Opening video illustration – If Jesus returned today – by skit guys.
Series: Find Joy in the Journey in 2019
Thesis of series: Joy needs to be experienced in the journey of life! But Joy, like any other attitude, can come and go. It is not guaranteed simply because we are born again believers. We must put ourselves in the places where experiencing joy is a possibility.
Scripture: Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
I pray this year that you discovered that there is joy in the journey of life when we do it with Jesus! How many have liked this series we did this year?
Final Sermon: Find Joy in the Journey through God’s Promise of the Second Coming!
Thesis: Joy is found in believing the Promises of God from the Bible and as we progress to the New Year there is a sense of expectation about the future for most. But there should also be an expectation and excitement about the possibility of Jesus second coming in 2020.
Scripture Text:
2 Peter 1:3-4 (The CEV - The Promise): We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.
T.S. - Grabbing a hold of God’s Promises should help us lead a life that pleases God. Which in turn makes us ready for the Promise of Jesus’ 2nd coming. I was thinking about this last message of the year and I thought if this was my last sermon to you what should you know – what should be my last message to you? The answer for me was simple – “Jesus is coming back” – this message is a promise from Jesus and from God’s Holy Word. Let’s listen to some of the Scripture promises about this future event:
Jesus said:
Matthew 24:27: “The coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning that can be seen from east to west.”
Matthew 24:36: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”
Revelation 22:7; 12-13: 7 “Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.”… 12 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Scripture reveals:
Revelation 1:7: ““Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So, shall it be! Amen.”
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11:
“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
???https://www.bible.com/111/1th.5.1-11.niv?
Introduction:
The promise of Scripture – the last message of 2019 for CHC is “Jesus is coming back!” I have never seen those words on the front page of the newspaper! I pray I do one day!
Note: The following illustration and quotes from IN HIS VISIBLE RETURN by James Merritt
But here are some headlines that actually ran on the front page of American newspapers. Please note I am not making these up:
''something went wrong in jet crash, expert says''
''police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers''
''plane too close to ground crash probe told''
''minors refuse to work after death''
''if strike isn't settled quickly, it may last a while''
''cold wave linked to temperatures''
''couple slain: police suspect homicide''
''new study of obesity looks for larger test group''
''typhoon rips through cemetery: hundreds dead''
Now these are humorous headlines (poorly written) but there is one headline I have never read on the front page of any major newspaper – “Jesus is coming again!” or even “He will be back!” – I have seen the message of His return on signs, billboards, church signs, graffiti, books, heard it in sermons, I have watched it on “You Tube” and seen it in other videos but I never have seen it on the front page of a major newspaper – for example, “Here is a great Promise to embrace for the New Year - “Jesus is coming back!”
I really do not believe most of the world believes He is coming back – no, seriously I don’t think they really believe He is! Do you believe He is?
James Merritt states, ”The second coming is the singular doctrine that makes Christianity so different from history or science or philosophy. History says, ''look back.'' science says, ''look around.'' philosophy says, ''look within.'' but Christianity says, ''look up.'' the Word of God teaches very plainly that the Jesus who rose from the (dead and) the earth, and now reigns over the earth, will one day return to the earth.
Have you read this in Scripture lately? Heard a message on it recently? Talked about it as a family or with friends? Can you say it with me, “Jesus is coming back!” I am no kidding – He is!
James also notes the following about our subject today: “As we study the second coming of Jesus Christ, I want to give you cautions: first of all, the second coming of Jesus is not to be a subject of speculation. Jesus said, ''but of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the father.'' (Mark 13: 32) It is both futile and foolish to speculate about the precise date of the second coming of Jesus Christ. We're not to speculate on dates or days. The hallway of church history is littered with corpses of false prophets who claimed to have figured out the exact date of the second coming of Jesus Christ.”
Wikipedia complied a list of when people predicted Jesus 2nd coming from history and for the future please see below from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictions_and_claims_for_the_Second_Coming_of_Christ
Predicted date Claimant Description
500 Hippolytus of Rome, Sextus Julius Africanus, Irenaeus
These three Christian theologians predicted Jesus would return in the year 500. One prediction was based on the dimensions of Noah's ark.
6 April 793 Beatus of Liébana
The Spanish monk prophesied the second coming of Christ and the end of the world would take place that day to a crowd of people.
