Coming Soon
COMING SOON!
SOME TEACH there is to be no second coming of the Lord,
Some teach that He comes every time someone dies.
Some teach that He has already come and is now setting up His kingdom on earth; and some ignore the subject completely. WHAT CONFUSION!
Is there no place where we may find out the truth about this all-important subject? There is, thank God! God, Who cannot lie, has left us His Word, which is very definite and plain. Never mind what this one teaches or that one believes: let our motto be: “Nevertheless, what saith the scripture?” (Gal. 4:30), for the entrance of God’s Word giveth light (Ps. 119;130).
Let us search the Word of God and find out what it says people will be saying in the last days:
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (II Peter 3:3-4).
“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (II John 7).
Are these scriptures being fulfilled in our day? Most surely they are.
Has He already come, and is He now setting up His kingdom? No! Have you seen Him? Then He is not here, for the Scripture says, “Every eye shall see him” (Rev. 1:7) in the day when He comes to set up His kingdom. Moreover, if this be the millennium, it is certainly a strange one. During the one thousand year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth, Satan will be bound (Rev. 20:1, 3, 7), the wolf and the lamb will live together, the calf and the lion will lie down together, the children will play with them, and the lion will eat straw like the cattle (see Isa. 11:6-9). There will be no cat fights in the millennium.
Two Distinct Events
The Scriptures teach that the second coming of Christ is literal, personal, and pre-millennial, and that it consists of two separate and distinct events. The first event is His coming FOR His saints; the second event is His coming WITH His saints to establish His kingdom. The first we call the rapture, and the second, the revelation.
The teaching about the rapture will be found in the writings of the Apostle Paul, for to him alone was the mystery concerning the Church, which is Christ’s body, revealed. (See Eph. 3:1-9; Col. 1:24-27; Gal. 1:11-12; Rom. 11- 13.) Nearly all references in other portions of God’s Word alluding to the second coming of Christ refer to the revelation.
In both cases the Lord Jesus Christ returns personally and literally. When He comes FOR His saints, it is “the Lord himself” (I Thess. 4:16) who comes in the air. When He comes WITH His saints “this same Jesus” comes in the same manner as He went away (Acts 1:11).
The distinction between His coming in the air FOR His own (I Thess. 4:17) and His standing on the mount of Olives WITH His own (Zech. 14:4-5) is the key to many difficulties we have in rightly dividing the Word of truth (II Tim. 2:15; read also Rev. 20:4-5).
The time that elapses between the two events is about seven years. It will be a time of great trouble upon the earth. (See Matt. 24:21; Luke 21:20-27; Dan. 12:1; Jer. 30:7.) The restraining Influence of the Holy Spirit will have departed when the saints are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. The antichrist comes into view with all of his deceiving and lying wonders by which he deceives them that dwell on the earth (II Thess. 2:1-12; Rev. 13).
God’s judgments, listed in the book of Revelation (chapters 6-18), are poured out upon the earth during this time. The believing remnant of Israel, and those of the Gentiles who believe during this period of time, will endure great afflictions, and many will be martyrs for Christ’s sake (Matthew 24:9- 22; Revelation 7:1-17).
The rapture precedes this time of tribulation. The revelation will come at the close of it, and will be followed by the glories of the millennial kingdom (Matt. 24:29-30; Matt. 25:31-33; Rev. 19:11-16).
How Soon Will the Rapture Take Place?
Between us and the rapture there is no prophecy that has not been fulfilled. When could it take place? Any time now. TODAY, perhaps! The signs of the close of the age of grace are listed in I Tim. 4:1, II Tim. 3:1-5, and II Tim. 4:3- 4. A departure from the faith; a giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons; perilous times; unthankful, unholy, self-loving People, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, not able to stand sound doctrine – are not these signs fulfilled before our very eyes? Yes, the professing church of today has “arrived,” and God’s instruction to His own is “from such turn away” (II Tim. 3:5).
Today, perhaps, the Lord Himself may call His saints, both dead and alive, to meet Him in the air. Although the call will be made with a shout and a trumpet, it is even possible that none will hear it but those who belong to Him. Everybody who has been purchased with His own precious blood will be in this company. The transformation will be made in the twinkling of an eye – one moment here, the next moment with Him in the air, to be with Him forever (I Thess. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:51-52; Phil. 3:20-21).
WHAT A HOPE!
In Hebrews 6:18-19, we read that this hope is set before us, and it is an anchor to the soul “both sure and steadfast.” In I John 3:2-3, we read that we shall be like Him when He appears, and that everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself; that is, he cleanses his life of all filth and foolishness of this world and endeavors to let the Word of God guide his walk daily, so that when he is caught up to meet his Lord very suddenly one of these days he will not be ashamed to meet Him (I John 2:28).
