Chapter 60
SIGNS OF THE TIMES – PART II
Jesus’ Second Coming
Matthew 16:1-4
Before we begin this portion of our study of the signs of the times let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God, as we study and read Your Word please grant us the ability to truly see and hear the things You are telling us. Help us to look around this world and see that the signs of our times are showing us that the return of Your Son Jesus Christ is near. As we see and hear these things; Father God please, draw us closer to You, through Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
In part I of this study, which is chapter 59 we:
1. Saw that in spite of all the miracles Jesus performed, the Pharisees and Sadducees still asked for a sign from Heaven. We also discovered that what they meant by a sign from Heaven would be a miracle such as fire coming down from Heaven or the reversal of the earth’s rotation or movement of the sun.
2. Reviewed three examples of the signs of the times that foretold of the arrival of the Christ that the Pharisees and Sadducees should have recognized. The three examples we reviewed were: (1) The magi, (2) John the Baptist and (3) The ministry of Jesus Christ.
3. Discovered that the reason the Pharisees and Sadducees did not recognize Jesus nor the signs of the times was because they did not truly desire to know or want to follow the truth.
4. Saw, that the sign of Jonah, which foreshadowed Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, was and is the sign from Heaven that confirms the fact that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah.
During the closing of part I, the following two questions were presented, (1) “What is the lesson to be learned?” And (2) “How can we apply all this knowledge to the Christian community of today?” These questions will be addressed in this chapter when we will,
1. See that as the Old Testament Scriptures foretold the Messiah, who is Jesus Christ’s, first visit to this earth, the New Testament foretells His return.
2. Find that as the Scriptures gave the signs of the times of His first appearance, they also provide us the signs of the times of His upcoming second visit.
3. See that we should always keep our hearts right with God and desire His truth so that, unlike the Pharisees and Sadducees, we will be ready and prepared to for Jesus Christ’s second coming.
With the above introduction in mind we begin with,
SOME PROPHECIES THAT FORETELL JESUS' RETURN TO EARTH
The fact that Jesus Christ will visit the earth a second time is clearly taught in the New Testament Scriptures. To see this we will,
1. See that Jesus told His disciples He would return.
2. Read the prophecy that was given by two angels.
3. Find that every time we partake of His Supper we proclaim His return.
4. See that throughout the epistles, Jesus’ second coming is clearly spoken of.
5. Discover the purpose of Jesus’ second coming.
As we read the New Testament we quickly discover that,
JESUS PROMISED TO RETURN A SECOND TIME
Jesus clearly taught His disciples and now us that He will definitely return to earth for His church. These are the people who belong to Him. For example, let us read what Jesus said to His disciples to prepare them for His upcoming death, resurrection and ascension into Heaven. To do this we go to
John 14:1-3
[1] “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. [2] In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
Let us notice the following verses,
2 … Jesus told His disciples then and now us that while in Heaven He is preparing a place for those who are His.
3 … Jesus also told His disciples then and now us that He will come again to bring all those who are His to the place He prepared for us.
At the time of Jesus’ ascension we find that,
TWO ANGELS FORETOLD OF JESUS’ RETURN TO EARTH
To comfort His disciples, at the time when Jesus ascended back into Heaven, two angels said that Jesus will return. This is recorded in,
[9] Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. [10] And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, [11] who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
In addition to Jesus Himself, and the two angels,
WE, DURING THE LORD’S SUPPER, ALSO PROCLAIM JESUS’ SECOND COMING
To see this, let us read from,
1 Corinthians 11:26
[26] For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Finally, we also discover that
THE EPISTLES FORTELL OF JESUS’ SECOND COMING
For example, let us read what the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, wrote to comfort those who were and are concerned about the fate of those who died before our Lord Jesus Christ’s return. To do this we go to
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
[16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
With this in mind, let us now review,
THE PURPOSE OF JESUS’ SECOND COMING
One of the reasons Jesus will come to earth a second time will be to gather to Himself those who are His. In the above Scripture, we discovered that the born-again believers who died in Christ will be resurrected first. Then, those who are alive during His return will be caught up to meet with our spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ. Hence, all of us will forever be together with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To see what it will be like, let us read the following excerpt of the vision Jesus gave to the Apostle John,
Revelation 21:1-7
[1] Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. [2] Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard 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 will be with them and be their God [4] And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” [5] Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” [6] And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. [7] He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
“What about those left behind?” “What is going to happen to those who Jesus does not take with Him?” To find out, we go to,
Revelation 21:1-8
[8] But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Thus, we find not only will Jesus Christ return to gather to Himself who are His; but, those who are not His we will be sentenced to the Lake of Fire.
