The Second Coming Of Christ

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< > Chapter Three Christ's second coming is at a set time, not at any time Some Bible students state that at any time in history, the Church could have been caught up to heaven, and they believe that this can still happen at any moment. It is very difficult to understand how Christians can believe this after studying the Scriptures. Jesus said His return would be at an appointed time, and after many prophecies and signs have come to pass. Jesus told Peter that he would die an old man. Jn.21v18-23. In 2Pet.1v14,15., Peter reminded his hearers that our Lord had said that he would die when he was an old man, and stated in his second epistle that this was about to happen; he wrote this epistle in about A.D. 67 or 68. Peter also warned his hearers not to expect things to happen too quickly, for with the Lord, “a thousand years are as one day;” however, when the Lord fulfils the promise of His coming and returns, in one day He will do the work of a thousand years, “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years.” Ps.90v4. with 2Pet.3v8-13. Peter was probably martyred at Rome in about A.D. 68. Jesus said Jerusalem and the Temple had to be destroyed and Israel scattered among the Gentiles. On several occasions our Lord prophesied that Jerusalem and the Temple of his time were going to be destroyed; this prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70. Mt.23v37-39. 24v1,2. Lk.19v41-44. 21v20-24. Christ also prophesied in Lk.21v24., that Israel was going to be scattered among the nations and then regathered to Palestine, this, as Jesus indicated in His parables, was obviously going to take “a long time” to come to pass. Mt.25v19. Lk.20v9. Jesus will return at a set time appointed by God “The Times of the Gentiles,” mentioned in Lk.21v24., take a long time to be fulfilled. They are the periods of time during which God has allowed many different nations to have empires, and to exercise authority and power over a period of many years. This has been a long-term purpose of God and has already lasted several millenniums. These “Times of the Gentiles,” probably started at the Babylonian captivity, when God's purposes for Israel had been frustrated by their sin; and Christ said that these Gentile times will continue right up to His second coming. These Gentile times are designed to expose the hearts of men and break their pride. On judgement day “every mouth will be stopped, and all the world will become guilty before God,” not only by the exposure of personal sin, but also by the exposure of national sin. The wickedness and misuse of power of every nation, and their failure to rule justly, righteously and in love, will be exposed and revealed to all. Rom.3v19. Our Lord said His second coming would be "after a long time." In His parable of the pounds in Lk.19v11-27. N.B. v11., our Lord warned His eager disciples of this long delay before His second coming and told them not to expect the kingdom of God to “immediately appear.” In the parable of the vineyard Jesus again warned His disciples that it was going to be “A LONG TIME” before the murdered beloved Son, “the stone the builders rejected,” was going to return to become “the head of the corner.” Lk.20v9-18. N.B.v9,17. In Mt.25v19., in the parable of the talents, the Lord again states of Himself, “AFTER A LONG TIME the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.” In James.5v7,8., James exhorts his persecuted fellow-Christians to exercise “long patience” in waiting for the second coming of Christ; just as the husbandman waits for the harvest with “long patience” as well as “eager expectation.” “Long patience,” is “makrothumon,” the present active participle of “makrothumeo,” “to patiently endure, to have long patience.” Our Lord waits patiently for that day. Heb.10v13. We read in Rev.14v12., almost at the end of the great tribulation, that to overcome Antichrist, Christians will need to manifest “the patience of the saints.” “Patience” here is the noun “hupomone,” which speaks of endurance under trial, the same word describes the triumphant fortitude that Jesus manifested when he “endured the cross.” Heb.12v2,3. Patience and endurance are fruits of Spirit that we need to manifest in our lives in connection with our Lord's second coming. The Gospel had, and still has, to be preached to every nation. Christ Himself states, “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and THEN shall the end come.” Mt.24v14. 28v19. Acts.1v8. Mk.16v15. Many of these nations have only been discovered in recent years. This preaching is through life as well as lips. Jesus is the light of the world, and He has told us that He desires His Church to reflect His glory and be the light of the world also. Jn.8v12. with Mt.5v14-16. The fulfilment of this task has brought much tribulation upon the Church, from the people of the world, who have loved darkness more than light because their deeds are evil. Jn.3v19-21. The sufferings of the Church in the Great Tribulation will only be what it has suffered down the centuries through trying to preach and live the Gospel. Indeed, it is not possible to suffer any more than untold millions of God's children have suffered for preaching Christ and His truth. God will certainly not take the Church out of the world in its hour of greatest need and leave billions of needy souls in darkness and despair without the light and hope of the Gospel. This is totally alien to the spirit of the cross. The Scriptures state that Christians will be preaching and dying for Christ and His Gospel until the day of His coming at the end of the great tribulation. Mt.24v13,14,29-31. Acts.2v20,21. Rev.6v9-11. 7v13-15. 11v3-7. 12v17. 13v7. 14v12-20. 15v2,3. 16v6. 17v6. 18v24. 19v2. 20v4-6. etc. < >
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Chapter Three

Christ's second coming is at a set time, not at any time

Some Bible students state that at any time in history, the Church could have been caught up to heaven, and they believe that this can still happen at any moment. It is very difficult to understand how Christians can believe this after studying the Scriptures. Jesus said His return would be at an appointed time, and after many prophecies and signs have come to pass.

