Category: Second Coming of Christ

Given Versus Came #5

Sunday, February 26, 2017

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17 KJV).

One is distant; the other is near.

Notice Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” When Jesus Christ came to Earth, specifically to Israel, He was their greatest sign. The JEHOVAH God who had dealt so frighteningly with Moses on Sinai when delivering the Law, had now revealed Himself by taking on a human body! Jesus, living among other Jews, was indeed “Emmanuel, God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

John 1:11 says, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” JEHOVAH God came to His own people, Israel, but they rejected Him. Moreover, they conspired with the Gentiles to kill Him (Psalm 2:1-3; Acts 4:23-28). Still, it was in God’s design to use man’s free will to accomplish His end. With man crucifying Christ, there would be shed blood, allowing the implementation of a new covenant for Israel. Please see Hebrews 8:8-13: “For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah….” “For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins” (Romans 11:27—verse 26 identifies this as Christ’s Second Coming, yet future from our day).

Israel accumulated much wrath under the Old Covenant, but grace would cover it. Jeremiah 31:2 speaks of Israel’s redemption and restoration: “The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.” Zechariah 12:10 describes this Second Coming: “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications….” As does Acts 3:19,20: “[Israel] Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ….”

With Jesus Christ coming once to Israel to shed His blood, He will return to ratify the covenant that typifies for them “grace and truth….”

The Misunderstood Messiah #5

Friday, December 30, 2016

“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God” (John 8:41 KJV).

Did you ever notice the magnitude of the insult put forth toward Jesus Christ in today’s Scripture?

Once Christ replied with sound doctrine (verses 42-47), Israel’s religious leaders simply resorted to name-calling again (verse 48): “Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” A Samaritan was half-Jew/half-Gentile, and “the Jews [had] no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9). Notice Jesus was insulted twice more—they called Him a “Samaritan” and “devil possessed.” Throughout the rest of John chapter 8, Israel’s religious leaders continue arguing with Jesus and nearly stone Him to death (verse 59)!

Why did Jesus not simply “zap” these religionists and instantly throw them into hellfire? They belittled and blasphemed Him several times in this one account, and then attempted to murder Him, but rather than Jesus killing them with His spoken word (which would have been justified), He only conversed with them. Why?

Remember, when the Apostles James and John saw how the Samaritans refused to accommodate Jesus, they asked Him if He wanted them to call down fire from heaven and consume those sinners, He replied, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:55,56). This First Coming of Christ was His “meek and lowly” coming: He did not come to judge man’s sins, but to die for them!

Even today, God is still not pouring out His wrath on wicked mankind (2 Corinthians 5:19), creatures who still snicker at Jesus Christ, deceive others in His name, persecute His saints, ignore His Word, and “rub His nose” in their sins. Lost mankind is wasting God’s grace and mercy that He is offering so freely. When His grace is finally exhausted, the undiluted wrath that has accumulated will finally be poured out (His Second Coming). May we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour now so we have our sins forgiven now, lest we face that angry, righteous God in judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)!

For more information, you may also see our archived Bible Q&A: “Did God ‘rape’ Mary?”

The Prince of Peace, Born in the Middle East

Friday, December 23, 2016

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 KJV).

Ironically, God’s wisdom ordained the birthplace of the Prince of Peace to be the contentious Middle East….

Almost from the very beginning of time, the Middle East has been a battleground, the chief war zone of good and evil. Originally the peaceful home of Adam and Eve, today it is the most contentious region on the globe. Because of Adam’s sin, what was a paradise is now known as the area where man joined Satan in his rebellion against God. Adam and Eve utterly failed to reign over the earth for God’s glory (Genesis 1:26-28). Instead they united with the opposition, and were banished from God’s presence and the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23,24).

“Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin” (Romans 5:12). Verse 14 says that Adam “is the figure of him that was to come.” God would send another Man, Jesus Christ, and He would accomplish what Adam failed to do: glorify God on the earth by dispossessing it from Satan, and reigning in righteousness. This is the “government” spoken of in today’s Scripture.

“For if by one man’s [Adam’s] offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (verse 17). Adam plunged the human race into sin and made it God’s enemy; Jesus Christ offers mankind eternal life, forgiveness of sins and a reconciled relationship with God! This was God’s goal in sending Jesus Christ.

As our world desperately continues to seek peace, let us remember there will be no peace on earth until the Prince of Peace returns to His nation, Israel, and rids our planet of Satan and his policy of evil (the root of the Middle Eastern turmoil). At Christ’s Second Coming, there will be peace on earth (Luke 2:14), and especially in the Middle East.