1 January 1000 Pope Sylvester II
The Millennium Apocalypse at the end of the 1st millennium. Various Christian clerics predicted the end of the world on this date. Following the failure of the 1 January 1000 prediction, some theorists proposed that the end would occur 1000 years after Jesus' death (1033), instead of his birth.
1260 Joachim of Fiore
The Italian mystic determined that the Millennium would begin between 1200 and 1260.
1370 Jean de Roquetaillade
The Antichrist was predicted to come in 1366 and the Millennium would begin in 1368 or 1370.
1504 Sandro Botticelli
Believed he was living during the time of the Tribulation, and that the Millennium would begin in three and a half years from 1500.
20 February 1524 Johannes Stöffler
A planetary alignment in Pisces was seen by this astrologer as a sign of the Millennium.
1524–1526 Thomas Müntzer
1525 would mark the beginning of the Millennium, according to this Anabaptist.
19 October 1533 Michael Stifel
This mathematician calculated that the Judgement Day would begin at 8:00 AM on this day.
1673 William Aspinwall
This Fifth Monarchist claimed the Millennium would begin by this year.
1694 Johann Jacob Zimmermann
Believed that Jesus would return and the world would end this year.
John Mason and Johann Heinrich Alsted
Both claimed the Millennium would begin by this year.
1700 Henry Archer
Archer counted 1335 years from the end of the reign of Julian the Apostate (the dates of whose reign he was uncertain), taking the 1335 days in Daniel 12:12 as years.
1757 Emanuel Swedenborg
In 1758 Swedenborg reported that the Last Judgment had taken place in the spiritual world in 1757, the year before his report (so he presented this not as a prediction but as an eye-witness account). This was one of many events recounted in his works resulting from visions of Jesus Christ returned. He tells of almost daily interaction with Christ over the course of almost 30 years. His return is not in the flesh, but in His Holy Spirit. "Neither shall they say see here or see there, for behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20).
1793–1795 Richard Brothers
This retired sailor stated the Millennium would begin between 1793 and 1795. He was eventually committed to an insane asylum.
25 December 1814 Joanna Southcott
This 64-year-old self-described prophet claimed she was pregnant with the Christ child, and that he would be born on Christmas Day, 1814. She died on the day of her prediction, and an autopsy proved that she was not pregnant.
15 September 1829 Sept. 15 George Rapp
Founder and leader of the Harmony Society, predicted that on 15 September 1829, the three and one half years of the Sun Woman would end and Christ would begin his reign on Earth. Dissension grew when Rapp's predictions went unfulfilled. In March 1832, a third of the group left and some began following a man named Bernhard Müller who claimed to be the Lion of Judah. Nevertheless, most of the group stayed and Rapp continued to lead them until he died on 7 August 1847. His last words to his followers were, "If I did not so fully believe, that the Lord has designated me to place our society before His presence in the land of Canaan, I would consider this my last."
1836 John Wesley
Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, foresaw the Millennium beginning this year. He wrote that Revelation 12:14 referred to the years 1058–1836, "when Christ should come".
22 October 1844 William Miller, Millerites
The fact that this failed to happen the way people were expecting was later referred to as the Great Disappointment. Some Millerites continued to set dates; others founded the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Advent Christian Church, which continue to expect a soon Second Coming but no longer set dates for it. Baha'is claim that Miller's prediction of the year 1844 was in fact calculated correctly, and refers to the advent of the Báb.
7 August 1847 George Rapp
Rapp, the founder of the Harmony Society, preached that Jesus would return in his lifetime, even as he lay dying on 7 August 1847.
1861 Joseph Morris
Morris told his followers not to plant crops because he firmly believed that "Christ will come tomorrow."
1863 John Wroe
The founder of the Christian Israelite Church calculated that the Millennium would begin this year.
1874 Charles Taze Russell
The first president of what is now the Watchtower Society of the Jehovah's Witnesses, calculated 1874 to be the year of Christ's Second Coming, and until his death taught that Christ was invisibly present, and ruling from the heavens from that date prophesied. Russell proclaimed Christ's invisible return in 1874, the resurrection of the saints in 1875, and predicted the end of the "harvest" and a rapture of the saints to heaven for 1878, and the final end of "the day of wrath" in 1914. 1874 was considered the end of 6,000 years of human history and the beginning of judgment by Christ.
1890 Wovoka
The founder of the Ghost Dance movement predicted in 1889 that the Millennium would occur in 1890.
