2ND SHOCKING ARRIVAL OF CHRIST

Sure looks different from the first coming!

JUST BEFORE THE RETURN

“Then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be…But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Matthew 24:21,22). Wow! Terrible suffering.

RELIGIOUS APOSTASY. “Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray…And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold” (24:5,10-12. Six times–”many”).

WORLD WARS. “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars…For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (6,7). Much worse than WWII, when 85 million perished.

NATURAL DISASTERS. “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places” (7b), as the earth is coming unglued.

PERSECUTION AND MARTYRDOM. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake” (9). Christians aren’t winning any popularity contests before the return of Christ.

WORLDWIDE EVANGELISM. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (14). In spite of opposition, the message goes out!

THE RETURN

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (29-31).

WHAT? The universe is unraveling, getting ready for a redo!

WHEN? No one knows, not angels, not even Jesus (36). “…the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (44). 

HOW? Glory and power, total visibility, the opposite of the first trip in humility and hiddenness.

FOR WHOM? The elect, the chosen. Two opposite responses to his coming: rejoicing or mourning. Unbelievers and demons will weep because their time is up.

SO WHAT? Stay awake (42) and do your job (45,46). That’s our assignment–until then!

JESUS ON THE END TIMES (part 2)

Jesus continues his teaching on the end times: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (Matt. 24:6), a day when street fights, racial crime, and national wars are too many to put in the morning paper. “See that you are not alarmed,” Christ’s second warning in three verses. He is wanting to get them ready for hard times, not for a glorious take-over. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places” (7). Suffering could make people susceptible to any quick fix or false prophet.

A friend into dominion theology said to me, “We are dealing with hunger. It is at a new low. We are making great progress and the church is on the move.” That was before Somalia and southern Nigeria, where starving children are dying daily. His statement reflects people who over-promise and under-perform (see part 1). Jesus has given us truth so we can go through difficult times with blazing hope. He does not have an inferiority complex. The leaders of Israel were optimistic about Israel’s immediate future when Jeremiah was not. He was seen as a traitor. Who were the real traitors?

So many earthquakes that you don’t want to go on a vacation for fear of what you enjoy collapsing under you. The Prophet says, “All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (8). I’ve seen birth pangs up close seven times. Not anything near fun but a sign that something wonderful is coming.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake” (9). The Prophet gets personal–”you.” Many martyrs in the last days. They will be killing Christians like in the first century. Doesn’t sound like God’s people are winning a popularity contest.

“And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another” (10). Brothers and sisters will turn on each other, parents and children, a deterioration of family. You don’t know whom to trust. Jesus uses the word “many” six times in eight verses. This is worldwide, not a small cult in New Mexico. John says that “the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast” (13:3).

“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many (some translations say “most”) will grow cold” (12). I’ve already seen the apostasy in the ELCA and some other mainline churches. Picture new-agers healing a two-year old of blindness and a whole church saying, “They have to be right if they are doing miracles.” Lawlessness–that describes the times more than any single word. Paul writes, “That day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed” ( 2 Thessalonians 2:3). He uses the word “lawless” four times in describing the antichrist who seduces cooled off Christians with unrestricted freedom. The antichrist stands against all moral law. Everything goes, and it goes fast. (Normal length)

But Jesus does have positive news in the midst of total collapse. He says that “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (13). The end-time quality most emphasized by Jesus, Paul, and John is endurance, not conquest. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (14). So persecution and proclamation go hand-in-hand. While the family is being shredded, the spirit of Elijah turns the hearts of fathers to children and revival happens in the midst of devastation. The church has thrived under persecution. Listen to the Good Shepherd comfort his sheep: “See, I have told you beforehand” (25). He is giving us truth so we endure.