Consequently, it is imperative for us to be sure we are His and always be prepared and ready to go. To see this let us read the following exhortation from,
Luke 21:34-36
[34] “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. [35] For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. [36] Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
In chapter 59 we saw that the Pharisees’ and Sadducees’ lack of desire to know and follow the Truth of God prevented them from recognizing and taking to heart the signs of their times. Consequently, they missed receiving their Messiah, Jesus Christ.
“What about us?” “Are we aware of some of the signs that will characterize the days of the eminent return of our Lord?” “Are we aware of the signs of the times in which we live?” In case we are not sure, we will explore some of the,
SIGNS OF THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE
To explore this topic we will:
1. See that we are now living in a period of transition. Specifically, God’s attention is moving away from the Gentile nations and starting to focus upon Israel.
2. Find that we live in a time characterized by the Bible as a time of apathy, which is indifference, for the truth. We will also find this apathy or indifference for truth is a sign of the last days, which are the times of Jesus Christ’s return.
INTRODUCTION
As you read this portion of our study you will notice that, other than Luke 21:20-24, none of the prophecies recorded in chapter 24 of Matthew, chapter 13 of Mark and chapter 21 of Luke have been utilized. The reason for this is that these chapters record Jesus' response to two of His disciple’s questions: (1) "When will the Temple be destroyed?" and (2) "What will be the signs of His return?" Since I am not able to completely sort out the signs within these Scriptures that pertain to Jesus' second coming from those that pertain to the destruction of the Temple, they were not used in this study.
Secondly, the relative time of the rapture, which is a manmade phrase to identify or describe the gathering up of God’s people, was also not utilized. The reason for this is that I cannot find a specific time or timeline for this event. As a matter of fact, throughout the Christian literature one finds the following three possibilities identified and debated:
1. Pre-Tribulation
2. Mid-Tribulation.
3. Post-Tribulation.
With this introduction in mind, we begin by reading some,
BACKGROUND OR REVIEW
Before we begin our study of the signs of our times, it will be of great value to refresh our memories with respect to the following two points:
First, as we saw earlier, the time of Jesus’ first visit to earth was characterized by apathy for truth. In other words, other than a portion of the Israelites, that is a remnant, the people’s hearts were hardened (not responsive) to God and His ways. Thus, they missed their chance to be a disciple of Jesus and receive the salvation that He came to give. To see this, let us read why Jesus taught in parables.
Matthew 13:10-11
[10] And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” [11] He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”
It is the same for today. To further illustrate this, let us prayerfully read the following Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 2:6-16
[6] … we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. [7] But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, [8] which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
[9] But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
[10] But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. [11] For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. [13] These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. [14] But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. [15] But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. [16] For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
With this in mind, we return to Matthew and read from,
Matthew 13:13-16
[13] Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. [14] And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; [15] For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them. [16] But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;”
Let us notice the following verse,
16 … How blessed we, the disciples of Jesus Christ, are! How blessed we are that our spiritual eyes and ears are now opened to understand and to receive the things of God!
The second point for us to remember is that as a consequence of rejecting their Messiah, God decreed that the time had finally come for Jerusalem to be overrun and the Temple to be destroyed. To see this, let us read what Jesus said as He wept over the city of Jerusalem,
Luke 19:41-44
[41] Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, [42] saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. [43] For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, [44] and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
The Scriptures further tell us that during the time His disciples were admiring the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus again foretold of the destruction of the Temple and the overthrow of Jerusalem. To see this, let us read from,
Luke 21:5-6
[5] Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, [6] “These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”
In addition to the Temple being destroyed, Jerusalem will be overthrown and the people will be dispersed throughout the nations. This is recorded in,
Luke 21:20 -24(a)
[20] “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. [21] Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. [22] For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. [23] But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. [24] And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations…”
In previous studies we found that the prophecy for the fall of Jerusalem was fulfilled by the Roman army in 70AD.
