Category Archives: In An Hour As You Think Not

In An Hour As You Think Not, The Soon Return of Jesus

The Last Day on Earth-According to Jesus

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“Trying to navigate end-time events without a fundamental understanding of the Gospel will leave you confused about both.”

The secular community, as well as Christians, pretentiously poked fun at Harold Camping’s prediction of the “Rapture.”  He said it would occur on May 21, 2011.  The day came and went as usual. 

Now, flashback to 23 years earlier. Charles Hays (a Christian Friend) and I had a daily 15-minute radio program on a small Christian channel in Nashville. We were invited to come on the big secular radio station in Nashville, WLAC, to discuss the prediction of Edgar C. Whisenant, who had sold millions of books about the prediction of the Rapture on September 11 or 13th, 1988. The book was called 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Occur in 1988.   We predicted it would not occur on that day.  That day also came and went.  It was just another day. 

Every Christian worldwide knew from the words of Jesus Himself that Mr. Camping’s and Mr. Whisenat’s predictions were in error.

History reveals that second-coming predictions are not a recent phenomenon. According to one source, over 300 dates have been set since the first century, all proving false.

These false claims underscore the need to trust in Jesus’ words, a source of unwavering truth and guidance. Just one sentence from Jesus sets at least one boundary for prognosticators.  Most Christians can quote Jesus’ words by heart, a testament to the enduring truth of His teachings!  

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only..” Matthew 24:36 (NKJV)

Each false prediction has a detrimental effect on Christians and non-Christians alike.  It leads to more people distrusting Christ and the Word of God.  A spiritual “crying wolf” kills the idea of preparation for the day when it does come.  By then, it will be too late. The wolf will have devoured its prey.    The same exclamation of doubting people…the people we are trying to reach…was heard in the first century as well as the 21st Century:

What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” 2 Peter 3:4 (NLT)

Nothing has changed.  Sunrise, sunset…life continues as it always has.  The waiting and false predictions lull people to sleep.  Paul said it this way,

For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 1 Thess. 5:3 (NKJV)

The enemy of souls works through man-inspired false predictions to discourage and procrastinate and make people unprepared. But there is a new deception regarding the second coming and the end of time as we know it. It is having the same adverse effects on both Christians and non-Christians. 

Setting Event Scenarios-A Growing Deception for 21st Century Christians:

It is not about setting dates but setting events.

Creating man-made scenarios leading up to the Second Coming is equally dangerous as time setting.  It is actually the same wolf in different clothing.    If the events don’t come true, they produce the same doubt, discouragement, and procrastination regarding preparing for the end of time. 

The proof is in the popular Biblical fiction novels written in the last several decades and turned into movies. These have made their authors wealthy, yet none of the predictions have come true.  Nor are they likely to come true because mainly because that is not the way God works.  I go back to the opening statement to keep the point:

  “Trying to navigate end-time events without a fundamental understanding of the Gospel will leave you confused about both.”

I heard of a young man who said, “I will get right with God when I see them building the temple in Jerusalem. If not, I have a second chance during the seven years of tribulation.”    Is this safe? Is this right?  What if He dies before then? Just as we know no man knows the day or the hour of His coming, there is another equally powerful statement from Jesus:

You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

Matthew 24:24 (NLT)

God’s Prerogative to Bypass

Jesus’ teachings (particularly in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21) remind us that we can know His coming is near and inevitable in specific scenes. Nevertheless, we must remain ever-vigilant, as it is within God’s prerogative to bypass the scenarios we might have in our minds.

“…when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door.”

Matthew 24:33 (NLT)

Sometimes, we don’t listen to everything Jesus tells us.  Look closely at these two verses from Matthew 24

And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Matthew 24: 6 (NLT)

How Many Wars are going on now?  32! Since 1300 BC, thousands upon thousands of wars have been fought.  This will continue even up to the time Jesus will return.  Wars and rumors of wars are nothing new.  It will part of the landscape before the Lord comes.  We will never reach Utopia.

Will God Shorten the Final Events?

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, those days will be shortened. Matthew 24: 22

From the words of Jesus, the answer to this question is “Yes!”

What does this mean? God, in His mercy, may shorten or even change the events of the end times.  We have precedence of this in the story of Jonah when God said He was going to destroy Ninevah in forty days:

The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai:“Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” Jonah 1:1,2 (NLT)

We know the story of how Jonah ran away from God.  He may have been thinking, why preach a prophecy of destruction for the people of Nineveh when God had said He was going to destroy it? But Johnah missed the underlying nature of God to save the lost (the gospel!).  Eventually, Jonah preaches a message of destruction, but underneath it is the good news of a merciful God. 

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

This time, Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. Jonah 3: 1-5 (NLT)

The Forty Days came and went because they were convicted and repented of their sins.  Was it a false prophecy?  No.  It is God’s prerogative to change end-time events, particularly if the people repent, as did the city of Nineveh.