Jesus speaks the same truth to the churches of the Revelation. Those who have remained obedient are urged to “be faithful even to the point of death,” so that they will be given the crown of life (Rev. 2:10). The Philadelphian church is commended for enduring patiently in spite of opposition (Rev. 3:10). Then we are given two chapters of the throne of God, the Great I Am and the Lamb, followed by fifteen chapters of unrelenting judgment poured out on unrepentant humanity. The judgment does not turn their hearts as the King prepares for his descent. Instead, they call for the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. The call in the book of Revelation is “patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints” (13:10; 14:12). When Christ returns, he will come to a world ravaged by judgment and to a Bride beautifully prepared for a wedding.

Three truths surface:

1. Revelation is the only book starting with a blessing for those who read it and ending with a curse for those who tamper with it.  
2. Leaders prepare people not “the great escape” but for the great harvest–with suffering.
3. Having been told about end times, “Set your hope fully on the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 1:13), and be about extending the influence of the king. Happened in underground China. How about here? ”Even so, come Lord Jesus!”

JESUS ON END TIMES, part 1

I started a young adult school, typically positive. Then I was given this advice: “Under-promise, over-perform.” I needed that!

A successful pastor said to staff, “I don’t want a negative eschatology.” Okay, but if it isn’t truth, it does not fit Jesus. Sometimes Jesus may sound negative, or is he simply speaking truth? “The gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13,14). Jesus was more likely to warn than welcome potential disciples.

It had been quite a week. Jesus had set his face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). He tried to tell his disciples repeatedly about dying, but they were clueless. He rode into the holy city proclaiming himself king. Then He cleaned out his Father’s house and followed with a healing service. The next days he cursed a fig tree, did some teaching, and showed his wisdom before nervous Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, who normally hated each other but ganged up on Jesus. They finally quit trying to trick him. Then he turned on them and pronounced seven sober woes before lamenting the coming desolation of Jerusalem for missing its time. He left the temple brokenhearted–for the last time. It brought him to tears.

Hey, fellas! Not the time to talk about stones and buildings. Herod was the greatest builder of that day, insane but brilliant. “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” (Mark 13:1). His response: “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Mark 13:1,2). People don’t move those stones. Armies could–maybe.

The shock of silence. They had just heard the worst news ever, like the end of Judaism. They finally had the nerve to speak. “As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately (for fear of starting a riot), saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’” (Matthew 24:3).The Prophet Jesus could see the dismantling of Jerusalem in that generation and at the close of the age. Prophecy sometimes comes with a double fulfillment. (Think Isaiah 7:14). Jesus needed to prepare his disciples for a potentially paralyzing truth. And he is preparing the church for an even more colossal devastation.

He starts with a warning: “See that you are not led astray” (5). If the first words out the Son of God’s mouth are a strong word of caution, we best take heed. Then he says “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.” “Many” is a lot of people. This will be a day when truth has never been so elusive. Why? Paul says that “God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11,12). If you want pleasure more than truth, then truth will be almost impossible to find. (Part 2 next).

CHRIST OR ANTICHRIST?

If you ask people, “Are you pro or anti?” you want to know if they are for or against. If someone is anti-Christ, he is against Christ.

Jesus did not come to earth to have a good trip. He came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).  He tried to tell his disciples, and they didn’t understand–and didn’t want to. They preferred life over death, good times over bad. Can’t blame them. I probably would have voted the same way.

Jesus worked mighty miracles. After feeding five thousand, he could see something was wrong. “Perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself” (John 6:15). Someone looking for popularity would have given in. He was seeking the favor of One.

Not only did he die unpopular, but he died a criminal. He was a misfit, “despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces…” (Isaiah 53:3). And “he was numbered with the transgressors” (12), guilt by association. He didn’t hang around popular people. The leaders said, “This man receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). He had a short season of popularity, but it didn’t last.

Take your pick–a lamb or a beast. Just before the return of Christ, a man will arise, inspired not by God but by Satan (antigod). He will be endowed with supernatural powers from the underworld to deceive those not belonging to Christ. He will become a world leader when a fatal wound is miraculously cured: “The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon [Satan] because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast [antichrist] and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?’” (Revelation 13:4). He will bring substantial and temporary peace in the world, fueled by Satan and demons. It will mean hard times for Christians, but the worst will only last three and a half years.

