I must admit, I'm so eager to start unveiling the first chapter of the Book of Revelation right away and continue unto the last chapter of this great book hopefully by the end of this year.Yet again I'm prompt by the Holy Spirit still,to continue this second coming of our Lord prophetic series for a good reason.In my early years as a young christian,my theological understanding concerning the "parousia"of the Lord Jesus was that Christ's second coming was a ONE time imminent return to earth to judge His saints as well as sinners.With so much significant prophetic End time Signs prior to His coming,I just couldn't gather all these pieces of biblical understanding from all four Gospels,Pauline epistles and most of all the Book of the Apocalypse.
My confusions will be mostly the time of events,such as the opening of the seven seals(Rev 6-8),Seven trumpets(Rev 8:1-11:19)seven vials(bowls)(Rev 16)the woman,the dragon,the beast,the false prophet,the Antichrist,the two witness and so forth.I keep asking myself :"when will this or that to happen in the calendar of God?".Therefore,for almost twenty long years I didn't really studied or taught much on Eschatology doctrine.Not until the year 2007 when the Holy Spirit began to stir my heart with a hunger to learn deeply on the book of revelation.
I started to read and meditate upon God's word on this book of Revelation night and day.I've even bought many bible commentaries on this subject.I earnestly prayed to God for His divine wisdom to understand His book.Believe me,when I say this that as the result of my years of intense meditation upon the book of revelation,I'm able to memorize and quote up to almost 2500 words and sentences from the book without even looking at it.God have shown me many wonder full revelations in this book and I'd love to share in this blog.One of the most paramount truth that I've learned was that the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ are a TWO PHASE.In other word,the Lord Jesus is coming again ONCE but in two phase,that is:-
"Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ"(Titus 2:13)
I.PHASE I-RAPTURE,THE COMING OF THE LORD IN THE AIR,THE BLESSED HOPE
Jesus will come down from heaven to take up His church from the earth.This is called the "Rapture"or the "snatching away of the saints" (I Thessalonians 4:15-17).Indeed it was the coming of the Lord BUT His feet will not touch the ground of the earth but rather He positioned Himself in between the heaven and the earth.The Bible clearly mentioned that we shall be caught up together with them(the risen saint's)in the clouds to ..."meet the Lord in the air"(I Thess 4:17b).Clouds speaks of the literal clouds above the earth,the sky above and after that will be the earth atmosphere or as the bible says"the air".Jesus with his angels,positioned Himself in the mid- air and meet His Church.In this scenario only the saints are aware of His coming and but experience the rapture.Its was not a public appearance of Christ ,so the people of the earth was not able to see Him.
Therefore,Jesus warned His church in Revelation 3:3 "Remember therefore how you have received and heard.Hold fast and repent.Therefore if you will not watch,I will come upon you as a thief,and you will not know what hour I will come upon you"Again,this word of Christ confirmed that many believers who are not spiritually watchfull and " sleeping spiritually"will not aware that Christ has come to rapture His Church and they will be left behind.This Rapture event and the coming of the Lord in the air will happened before the 7 years of tribulation period.We are living today waiting upon the Lord to "snatch us away". Jesus said "BE wacthfull"(Rev 3:2)
II. PHASE II-GLORIOUS SECOND COMING,PUBLIC APPEARANCE OF CHRIST
After the Rapture has occurred,by then the superman Antichrist are finally being revealed will sign a seven years peace treaty with the nation of Israel(Daniel 9:27).This will immediately trigger the seven years tribulation period.After the last three and a half years of Great Tribulation occurred,the Lord Jesus will come down from heaven and will go down to earth to rule for a thousand years.His second coming in this manner will be a public appearance.All the inhabitants of the earth will see Him coming down with his saints.The bible said : "Behold He is coming with clouds,and every eye will see Him even they who pierce Him.And all the tribe of the earth will mourn because of Him..."(Rev 1:7).
In this second phase of Christ second coming ,He will come down with His feet firstly touch the ground of the Mount of olive( about 2km from Jerusalem)."Now when He had spoken these things,while they watched,He was taken up,and a cloud received Him out of their sight.And while they look steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,behold two men stood by them in white apparel,who said,"Man of Galilee why do you stand gazing up into heaven?This same Jesus who is taken up from you in heaven,will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven"Act 1:9-11
Christ glorious appearance on His second coming is another significant sign that the 1000 millennium reign has started.Jesus Christ has come back to earth,together with His glorious saints to rule as the King of Kings and Lord of lords for a thousand years.The timing is just after the 7 years tribulation period are done.So whenever we mentioned about Jesus's second coming,we will then need to know whether we are talking about Christ being in the air above the clouds or His second coming with the clouds coming down to earth .
Once we understand and have accepted the fact that the second coming of the Lord are in fact TWO phases (The coming of the Lord in the air (Rapture) & The Glorious second coming of the Lord appearing publicly)its much easier to understand the many facets of eschatological scriptures.Let us examine some of these scriptures .
