You can be expectant and alert for Christs return without believing that he could return at any moment with no predicted signs preceding it. Read this Biblical wisdom from Billy Graham and Franklin Graham. Let The Seventh Angel Sound On High We should be giving people the good news of what Jesus did on the cross and who He is. So lets consider briefly why it matters. There is nothing that HAS to take place prophetically before His comes FOR His bride. Holman Christian Standard Bible And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. For by grace you have been saved through faith. Although we will never fully know Gods plan for the end times, He has given us promises about that time in His written Word. First, He will come for believers, both living and dead, in the rapture (read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. J If its true that we go to hell if we don't accept Jesus as our savior Let me first answer your second question: Jesus hasnt yet returned because God wants to give everyone an opportunity to know about Christ and turn to Him in repentance and faith. The Bible says, These signs will follow them that believe. And yet here is a Church holding this faith and unfollowed by these signs. No one comes to the Father except through me. But it has not been much urged; and why? Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Why will you continue to rebel? My guess is that most evangelicals today would respond, "Of course!" In fact, I suspect a "No" answer would seem close to heresy. Jas 5:7-8 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. Amen. Billy Graham once said that the end will come with the return of Jesus Christ That is why a Christian can be an optimist. Who are the two witnesses of Revelation 11 - when do they minister? 1:7), the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat (2 Pet. He went around and came to all those who were miserable and desolate, those suffering in body and soul, and called to them, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt. Emperor Constantines negative impact on the healing power ofJesus. As far as the latter view is concerned, the rapture will not be secret, since it will be part of Christs visible and triumphant return to end this present evil age (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. The death of Peter in old age required many years of delay (John 21:1819; 2 Pet. And to whom? The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Privacy P Ill say more about that maybe as we go along, so please dont hear me having the level of forcefulness in this as I might with other teachings that I find to be clearer. It comes from us hearing (and fixating on) the report that the little girl is dead! But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. H Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. What Does the Bible Say About Jesus Return? - OpenBible.info And why has the church had to wait for so long? When period does the 'day of the Lord' refer to? And yet the terminology of expectancy is used of all of them. Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. But this time they failed! Help TGC bring biblical wisdom to the confusing issues across the world by making a gift to our international work. They will then be cast into the lake of fire, while the saved will live forever with Christ in a new heaven and earth (Revelation, chapters 19-22). He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to . And he said with a loud voice, Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.. Jesus, the Lamb who once was slain, The 144,000 Jewish witnesses ( Revelation 7:4) are Jewish believers. Why then are we so quick to judge the sick, examining them to find out whether they are remorseful enough or worth praying for? What then? 6 And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. Carrying out the Great Commission demanded some delay (Matt. Our eyes and our prayers were to be focused on the future, on the return of the King and His kingdom! Answer Some Bible interpreters believe that there will be absolutely no chance for salvation after the rapture. My guess is that most evangelicals today would respond, Of course! In fact, I suspect a No answer would seem close to heresy. So Jesus again said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. And Jesus welcomed them all. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. Be doing your Lords business, so that he can find you so occupied when he comes. It tells of the same feeling which John, at the close of the Revelation, expressed in Even so, come, Lord Jesus., Whats the big deal? is what you probably are asking! (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words. This mistaken belief seems to have led to a loss of composure and long-term vision, with the Thessalonians quitting their jobs and so on (2 Thess. My fellow 7th trumpet rapturist IsaacWatts. It is Satans trick to try and make us waver so that the Savior does not receive a full and complete hearing There were times when very few sinners came, only sick people. Hes telling them things that are not yet in place this man of lawlessness before the Lord will come. >> Signs of the end of the world? Pray it everyday. What About Those Who Haven't Heard? - The Gospel Coalition (3) "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. Be alert. Be vigilant. Still, unbiblical teaching can never be totally without cost. So has it been with the Church of Christ all through her history. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. David Jeremiah: Is the Coronavirus in Bible Prophecy? You'll also get a glimpse at upcoming events. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The things we think upon, focus on, mediate upon, listen to and speak out can either grow our faith or grow our unbelief. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. It has been a blessing to both of us as we each pursue our roles in missions. Remember when the disciples asked Jesus privately why they couldnt cast the evil spirit out of the young boy? Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. (Luke 11:1-4). Is the parable of 10 virgins about Israel and how many are saved? Thank you. