asked, ‘Are we human because
we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them
because we a re human?’ Pointless, really. Do the
stars gaze back? [cf. Genesis 1] Now, THAT’s a

question. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Our

story begins HERE…[Revelation 1]” —Stardust

“…In the matter of Pandora, you will recall

that after all the evils had escaped from the

box there was one other creature—very
small, very frail—that followed them into
the [whorled]…HOPE.”—Agatha Christie’s
POIROT: Appointment with Death
[cf. Hebrews 6:19]

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first

and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto

Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 12 And I turned to

SEE THE VOICE that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 And in the midst of the seven

candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14
His head and h is hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass,
as if they burn ed in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his
mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his
feet as dead. A nd he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was
dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 19 Write the things which thou hast seen,

and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; 20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right
hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which
thou sawest [also imagery of “division”] are the seven churches.
—Revelation 1:10-20 [Cf. Psalm 142] [Image: Sizing Up the Universe, page 227]
BREATHE in. And RELEASE. Quiet your mind until there are no
thoughts. Then you can see your true nature. Your face before
your parents were born. —A Thousand Words
BREATHE in.

And RELEASE.

Quiet your MIND…

…until…

…there are NO thoughts.

Then you can see your true nature.

Your face

BEFORE your

parents were born.

[cf. “light darkness” at

biblegateway.com]

“Two more dead. Was IT a price that [kneaded] to be paid? Is DEATH ever worth IT? Was the [whorled] always THIS
gray? Is it only in the movies that IT’s BLACK and WHITE? Is THAT just an ILLUSION? I used to understand my place,
my dir ection, where I was headed. Profiling requires belief—belief in the profile, belief in yourself. After Sarah, I no
longer trust myself at home. But after Tubbs, I no longer trust myself in the field. And without THAT,

I have .”

—Criminal Minds (“Doubt”)
THE CORE:

Serge: [LAUGHING!] IT’S A DISASTER!
Iverson: What part of, “TALK TO ME,” don’t you guys understand?
Stickley: For the 22nd time in a row, everyone on earth is DEAD! Let’s take a little quiet-time, and you ALL are going to try THIS again!
Alef is imagery of a
“boulder” beside a lonely “PRAY OUT LOUD!”
“white-gravel” road that
“runs” alongside a “hill”
that has a tree growing on
“top” of IT!
(cf. 2 Samuel 5 :24) —Katie Lentz

“ 11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own

place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment
togethe r to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. 12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him
not, the y lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads
toward heaven. 13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word
unto him : for they saw that his grief was great. [cf. Job 4:11 “prey”]

“My name is Jack McCall. If you can hear me, what you’re listening to is not the sound of my

voice. It’s the sound of my inner voice, the one inside my head. I’d like to talk to you, but I can’t.

Because, if I say just one more sentence out loud, I’ll die!” —A Thousand Words

[“If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but

who can withhold himself from speaking?”—Job 4:2]

1 After t his opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. 2 And Job spake, and said, 3 Let the day perish wherein I was born,
and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. 4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from
above, n either let the light shine upon it. 5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let
the blackness of the day terrify it. 6 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the

year, let it not come into the number of the months. 7 Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come

therein.”—Job 2:11-13, 3:1-7

Some W ORDS of WISDOM:

“A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.” “Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

—Helen Keller Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences
Life is a challenge, meet it.
of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition
Life is a duty, complete it.
inspired and success achieved.”—Helen Keller
Life is a game, play it.

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the Life is a promise, fulfill it.

children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the Life is sorrow, overcome it.

long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or Life is a song, sing it.

NOTHING.”—Helen Keller Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
“The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature
Life is an adventure, dare it.
of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is
Life is luck, make it.
to care. The opportunity of life is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
spice of li fe is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give.”
Life is life, fight for it.”
—William Arthur Ward
—unknown

“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and

FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.”

Psalm 103:1-6

“It’s okay. LAUGH, CRY. They’re close COUSINS. Just let it

OUT!...Our TRUTH can be painful. Pain is the TOUCHstone of
GROWTH.”—A Thousand Words
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY:
“The latest discovery means there really could be an EXTRA energy, a cosmological
constant in the universe. But not everyone agrees. The scientific world has been
thrown into turmoil.”
“I don’t think the universe is accelerating. Either the acceleration of the universe will
turn out to be wrong, or it will turn out to point the way to really new revolutionary
physics, new laws of nature. And, pointing the way to new laws of nature seem,
really, too good to be true.”
“At dawn, the computer revealed the answer. The team had found the most distant
supernova ever seen—a star that exploded over ten million years ago when the
universe was in its infancy, and its light had only just reached us…Like all the other
supernovae, it too is dimmer than anyone expected. That adds strong evidence that
there really is a MYSTERIOUS ENERGY out in space pushing against gravity, making
the universe accelerate faster and faster. So what does all this mean for the fate of
the universe billions of years from now?”
“…But that little space of…little glimpses of understanding, I think, are very exciting
and make you feel like you’re in touch with something that’s a little bit MAGICAL.”