Paul warns, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come [the day of the Lord] until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple proclaiming himself to be God…The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing”(2 Thess. 2:3,4,9,10). Want to know more about this man? Daniel 7 and Revelation 13.

The world, blinded by sin, will think that this demon-possessed man is the answer to the world’s racial and social problems. When he proclaims himself god, humanity will believe his miracles and worship him with songs of praise. I won’t if I am around, and I hope you don’t. We live in an age of tolerance–except for those who disagree!. Be prepared to face ridicule, and maybe more.  Christians will give their lives as the world applauds. Then the triumphant King returns and that’s it for a race in rebellion. Enter eternity of bliss for followers of the Lamb! Make sure whose side you’re on!

LET’S READ REVELATION

It’s not the first book I recommend to a new Christian. Maybe it would be the best. It’s the favorite of my special-ed daughter, Naomi. It’s a picture book. It starts with Jesus addressing seven real churches in what is now Turkey. He commends, corrects, and comforts according to the vitality of each church. Some are doing well; others are barely surviving.

We remember many of those messages. He told Smyrna, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (2:10). He affirmed the church of brotherly love, Philadelphia, and promised to keep them “from the hour of trial that comes upon the whole world” (3:10). He warned lukewarm Laodicea that they were about to be spit out of his mouth (3:16).

Then comes a long section–visions of judgment upon a world in rebellion (chapter 4-18), most of the book. The suffering church is called to endure, a key word. The victorious ones are those who “loved not their lives even unto death” (12:11).

Chapter 19 gives us a glorious picture of the triumphant king whose “judgments are true and just” (2). This king rides a white horse and triumphs over the powers of darkness, holds the Great White Throne judgment, and gives the verdict that sends some into everlasting bliss and others (most) into the lake of fire. Among the first to go are the devil and death. He then ushers in the new heaven and new earth for the redeemed to enjoy for eternity, closing with a message given three times, “Behold, I am coming soon!”

John the author, writing in exile, doesn’t paint a picture of the church taking over the world. He says, “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patience endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (1:9). He tells his readers, including us, about “the things that must soon take place” (1:1). He promises that Jesus “is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him” (1:7). His return is our consuming hope (I Peter 1:13).

The following truths come through:

1. The end-time church is not winning a popularity contest. Most of the world has chosen its hero, the antichrist. The church is promised a place with the glorious king if it holds out faithful to the end.
2. Some make it, most don’t. The lie of universalism (that all eventually will) is exposed in this awe-inspiring book. The church does not present to the Bridegroom a largely converted world. As Jesus said, “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matt. 7:14).
3. The answer to the woes in the world is not a victorious church but a triumphant King with fire in his eyes. When the suffering increases, we are told to lift up our heads, because our redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:28)! He is the ultimate answer. He deals with the race in rebellion, not the church.

Some teach a more “positive” end-time picture. Is this one pessimistic? No, because it is truth. Read the Book! It focuses on the exalted Christ who overcomes, who says what He will do–and does it. Our trust is centered in the Lamb–alone! Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

CHRIST OR ANTICHRIST

 

…a lamb or a beast. Just before the return of Christ, a man will arise, inspired not by God but by Satan (anti-god). He will be endowed with supernatural powers from the underworld to deceive those not belonging to Christ. He will become a world leader when a fatal wound is miraculously cured: “The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon [Satan] because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?’” He will bring substantial and temporary peace in the world, fueled by Satan and demons.

Paul writes, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come [the day of the Lord] until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple proclaiming himself to be God…The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing”(2 Thess. 2:3,4,9,10).

The world, blinded by sin, will be deceived into thinking that this demon-possessed man is the answer to the world’s racial and social problems. When he proclaims himself god, humanity will believe his miracles and worship him with songs of praise.

