Faith
One of the hardest concepts regarding the 2nd coming of Jesus for me to wrap my mind around is this: it will always require faith to see His coming.
Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Many assume there will be a moment when the return of Jesus will be obvious by the signs of His coming. This gives license to take a "wait and see" approach to the evolution of the signs. But a "wait and see" approach is a very bad idea. Waiting to engage in the return of Jesus....to participate in His plans to prepare the earth for His return... has never been an option for true disciples. Those who "wait and see," those who argue that there is no evidence of his imminent return, miss the entire role the Bride plays in His return:
II Peter 3:3-13 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
What manner of person HASTENS the day of the Lord? THIS manner of person, John the Beloved, the one to whom the entire plan and program of Revelation was delivered to:
I John 2:18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
John said basically "I know by the signs on the hearts of the people...the spirit of antichrist being manifested on many...that it is the last hour." John said these words in John 1 and THEN was met in the heavenly realm by Jesus, who told Him much more. Jesus didn't say "John, you are about 2,000 years early!" No! He said this:
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
John knew what to look for in the coming of Jesus: the increase of lawlessness, the persecution and tribulation of the disciples, and the victory of the church DESPITE the persecution. He saw many claiming that man's strength was greater than God's, as well as the falling away of many of those first believers, as documented by Paul, John, and Peter, and then John boldly declares "it is the last hour!" John wasn't wrong, this is exactly what the last hour looks like!
So, I declare to you, by the increase in theft, murder, sorcery, and lawlessness...by the desire to make man's government God...by the massive increase in natural disaster, by wars and rumors of wars...by the massive increase in the prayer movement and the unity of the Bride....by the massive increase in martyrdom worldwide and the renewed anger towards Jews globally...by the multitudes in churches keeping the third person of the trinity, God, in the back room of the church, it IS the last hour:
II Timothy 3:1-5 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
We are supposed to see these signs and KNOW this is the last hour, not to wait and see what might happen next, but to give food at the proper time to the Body. You have to know the time to know what bread (the Word) to feed the Body:
Matthew 24:44-47 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
The coming of Jesus doesn't come like a thief to those with faith...those dear brothers and sisters looking for and hastening the day:
I Thessalonians 5:1-6 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
Jesus' first coming was completely missed by almost every Jew who was watching for the Messiah. They imagined that His coming would be more dramatic than it was, more obvious, more intense, more in line with what they wanted...even the disciples who traveled with Him for 3.5 years mostly missed who He was and what He was doing, even though the Bible was full of specific prophecy He was fulfilling daily!
John 14:8-9 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Jesus said the only way to know His coming is to have it revealed to you by God:
Matthew 16:15-17 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
The truth of His coming...His very near coming...is evident all around us. If you could remove yourself from the slow and steady daily progression of events, you would see how quickly the earth and the heavens are changing. In fact you need to do this, by FAITH...LIKE noah building a boat where there was no water. The problem is our eyesight. Each day brings a "new normal" we have to fight against being conditioned by. It IS the last hour, and there is MUCH to do about it.
Luke 12:45-48 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Many assume there will be a moment when the return of Jesus will be obvious by the signs of His coming. This gives license to take a "wait and see" approach to the evolution of the signs. But a "wait and see" approach is a very bad idea. Waiting to engage in the return of Jesus....to participate in His plans to prepare the earth for His return... has never been an option for true disciples. Those who "wait and see," those who argue that there is no evidence of his imminent return, miss the entire role the Bride plays in His return:
II Peter 3:3-13 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
What manner of person HASTENS the day of the Lord? THIS manner of person, John the Beloved, the one to whom the entire plan and program of Revelation was delivered to:
I John 2:18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
John said basically "I know by the signs on the hearts of the people...the spirit of antichrist being manifested on many...that it is the last hour." John said these words in John 1 and THEN was met in the heavenly realm by Jesus, who told Him much more. Jesus didn't say "John, you are about 2,000 years early!" No! He said this:
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
John knew what to look for in the coming of Jesus: the increase of lawlessness, the persecution and tribulation of the disciples, and the victory of the church DESPITE the persecution. He saw many claiming that man's strength was greater than God's, as well as the falling away of many of those first believers, as documented by Paul, John, and Peter, and then John boldly declares "it is the last hour!" John wasn't wrong, this is exactly what the last hour looks like!
So, I declare to you, by the increase in theft, murder, sorcery, and lawlessness...by the desire to make man's government God...by the massive increase in natural disaster, by wars and rumors of wars...by the massive increase in the prayer movement and the unity of the Bride....by the massive increase in martyrdom worldwide and the renewed anger towards Jews globally...by the multitudes in churches keeping the third person of the trinity, God, in the back room of the church, it IS the last hour:
II Timothy 3:1-5 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
We are supposed to see these signs and KNOW this is the last hour, not to wait and see what might happen next, but to give food at the proper time to the Body. You have to know the time to know what bread (the Word) to feed the Body:
Matthew 24:44-47 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
The coming of Jesus doesn't come like a thief to those with faith...those dear brothers and sisters looking for and hastening the day:
I Thessalonians 5:1-6 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
Jesus' first coming was completely missed by almost every Jew who was watching for the Messiah. They imagined that His coming would be more dramatic than it was, more obvious, more intense, more in line with what they wanted...even the disciples who traveled with Him for 3.5 years mostly missed who He was and what He was doing, even though the Bible was full of specific prophecy He was fulfilling daily!
John 14:8-9 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Jesus said the only way to know His coming is to have it revealed to you by God:
Matthew 16:15-17 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
The truth of His coming...His very near coming...is evident all around us. If you could remove yourself from the slow and steady daily progression of events, you would see how quickly the earth and the heavens are changing. In fact you need to do this, by FAITH...LIKE noah building a boat where there was no water. The problem is our eyesight. Each day brings a "new normal" we have to fight against being conditioned by. It IS the last hour, and there is MUCH to do about it.
Luke 12:45-48 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Comments
Post a Comment
I appreciate your comments.