end times

The Day of The Lord

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There are hundreds of references to the Day of the Lord in scripture. The following is a summary of events associated with this event.

The time of the Gentiles are complete. The Earth has been shaken, signs in the heavens revealed, and the church is united with Christ in the heavens.

Now God is going to redeem Israel, deal with the sins of the nations with His Great Wrath, and usher in a time where Jesus reigns over the Earth.

The Day of the Lord is a long period of time covering with many phases. Remember, one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, etc. & co.

This post briefly highlights some of the events occurring during Daniel’s 70th week and scans the entire time-frame of the Day of the Lord.

The great day of the Lord is near,

it is near, and hasteth greatly,

even the voice of the day of the Lord:

the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

That day is a day of wrath,

a day of trouble and distress,

a day of wasteness and desolation,

a day of darkness and gloominess,

a day of clouds and thick darkness,

a day of the trumpet and alarm

against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

And I will bring distress upon men,

that they shall walk like blind men,

because they have sinned against the Lord:

and their blood shall be poured out as dust,

and their flesh as the dung.

Neither their silver nor their gold

shall be able to deliver them

in the day of the Lord’s wrath;

but the whole land shall be devoured

by the fire of his jealousy:

for he shall make even a speedy riddance

of all them that dwell in the land.

~ Zephaniah 1:14-18

Nothing in Heaven or Earth will be able to stand against the Lord on that day. If we love the Lord and obey His commandments, the Day will not overtake us like a thief. We will be delivered from it.

. . . how ye turned to God from idols

to serve the living and true God; 

and to wait for his Son from heaven,

whom he raised from the dead,

even Jesus,

which delivered us from the wrath to come.

~ 1 Thessalonians 1:10

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For God hath not appointed us to wrath,

but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 

who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep,

we should live together with him.

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:9

These are the promises we have in Christ Jesus if we endure to the end in a life pleasing to the Lord.

And it shall come to pass in that day,

that I will seek to destroy all the nations

that come against Jerusalem. 

And I will pour upon the house of David,

and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

the spirit of grace and of supplications:

and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced,

and they shall mourn for him,

as one mourneth for his only son,

and shall be in bitterness for him,

as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 

In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem

~ Zechariah 12:9-12

Here we begin to see that Jerusalem and all of Israel becomes the focus of scripture and God’s redemptive love. The church is gone. It left at the onset of this event, known as the Day of Christ.

For I would not, brethren,

that ye should be ignorant of this mystery,

lest ye should be wise in your own conceits;

that blindness in part is happened to Israel,

until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

And so all Israel shall be saved:

as it is written,

There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer,

and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

for this is my covenant unto them,

when I shall take away their sins.

~ Romans 11:25-27

The (unsaved) Gentiles remaining on the Earth are now the primary object of God’s wrath. These have followed after the Beast and False Prophet who have been ruling the entire world.

If any man worship the beast and his image,

and receive his mark in his forehead,

or in his hand, 

the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,

which is poured out without mixture

into the cup of his indignation;

and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone

in the presence of the holy angels,

and in the presence of the Lamb:

~ Revelation 14:9-10

Before He pours out His wrath, the church is delivered, God seals 144,000 Jews to testify for Him in the last part of Daniel’s 70th week. In this, His promise to Israel begins completion.

Daniel’s 70th week is often interpreted as the Great Tribulation period, but it is not described as such in scripture.

Scripture states that the Great Tribulation begins at the mid-point of the Daniel’s 70th week when the Man of Sin is revealed and causes the sacrifices in the temple to cease.

Satan realizes his time is short and persecutes God’s people with great wrath. He begins persecuting the Jews and church in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week.

Please note there is a big difference between Satan’s wrath and God’s wrath. This we must distinguish to correctly interpret the times of the end.

When ye therefore shall see

the abomination of desolation,

spoken of by Daniel the prophet,

stand in the holy place,

(whoso readeth, let him understand:) 

then let them which be in Judæa flee into the mountains: 

let him which is on the housetop not come down

to take any thing out of his house: 

neither let him which is in the field

return back to take his clothes. 

And woe unto them that are with child,

and to them that give suck in those days! 

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter,

neither on the sabbath day: 

for then shall be great tribulation,

such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time,

no, nor ever shall be. 

And except those days should be shortened,

there should no flesh be saved:

but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

~ Matthew 24:15-22

This is not a warning only for the Jews because Jesus said this was for His apostles and disciples, which include both Jewish and Gentile believers.