Jesus told Peter that he would die an old man. Jn.21v18-23.
In 2Pet.1v14,15., Peter reminded his hearers that our Lord had said that he would die when he was an old man, and stated in his second epistle that this was about to happen; he wrote this epistle in about A.D. 67 or 68. Peter also warned his hearers not to expect things to happen too quickly, for with the Lord, “a thousand years are as one day;” however, when the Lord fulfils the promise of His coming and returns, in one day He will do the work of a thousand years, “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years.” Ps.90v4. with 2Pet.3v8-13. Peter was probably martyred at Rome in about A.D. 68.

Jesus said Jerusalem and the Temple had to be destroyed and Israel scattered among the Gentiles.
On several occasions our Lord prophesied that Jerusalem and the Temple of his time were going to be destroyed; this prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70. Mt.23v37-39. 24v1,2. Lk.19v41-44. 21v20-24. Christ also prophesied in Lk.21v24., that Israel was going to be scattered among the nations and then regathered to Palestine, this, as Jesus indicated in His parables, was obviously going to take “a long time” to come to pass. Mt.25v19. Lk.20v9. Jesus will return at a set time appointed by God

“The Times of the Gentiles,” mentioned in Lk.21v24., take a long time to be fulfilled. They are the periods of time during which God has allowed many different nations to have empires, and to exercise authority and power over a period of many years. This has been a long-term purpose of God and has already lasted several millenniums. These “Times of the Gentiles,” probably started at the Babylonian captivity, when God's purposes for Israel had been frustrated by their sin; and Christ said that these Gentile times will continue right up to His second coming. These Gentile times are designed to expose the hearts of men and break their pride. On judgement day “every mouth will be stopped, and all the world will become guilty before God,” not only by the exposure of personal sin, but also by the exposure of national sin. The wickedness and misuse of power of every nation, and their failure to rule justly, righteously and in love, will be exposed and revealed to all. Rom.3v19.

Our Lord said His second coming would be "after a long time."
In His parable of the pounds in Lk.19v11-27. N.B. v11., our Lord warned His eager disciples of this long delay before His second coming and told them not to expect the kingdom of God to “immediately appear.” In the parable of the vineyard Jesus again warned His disciples that it was going to be “A LONG TIME” before the murdered beloved Son, “the stone the builders rejected,” was going to return to become “the head of the corner.” Lk.20v9-18. N.B.v9,17.

In Mt.25v19., in the parable of the talents, the Lord again states of Himself, “AFTER A LONG TIME the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.” In James.5v7,8., James exhorts his persecuted fellow-Christians to exercise “long patience” in waiting for the second coming of Christ; just as the husbandman waits for the harvest with “long patience” as well as “eager expectation.” “Long patience,” is “makrothumon,” the present active participle of “makrothumeo,” “to patiently endure, to have long patience.” Our Lord waits patiently for that day. Heb.10v13.

We read in Rev.14v12., almost at the end of the great tribulation, that to overcome Antichrist, Christians will need to manifest “the patience of the saints.” “Patience” here is the noun “hupomone,” which speaks of endurance under trial, the same word describes the triumphant fortitude that Jesus manifested when he “endured the cross.” Heb.12v2,3. Patience and endurance are fruits of Spirit that we need to manifest in our lives in connection with our Lord's second coming.

The Gospel had, and still has, to be preached to every nation.
Christ Himself states, “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and THEN shall the end come.” Mt.24v14. 28v19. Acts.1v8. Mk.16v15. Many of these nations have only been discovered in recent years. This preaching is through life as well as lips. Jesus is the light of the world, and He has told us that He desires His Church to reflect His glory and be the light of the world also. Jn.8v12. with Mt.5v14-16. The fulfilment of this task has brought much tribulation upon the Church, from the people of the world, who have loved darkness more than light because their deeds are evil. Jn.3v19-21. The sufferings of the Church in the Great Tribulation will only be what it has suffered down the centuries through trying to preach and live the Gospel. Indeed, it is not possible to suffer any more than untold millions of God's children have suffered for preaching Christ and His truth. God will certainly not take the Church out of the world in its hour of greatest need and leave billions of needy souls in darkness and despair without the light and hope of the Gospel. This is totally alien to the spirit of the cross. The Scriptures state that Christians will be preaching and dying for Christ and His Gospel until the day of His coming at the end of the great tribulation. Mt.24v13,14,29-31. Acts.2v20,21. Rev.6v9-11. 7v13-15. 11v3-7. 12v17. 13v7. 14v12-20. 15v2,3. 16v6. 17v6. 18v24. 19v2. 20v4-6. etc.

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