♪ It’s, oh, so nice to go trav’ling / But it’s, oh, so nice to COME HOME ♪

“People say travel broadens the mind. Mainly because people like me insist on it in
their books. But I have to say I doubt that it is true. On the contrary, I suspect travel
narrows the mind. One becomes so blasé about the wonders of the world. The more
I travel, the more clearly I understand that all that ever matters is the people. Not
the places. Those Arabs telling stories over couscous in the camp. They fascinate me.
This, it’s pretty enough, but…show me the humans every time. [LOOKING IN THE
DIRECTION OF THE “NUN”] I don’t much care for her. The way she hangs around the
younger Boynton girl. They sniff out weakness—nuns—and misery, and they gorge
on it. Bloody vampires in drag, quite frankly.”
—Agatha Christie’s Poirot: “Appointment with Death” (S11:E4)

…Shale, limestone, and sandstone. It’s a sculpture of the Grand Canyon from my Mom…She said she

was gonna mail the postcards, but then she decided to SEND THE GRAND CANYON instead. Here,

listen to THIS: “You may have to commit me twice, Spencer, because not only did I ride a mule on a

tiny trail with a 1,000-foot drop, I paid for the privilege. Now THAT’s CRAZY!”
—Criminal Minds (“Persuasion”)
 ♪It’s the end of the world as we know it  ♪It’s the end of the world as we know it  ♪It’s the end of the world as we know it  ♪

ti wonk “Our life is frittered away e eht s’tI
ew sa d ht fo dn
lro by detail…SIMPLIFY, w e
w o
eh dlr
t fo dne [SEMPER FI].” Two “think-Ers” [“i”—ego] k ew sa
eht a“ knidn gas “”c [reo]s ws”i trhe polnaec e“ vtewroy ” won
♪ s’tI —Henry David Thoreau BIG “e-go.” ti 

 ♪
ti w During time of war, the Allied troops (which were “chiefly” [“see-high-e-fly”] ht s’tI
o Ame rican) had to rely on a language of communication unknown to their enemies. It was e
nk e the l anguage of “THE WIND”! They relied on the ancient “NATIVE” American language of dne
w o
sa t f
dlro “smo ke” signals being conveyed over “The Modern” mechanical device—the “tell-e- w eh
w o
eht fo gTrhaopu hg”h mnoat ccohnisnidee.r eBdu “tc oitnizleyn tsh”e o pf ethoep l“er uolfin tgh geo “vaenrcnimenetnst”” coofu tlhde sirp neaatki vseu clahn da , l“asnogumagee”. w sa dlr
d e
ne e were enlisted to gain an “add-vantage” over “its” enemies. Without their “aide” ALL onk
h w
♪t s’tI wou ld have been “lost.” ti 
 This imagery speaks of our modern “quest” for KNOW-LEDGE! For centuries, man ♪
ti wo hMaAs N sYtu bmebglaend taor oduisntdan icne tthhee mdasreklnveess sf rsoemar c“hthineg” fBoOr OthKe g liivgehnt ttoh auts ilbluym thinee “sa tnhceie “nMtsI.N” E WD.e” eht s’tI
nk e “lost ” the Language of the “gods.” We failed to realize the “sign-if-i-can-c-e” of its “long-e- dne
w o
sa t f
dlro v-i-(t ·y).” Our, “seamingly,” ill-u-mined “mineds” became darkened to its simple w eh
w eht “lang uage” of truth. We sought ways to explain our “reality” in “languages” not spoken a dlro
fo d by t he “masses”—i.e. the “simple” mine-dead. Gaining the “knowledge of the gods” ew s
ne e beca me a burden-some chore. But as time progressed, MANY chose this path, desert-ing onk
h w
♪t s’tI the e ase-“e”-Er ONE given to us. Until, ONE day, THAT “language” was completely “lost”— ti 
even to those who clām-ed to “add-here” to its “teachings.” Even “they” rejected the
 ♪
ti w word s of “those” who were “cent” to “rest-ore” THE language that “re-veal-ed” the light t s’tI
onk that had been “hidden” in “four-got-ten” TRUTH—i.e. IMAGERY! “Those” rejected e eh
ew were rid-i-c-u-le-“D,” mocked, s-cough-ed, and s-corn-ed. “MANY”were im-pri-son-ed and dn
sa d b-ur- n-ed [“burn”—variant of “barn”]. ht fo
lrow ow e
eh dlr
t fo d w sa
ne But…TO DAY is a “different” DAY. k e
eht won
♪ s’tI ti 
 ti wonk ew sa dlrow eht fo dne eht s’tI♪  ti wonk ew sa dlrow eht fo dne eht s’tI♪  ti wonk ew sa dlrow eht fo dne eht s’tI♪
Romans 10 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
1 Brothers, my heart’s deepest desire and my prayer to God for Isra’el is for their salvation; 2 for I can
testify to their zeal for God. But it is not based on correct understanding; 3 for, since they are unaware
of God’s way of making people righteous and instead seek to set up their own, they have not
submitted themselves to God’s way of making people righteous. 4 For the goal at which the Torah
aims is the Messiah, who offers righteousness to everyone who trusts. 5 For Moshe writes about the
righteousness grounded in the Torah that the person who does these things will attain life through
them.[a] 6 Moreover, the righteousness grounded in trusting says:
“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend to heaven?’” —
“‘As a ROARING
that is, to bring the Messiah down — 7 or,
LION’
means he’s
“‘Who will descend into Sh’ol?’” —
all MOUTH!”