In Mark, Jesus proclaims that this prophesy applies to everyone. Every scripture I have ever read synthesizes within the context of this thesis.

But in those days, after that tribulation,

the sun shall be darkened,

and the moon shall not give her light,

and the stars of heaven shall fall,

and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. 

And then shall they see the Son of man

coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 

And then shall he send his angels,

and shall gather together his elect

from the four winds,

from the uttermost part of the earth

to the uttermost part of heaven.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree;

When her branch is yet tender,

and putteth forth leaves,

ye know that summer is near: 

so ye in like manner,

when ye shall see these things come to pass,

know that it is nigh, even at the doors . . .

. . . But of that day and that hour knoweth no man,

no, not the angels which are in heaven,

neither the Son, but the Father.

Take ye heed, watch and pray:

for ye know not when the time is.

For the Son of man is as a man

taking a far journey, who left his house,

and gave authority to his servants,

and to every man his work,

and commanded the porter to watch.

Watch ye therefore: for ye know not

when the master of the house cometh,

at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing,

or in the morning:

lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

And what I say unto you

I say unto all,

Watch.

Jesus returns at the end of the Great Tribulation (He cuts is short). Scripture prophesies hope for Israel even in the perilous times to come after the church has been gathered.

Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together,

O nation not desired; before the decree bring forth,

before the day pass as the chaff,

before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you,

before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you.

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth,

which have wrought his judgment;

seek righteousness, seek meekness:

it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.

For Gaza shall be forsaken,

and Ashkelon a desolation:

they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day,

and Ekron shall be rooted up.

Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast,

the nation of the Cherethites!

the word of the Lord is against you;

O Canaan, the land of the Philistines,

I will even destroy thee,

that there shall be no inhabitant.

And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds,

and folds for flocks.

And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah;

they shall feed thereupon:

in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening:

for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

~ Zephaniah 2:2-7

Some time before God’s wrath is poured out, there will be a window of opportunity for Israel to receive redemption and be protected or hidden from His wrath.

This is the work of the two witnesses, Elisha and Enoch, and the 144,000 Jewish disciples preaching the gospel while wrath is being poured out around them.

Once again, the sun, moon, and stars are darkened, the last trumpet has blasted, and the church is gathered to the Lord and darkness covers the land. At time of mourning for the Jews.

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion,

and sound an alarm in my holy mountain:

let all the inhabitants of the land tremble:

for the day of the Lord cometh,

for it is nigh at hand;

a day of darkness and of gloominess,

a day of clouds and of thick darkness,

as the morning spread upon the mountains:

~ Joel 2:1-2

The Apostles asked Jesus before He ascended to heaven when the Nation of Israel would be restored.

The Day of the Lord is the time of great cleansing that initiates this prophesy to restore the nation if Israel.

When they therefore were come together,

they asked of him, saying, Lord,

wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

~ Acts 1:6

The Bible speaks of the Day of the Lord ushering in a time of peace for Israel and the world around them.

They realize the old covenant/sacrifices in the temple are finished and recognize their Messiah whom they have pierced.

Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord,

until the day that I rise up to the prey:

for my determination is to gather the nations,

that I may assemble the kingdoms,

to pour upon them mine indignation,

even all my fierce anger:

for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

For then will I turn to the people a pure language,

that they may all call upon the name of the Lord,

to serve him with one consent.

~ Zephaniah 3:8-9

The first fruits of Israel’s peace occurs immediately prior to the outpouring of the wrath as noted here in Revelation 7.

This chapter is also where God speaks of the risen and raptured saints of the Gentile age. They were delivered before the sealing of the 144,000 and wrath.

These first fruits, the 144,000, are Jewish virgin or sanctified males. They are sealed and thus, protected from God’s wrath while they preach to the last remnants in the world.

Oh what a wonderful and terrifying picture. God providing redemption to His people by wholly sanctified saints while he pours out His wrath all around them. For all those who receive the promise, they will enjoy a wondrous time in the millennium.

These 144,000 were probably converted after the rapture and the witness of Enoch and Elisha. The Bible says, it is appointed once for man to die, then the judgment. Neither Enoch or Elisha have died yet.

Therefore, these two men of God must return to Earth and die. They start preaching before the Great Tribulation begins, prophesying, and are killed some time in the midst of it.

The Anti-Christ even declares a holiday (link) presenting their bodies to the whole world, who in turn celebrates their deaths by the exchanging of gifts as they lie in the streets 3 1/2 days.

