Many thanks yet again for this Magazine's Special Edition. John B.
FROM THE BEGINNING....
OF OUR EXISTENCE AS PEOPLE, SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, have sung songs about the "Blessed Hope", of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ-----
Titus 2:13-14 " Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
As the second half of our denomination name suggests, we expect Christ's coming to be a LITERAL EVENT. We believe for it is written in His Word as such, that Jesus shall return in Triumph surrounded by His Holy Angels, we are a happy people, and our songs reflect that joy!
The reason Jesus will return is that He loves us as His Brothers and Sisters, and wants us to be with Him and His Father. Forever. As He spoke to his own----
John 14:1-6 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye 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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me"
Jesus will take all His faithful ones with Him to Heaven at that time-----
NOTE: Many have been taught, that at death we go to our reward, right, so why then does the Bible tells us in more than several places, that Jesus will come to get us, when men say we are already THERE?
Whose lying?
------ He returns to change those who are living at the time [1 Corinthians 15:50-55] , to immortal beings, and Resurrect the Just from the graves of the dead! Again in opposition to what the Bible speaks. So who other than Satan is always in opposition to God and His Word? The men who serve Satan!
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump 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."
This is the moment when ALL earthly powers and dominions shall cease to be, including all the Churches! As predicted in Daniel chapter 2 ending. Since History has recorded and confirmed that all of the other parts of this Prophecy in chapter two has been fulfilled, there can be no doubt in any thinking mind, that God's kingdom will be established as foretold!.
SIGNS OF JESUS' COMING.
While no one but God, knows the actual time of the Second coming, it is possible to know through a study of the Prophecies and the signs of His return, that it is near, "Right at the door"..
.Matthew 24:32-33 "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors"
Note: "...when you see all these things..what things? Read ALL of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 to ID ALL these things!
There will be sign in the heavens and on earth.....
.Matthew 24:29 " 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"
NOTE: The TRIBULATION? The Church of Rome had pretty much quit: it's Terror and torture tactics, of "Believe as I say, or die"!, and many millions did die but Napoleon's army removed the Pope, in 1798 and made the church only a church and not a ruler of a nation, which since 1929 it is a 104 Acre Nation yet again! {Wikipedia Lisbon Earthquake Saturday 1 November 1755 est to be *.5-9 on the scale. Lisbon alone 20,000 lost total unknown from England-Ireland and North Africa over 200,000 lost life.]
Matthew 24:7 " For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."
Note: "....sun shall be darkened.." New England's Dark Day of 1780 when the chickens went to roost before noon because it was so dark, a day without light.but in 1833 there was a Meteor shower so long and so bright that people could read the newspapers a midnight!...
Revelation 6:12-17 "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 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 sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
Mark 13:24-25 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken."
Mark 13:29" So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors."
Plus this......Matthew 24:13-14 " But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
Note: Not all have heard the Good News, yet today.
2 Peter 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
Note: using the above information please know that Jesus died and left this earth only just 2 days ago, and that Adam and Eve were created new only 6 days ago in God's sense of time!
The Apostle Paul predicted the rise of the antichrist.....
1 John 4:3 "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
NOTE: "..even now already in the world!" This book is thought to have been written by 90 .AD.Thus the Roman church was already well established for many years prior.to this writing of John!
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."
Note: who claims to "Sit on this Throne", as God?
"We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty." Pope Leo XIII ,In his Encyclical Letter of June 20, 1894.
Note: I thank them for their honesty, but not the Blasphemy!
The we have James Christ's half brother, via Mary, wrote this----
James 5:1-7 "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain."
In addition to being a "Watchman", we should also be sure to learn all we can about His return because---
Matthew 24:3-5 "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
WHAT WILL HIS RETURN BE LIKE?
Jesus' coming will be PERSONAL:
Revelation 1:7 "Behold, he cometh 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."
Acts 1:11 "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven"
.1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 " 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." [ Matthew 24:30; 26:64. Mark 13:26; 14: 62. Jude 1:12]
Note: If you dear reader, will read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 you will learn that Satan will show up first in a visible to us body, and be walking upon this earth. HOWEVER, our Savior's feet will not, at this time, touch this earth, thus we shall be flown up by our guardian angels, to meet Jesus in the air, and clouds! Satan will not be allowed to copy that!
Christ's Second Coming should not be confused with his being here in Spirit with us nor confuse this with the Holy Spirit, for HE is the 3rd part of the Full Godhead, as Christ's representative, [John 14].
Jesus' return will be very visible [Matthew 24:26-27]------
Matthew 24:26-27 "Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
1 Thessalonians 4:16 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"
NOTE: From the above verse, it's plain that it will not be a silent event! Thus it can NOT be a SECRET RAPTURE now can it?
Jesus' Second Coming will be Glorious
Matthew 24:27-28 " For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth 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"
Note: Eagles should be Vultures, For as He returns all will have already been judged, and those judged not worthy of heaven will instantly perish, while the just are taken to heaven, the birds that eat carrion will have their feast, as Satan and his fallen angels will not bury them! You see only those with Christ will leave this earth Satan and all his will not ever leave it! But shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, Revelation 19+.
However, ALL are God's children and He loves them so much, that He will not ever Force them to do, or live in ways they want not to live or do!. But all MUST know this, HE is the very source, of life, and HE Sustains life, and if HE withdraws that power from us, we perish!
"Lift up the Trumpet, and loud let it ring, Jesus is coming again!" Cheer up Ye pilgrims, by ye joyful and sing Jesus is coming again!"
Further study: Matthew 24, Mark 13, and, Luke 21. 1 Corinthians 51=54. 1 Thessalonians 4:13=18. Revelation 14:14-20; 19:11-21.
Thanking Y O U for your time.
Comments? Questions? John at www.servant@frontier.com
Want More? Visit you Seventh day Adventist Church, any Saturday/Sabbath, at 9-10 AM. You just may find the Peace of mind you seek, in Christ.
Other sites> www.BLBN.org www.AFTV.org www.amazingdiscoveries.org
jb
Next # 26 Death and Resurrection.
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