When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened. Johah 3:10

Why did God change His mind?  It is because He is in the business of saving people!  This is the gospel!  Salvation! Destruction is not the gospel! 

“Trying to navigate end-time events without a fundamental understanding of the Gospel will leave you confused about both.”

 This leads us to consider the following question:

What Prompts the Father to Send Jesus Back?

What will push God the Father to send Jesus back to our sinful dying planet and rescue His people? As one reads the Bible, the answer is dynamic but understandable. However, those who don’t understand the gospel often provide multiple one-liners.  Here are a few:

  1. The temple in Jerusalem has to be rebuilt. I have looked at this closely and feel confident it is false. It is based on a severe misunderstanding of the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9 and the role of literal Israel. This error helped create scenarios in the minds of second-coming fictional novels written in Lindsay and LaHay’s Left Behind novels.

  1. Christ’s character must be completely restored in His people. Christ’s character is a powerful witness when fully reproduced in His people. This underscores the importance of personal ongoing transformation as a result rather than the idea of salvation by reaching perfection. But I still don’t see from Scripture this as what God the Father is waiting on.  Has anyone ever reached this point?  We are perfect before God when we ask Jesus to come into our lives, and we believe him. 

His righteousness is imputed to us “And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. James 2:23

3.  Sin will get so bad that God’s wrath will send Jesus to destroy the earth. No doubt, sinful man will grow more and more wicked with each generation.  The world is headed to the same point as the antediluvians.  “Their thoughts were only evil continuously.”  Probably, the most hideous sin of all is the sex trafficking of children.  I don’t think Sodom and Gomorrah went this far. It makes most people want to eradicate those who do such things. Immoral sex is like a virus that infects a majority of the world.  It is listed as one of the identifying marks of those who perish forever: 

4. “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.”” Revelation 21:8

The gospel has to be preached to the entire world. This is a solid reason and is true because Jesus said,

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Matthew 24:14

Everyone has to have a chance to hear the gospel!

This worldwide gospel preaching event demonstrates God’s power and desire that no one perishes, but all come to repentance.  This is why He waits.  It is His mercy for us and those we have been praying for!

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 2 Peter 3: 9

Jesus did not provide details between the preaching of the gospel to the entire world and His coming. The apostles and disciples, including John, would later provide much more detail in the book of Revelation, which describes the seven last plagues, the time of trouble, the beast and his mark, etc.

All the scenarios above can make us comfortable because none have occurred and are unlikely to happen next week (except for the moral condition of the world)!

The Last Day on This Earth

So, what will the last day be like before the Lord returns? If we are to believe Jesus,  It will be a day just like every other one:

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24: 37-39

This sure sounds like Jesus comes and takes away the saved (Rapture.).  But look closely at the same passage in Luke.

And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Luke 17: 26-27

Matthew and Luke are saying the same thing.  Those who are not prepared in Christ are taken away in destruction.  They are drowned (destroyed) in Noah’s day and destroyed by fire in Lot’s day. 

Likewise, as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

 Luke 27 28-29

I hope you don’t want to be taken in destruction but left from the destruction.

But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives should you live?

2 Peter 3: 10-11

Now is the Time to Be Prepared

The point of this writing is this.  Being prepared for Jesus’s return, which includes preparing for your death when there are no more changes, is today….

So the question today is:  “Are you waiting for certain events to happen before you get serious with God?  Will we be found like the person whose home is broken into?  Will it surprise us? Are you ready? What will be your response when Jesus comes?

Will it be…

“Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?” Revelation 6: 16-17

or will it be…

“Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:9

Will you be going about your regular routine unprepared or will you be going about your routine and prepared?

Jesus tells us we can be prepared now…at this very moment.  The gospel and salvation are not complicated if you put your complete trust in Him!

How is your faith in Him?  Is your anchor in the solid Rock of Jesus? Be sure your anchor holds the solid rock. In times like this we need a Savior!

 Please take a moment to hear George Beverly Shea sing this song (Click Here). Here are a few of the words

In times like these, you need a Savior.
In times like these, you need an anchor.
Be very sure, be very sure.
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus. Yes, He’s the One
This Rock is Jesus, the only One.
Be very sure, be very sure.
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

In times like these, you need the Bible.
In times like these, O be not idle

Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus. Yes, He’s the One
This Rock is Jesus, the only One.
Be very sure, be very sure.
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

In An Hour As You Think Not, Rapture, The Soon Return of Jesus

Second Coming-Made SIMPLE

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The secular community, as well as Christians, pretentiously poked fun at Harold Camping’s prediction of the “Rapture.”  He said it would occur on May 21, 2011.  The day came and went as usual.  Christians all over the world knew from the words of Jesus himself that Mr. Camping’s prediction was in error.

“But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matthew 24:36 

Just one verse in scripture is enough for anyone who would attempt to narrow down the Second-Coming to a particular day or hour.  Most Christians can quote it by heart!  We can trust in Jesus’ word on this. But it is just one verse among many others Jesus had to say about His coming! Matthew 24 is a great source of plain language about the Second Coming if read in its context (without adding or subtracting) will prepare the sincere seeker of truth to be prepared for that great day!