And I will give power unto my two witnesses,

and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred

and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

~ Revelation 11:3

The Day of the Lord goes well beyond the period of His wrath that shortens the Great Tribulation during Daniel’s 70th week.

It lasts at least 1,000 years and includes the Battle of Armageddon, the millennial reign of Christ on Earth, and destruction of the sin stained Heavens and Earth.

There is way too much material to cover of these events in this post.

Here is one prophesy that briefly sums up the entire age of The Day of Lord (giving some great hints too) and points to the end when holiness, purity, and righteousness will inherit the New Heaven and New Earth in eternity future.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,

that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years,

and a thousand years as one day. 

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise,

as some men count slackness;

but is longsuffering to us-ward,

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 the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,

and the elements shall melt with fervent heat,

the earth also and the works that are therein

shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,

what manner of persons ought ye to be

in all holy conversation and godliness,

looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,

wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,

and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 

Nevertheless we, according to his promise,

look for new heavens and a new earth,

wherein dwelleth righteousness.

~ 2 Peter 3:8-13

Please do not get tossed and turned by every wind of doctrine out there.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,

what manner of persons ought ye to be

in all holy conversation and godliness,

looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God

The whole of your life should reflect godliness and holiness. If you are not in a church that preaches this as the norm of the Christian life, the winds of doctrine will remain.

Remember, love covers a multitude of sins, and sums up the whole of our life in Christ. If we have died to self and sin, we no longer serve its desires therein. God and only God’s love is the ruler of our heart. We continue in this way of holiness, keeping our heart and mind on our heavenly calling as we look for the coming of His Great Day.

In Him,

Donald Kjellberg

The Day of Christ

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The Day of Christ and Signs from the Sun, Moon, and Stars are very closely related to each other. Together, they declare a new beginning for Christ and His church.

The Day of Christ is mentioned about a dozen times in scripture. It precedes The Day of the Lord and comes shortly after the sun, moon, and stars are darkened and shaken.

Here are the scriptures describing Christ’s day.

The Day of Christ

 And he said unto the disciples,

The days will come, when ye shall desire to see

one of the days of the Son of man,

and ye shall not see it. 

And they shall say to you,

See here; or, see there:

go not after them, nor follow them. 

For as the lightning, that lighteneth

out of the one part under heaven,

shineth unto the other part under heaven;

so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

But first must he suffer many things,

and be rejected of this generation.

~ Luke:17-22-25

————-

They did eat, they drank, they married wives,

they were given in marriage,

until the day that Noah entered into the ark,

and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot;

they did eat, they drank, they bought,

they sold, they planted, they builded; 

but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom

it rained fire and brimstone from heaven,

and destroyed them all.

Even thus shall it be in the day

when the Son of man is revealed.

~ Luke 17:27-30

————-

But of the times and the seasons, brethren,

ye have no need that I write unto you.

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.

Ye are all the children of light,

and the children of the day:

we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others;

but let us watch and be sober.

For they that sleep sleep in the night;

and they that be drunken

are drunken in the night. 

But let us, who are of the day, be sober,

putting on the breastplate of faith and love;

and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 

For God hath not appointed us to wrath,

but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9

Please note in these passages, those who live in darkness believe they are living in peace, carrying on with life as normal. There is no Great Tribulation for them.

The Great Tribulation is for followers of Christ and His chosen people as were many dark and terrible times past.

We must fully adorn ourselves in God’s armor lest we are tempted to fall asleep in the light.

————-

Behold, what manner of love

the Father hath bestowed upon us,

that we should be called the sons of God:

therefore the world knoweth us not,

because it knew him not. 

Beloved, now are we the sons of God,

and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:

but we know that, when he shall appear,

we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 

And every man that hath this hope in him

purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

~ 1 John 3:1-3

————-

waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

who shall also confirm you unto the end,

that ye may be blameless

in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

~ 1 Cor. 1:7-8

————-

For our rejoicing is this,

the testimony of our conscience,

that in simplicity and godly sincerity,

not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God,

we have had our conversation in the world,

and more abundantly to you-ward. 

For we write none other things unto you,

than what ye read or acknowledge;

and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;

as also ye have acknowledged us in part,

that we are your rejoicing,

even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

~ 2 Cor. 1:12-14

————-

Now thanks be unto God,

which always causeth us to triumph in Christ,

and maketh manifest the savour

of his knowledge by us in every place. 

