Today we are continuing with our discussions on the signs of the “Second Coming of Christ.”
Jesus instructed us saying, “…take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Lk. 21:34-36).
What are those things Jesus instructed us to “watch out” for? They are listed in Matthew 24:1-14 and they include:
13. Christians shall be hated by all nations for Jesus’ sake. Jesus said His disciples will be hated by all men for His name’s sake.
“…and ye shall be hated (disliked intensely or passionately) of all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another” (Matt. 24:9-10).
14. The rise of False Prophets. “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (Matt. 24:11).
Today, these false prophets in many mega churches emphasize the feel-good messages about self-esteem and worldly success! They simply want the crowd in their churches so that the offerings and tithes will be bigger. They are not there to tell you the truth that will bring you to Heaven, but to deceive you by telling you those things that you would like to hear so that at the end you will find yourself in hell.
15. Inordinate self-love. This is one of the moral conditions that will be characteristic of society in the last days. The Apostle Paul said that people would be totally self-centered and increasingly rebellious (2 Tim. 3:1-5, NIV).
16. Rampant sexual immorality. The world is awash with diverse sexual perversions. Nearly every movie includes blasphemy or some form of immorality. Access to pornography has exploded in our generation. If Jesus said that adultery can be committed in the heart, engaging in Internet pornography or looking at pornographic magazines and movies is equivalent to fornication and adultery.
Jesus said, “The desire to have sex with someone other than your spouse is MENTAL SEX and thus sin” (Matt. 5:27-28).
17. Many shall betray one another. In Matthew 24:10 Jesus said, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.”
What does it mean to betray? It means to violate the confidence of someone by disclosing a secret or that which one is bound in honour not to make known.
18. Shall hate one another. In Matthew 24:10 Jesus said, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.”
What does it mean to hate someone? It means to intensely or passionately dislike that person.
19. Many shall be offended. In Matthew 24:10 Jesus said, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.”
20. The love of believers shall wax cold. Jesus said, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matt. 24:12).
Nowadays, in the church, believers covet the world in general, and few really devote themselves to working for the Lord. Some of them are engaged in businesses, some are busy with making money by opening factories and schools. Moreover, the pastors and elders scheme against one another, have jealous disputes with each other.
They even form factions, steal offerings, and commit adultery. Therefore, the followers become colder and colder in their faith and eventually get discouraged. This eventually makes them to quit the faith.
21. There will be great Apostasy as Church-goers reject sound doctrine. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1, ESV).
They forsake the 10 Commandments and look increasingly to Rome for direction rather than to Jerusalem where Jesus will return to.
22. And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world. Jesus said, “And this GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matt. 24:14).
This Gospel is good news, but it contains a warning. Every nation on earth, not just a few, will hear about this as a “witness,” not to convert them, but as a testimony of God’s future intentions.
Today, ICTs, satellite communication and Internet-ready, hand-held digital personal digital assistants and gadgets take the gospel to every corner of the globe. By the radio stations, networks, books, gospel tracts, missionary work and so on, the gospel has been spread more and more widely and preached among all nations finally.
23. The RAPTURE of the church. The rapture of the church is the event in which Jesus Christ “snatches away” all Born Again believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period (1 Thess. 4:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-52). Once the rapture of the saints has taken place, then Christ will come back to earth with the saints 7 years after.
24. The rise of a false religious leader. Clearly, a great false religious leader will rise up before Christ returns to this earth. Therefore, be on the lookout for a great, charismatic false religious leader, a “false prophet”! He, like the early New Testament false prophet, Simon Magus (Acts 8:9-11), will deceive hundreds of millions into thinking he is a great servant of God.
If you know God’s Word, and obey it, you will not be one of those many millions who will be deceived by the soon-coming, great “false prophet”!
What will be the attitude and modus operandi of this great false prophet? “…opposes God and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thess. 2:4).
He will have the ability to perform great signs and wonders such as causing fire to come down out of the sky (Rev. 13:13-14).
25. The coming of the Antichrist. "Dear children, this world's last hour has come. You have heard about the Antichrist who is coming, the one who is against Christ, and already many such persons have appeared. This makes us all the more certain that the end of the world is near” (1 Jn. 2:18, TLB).
Who is the Antichrist? Antichrist is born a man like other men; yet a man who becomes the very Devil incarnated in human flesh and form. He yields himself to satanic control in such a manner and to such a degree that, when resurrected from the Bottomless Pit, he is Satan made visible in human form in much the same sense that Jesus was God made visible in human form. The Antichrist will be buried like the others (Ezek. 39:1-6).
26. The Great tribulation. Jesus said, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved (alive); but for the elect’s sake (for the sake of God’s repentant, obedient people) those days will be shortened” (Matt. 24:21-22).
How do we know that the great tribulation has started? The Abomination of Desolation marks the beginning of the “Great Tribulation” (Matt. 24:15).
27. The rebuilding of the ancient Jewish Temple. In the Bible, the prophet Daniel, Jesus the Messiah, as well as the Apostles Paul and John all refer to the temple as being a reality in the last days.
28. Today’s global tele-communications were predicted in the Book of Revelation 11:9-10 and also Chapter 17:8. The invention of computers, television, global satellite networks, mobile phones, handsets and tablets make it possible for news to travel the world at the speed of light.
29. There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. After the Great Tribulation, there will be dramatic astronomical signs in the heavens visible to everyone on earth.
In Matthew 24:29 Jesus said, “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.”
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord” (Matt. 24:31).
30. The war of Armageddon. The war of Armageddon is the last sign of the second coming of Christ.
What are you expected to do when you see these things taking place? Prepare yourself and be ready!
“So be prepared, for you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for My unannounced return” (Matt. 24:42-44, TLB).
Conclusion: From the facts above, we can see clearly that most of the biblical prophecies about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus have come to pass.
But here’s the question I want to leave you with: Are you ready for the Rapture of the saints? If your answer is No, or if you’re not sure, I’ve got good news for you: if you’re willing to repent and forsake your sins and receive Jesus the Messiah as your Saviour, He will receive you and save your soul regardless of your religious background, ethnicity or past sins.
All you must do is to be willing to put your faith in Jesus’ finished work of Atonement on the Cross. Then look to Heaven and say with me, “Father God, I believe in my heart that You raised Messiah Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Saviour!” Do it right now! Don’t postpone it till tomorrow! Tomorrow may be too late!
Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!
Your friend: I. I. Madubunyi (Senior Pastor)
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