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On the Theophania
Eusebius of Caesarea, tr. Lee, 1843
On the events that should happen at the end of things. From the Gospel of Matthew.
“Ye shall hear indeed of wars, and rumours of wars: see that ye be not moved, for it is necessary they should be; but the End is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be famines and pestilences, and commotions in divers places. And all these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they give you up to affliction, and shall kill you; and ye shall be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.” And after this He added, and said, “Then shall many stumble, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And, because of the abundance of iniquity, the love of many shall wax cold. But he, who shall bear until the End, shall live. And the Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, for the testimony of all nations; and then cometh the End.” He clearly foretold also by these things, that His Gospel should, of necessity, first be preached in the whole creation, for the testimony of all nations, “and then should the END come.” For the END of the world should not come, before (the Gospel) had been preached; but, when His word should have so taken effect among all nations, that the people should be few, among whom His Gospel had not been preached; so also should the time of the END be short (in its coming). He further teaches and says, “Ye shall hear of wars, and rumours of wars: see that ye be not moved, for it is necessary they should be; but the End is not yet.” He also shews when this shall be, for He says, “The Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole creation, for the testimony of all nations: and then cometh the end.” When also, “famines and pestilences, and commotions (shall be) in divers places, and nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,” and there shall be overwhelming persecutions, and great afflictions. After these things too, He says, “And ye shall be hated of all nations,” not on account of any other hateful acts, but “for my name’s sake.”