VIII.
And what am I to say with respect to men,
1901
when the very
elements themselves will disown their order? There will be
earthquakes in every city, and plagues in every country; and
monstrous
1902
thunderings and
frightful lightnings will burn up both houses and fields. Storms
of winds will disturb both sea and land excessively; and there will be
unfruitfulness on the earth, and a roaring in the sea, and an
intolerable agitation on account of souls and the destruction of
men.
1903
There will
be signs in the sun, and signs in the moon, deflections in the stars,
distresses of nations, intemperateness in the atmosphere, discharges of
hail upon the face of the earth, winters of excessive severity,
different
1904
frosts, inexorable
scorching winds, unexpected thunderings, unlooked-for conflagrations;
and in general, lamentation and mourning in the whole earth, without
consolation. For, “because iniquity shall abound, the love
of many shall wax cold.”
1905
By reason of the agitation and
confusion of all these, the Lord of the universe cries in the Gospel,
saying, “Take heed that ye be not deceived; for many shall come
in my name, saying, I am Christ, and the time draweth near: go ye
not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and
commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to
pass; but the end is not yet by and by.”
1906
Let us observe the word of the
Saviour, how He always admonished us with a view to our security:
“Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in
my name, saying, I am Christ.”
1901
περὶ
ἀνθρώπων
, which is the
reading of Codex B, instead of
ἀπὸ
ἀνθρώπων
.
1902
ἄμετροι
, the reading of Codex
B instead of
ἄνεμοι
.
1903
The
text is,
ἀπὸ ψυχῶν
καὶ ἀπωλείας
ἀνθρώπων
. We may
suggest some such correction as
ἀποψυχόντων
κατ᾽
ἀπωλείας
ἀνθρωπων
="men’s
hearts failing them concerning the destruction.”
1904
διάφοροι
.
Better with B,
ἀδιάφοροι
=
promiscuous, without distinction
, and so perhaps
continuous
or
unseasonable
.
1905
Matt. xxiv. 12
.
1906
Luke xxi. 8, 9
.