What Can We Know About the Second Coming

33 Pages·2005·0.16 MB·English

WHAT CAN WE
KNOW ABOUT
THE SECOND
COMING?
CONTENTS
WWhere do we stand after
2,000 years of false
Christians Divided On
The Rapture Question. . 2 alarms and the current
“future fatigue”? Should we join
Why Would He Return
those who have thrown in the
Again ...And Again?. . . . 4
towel on prophetic study in favor
Some Don’t Agree. . . . 13
of “more practical, life-related
Now You See Them, issues”? Or, if we are convinced
Now You Don’t . . . . . . 18 that nothing is more practical than
World Of Joy;World to look for our Lord’s return, how
Of Terror. . . . . . . . . . . 21 should we do that? Should we be
expecting an any-moment return?
The King Is Back—
To Stay! . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Or should we be more concerned
about preparing for the coming
Helping You
years of unparalleled trouble that
HelpOthers. . . . . . . . . 29
the prophets predicted?
Christ’s Return In an effort to answer some of
And You. . . . . . . . . . . . 30
these questions, Herb Vander Lugt
and Dave Branon have written this
booklet. It is our prayer that their
work will lead you to an increased
awareness of what the Bible has to
say about our Lord’s promised
return. Martin R. De Haan II
Managing Editor:David Sper Cover Photo & Design:Terry Bidgood
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version.Copyright © 1982 by Thomas
Nelson,Inc.Used by permission.All rights reserved.
© 1988,1999,2003 RBC Ministries,Grand Rapids,Michigan Printed in USA
© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.
CHRISTIANS
granted. Just as a child finds
DIVIDED ON the inner strength to pull his
THE RAPTURE act together when he thinks
his dad is coming through
QUESTION
the front door, so those who
live in the expectation that
MILLIONS Christ could return at any
REPORTEDMISSING moment have reason to live
News reports arriving from a different and better life.
cities around the globe tell of It gives husbands reason to
a mysterious disappearance love their wives and to spend
of thousands and thousands time with their children. It
of people. In some instances gives managers incentive
entire families have vanished to be considerate of their
without a trace . . . . workers and to treat them
the way they would want to
CCould this headline and be treated. It gives everyone
lead paragraph appear who knows the way to
in your newspaper heaven urgent reason to
tomorrow? Is it possible that introduce others to Christ—
Christ could return today before it is too late.
and suddenly remove His But, having said that,
children from this earth, could Christ return today?
leaving an unbelieving Church people do not
world to wonder where all all agree. While all true
the Christians have gone? Christians believe in the
This is an extremely return of Christ, many
practical issue. If Christ disagree about the details
could return today, we need of when it will occur.
to be ready. We cannot Some think that Christ
afford to take the future for will come back at the end
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of the age just prior to rescue of the nation of
destroying and recreating the Israel. This view includes
heavens and the earth. This those who hold to either
is termed amillennialism a pretribulationalor a
because it does not recognize midtribulationalapproach
a literal millennium (1,000- to the Lord’s return.
year reign of Christ on earth). But with these options
before us, what do we really
know about the second
The return of Christ
coming of Christ? To begin,
represents not only
we know that everyone who
the ultimate sense looks for Christ’s return has
reason to live the kind of life
of accountability but
that will please the Lord at
the ultimate sense
His coming. The apostle John
of hope as well. recognized this when he
wrote, “When He is revealed,
we shall be like Him, for we
Others believe that shall see Him as He is. And
Christ will return only everyone who has this hope
after a predicted period in Him purifies himself, just
of unparalleled trouble. as He is pure” (1 Jn. 3:2-3).
This view is called Beyond that incentive for
posttribulationalismbecause right living, we believe it is
it sees Christ coming for His very important for us to be
people after the tribulation. ready for a two-part return
Still others, however, of Christ, the first phase of
believe that our Lord will which could occur at any
return in two phases—once moment—maybe even today.
for the salvation of His But what is the evidence
church and once for the for such a position?
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WHY WOULD
pages will explain why that
CHRIST RETURN seems to signal a two-part
AGAIN . . . AND return of Christ—one for the
church and one for Israel.
AGAIN?
