Watching And Waiting Series

Watching and Waiting

JCC 11.10.09 am

Is today the day that the Lord will come?

Illustrations: (Hide and seek game)

Are you ready or not?

Have you ever been on a blind date? Not knowing if they’ll turn up, but hoping in expectation of the meeting

Or husbands, what’s it like to wait for your wife to be ready?

Or you’re expecting a delivery, and it doesn’t arrive. How do you feel?

John 14:1-2

I will come again

The doctrine of the return has always been part of the Christian message

But look at the bible, history and current events for yourself, then you decide

A new interest in prophecies; Daniel, revelation

Many teachers, pastors, and bible students have taught that in their generation the Second Coming of Christ is near

Many have given times and dates

No one knows, but the Father, not even Jesus

Matthew 24:36 Jesus says "… of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

Acts 1:6-7 The disciples asked Jesus after He was resurrected: "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

Around the year 1000 predictions of the coming of Christ filled the air. It was so well received that the people didn’t even plant their crops, buildings lay decaying, and people were left starving.

In the 1500’s Martin Luther wrote, “We have reached the time of the white horse of the Apocalypse. This world won’t last any longer… then another 100 years.

Christopher Columbus was also a student of biblical prophecy. He wrote a volume called “The Book of Prophecies,” in, which he predicted that the world would end in 1556. He wrote, “there is no doubt that the world must end in one hundred fifty five years.

Some modern day ‘prophets’ like Edgar Whisenant, a retired NASA engineer, sold 4.3 million copies of his book saying why Christ would come on 31st December 1988; it came and went. The next year he sold 30,000 copies of another book he wrote saying why Christ would come on 31st December 1989 came and went and no Messiah

Many details have been added

Don’t add or take away from scripture, study the bible what it says about it

The OT prophets told that Jesus would come the first time – and He did. We can be 5 times more sure that He will come the second time because the Second Coming is predicted 5 times as often as the First

1st coming was a sin offering the second

2nd time will be without a sin offering

Daniel 12:4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."

What book?

Clue: Daniel 12:1 "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. (The Jews) And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time; (clear reference to The Great Tribulation) but at that time your people shall be delivered, every one whose name shall be found written in the book.

The Tribulation Saints of Jewish descent that come to a saving knowledge of Christ during the Great Tribulation and the book that Daniel refers to is the “Book of Life.”

The 1st hint or sign of the Second Coming: Dan 12:4b “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."

Someone said they believe it’s a clear reference to the ability of mankind to travel to any spot on the globe in a relatively short time. In the Hebrew “run to and fro” means "to pass through a land.“ Not until the 20th century has mankind been able nor has he succeeded in traveling to or passing through every piece of land on the earth

"Knowledge increase:” Beginning with the telegraph, telephones, radio, televisions, computers, and now the Internet, we have practically anything in a matter of seconds

Jesus Himself warned us to look out for signs that He said would come to pass just before His Second Coming and the "end of the world"

Matthew 24:3 “As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?"

Matt 24:5 “For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.”

One Christian leader claims that since 1900, over 1,100 people have claimed to be Christ. (unknown source)

There will be the appearance of one final Anti-Christ mentioned in 1 John 2:18. With breakthrough advancement in media, more than any other time in history, the message of the AC will be on a worldwide scale. He will be widely accepted as the one with the answers