We are DEFINITELY AT THE DOORS OF CHRIST'S
RETURN! That's a pretty bold statement, some of you
are thinking. Others of you would claim to even
make such a bold statement is contrary to the Word of
God. The purpose of this tract is to examine the
question, "Can we DEFINITELY KNOW when the 2nd Coming of
Jesus Christ is VERY NEAR?" Even though my answer to
this question is a definite and resounding "Yes", the
majority of Christians reading this tract would probably
answer "No". So, what does the Bible say?Does the
Bible give us latitude to make such bold statements
concerning the closeness of the Second Coming? The
majority of Christians and even ministers believe
something like the following:
"Well, I believe Jesus is
coming back SOME day. Even though we MIGHT be
seeing some signs that He COULD possibly return in
our lifetime, I think it is all speculation.
Christians have been predicting His Return for centuries
and none of them have got it right yet, so I don't think
there is anything to get excited about. I believe we
should just live as best we can and everything will work
out. Besides, I don't like to hear all that
gloom-and-doom stuff, anyway."
"And besides, if Jesus is coming back real soon,
my pastor would be preaching about it, because he is a
real man of God. And doesn't the Bible say that no
man knows the day or hour when Jesus is going to
return? And doesn't the Bible say that He is coming
as a thief in the night and nobody knows when a thief is
going to come? And doesn't the Bible say that it is
NOT for us to know "the times and the seasons"? So
whoever wrote this silly tract can't really know what he
is talking about, anyway. Why don't you go write a
tract about the love of God, or something not so scary and
controversial?"
If your thoughts are included anywhere in the preceding
two paragraphs, please do yourself a big favor and read
the rest of this tract, as we examine what the Bible
REALLY says. In Acts 1:6--7, "...they asked of Him,
saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the
kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not
for YOU to know the times or the seasons..."
The fulfillment of this prophecy was almost 2000 years
into the future so Jesus' response was a natural
one. It wasn't for His disciples to know the timing
of an event so far into the distant future. To
expand this response by Jesus to one particular
question, to mean that all Christians throughout the ages
would have no idea of the times and seasons in which we
are living, goes TOTALLY CONTRARY TO THE WORD OF GOD.
The response by Jesus TODAY concerning His Second
Coming would probably be the same as it was
concerning His First Coming, when He chastised the people
for NOT recognizing the times and seasons. Jesus
said, "O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of
the sky, BUT CAN YE NOT DISCERN THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES?"
(Matt. 16:3) There were prophecies in the Old
Testament and signs in the heavens that made it possible
to know the approximate time of the First Coming of
Jesus. Those who studied and knew the time were
called "WISE" MEN. What do most Christians call
people like that today???
People today who spend countless hours and hours
studying the numerous Old Testament and New Testament
scriptures that give tremendous insight into the end-times
events and the Second Coming of Christ, are called
anything but "wise", by the majority of Christians and
ministers. Even though our hearts are right and our
motives are right, the message and the messenger are
seldom received. The "WARNING" messages of Noah were
not received either. But it did NOT stop the flood
from coming, did it? The floodgates will open VERY
SOON--ARE YOU READY?!!
1st Thessalonians 5:2 says, "For yourselves know
perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in
the night." NO ONE knows when a thief is coming
so NO ONE will have any idea when Jesus is coming back
again. If we have heard that preached once, we have
heard it preached a thousand times. Christians, and
even some ministers, are notorious for taking Scripture
out of context to fit their own particular theology.
This is a perfect example.
Just TWO VERSES LATER, in the
very SAME Chapter, we learn He is ONLY
coming as a thief to the UNBELIEVERS AND TO THOSE WHO ARE
SPIRITUALLY ASLEEP and NOT watching the signs of the
times. "But ye, brethren, are NOT IN DARKNESS, THAT
THAT DAY SHOULD OVERTAKE YOU as a THIEF. Ye are
all children of LIGHT...Therefore, LET US NOT SLEEP AS DO
OTHERS; BUT LET US WATCH..." My challenge to you
this day is this, "ARE YOU A WATCHER, OR A NON-WATCHER???