The antichrist will exercise unilateral authority for three and a half years (Rev. 13:5). “He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (13:7,8). During this time of persecution, called the Great Tribulation, Christians are challenged to be “faithful unto death,” in order to win “the crown of life.”

This beast (the opposite of the Lamb, in the prophecy of Daniel) was “waging war against the saints and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom…He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws…But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever” (Daniel 7:21,22,25,26).

The only one able to handle the antichrist is Christ, and He will return with a militia of warring angels, any one of which who could dismantle the entire U.S. Marines. Jesus came the first time to die. He returns now to take over the earth and rule: “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming” (2 Thess. 3:8).

The end-time answer to the problems in the world will not be a large-scale turning to Christ, though we still believe for a major revival (Malachi 4:5,6), or the church gaining in power and influence. It will be the return of the glorious one on the white horse with fire in His eyes. Period! Come, Lord Jesus!

IS THE WORLD GETTING DARKER OR LIGHTER?

When the disciples pointed out the beautiful temple, Jesus used it to give a teaching on the immediate and distant future. He did not paint an optimistic picture. He spoke of large-scale apostasy: “…because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). “Most” includes lots of people. Revelation 12:9 says Satan “leads the whole world astray.”

Jesus said that the gate to destruction is wide and “many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt. 7:13,14). This didn’t keep the disciples from turning their world on its head, nor should it keep us. A take-over mentality trumps an escapist outlook that says, “Let’s get out of here before the devil creams us.” But Jesus also closed a story about prayer with a question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

The lights in the universe will be turned out at the curtain call of history to signal the return of Christ. The earth will have been largely unrepentant with the colossal judgment poured out on humankind. The Rider on the white horse is coming to “strike down the nations” (Rev. 19:15). All the more reason to go to the nations now.

Our blessed hope is not a massive turning to Christ, but the return of Christ Himself. Paul speaks often about the day of the Lord and events preceding. Like Jesus, he says that the return catches most people off guard who are talking about “peace and safety.” The answer to the antichrist comes not from God’s people but from Christ Himself. We’ll see an upgrade of miracles near the end, but many will come from the wrong side. Paul warns Timothy that “there will be terrible times in the last days” (2 Tim. 3:1).

The book of Revelation begins with Jesus addressing seven churches, anything but an optimistic picture. The churches that have remained obedient are urged to “be faithful even to the point of death” (Rev. 2:10), suggesting persecution of the faithful and political dominance by Satan’s forces. Revelation shows God’s wrath being poured out upon the unrepentant. Plagues offer one last chance to yield to the Lordship of the King. Most resist and choose wrath.

There will be masses in heaven (Rev. 7:9) and masses sent into a Christ-less eternity. Why did God give us a book to end His book that includes sixteen chapters of judgment? God’s judgment is visited upon a stubborn earth refusing to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. It was written to warn and encourage Christians to endure to the end when things get worse before they get better, and to witness boldly, if necessary as martyrs. The call put out was for “patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints” (13:10; 14:12), who go victoriouly through suffering, not escaping through a rapture.

The gospel will be preached to the ends of the earth, but it doesn’t suggest that people are rushing in to receive it. When Jesus speaks of believers being “hated by all nations,” it doesn’t sound like they are winning popularity contests. Yet it is the time for God’s people to be on the move: “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever” (Dan. 12:3). “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until full day” (Prov. 4:18).

Well, is revival coming? I believe so, and it will turn throngs to Jesus Christ. It will make the Jesus Movement look like a small gathering in the kitchen, impacting the family and influencing the world (Mal. 4:5,6). So regarding the question in the title, the answer is, “Yes!”

I use these principles in understanding end-time teaching:

1. Progressive revelation: the New Testament interprets the Old, not vice versa.
2. The book of Revelation is not a locked up book. It is given to be read and understood. We don’t know the time of Christ’s coming. We know the season by the signs. As we see the signs, we lift up our heads.
3. Jesus made clear that He is returning “soon.” We live in constant readiness. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!