that is, to bring the Messiah up from the dead. 8 What, then, does it say?
—Charles Capps
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.”[b] —
that is, the word about trust which we proclaim, namely, 9 that if you acknowledge publicly with your
mouth that Yeshua is Lord and trust in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
delivered. 10 For with the heart one goes on trusting and thus continues toward righteousness, while
with the mouth one keeps on making public acknowledgement and thus continues toward
deliverance. 11 For the passage quoted says that everyone who rests his trust on him will not be
humiliated.[c] 12 That means that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — ADONAI is the
same for everyone, rich toward everyone who calls on him, 13 since everyone who calls on the name
of ADONAI will be delivered.[d]
14 But how can they call on someone if they haven’t trusted in him? And how can they trust in
someone if they haven’t heard about him? And how can they hear about someone if no one is
proclaiming him? 15 And how can people proclaim him unless God sends them? — as the Tanakh
puts it, “How beautiful are the feet of those announcing good news about good things!”[e]
16 The problem is that they haven’t all paid attention to the Good News and obeyed it. For
Yesha‘yahu says,
“ADONAI, who has trusted what he has heard from us?”[f]
17 So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the
Messiah.
18 “But, I say, isn’t it rather that they didn’t hear?” No, they did hear —
“Their voice has gone out throughout the whole world
and their words to the ends of the earth.”[g]
19 “But, I say, isn’t it rather that Isra’el didn’t understand?”
“I will provoke you to jealousy over a non-nation,
over a nation void of understanding I will make you angry.”[h]
20 Moreover, Yesha‘yahu boldly says,
“Up to a 45° angle, every
compartment will be level by
“I was found by those who were not looking for me,
I became known to those who did not ask for me”;[i] these gyro control gimbals. But if
we do breach a section, bulkhead
21 but to Isra’el he says,
doors engage automatically, seal
“All day long I held out my hands
off the section in red, and
to a people who kept disobeying and contradicting.”[j]
eject….Each damaged
Footnotes: compartment degrades the
entire hull.”
a. Romans 10:5 Leviticus 18:5
b. Romans 10:8 Deuteronomy 30:11–14 —The Core
c. Romans 10:11 Isaiah 28:16
d. Romans 10:13 Joel 3:5(2:32)
Many times, our mistakes are our memorial stones—“left” THERE to
e. Romans 10:15 Isaiah 52:7
remind us: “Don’t pass THIS way again!” In John 11:39, Jesus tells
f. Romans 10:16 Isaiah 53:1 them men at Lazarus’ tomb to “take away the stone.” But, often,
g. Romans 10:18 Psalm 19:5(4) instead of “taking” away the stone of our lives, we simply “roll” them
h. Romans 10:19 Deuteronomy 32:21 away from the opening of the “cave” of our “confinement” [Luke
24:2]—“turning” IT on Its HEAD. IT may not be something that needs to
i. Romans 10:20 Isaiah 65:1
be eradicated [LAW’s way]—i.e. such as a “wayward” CHILD. “IT” may
j. Romans 10:21 Isaiah 65:2
be the “right” thing but the wrong “way/weigh” so, like Father [LOVE],
we don’t thrust IT far from our lives—we “wait(e)” for IT to be “altared”
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
so that IT “becomes” something “pro”-duck”-tive & beneficial!
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.

