1) “Lift Your footsteps to wreak eternal ruin, to avenge everything that the enemy has harmed in the Sanctuary. Your enemies have roared amidst Your meeting place; they made their signs for signs. They fixed their emblems over the entrance, emblems never known before. Their axes deep in the wood, hacking at the panels, they battered them down with axe and pick. They have sent Your Sanctuary up in flames; to the ground they have desecrated the Abode of Your Holy Name. In their heart, they said – their rulers all together - ’Let us crush them at one stroke!’ They have burned down all of God’s meeting places on earth; every sacred shrine in the land. Our signs we have not seen, there is no longer a prophet, and there is none among us who knows for how long it will last” (Ps 74:3-9).
2) “Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines in various places; there will be terrifying events and great signs from heaven. But before all these things happen, you will be seized and persecuted; you will be handed over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and brought before kings and governors for the sake of My Name. And that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Make up your minds not to prepare your defense, because I Myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death.”
“You will be hated universally on account of My Name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your perseverance will win you your lives. When you see Jerusalem [the Church] surrounded by armies, then you must realize that it will soon be laid desolate. Then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in it. For this is the time of retribution when all that scripture says must be fulfilled. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come! ’For great misery will descend on the land and retribution on this people.”
“They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every gentile country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the gentiles until their time is complete. There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the turmoil of the ocean and its waves; men fainting away with terror and fear at what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand . . . when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near” (Lk 21:10-31).
3) “‘Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for My Name’s sake. And then shall many be scandalized and shall betray one another and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise and shall seduce many. And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold. But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved. And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations: and then shall the consummation come.’”
“‘When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that reads let him understand. Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains: And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house: And he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat. And woe to them that are with child and that give suck in those days. But pray that your flight be not in the winter or on the sabbath. For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be. And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.’”
“‘Then if any man shall say to you, “Lo here is Christ, or there:” do not believe him. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect. Behold I have told it to you, beforehand. If therefore they shall say to you, “Behold he is in the desert:” go ye not out. “Behold he is in the closets:” believe it not. For as lightning comes out of the east and appears even into the west: so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Wheresoever the Body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.”
“‘And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be moved. And then shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven. And then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven with much power and majesty. And He shall send His angels with a trumpet and a great voice: and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them. And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see all these things, know you that it is nigh, even at the doors. Amen I say to you that this generation shall not pass till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass: but My words shall not pass.’”
“‘But of that day and hour no one knows: no, not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone. And as in the days of Noah, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For, as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, even till that day in which Noah entered into the ark: And they knew not till the flood came and took them all away: so also shall the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two shall be in the field. One shall be taken and one shall be left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill. One shall be taken and one shall be left. Watch you therefore, because you know not what hour your Lord will come. But this know you, that, if the goodman of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch and would not suffer his house to be broken open. Wherefore be you also ready, because at what hour you know not the Son of Man will come.’”
“‘Who, think you, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has appointed over his family, to give them meat in season? Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so doing. Amen I say to you: he shall place him over all his goods. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord is long a coming: And shall begin to strike his fellow servants and shall eat and drink with drunkards: The lord of that servant shall come in a day that he hopes not and at an hour that he knows not: And shall separate him and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Mt 24:9-51).
