Welcome back. In this final part of this series we will explore the promised future return of Jesus Christ where He will rule and reign over His Kingdom here on earth. Will you be ready?
Jesus Christ's Return
The New Testament clearly teaches that Jesus can return at any moment (Acts 1:11; Titus 2:13; James 5:8; 1 Peter 4:7). Jesus' return is imminent because there are no prophecies that need to be fulfilled for that to happen. Jesus said that the Father had appointed Him a kingdom in which the disciples will "eat and drink" with Him (Luke 22:29-30). The disciples thought that the kingdom was to appear immediately (Luke 19:11). Just before Jesus ascended into heaven some of His disciples asked Him, "Lord, will You at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" His answer was that it was not for them to know the times or the seasons of the kingdom (Acts 1:6-7).
This Messianic kingdom was yet future because these believing Jews were about to become part of the church, the body of Christ, which began at Pentecost (Acts 1:4-5) by means of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). The church age intervenes to postpone the kingdom. The church was never prophesied in the Old Testament. It was a mystery (Ephesians 3:3-11). It was never said of the nation of Israel that they were part of Christ's body, the church! After ascending into heaven, two angels addressed the disciples and said:
"This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).Previous to this, Jesus had told them about the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 25:1) and the kingdom God (Mark 1:4); and what would happen when He returned, saying:
"When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be gathered all nations; and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepard divides his sheep from the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world'" (Matthew 25:31-34).In Daniel's vision of the progression of world kingdoms, four kings are symbolized as beasts; with the fourth one slain (Daniel 7:11), then Daniel saw the Son receive the kingdom from God the Father:
"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people, nations and languages should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14).
"I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of Days came, and judgement was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him" (Daniel 7:21-22, 27).The millennial kingdom that God's saints will receive will be an earthly kingdom:
Psalm 2:8; Isaiah 11:9, 42:1-4; Jeremiah 23:5; Zechariah 14:9Messiah will rule the world in justice:
Isaiah 9:4-5; Jeremiah 23:3-6, 33:15-21Messiah will rule from Jerusalem:
Isaiah 2:1-3; Zephaniah 3:15-17; Zechariah 8:1-3, 14:4Messiah will return to the Mount of Olives where He left the earth:
Zechariah 14:4; Acts 1:11Creation will be returned to the state it was before the fall:
Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:6-9, 35:1, 65:18-25Those who die at age 100 will be considered children:
Isaiah 35:5-6, 65:20God will recall the Jews a second time from all the lands of their dispersion back to Israel:
Isaiah 14:1-3; Jeremiah 23:6-8, 32:37-40, 33:7; Ezekiel 36:16-38, 37:22-25God will rebuild the temple:
Zechariah 6:12-13Christ will come in judgment:
Psalm 96:13; Isaiah 63:1-6, 65:15-16; Malachi 3:1-4; Revelation 19:11-21Christ will root out all causes of sin:
Matthew 13:41Satan and the fallen angels will be put in prison so they are unable to deceive anyone during the millennial kingdom age:
Isaiah 24:21-23; Revelation 20:2-3Theological knowledge will be common:
Habakkuk 2:14The new nation or millennial kingdom of Israel will be born in one day:
Isaiah 66:7-9The church will reign with Christ during this kingdom age:
1 Corinthians 6:2-3; 2 Timothy 2:11-12Nowhere does the Bible teach that Jesus' second coming will take place after the world has become a better place because ostensibly most people will eventually be converted to Christianity. This false, post-millennial eschatological view was developed by Daniel Whitby (1638-1726), a wayward Unitarian clergyman of the church of England, and embraced by the modernists of the late nineteenth century. This idea was also used to sell World War I to Americans as "the war to end all wars."
Jesus said:
"And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that you are not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet" (Matthew 24:6).Paul warns:
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away" (2 Timothy 3:1-5).Significant influences in changing people's biblical beliefs began with the European Renaissance. It was the arts, theater, music, media and public education which touched and remolded the thinking of the masses. The masses weren't touched directly by philosophy. Philosophical humanism was birthed in the academic halls attended by the elite; and it was called "higher education." Well, things are not what they appear to be!