For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ,

in them that are saved,

and in them that perish: 

to the one we are the savour of death unto death;

and to the other the savour of life unto life.

And who is sufficient for these things? 

For we are not as many,

which corrupt the word of God:

but as of sincerity, but as of God,

in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

~ 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

————-

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 

always in every prayer of mine

for you all making request with joy, 

for your fellowship in the gospel

from the first day until now; 

being confident of this very thing,

that he which hath begun a good work in you

will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

~ Philippians 1:3-6

————-

And this I pray,

that your love may abound

yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 

that ye may approve things that are excellent;

that ye may be sincere and without offence

till the day of Christ; 

being filled with the fruits of righteousness,

which are by Jesus Christ,

unto the glory and praise of God.

~ Philippians 1:9-11

The Day of Christ is the day Jesus returns to gather His church together unto Him. It is a time of rejoicing for Jesus’ disciples. The church will be longing for Christ as noted by the dark times in which they are living.

Jesus warns of false Christs or a secret coming. He tells us that when He comes, the whole world will see Him. Paul declares,  likewise: All we do is done in the sight of God. Nothing is hidden from Him. Only those who are found hidden in Christ will find this day to be a day of life unto life.

All will see His return. As lightning lights up the whole sky, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be in His  day.

He also tells us that the world will be so wicked during those times (like Noah and Lot’s), violence will abound and good will be considered evil. This is not a regional phenomenon. The whole world will be under the rule of wickedness come down to Earth.

The natural conclusion is that Christians will be like criminals, to be hated, deserving of punishment and death. There will be no real justice. Laws will not reflect God’s character as much as Satan’s deceptions.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the wicked ways man twisted the truth in his day. We can only imagine how much more sophisticated evil will be as it prepares the path for the Anti-Christ and False Prophet. Rest assured, it will be a strange, crooked, and unknowingly deceptive path.

Woe unto them that call evil good,

and good evil;

that put darkness for light,

and light for darkness;

that put bitter for sweet,

and sweet for bitter!

~ Isaiah 5:20

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Paul warns Timothy how seductively deceptive and wicked we can be when we move away from the truth of God’s Holy Word.

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,

deceiving, and being deceived.

~ 2 Timothy 3:13

In some of the passages above, there is also glimpse of judgment against those who have offended Christ through corruption of His word, sin, and lawlessness.

When Jesus comes on His day, there will only two things stopping Him from immediately pouring out His great wrath, which initiates the Day of the Lord as described in Revelation 8, 9, 10.

Those two things are found in Revelation 7: The sudden appearance of saints gathered in Heaven that no man could count from every nation and people on Earth (the rapture); and the sealing of the 144,000 wholly sanctified Jewish men. After these two events occur, His wrath begins.

But the Day of Christ is a glorious day for His followers. We will see Him as He is and we will changed, in the twinkling of an eye. Our knowledge of this wonderful event is suppose to purifying our souls and keep us blameless until the end. This can only happen through the obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus will give us testimony in our hearts through grace, not with fleshly wisdom, but with simplicity and Godly sincerity. Even now, everything we do now is preparing us for that day. We need to find the dross in our lives and purge it.

The Day of Christ is a day of triumph for those through the knowledge of Him abound in love, judgment, and approve those things that are excellent in His eyes. On that Day, our obedience in Him will be complete.

His fruits of righteousness in our life will be plucked and we will be approved in His sight.

Are you ready?

Are you purifying your heart?

Are you blameless in His sight?

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest,

lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful,

and sharper than any two-edged sword,

piercing even to the dividing asunder

of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow,

and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

~ Hebrews 4:11-12

 

Sun, Moon, and Stars

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And God said,

Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven

to divide the day from the night;

and let them be for signs, and for seasons,

and for days, and years:

~ Genesis 1:14

————-

God gave us the heavens to help us understand His redemptive plan for creation.

At the fullness of the Gentiles, the heavens will signal five end-time events in this chronological order (in the near term):

  1. Jesus’ coming in the clouds (The Day of Christ)
  2. The resurrection of the dead
  3. The deliverance of the remaining living saints
  4. Purifying redemption of Israel
  5. The Day of the Lord

What it Will be Like in Those Times

The scriptures paint a pretty awful picture of the future.It will be a time of reward for His saints, purification for His chosen people, and judgment of the wicked. This framework is similar to what is described in the reward, purification, and judgment in 1 Corinthians 3:11-17 posted here.

