The Ultimate Deliverance
The Ultimate Deliverance Lesson 8 It's no fairytale - one day, you can be free from all the hurt, hunger, aloneness, crime, and chaos infecting the world today. Doesn't that sound wonderful? But it's not going to be some charismatic earthly leader who's going to deliver you... no, He's much more superior than that! Jesus is coming soon, but there is a lot of popular misconceptions regarding just how He's coming. So take a few minutes to understand what the Bible really says about the second coming so you won't be left behind! Jesus taught that He will return to earth the second time.
1. Will Jesus return to this earth the second time? Can we be positive?"Christ ... shall ... appear the second time." Hebrews 9:28. Answer: Yes! In Matthew 26:64, Jesus testified under oath that He would come back to this earth again. Since the Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35), this is proof positive. Believe it just as it reads. It is Christ's own personal guarantee. Jesus said He will return to earth in the clouds.
2. In what manner will Jesus return the second time?"While they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11. Answer: The Scriptures promise that Jesus will return to this earth in the same manner that He left at His ascension--in a visible, literal, bodily, personal manner. Matthew 24:30 says, "They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." He will come in the clouds literally, as a personal being with a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:36-43, 50, 51), and His coming will be visible. Scripture is clear on these facts. Every person living on earth will see Jesus when He returns the second time.
3. Will the second coming of Christ be visible to all men or only to a select group?"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him." Revelation 1:7. Answer: Every man, woman, and child living in the world when Jesus returns will see Him at His second coming. The staggering threefold (Luke 9:26) brightness of His coming will stretch from horizon to horizon, and the atmosphere will be charged with brilliant glory like lightning. No one will be able to hide. Every living soul will be forced to face Christ. Christ left no loophole for doubt or misunderstanding. All the angels of heaven will be with Jesus at His second coming.
4. Who will come with Jesus at His second coming, and why?"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." Matthew 25:31. Answer: All the angels of heaven will come with Jesus at His second coming. As the cloud nears the earth, Jesus will send His angels, and they will quickly gather together all of the righteous people in preparation for the trip back to heaven (Matthew 24:31). Jesus will take His people to heaven and restore to them everything Adam and Eve lost.
5. What is the purpose of Jesus' second coming to this earth?"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:12. Answer: Jesus is coming back to this earth to reward His people as He promised and to take them to the beautiful home He has prepared for them. He will restore to His people all of the joys and glories of Eden that Adam and Eve lost by sinning. His second coming will bring an end to this present age of evil. Little babies taken from their parents by death will be returned to them at Jesus' second coming.
6. What will happen to the righteous people when Jesus comes the second time?"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven ... and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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." 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. Answer: The righteous dead will be raised from their graves, given perfect, immortal bodies like that of Christ, and caught up into the clouds to meet the Lord. Then the righteous living will also be given bodies like Christ and will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And Jesus will take the righteous to heaven with Him. The wicked will be slain at Jesus' second coming.
7. What will happen to the wicked people when Jesus comes again?"With the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." Isaiah 11:4. Answer: The wicked will be slain by Jesus. Today's earthquakes are minor in comparison with the massive earthquake at Jesus' coming.
8. How will Christ's second coming affect the earth itself?"And there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." "And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." Revelation 16:18, 20. Answer: The earth will be seized by a great earthquake at the coming of the Lord. This earthquake will be of such a devastating nature that it will leave the world in a state of total destruction. Millions of Christians died during the Dark Ages. Many were burned at the stake.
9. Does the Bible give specific information regarding the nearness of Christ's second coming?Answer: Yes, it does! And Jesus Himself said, "When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." Matthew 24:33. The Lord placed signs all along the way from His ascension to His second coming. They are listed below. Study them carefully. The great star shower took place on November 13, 1833. E. The Stars Fall from Heaven Prophecy: "And the stars shall fall from heaven." Matthew 24:29. Fulfillment: The great star shower took place on the night of November 13, 1833. It was so bright that a newspaper could be read on the street. One writer says, "For nearly four hours the sky was literally ablaze."* Men thought the end of the world had come. Look into this. It is most fascinating, and a sign of Christ's coming. *Peter A. Millman, "The Falling of the Stars," The Telescope, 7 (May-June, 1940) 57. F. Jesus Comes in the Clouds Prophecy: "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." Matthew 24:30. Fulfillment: This is the next great event. Are you ready? Strife between capital and labor is a sign of Jesus' second coming.