Satan and his demons have been so effective in disguising and camouflaging his schemes. Most Christians are just as deceived as unbelievers as to how his evil strategies work in this world. First century believers were seriously warned by both Peter and Jude (2 Peter 2:1, 3:16-17; Jude 4).
Through the ages, Satan's deliberate lies and deceptions have often neutralized Christians in this world. Until the Lord says, "Enough," Satan will continue his grand deception. Twenty-first century existential postmodern humanism has been used by Satan to beguile both unbelievers and "new evangelicals." The latter have recast their own image so that they have now become postmodern in their misguided attempt to reach the postmodern culture! There is definitely nothing new under the sun.
However, no matter how dark things may get on earth for God's people, we must never forget that Jesus is coming again to rescue His church prior to His tribulation judgment. This judgment will be upon a sinful and Christ-rejecting world that chooses to live in Satan's kingdom of darkness. This tribulation period is the last seven years of the 490 years, the seventy sevens spoken of by Daniel, which God gave to the nation of Israel to conclude precisely accurate prophesied world history (Daniel 9:24-26).
The church is "caught up" and gathered to our Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:1) prior to this tribulation period:
Acts 1:6-7, 11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4; Revelation 3:10 with Revelation 14:8, 19, 15:1; Revelation 16; Revelation 19.God's purposes through the tribulation period (Daniel 9:24-26) are to:
1. End the church age with the rapture.
2. Conclude the age of Israel with Messiah Jesus Christ's second advent.
3. Judge the peoples of this world for their crimes (2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 8-19).
4. Destroy Satan's kingdom on earth (Daniel 2:34-35).
5. Bring in Jesus Christ's kingdom and its righteousness; He will physically and literally return to earth to judge and inaugurate his kingdom at His second advent:
1 Chronicles 16:31-33; Psalm 9:8, 82:8, 96:13, 98:9; Isaiah 24:1, 21:23, 26:21, 66:15-16; Zechariah 14:1-5; Malachi 3:1-5; Matthew 13:41, 24:30-31, 25:30; Acts 1:11; 1 John 2:28; Revelation 19:11-21, 22:12The kingdom of heaven on earth will come with the sounding of the seventh angel:
"The kingdom of this world has become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever" Revelation 11:15b; Daniel 2:44, 7:21-22).At the end of the millennial kingdom age (1000 years), Satan, his demons and all unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death; it is spiritual and eternal separation from God (Revelation 20:10, 14-15).
How glorious it will be when we hear a loud voice from heaven saying:
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people. God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:3-4 NKJV).
"Therefore, comfort one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:18 NKJV).Obviously, what is happening in thew world today is the dark work of Satan, the god of this world, who is nearing his day of judgment.
"But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).
Closing Truths:
This is the truth we find in the sovereign God revealed in nature and in His Word, the Bible. This is the reality of the One who made these claims:
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known me, you would have known My Father" (John 14:6-7).
"Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, 'You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free'" (John 8:31-32).The Bible says that:
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)And that all are therefore subject to:
"Eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" (2 Thessalonians 1:9).But the good news is that God has done something about it!
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).Jesus Christ the Creator, though totally sinless, suffered on behalf of mankind, the penalty of mankind's sin, which is death and eternal separation from God. He did this to satisfy the righteous demands of the holiness and justice of God, His Father.
Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice; He died on the Cross, but on the third day He rose again, conquering death, so that all who truly believe in Him, repent of their sins and trust in Him (rather than their own merit) are able to come back to God and live for eternity with their Creator.
Therefore:
"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18 NKJV).What a wonderful Savior and what a wonderful salvation in Christ Jesus our Creator!
My friends, this is not an option - it is essential for our salvation, our survival, and for the integrity of our witness in the world. Time is running out. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, I encourage you to do so today, before it is too late! If I can be of help to you in understanding God's promises of His Salvation plan, please do not hesitate to ask!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings on your success!
Shane <><
Lighthouse Publications <><
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)