THE DISTINCTION
IMMINENT BETWEEN ISRAEL
C AND THE CHURCH
M SECOND HAR Basic to this discussion is
DOUP RAPTURE ACT our belief that the first of
GNIKTES CGROLEOMTRUIOIRNUNSG SCITSIRE trhesecsue et wano dr erteumrnosv aisl foofr tthhee
INTERVENIN G c1h Tuhrc. h4 :(113 -C1o8r;. 51:59:)5. 1T-h53e;
YEARS
second relates to God’s plan
for Israel (Ezek. 36:16-38;
TThe main evidence for Jer. 23:5-6; Rev. 19:11-21).
a two-part return of Both have different places
Christ revolves around in God’s prophetic program.
(1) God’s distinct plans for Even though both share a
Israel and the church and common spiritual ancestry
(2) prophecies that describe that can be traced back to
the time of Christ’s return as the faith of Abraham (Gal.
being both knowable and 3:7), they have different
unknowable. The reasoning places in God’s world plan.
might seem to be a little Israel represents a nation
involved at points, but the with whom God has made
main point to keep in mind very earth-centered and
is that Scripture teaches us geographically related
to be always ready for the promises (Isa. 2:1-6; Ezek.
Lord’s return. The following 36–37). But the church is a
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multinational organism becomes evident that some
made up of all true believers predictions refer to the Lord’s
in Christ—Jew or Gentile. return for the church, while
The church is at the center others relate to His return
of God’s program until “the as the King and Deliverer
fullness of the Gentiles” is of Israel.
fulfilled (Rom. 11:25) and This provides an
has been given a hope explanation for why the
that is to be realized more church is not specifically
in heaven than on earth referred to in most of the
(1 Th. 4:13-18). book of Revelation.
Revelation 6–18 (which
describes the “great
A two-phase return
tribulation” to which Jesus
would explain why
alluded in Matthew 24:15-
Israel but not the 28) never mentions the
church. While an argument
church is mentioned
from silence is not the
in the endtime
strongest, it does seem
events of Revelation. significant. It gives credence
to the idea that Christ will
have returned to remove the
The distinction between church prior to all of those
Israel and the church is endtime events related to
basic to understanding the restoration and salvation
prophecy. Many have called of the nation of Israel, called
it the key to unlocking what the “time of Jacob’s trouble”
the Bible says about the (Jer. 30:7). The church will
future. When the two are already be with her Lord
kept distinct, many prophetic and will come with Him
details fall into place. Then it when He returns to save
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Israel and set up His than the promise of our
promised earthly kingdom. Lord’s return.
That brings us to a If the Lord were to
second important reason return today, all of your
for being ready for a worst problems and all of
two-part return of Christ. your deepest pleasures
The teaching of the Bible
includes (a) prophecies of A two-phase return
dramatic events that will
makes sense if the
occur just prior to the Lord’s
second coming to earth and first phase (for
(b) predictions of another the church) could
coming at a time that is
happen at any
not expected. It seems
reasonable to resolve this time and the
apparent contradiction by second phase
seeing them as describing
(for Israel) happens
two different phases of the
Lord’s return. at a definite,
Just keep in mind that presignaled time.
if this discussion seems
unrelated to your real needs
and problems, you’re would suddenly look entirely
missing something. Nothing different. For that reason,
is more practical than the let’s take a closer look at
return of Christ. When seen what the Bible has to say
properly, nothing provides about (1) the any-moment
more hope. Nothing provides return for the church and (2)
more accountability. Nothing the final presignaled event
puts the pains and pleasures climaxing the worst trouble
of life in better perspective the world has ever seen.
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THE DISTINCTION and the “when” or time
BETWEEN AN question related to His
ANY-MOMENT AND unannounced coming for
A PRESIGNALED the church (vv.36-51).
RETURN The signs of His
In the Olivet Discourse, coming—alerting all
delivered only shortly generations (vv.3-14).
before His crucifixion, Jesus The Lord began by
answered questions raised describing seven events
by His disciples after He had that would occur before His
predicted the destruction of return. They will be signs of
the temple at Jerusalem. His coming because their
They asked, “Tell us, when purpose will be to remind
will these things be? And His children throughout the
what will be the sign of Your age, saying, “Jesus is coming
coming, and of the end of again.” Our Lord talked
the age?” (Mt. 24:3). about false christs (v.5), wars
Notice that the disciples’ and rumors of wars (v.6),
question has three parts: (1) famines (v.7), pestilences
When? (2) What will be the and earthquakes (v.7),
signs of Christ’s coming? (3) persecution (v.9), defections
What will be the signs of the from the faith (vv.10-13),
end of the age? As we read and worldwide preaching
our Lord’s answer, we find of the gospel (v.14).
