Chapter 25
SIGNS OF THE TIMES – PART II
Jesus’ Second Coming
Before we begin this portion of our study of the signs of the times let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father, 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 please, Father God, draw us closer and closer to You, through Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
In part I of this study, which is chapter 24 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.
2. Reviewed some examples of the signs of the times that foretold of the arrival of the Christ that the Pharisees and Sadducees should have recognized and taken to heart. The three examples we reviewed were: (1) The magi or wise men, (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 is Jesus' death, resurrection and return to Heaven was and is the sign from Heaven that confirms the fact that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah.
During the closing of part I, which is chapter 24, the following two questions were presented: (1) “What is the lesson to be learned here?” And (2) “How can we apply all this knowledge to the Christian community of today?” These are the questions that will be addressed in this chapter when we will,
1. See that as the Old Testament Scriptures foretold of the Messiah’s, who is Jesus Christ’s, first visit to this earth, the New Testament clearly teaches us that He will 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, whom He has chosen, will be ready and prepared to be gathered by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
With the above introduction in mind we begin part II of the study of the signs of the times with,
SOME PROPHECIES THAT FORETELL OF JESUS' RETURN TO EARTH
The fact that Jesus Christ will visit the earth a second time is clearly taught in the Scriptures of the New Testament. To see this we will,
1. See that Jesus told His disciples He will return.
2. Read the prophecy of Jesus’ return that was given by two angels during His ascension back into Heaven.
3. Find that we proclaim His return every time we partake of His Supper.
4. See that His second coming is clearly spoken of throughout the epistles.
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. 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 will prepare 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 told them that Jesus will return. To read what they said let us go to
[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.”
It is interesting to note that in addition to Jesus Himself and the two angels, every time
WE CELEBRATE OUR LORD’S SUPPER WE 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
In reading the New Testament we discover that throughout the epistles Jesus’ second coming is clearly taught. 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.
Now that we clearly see that Jesus Christ will come a second time to this earth, let us now review,
THE PURPOSE OF JESUS’ SECOND COMING
As we just finished reading, 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 Scriptures, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 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 for those of us who will be resurrected into a new life, let us read the following excerpt of the vision Jesus gave to the Apostle John,
Revelation 21:1-5
[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.”
What about those left behind? What is going to happen to those who Jesus does not take with Him on His second coming? To find out, let us read about the vision that Jesus gave John that addresses this very question,
Revelation 19:11-21
[11] Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. [12] His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. [13] He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. [14] And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. [15] Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. [16] And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. [17] Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the £supper of the great God, [18] that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” [19] And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. [20] Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. [21] And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
Thus, we find that not only is Jesus scheduled to return to earth so as to gather to Himself those who are His, but at that time He will also wage war against all those who are not His. Hence, it is imperative for us to be always 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 our previous study 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 now? What about us? Do we desire to know and follow the Truths of God? 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, let us now 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 He 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 that this apathy or indifference for truth is a sign of the last days, 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, I have not utilized any of the prophecies recorded in chapter 24 of Matthew, chapter 13 of Mark and chapter 21 of Luke. 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 pertained to the destruction of the Temple, I believe it best to only discuss the signs or prophecies that I am comfortable with.
BACKGROUND
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 small number of 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 true disciple of Jesus and receive the salvation that He came to give. To see this, let us read why Jesus taught in parables.
Matthew 13:10-16
[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. [12] For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. [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 verses,
10-11 … It was only to Jesus’ disciples that the mysteries of God’s Kingdom were explained. It is the same today.
13-15 … Pretty sobering isn’t it?
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.”
As we read the Scriptures further, we find 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.”
We also read that Jesus told His disciples that in addition to the Temple being destroyed, Jerusalem will be overthrown and the people will be dispersed throughout the nations.
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 chapter 2 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 explore the fact that,
WE LIVE IN A TIME OF TRANSITION
To see this, let us 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.
In reflecting upon the above prophecy of transition, the question that comes to mind is: “What did Jesus mean when He said, “Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”? To find out, let us read the following excerpt from where the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, explains to us that Israel’s rejection of Jesus brought God’s Grace to the Gentile.
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.
In Chapter 2 we found that the restoration of Israel to be 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 in Chapter 2 that the restoration or transition of Jerusalem to the sovereign state of Israel finally occurred after the miraculous 1967 six day war.
With all the above in mind, I believe that it is safe to say that 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.
Let us move on to another sign that is to precede Jesus’ second coming. Specifically, it is the time when there will be an
APATHY OR INDIFFERENCE FOR TRUTH
This sign, which was foretold by the Holy Spirit, is a similar apathy for truth as 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 is 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
To see that during the last days the Scripture foretells 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 do, 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 each one of us prayerfully consider and reflect upon the following:
Within the majority of today’s Christian gatherings, are the issues of sin, such as homosexuality, adultery, fornication (that is sex outside of marriage), lying along with those listed above in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 glossed over or ignored? (Or) As the Holy Spirit commands us, is there an emphasis that calls and exhorts us to live in a manner worthy of our call? To read what the Holy Spirit says let us got to
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 that 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 let us read from
Galatians 5:16-25
[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. [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. [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.
Before we move on to the next characteristic of the foretold apathy, let us pay attention to how serious of an issue this is. First of all, for our own spiritual health, in 2 Timothy 3:5 above, the Holy Spirit commands us to stay away from those teachers and places that placate theirs and our fleshy desires. Also notice in Galatians 5:21 that those who walk or live to gratify their fleshy desires and not yield themselves to the power of the Holy Spirit will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
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 around teachers that tell them what their carnal nature want 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 each and every one of 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? So we can live in a manner that is worthy of our heavenly call, let us read the tremendous and all encompassing promises that 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.
In addition to this issue of a watered down Gospel with the world’s empty answers to our problems, we should also prayerfully ask ourselves:
After the initial outreach to bring the unsaved to Jesus Christ, is the Christian teaching of our day focused upon providing answers and methods for a “good” 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?
To better understand this issue, let us prayerfully read what Jesus had to say on this subject in,
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 what is for me the most frightening and sobering portion of this study, which is
THE WARNING
Specifically, 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 and fantasies. 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? Or 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 (John 14:6).
Thus, when we whole heartily desire to know and live in the truth, that is cling to Jesus and His ways, 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, that our Lord Jesus Christ gave when He wept over Jerusalem and when He spoke to His disciples by the Temple are 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 are 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.”
Shall We Pray?