His Son #7

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3 KJV).

What can today’s Scripture teach us?

In Acts chapter 2, the Apostle Peter, God’s spokesman to Israel, offered her a renewed opportunity of repentance. Indeed, unbelieving Jews had refused John’s water baptism. Yes, they had also rejected their Messiah and crucified Him on Calvary weeks earlier. Nevertheless, Father God honored Jesus’ plea (Luke 23:34) and had forgiven them.

Now, God’s Spirit had been poured out on Israel’s believing remnant, signifying that resurrected Jesus was glorified in Heaven (cf. the “right hand…” of today’s Scripture). “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear” (Acts 2:32,33).

However, Peter warned, Jesus would not sit forever: “For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (verse 34-36). Christ would rise and return to judge His enemies—unbelieving Israel!

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:37,38). (John the Baptist’s message expanded.)

Jesus would return with Israel’s kingdom and eliminate those who denied Him as God’s Son….

His Son #6

Monday, October 24, 2016

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3 KJV).

What can today’s Scripture teach us?

John the Baptist warned Israel about “the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7). He said Messiah would come shortly after him and “Shall baptize… with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (verses 11,12). Whoever refused John’s water baptism—“the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4)—would not receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts chapter 2). Without having John’s water baptism and the subsequent Spirit baptism, a Jew would be baptized with fire (judgment at the Second Coming).

In His Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, Matthew chapter 13, Jesus forewarned about God’s fiery wrath consuming unbelievers in Israel (verses 30,40-42). A Jew who did not identify himself with Messiah by participating in John’s water baptism, that Jew was a child of Satan and would surely be punished in God’s everlasting wrath. The Gospel of the Kingdom—“Jesus is Messiah-King, God’s Son”—that Jesus preached in the Four Gospels was the message Father God wanted Israel to believe. There would be a harsh penalty for rejecting God’s Son in His earthly ministry (Hebrews 2:1-3—“how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord [Matthew through John]…”).

With the outpouring of the Spirit of God, Peter warned Israel in early Acts, chapter 2 particularly, that Jesus would now return as King and Judge. Israel had better come to Him by faith and prepare for His return to establish His literal, physical, visible, earthly kingdom….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What did Jesus mean, ‘I will have mercy and not sacrifice?’”

His Son #2

Thursday, October 20, 2016

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3 KJV).

What can today’s Scripture teach us?

For some reason known only to Him, God the Holy Spirit chose not to reveal the human instrument He moved to write the Book of Hebrews. So, rather than squabbling about the man’s identity, all we need to know about its writer is found in the first word—God!

JEHOVAH God, Israel’s God, for centuries, had sent prophets to communicate more and more of His Word to her. “Time past” here in this context (Hebrews 1:1) denotes Abraham’s call all the way up to John the Baptist’s ministry (about 2,100 years). It started with Abraham because he was Israel’s father, and it ended just before John the Baptist’s ministry began (we will look at this verse later). For now, just know this was a time of piecemeal revelation to Israel—“at sundry times.” It involved various angelic appearances, handwriting, visions, dreams, miracles, fire from heaven, and so on—“in divers manners.”

First Peter chapter 1 says of the “Old Testament” prophets who, with limited understanding, tried to make sense of it all: “[10] Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: [11] Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” Notice this reference to Christ’s First Coming (earthly ministry—“the sufferings of Christ”) and His Second Coming (“the glory that should follow”).

With the passing away of such “piecemeal” prophetic ministries, Father God sent His Son as His Spokesman to Israel. Whatever those holy men spoke prophetically, Jesus would come (Matthew through John) and repeat, explain, and add to it….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Was the Law of Moses given by the LORD, or by angels?”

Why Stand Ye Gazing Up Into Heaven? #4

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

“And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 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” (Acts 1:10,11 KJV).

Why did the angels ask the Apostles, “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven?”

Today’s Scripture declares the 12 Apostles looked “stedfastly” toward Heaven. They were not merely watching Christ Jesus ascend. Rather, they continued to look up. It was an intense gaze, not casual observation. Perhaps they even looked up long after He was out of sight. In spite of His instructions not to look for His return until they saw certain events (Luke 21:25-28), they looked up for Him to reappear immediately to “restore again the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6). As we ask someone doing wrong, “Hey, what are you doing?,” to cause him or her to realize misconduct, so the angels asked the Apostles, “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven?”