Are you looking for this blessed hope (Titus 2:13)? If you are, and really mean it, you will be endeavoring daily to rid your life of everything that is not pleasing to Him. You will let the Word of God be your guide. You will not say, “I think thus and so” or “I believe” this way, but you will say, “What saith the Scriptures about this?” When you find out what God has to say, you will order your steps accordingly. David said, “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies” (Ps. 119:59). This would be a good motto for all believers, because “our ways” are not so good apart from His Word (Isa. 55:8-9).
Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity (II Tim. 2:l9-21; II Cor. 6:14-18). What is iniquity? “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23). What is faith? Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
The church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22) is prophetically the apostate church. She was “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,” and knew it not.
“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (I Thess. 5:6).
If any one does not love the, Lord, let him be [accursed] Maranatha [our Lord cometh]” ( I Cor. 16:22).
The rapture will be followed by the dark night of the great tribulation (I Thess. 5:5). It will be the period of the world’s Judgment, but the true Church will not pass through it, for “God hath not appointed us to wrath [the great tribulation], but to obtain salvation [the rapture] by our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thess. 5:9).
The tribulation period is a time when the wrath of God will be poured out upon men and nations; but the Scriptures state clearly that we are not appointed unto wrath. “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:9). We are to wait for the Son from heaven, Who has “delivered us from the wrath to come” (I Thess. 1:10). In Christ, the true Church has already endured the wrath of God. On Calvary, He bore it in her stead. The entire body of believers will be caught up at the rapture (I Thess. 4:13-18), which precedes the tribulation.
Scenes After the Rapture
There will be an awful sorrow. wailing. confusion, and calamity on earth, caused by the departure of those who will be in the rapture. Mothers will be unable to locate their children, husbands their wives, and children their parents. The panic into which parents are thrown when a child has been kidnapped is merely a sprinkling compared to the storm caused by the disappearance of all regenerated believers. .
Are You a Candidate for Worship of Antichrist?
THINK OF IT! If you are still out of the ark of safety, if you have never taken Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life, think, we beg of you, of what is coming upon the earth! “Perilous times,” “grievous times,” “distress of nations,” “a great tribulation.” Any you, if you have never become a child of God through faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, are headed for it; and it may begin any day now.
Then you will be a candidate for the worship of antichrist and the mark of the beast. All who worship the beast will be tormented forever, and they shall “have no rest day nor night” (Rev. 14:9-11, Rev. 13). The day of grace will be passed, and the day of wrath will have come.
There is only one hope of escape from either the great tribulation or the lake of fire, and that is through the merits of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ applied to your heart. You must accept Him as your Lord.
“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9).
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Cor. 6:2). Tomorrow may be too late!
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days . . . the shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:29-30). He shall judge the nations (Matthew 25:31-33). “Every eye shall see him” (Rev. 1:7; 19:1 1-16). He will come in the same manner as He went away (Acts 1:9-11). He went from the mount of Olives and will return there (Zech. 14:4-5). He will set up His kingdom upon the earth with Israel supreme, and will rule the nations. See Isaiah 2:1-4; Isaiah 11:10-12; 34:1-8; 42:1-4.
Program for the Ages
Satan will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit for one thousand years; the beast and the false prophet will be cast alive into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:1-2; 19:20). The nations will be called before the Lord for judgment, according to Matthew 25. Those who have properly treated His brethren will enter the kingdom of God, and those who failed at this point will go into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Then, and not till then, will wars cease. The curse will be lifted. Israel will be chief among the nations, and the Lord Jesus Christ will set up His kingdom in Jerusalem and reign over the earth for one thousand years.
At the close of the thousand years, Satan will be loosed out of his pit and will gather together a vast army, who will refuse God’s King. Fire will fall from heaven and devour them (Rev. 20;7-10).
Then all the wicked dead of all ages shall be gathered before the great white throne, be judged For their rejection of God’s salvation, and be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night forever (Rev. 20:11, 15).
Then will appear a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness (Rev. 21 and 22). What a glorious day it will be when sin shall be no more.
Dear reader, if you are still unsaved, let us urge you to flee from the wrath to come by accepting Jesus Christ as you Saviour and Lord. “Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Heb. 3:15). He is now sitting on the throne of grace, saving those who are willing to be saved; but soon He will be on a throne of judgment, executing wrath. Wonderful and free as is His grace; His wrath is none the less terrible and sure to those who reject His Grace.
“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44).
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