Hello my beautiful readers. I trust that the LORD has kept you safe, healthy and in all His graces throughout the period that we haven’t spoken. 🙂 Literally, writing here is my form of communication to all people who read my blog, so in a great way I do feel as though we are all friends.

From my end, I have been amazing. I experienced a little system issue with my writing tools, therefore I haven’t written as much as I would have loved to on my blog.

So, back to this. 🙂

Now, here is a topic that I think about everyday. The day of the Lord’s coming and the subsequent events that will follow. The Bible in many places refers to this as, “The Day of the Lord.”

Hopefully, on this post, we will get to learn about the events surrounding His return so that we may remain  vigilant like the five wise bridesmaids.

Signs of Christ’s Return

This has been a subject of speculation and even ridicule by many people. But it is an assured thing that Jesus Christ will come back for His children. In as much as nobody knows the day, or the hour, Jesus left us signs and told us to watch and pray, lest the day come upon us unexpectedly and the Lord cut the believers in sunder, and appoint them their portion with the unbelievers. These are some of the signs that Jesus said would ensue before His coming:

✓ False Prophets and teachings

Jesus said there would come many people claiming to be the Messiah who would deceive many. False christs, and false prophets showing great signs and wonders. In so much that, if it were possible, they would even deceive the very elect.

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many would grow cold. Falsehood: (the preaching of another Christ) would arise and many would receive and believe these false gospels.

2 Thessalonians 2

⁹ The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Jesus forewarned to beware of the ravening wolves who would disguise themselves in sheep’s clothing, causing great deceptions in His name. In the letter by Jesus to the Ephesian church, Jesus commends this church for not entertaining these false teachings. These teachings are currently widespread and highly embraced in the church today and this falsehood has been made to appear as that of Jesus. Satan has transformed himself into an angel of light.

2 Corinthians 11

³ But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
⁴ For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

The greatest apostasy in the history of the church age has already befallen the church. Church leadership of ungodly men, traitors, hypocrites, who with a form of godliness have filled the churches with doctrines of lies from the devil. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians wrote,

Galatians 1

6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

If we are to observe some of the ministries preaching Christ, many have fallen into this category. And such have led many astray and have perverted the simple gospel of Christ.

✓ Wars, famines, earthquakes, nations rising against nations, great tribulations

Great tribulations began to fully take shape after the death of Jesus. Strange diseases, pestilences, mass destruction, wars such as there has never been, famines, earthquakes, hurricanes, changes in climatic conditions, etc… meaning that the end time was already upon the world.

All these things happen on a daily basis. More-so, they have been happening on an increasing scale with the passing of every new century. If we turn on the news, the major highlights are: conflicts, terrorism, despair and the hopeless state of the world. Everyday, the world is becoming more an more inhabitable as the hearts of men grow cold and hostile towards God and anything that represents godliness.

Jesus spoke of His kingdom saying,

And from the days of John the baptist, the kingdom of God suffers much violence, and the violent take it by force.” Matthew 11:12

Wars— The prophecy of nations rising against nations, has already come to pass (First and Second World Wars). And if we examine closely, the world is currently standing at the brink of a Third World War between the nuclear-armed powers which could probably exterminate all humanity.

Observing the nation of Israel, the Jewish people too, experienced extreme hardship after the death of Jesus as it was prophesied by the Prophet Zechariah.

Zechariah 13

The Shepherd Savior

Notice the statement—Strike the Shepherd (Jesus), And the sheep will be scattered. Jesus died around the period between 30-33AD. Right after His death, Jerusalem was invaded by the Roman Empire in 70AD, and both their city and temple were destroyed. Just as Jesus had foretold, saying to His disciples, “Do you see all these things? Truly, I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one, will be thrown down” Matthew 24:2

(Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.) The Jews also suffered greatly during  Hitler’s rise to power in the Holocaust, where millions of Jews died mainly as a result of antisemitism. But just as the scriptures had prophesied, God brought them back to their homeland in the year 1948. And slowly, many Jews have been receiving the light and truth of the gospel, accepting Jesus as their Messiah.

Matthew 23

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets, and stones them which are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you were not willing!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, You shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.

✓ Christian Persecution 

Jesus taught that, all who would profess His name and keep His Word would encounter persecution. Some would even be handed over to councils and kings and even put to death.

He said all His followers would be hated by all nations on account of Him. Brother would rise against brother, father against child, and a man’s enemies would be those of his own household. However, Jesus exhorted all His disciples telling them that ‘the servant is not greater than the Master.‘ If they put Him to death, so would the servants endure similar persecution.

And this has been the case since His death. There has not been a greater group persecuted in history than the followers of Jesus Christ.