1891 Joseph Smith, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
In the History of the Church Volume 2, page 182, an eyewitnesses account of Joseph Smith's prophecy in 1835 is recorded as: "President Smith then stated that the meeting had been called, because God had commanded it; and it was made known to him by vision and by the Holy Spirit. He then gave a relation of some of the circumstances attending us while journeying to Zion--our trials, sufferings; and said God had not designed all this for nothing, but He had it in remembrance yet; and it was the will of God that those who went to zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh--even fifty-six years should wind up the scene." Though this was not a prediction from Joseph Smith, he stated, "I believe the coming of the Son of Man will not be any sooner than that time" (D&C 130:14-17). According to FairMormon, an organization that responsds to criticism of Mormons, Smith believed no one knew the hour of the Second Coming. (see D&C 49:7, given May 1831)
1901 Catholic Apostolic Church
This church, founded in 1831, claimed that Jesus would return by the time the last of its 12 founding members died. The last member died in 1901.
1914 Jehovah's Witnesses
The "Second Coming" is important in the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, although they do not use this term. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Christ's visible (to humans) return will be at Armageddon. They believe that 1914 marked the beginning of Christ's invisible presence (Matt. 24:3 gr. "parousia") as the King of God's Kingdom (Psalm 110; Revelation 12:10), and the beginning of the last days of the human ruled system of society. They believe the signs Christ revealed about his return in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 began to occur starting in 1914. In a parallel Biblical account at Revelation 6, they believe the ride of the symbolic four horsemen began in the same year, and that the first rider on the white horse depicts the Christ. He goes forth to complete his conquest of the earth, while the rule by human leaders continues for a short while until they meet their end at Armageddon by the power of the Christ (Revelation 19:11-21).
1915 John Chilembwe
This Baptist educator and leader of a rebellion in Nyasaland predicted the Millennium would begin this year.
1917–1930 Sun Myung Moon
The followers of Reverend Sun Myung Moon consider Reverend Moon to be the Lord of the Second Advent called by Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday at the age of 15 on a Korean mountainside (see Divine Principle).
1930–1939 Rudolf Steiner
Steiner described the physical incarnation of Christ as a unique event, but predicted that Christ would reappear in the etheric, or lowest spiritual, plane beginning in the 1930s. This would manifest in various ways: as a new spiritual approach to community life and between individuals; in more and more individuals discovering fully conscious access to the etheric plane (clairvoyance); and in Christ's appearance to groups of seekers gathered together.
1935, 1943, 1972 and 1975 Herbert W. Armstrong
Armstrong, Pastor-General and self-proclaimed "Apostle" of the Radio Church of God, and then the Worldwide Church of God, felt the return of Jesus Christ might be in 1975. Of particular note was the book 1975 in Prophecy! written by Armstrong and published by the Radio Church of God in 1956. Though, never explicitly stating a date in the booklet, the title led people to believe the date was the second coming. It was actively preached in sermons in the 1960s by all of his ministers that his church would "flee" to Petra, Jordan in 1972 and Christ would return 3 1/2 years later.
After the failure to flee in 1972 (and a defection of his ministry) Armstrong was careful not to set specific dates but claimed that Christ would return before he died. He died January 16, 1986.
Armstrong had previously predicted in a 1934 edition of The Plain Truth magazine that Christ would return in 1936. After that prediction failed, he stated in a 1940 edition of The Plain Truth that "Christ will come after 3 1/2 years of tribulation in October 43. After those failed predictions and loss of members he moved his operation from Oregon to Pasadena, California.
After Armstrong's death in 1986, his Worldwide Church of God and the empire he created slowly disintegrated, abandoning his beliefs and philosophies and eventually the name. His three college campuses and the majority of his Pasadena headquarter properties were closed and sold. His successors changed the name to Grace Communion International in 2009.
21 June 1982 Benjamin Creme
The followers of the New Age Theosophical guru Benjamin Creme, like Alice A. Bailey, believe the Second Coming will occur when Maitreya (the being Theosophists identify as being Christ) makes his presence on Earth publicly known—Crème believes Maitreya has been on Earth since 1977, living in secret.
Creme put advertisements in many of the world's major newspapers in early 1982 stating that the Second Coming would occur on Monday, 21 June 1982 (summer solstice in the northern hemisphere), at which time Christ (Maitreya) would announce his Second Coming on worldwide television (this is called the Emergence or Day of Declaration; this is when, Creme's followers believe, the Maitreya will telepathically overshadow all of humanity when he appears on worldwide television) When this event did not occur, Crème claimed that the "world is not yet ready to receive Maitreya"; his followers continue to believe it will happen "soon".