Even though the faithful watchers can discern the times, Jesus will come at a time when they do not expect it, but they can be prepared!

“So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” …”Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:33, 44

On the other hand, those not prepared are not looking for Jesus and are going about their normal routine. To them, Jesus will come as a thief in the night…totally unexpected. But to the watchers, they will not be overtaken as a thief as we shall see in this study.

Second Coming Shams

There are a host of other shams thrown at us by the enemy more complicated and tougher to unravel.   Many rely on non-biblical reasoning or sources concerning the Second-Coming. Examples:

“If my grandmother believed it, that is good enough for me.”

“If it is on the internet, it must be right. “

“The religious programming and books can’t be wrong.”

“The nice preacher on the TV is telling the truth.  Look at his big church!”

But, the enemy is at work with trickery that is so deceptive that even the best of Christians could be deceived.

“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.“ Matthew 24:24

This warning by Jesus tells those who will listen that false christs (Messiahs), and false prophets (teachers, forecasters) will use the platform of religion to promote falsehoods that could deceive the “elect.”  The word for “elect” as translated from the Greek is the word, “eklektos.”  It means those “chosen by God”

These events and teachings are a strong delusion, but the implication is that the “elect” are not deceived.  What makes this group different?  Very simply, they listen to the voice of Jesus and His word.  Their guiding principle is Sola Scriptura.  The Bible alone.  Scripture comes first before the words of any person, book, movie, or institution.

“To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20

The situation in the last days is very profound. The magnitude of the deception is revealed through God’s word. Paul gave an important warning when He wrote to the Corinthians,  He stated plainly that evil appears to be good!  The bad guy is in a white hat!

 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. II Corinthians 11:14. 

This verse tells us that Satan and his servants can look like an angel (messenger) of light!  Satan can even use scripture to lead people down the wrong path. He certainly tried with Jesus during the days of temptation in the wilderness.  But, Jesus knew His Father and He knew the word of God.

As Christians were quoting Matthew 24:36 when Camping made his prognostication, it would have been well for all of us to read the entire chapter and listened closely to the instruction Christ gave his disciples when they asked,

“…what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?  Matthew 24:3. 

His answer? 

“Take heed that no man deceive you. Matthew 24:4

The very first words out of Jesus’ mouth regarding the sign of His coming and the end of the world is a warning to LISTEN so that no man deceive you! 

 Deception in the Manner of His Coming

As we have seen from Matthew 24:36, Jesus himself does not know when he will return, but He knows there will be deception involved.   But the deception is not just only the timing, but the way He comes back to earth.

The whole of Matthew  24 and the parallel chapters in the other Gospels tell of  Jesus as He described to the disciples how He would return. It is straight forward with no ambiguity! Why is this important, especially to Christians? Could it be that even Christians could be deceived and thereby lost? If you read Jesus’ warning, it is primarily to His followers. The lost of this world could care less.

“For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ” 1 Thessalonians 5: 3

Recently, I heard a well-known TV evangelist say he doesn’t look at the signs or worry about the mark of the beast and other end-time-events because that is for those in the tribulation to worry about. Is this true? Isn’t this a dangerous way to prepare for Christ’s return? Is this not the object of the enemy’s falsehood to feel secure in something that is opposite from the teaching of Jesus?  

We will use primarily Mathew 24 for this first study.   Jesus’ return is not just about the “when” but the “how.”  Rest assured, the “elect” will know that his coming is near; by the signs he left us. If they are a student of the word of God, they will have stored up the truth in their minds and walked in the light.

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 1Thessalonians 5: 4-6

Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Revelation 3:3

How We Got Confused

There was a time when Christians knew how Jesus would come and many of the events of His coming by simply reading the portions of scripture that plainly tell of His coming.  In the last several years, there are books, movies, radio programs,  preachers and teachers with a different story that is not based on plain scripture but rather on a script from Hollywood or a book.

In the study of Jesus’ Second Coming, there is no need for any fanciful interpretation or any deep study.  It is plain and simple; written for all men, women, and children, not just university theologians or popular TV preachers.

Staying in Matthew 24, Jesus goes on to describe his Second Coming in verse 27-31:

For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Matthew 24: 27-31

What do you see in the words of Jesus regarding his coming?  Is it secret?  Are only a few Christians affected by it?  Is it in two parts or just one?  From the verses above, we can plainly see:

  • His coming is bright like lightning!  While lightning is quick, the comparison here is not the speed but by the brightness (shining)! The reference to shining involves sight.  Is there anything quite or secret about lightning that lights up the whole sky from east to west?
  • There is a tribulation before he comes and the sun is darkened and the moon does not give her light and the stars fall from heaven (massive meteorite shower?) and the powers of the heavens are shaken!  Can anyone miss this?  Is the tribulation before or after he comes?  It is before he comes!
  • Those who are lost see the sign of the Son of man in heaven and the people of the earth mourn!  They see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. They are not left to wonder.  They see Him!
  • He sends his angels with a great sound!  You can hear it!  The angels gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other!  Will this gathering be secret?  No! There is no indication here that this will be at the speed of lightning.  The process of gathering is for both the alive and those who died in Christ.