that He began with the sign It is a fact of history
part of the question. He that all seven of these
dealt with the signs of His occurrences took place to
coming that will alert all some degree during the first
generations (vv.3-14), the century. However, like most
signs of the end of the age prophecies, the near-at-hand
related to Israel (vv.15-35), and far-off elements were
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blended together into one description of a brief, terrible
picture. Therefore, Jesus’ time of trouble that will end
statements have different when the Lord returns. We
applications to different might be puzzled by the
generations. To believers statement about the
who lived and died under “abomination of desolation”
terrible persecution, “the in the “holy place.” But the
end” in verse 13 is the end Jewish people to whom Jesus
of life. But to those who spoke understood it. They
live during the coming knew that according to
tribulation, it will be the Daniel 9:24-27 a hostile
end of the age. Similarly, Gentile ruler would someday
the worldwide preaching of desecrate their temple and
the gospel during the first initiate horrendous
century was to the Roman persecution. While Luke
world (Col. 1:5-6), while 21:20-24 contains some
for us today it is to the elements that were partially
entire globe. These events fulfilled in the destruction of
portrayed by our Lord served Jerusalem and the temple in
as signs to first-century AD70, Matthew 24:15-31
believers and to those of all focuses on the endtime.
subsequent generations that There will be:
He is coming again. • Enough fear to drive
The signs of the end the Jews to the hills
of the age—related to (vv.16-18).
Israel (vv.15-35).At • Unparalleled trouble
verse 15, we suddenly find and woe (vv.19-20).
ourselves with a very specific • Great tribulation that
prediction about “an would threaten all life
abomination of desolation.” if the days were not
This is followed by a detailed shortened (vv.21-22).
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• False christs and began to answer the “when”
prophets (vv.23-26). question. He didn’t set a
• Startling celestial signs date. He said His second
and the visible descent coming would catch people
of the Son of Man “with by surprise (see Lk. 12:40).
power and great glory”
(vv.29-31). How can the Lord’s
These will be the signs
second coming
that the end of the age is
catch people by
near. Just as the appearing
of buds on trees signals the surprise if it’s going
soon onset of the summer
to be presignaled by
season, so do these signs
all the spectacular
show “that it is near, at the
very doors” (v.33). In fact, events described in
the generation that sees the
Matthew 24?
beginning of these signs (the
desecration of the Jewish
temple depicted in verse 15) First, Jesus explained that
will not pass off the scene the coming of the Son of
before the Lord has returned Man would be “as the days
(v.34). of Noah were.” In those
The “when” days, despite Noah’s
question—related to warnings of danger, the
His unannounced people went about their lives
return for the church as usual. There was no
(vv.36-51).After reminding concern for an imminent
His disciples that people flood, because the people
who see the signs He had didn’t believe it was coming.
spoken of can be sure that There were no heavenly
the return will be near, Jesus signs or unusual events—
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only the incessant return to establish His
hammering and sawing by kingdom over the earth.
Noah and his sons. When This event will be clearly
the rains came, the people presignaled.
were caught by surprise.
After giving a couple of
Why didn’t the
examples of what will happen
Lord spell out the
when His unexpected coming
takes place, our Lord makes details of His
this sobering, yet exciting
second coming so
warning:
clearly that we
Therefore you also be
ready, for the Son of could put them
Man is coming at an
together and know
hour you do not expect
exactly how and
(Mt. 24:44).
How can the Lord’s when it will occur?
second coming catch people
by surprise if it is going to
be presignaled by all the Matthew 24 describes
striking and spectacular both stages of Jesus’ return:
events described in Matthew the surprise, any-moment
24:15-31? That’s a key rapture of believers (vv.36-
question. The best answer 44) and the glorious return
seems to be found in seeing of Jesus at the close of the
the Lord’s second coming as tribulation to end the
occurring in two stages. destruction and establish
First He will come to catch His kingdom (vv.15-35).
up (or “rapture”) His own He began with the glorious
people. This event will be return because that was
unannounced. Then He will the concern of the disciples
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