The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
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One only has to read a newspaper or listen to a newscast in order to see
Bible prophecy being fulfilled. There have been more prophecies
fulfilled in the twentieth century than in any other time in church
history. We believe there is a great reason for this. We believe that
the time is rapidly approaching for the Lord Jesus Christ to return to
this earth and take the kingdoms of this world for Himself.
In this tract, we will attempt to show you from God's
word the chronological order of future prophetic events. That is, we
will attempt to TEACH you some basic Bible doctrine about the Second
Coming. It is our prayer that you will read carefully through these
pages, asking the Holy Spirit of God to lead and guide you through the
truths in His word (Jhn. 16:13). Please check all Scripture references
very carefully for a better understanding. May God richly bless your
study.
The Coming Righteous Kingdom
The main theme of the
Bible is the Lord Jesus Christ, and the main subject is the Kingdom that
His Father has promised Him. There are many Bible prophecies that
speak of this coming King and Kingdom. Some are as follows:
"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall
the gathering of the people be." (Gen. 49:10)
"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a
vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He
that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in
derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in
his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my
Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee
the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth
for thy possession." (Psa. 2:1-8)
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of
Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the
LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the
spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of
the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the
LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither
reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he
judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and
he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath
of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the
girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf
also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the
kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a
little child shall lead them." (Isa. 11:1-6)
"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will
raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper,
and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth." (Jer. 23:5)
Such Old Testament verses as these state very
clearly that God intends to set the Lord Jesus Christ up as King over
the earth. There have been many kings to rise and fall throughout
history, but God has in mind a PERFECT King for His promised Kingdom.
Coming to the New Testament we find that God still
has this Kingdom very much in mind. In Luke chapter one, verses
thirty-one through thirty-three, the angel says to Mary:
"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and
bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give
unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the
house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
John the Baptist came preaching that this Kingdom
was at hand in Matthew 3:2, and Jesus also preached this message when
He began to preach (Mat. 4:17).
During the actual ministry of Christ, He preached
mostly to His people, the Jews (Mat. 10:5-6; 15:24), because Israel is
the one nation that God chose long ago to be a shining light to this
lost and dying world. In Isaiah 62:1 God says, "For Zion's sake will
I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until
the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation
thereof as a lamp that burneth." God will not rest until His chosen
nation is established in the earth as a BURNING LAMP (Gen. 15:17) to
this lost and dying world. Starting with Abraham in Genesis chapter
twelve, God begins to focus on ONE CHOSEN PEOPLE to bring forth His King
for the coming Kingdom. All of the promises that God made to Abraham
and his descendants are still in effect today, and they will soon reach
their fulfillment, for the Kingdom WILL come.
Many teach that the Kingdom promises are no longer
valid, because the Jews rejected Christ, but this is a false teaching.
In Acts 1:6-7, before Jesus ascended into Heaven, the apostles asked Him
about this Kingdom, saying, " . . . Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" If the Kingdom promises were no longer valid, then Jesus would have told them so, but instead He says, "...It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."
So Israel's rejection of Christ doesn't make void the promises of God.
God will chastise the Jews for their sin, and then He will restore the
Kingdom to Israel (Psa. 89:29-36).
Someone says, "If the Jews won't receive their King,
then how can God restore the Kingdom? Doesn't this put God in some sort
of a jam?" No, God has a master plan. He knows exactly what He will
do. In Hebrews 8:8-10, we read some interesting words quoted from
Jeremiah chapter 31: "For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the
covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by
the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued
not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this
is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them
in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a
people:"
The words "after those days" clearly refer
to a future time when Israel will be converted to the Lord Jesus
Christ. Paul tells us in Romans 11:25-27 that Israel has been BLINDED
for this present age, but that "all Israel shall be saved" because God will "take away their sins." God promised Israel a Kingdom, so there WILL be a Kingdom.
Since this Kingdom wasn't established at the First
Coming of Christ, it must be established at the Second Coming. God knew
that the Jews would reject His Son; so He predetermined that Christ's
shed Blood on Calvary would serve as an atonement for the sin of the
world. This was God's plan all along--to come into the world and pay
for the sins of all men (Jhn. 1:29; Rev. 13:8). So the First Coming was
one of suffering and shame, but the Second Coming will be one of glory,
honor, and praise (1 Pet. 1:10-12). The first time Jesus received a
crown of thorns, but when He comes again He will have MANY crowns (Rev.