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. What most believers dont take too seriously is that Thy Kingdom Come. is a close second. The idea of an any-moment return stands in tension with the idea that certain events must precede Christs return. . The question to us is: Will we come to him? 1. It is the time when the Jews shall be converted, and the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in (Rom. Big time. And thus the pressing of this argument might have awakened the Church to a sense of her true condition; and this Satan fears more than the Bible, knowing that a church asleep is the most powerful weapon against the world, much more powerful than any infidel arguments. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?. I dont think the Bible speaks clearly of Jesus coming at any moment. 3:615). Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross. For a collaborating view on this point I offer this from the Pulpit Commentary, one of the largest exhaustive Bible commentaries ever published: Thy kingdom come. It is the prayer for the end, when there will be no more tears and partings, no more sorrow and sin. In actual practice by the church, then, our pray becomes morphed into O God, let your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven which, while maybe not unbiblical, is at odds with what Christ taught us and contrary to the truth. That all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. Local: 704-401-2432 R 1Th 4:15-18 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ. And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. Why Satan doesnt expose our lack of signs following theGospel. Heresy at the Heart of Derek Webbs Boys Will Be Girls, Marriage Is Better for Your Adult Kids Than You May Think, Past Lives: Mature Wisdom in an Indie Romance, 4 Questions to Answer Before Giving Your Child a Phone, With Friendship in Decline, Belonging Is a Powerful Apologetic, How Three Friends Dropped Out of Princeton Theological Seminary, Joined the Inaugural Class of Fuller Theological Seminary, and Changed Evangelicalism, Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall Is No Longer a Fairy Tale. 1:13; 4:7). From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.. And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. Romans 2:12-16 is the signature text in the Bible on this controversial subject. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window). These events require a necessary delay, which Jesus teaches us to expect (Matt. When Jesus walked the earth, for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. >> Are you rapture ready? 6:4; Titus 2:13; Heb. Will the Church escape the Great Tribulation under Antichrist? She reached out, with faith, and touched the hem of His garment and was instantly healed! V Revelation also speak of an angel in the heavens preaching the gospel during the tribulation. Is this right? He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). 24:4551; 25:5, 19; Luke 18:7; 19:1127). One of the main passages in the Bible for believing this is Matthew 24:14: This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.. Is Daniel 2 talking about a 'spiritual kingdom'? Christian Standard Bible And it is necessary that the gospel be preached to all nations. In fact, it seems to me that Jesus went out of his way to discourage people in his day from thinking that the end would come immediately or any minute after he left. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. At this point, interpreters differ as to whether there will be a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth or whether the white throne judgment and the new heaven and earth will immediately appear. At . For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Many suggest the biblical ideas of expectancy or alertness imply the any-moment-ness of Christs return. Is Jesus' return imminent? Is the gospel preached to all nations first? Why I quit the job I loved after 23 years inmissions. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. No, not at alland the reason is because He is presently in heaven, seated at Gods right hand (i.e., in the place of authority and honor). Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. Is Jerusalem the Babylon that will be destroyed forever? Rev 22:7 "And behold, I am coming quickly. All people are accountable to God whether or not they have "heard about Him." The Bible tells us that God has clearly revealed Himself in nature (Romans 1:20) and in the hearts of people (Ecclesiastes 3:11). . I dont see how Paul could say that and expect the Thessalonians to believe that Jesus could come that afternoon. Billy Graham: Do You Scoff at the Second Coming of Christ? In short, even from a pretribulational, any-moment perspective, these events are post-tribulational, and therefore cant occur at any moment. 21:34; 24:32; Mark 12:38; Luke 21:30), which occur at regular intervals. Finally, this terminology is used of an obviously post-tribulational return of Christ in Luke 21:28 and 1 Peter 4:7, which all would agree must be preceded by signs rather than occurring at any moment. (Brazen Serpent, Thomas Erskine, 1788-1870). And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. Compassion sees only the need of others; it omits all criticism and judging. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. But first, I want to offer evidence for why an imminent return isnt the same as an any-moment return. I have a question. The destruction of Jerusalem and the carrying of the Jews captive into all the nations until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled must occur first (Luke 21:2338). He refused to listen to the report of the little girls death for the fathers sake, for Jairus! Since most of the New Testament was written before that destruction, at least those parts of the New Testament cant encourage believers to expect an any-moment return. Oh, that the nations would hear the good news! For example, Jewish feasts are often spoken of in Scripture as being near. What did Jesus mean when He said, this generation will not pass? In this view, the rapturewhich is the transformation and catching up of all Christians, dead or alive, to meet Christ in the airwill be secret, for it will be unknown to the world of unbelievers at the time of its happening. Jesus said: Mat 24:14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
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