We are now entering the third major section of this teaching on End Time Prophecy Revealed; the return of Jesus Christ! Matthew 24, the Olivet Discourse, talks about this. Titus 2:13 says Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
We have this hope, as an anchor for our souls, says Hebrews 6:19. The return of our King Jesus is something that we believers should be very excited about!
Let’s look at what Jesus said in Matthew 24:26-30 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 shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcuss is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 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: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Here's a brief overview of what will happen during this time and what we're going to look at over the next few weeks:
Jesus will return to the earth
That will be preceded by a violent upheaval in nature
His return will be sudden and unexpected for the unbelievers
There will be great sadness for those who don’t know Jesus
There will be a resurrection of the dead in Jesus Christ
Satan will be bound and cast into the pit
The antichrist and false prophet will be destroyed
Jesus will take up His throne in the rebuilt temple of God in Jerusalem where He will establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven
Christ will reign on the earth for a thousand years
We will be in resurrected bodies
That’s a thumbnail sketch of what we’re going to cover in this section.
So, let’s begin with the upheaval of the natural world. 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. This is the transition point to the beginning of the Day of the Lord. It corresponds to the sixth seal in Revelation 6:12-17 which has very similar language.
The Return of the King will leave no one in doubt. Despite all the signs, people still won't believe. But when Jesus finally returns, no one will be able to bury their heads in the sand any longer. Sadly for them, it'll be too late. There are many Old Testament prophecies about this upheaval. One example of many is Isaiah 2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake terribly the earth.
It all fits together. Isn’t it incredible how the Bible is consistent and perfect in its completeness. Amazing really! And we need to tell everyone and anyone we can to spread the Word, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to the lost and broken.
Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
There are many passages in the Word that talk about the return of Jesus. Needless to say, it’s going to be quite astonishing. It will be the climax of all creation! It is not going to be the meek and mild, lowly servant King riding on a donkey. This is Jesus in all His glory! No one will doubt at that point, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah!
Next week we will continue with this awesome section of our study on End Time Prophecy.
Have a blessed week!
Upstream Ministries
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Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly! Maranatha!