19:12). He was the "lamb of God" when He came the first time, but He will be the "lion of the tribe of Judah"
the second time (Rev. 5:5). The First Coming gave Jesus Christ to the
world, but the Second Coming will give the world to Jesus Christ! Just
as David was chosen to be the king of Israel many years before he
actually received the kingdom (1 Sam. 16), the Lord Jesus Christ has
been chosen to take over the kingdoms of this world and rule as God's
"KING OF KINGS" (Rev. 11:15; 19:16).
A "Christianity" without a Second Coming is a very
selfish religion, for it robs Jesus Christ of all God's precious
promises to Him. The teaching and preaching of the Second Coming is
very essential, because it speaks of God's righteous King returning to
this earth and taking what rightfully belongs to Him. Christians should
be rejoicing! The Lord Jesus Christ, the Captain of your Salvation (if
you're saved), will soon return to this earth and set things in order
and YOU can be on the winning side!
The Pre-Millennial View
The first few verses of
Revelation chapter twenty speak of this coming Kingdom being one
thousand years long. Verse six says that the saints will reign with
Christ for a thousand years. That is, we will reign with Him for a
thousand literal years in a literal, physical, and visible earthly
Kingdom, and then we will reign forever in the New Heavens and the New
Earth (Rev. 5:10; 22:5; 11:15; chapters 21 and 22).
Many these days are teaching false doctrines about
the Millennium (the one thousand-year reign). Some teach the
"Post-Millennial" view, believing that mankind will become good enough
to usher in this righteous Kingdom WITHOUT Jesus Christ.
Post-Millennialism teaches that the Church's influence on the world will
become stronger and stronger, and the world will become better and
better until we all enter a happy golden age of peace and prosperity.
At the end of this utopian age, the Lord Jesus Christ will supposedly
return and reward the Church for a job well done.
A more popular view is the "A-millennial" view. This
is the false teaching that there will be no Millennium, only a "general
judgment" someday and that's all.
Both of the above views are heresy, for the Bible
teaches that there WILL be a Millennium, and it teaches that it will not
begin until the Lord Jesus Christ returns and establishes it and rules
over it Himself. This means that only the "PRE-MILLENNIAL" view is
correct. This is the doctrine that Christ will return BEFORE the
Millennium to destroy the wicked, take over the kingdoms of this world,
and set up the Kingdom that His Father has promised Him.
Pre-Millennialism correctly says that there will be no world peace until
the Prince of Peace returns (Isa. 9:6). Pre-Millennialism has a very
NEGATIVE outlook toward this present world system, as does the Bible,
but a very POSITIVE outlook toward the soon appearing of the King of
Kings. A Christian who holds the Pre-Millennial view is a Christian who
believes exactly what God says about giving His beloved Son the
kingdoms of this world.
Now, before the Millennium can begin, there are many
prophecies that must be fulfilled. These prophecies must be RIGHTLY
DIVIDED (2 Tim. 2:15) or confusion and heresy will prevail. We must
study Bible prophecy SCRIPTURE with SCRIPTURE, allowing the Holy Spirit
to guide us into all truth (Jhn. 16:13). Now let's look at some more
significant events in Bible prophecy.
The Restoration of Israel
God cannot establish
His Son in Israel as King of the Jews unless the Jews are living in
Palestine, their promised homeland, so it is God's plan to restore the
Jews to Palestine before the Second Coming of Christ:
"But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the
children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands
whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land
that I gave unto their fathers." (Jer. 16:15)
"And I will bring again the captivity of my people
of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and
they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also
make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon
their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I
have given them, saith the LORD thy God." (Amos 9:14-15)
Because Israel rejected Christ, God allowed the
Romans to destroy Jerusalem in 70 A.D., and the Jews were dispersed
among the Gentile nations of the world. Since then they have wondered
from nation to nation suffering bitter persecution. However, in the
late 1800's a remarkable thing started happening. In large numbers, the
Jews began returning to Palestine, and in 1887 they made formal
statements that they intended to REPOSSESS THEIR HOMELAND!
When World War I began in 1914, there were 80,000
Jews living in Palestine. England's Balfour Declaration of 1917 gave
strong approval for the Jews to establish a national homeland, but
England reneged due to Arab pressure. Nevertheless, 400,000 Jews had
settled in the homeland by 1939.
