PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE LITERAL RETURN OF THE LORD

The devil has always done his best to cause indifference to the subject of Christ's second coming, even as he blinded the Jews to His first advent.

Said Jesus: “Take heed that no man deceive you.” (Mt. 24:4). False prophets will seek to “deceive the very elect.” (Mt. 24:24). “Let no man deceive you by any means”, said Paul. (2 Thess. 2:3).

Two-thirds of the Bible is prophecy. The injunction of the New Testament is: “Despise not prophecyings” (1 Thess. 5:20) yet many preachers frankly admit they have no interest in it.

PROMINENCE OF THE DOCTRINE IN SCRIPTURE

Christ's second coming is referred to 318 times in the New Testament. Paul mentions it about 50 times. It runs through every New Testament book. It is made an integral part of the Gospel for this age. (1 Thess. 1:9-10).

Someone has said that His second coming is: “The Theme of the Testaments (Gen. 49:10; Col. 3:4); The Song of the Seers (Num. 24:15-19); The Prediction of the Prophets (Isa. 9:6, 7; Dan. 7:13, 14); The Paean of the Apostles (2 Pet. 1: 1 1, 16-19; 1 John 3:2); The Prayer of the Saints (Matt. 6:10); The Assurance of the Saviour (John 14:3); The Cry of the Christian (Rev. 22:20); The Hope of the Holy (1 John 3:2, 3, cf. Rom. 8:24, 25); The Comfort of the Ecclesia (1 Thess. 4; 1318); The Reward of the Righteous (2 Tim. 4:8); The Salvation of Israel (Rom. 11: 26; Luke 2:34); The Desire of the Nations (Hag. 2:6, 7); The Expectation of Creation (Rom. 8:18-22); The Terror of the Wicked (2 Thess. 1:7-9); The Climax of Redemption (1 Cor. 15:51-54; Rev. 19:

One cannot serve Christ intelligently who does not clearly understand God's program for this age. Our task is not the gradual transformation of society through education, reform and preaching, but the completion of a spiritual body comprised of regenerate souls making up the true church, called out of the nations. (Acts 15:14; Tit. 2: 14). The “fullness of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:25) must be brought in, then will occur the Bridegroom's return for His Bride.

A PERSONAL AND LITERAL APPEARING

The return of Christ is to be personal, not a “gradual diffusion of Christianity.” Christ was personal in His resurrection. (Lk. 24: 39). The same Christ is to return in glory. (Acts 1:11). It will be “the Lord Himself.” (1 Thess. 4:15-16). He will be identified by nail prints in His hands and feet. (Zech. 12:10).

His return will be literal. It is not to be confused with the believer's death and departure. Death is an enemy to be destroyed when Christ returns. (1 Cor. 15:26, 54). Death lays people in the grave but Christ's return will bring new bodies out of the graves. (l Cor. 15:51-52). Death is the departure of the spirit to be with Christ until His return. (2 Cor. 5:8; Acts 7:59; 1 Thess. 4:14). Some will not die at all, therefore death cannot be the second coming of Christ. (1 Thess. 4:17).

HIS COMING PRIOR TO THE MILLENNIUM

Christ's coming will be before the Millennium. The notion that through preaching the world is to be converted, after which Christ will come, will not stand the test of plain statements.

Tares and wheat will grow together until He comes. (Mt. 13:30). Evil and apostasy will overrun the earth in the last of this age. (1 Tim. 4:1-2; Lk. 17:26-30; 2 Pet. 3:3-4).

This age will not close with victory for Christianity, but with a great tribulation as the climax of sin. (Mt. 24:29-31). Agelong apostasy will head up at the end of the age just before the Lord's return. (2 Thess. 2:3-8). Believers will be a persecuted people until Jesus returns. (2 Thess. 1:1-10).

The Millennial Kingdom can never be established until Satan is bound and this awaits Christ's coming in power. (Rev. 20: 1-3).

IS THE GOSPEL A FAILURE?

Some say that this view disparages the work of the Holy Spirit in this age. But what IS His work? Is it world conversion or the gathering out of a people for Christ's name? He is teaching, guiding and comforting all who have accepted Christ. He is reproving sinners of their sins.

Some say this teaching makes the Gospel a failure. The Gospel “is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” (Rom. 1:16). Man is the failure, not the Gospel. (Jn. 5:40). The commission of Christ is to go everywhere preaching the Gospel and “he that believeth” will be saved. (Mk. 16:15-16). Not a single hamlet has ever been entirely converted. We know of no promise that a day will come when, through preaching, we may catch up with the procession and get every last man and woman, boy and girl into the Gospel net.

IS THIS A GLOOMY OUTLOOK?

Some say this is a gloomy view of the future, a philosophy of despair. Scripture says that the whole world “lieth in the wicked one.” (1 Jn. 5:19). The age is called “this present evil age.” (Gal. 1:4). The world may in many ways be a better place to live in, but labor-saving devices, higher education and the comforts provided through science and invention, save no souls.

“The world by wisdom knows not God.” (Col. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:20). Many inventions enable men to violate the laws of God and to some extent avoid the physical consequences. Which is the more disheartening—the teaching that Christ will come in power once for all to put down evil, or the idea that He will never come until we reach a time when all are regenerated through preaching? There are more male babies born in India in a year than there are conversions in the whole world.

The world's best hope is the King's coming. All things that offend will then be gathered out. We are called to shine as lights (Phil. 2:15-16) until the Prince of Peace comes who alone has power to bring all into subjection and to bind the powers of evil.