1988 Edgar C. Whisenant
Published a book, 88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be in 1988.
6 September 1994 Harold Camping
Camping, general manager of Family Radio and Bible teacher, published a book, 1994?, a prediction that Christ's return was likely pointing to 1994.
1999–2009 Jerry Falwell
Fundamentalist preacher who predicted in 1999 that the Second Coming would probably be within 10 years.
2000 Ed Dobson
This pastor predicted the end would occur in his book The End: Why Jesus Could Return by A.D. 2000.
Timothy Dwight IV
This President of Yale University foresaw Christ's Millennium starting by 2000.
Edgar Cayce
This psychic predicted the Second Coming would occur this year.
Isaac Newton
Newton predicted that Christ's Millennium would begin in the year 2000 in his book Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John.
6 April 2000 James Harmston The leader of the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days predicted the Second Coming of Christ would occur on this day.
21 March 2011
21 October 2011 Harold Camping
Main article: 2011 end times prediction Camping claimed that the rapture would be on 21 May 2011 followed by the end of the world on 21 October of the same year. Camping wrote "Adam when?" and claimed the Biblical calendar meshes with the secular and is accurate from 11,013 BC–AD 2011.
29 September 2011
27 May 2012
Ronald Weinland
Weinland predicted Jesus would return on 29 September 2011. When his prediction failed to come true, he moved the date of Jesus' return to 27 May 2012. When that prediction failed, he then moved the date to 18 May 2013, claiming that "a day with God is as a year," giving himself another year for his prophecy to take place. Weinland was convicted of tax evasion in 2012 and sentenced to 3 1/2 years in federal prison.
2012 Jack Van Impe
Televangelist who has, over the years, predicted many specific years and dates for the Second Coming of Jesus, but has continued to move his prediction later. Many of these dates have already passed, and he recently pointed to 2012 as a possible date for the second coming. Van Impe no longer claims to know the exact date of the Second Coming, but quotes verses which imply that mankind should know when the Second Coming is near.
28 September 2015 Mark Biltz
Starting in 2008, Mark Biltz began teaching that Christ's return would correspond with the 28 September 2015 lunar eclipse. His idea, known as the Blood Moon Prophecy, attracted attention from pastor John Hagee (who stopped short of claiming Christ would return on that precise date) and mainstream media such as USA Today.
9 June 2019 Ronald Weinland
Weinland believed that Jesus Christ would return on Pentecost in 2019.
Future predictions:
Predicted date Claimant Notes
2020 Jeane Dixon
The alleged psychic claimed that Armageddon would take place in 2020 and Jesus would return to defeat the unholy Trinity of the Antichrist, Satan and the False prophet between 2020 and 2037.
2021 F. Kenton Beshore
Beshore bases his prediction on the prior suggestion that Jesus could return in 1988, i.e., within one Biblical generation (40 years) of the founding of Israel in 1948. Beshore argues that the prediction was correct, but that the definition of a Biblical generation was incorrect and was actually 70–80 years, placing the Second Coming of Jesus between 2018 and 2028 and the Rapture by 2021 at the latest.
2024 Unsealed World News
A number of Christians believe that the Revelation 12 Sign (as popularised by the site Unsealed.org) marks the year of the Rapture, and that after a seven-year tribulation period the Second Coming of Jesus would occur. This seven-year span would also be marked by the 2017 Great American Eclipse and the subsequent 2024 American Eclipse.
2025 Alice A. Bailey
In January 1946, the New Age Theosophical guru prophesied that Christ would return "sometime after AD 2025" (Theosophists identify "Christ" as being identical to a being they call Maitreya) to inaugurate the Age of Aquarius; thus, this event will be, according to Bailey, the New Age equivalent of the Christian concept of the Second Coming).
Alice A. Bailey stated that St. Germain is the manager of the executive council of the Christ (Like C.W. Leadbeater, Alice A. Bailey refers to St. Germain as the Master Rakoczi or the Master R. in her books); thus, according to Alice A. Bailey, St. Germain's primary task is to prepare the way for the Second Coming.