COLUMBO: Dead Weight

Mrs. Stew-art: You see that? That’s a reflection of my job.

Columbo: Oh.

Mrs. Stewart: You don’t know what it is, do you?
Columbo : Uh…No, I don’t know what it is, but it’s very nice.
Mrs. Stew art: Well, it’s a South American llama. We have them at the Ark Park.
Columbo : At the where?
Mrs. Stewart: The Ark Park. That’s where I work with the children and the animals.

Columbo: I see. Well, so this fella here is a llama, huh?

Mrs. Stewart: Well, you see, I try and go beyond the surface…You know? To find…um…a deeper meaning, a-a truer

REALITY. (CHUCKLES) At least, that’s what I think I do. (CHUCKLES)
Columbo : Mrs. Stewart, I’m gonna get right to the point. You know, I couldn’t find any evidence of any shooting in THAT
h ouse that you pointed out. I mean, there was NO gun. There was NO victim. There was NO NOTHIN’.
J ust a house, a fella livin’ in it.
Mrs. Stew art: I know what I saw.
Columbo: Maybe you think you saw IT.
“The Bible is, actually, FAITH pictures.” —Joseph Prince
I saw an image like the first word below on the back of a breakfast cereal box (Kellogg’s Honey
Smacks) and the verse below “came” to me with these images:

ly

toyota.com.au

canstockphoto.com

Akiane’s “Infinite Perspective”
marketsmedia.com

jqi.umd.edu “No! You know what? Listen to me. LOVE…is not,
e is not a bus or a train…doesn’t run on a schedule.
It’s unexpected and it’s…it’s inconvenient. And
sometimes you have to wait your whole life for it

to show up. But when it does, you grab tight and
= mc2
you hold on because those bumps and the twists

and, and, and the stomach lurches—those are

what make you feel like you’re still alive……I would

have given you all the time in the world to be

ready to take a ride like that with me…All the time
in the world.”—The Christmas Ornament

1. Psalm 63:1

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee

in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Psalm 63:1-3 (in Context) Psalm 63 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations

2. Proverbs 1:28
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find
me:
Proverbs 1:27-29 (in Context) Proverbs 1 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
3. Isaiah 26:9
With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for
when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Isaiah 26:8-10 (in Context) Isaiah 26 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
4. Hosea 5:15
I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their

