Imminent Return Refuted
What happens when you find out that preachers are lying? What happens when you discover that what they told you has nothing to do with what they said and yet you fell for it?
Welcome to my blog. Well, I have been there if you haven’t noticed! I heard them tell me that Jesus can come back at any moment. They said that there will be a worldwide catching away of all the Christians from the earth. They called it the rapture the blessed hope! I fell for it hook line and sinker. Just think the LORD can return today! It was one of the major teachings, as I remember, in my early years of being a disciple of Christ.
But God would not allow me to live in deception. You dear one, if this is what you have been told for these so many years, may I take you through a simple exercise?. Allow me, and I am not trying to condemn anyone, but let the bible speak, to you.
So let’s begin. In 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-5 Paul, addressing the coming of the LORD and his instructions on what to do. Let’s read
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
Notice that he says that the brethren are not to be soon shaken in mind, nor troubled by spirit, or word or even letters from them that the day of Christ is at hand. What? Read that again. Christ is not appearing soon without some kind of signal before. Let’s keep reading. We are warned not to be deceived by any means. Wow! Do you know how many millions of people believe that Jesus can come at any time? Paul says don’t be deceived. That day will not come except the man of sin and falling away come first! He says that the man of sin, the son of perdition must be revealed.
Now let’s continue. In the gospel, the disciples ask when shall be the sign of your coming and the end of the world. Matthew 24:1-5. The first thing he said was to be not deceived. Sound familiar? Many shall come in my name and shall deceive many.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated 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.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 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.
29 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:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
This is Matthews account of the return of Christ. Notice, after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, the moon shall not give its light, the stars shall fall, the heavens shall be shaken!
We read the same thing in Luke.21:25-28.
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
When we see the signs we are to look up. There is no secret return people. We have been lied to for all this time.
Let’s read what the apostle wrote concerning his return, the resurrection of the body.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Same thing in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
So the coming of Christ is associated with the heavens being shaken by cataclysmic events. He is coming to take vengeance upon the ungodly and those who will not believe the gospel.
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Conclusion: Thee is no secret catching away or rapture of the saints without visible signs of heavenly bodies and great cataclysmic forces working. He shall descend with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God! It will be the final chapter of humanity upon the earth as the judge and creator of mankind descends in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that obey not the gospel. Few.. If you are in Christ then the LORD wants you to know the truth about his coming. The resurrection shall happen and both the dead and the living will rise to meet him in the air. We shall descend upon the earth with resurrected bodies and Christ shall destroy all his enemies. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. Glory Glory Glory…thus we take our final transformation as living eternal beings bearing His Glory and ruling with him as fellow heirs of God. Amazing isn’t it?