2. you will know that the time has come when God Most High will bring judgement on the world he has created.
3. There will be earthquakes, national rebellions, international intrigues, unstable leaders, and confused rulers. When you see these things happening,
4. you will know that they are what God Most High has spoken about since the beginning of creation.
5. The beginning and the end of everything that happens in this world are clear.
6. The same is true in the world above: wonders and miracles show the beginning of events, and mighty signs show when they end.
7. “Some people will escape destruction and be saved by their good works or by their faith. All of them
8. will survive the dangers I have described and will enjoy the salvation provided in the land that I have set apart from eternity as my own.
9. Then those who have ignored my ways and held them in contempt will be surprised when they find themselves in continual torment.
10. This will include all those who ignored me while they were alive, even though they accepted the blessings I gave them.
11. It will include all those who scorned my Law during the time they were free to do so and all those who refused to repent while they still had the chance.
12. The torment they will have to suffer after death will force them to recognize the truth.
13. Therefore, Ezra, you should stop asking questions about how the wicked will be punished. Instead, be concerned about how and when the righteous will be saved. The world was created for them and belongs to them.”
14. I said,
15. “I must repeat what I said before. The lost far outnumber those who are saved —
16. it is like a wave compared with a drop of water.”