affliction they will seek me early.
Hosea 5:14-15 (in Context) Hosea 5 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations
A preacher once said, “If you’re willing to wait forever, you won’t be waiting very long.”
“I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour….Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of
old. Behold, I will do a new thing; NOW it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and
rivers in the desert.” [“For the Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may
do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange [NIV: alien] act.”]—Isaiah 43:11, 18-19 [Isaiah 28:21]
Matthew 24 Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Temple Will Be Destroyed(A)
24 As Jesus left the Temple [courts] and was walking away, his ·followers [disciples] came up to
·show [point out to] him the Temple’s buildings. 2 Jesus asked, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell
you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will be ·thrown [pulled; torn] down.”
3 Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his ·followers [disciples] came to be alone with
him. They said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign ·that it is time for
you to come again [of your coming/return] and ·for this age to end [the end/consummation of the
age]?”
4 Jesus answered, “·Be careful [Watch out] that no one ·fools [misleads; deceives] you. 5 Many will
come in my name, saying, ‘I am the ·Christ [Messiah],’ and they will ·fool [mislead; deceive] many
people. 6 You will hear about wars and ·stories of wars that are coming [rumors/reports of wars], but
don’t be ·afraid [alarmed]. These things must happen ·before the end comes [or but that is not yet the
end]. 7 Nations will ·fight [L rise up] against other nations, and kingdoms against other kingdoms.
There will be ·times when there is no food for people to eat [famines], and there will be earthquakes
in ·different [various] places. 8 All these things are ·like the first pains when something new is
about to be born [L the beginning of the birth pains]. [(KJV) 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.]
9 “Then people will arrest you, hand you over to be ·hurt [persecuted; tortured], and kill you. ·They
[The world; L All nations] will hate you because ·you believe in me [you follow me; L of my name].
10 At that time, many will ·lose their faith [turn/fall away], and they will ·turn against [betray] each
other and hate each other. 11 Many false prophets will ·come [appear; arise] and ·cause many people
to believe lies [deceive many]. 12 There will be more and more ·evil [sin; lawlessness] in the world, so
·most people will stop showing their love for each other [L the love of many/most will grow cold].
13 But those people who ·keep their faith [endure; stand firm; persevere] until the end will be saved.
14 ·The Good News [This Gospel] about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, [L as a
testimony] to every nation. Then the end will come.
15 “You will see ‘·a blasphemous object that brings destruction [T the abomination of desolation; C a
phrase taken from Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11, and originally referring to the desecration of the Temple
by Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 BC],’ which Daniel the prophet spoke about. ·It [or He] will be
standing in the holy place.” (You who read this should understand what it means [C probably a
reference to the soon-to-occur destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70].) 16 “At that time, the people in
Judea should ·run away [flee] to the mountains. 17 If people are on the roofs of their houses [C roofs in
Palestine were flat and used as spare rooms and for storage], they must not go down to get anything
out of their houses. 18 If people are in the fields, they must not go back to get their ·coats [cloaks].
19 At that time, ·how terrible it will be for [L woe to] women who are pregnant or have nursing babies!
20 Pray that it will not be ·winter [bad weather] or a Sabbath day when these things happen and you
have to run away, 21 because at that time there will be much ·trouble [distress; T tribulation]. There
will be more ·trouble [distress; T tribulation]. than there has ever been since the beginning of the
world until now, and nothing as bad will ever happen again [Dan. 12:1]. 22 ·God has decided to make
that terrible time short [L If those days had not been shortened (by God)…; C the passive verb implies
God as subject]. Otherwise, no one would ·go on living [survive; L be saved]. But God will make that
time short ·to help the people he has chosen [for the sake of the elect]. 23 At that time, someone might
say to you, ‘Look, there is the ·Christ [Messiah]!’ Or another person might say, ‘There he is!’ But
don’t believe them. 24 False ·Christs [messiahs] and false prophets will ·come [appear; rise up] and
perform great ·wonders [signs; miracles] and ·miracles [wonders; marvels]. They will try to ·fool
[mislead; deceive] even the ·people God has chosen [elect], if that is possible. 25 Now I have warned
you about this before it happens [cf. Psalm 19:7-13].
26 “If people tell you, ‘[L Look,] ·the Christ [L he] is in the ·desert [wilderness],’ don’t go there. If they
say, ‘[L Look,] he is ·in the inner room [or hiding here; in this secret place],’ don’t believe it. 27 When
the Son of Man comes [Dan. 7:13–14], he will be like lightning flashing from the east to the west
[C he will be seen by everyone]. 28 Wherever the ·dead body [carcass] is, there the vultures will
gather.
29 “Soon after the ·trouble [tribulation; distress] of those days,
‘the sun will grow dark,
and the moon will not give its light.
The stars will fall from ·the sky [heaven].
And the ·powers of the heavens [celestial bodies] will be shaken [Is. 13:10; 34:4; cf. Ezek. 32:7–8;
Joel 2:10, 31].’
30 “At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in ·the sky [or heaven]. Then all the ·peoples
[tribes] of the world will ·cry [mourn]. They will see the Son of Man coming on ·clouds in the sky [or
the clouds of heaven] with great power and glory. 31 He will use a loud trumpet to send his angels,
and they will gather his ·chosen people [elect] ·from every part of the world [L from the four winds,
from one end of the sky/heavens to another].
32 “Learn a ·lesson [parable; analogy] from the fig tree: When its branches ·become green and soft
[become tender; sprout] and new leaves appear, you know summer is near. 33 In the same way, when
you see all these things happening, you will know that ·the time [or he] is near, ·ready to come [right
at the door]. 34 I tell you the truth, all these things will happen ·while the people of this time are still
living [before this generation passes away; C either the generation that sees the destruction of
Jerusalem (AD 70), or a future generation of the end times]. 35 ·Earth and sky will be destroyed
[T Heaven and earth will pass away], but the words I have said will never ·be destroyed [pass away].
When Will Jesus Come Again?(B)
36 “No one knows when that day or ·time [hour] will be, not the angels in heaven, not even the Son.[a]
Only the Father knows. 37 When the Son of Man comes [Dan. 7:13–14], it will be like what happened
during Noah’s time. 38 [L For] In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving their children to be married, until the day Noah entered the boat. 39 They ·knew
[understood] nothing about what was happening until the flood came and ·destroyed them
[L took/swept them all away]. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. 40 Two men will be in
the field. One will be taken, and the other will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding grain with a