The earth shall quake before them;

the heavens shall tremble:

the sun and the moon shall be dark,

and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

and the Lord shall utter his voice before his army:

for his camp is very great:

for he is strong that executeth his word:

for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible;

and who can abide it?

~ Joel 2:10-11

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Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe:

come, get you down; for the press is full,

the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:

for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

The sun and the moon shall be darkened,

and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

~ Joel 3:13-15

————-

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:

~ Matthew 24:29

————-

But in those days, after that tribulation,

the sun shall be darkened,

and the moon shall not give her light

~ Mark 13:24

————-

and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles,

until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 

And there shall be signs in the sun,

and in the moon, and in the stars;

and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;

the sea and the waves roaring; 

men’s hearts failing them for fear,

and for looking after those things

which are coming on the earth:

for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 

And then shall they see the Son of man

coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 

And when these things begin to come to pass,

then look up, and lift up your heads;

for your redemption draweth nigh.

~ Luke 21:24-29

————-

The sun shall be turned into darkness,

and the moon into blood,

before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.

~ Joel 2:31

————-

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal,

and, lo, there was a great earthquake;

and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair,

and the moon became as blood;

~ Revelation 6:12

When reading the book of Revelation we learn that after the 6th seal is opened, the signs in the heavens occur.

We have learned that this is when we are to look up because our redemption draws nigh.

Jesus is about to come back.

We also learned if we read on that all the peoples of the Earth living in darkness realize that God’s wrath is about to be poured out.

Fall on us, and hide us

from the face of him that sitteth on the throne,

and from the wrath of the Lamb: 

for the great day of his wrath is come;

and who shall be able to stand?

~ Revelation 6:16-17

Thus, the signs in the heavens: stars falling from the sky, the sun not giving her light, and the moon; a visage of blood, usher in the Coming of Lord with his mighty angels to meet his redeemed church, purify Israel, and judge the wicked.

Click here to see why this applies to today’s church.

There are two phases of Jesus’ return that occur after the signs in the heavens and the gathering of the saints.

The first is The Day of The Christ.

The second is the Day of the Lord.

Those will be addressed in the next two posts . . .

About Jesus’ Second Coming

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His Return, the Times

The Day of Christ; when He returns for the Church will culminate the fullness of the Gentiles. The church of Christ will be taken.

Jerusalem are still being trodden over by the Gentiles. The end for the them will not occur until the Wrath of God is poured out on the Earth. When the fullness of the Gentiles has come, the blindness of the Jews to Christ will have ended as noted here.

Michael has stopped protecting God’s people and the Great Tribulation has begun. During this time of tribulation, the dead in Christ will arise and God’s people will be delivered.

And at that time shall Michael stand up,

the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:

and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was

since there was a nation even to that same time:

and at that time thy people shall be delivered,

every one that shall be found written in the book. 

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth

shall awake, some to everlasting life,

and some to shame and everlasting contempt

~ Daniel 12:1-2

————-

But woe unto them that are with child,

and to them that give suck, in those days!

for there shall be great distress in the land,

and wrath upon this people. 

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword,

and shall be led away captive into all nations:

and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles,

until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 

And there shall be signs in the sun,

and in the moon, and in the stars;

and upon the earth distress of nations,

with perplexity;

the sea and the waves roaring;

~ Luke 21:23-25

All these things define the end of the Gentile church and the beginning of God’s wrath and His dealing with Israel.

The Apostles and Jesus teach about His return and warn against doctrines of a secret coming or eminence.

We are taught repeatedly that certain things must happen to Jesus, the Apostles’, and in our lives before Jesus returns.

What Must Happen First

Jesus told us of many things that must happen before He returns. The last command given to a living apostle was one of them.

And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand,

and ate it up;

and it was in my mouth sweet as honey:

and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

And he said unto me,

Thou must prophesy again before many peoples,

and nations, and tongues, and kings.

~ Revelation 10:11-12

The above instruction was given to John, while writing the last books of the Bible: (1, 2, 3 John and Revelation) on the Island of Patmos. He was to leave the island, go to many people, nations and kings, and prophesy to them.

Jesus could not come before these events occurred. There is no logic in eminence or a secret coming given the natural flow of scripture lived out by the church.

Jesus is tarrying and will not come until the last prophesy that hinders Him comes to pass so all scripture can be fulfilled.

Things will be so so dark, unlike anything we have known. The thought of it caused Jesus to pause and ask, “when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?“

This future will be a time when those who do not fear God, or regard humanity will rule over the world. Sin will abound and the love of many will wax cold. This I believe is the grand part of the great falling away that must take place before Jesus returns for His church.

