THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST
Jul
24
Written by:
7/24/2010 12:00 AM
THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST
July 25, 2010
(Mat 24:3 NIV) As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" (Mat 24:4 NIV) Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. (Mat 24:5 NIV) For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. (Mat 24:6 NIV) You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. (Mat 24:7 NIV) Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. (Mat 24:8 NIV) All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Mat 24:9 NIV) "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. (Mat 24:10 NIV) At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, (Mat 24:11 NIV) and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (Mat 24:12 NIV) Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, (Mat 24:13 NIV) but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Mat 24:14 NIV) And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Jesus came to earth the first time as a baby born in a manger in Bethlehem. Jesus came in fulfillment of many prophecies about his coming. Jesus fulfilled prophecies about his birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection. However, he did not fulfill all the prophecies. The remaining prophecies will be fulfilled in Jesus` second coming. Sometimes events of the first and second comings were described in the same prophecy.
The second coming of Jesus Christ is the blessed hope that believers have that the unfulfilled prophecies and promises made in the bible will be fulfilled when Jesus returns. (Titus 2:13 NIV) while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Even though it may not seem like it at times God is in control. Jesus will come again to restore all things. In the end there will be a perfect world just as there was in the beginning in the Garden of Eden.
There are many, many verses in the bible that tell about the second coming of Jesus Christ. In the verses many signs are given. I would like to consider the most important sign for the second coming of Jesus Christ in the message, the rebirth of the nation of Israel. Why is the restoration of the nation of Israel the most important sign for Jesus second coming? There are several important seasons.
(1) Israel is the center of Gods plans for mankind. God promised Abraham that He would make a great nation from the offspring of Abraham. Even when the Israelites were the fewest of all peoples God chose them for his special purposes and established the nation of Israel. (Deu 7:6 NIV) For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. (Deu 7:7 NIV) The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. (Deu 7:8 NIV) But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
(2) The Old Testament prophets declared that the people of Israel would be scattered throughout the nations if the Israelites did not follow God`s commandments. The prophets also said there would be an eventual re-gathering of the people of Israel. Israel endured almost 2500 years of occupation and rule by other nations. The Israelites were then dispersed from their own soil in 70 A.D. and ceased to be a nation for almost 1900 years. In the 1860s Charles Spurgeon and others stated that Israel would be restored as a nation again. They believed what the Old Testament prophets had said. It seemed impossible, but Israel was restored as a nation on May 14, 1948. Israel is the only nation that has been restored after being removed from its own land more than 50 years. Amazingly, even the Hebrew language was restored. God`s word is always fulfilled. (Amos 9:15 NIV) I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God.
Just as the prophet Isaiah said Israel was reborn in one day. (Isa 66:7 NIV) "Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. (Isa 66:8 NIV) Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. (Isa 66:9 NIV) Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God. Isaiah gave this prophecy about 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.
For those that are waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ the rebirth of the nation of Israel is very important. The fact that Israel was restored as a nation and continued to exist for the past 60 years is a great miracle. Less than 24 hours after Israel became a nation it was attacked by the five surrounding Arab nations (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Egypt). Since that time there have been many wars and uprisings against Israel. There has been war after war; the Suez War of 1956, the Six Day War of 1967, the War of Attrition from 1968 to 1970, the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the Lebanon War of 1982, the Second Gulf War of 1991, the Hezbollah War of 2006 and the Gaza War between Israel and Hamas in 2008-9.
If you don`t think the rebirth of the nation of Israel is a miracle consider Japan. What would have happened to Japan if Japan ceased to be a nation and its people were scattered throughout the world for 1900 years? Could the Japanese people then be brought back to the land that was Japan? Soon after the surrounding countries would then attack Japan. Would Japan survive the war and other wars that followed? Would the people speak Japanese?
(3) Many of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ concern the nation of Israel. The prophecies could not be fulfilled until Israel was restored as a nation. Now that the nation of Israel has been restored most of the nations of the world are against it. That should not be a surprise. When the war of Armageddon is fought in Israel all the nations will be against Israel.
Preparations are now being made for another war against Israel. The Hezbollah in Lebanon now have missiles that can hit almost any city in Israel. The president of Iran has threatened to annihilate Israel. Iran has or will soon have nuclear bombs. The time of the final war against Israel is soon coming. All the prophecies for the first coming of Jesus have been fulfilled literally. Soon the prophecies for the second coming of Jesus will also be fulfilled. Jesus will return as Lord of Lord and King of Kings. He will be king over the world. Praise God! I will close with two scriptures from the Book of Revelation. (Rev 22:12 NIV) "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. (Rev 22:20 NIV) He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.