¹¹ and said, ^(A)“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, ^(B)will ^(C)come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(A)by a word from the Lord,^[a] that ^(B)we who are alive, who are left until ^(C)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(D)the Lord himself will descend ^(E)from heaven ^(F)with a cry of command, with the voice of ^(G)an archangel, and ^(H)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^(I)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^(J)caught up together with them ^(K)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^(L)we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The Rider on a White Horse

¹¹ Then I saw ^(A)heaven opened, and behold, ^(B)a white horse! The one sitting on it is called ^(C)Faithful and True, and ^(D)in righteousness he judges and makes war. ^12 (E)His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are ^(F)many diadems, and he has ^(G)a name written that no one knows but himself. ¹³ He is clothed in ^(H)a robe dipped in^[a] blood, and the name by which he is called is ^(I)The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies of heaven, ^(J)arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, ^(K)were following him on white horses. ^15 (L)From his mouth comes a sharp sword ^(M)with which to strike down the nations, and ^(N)he will rule^[b] them with a rod of iron. ^(O)He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh ^(P)he has a name written, ^(Q)King of kings and Lord of lords.

²⁰ that he worked in Christ ^(A)when he raised him from the dead and ^(B)seated him at his right hand ^(C)in the heavenly places, ^21 (D)far above ^(E)all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above ^(F)every name that is named, not only in ^(G)this age but also in the one to come. ²² And ^(H)he put all things under his feet and gave him as ^(I)head over all things to the church,