1.1 Thess 4:16-18 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,with a trumpet of God.And the dead in Christ will rise first.Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught to meet the Lord in the air"-PHASE I-Rapture-Jesus coming in the air
2.John 14:2-3 "In My Father's house are many mansions;if it were not so,I would have told you.I go to prepare a place for you.And if I go and prepare a place for you,I will come again and receive you to Myself;that where I am,there you may be also" -PHASE I-Rapture-Jesus coming in the air
3.Acts 1:9-11"Now when He had spoken these things,while they watch,He was taken up,and a cloud received Him out of the sight.And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,behold two men stood by them in white apparel,who also said,"Men of Galilee,why do you stand gazing up into heaven?This same Jesus,who was taken up from you into heaven,will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven"-PHASE II-Glorious second coming,public appearance of Christ
4.Zechariah 14:1-15 "Behold,the day of the LORD is coming.."(Verse 1)"An in that day His feet will stand on the mount of olives,which faces Jerusalem on the east.And the mount of olives shall be split into two.."(verse 4)"Thus the LORD my God will come And all the saints with you"(verse 5b)-PHASE II-Glorious second coming,public appearance of Christ
5.I Corinthians 15:51-52"Behold,I tell you a mystery;We shall not all asleep,but we shall all be change in a moment,in the twinkling of an eye,at the last trumpet.For the trumpet will sound,and the dead will be raised incorruptible,and we shall changed"-PHASE I-RAPTURE-Christ coming in the air
6.I Cor I:7-8 "so that you come short in no gift,eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,who is will also confirm you to the end,that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ"-PHASE I-RAPTURE
7.I Thess 3:13"so that He may establish your hearts blameless in the holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints"-PHASE II-Glorious second coming,public appearance of Christ
8.II Thess 1:7-10 "and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels..(verse 9)..."When He comes,in that Day,to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe..."(Verse 10)-PHASE II-Glorious second coming,public appearance of Christ
9.II Timothy 4:8"Finally,there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness,which the Lord,the righteous Judge,will give me on that Day,and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing"-PHASE I-RAPTURE-Coming of Christ in the air
10.Hebrew 9:28 "so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.To those who eagerly wait fro Him He will appear a second time,apart from sin,for salvation"-PHASE I-RAPTURE-Second coming of Christ in the air
11.Daniel 2:44-45 "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed;and the kingdom shall not be left to other people;it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms,and it shall stand forever....."(verse 44)-PHASE II-Glorious second coming,public appearance and Christ establish the 1000 years kingdom on earth
12.Daniel 7:13-14"I was watching in the night visions And behold,one like the Son of Man,Coming with the clouds of heaven!He came to the Ancient of Days,And they brought Him near before Him.Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,that all peoples,nations,and languages should serve Him.His dominion is an everlasting dominion.Which shall not pass away,And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed "-PHA
SE II-Glorious second coming,public appearance and the establishment of His 1000 years kingdom13.I Peter I:7 "that the genuineness of you faith,being much more precious that gold that perishes,though it is tested by fire,may be found to praise,honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ"-PHASE I-THE RAPTURE-Revelation of Christ the air
14.I John 2:28 "And now,little children,abide in Him,that when He appears,we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming"-PHASE I-RAPTURE -Christ second coming in the air
15.Matthew 24:15-31 "For then there will be great tribulation,such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time,no nor ever shall be..."(Verse 21)"Then if anyone says to you,"look here is the Christ!'or"There!'do not believe it" (Verse 23).."For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west,so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Verse 27)-PHASE II-Glorious second coming,public appearance
16.Matthew 26:64 "Jesus Said to him"It is as you said.Nevertheless,I say to you,hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power,and coming on the clouds of heaven"PHASE II-Glorious second coming,public appearance of Christ
17.Mark 14:62 "Jesus said"I am,And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power,and coming with the clouds of heaven"-PHASE II-Glorious second coming
18.Rev 2:5 "But hold fast what you have till I come"-PHASE I-THE RAPTURE
19.Rev 3:10"Because you have kept My command to persevere,I will also keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the world,to test those who dwell on the earth"-PHASE I-RAPTURE
20.Rev 1:7"Behold He is coming with clouds and every eye will see Him even they who pierced Him.And all the tribe of the earth will mourn because of Him.Even so.Amen"-PHASE II-Glorious second coming,public appearance
21.Rev 19:11-20 "Now I saw heaven opened,and behold a white horse.and He who sat on it was called Faithfull and True..."(Verse 11)"And the armies in heaven,clothed in fine linen,white and clean,followed Him on white horses"(Verse 14)-PHASE II-Glorious second coming,public appearance with his saints coming down to earth and ready for the battle of Armageddon
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.