In every single generation, thousands of Christians are mocked, imprisoned, rejected, ridiculed, branded all sorts of names, and even killed for their faith in Christ. According to a survey done by the open doors post, In 50 World Watch List countries alone, 245 million Christians in the world experience high levels of persecution for their choice to follow Christ.

But Jesus said, blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Yet a little while, and the Lord, shall return and avenge them.

✓ World-Wide Preaching of the Gospel

Jesus taught that before His coming, the message of the gospel of His salvation would be preached to all the ends of the earth.

Now, early Christians during the first church age, had a perception that Jesus would return during their time and others began selling their property and possessions so as to distribute it to the less privileged. However, in as much as their intentions were from a good-place, there were many signs that Jesus had spoken of that were yet to come to pass. The gospel in the early church age had spread as far as Asia Minor, parts of Italy, Macedonia and Crete, and many including the generations that followed, were yet to hear the gospel.

Jesus’ Return— A Day of Great Joy and Salvation To Believers

This day shall be a glorious day of great rejoicing to the believers. For the Lord shall return for His bride (the church) and redeem them from this corruptible world.

And all who are dead in Christ shall be raised in glory together with the believers who will still be alive. They shall all be changed in the twinkling of an eye— each according to God’s own good pleasure.

No longer having to suffer this easily corruptible and weak flesh, but acquire a new building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

1 Corinthians 15

35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
36 You fool, that which you sow is not quickened, except it die:
37 And that which you sow, you sow not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
38 But God gives it a body as it has pleased Him, and to every seed his own body.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 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.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Jesus Christ shall then come and establish His Kingdom reign for a thousand years where there will be peace throughout the whole earth. And all His children shall be partakers of this Kingdom and shall reign for a thousand years with Him as kings and priests unto God until the very end of the earth age.

Then, shall the judgement of the great white throne come; where all men, great and small, shall stand before Him to give an account for their lives.

 

Yet a little while all believers endure hardships as servants, looking towards the promises of God by faith when Jesus shall return.

But He shall return.

And He shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things will have passed away. What a glorious promise to look forward to. 🙂

Jesus’ Return— A Day of Reckoning To Unbelievers

The Bible teaches that the coming of Jesus Christ will also be a day of judgement for the unbelievers. Some believers will sadly be caught by surprise, according to the scriptures. Jesus said,

Matthew 7

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Another group will be those who willfully reject Christ (unbelief) and His Word, following after strange beliefs, religions, and, their own views or perceptions of God other than Yahweh, the true and the living God.

The only unpardonable sin in scripture is the mocking of the Holy Spirit. And this too, falls under those who reject the Holy Spirit’s offer of salvation in Christ.

Jesus taught there would be two types of people on that day,

The sheep and the goats

Jesus said,

Matthew 25

31 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:
32 And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides His sheep from the goats:
33 And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in:
36 Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we You an hungred, and fed You? or thirsty, and gave You drink?
38 When saw we You a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee?
39 Or when saw we You sick, or in prison, and came unto You?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me.
41 Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and you gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and you visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we You an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto You?
45 Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, In as much as you did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

The day of the Lord, shall come as a surprise to many, for many shall not be prepared as the scriptures say.

Jesus, after telling His disciples about the signs of the end times, also told them two parables: one, of the ten virgins and the other, of a master who went away on a long journey, entrusting his servants with his wealth. In both these parables, Jesus makes an analogy of watching, waiting, and being faithful while waiting.

Watching, Waiting and Being Faithful

Titus 2

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise you.

Having received the free gift of salvation in Christ, we are called to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ in our different areas  of calling. That through our testimony, others as well may receive the light, that is— Jesus Christ.

Withal, keeping in mind the parable of the servants. God having given each of us talents according to His own will, we are exhorted to use them for God’s glory. And in all our work, remembering that we are unprofitable servants, deserving not the reward, but by God’s grace having received the Kingdom of God freely, we labour and faint not.

Luke 17

⁷ And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?⁸ But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?⁹ Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.¹⁰ So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”

Matthew 25

13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.
14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, you delivered unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that you are an hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth: lo, there you have what is yours.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, You wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 You ought therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with interest.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which has ten talents.
29 For unto every one that has shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that has not shall be taken away even that which he has.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus Christ’s Return

1 Thessalonians 4

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.
15 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.
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:
17 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.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

As we wait for the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray for each one of us. That we may remain steadfast in the things of the Lord, desiring to please Him more than men, seeking His approval and setting our minds on heavenly things.

And May the Lord, showing us great mercy, remember us on that great day of His coming, that we may be partakers of the Kingdom of God. For truly, we are unprofitable servants whom the Lord has chosen by grace, that we may show forth His great glory in this world.

Even so Lord Jesus.

Come!

Maranatha! 🙂

♣

Featured Image Credit: Casey Horner on Unsplash.