The book of Revelation was written about 94-98 A.D., after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

This makes the Book of Revelation a book about future events since it speaks about Jerusalem with a temple that has not been built yet.

This is another event that must come to pass because this is where the Abomination that causes desolation occurs – The Man of Sin who is revealed.

Therefore, a temple must be built some time in the future before Jesus returns.

What else did the apostles and Jesus teach about things that must come to pass before his coming?

The Warning of Deception

Almost everywhere they teach of Jesus’ return, they also warn against eminence or a secret coming. This should be enough to prevent this doctrine from growing in the church. But it has not.

We are given many examples of sin or wickedness in God’s people foreshadowing our own sinful ways. Take this one in 1 Corinthians for example.

Neither murmur ye,

as some of them also murmured,

and were destroyed of the destroyer.

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples:

and they are written for our admonition,

upon whom the ends of the world are come. 

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth

take heed lest he fall.

Let us look at warnings from Christ and Paul.

Then if any man shall say unto you,

Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets,

and shall shew great signs and wonders;

insomuch that, if it were possible,

they shall deceive the very elect. 

Behold, I have told you before.

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 shineth even unto the west;

so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

~ Matthew 24:23-28

Jesus said that there was to be no secret second coming. He gave a strong and repeated warning, Behold, I have told you before. His coming would be seen by the whole world.

Jesus also said the the bible had to be completed, published, and given to all nations.

He also said that the Holy Spirit would provide for all His followers needs, and that families would rise up against each other to kill one another (in the Great tribulation) before he returned.

And the gospel must first be published among all nations. 

But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up,

take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak,

neither do ye premeditate:

but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour,

that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak,

but the Holy Ghost. 

Now the brother shall betray the brother to death,

and the father the son;

and children shall rise up against their parents,

and shall cause them to be put to death.

~ Mark 13:10-12

The Blindness Doctrine Brings

Many Christians have dismissed some of Jesus’ words. I did this while attending churches that taught doctrines that do not mesh with a consistent collaboration of the whole of scripture.

Pertaining to this subject, the rationale I was given by my teachers was that Jesus was speaking only to the Jews.

We were told by the Jesus and the Apostles that the warning of Great Tribulation was for everyone, Jew and Gentile.

Immediately after describing the tribulation of the saints, Jesus told us who it was for:

Watch ye therefore:

for ye know not when the master of the house cometh,

at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing,

or in the morning: 

lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 

And what I say unto you

I say unto all, Watch.

~ Mark 13:35-37

We are commanded by Jesus to watch, pray, and be ready. This is our calling. We must not be deceived by the teachings of the world around us. Many evils will arise among nations, but we are not to be troubled:

We are to look for

  1. the falling away,
  2. the Man of Sin standing in the temple like God,
  3. and great signs in the heavens.

We must use every word Jesus’ and the Apostles gave us to ensure that all the principles of the O.T. and N.T are in harmony in our lives according to all His holy commands.

Let me give one brief and potent example of how we as a church have willingly and purposely dismissed parts of scripture we don’t understand, that don’t fit within the paradigm of our thinking, or our doctrine.

I will not try explain the verse here. It will take too much space and is not a part of this subject. If you like, you can read some of my other posts, which address this subject in more detail. Please let the Holy Spirit be your guide.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;

for his seed remaineth in him:

and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 

In this the children of God are manifest,

and the children of the devil:

whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God,

neither he that loveth not his brother.

For this is the message

that ye heard from the beginning,

that we should love one another.

~ 1 John 3:9-11

This is a holy subject to be consecrated in our hearts and minds through humble prayer and the conviction and power of the Holy Spirit. May He have His way in your heart beloved.

A Brief Glimpse into the Glass

When Jesus ascended to heaven in the presence of the 11 apostles, two angels came and reinforced Jesus’ teaching about His return or second coming.

And while they looked stedfastly 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 1:10-12

Two things of note: The Apostles were steadfastly looking toward heaven. We are commanded to do the same: watch, wait, and be ready for His return.

There is no excuse when we die; now, later, or at His coming if we are not found obeying as He commanded.

Also, the angels were adorned in white apparel symbolizing God’s purity and holiness. We are to adorn ourselves in God’s purity and holiness.

One day some of us will see Him descend from heaven as He ascended but He will not be alone.

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

~ I Corinthians 15:51-53

————-

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: 

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 4:15-17

There is nothing secret about this return. It will be glorious for those in Christ.

