A DAILY TEACHING ON THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST By Paul Lawrence Bortolazzo What and when is the Sign of His Coming? “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Mat. 24:3) In the darkness of the night, just days before the cross, Jesus and four of His disciples, walked down the Kidron Valley up to the Mount of Olives. (Lk. 21:37) Earlier in the day, while on Mount Zion, their Lord predicted the future destruction of the buildings of the Temple (Mat. 24:2); not one stone shall be left upon another. (Mk. 13:2) Peter, James, John and Andrew could have sled many things? (Mk. 13:3) Yet at this moment, they just wanted to understand three critical truths concerning Christs coming for His elect? What is the timing of the events before His coming? (Mat. 24:4-29) What is the sign of His coming? (Mat. 24:30) What is the end of the age? (Mat. 24:27) Question 1: What is the timing of the events before His coming? Earlier our Jesus told His disciples what the world would be like the day the Son of Man is revealed. (Luke 17:30) His coming will be like the days of Noah and Lot; the righteous will be delivered before the unrighteous are destroyed. (Mat. 24:37-39) “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luke 17:26-30) While on the Mount of Olives, even though no man knows the exact day or hour of the coming of the Son of Man (Mat. 24:36), our Lord highlighted the specific events which will warn His elect His coming is near! (v33) He starts with the events the Beginning of Sorrows (Mat 24:8) “And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Mat 24:4-8) After the events of the Beginning of Sorrows are over, the Great Tribulation of the saints will erupt worldwide! (Mat. 24:21-22, Rev. 7:14) “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. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Mat. 24:21-22) “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath… “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand 26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.” (Mat 24:9-20, 23-26) Our Lord clearly told His disciples the events that will take before His coming and when these events will happen in relation to His coming. (Mat. 24:15, 30-31) Question 2: What is the sign of His coming? (Mat. 24:30) Our Jesus taught the sign preceding the coming of the Son of Man for His elect (Mat. 24:30-31), will be lightening flashing from the east to the west (Mat. 24:27), from one part of heaven to the other. (Lk. 17:24) “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Mat. 24:27) “For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.” (Luke 17:24) In Mat. 24:30, Jesus calls the sign of His coming, the sign of the Son of Man. “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Mat. 24:29-31) “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” (Mat. 16:27) Clearly, the sign of His coming is lightening from the east to the west; the Son coming back in the glory of His Father. Question 3: What is the end of the age? (Mat. 24:27) Our Lord taught His disciples the end of the age is the harvest. (Mat. 13:39) “…The harvest is the end of the age…” (Mat. 13:39) “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Mat. 24:14) Believers enduring til the end of the age, the harvest of the elect at the coming of the Son of Man, will be physically saved from the Day of the Lord (Isa. 13:9-11), the wrath of God against sinners (Mat. 24:37-39) “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.” (2 Tim. 4:1) The harvest can only be the resurrection of the living and dead at His appearing; the coming of Son of Man. (Jn. 5:28-29) “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” (Jn. 5:28-29) The disciples knew there is only one resurrection at the coming of the Son of Man. (Mat. 24:30-31, Mk. 13:26-27, Lk. 21:24-28) At His coming, the Son will send forth angels to GATHER OUT OF HIS KINGDOM, the wheat from the tares; the sheep from the goats! (Mat. 25:31-46). The unrighteous will be cast into a furnace of fire (John 5:29, Mat. 13:41-42) before the righteous are judged for their works at the Judgment Seat of Christ. (2 Cor. 5:10-11, Mat 16:27; 7:21-23, Mat. 25;31-46, 1 Cor. 3:11-15) “Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Mat. 13:40-42) In conclusion, the scriptures testify at the end of the age, before believers are judged at the judgment seat of Christ; unbelievers must first be cast into the fire of Hades. Its likely youre shaking your head right now. I know, you have always been taught the judgment of the wheat and tares, the sheep and goats, must take place on earth! My friends, we can agree there is only one coming of the Son of Man. (Mat. 24:30-31; 25:31) We have proved scripturally, after the opening of the 6th seal (Mat 24:29-31, Rev. 6:12-17), the Son of Man will resurrect His elect before rewarding them for their works (Mat. 16:27) in heaven not on earth. (Mat 7:21-23) Clearly, our Lord wont rule from the House of God of Jacob on earth until after His wrath against the wicked is completed. (Rev. 15:1; 16:17, Dan. 12:12, Isa. 2:2-4) May the Spirit of God bear witness to this critical truth concerning the timing of the Coming of the Son of Man and the Judgment Seat of Christ. Prophecy Teacher/Author Paul Lawrence Bortolazzo PS: Youre welcome to repost this teaching.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Jan 2014 00:08:53 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015