Satan saw what was happening. He knew that the Lord was regathering the Jews for a reason, and he knew the reason: the Second Coming of Christ. So
Satan raised up Adolph Hitler to murder six million of God's chosen
people as an outright act of hate and revenge. This massive slaughter
created enough sympathy for the Jews that the United Nations granted
5000 square miles of Palestinian land to them after World War II. Then
in 1948 Israel became an independent nation for the first time in many
centuries! The Arabs have fought viciously to destroy Israel, but with
no success. God wants His people IN PALESTINE (Amos 9:14-15), because
the Lord Jesus Christ is coming very soon. During the Six Day War of
1967, Israel even gained possession of the ancient temple sight, and
plans are currently underway to rebuild the temple.
Jesus likens Israel unto a "fig tree" in Matthew 24:32-34, and He likens the restoration
of Israel unto a fig tree putting forth leaves. He said that He would
return during the same generation which witnesses Israel putting forth
leaves as a nation. We are living in that generation! There are some
four million Jews living in Palestine today. We have seen the Jews
return to Palestine, and we have seen the nation of Israel prosper.
Friend, there's a reason for all of this: the Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon!
The Rapture of the Church
Up until now, we've
said very little about the Church, because Bible prophecy deals mainly
with Israel, but the Church is also very important. In fact, the Church
has a very SPECIAL relationship with Christ: she is His BRIDE (Eph.
5:25-32; Rev. 19:7-9).
Before God can swing His full attention back to
Israel, He must fulfill certain promises that He has made to the Church.
While He has spent the last two thousand years chastising Israel for
her disobedience, He has also been calling out a Gentile bride for the
Lord Jesus Christ. Just as Joseph found a Gentile bride while he was
separated from his brethren (Gen. 41:45), Jesus finds a Gentile bride
while He is separated from the Jews. It is true that many Jews have
been saved by receiving Christ, but most have not. The Church consists
mostly of converted Gentiles. God is taking out from among the Gentiles
a people for His name, and then He will once again take up His dealings
with Israel as a nation. Notice what the Bible says in Acts 15:14-16:
"Simeon hath declared how God at the first did
visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to
this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I
will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is
fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it
up:"
In the near future God will put Israel through a
very troublesome period of time known as the "great tribulation" (Mat.
24:21), but Christians will not have to endure the Tribulation. Paul
tells us in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 that the Church is waiting for the Lord
from Heaven, not for the Great Tribulation, because He has delivered us
from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says that God has not
appointed us (Christians) to wrath, but to obtain salvation through
Christ. Those who have been "born again" (John 3:3) will soon be
"caught up" to Heaven without dying. Notice what the word of God says:
"Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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." (1 Cor. 15:51-52)
"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: 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. Wherefore comfort
one another with these words." (1 Ths. 4:16-18)
It is a "comfort" for Christians to have this
blessed promise. It would NOT be a comfort if Christians had to endure
the Great Tribulation. Our merciful Lord will call the Church out of
this world BEFORE the Tribulation starts. After all, the Church was
never really a part of this evil world system anyhow (Jas. 4:4; Rom.
12:2; Col. 3:2)! We're just passing through this world to a much better
place (Gal. 4:26), and we will be leaving very soon! What about you?
This great departure of the saints is pictured on various occasions in the Bible. Just as God took Enoch out of the world before the flood
(Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5), He will take His Church out of the world before
the Tribulation. Just as God delivered Lot and his family from the
violent judgment upon Sodom (Gen. 19:22-24), He will deliver His saints
from the coming judgment of the Great Tribulation. Like any responsible
Father, God will take proper care of His children. He will destroy the
Devil's children (Jhn. 8:44; 1 Jhn. 3:10), but His own children are
safe and secure. As Psalm 145:20 assures us, "The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy."
This calling-out of the Church is commonly
referred to as the "Rapture" because of the quick and surprising nature
in which it occurs. The world will stand in shock when millions of
Christians suddenly vanish from the face of the earth! The freeways,
the subways, the airports and streets will be in a total shambles as
thousands and thousands of drivers suddenly vanish from their seats! No
doubt, millions of people will be killed immediately.
Those remaining alive will be in shock as they search
for their loved ones among all the demolished cars and buildings.
Communications will also be greatly disrupted, because many key
communications people will be caught up in the Rapture.
Opportunists will add to the confusion by looting and
killing. They'll feel that during such an emergency they can get away
with anything. There will be worldwide chaos!
Authorities may attempt to explain the millions of
missing people, but make no mistake about it: GOD TOOK THEM! He
promised that He would call out His people, so He will call them out.
That's all there is to it.
Many people laugh and make jokes about this Bible
doctrine, but there's coming a day when the laughing will end. Noah was
a preacher of righteousness who probably received a great deal of
mocking and ridicule from the world as he built the ark upon dry ground,
but the mocking stopped when the flood waters began to rise. God was
true to His word then, and God will be true to His word today. Jesus is
coming soon, and you will either be caught up to meet Him, or you will
be left behind to enter the Great Tribulation. The choice is yours.