This is the Day of Christ, which initiates the Day of the Lord, or the Day of His Wrath.

This was explained by Daniel the Prophet, Jesus, and the Apostles.

We are to be ready at Jesus return to Earth, the second time to gather His church at the fullness of the Gentiles.

Things That Must Come to Pass

Paul speaks throughout the book of Thessalonians of Jesus return.

Like Jesus, he warns of the deception of a secret second coming that was being taught.

Here he explains what must first occur and not to be deceived.

Let no man deceive you by any means:

for that day shall not come,

except there come a falling away first,

and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 

who opposeth and exalteth himself

above all that is called God, or that is worshipped;

so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,

shewing himself that he is God.

~ 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

————-

There were also other things discussed in scripture that must come to pass before Jesus returns. This included Paul’s death.

I think it is abundantly clear that eminence was not taught anywhere in scripture. There are only warnings against this false teaching being brought into the church.

I strongly believe that the secret coming or pre-tribulation rapture is a sort of palliative measure to facilitate the death of a church that is already in its death throws and soon to fall away more completely under the deceptive velvet lining that covers the iron fist of the coming Anti Christ.

Why? Because  this view does not prepare the church to be ready for the things to come; to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”.

Here is the prophesy of Paul’s death.

And as we tarried there many days,

there came down from Judæa a certain prophet,

named Agabus. 

And when he was come unto us,

he took Paul’s girdle,

and bound his own hands and feet, and said,

Thus saith the Holy Ghost,

So shall the Jews at Jerusalem

bind the man that owneth this girdle,

and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

~ Acts 21:10-11

This happened at the hands of Nero, the Gentile king, approximately 35 years after Paul’s ministry began.

Surely, all the epistles he wrote before this did not teach Jesus could come before he died. He knew himself how he would die, and this before Jesus returned.

Jesus also told us what the world would be like shortly before His coming. He foretold how His church (O.T. and N.T.) would be gathered all over the Heavens and Earth.

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. 

And he shall send his angels

with a great sound of a trumpet,

and they shall gather together his elect

from the four winds,

from one end of heaven to the other.

~ Matthew 24:29-31

Who is this Exhortation for?

Jesus warned us that He will come quickly to judge or save us.

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen,

and repent, and do the first works;

or else I will come unto thee quickly,

and will remove thy candlestick out of his place,

except thou repent.

~ Revelation 2:5

Here we are told that we must continue in the works given us when we were first saved, namely, to continue growing in Christ in sanctification and holiness and to avoid even the appearance evil.

Please don’t ignore this as I once did. If we are to avoid even the appearance of evil, how much more are to to avoid any and all sin?

This is because only sin needs repentance. Perfection in the growth of holiness in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit does not.

We are to expect tribulation. The Great Tribulation is a specific time of trouble that will be greater than any other time on Earth.

This is not God’s wrath. Satan knows his time is short and prosecutes God’s people with great wrath.

Jesus cuts this Great Tribulation short at the opening of the 6th seal, when prepares the 144,000 Jews.

There is a sudden great multitude seen in Heaven, which no one could count, (I believe this describes the raptured church).

Then the 7th seal is opened and God’s wrath begins to be poured on the Earth described as trumpet judgements, woes, last plagues, and vials of wrath.

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal,

and, lo, there was a great earthquake;

and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair,

and the moon became as blood; 

and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth,

even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs,

when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 

And the heaven departed

as a scroll when it is rolled together;

and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 

And the kings of the earth, and the great men,

and the rich men, and the chief captains,

and the mighty men, and every bondman,

and every free man, hid themselves

in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

and said to the mountains and rocks,

Fall on us,

and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne,

and from the wrath of the Lamb: 

for the great day of his wrath is come;

and who shall be able to stand?

~ Revelation 12:6-17

The great signs in the heavens precede the Coming of the Lord. This is found nearly everywhere Jesus coming or Day is described.

Thanks be to the Him we are not appointed unto wrath but unto salvation. He already gave us two examples of to expect: Noah and Lot.

 And he said unto the disciples,

(Are you one of His disciples.

Here is the litmus test)

The days will come,

when ye shall desire to see one of the days

of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

(There will come a time

when His followers will long to see Jesus

because things will be very bad.)

And they shall say to you, See here;

or, see there: go not after them,

nor follow them.

(The warning of a secret coming of Christ.

We are not to heed what they say

nor follow after their teaching.)

