WHERE IS THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING? 2 Peter 3:3-4 2-7-09
Today I want to talk for a little while to do with “the promise of His coming.” Some times we can say something about the coming of the Lord, and that He could come now just any time and some people will make statements to the effect, “well I’ve heard that all my life and He hasn’t come yet”.
I’ve heard a few people say that, and I’m sure some of you have to.
But the very fact that people make statements such as this is nothing more than fulfilling what the Bible says, that people will be saying just prior to His coming.
To those of us that are saved there is not a better subject to talk about; it is the most wonderful thing to talk about and to dwell on that we can think of. It literarily thrills our heart.
That is our blessed hope.
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
II Tim. 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."
Listen as I read today’s text found in 2 Peter 3:3-4 Peter says;
1This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds
by way of remembrance: 2That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts**,
4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
Jude said the same thing in Jude 17-18 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
Ø Over two thousand years ago the apostle Peter wrote that at the time of the end there would be scoffers asking, "Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation?."
People will say things like, "There have always been storms," or, "There have always been earthquakes," or, "I’ve heard all my life that Jesus is coming." And these statements are true, these things have always been present, Christians have been watching for Jesus for over two thousand years.
But things are certainly different today. The most significant sign of the Promise of His Coming is the fact that the Jewish people live in and rule Israel as was prophesied in the Old Testament.
From the time of the Babylonian captivity in about 606 B.C. until May 14, 1948, the Jewish people had lived in that land from time to time, but it was not under their governmental control. Today it is, and this is one of the most significant signs of the end times.
And any logical thinking person can see and realize that it is a wicked and dangerous world today as never before.
2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come—
I just wonder why now days many people are legally carrying concealed weapons for personal protection.
And all that watch the news can plainly see that terrorism is occurring worldwide, the Roman Empire is being revived; all eyes are watching the Middle East and see the culmination of the ancient dispute between Isaac and Ishmael.
Genesis 16:11-12 11And the angel of the LORD said unto her,{Hagar} Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
These terrorists we have today all over the world are the dissidence of Ishmael.
The list goes on and on. All things are definitely NOT continuing as they have been from the beginning of creation.
Let me say that God is not pacing out and back in the Throne room of God wringing His hands and wondering what’s GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT AND WHAT IN THE WORLD IS He going to do, no not at all.
So as we look on what is taking place in the world today it surely can’t be much longer until He comes for the True Church.
And let me say right here that God already knows when that day will be, God does every thing right on time, He’s not early and He’s not late, He knew exactly what would be happening here in these last days.
He does every thing at the right time, He sent His Son in the Fullness of the time according to “Gal. 4:4” and He will sent Him back in the fullness of the time that He has foreordained.
In Matt. 24: 3 we read this, And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And Jesus said,---36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Now the very fact that Jesus said that His Father only knew the day and hour, tells us that He does have an exact day and an exact hour.
So brothers and sisters, let’s not be worried about these last days events that seem to be happening all over the world, God has every thing under control.
He’ll send Jesus back the 2nd time exactly when He’s supposing to.
Hebrews 10: 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
So when the time arrives that only He knows, He will send Jesus to call out His Church, it may not be a time that you or I might have chosen because we all want our loved ones to get in, -----but I believe that when the last soul has been saved that makes up the number of the True Church He’ll call us out. We’ve all heard the saying, ”ready or not here I come”
In our human way of looking at all the wickedness going on in the world today we wonder, how much longer the Lord will allow these things to go on. He is allowing the grapes on the vine to ripen for harvest.
He has a set time in the Tribulation to bring destruction on the earth dwellers that rejected Jesus and were left behind.
Ø At this time He is allowing the “vine of the earth” to ripen for harvest.
In Rev. 14:14-19 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Let me say, that this will take place in the last half of the tribulation, but we that are saved will not be here because we are raptured out in the 4th chapter of the Rev.
But what I wanted us to notice here in these verses is that God has a set time even to bring destruction upon the earth dwellers. He does every thing at the set time.
Ø There is a set time in the Tribulation that demon monstrosities are turned loose on the earth dwellers that will be left behind after the rapture, these were not saved.
Revelation 9: 13-19 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year,*** for to slay the third part of men. 16And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
I’ve read all that to show us that God has pre set times that He’ll do certain things.
Ø He has a set time that this world, as we know it will be completely burned up and destroyed.
When the “WHITE THRONE OF JUDGMENT” OF ALL LOST SOULS is under way this world will be destroyed with fervent heat. Listen:
Revelation 20:11-15 11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Notice, these poor lost souls are brought out of hell to stand before the Judge, The Lord Jesus Christ, and their standing on absolutely nothing there in space, their there before Him with no place to hind, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
While this** ‘GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT: is under way this world and every thing in it is burned up.
2 Peter 3:10 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.
So the time that this happens is when the “WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT” is underway.
But lets not fret Brothers and sisters because as I’ve already pointed out, He has every thing under control; all things will be made new.
You and I will reign with Jesus in the new earth, in fact we’ll reign with Jesus on this earth, when He is ruling in His millennial Kingdom.
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away
The child of God has much to look forward to, but to the lost sinner this is it for him, all that’s ahead of him Is the torments of hell and the lake of fire, and let me say too, that God don’t give the lost sinner a glorified body to go to hell in, he or she will go to hell in the old wretched body that they die in, and in what ever condition it was in when he died.
Ø Let’s not be confused about His 2nd coming and the rapture of the True Church:
The rapture of the True Church takes place about 7 years before His 2nd coming to set foot on the earth, we that are saved will be with the Lord Jesus while the horrible Tribulation is underway back on earth, during that time that we’re with the Lord, we will be judged for our stewardship, [that is the things that we did for Him after we were saved] referred to as the “Judgment seat of Christ” [Rom. 14:10] and we will be rewarded accordingly, then there’s the marriage of the Lord Jesus to His Bride, the True Church. And we’ll sit and dine with Jesus and His guest, the O.T. saints, its called “the marriage supper” Rev.19:7.
Ø And let me point out that John the Baptist will be an honored guest at the marriage supper. He is a friend of the Bride Groom.
John 3:27-29 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
And we’ll also meet Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Matthew 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
And all of these events have an exact time already set.