The Judgment Seat of Christ
Once Christians have
been caught up to Heaven, we will appear before the Judgment Seat of
Christ to be judged by the Lord for our Christian service. Paul wrote
about this judgment to the Romans and to the Corinthians:
"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost
thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the
judgment seat of Christ." (Rom. 14:10)
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is
laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation
gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work
shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall
be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what
sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he
shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall
suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." (1 Cor.
3:11-15)
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Cor.
5:10)
As these verses reveal, a Christian isn't judged
to determine his eternal destiny. A Christian's eternal destiny is
established the moment he receives Jesus Christ as Savior. The Judgment
Seat of Christ is for judging the Christian's SERVICE while on this
earth. Rewards will be given to some, while others will lose rewards (2
Jhn. 8), but no one goes to Hell at this judgment.
After the Judgment Seat of Christ, we (Christians)
will wait with the Lord in Heaven until the Great Tribulation is over on
earth. We will then take part in the Marriage of the Lamb and in the
Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9). This is when the Lord Jesus
Christ and His Bride, the Church, are officially united.
We will then return with the Lord to the earth, and
He will destroy the wicked and establish the Millennial Kingdom, and His
saints will reign with Him on earth for one thousand years (Rev.
20:1-7).
The Great Tribulation
Jesus said in Matthew 24:21, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."
It will be during this short time period that the
wicked Antichrist will rise to power and dictate the world. He will
have nearly everyone deceived into believing that he is the answer to
their many troubles (Rev. 13:3). Those who reject the truth today will
fall for his lies in the Tribulation, because God will send them "strong
delusion," causing them to believe a lie (2 Ths. 2:11-12). The
Antichrist will have supernatural powers and great charisma. People
will gladly follow after him (Rev. 13:5, 13-14; 2 Ths. 2:7-10).
All of the horrible events in Revelation chapters six
through nineteen will occur during the Tribulation. In fact, most of
these events will occur during a forty-two month time period, which is
the last half of the Tribulation (Rev. 11:2; 13:5). There will be war,
famine, and death (Rev. 6:2-8). Satan will have power to kill one
fourth of the earth's population (Rev. 6:8), and many who choose to
follow Christ at this time will be killed (Rev. 6:9; 20:4). There will
be great earthquakes (Rev. 6:12), awesome changes in the skies (Rev.
6:13-14; 8:8, 12), and men will be tormented five months by the horrible
locust creatures of Revelation chapter nine. In addition to all of
this, Satan and his angels will be cast out into the earth (Rev. 12:9)!
Once Satan has been cast down to the earth, he will
incarnate himself into a man and become the Antichrist. Just as Jesus
was "God manifest in the flesh," Antichrist will be Satan manifest in
the flesh. According to Revelation 13:16-18, this "beast" (Antichrist)
will cause everyone to receive a mark in their right hand or in their
forehead. This mark will allow people to buy and sell, and no one will
be permitted to buy and sell without it. The number "666" will be
connected with the mark, and credit cards, checks, and debit cards will
become useless, while computerized scanning devices in the stores will
keep track of bank account debits and credits. Everyone MUST take the
Mark of the Beast, and Hell awaits those who do (Rev. 14:11). For
further reading about this subject, please write for our tract titled Signs of the Times.
The Soviet Union will continue with their
"democratic reform," and the European Communities will also be unified
with their "United States in Europe" as they've dreamed of for so long
(Rev. 17:12-13). The world will think that universal peace has been
achieved. The Antichrist will head up the "New World Order" that so
many are talking about today. He will even confirm a seven year peace
treaty with the nation of Israel (Dan. 9:27). Everyone will think that
peace and safety has arrived at last, but the Bible says, "For when
they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon
them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." (1
Ths. 5:3) Satan, the "god of this world" is leading this world into a trap that will damn billions to Hell forever (Rev. 12:9).
In the middle of the Tribulation the Antichrist will
turn against Israel (Dan. 9:27). He will enter the rebuilt temple in
Jerusalem and sit down in the Holy Place and demand to be worshipped as
God (2 Ths. 2:3-4). Satan desired to have Jesus worship him in Matthew
4:9, and he WILL have the world worshipping him in the Tribulation.
Those who refuse will be killed (Rev. 6:9; 20:4).