Are YOUR WATCHING the multitude of Biblical end-times
signs unfolding around us or are YOU SPIRITUALLY ASLEEP,
unable, or unwilling, to discern the signs of the
EXTREMELY LATE end-times in which we are now living?
Unfortunately, many Christians and pastors in these VERY,
VERY LAST DAYS are like the proverbial ostrich, who buries
his head in the sand, too occupied with the CARES OF
THIS LIFE, to be concerned with all of the danger signs
all around him. WARNING!!! WARNING!!!
WARNING!!! YOUR TIME IS ALMOST OVER!!! IT IS
TIME TO GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SAND!!!
In Revelation 3:3, Jesus says, "If therefore thou shalt
NOT WATCH, I will come on thee as a THIEF, and thou SHALT
NOT KNOW WHAT HOUR I will come upon thee." Does this
verse not imply that IF WE ARE WATCHING WE WILL KNOW THE
TIME OUR LORD'S RETURN???
The main Scriptures given for Christians NOT TO KNOW
the approximate time of His Return are those found in
Matt. 25:36 and Mark 12:32, where it says that "no man
knows the day or hour". In both cases the preceding
verses are indentical, "Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but my words shall not pass away." Therefore, to
apply either of these two verses to the timing of the
Rapture is NOT SCRIPTURAL. These verses only tell us
that no man knows the day and hour when heaven and earth
shall pass away.
However, Matt. 25:13 does say, "WATCH therefore, for ye
know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man
(Jesus) cometh." And Matt. 24:42 and verse 44 have
very similar wordings. For the sake of argument,
let's assume that the Lord means that no man would EVER
KNOW the day and hour of His Return, even though it does
NOT say that. In fact, the word, "KNOW" in Matt.
25:13, means that no man has INTUITIVE KNOWLEDGE of,
implying that with enough study, this KNOWLEDGE COULD BE
ATTAINED. In fact, the derivative Greek word
"optomai" signifies an earnest but more continued
inspection may be necessary (How much increased study and
earnest inspection of the end-times prophecies have YOU
done???).
Even if it is the Lord's intention that no Christian
will ever be able to ascertain the exact day and hour
of the Rapture, WHY do the majority of Christians and
ministers feel they can stretch this verse to mean no man
would EVER KNOW the day, the hour, the SEASON, the
YEAR, the DECADE, or the CENTURY of our Lord's
Return. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO SCRIPTURAL BASIS FOR
SUCH A FALSE TEACHING, nor are there even any
parallel verses that would support this extremely
popular FALSE teaching in the church world
today.
On the contrary, there are numerous Scriptures
that strongly support the EXACT OPPOSITE teaching, that we
CAN KNOW the approximate time of our Lord's Return.
We have already discussed 1st Thess. 5:4--6,
Rev. 3:3, and Matt. 16:3. Hebrews 10:25 says,
"...as you see THAT DAY APPROACHING," Luke
21:28 says, "When these things begin to come to pass, then
LOOK UP, and lift up you heads FOR YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH
NIGH (near, or at hand)."
In Matt. 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 we learn about the
parable of the fig tree, which represents Israel.
Most Bible prophecy scholars believe that this parable is
telling us that the generation that sees Israel become a
nation (1948) and recapture Jerusalem (1967) would not
pass away unti the end of the Final Seven
Years, or until Jesus sets up
His Millennial Kingdom.
Numerous Scriptures, such as Hosea 6:1--2, strongly
suggest there will be 2000 years between the 2 Comings of
Christ. Also, numerous Scriptures, such as 2nd Peter
3:8, strongly imply there will be 6000 years between Adam
and the Second Coming of Christ. These Scriputures
all lead us to the time in which we are now
living.
OVER AND OVER AGAIN in the New Testemant, we are
admonished to "WATCH" the numerous signs given in the Word
for our Lord's Return. If we could NOT at least KNOW
THE APPROXIMATE TIME, THERE WOULD BE NO NEED TO
WATCH. For those of us who have been diligently
WATCHING and studying these signs for many years, the
Lord has some very encourging words for us in Luke
12:37--38, BLESSED are those servants, whom the Lord
when he cometh shall find WATCHING...And if He shall come
in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find
them so, BLESSED are those servants."