With these two points in mind: (1) the fall of Jerusalem and (2) the hardening of the hearts of the Israelites, let us now see that,
WE LIVE IN A TIME OF TRANSITION
To see this, we return to the conversation that Jesus had with His disciples and finish reading what He told them. Specifically, in addition to the destruction of Jerusalem He also told them that Jerusalem will transition back to the sovereign rule of Israel. To read what He said let us go to,
Luke 21:24(b)
[24] ... And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The question that comes to mind is: “What did Jesus mean when He said, “Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.””? As we discovered in Chapter 58, the answer to this question is provided in,
Romans 11:25-27
[25] For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. [26] And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; [27] For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”
Let us notice the following verses,
25 … This hardening of the Jewish people’s heart in accepting Jesus will only last till the fullness of the Gentiles has occurred, that is till the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Then,
26-27 … The Deliver, that is Jesus, will come and bring into the fold the Israelites.
From a historical standpoint let us recall that the restoration of Israel to a sovereign state, that is no longer under the control of a Gentile nation, occurred in 1948. This happened approximately 1,878 years after its overthrow by the Roman army in 70AD.
In addition, we also find that the restoration or transition of Jerusalem to the sovereign state of Israel finally occurred after the miraculous 1967 six day war. Furthermore, under the direction of President Trump, Jerusalem regained its title as the capital of Israel.
With all the above in mind, it is safe to say we are now living in the days of transition. In other words, we are living in the times where the prophecy relative to Jerusalem and the deliverance of the Israelites is in the process of being fulfilled. And, the fullness of the Gentiles is upon us.
Another sign that is to precede Jesus’ second coming is the,
APATHY OR INDIFFERENCE FOR TRUTH
This sign, which was foretold by the Holy Spirit, is a similar apathy for truth that was prevalent during the times of our Lord’s first visit.
In addition to this being a sign of the last days, we will also see that because of the people’s apathy for the truth, God will appease their desires/appetites and send them a great delusion.
We begin this portion of our study by noting that this apathy for truth was foretold to have at least the following two characteristics:
1. The power of godliness will be denied.
2. The so called Christian gatherings will surround themselves with teachers that tickle the ear.
With the above in mind we begin be examining that fact that,
The Power of Godliness Will be Denied
Let us read what is foretold concerning the general attitudes of the people who will be living in the last days. As we read the following Scripture, please pay particular attention to verse 5.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
[1] But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: [2] For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, [3] unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, [4] traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, [5] having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
To discern the signs of our times, let us prayerfully consider and reflect upon the following questions:
“Within the majority of today’s Christian gatherings, the issues of sin, such as homosexuality, adultery, fornication (that is sex outside of marriage), along with those listed above in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 glossed over, ignored or even accepted?” (Or) “As the Holy Spirit commands us, is there an emphasis that teaches and exhorts us to live in a manner worthy of our call?” Consider the following,
Ephesians 4:1
[1] I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
We must remember Jesus came to sacrifice Himself to not only make amends for us, that is bring us forgiveness for our sins but He also redeemed us from the power of sin. Consequently, He not only expects us to live our lives in the freedom of His forgiveness but also in a manner worthy of our call.
To illustrate this point, let us consider the exhortation the Holy Spirit gave to the church in Galatia. To do this, we begin reading from,
Galatians 5:16-18
[16] I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. [17] For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.[18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
To determine whether or not we are walking in the Holy Spirit, let us first read a snapshot of the following the fruits that are produced from our flesh.
Galatians 5:18-21
19] Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, [21] envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Those who practice or continually live to gratify their fleshy desires and do not try to yield themselves to the power of the Holy Spirit to keep them for sinning will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, the power of godliness is denied.