AD 2029 Jakob Lorber
Austrian musician who wrote during 24 years a vast number of works later called the New Revelation, claimed to be received through an inner voice which belonged to Jesus Christ, offered many detailed prophecies concerning the unfolding of the Second Coming, pointing to a time before the passing of 2,000 years after the death of Christ on the cross (note that most scholars assume a date of birth of Jesus between 6 BC and 4 BC).
By 2057 Frank J. Tipler
In 1994, the physicist and intelligent design advocate Frank J. Tipler published a book called The Physics of Immortality, in which he claimed to scientifically prove the existence of God as a consequence of what he calls the Omega Point Theory. In 2007, he published a sequel to The Physics of Immortality called The Physics of Christianity, which applies the principles of the Omega Point Theory to the Christian religion. In this 2007 book, he asserts in the first chapter that the Second Coming of Christ will occur within 50 years, i.e., by 2057, and will be coincident with what futurist Ray Kurzweil calls the Singularity (which Kurzweil himself predicts will occur by 2045).
After highlighting all these past, present and future predictions I want to remind you what Jesus said in Matthew 24:36: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”
But Revelation speaks of this day as a matter of fact – it is coming – the key this book tells us is be ready – now – today – in this moment. Why because you don’t know when He is coming so be ready today – in this moment!
Illustration:
Twas The Night Before Jesus Came' written by Unknown Author
'Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.
The children were dressing to crawl into bed.
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.
When out of the East there arose such a clatter.
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!
The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said "it's not here" my head hung in shame.
The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound.
While all the rest were left standing around.
I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.
In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!
So, the promise of the return of Jesus is not known by anyone Jesus said only the father knows when it will happen – angels – don’t know either! The question is are you ready today?
Thoughts on our subject today:
The following by Jerry Watts READY OR NOT - HERE I COME at sermonsearch.com
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 – in reference to our text Jerry states, “As we have worked our way through Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, it is worth noting that EACH of the 5 chapters ends some reference to the Coming of the Lord (1:10, 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23), so the return of Jesus was one of Paul's driving forces. Here it is again, ''Jesus is coming again!''
When I was a kid, before the land of technology, we played a game which we thought was fun. It was called ''Hide and Seek.'' One person was ''It!'' If you remember, here's how it was played: ''It'' covered his/her eyes and counted to something like 20. While the audible counting continued, everyone else went and hid. When ''It'' had finished counting they shouted, ''READY OR NOT, HERE I COME.'' 'And the search began.' The players knew that the time was coming when 'it' would be coming to find them - and they didn't want to be found. In fact, they wanted to hide until they could slip back and get safe on 'base.' So they had to make plans and preparations for the impending coming. You got the picture? Jesus is coming again - do you get the parallel? Chapter 4 tells us that with the cry and the trumpet call of God, Jesus Himself will descend, 'Ready or not.'
Use illustration of how Emerson and Harlowe like to play Hide and Seek!
Question: Are you ready for Jesus coming if He came in 2020?
My sermon today is a teaching and more informative than inspirational – Why? Because knowledge is power as they say and hopefully this info from the Bible will open your eyes to the promise of Jesus’ 2nd coming!
NOTE: The following outline is directly taken and quoted from Word of Life Ministry https://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/bible-studies/study-2-the-promise-of-his-coming/
THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING - “All unfulfilled prophecy in the Word of God is bound up with the personal, bodily and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in this study we shall consider the urgent question asked in 2 Peter 3:3-4:”
3First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
4They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”
But let’s read on in this chapter:
5But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
6By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
In 2 Peter we see the question of the scoffer – the doubter, but the weight of testimony which scripture gives to the certainty of our Lord’s second coming makes it clear He is coming again. We are to expect that there will be scoffers-doubters in the last days. Why? Because everyone who scoffs or doubts at promise of the return of Christ is fulfilling this prophecy! Peter tells us exactly what the scoffers or doubters say, but we need to ask the question: “Where is the promise of His coming in Scripture?” How sure am I from Scripture that He is coming again! 100% sure!
So lets look at Scripture with the help of https://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/bible-studies/study-2-the-promise-of-his-coming/
1. The Promise of His 2nd Coming is found in the Old Testament.
“There are 39 books included in the Old Testament: these can be divided into the five books of Moses, called the Pentateuch (Genesis to Deuteronomy); twelve historical books (Joshua to Esther); six books of poetry (Job to Song of Solomon and Lamentations); and the sixteen books of the major and minor prophets (Isaiah to Malachi). Concerning all these books we read - 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21, and in each of these five groups we find the promise of His coming. Here are a few selected examples”:
• Genesis 3:15: “You will strike his heel” refers to the first advent, and this was fulfilled at Calvary, where our Lord Jesus was crucified for us. “He” (the seed of the woman, the Lord Jesus) “will crush your head” refers to the second advent and to our Lord’s final overthrow of Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 20:1-3).