A Clear Picture

The clearest picture of the 2nd Coming is found in the letter to the Thessalonians by Paul. Here he provides more detail to the canvas of this event.

 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18.

From this verse, we can plainly see:

  • Jesus comes down from heaven (where he went to prepare a place for us-John 14: 2, 3) and there is sound in the form of a shout, a voice, and a trumpet. So can we conclude there is sound involved with the Second Coming? Yes!
  • Those that died in Christ are resurrected. The resurrection of the saved is the beginning of literal eternal life.  It is the reward Jesus brings with him (Revelation 22:12).
  • Those who are alive when Jesus comes will begin to ascend up into the heavens and meet both Jesus and those who were resurrected.  Here is the “rapture.”  It means to be caught up, but there are two groups that meet the Lord in the heavens.  Those who were in their graves asleep in Christ and those who did not experience death. (1 Thessalonians 4: 13, 14)
  • This is where immortality is given.  Eternity with Jesus starts here at this event! (Notice it is not at death)….”and so shall we ever be with the Lord!”

Paul”s further explanation of these events are found in his letter to the Corinthians.

 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump(et): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1 Corinthians 15: 52, 53

 Notice that when Jesus returns, immortality is given instantly at that point…not at death. As mentioned above, this is the reward Jesus brings with Him…It is out of context and in error to use the following verse at a funeral (as I heard) because the saying can only come to pass when Jesus returns and gives us immortality.

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

1 Corinthians 15: 55

The context of this quote is found in the verse just before (v. 54)

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

1 Corinthians 15:54

Very plainly…it is at the second coming that Jesus takes the dust of the dead and shapes them back into life.  The sleep of death is but like a mere second. When Jesus resurrects those who are asleep in death, they are instantly (a twinkling of an eye) given the gift of immortality and bodies that will never decay.

There is a lot going on in these verses to let us know there is nothing secret and it is not in two parts.  Other verses from the other writers further describe the glory of his coming, Here are just a few:

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Mark 8:38

Jesus does not come in his glory alone, but the glory of his Father and with the holy angels!  With all that glory, there is nothing secret or invisible about His coming!

The lost have a different response to His coming:

 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Revelation 6: 15-16:

The unsaved will hide in the darkest places of the dens and rocks of mountains and pray for them to fall on them to hide them from the face of Jesus!  No secret coming here!  This was also foretold by Isaiah:

“Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty!”

Isaiah 2:10

 “Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so,  Amen.”

Revelation 1:7

From the verses above, we can see:

  • When he comes, he comes in His own glory and the glory of the father and the holy angels.  It only took the glory of one angel to make the soldiers at the tomb of Jesus drop to the ground like dead men (Matthew 28: 2-4).  Imagine the whole sky full of the glory of millions of angels and the glory of the Father and Jesus!
  • Those that are lost cannot bear to look upon the sight of Jesus’ coming and try to hide from the face of Jesus by calling for the rocks and mountains to fall on them.
  • Every eye sees him coming!  Much like every eye can see the sun as the earth turns.  It is possible that his coming is seen up to as long as a 24 hour period!

Nothing secret about this!

Notice the contrast of the words of those that are saved.

 “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Isaiah 25:9

In the next writing, we will study out where Hal Lindsey and others came up with the idea of a sudden snatching away of the church and the 7-year tribulation.

Another topic we will study is the fate of the lost.  The reason for the Lord’s apparent delay in coming is because when he comes, there will be those who perish in the destruction of the earth:

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

2 Peter 3: 9, 10

The Second coming is both rejoicing and destruction for this earth as we know it. Nowhere does the word of God split the return of Christ into two parts. But, as we shall see, the saved spend a honeymoon of one thousand years with Jesus in heaven (where he is now) before He creates the new heavens and the new earth prepared in the saved of the redeemed.

“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3: 13

In conclusion, the Lord taught his disciples about the deception regarding the timing and manner His second coming.  This deception would be very tricky and inspired by the enemy himself with the intent to take as many as possible with him, especially those who give up on the return of Christ and return to their former life:

But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,..Matthew 24: 48-50

It is critically important for the follower of Christ to know what Jesus and the writers of the Bible have to say about this grand event when all the saved will meet the Lord in the air and begin eternity with each other never; to experience sin and death ever again.  What a day that will be!  It will be glorious! We shall behold Him!

 Listen to the correct theology of Christ’s second coming in Sandi Patty’s version of “We Shall Behold Him.”  May the Lord bless you as you listen.