However, God will preserve a faithful remnant of Jews
throughout this period (Rev. 12:6; Hos. 2:14-17), because He still
plans to send Jesus back to establish the promised Kingdom. The
Antichrist will think that he has taken full control and that nothing
can stop him. The humanists, the liberals, and the New Agers will
think that they've finally won in their struggle to wipe out all traces
of Bible-believing Christianity. While Satan is laughing in the face
of God, thinking that he has won and that the kingdoms of this world
will NEVER belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, all the hosts of Heaven will
be rejoicing, because THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH IS JUST BEGINNING!
Christ's Second Advent
"And I saw heaven
opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His
eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he
had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was
clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word
of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white
horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth
goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the
fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and
on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I
saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying
to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather
yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat
the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty
men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the
flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw
the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered
together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his
army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that
wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had
received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.
These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the
horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were
filled with their flesh." (Rev. 19:11-21)
"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: 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."
(Mat. 24:29-30)
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the
mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall
flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go
up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and
he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of
Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more." (Isa. 2:2-4)
"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great
voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and
ever." (Rev 11:15)
These are just a few of
the many prophecies to be fulfilled when Jesus returns to this earth to
take over the kingdoms of this world. This will be a time of JUSTICE
and JUDGMENT on the earth. The Antichrist and the False Prophet will be
cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20), and Satan himself will be
chained in the "bottomless pit" for the duration of the Millennial
Kingdom (Rev. 20:1-7). The nations of the earth will be judged by the
Lord Jesus Christ, and some will be admitted into the Kingdom, while
others will not (Mat. 25:31-46; Joel. 3:1-2).
Once all wickedness has been defeated, the Lord Jesus
Christ will rule over the earth in righteousness from the Throne of His
Glory in Jerusalem. He will be the King of all kings, and all nations
will be subject unto Him. Friend, the Kingdom will come and the King of
kings will reign.
The Millennial Reign
This will be the great
"golden age" which the ancient philosophers only dreamed about. This
will be GOD'S New World Order, rather than man's. This will be a time
of world peace, for the Prince of Peace will be ruling the world in
righteousness (Isa. 9:6; Luk. 1:32; Isa. 2:2-4).
There will be only ONE RELIGION during the Millennium. Those who refuse to worship Christ will be punished (Zec. 14:16-19).
People will be happy during this time, because Satan
will no longer be around to tempt them. The curse of Genesis chapter
three will be lifted, and men will once again live long lives as they
did in the days of Adam, Noah, and Methuselah (Isa. 33:24; 65:20).
There will be better farming and weather conditions
(Isa. 30:23-26; Amos 9:13-15; Joel 2:19-24; Ezk. 36:29-30), and wild
animals will become tame (Isa. 11:6-9; Rom. 8:20-21).
The so-called "lost tribes" of Israel will be fully
restored to their proper land divisions (Ezk. 36-48). Jerusalem will be
the capital city of the world (Jer. 3:17; Mic. 4:8), and the violent
acts of Arab terrorism will not be tolerated. Justice will be executed
in the earth like never before. Good will overcome evil. Things will
be done on earth as they are in Heaven (Mat. 6:10). Christ and His
saints will reign over the earth for one thousand years!
Are You Ready?
There isn't enough space in this tract to cover the reasons why we believe the Lord's return is very near. Our Signs of the Times
tract covers this subject in detail, and is freely available upon
request. What we would like to address in closing is your PERSONAL
SALVATION. Friend, have you ever turned from your sins and received the
Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? The Bible says, "For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (Jhn. 3:16)
Many have the idea that our good works can save us and get us into Heaven, but the Bible says this isn't so:
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" (Rom. 3:10)
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Rom. 3:23)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man
should boast." (Eph. 2:8-9)
We have no really "good" works, because we're all
SINNERS by nature. We were born into this world as sinners (Psa.
51:5), and this is why Jesus said we must be "born again" (Jhn. 3:3).
This new birth is given to us freely, and was made
possible when Christ died and shed His blood at Calvary for our sins.
By receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior, trusting Him alone to save
you, you can be born again. You can have eternal life TODAY by faith in
Jesus Christ. Romans 10:13 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:9-10 says,
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Friend, why not turn from your sins right now and
call upon the Lord to save your soul? Receive Jesus Christ as your
Savior and serve Him faithfully until He returns.
If you've received Christ as your Savior, then we
urge you to follow the Lord in baptism, and we also advise you to find a
good Bible-believing church and join it. If we can assist you in any
way, please contact us. If you need more information about salvation,
please write and ask for a copy of Understanding God's Salvation Plan.
May the Lord find you ready to meet Him at His coming.
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