Was 1988 the FIRST WATCH??? Was 1998-2001
the SECOND WATCH??? Is 2008--2012 the THIRD
WATCH??? Please notice that there is NO
4TH WATCH. 2nd Timothy tells us there is a
special crown of righteousness given to all those
who LOVE HIS APPEARING. Sorry, this is a
WATCHERS ONLY CROWN. Maybe it is not too late
for you to receive this special crown, if you
will start WATCHING AND WARNING with the rest of us
watchers.
Mark 12:29 and Matt. 24:33 say, "When you shall see
these things come to pass, KNOW that it is NEAR, EVEN AT
THE DOOR." JESUS SAID WE COULD KNOW!!!
K--N--O--W!!! NOT SPECULATE, but KNOW.
Those who are willing to study Bible Prophecy, in
depth, are coming to the same conclusion. WE ARE
DEFINITELY AT THE DOORS OF HIS RETURN!!!
In 1st Thess. 5, the day of the Lord is compared
to travail upon a woman with child. The mother KNOWS
the approximate time her baby will be born because of the
BIRTH PANGS. The contractions get closer and
closer together and they get more and more
intense. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY AND
IS WHY WE CAN KNOW (K--N--O--W) AT LEAST THE
APPOXIMATE TIME of the Sudden Destruction/Rapture.
Many of the end-time Bible Prophecies and events
in Daniel and Revelation have not been able to be
understood until the last few years when there has been an
EXPLOSION OF BIBLE PROPHECY KNOWLEDGE AND
REVELATIONS. This was prophesied in Daniel 12,
verses 4 and 9 where it says that "the words are closed up
and SEALED TILL THE TIME OF THE END." Then,
"knowledge shall be increased and the WISE SHALL
UNDERSTAND."
The Bible says to "STUDY to show thyself approved
unto God." The majority of ministers and
Christians have done very little, if any, REAL STUDY OF
END-TIMES BIBLE PROPHECY, even though Prophecy makes up
from one-fourth to one-third of the Bible. That
is a huge chunk of the Bible to be ignoring, fellow
Christians and ministers.
How very, very sad! The heart of Jesus must be
breaking as His Wedding Day is almost here. There is
no preparation, or EXPECTATION, in the hearts of most
Christians. The shout that SHOULD be going forth
from EVERY pulpit, "BEHOLD, THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH QUICKLY"
is heard in only a very few churches.
Where are the WATCHMEN who are to blow the trumpet and
warn the people (Ezekiel 33)? Where are the
Christians who are obeying their Lord and
"WATCHING" THE MULTITUDE of end-times Bible
Prophecies explode before their very eyes?
Where is the URGENCY in the hearts of Christians to
PREPARE THEIR HEARTS FOR THE SOON COMING OF THE
LORD and to get their loved ones and friends and
neighbors into the "Ark of Safety", BEFORE IT IS
ETERNALLY TOO LATE? (Pastors, are you preaching it?)
The truth of the matter is that this world is FULL of
worldly, backslidden, unwatchful, compromising,
and lukewarm Christians who don't really want the
Lord to Return yet. These types of Christians have
lost their burden for lost souls, are spiritually asleep
concerning our precious Lord's 2nd Coming, have
no power to witness, no power over sin in their lives, and
their priorities are on the CARES OF THIS LIFE.
Jesus is DEFINITELY COMING VERY, VERY SOON for millions
of born-again Christians. If you find yourself
anywhere in the above paragraph, ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE
READY FOR THE RAPTURE??? (Be sure to read our
post, "Are All Christians Going in the Rapture?")
An ominous warning is given to YOU in Luke 21:34--36,
where Jesus says, TAKE HEED TO YOURSELVES, lest at any
time YOUR HEARTS be over-charged with surfeiting
(partying), and drunkenness, AND CARES OF THIS LIFE,
and so THAT DAY COME UPON YOU UNAWARES. For as a
snare (trap) shall it come on all them that dwell on the
face of the whole earth. 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 (Jesus)."
WE CAN "KNOW WHEN IT IS NEAR, EVEN AT THE DOORS."
(Matt. 24:33). THE TIME IS HERE NOW!!! LET'S WARN
PEOPLE!!! LET'S SOUND THE ALARM!!!
Ron Reese