In An Hour As You Think Not, The Soon Return of Jesus

SECOND COMING PREDICTIONS-DECEPTION PART 1

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The secular community, as well as Christians, pretentiously poked fun at Harold Camping’s prediction of the “Rapture.”  He said it would occur on May 21, 2011.  The day came and went as usual.  Christians all over the world knew from the words of Jesus himself that Mr. Camping’s prediction was in error.

“But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matthew 24:36 

Just one verse in scripture is enough for anyone who would attempt to narrow down the Second-Coming to a particular day or hour.  Most Christians can quote it by heart!  We can trust in Jesus’ word on this. But it is just one verse among many others Jesus had to say about His coming! Matthew 24 is a great source of plain language about the Second Coming if read in its context (without adding or subtracting) will prepare the sincere seeker of truth to be prepared for that great day!

Even though the faithful watchers can discern the times, Jesus will come at a time when they do not expect it, but they can be prepared!

“So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” …”Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:33, 44

On the other hand, those not prepared are not looking for Jesus and are going about their normal routine. To them, Jesus will come as a thief in the night…totally unexpected. But to the watchers, they will not be overtaken as a thief as we shall see in this study.

Second Coming Shams

There are a host of other shams thrown at us by the enemy more complicated and tougher to unravel.   Many rely on non-biblical reasoning or sources concerning the Second-Coming. Examples:

“If my grandmother believed it, that is good enough for me.”

“If it is on the internet, it must be right. “

“The religious programming and books can’t be wrong.”

“The nice preacher on the TV is telling the truth.  Look at his big church!”

But, the enemy is at work with trickery that is so deceptive that even the best of Christians could be deceived.

“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.“ Matthew 24:24

This warning by Jesus tells those who will listen that false christs (Messiahs), and false prophets (teachers, forecasters) will use the platform of religion to promote falsehoods that could deceive the “elect.”  The word for “elect” as translated from the Greek is the word, “eklektos.”  It means those “chosen by God”

These events and teachings are a strong delusion, but the implication is that the “elect” are not deceived.  What makes this group different?  Very simply, they listen to the voice of Jesus and His word.  Their guiding principle is Sola Scriptura.  The Bible alone.  Scripture comes first before the words of any person, book, movie, or institution.

“To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20

The situation in the last days is very profound. The magnitude of the deception is revealed through God’s word. Paul gave an important warning when He wrote to the Corinthians,  He stated plainly that evil appears to be good!  The bad guy is in a white hat!

 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. II Corinthians 11:14. 

This verse tells us that Satan and his servants can look like an angel (messenger) of light!  Satan can even use scripture to lead people down the wrong path. He certainly tried with Jesus during the days of temptation in the wilderness.  But, Jesus knew His Father and He knew the word of God.

As Christians were quoting Matthew 24:36 when Camping made his prognostication, it would have been well for all of us to read the entire chapter and listened closely the instruction Christ gave his disciples when they asked,

“…what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?  Matthew 24:3. 

His answer? 

“Take heed that no man deceive you. Matthew 24:4

The very first words out of Jesus’ mouth regarding the sign of His coming and the end of the world is a warning to LISTEN so that no man deceive you! 

 Deception in the Manner of His Coming

As we have seen from Matthew 24:36, Jesus himself does not know when he will return, but He knows there will be deception involved.   But the deception is not just only the timing, but the way He comes back to earth.

The whole of Matthew  24 and the parallel chapters in the other Gospels tell of  Jesus describing to the disciples how He returns. Why is this important, especially to Christians? Could it be that even Christians could be deceived and thereby lost? If you read Jesus warning, it is primarily to His followers. The lost could care less.

“For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ” 1 Thessalonians 5: 3

Recently, I heard a well-known TV evangelist say he doesn’t look at the signs or worry about the mark of the beast and other end-time-events because that is for those in the tribulation to worry about. Is this true? Isn’t this a dangerous way to prepare for Christ’s return? Is this not the object of the enemy’s falsehood to feel secure in something that is opposite from the teaching of Jesus?  

We will use primarily Mathew 24 for this first study.   Jesus’ return is not just about the “when” but the “how.”  Rest assured, the “elect” will know that his coming is near by the signs he left us. If they are a student of the word of God, they will have stored up the truth in their minds and walked in the light.

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 1Thessalonians 5: 4-6

Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Revelation 3:3

How We Got Confused

There was a time when Christians knew how Jesus would come and many of the events of His coming by simply reading the portions of scripture that plainly tell of His coming.  In the last several years, there are books, movies, radio programs,  preachers and teachers with a different story that is not based on plain scripture but rather on a script from Hollywood or a book.

In the study of Jesus’ Second Coming, there is no need for any fanciful interpretation or any deep study.  It is plain and simple; written for all men, women, and children, not just university theologians or popular TV preachers.

