Signs Of The Second Coming Of Jesus
8-31-2011 Vol. 5 Part 6
Psalms 41:1-6 NLT For the choir director: A psalm of David. Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The LORD rescues them when they are in trouble. The LORD protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The LORD nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health. "O LORD," I prayed, "have mercy on me. Heal me, for I have sinned against You." But my enemies say nothing but evil about me. "How soon will he die and be forgotten?" they ask. They visit me as if they were my friends, but all the while they gather gossip, and when they leave, they spread it everywhere. Father we praise your name, we give you all the glory. Father we pray for those last week that have suffered hardship with the earthquake and Hurricane Irene. We also ask that you be with those that have lost loved ones due to the hurricane. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Matthew 24:29 – 32
Matthew 24:29-31 NKJV "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Verse 29: Right after the tribulation there will be signs that can’t be mistaken or explained in any other way, except that they are signs from God Almighty. People won’t have a chance to explain what is happening by using science. World leaders and scientist won’t have a chance to conjure up reasons on what is happening, because it is going to happen immediately at the end of the Tribulation. Did you know some say that when the Rapture happens, it will be explained away that aliens visited our planet and carried off millions of people. That won’t happen with this event, because Jesus is coming immediately after the Tribulation.
Don’t get this event mixed up with the Rapture which takes place at the beginning of the Tribulation where the dead Born Again believers bodies are raised from the grave and the living Born Again believers are raise, and all meet Jesus in the air. They will be removed from the earth to spare them the sorrows of the Tribulation.
The next part of verse 29 states “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.” Some people think this is to be taken symbolically to represent the overtaking of world leaders, some believe the radiance of Jesus is so great that the sun and moon will appear darkened. I take this literally that the sun will be darkened which will result in the moon not shining, because we all know the sun is necessary for the moon to shine. We all know that God can make it so dark we can’t see our hand in front of our face. The first time God made it dark during the day was in Egypt when Moses was dealing with Pharaoh. Exodus 10:21 NKJV Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt." Another time darkness fell on the earth was when Jesus died. Luke 23:44-45 NKJV Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. So I think it will get dark, which in turn will strike fear in the hearts of mankind. It will be a fear so great it will cause hearts to stop. Can you relate to this? This summer we have had some bad thunderstorms during the day that really made it dark. In fact so dark outside lighting came on. How did that affect you? It really made you to take notice of what was going on outside, didn’t it? If someone took a picture of the expression on your face at that time, it would show fear. Scripture doesn’t say anything about a storm causing the day time to go dark, so what would your thoughts be if in the middle of the day, the sun quit shining?
The stars will fall from Heaven has been interpreted to mean numerous things like; angels taking their place alongside of Jesus at the second coming; fallen churches and false doctrine; the darkness so dark it will appear the stars have fallen; with no sun they will not shine just like the moon; and a display like fireworks to usher in Jesus. In contemplating this verse and the next verse, I feel the stars represent God’s angels and they have come to assist in the binding of Satan and his band of followers. This train of thought ties directly in with the last part of the verse stating, “and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” This is talking about Satan being bound for a thousand years. Revelation 20:1-2 NKJV Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
To view the art work, click on the title above and go to Google Documents. Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992. | |
Verse 30: This is describing when Jesus appears. When Jesus appears in the clouds, then and only then will people believe there is a God and Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus will part those clouds with such brilliance that there won’t be any question as to who it is. Remember it will be dark due to the sun being darkened. At that time people will mourn that they forsaken the Lord. People will be hiding in the mountains and wanting the mountains to cave in on them in hopes of hiding and not having to face Jesus. All of the Jewish Tribes will then realize who Jesus was that they rejected, pierced, and killed. The nations of the earth will mourn because unbelievers will suddenly realize they have chosen the wrong side. They will finally realize the life of sin they are living is wrong and it has condemned them. Everything they have scoffed about in the Bible will be happening, and it will be too late for them.
Jesus will come with great power and glory. He will ride forth out of Heaven on a white horse with his army that will also be on white horses to destroy the antichrist and all evil. Revelation 19:11-16 NKJV 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
To view the art work, click on the title above and go to Google Documents.
Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
This description of Jesus is just about the same as the one at the beginning of Revelation. Revelation 1:12-16 NKJV 12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Verse 31: He will send His angels with a great sound of the trumpet to gather his elect. When Jesus walked the earth a loud blast of the trumpet meant that something important was about to take place and people were to gather and pay attention. His angels were sent out to assemble the Saints from all corners of the earth. His Saints being the 144,000 Jewish witnesses and the people they witnessed to that became believers. They will be joined by the Old Testament saints and believers throughout Christendom, and they will all be ushered into God’s eternal kingdom.
Some people don’t like to study the end time events, but I think all should study them so they will know what will happen. There will be such bad times that just studying and understanding what will transpire should put the fear of God in them, that they will want to repent and ask Jesus into their life.
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth,
Unless you are Born Again, you cannot enter into Heaven, the Kingdom of God."
Bill
Last Week’s Trivia: Why do people have a hard time understanding the Bible?
Answer: Is in 2 Corinthians 3:14-18 NLT 14 But the people's minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15 Yes, even today when they read Moses' writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.
This week’s Trivia: What actually did Jesus hold against the Nicolaitans? Revelation 2:6 NLT But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
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