For as the lightning, that lighteneth

out of the one part under heaven,

shineth unto the other part under heaven;

so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

(In the Day of Christ, when He returns,

those that lose their life shall preserve it

and be taken or gathered together with Him.)

But first must he suffer many things,

and be rejected of this generation.

(Like Jesus, we are expected to suffer

persecution, trial, and tribulation.

This is what is wrong with the church today.

It is not being purified by persecution.

Its perspective has become distorted

through pleasure and ease.)

And as it was in the days of Noe,

so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

They did eat, they drank, they married wives,

they were given in marriage,

until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

(In the days of Noah,

this is what it was like

and will be again.)

And God saw that the wickedness of man

was great in the earth,

and that every imagination

of the thoughts of his heart

was only evil continually. ~ Genesis 6:5

The earth also was corrupt before God,

and the earth was filled with violence.

And God looked upon the earth,

and, behold, it was corrupt;

for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

~ Genesis 6:11-12

(Here God is talking about those who corrupt His way.

This includes the modern church

corrupted by sin. We, along with the world

will have fallen away from His ways.

The fruits of sin and compromise

in the hearts of Christians

causes great mourning.)

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot;

they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold,

they planted, they builded;

(The world will have a sort of peace on Earth.

Probably after some great world wars. . .

As noted by Paul below,

these are the times and seasons

when the Lord comes for us

and brings His wrath.)

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.

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:3

————-

but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom

it rained fire and brimstone from heaven,

and destroyed them all.

Even thus shall it be in the day

when the Son of man is revealed.

(This is what it is going to be like

when He comes to deliver the righteous

and begins to judge the wicked.)

In that day,

he which shall be upon the housetop,

and his stuff in the house,

let him not come down to take it away:

and he that is in the field,

let him likewise not return back.

Remember Lot’s wife.

Whosoever shall seek to save his life

shall lose it;

and whosoever shall lose his life

shall preserve it.

(In that time of evil, even more so, now!,

hide yourself in Christ.

Do not love the things of this world.

Set your mind things above.

Love, Holiness, Purity, Godliness,

Humility, Righteousness, and Justice.

All that is of and in

the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

should be in you.)

I tell you,

(Jesus is telling all of us who read His word,

especially His disciples,

Jew or Gentile, as noted in Mark 13:37.)

in that night there shall be two men in one bed;

the one shall be taken,

and the other shall be left.

Two women shall be grinding together;

the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Two men shall be in the field;

the one shall be taken, and the other left.

 ~ Luke 17:22-36

Both Lot and Noah were delivered from God’s wrath at the very end of an evil age or time when God decided to bring judgment and cleanse that evil and wicked era.

Watch, pray, and be ready. It is coming again. For the world must next be prepared for the 1,000 year reign of Jesus and His saints.

The last thing Jesus teaches here is in the time of that darkness, some of us will be gathered together unto Him, and the others left for God’s wrath because they were not His children.

Except the two witnesses and the 144,000.

Along with discussion of the second coming, Paul in Thessalonians speaks of the tribulation of the saints as a sort of chastisement or righteous judgment of God toward his people because there is a need for us to be worthy of His holy calling.

so that we ourselves glory in you

in the churches of God

for your patience and faith

in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

which is a manifest token

of the righteous judgment of God,

that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God,

for which ye also suffer:

~ 2 Thessalonians 1:5

————-

Wherefore also we pray always for you,

that our God would count you worthy of this calling,

and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness,

and the work of faith with power:

~ 2 Thessalonians 1:11

Are you ready?

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

~ Romans 14:10

————-

Are you pure in heart?

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they shall see God.

~Matthew 5:8

. . . see that ye love one another

with a pure heart fervently:

~ 1 Peter 1:22

—————

Will you be able to stand?

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,

that ye may be able to withstand

in the evil day,

and having done all,

to stand.

~ Ephesians 6:13

Fully arm and prepare yourself Brethren.

The times ahead will be troubling,

even now,

the world hates the holiness of God.

His purifying love is a salve to our hearts.

Sanctify yourselves

and be ye holy . . .

The Promise

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them,

and judgment was given unto them:

and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded

for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God,

and which had not worshipped the beast,

neither his image,

neither had received his mark upon their foreheads,

or in their hands;

and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

But the rest of the dead lived not again

until the thousand years were finished.

This is the first resurrection. 

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection:

on such the second death hath no power,

but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,

and shall reign with him a thousand years.

~ Revelation 20:4-7