Staying in Matthew 24, Jesus goes on to describe his Second Coming in verse 27-31:

For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Matthew 24: 27-31

What do you see in the words of Jesus regarding his coming?  Is it secret?  Are only a few Christians affected by it?  Is it in two parts or just one?  From the verses above, we can plainly see:

  • His coming is bright like lightning!  While lightning is quick, the comparison here is not the speed but by the brightness (shining)! The reference to shining involves sight.  Is there anything quite or secret about lightning that lights up the whole sky from east to west?
  • There is a tribulation before he comes and the sun is darkened and the moon does not give her light and the stars fall from heaven (massive meteorite shower?) and the powers of the heavens are shaken!  Can anyone miss this?  Is the tribulation before or after he comes?  It is before he comes!
  • Those who are lost see the sign of the Son of man in heaven and the people of the earth mourn!  They see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. They are not left to wonder.  They see Him!
  • He sends his angels with a great sound!  You can hear it!  The angels gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other!  Will this gathering be secret?  No! There is no indication here that this will be at the speed of lightning.  The process of gathering is for both the alive and those who died in Christ.

A Clear Picture

The clearest picture of the 2nd Coming is found in the letter to the Thessalonians by Paul. Here he provides more detail to the canvas of this event.

 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18.

From this verse, we can plainly see:

  • Jesus comes down from heaven (where he went to prepare a place for us-John 14: 2, 3) and there is sound in the form of a shout, a voice, and a trumpet. So can we conclude there is sound involved with the Second Coming? Yes!
  • Those that died in Christ are resurrected. The resurrection of the saved is the beginning of literal eternal life.  It is the reward Jesus brings with him (Revelation 22:12).
  • Those who are alive when Jesus comes will begin to ascend up into the heavens and meet both Jesus and those who were resurrected.  Here is the “rapture.”  It means to be caught up, but there are two groups that meet the Lord in the heavens.  Those who were in their graves asleep in Christ and those who did not experience death. (1 Thessalonians 4: 13, 14)
  • This is where immortality is given.  Eternity with Jesus starts here at this event! (Notice it is not at death)….”and so shall we ever be with the Lord!”

Paul”s further explanation of these events are found in his letter to the Corinthians.

 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump(et): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1 Corinthians 15: 52, 53

 Notice that when Jesus returns, immortality is given instantly at that point…not at death. As mentioned above, this is the reward Jesus brings with Him…It is out of context and in error to use the following verse at a funeral (as I heard) because the saying can only come to pass when Jesus returns and gives us immortality.

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

1 Corinthians 15: 55

The context of this quote is found in the verse just before (v. 54)

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

1 Corinthians 15:54

Very plainly…it is at the second coming that Jesus takes the dust of the dead and shapes them back into life.  The sleep of death is but like a mere second. When Jesus resurrects those who are asleep in death, they are instantly (a twinkling of an eye) given the gift of immortality and bodies that will never decay.

There is a lot going on in these verses to let us know there is nothing secret and it is not in two parts.  Other verses from the other writers further describe the glory of his coming, Here are just a few:

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Mark 8:38

Jesus does not come in his glory alone, but the glory of his Father and with the holy angels!  With all that glory, there is nothing secret or invisible about His coming!

The lost have a different response to His coming:

 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Revelation 6: 15-16:

The unsaved will hide in the darkest places of the dens and rocks of mountains and pray for them to fall on them to hide them from the face of Jesus!  No secret coming here!  This was also foretold by Isaiah:

“Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty!”

Isaiah 2:10

 “Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so,  Amen.”

Revelation 1:7

From the verses above, we can see:

  • When he comes, he comes in His own glory and the glory of the father and the holy angels.  It only took the glory of one angel to make the soldiers at the tomb of Jesus drop to the ground like dead men (Matthew 28: 2-4).  Imagine the whole sky full of the glory of millions of angels and the glory of the Father and Jesus!
  • Those that are lost cannot bear to look upon the sight of Jesus’ coming and try to hide from the face of Jesus by calling for the rocks and mountains to fall on them.
  • Every eye sees him coming!  Much like every eye can see the sun as the earth turns.  It is possible that his coming is seen up to as long as a 24 hour period!

Nothing secret about this!

Notice the contrast of the words of those that are saved.

 “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Isaiah 25:9

In the next writing, we will study out where Hal Lindsey and others came up with the idea of a sudden snatching away of the church and the 7-year tribulation.

Another topic we will study is the fate of the lost.  The reason for the Lord’s apparent delay in coming is because when he comes, there will be those who perish in the destruction of the earth:

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

2 Peter 3: 9, 10

The Second coming is both rejoicing and destruction for this earth as we know it. Nowhere does the word of God split the return of Christ into two parts. But, as we shall see, the saved spend a honeymoon of one thousand years with Jesus in heaven (where he is now) before He creates the new heavens and the new earth prepared in the saved of the redeemed.