10. How may we know when we have reached the very last days of earth's history? Does the Bible clearly describe the world and its people in the last generation?Answer: Yes, indeed it does. Look at the following specific signs of the last days. You will be amazed. And these are just a few of many, many positive signs that show we are in the closing days of earth's history. We are living in the final moments of time.
11. Just how near is the Lord's second coming?"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Matthew 24:32-34. Answer: The Bible is very specific and plain on this point. The signs have almost all been fulfilled. We cannot know the exact day and hour of Christ's return (Matthew 24:36), but we can be confident that we are the people who will live to see Jesus return. God has promised to finish things very quickly now and cut the work short (Romans 9:28). Christ is coming back to this earth for His people very soon. Are you ready? What appears to be Jesus in a seance chamber is one of Satan's impersonating demons.
12. Satan is telling many falsehoods regarding the second coming of Christ and, with lying wonders and miracles, will deceive millions. How can I be certain I will not be deceived?"They are the spirits of devils, working miracles." Revelation 16:14. Answer: Satan has invented many false teachings about the second coming and is deceiving millions into believing that Christ has already come or that He will come in some non-biblical manner. But Christ has warned us of Satan's strategy, saying, "Take heed that no man deceive you." Matthew 24:4. He then exposes Satan's plans and falsehoods so we will be forewarned, and He reminds us, "Behold, I have told you before." Matthew 24:25. For example, Jesus stated specifically that He will not appear in the desert or come to the seance chambers (verse 26). There is no reason to be deceived if we learn what God's book teaches about Christ's second coming. The acid test is this: What does the Bible teach about it? People who know what the Bible says about the second coming will not be led astray by Satan. All others will be deceived. We must not become so busy that we have not time for Christ.
13. How can I be certain to be ready when Jesus comes back?"Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37. Answer: Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door [this door represents the human mind or heart], and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in." Revelation 3:20. Through the Holy Spirit and my conscience, Jesus knocks and asks to come into my heart so that He can change my life. If I unreservedly turn my life over to Him, He will erase all my sins of the past (Romans 3:25) and give me the power to live a godly life (John 1:12). As a free gift, He bestows upon me His own righteous character so I can stand unafraid before a holy God when my life is changed by Jesus. Then doing His will becomes a pleasure. It is so simple that many doubt its reality. But it's true. My part is simply to give my life to Christ and let Him live within me. His part is to work the mighty miracle within me that changes my life and prepares me for His second coming. It is a free gift. I need only to accept it. 14. Of what great danger does Christ solemnly warn?"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Matthew 24:44. Answer: There is great danger in becoming so busy with the cares of this life or so entranced by the pleasures of sin that the coming of the Lord may slip up on us as the Flood did on the world in Noah's day, and we will be surprised, unprepared, and lost. This will be the experience of millions. How is it with you? Jesus is coming back very, very soon--in our present day. Are you ready? Nothing else matters. 15. I am planning to be ready when Jesus returns.Answer: Thought Questions 1. Isn't the great tribulation yet to come?It is true that a terrible tribulation will cover the earth just before Jesus returns to deliver His people. Daniel describes it as "a time of trouble, such as never was." Daniel 12:1. In context, though, the "great tribulation" of Matthew 24:21 refers to the awful persecution of God's people during the Dark Ages. Millions were slain for their faith at that time. 2. Since the Lord is coming "as a thief in the night," how can anyone know anything about it?The answer is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4: "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." Notice, the day of the Lord comes as a thief to the unprepared, but not to those who are called "brethren." 3. When will Christ set up His kingdom upon the earth?After the great 1,000-year period of Revelation 20. The 1,000-year period begins at the second coming of Christ, when Jesus takes the righteous from this earth to heaven to live and reign with Him "a thousand years." Revelation 20:4. At the close of the 1,000 years "the holy city, new Jerusalem" (Revelation 21:2) comes down from heaven to the earth with all the saints (Zechariah 14:1, 4, 5) and the wicked dead of all ages are raised to life (Revelation 20:5). They surround the holy city to capture it (Revelation 20:9), and fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them. This fire purifies the earth and burns up all traces of sin and sinners (2 Peter 3:10). Finally the fire goes out (Isaiah 47:14), leaving only ashes (Malachi 4:3). Then God creates a new earth (2 Peter 3:13; Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:1) and gives it to the righteous, and "God ... will dwell with them, ... and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." Revelation 21:3. Perfect, holy, happy beings, restored once again to the perfect image of God, will at last be at home in a sinless, spotless world as God originally planned. Only the most foolish person would choose to miss this. 4. Why don't we hear more preaching and teaching today regarding Christ's second coming?The devil is responsible. He well knows that the second coming is the "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13) of the Christian, and that once understood, it changes the lives of men and women and leads them to take a personal, diligent, active part in spreading that good news to others so that Christ's coming may be hastened. This infuriates Satan, so he influences those who have "a form of godliness" (2 Timothy 3:5) but deny "the power thereof" to scoff, saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning." 2 Peter 3:3, 4. Those who deny, ignore, or make light of Christ's second advent (as a literal, soon-coming event) are specifically fulfilling Bible prophecy--and doing the devil a very great service. 5. But wasn't Jesus speaking of the secret rapture when He said in Luke 17:36, "One shall be taken, and the other left"?No. There is not the slightest indication that the event is secret. Jesus was describing Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom. (See Luke 17:26-37.) He told how God spared Noah and Lot and destroyed the wicked. He says specifically that the flood and fire "destroyed them all." Verses 27, 29. Plainly, in each case, a few were taken to safety and the rest were destroyed. Then He added, "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." Verse 30. To illustrate, Jesus continued, "Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." Verse 36. There is nothing secret about it. "Every eye shall see Him." Revelation 1:7. At His second coming, Christ publicly and openly takes the righteous up into the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17) and slays the wicked (Isaiah 11:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:8). That's why Luke 17:37 speaks of the bodies of the wicked and mentions the eagles (or vultures) gathered around them. (See also Revelation 19:17, 18.) The wicked who are left behind at Christ's coming are left dead. Quiz Questions 1. At His second coming (1)_____ Christ will arrive privately and visit certain cities of the earth. _____ Christ will appear in the desert. _____ Christ will remain in the clouds and call the righteous up to meet Him in the air. 2. When Jesus returns to this earth (1)_____ Only the righteous will see Him. _____ Every eye will see Him. _____ People will not know it until it is announced on TV. 3. What will happen to the righteous at Christ's second coming? (2)_____ Righteous dead will be raised, given immortality, caught up into clouds, and taken to heaven. _____ Righteous living will be given immortality, caught up into clouds, and taken to heaven. _____ Righteous will stay here and convert the wicked. _____ Righteous will be secretly snatched away. 4. On the basis of biblical signs, Christ's coming is most likely to occur (1)4. On the basis of biblical signs, Christ's coming is most likely to occur (1)_____ Very, very soon! _____ Several hundred years from now. _____ In the mid-21st century. 5. The wicked who are living when Jesus returns will be (1)_____ Placed in hell, where they burn forever. _____ Slain at His second coming. _____ Spared and given another chance. 6. Check the statements below that tell the truth about Christ's second coming: (4)_____ He will come secretly. _____ The second coming is the experience of conversion. _____ He will come in the clouds. _____ Christ comes for us at the hour of our death. _____ The wicked will not see Him. _____ All the angels will be with Him. _____ He will not actually touch the earth. _____ It is possible to know the day and hour of His coming. _____ Millions will be surprised and lost. 7. At Christ's second coming (1)_____ The whole world will be ready and waiting. _____ There will be a devastating, worldwide earthquake. _____ The wicked will be converted. 8. Mark all statements that are true signs of the last days of earth: (7)_____ The world will get better and better. _____ Strife between capital and labor. _____ Fewer earthquakes, storms, etc. _____ Falling away from Bible truth. _____ Lower divorce rate. _____ Craze for pleasure. _____ Moral degeneracy. _____ A great drop in the crime rate. _____ Great famines. _____ Increase of knowledge. _____ Unrest and upheaval. 9. Which signs in the heavens are signs of Christ's return? (2)_____ Haley's comet. _____ The dark day of 1780. _____ The falling stars of November 1833. _____ The moon falling to the earth. 10. How do we know that Jesus is coming back to earth very soon? (1)_____ The Bible gives signs and perfect descriptions of the last days. _____ Because so many people believe that Jesus is coming soon. _____ Some fortune tellers predict it. 11. Millions will be deceived regarding the manner and time of Christ's return because (1)_____ God does not want all to be saved. _____ They do not give large enough offerings. _____ They do not study their Bibles to find the truth of the matter. 12. I can be ready for Christ's return if (1)_____ Jesus lives within me. _____ I read the newspaper daily. _____ I do what my minister suggests. |
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