Sunday, December 7, 2014 am
BACK TO BASICS
(39)
The End Times
The Second Coming of Christ
Today we want to address some things about the Lord’s return.
There are some who teach that the Lord has already returned
(realized eschatology) while there are others who teach that His return
will to rule on the earth (premillenialism).
Both premises are false according to scripture.
What we do find in scripture is some thoughts we will discuss
today.
a.
Alluded to in OT prophecy – typically, when we discuss the Old Testament we find its
fulfillment in the FIRST coming of Christ – His sacrifice and the
kingdom He established. But
there are a handful of passages that look beyond the establishment of
His kingdom. There are
passages that speak of the everlasting nature of the kingdom (it is
still in force).
Also consider
Psalm 110:1, “The LORD
said to my Lord,“Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your
footstool.”” Peter
quotes this verse in Acts 2 as the Kingdom is established.
It is IN that Kingdom that He still reigns until all enemies are
made His footstool – 1 Cor. 15:26 tells us that the last enemy that will
be destroyed is death. Death
still reigns and will continue until our Lord returns.
Also consider
Isaiah 45:23, “I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out
of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every
knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.”
This verse is quoted by Paul in Romans 14:11 dealing with the day
we will all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ.
b.
Promised by Jesus
– John 14:1-3, speaking to His disciples, Jesus promised that He would
go to prepare a place and return so that they could be with Him.
c.
Angels –
Acts 1:9-11, Jesus was taken up to heaven.
As the apostles watched two men (angels) stood there, “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 1:11)
d.
Finally, there are many
passages in the teachings of the epistles that tell us He is returning.
The apostles –1 Cor. 11:26
– we proclaim the Lord’s death in the Lord’s Supper till He returns.
1 Cor. 15:22-23, just as in
Adam we die, so in Christ we SHALL ALL BE made alive – including “those
who are Christ’s at His coming.”
e.
1 Thess. 4:13-18
describes His return. We
will make further reference to this passage as this lesson proceeds.
f.
NOTE: He has NOT yet
returned (unlike realized eschatology teaches).
That is borne out as we consider what happens WHEN He returns.
a.
In 2011, Harold Camping
predicted for the last of several times that the Lord would return on
May 12, 2011. When that
failed, he modified the date to October 21, 2011.
When that failed, he “repented” of his date setting.
But Camping is not alone in this venture.
Currently, John Hagee is predicting the Lord’s return in the fall
of 2015, based upon a series of “blood moons” which correlate with
Jewish feasts.
Many others throughout history have tried to set the date of the Lord’s
return.
ALL HAVE FAILED!
b.
Why?
Because the Bible calls them “false prophets”.
Not in name, but because their efforts are contrary to scriptural
teaching about WHEN the Lord will return.
c.
1 Thess. 5:1-3 says the
Lord will come “as a thief in the night.”
So does 2 Peter 3:10.
Jesus taught the same thing in Matthew 24:42-43 as He spoke of the time
of His coming and “the end of the age” (24:3, 24:36-51, etc.).
d.
We do not know when He
will return. It could be at
any moment, which is why we must always be prepared.
a.
Some date setters, upon
failure of their predictions, have said that the Lord has returned but
silently. Charles Russell,
one of the founders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses predicted His return in
2014. When the Lord did not
return, he said it did occur, but it was invisible.
They tie it to their doctrine of the elect class of 144,000.
b.
This too is contrary to
what the scripture says about the Lord’s 2nd coming.
We are told that it will be visible and all will see it.
c.
1 Thess. 4:16 tells us
that “the Lord Himself will descend”
With the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God.
Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold,
He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who
pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.
Even so, Amen.”
d.
He will appear to those
who eagerly wait for Him (Heb. 9:28, cf. 1 John 2:28)
2 Thess. 1:7 speaks of him being revealed from heaven with His mighty
angels.
a.
Premillenialists teach
that when Jesus comes back He will reign on the earth for 1000 years.
JWs believe the Lord will reign eternally on earth with us.
Preterists teach He came in AD 70.
But the earth is still here!
b.
1 Corinthians 15:23-24 –
it will be “the end” when He delivers the kingdom to the Father.
c.
2 Peter 3:10-11 tells us
the heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt
with fervent heat
a.
There will be a resurrection of the dead
(next week) – John 5:28-29
“I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there
will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.”
(Acts 24:15)
b.
The kingdom will be
ended – 1
Cor. 15:22-24 tells us in the end He will deliver the kingdom back to
the Father.
c.
We will all face judgment (next week) – Heb. 9:27, 2 Tim. 4:1, etc.
d.
A new heavens and a new
earth will begin
– 2 Pet. 3:13 a place
where the godly will dwell. This
is a description of eternal reward that awaits the believers.
In a couple of weeks we will discuss the reality of heaven (and
then we will discuss hell).
And
there you have a discussion of the second coming of the Lord.
We may not know when He is coming.
I could make arguments that say it is overdue and I can make
arguments that say we still have plenty of time, but all such are mere
guesses. As we have seen, He
will come on the day He has appointed.
And when He does it WILL be the end.
Are we ready for that day?