“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3: 13

In conclusion, the Lord taught his disciples about the deception regarding the timing and manner His second coming.  This deception would be very tricky and inspired by the enemy himself with the intent to take as many as possible with him, especially those who give up on the return of Christ and return to their former life:

But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,..Matthew 24: 48-50

It is critically important for the follower of Christ to know what Jesus and the writers of the Bible have to say about this grand event when all the saved will meet the Lord in the air and begin eternity with each other never; to experience sin and death ever again.  What a day that will be!  We shall behold Him!

 Listen to the correct theology of Christ’s second coming in Sandi Patty’s version of “We Shall Behold Him.”  May the Lord bless you as you listen.

In An Hour As You Think Not, Rapture, The Soon Return of Jesus

40 Days-Before Going Home

“…He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.  Acts 1:3

For 40 days after the cross and His resurrection, Jesus  was seen  with “infallible proofs” and spoke about things of the kingdom of God.  The big question on the disciples mind was:

 “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Verse 6

Jesus answer was blunt:

“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” Verse 7 

How ever you want to interpret the answer, Jesus made it clear that the timing belonged to the Father only.  Jesus used similar words another time in Matthew 24 about His second coming:

 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matthew 24: 36

But just before verse 36 and after, he Jesus also made it clear that we, as watching Christians,  can know His coming and the end is near even as a person who is at the front door.

 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!

Verse 32, 33

Jesus goes on to explain the conditions of the world before the coming of Christ.  His coming will be one of surprise for those who have become a lover of this world.  Many will be going about the everyday events of this earth when Jesus will visibly come back.

 “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,  and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24: 38-39

I will come back to verse shortly.  A relevant question concerns what the angels said  about His return in Acts 1?  They said you will see Him, just as they saw Him go:

This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Verse 11

This begs the question as to why so many people teach that the church is secretly raptured at His coming.  When He comes, as shown in Matthew 24: 39 above, those who were caught by surprise  (eating, drinking, marrying, etc.) are “took away.”  This is not a translation  or a rapture but something different.  Luke describes the same scene, but uses different language for those who are “took away.”

They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Those that are “took away” are taken by the destruction that takes place when Jesus returns. Peter described this destruction.  It is by fire:

 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

1 Peter 3:10

The second coming is loud and destructive, not silent.  The reference to the “thief in the night” can’t be related to something secret since His coming is visible and with much fire.  A thief catches its victim by surprise and takes their belongings.  They don’t expect it.

Paul and Matthew encourages us to watch for  the “thief” so we won’t be surprised.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:4

But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Matthew 24: 43

Let go back to the scene in Acts 1 as Jesus was ascending to heaven.

Where was He during this time of 40 days?  It must of been of such little consequence that Luke made no reference to His whereabouts.  But, one thing is clear.  After the 40 days, he ascended to His Father as described six verses later by Luke:

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,  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.” Acts 1: 9-11

And where did Jesus Go?

After the crucifixion and His resurrection, Jesus stayed on this earth for 40 more days.   There is a seeming odd statement by Jesus to Mary when she went to the tomb and did not find Him in it.  She then asked someone she thought to be a gardener about the body of Jesus, but it was Jesus.  Then Jesus said something that lets us know that He had not yet been to Paradise where Heaven and the Father are  located:

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.  John 20:17 KJV

Jesus clearly states He has not yet ascended to the Father, at least not up until that point.  Many think that Jesus went to Paradise the day He died on the cross because he said to the repentant thief:

“And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”  

Luke 23:43

There are also many that think that Jesus went to hell during his death and resurrection, but there is no evidence in the Bible of any such think happening.  Also, what would be the purpose?

He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living…”  Mark 12:27

But if Jesus had not gone to Paradise, where God the Father and all the holy angels are located, then is there a contradiction?  The answer is simple.  The original language of the Bible did not contain punctuation.  When the translators were translating it into English, the comma was placed at the wrong place in the sentence without considering the verse in Luke and other passages that let us know he did not go to paradise until He ascended to God after about 40 days.   With the comma in the right place, it brings harmony to the other verses in the Bible:

“And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you today, (comma is at the right location here)  you will (future tense) be with Me in Paradise.”  

Luke 23:43

With the comma in the right location,  it states that Jesus is promising him today while everything looks hopeless that he will be with Him in paradise. Jesus did not go to paradise that day.  The  answer Jesus gave the thief is in context of the desire of the thief when he said to remember him when he comes into His kingdom.

 “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

Luke 23:42

When does Jesus come into his Kingdom?

“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 shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

 Mathew 25: 31-34

Even as the death dew was upon the brow of Jesus, He was in His Father’s will of bringing compassion and salvation to any who responded to the tug of the Holy Spirit and the words of Jesus.  The thief had likely heard Jesus talk about the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God and desired to be part of it.  *Jesus talked more about the Kingdom of Heaven or God than He did about hell, so likely the thief was familiar with Jesus teaching on the kingdom.

*Note:  for more study, go to this link, Did Jesus Teach More about Hell than Heaven

In this account of Mary weeping at the empty tomb of Jesus demonstrates how hopeless the disciples of Christ felt.  She is so immersed in the pain of losing Jesus that she is unable to immediately recognize that Jesus is there with her.  It is not until he says her name, “Mary” that she realizes that her grieve and sorrow have turned into inexpressible joy.