To read the fruit that is produced from The Holy Spirit we go to,
Galatians 5:22-25
22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. [24] And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
In other words, if we live our daily lives by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to live His life in and through us, the Holy Spirit, who lives within the born-again believer, will put to death the works of the flesh, which is sin. He then will bring forth from within us His fruits of righteousness. This is the power of godliness.
The second characteristic relative to the apathy for truth is that the religious community will surround themselves with,
Teachers That Tickle the Ears
In other words, the Bible teaches us that many so called Christians will only listen to and gathers teachers that tell them what their carnal nature wants to hear. To see this, let us read where the Apostle Paul reminds Timothy to always present the truth of God's Word.
2 Timothy 4:1-4
[1] I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: [2] Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. [3] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; [4] and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
To discern the signs of our times relative to teachers that tickle our ears, let us prayerfully consider and reflect upon the following questions:
“Is the Christian teaching of our day mixed and watered down with this world’s politically correct answers, doctrines and/or methods that promise to alleviate our human suffering and problems?” (Or) “Does the emphasis of the today’s Christian teaching exhort us to rely and depend upon God and the Truth of His promises that will enable us to partake of His nature and escape from the world’s corruption?”
In addition to the issue of a watered-down Gospel with the world’s empty answers to our problems, we should also prayerfully ask ourselves,
“Is the Christian teaching of our day focused upon providing answers and methods for a good, healthy and financially prosperous life here on earth?” (Or) “Is the teaching more focused upon how we are to live our life on this earth so as to reap the rewards in eternity?”
First of all, for our own spiritual health, the Holy Spirit commands us to stay away from teachers and places that placate theirs and our fleshy desires.
2 Timothy 3:5a
And from such people turn away!
So we can live in a manner that is worthy of our heavenly call, let us read the tremendous and all encompassing promises our God has made to each and every one of us,
2 Peter 1:2-4
[2] Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, [3] as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, [4] by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
To further understand this issue, let us prayerfully read,
Matthew 6:19-21
[19] “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
With the above signs in mind, we now come to,
THE WARNING
Because of all this apathy, God tells us that in the last days He will send a great delusion. He will do this because during the last days the people will no longer desire to know or follow the truth of God. Instead they would much rather follow fables, fantasies, and man-made doctrines. Consequently, He will send them their desire. To see this, let us read from,
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
[9] The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, [10] and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [11] And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, [12] that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
If this delusion is coming from God; “How can we possibly be protected from it?” “How can we ever prevail?” To find out we begin by rereading the following Scripture,
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
[9] The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, [10] and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
In other words, we are to love the Truth! Specifically, we should remember to not commit the same error as the Pharisees and Sadducees and live a life of external spirituality and holiness. Instead, with our whole heart we are to love and live in the Truth. As we do this let us never forget that one of the characteristics of Jesus Christ is that He is the truth. This is recorded in,
John 14:6
[6] Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Thus, when we whole heartily desire to know and live in the truth, that is cling to Jesus, we find the most glorious promise.
John 10:27-30
[27] My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. [28] And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. [30] I and My Father are one.”
SUMMARY
In summary, we find that since the city of Jerusalem is no longer under Gentile rule, the prophecies concerning the nation of Israel, and Jerusalem, are being fulfilled. Consequently, we find ourselves living in a day of transition. In other words, as God gave Jerusalem up from the Israelites to the Gentiles at the time of His first appearance upon earth, He has now returned Jerusalem to the people of Israel. As we saw in Romans 11:25-27, He did this because the times of the Gentiles are being fulfilled and He is now preparing for His second visit to earth..
In addition, as the time of our Lord’s first visit was characterized by the people’s apathy for truth, these same attitudes that were foretold to characterize the last days are presently unfolding.
THE MESSAGE
What is the point of going through all of this? What is the message? Perhaps it is best stated by reading the following exhortation that Jesus gave to each and every one of us,
Luke 21:29-36
[29] Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. [30] When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. [31] So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. [32] Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. [33] Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. [34] “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. [35] For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. [36] Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
CLOSING
Let us close this study by reading from,
2 Corinthians 13:14
[14] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
Blessed be the Lord forever,
Amen and Amen