Jesus told Israel’s believing remnant—particularly His 12 apostles—they were not to look up for His Second Coming (for them) until they saw specific phenomena. Contrariwise, when describing Christ coming for us (the Church His Body), Scripture says nothing about preceding signs. For example, see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, Philippians 3:20, Titus 2:13, and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2. There will be no warning signs concerning this coming (for the Body of Christ). In contrast to Israel anticipating the Second Coming, we should be looking for the Rapture to occur at any time. Only in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, do we find this doctrine of the Body of Christ being caught up from Earth into Heaven. Us searching for the Rapture elsewhere in Scripture will introduce unanswerable confusion.

A thoughtful and prayerful consideration of the Bible reveals two future comings of Christ Jesus. To force all verses about “Christ’s coming” to apply to one event is dangerous. We must not combine what God has separated; we must not mixed what God told us to “rightly divide” (2 Timothy 2:15). These two future comings of Christ are separate!

Why Stand Ye Gazing Up Into Heaven? #3

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

“And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 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” (Acts 1:10,11 KJV).

Why did the angels ask the Apostles, “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven?”

Several weeks earlier, just before His crucifixion, Jesus had told His Apostles: “[25] And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; [26] Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. [27] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. [28] And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke chapter 21). Believing Israel was not to look up until they saw certain signs. Those signs were absent in Acts chapter 1; therefore, Israel was not to be looking up in Acts chapter 1! The angels asked the Apostles why they were looking up to prompt them to remember Jesus’ words.

Furthermore, Jesus had told them to wait for the Holy Spirit who would come days later: “[5] For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence…. [8] But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” They were not to be looking up as though Jesus would return right there in Acts chapter 1 because He was not coming back at that time.

God’s Word told Israel not to look up for Christ’s return until certain events transpired. Let us compare and contrast this with His Word to us concerning Christ’s return….

The Precious Blood of Christ #4

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18,19 KJV).

God the Father and God the Holy Ghost think the blood of Jesus Christ is “precious.” And you?

The verse immediately following today’s Scripture says: “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you….” The “who” is Jesus Christ; the “you” is Israel. Again, Christ’s death was planned before the foundation of the world. The triune Godhead decreed it before sin had even entered… before man had even been created!

From the establishment of the Mosaic Law all the way up until Christ’s earthly ministry—about 1,500 years—Israel had been trained every year to remember the innocent lamb whose blood was shed at Passover (Exodus 12:4,5). That blood saved Israel from God’s wrath in Egypt. Beloved, innocent Jesus dying at Passover centuries later was no coincidence! When Israel saw Jesus die during their Passover feast, they should have realized it—for all those centuries, that Passover lamb represented Him! Alas, most of Israel was blind. They had no faith in the verses He fulfilled, so they did not recognize who He was. Praise God, however, a small group of Jews believed in Jesus as Messiah! They are “the little flock” (Luke 12:32). Peter is writing to them in the epistle from which today’s Scripture is extracted.

In addition, a similar believing Israeli remnant will live during the future seven-year Tribulation. They will follow that epistle of 1 Peter as well. In verses 6 and 7 (context of today’s Scripture), believing Israel is “in heaviness through manifold temptations” and experiencing “a trial of [their] faith.” Having separated themselves from apostate Israel following Antichrist, they are experiencing severe hardships and horrific persecution. Their families have been torn apart: their relatives are now their enemies. They are waiting for Jesus Christ’s Second Coming to end those awful seven years. Today’s Scripture says they have been purchased, with a heavy price, for His glory….

The King of Glory

Monday, September 12, 2016

“Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah” (Psalm 24:10 KJV).

Just who is “this King of Glory,” “the LORD of hosts?”

While the Psalms are often “devotionalized”—used for “everyday inspiration”—they are actually a series of songs God has used (and will use) to teach the nation Israel doctrine (especially prophecy). For example, in Psalm 22, we see Israel’s Messiah suffering on Calvary’s cross (verses 1-21) and then reigning in His glorious earthly kingdom (verses 22-31). Psalm 23 illustrates Israel’s believing remnant, suffering persecution during the seven-year Tribulation, anticipating that coming kingdom that will eclipse their distress. Today’s Scripture is the last verse of Psalm 24, the closure of the triplet (Psalms 22-24). Psalm 24 is the arrival of Israel’s Messiah, the Lord Jesus, JEHOVAH God, as He returns to Earth to destroy Israel’s enemies. He enters the city of Jerusalem for Father God to crown Him as King of Earth’s governments. This is His REAL triumphal entry!

Psalm 24 in its entirety: “[1] The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. [2] For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. [3] Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? [4] He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. [5] He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. [6] This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. [7] Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. [8] Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. [9] Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. [10] Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.”

What a day it will be when Jesus Christ is crowned as Earth’s King for all to see! 🙂