The same occurred when the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  They were so discouraged and were in a frame of mind that to believe He was resurrected.  They could not believe that the resurrection of Jesus was possible.

In a favorite book, called, Desire of Ages, the author puts it this way:

“…the disciples thought upon His empty tomb, and mourned and wept. The day that was a day of rejoicing to all heaven was to the disciples a day of uncertainty, confusion, and perplexity. Their unbelief in the testimony of the women gives evidence of how low their faith had sunk. The news of Christ’s resurrection was so different from what they had anticipated that they could not believe it. It was too good to be true, they thought. They had heard so much of the doctrines and the so-called scientific theories of the Sadducees that the impression made on their minds in regard to the resurrection was vague. They scarcely knew what the resurrection from the dead could mean. They were unable to take in the great subject.” p. 792, 793

There is a lesson here for us.  There will be times when we have heard what the Word has to say, but we are so despondent that we cannot believe.  But, God in his mercy and love for us, will appear in the darkest part of our time and gently say our name.  Then we will turn and our grief will be turned to joy.  Then we will remember the words of encouragement that were spoke to us before our time of trouble came.

We  will be on our journey away from the discouragement of Jerusalem and the crucifixion on a dusty road about to give up all hope, when Jesus will suddenly appear and teach us things we did not know.   Our hearts will burn within us as we listen and understand.  Faith will begin to grow, but we won’t know it is Jesus talking to us until we least expect it.  That is how Jesus works sometimes.  He just shows up!  We didn’t pray for Him to do that.  He just shows up!  We weren’t looking for Him, but He just shows up!  Why?  Because God loves and cares for those who are downcast and hurting.  This is the type of God we serve!

 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Isaiah 41:10

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:3

There is a verse in the New Testament that is hardly ever mentioned.  I have never heard a sermon on it,  but it is an impressive event that fits well with the train of thought here concerning the activities of Jesus during the 40 days on earth before he returns to His Father.

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Matthew 27: 52, 53

When Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain, the rulers’ daughter, and Lazarus, they were not clothed with immortality. They must have died again  in the future after growing old to wait for the great resurrection morning.  This is only speculation on my part.  But, those that were resurrected on that Sunday morning with Jesus were the “first fruits” of the resurrection.  They were the trophies of His victory over death. They represented the sacred truth of the resurrection and the hope for all those putting their trust in Jesus to resurrect them one day.

There is no record of Lazarus talking about being pulled out of heaven to return to the earth.  No, they slept in the dust and waited for the day when Jesus would have victory over death and be resurrected and clothed with immortality.  Of them it was prophesied:

“Thy dead men shall live, together with My dead body shall they arise…”  Isaiah 26:19

The verse continues…

“…Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”

Isaiah 26:19 (last part)

Christ and these risen saints became the first fruits of those who sleep in the dust waiting for the resurrection,  But it was Jesus that was the real first fruit of being raised and then going up to paradise.

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.”  

1 Corinthians 15:20

Jesus’ favorite term for describing those who die is sleep.  So were the other writers such as Paul and Job.   Not once does Jesus or the disciples say what we say at funerals such as:

“Well, they are in heaven with their beloved spouse.”

“He  went to be with Jesus.”

“She is up there enjoying the fruits of heaven.”

“God must have wanted him more than we do, so He took him.”

If a person wants to be comforted by words from the Bible about the passing of a loved one, here are a couple of them from Paul who seemed to understand this topic better than anyone other than Jesus:

This verse ends with the words, “Comfort one another with these words.”  What words?  Here they are:

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. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18

The words we are to comforted one another is the second coming of Jesus and the fact that those who died “in Christ.” will be resurrected.  They will rise from dusty graves and meet those who are left from the destructive events of Jesus’ coming.  We will meet the Lord in the air at the same time!  No one is there already.  We go at the same time!  What a comfort to know our loved ones are not looking down on us!  They have a brief sleep of death and then rise when Jesus resurrects them!

The resurrection is so important that Paul states the following:

 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

1 Corinthians 15: 16-19

Our hope is in the return of Christ!  In fact, belief and trust in the resurrection of Christ is what saves us as much as believing He died for our sins.

if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 

Romans 10:9

Like the thief on the cross, I want to pray that Jesus will remember me when He comes again.  Don’t you?  For forty-days, Jesus was encouraging His followers and reminding them that they must go away, but that He would return to take us where He is now.  In Paradise!

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 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. 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.

John 14: 1-3

His promise here gives me comfort knowing He has promised to return,  give me immortality and take me to paradise.    Doesn’t it you?  Paul tells us that we will be changed in a twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet.  This is when we become immortal.  Until then we are mortal.  I pray you will receive you comfort in Jesus and the resurrection:

 We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality ,then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

1 Corinthians 15: 51-54