• Genesis 5:24: which needs to be compared to Hebrews 11:5 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
o Gen. 5: 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
o Hebrews 11:5-6: 5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
o 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18: 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.
• Genesis, chaps. 22, 23 and 24: Abraham (a type of God the Father); Eliezer, Abraham’s servant (a type of the Holy Spirit); Isaac (a type of the Lord Jesus); and Rebekah (a type of the Church, the Bride).
• Genesis 41:45: Joseph (a type of Christ) during his rejection took a Gentile bride (compare Genesis 42:8).
• Genesis 49:10: No comment needed!
• 1 Samuel 16:11: A picture of “Great David’s greater Son”.
• 2 Kings 2:11: Compare 1 Thessalonians 4:17
• Job 19:25: Compare Zechariah 14:4 and Acts 1:11.
• Psalms 22,23 and 24: Psalm 22 was prophetic of His death; Psalm 23 is true of the believer now; Psalm 24 awaits fulfilment.
• The prophecies of Isaiah to Malachi are full of the promise of His coming. These prophecies were not fulfilled at His first advent; they await fulfilment when He comes again - compare Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4:18-19.
• Please note - How full the Old Testament is of His second coming not just the first.
2. The Promise of His Coming is found in the Four Gospels.
“In the four Gospels we have the inspired and authoritative record of the words of our Lord Jesus Christ; over and over again He spoke of His second coming. For example, look up the following:”
• Matthew: 16:21,27; 24:3,27,35,36,37 and 44; and 25:1-13.
• Mark: 13:24-27.
o 24“But in those days, following that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 26“At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
• Luke: 19:11-27 and 21:25-28.
• John: 14:1-3 and 21:21-22.
• If you take the time to read these passages it becomes clear these statements are made by Jesus, as well as in many of His parables, and we have the promise of His 2nd coming from His own words.
3. The Promise of His Coming is found in the Acts of the Apostles.
“There are two particularly important references:”
• Acts 1:9-11. 9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
o The testimony of the angels is very important because their prophecies were right in relation to His birth (Luke 1:28-33; 2:8-14), and to His resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8).
• Acts 15:14-17: 14Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. 15The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: 16“‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, 17that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’
o Verse 14 is what God is doing today.
o Verses 16 and 17 await fulfilment.
4. The Promise of His Coming is found in the Epistles of Paul, James, Peter, John and Jude.
• Paul: 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:51-52; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Titus 2:11-13 and Hebrews 9:24-28.
• James: James 5:7-8
• Peter: 1 Peter 1:10-11; 5:4 and 2 Peter 3:3-4.
• John: 1 John 2:28 and 3:1-2.
• Jude: Jude 14.
5. The Promise of His Coming is found in Revelation.
• The Book of Revelation does not make sense if you take from it the promise of His personal return. The whole message of the Book is summed up in Revelation 1:7 and 22:7,12 and 20.
o Revelation 1:7: Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
o Revelation 22:7,12-13 and 20: 7“Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” … 12“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End… 20He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
6. The Promise of His Coming is found in the Lord’s Supper.
• Read the communion passage of 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: 23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
• Notice the last three words. Whenever we take the bread and the wine we are reminded of the promise of His 2nd coming.
7. The Promise of His Coming is found in the heart of every true Believer.
• Revelation 19:10: “10At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
o What is “the testimony of Jesus” which we, as believers, have within us? In this particular connection, it is the promise of His coming again.
o The Holy Spirit places in our hearts the assurance and the expectation of His near return, and it causes us to cry out, “Amen, Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” – see Revelation 22:20 above.
Conclusion:
What do we need to know?
Answer: Jesus is coming back!
Why do we need to know this?
Answer: So that we are ready for His return!
What do we need to do?
Answer: Be prepared for it by believing in the promises of Scripture and living holy lives now for Jesus! We need to teach our children that He is coming again!
Why do we need to do this?
Answer: Because we don’t want to miss His coming or be against Him when He comes! We also want our children and grandchildren ready to meet Him too!
