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Speaker: Rev. Shine Thomas
Posted on: 2010-08-01
Series: Signs of the End Times

Introduction

Do you remember the games we played as children? As a small boy I liked the game hide & seek. I always wanted to hide, not to seek. Now sometimes the seeker would cheat a little bit. He would peep looking for the direction the others take, then we can hear him count 1, 2, 3, 15, 61, 70 and so on. Then you would hear him scream out – Ready or not here I come. The meaning of this scream is he is surely coming. He is surely coming if you are ready or not. If you are not ready you would bear the consequences of being the seeker the next time.

What we played as a small child has a great parallel to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus is coming for sure if we are ready or not.

This morning we are going to see: What are the signs of His coming? What difference does the coming of Jesus make to me?

Jesus while living in this world spoke many times about his second coming. John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

The post resurrection appearance of Jesus was witness by people and recorded in history. After 40 days Jesus was taken back to heaven before the very eyes of the people. When Jesus went to heaven see what the angels said: Acts 1:9-11 9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

Jesus is coming back again for sure. The second coming of Jesus is divided into 2 phases. First is a secret coming which is for the elect ones who belong to Jesus. In the secret coming Jesus will come to the sky and take away his people to heaven.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

At the first phase of the second coming the church will be taken away from this world. This will be followed by 7 years of tribulation period where the wrath of God will be released into this world. This time a world leader will come into picture who will bring peace to Palestine (Arabs & Jews). He will claim to be Jesus Christ which is not. He is false christ or antichrist. Soon he will show his true colour and the nations of this world will fight against Israel. There will be nuclear wars, famine, earthquakes. In 7 years Israel will be on the verge of defeat when Jesus will publicly come into this world to rescue Israel. He will descend on Mt. Olives, and fight for Israel.

Zechariah 4:3-4 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.

Zechariah 4:6 6 On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. 7 It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime—a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light.

Zechariah 4:9 9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.

This day is very near. Understand how much more closer are we to the rapture? We are living in the 11th hour.

The signs of Jesus’ coming

Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 24. This chapter contains more about the end times from the lips of Jesus than any other section of scripture. In Matthew 23 Jesus is in the Temple at Jerusalem. Jesus answered every question thrown at him by the Pharisees. In Matthew 24 as Jesus and his disciples are walking out of the temple some disciples point out the beauty of the temple building to Jesus. I think the disciples now were very convinced that Jesus was going to set his kingdom and the temple is where he is going to rule. The disciples thought they would have some personal office spaces in this beautiful building. Jesus shocks them with his answer.

'Matthew 24:2 2"Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."''

Jesus puts a bombshell on their plans and without further explanation, walks ½ a mile to Mt. Olives, and sits down where then can see the mount of the temple. Now the disciples slowly come to Jesus to find out why he said so. Matthew 24:3 3As 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?"

Jesus sitting on Mt. Olives starts speaking about his second coming. Mt. Olives is a strategic location because we just read that he is going to come back to Mt. Olives.

In Matthew 24:4-14 Jesus speaks of 3 signs of His coming.

1. The first sign has to do with false christs

Matthew 24:4-5 Jesus answered, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 3For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am Christ, and will deceive many.

When we look into history many have come and are still living who claim themselves to be Christ. According to Time Magazine a psychiatric hospital in Jerusalem treats over 50 people a year for claiming to be Jesus Christ.

2. The second sign has to deal with wars, natural disasters, & persecution against church

Read Matthew 24:6-13.

Matthew 24:6-7 6You 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. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

Wars: You hear of wars and rumors daily. The Afghanistan war. India Pakistan, tension in PoK. The Palestine conflict. North & South Korea conflict.

Matthew 24:7 There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Natural disasters: Our world witnessed 2364 earthquakes in 2010 alone of Richter Scale 5 to 9.9. 225,511 people lost their lives in these quakes. This week we saw floods in Karnataka, North India, and China.

Matthew 24:9 9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

Persecution to Church: Presently the church is facing persecution in India, China, Arab countries, Nepal etc. Many are giving their lives for the Lord’s sake. Do not be afraid of persecution because that is what the Bible says and we are in the end times.

3. The third sign is a positive sign

The gospel will be preached to the whole world.

Matthew 24:14 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

If you know it or not there is a great church growth happening these days. The gospel is being preached through all media and people are coming to Christ. India, China, Soviet Union, Latin America, Africa have reports of unprecedented church growth. People are responding to the gospel like never before.

The Timing of His Coming

Matthew 24:36 36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

We cannot know the exact time of his coming. However the Bible gives us a general time of Jesus’ return. Matthew 24:32-33 32Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.

1. Learn lesson from the fig tree.

The story of the fig tree has 2 applications. First is natural. When the leaves begin to come out in the spring time we know the summer is near. In the same way when the signs of Matthew 24 takes place we know the return of Christ is very near.

Secondly, the fig tree is a common biblical symbol for the nation of Israel. Israel ceased to be a nation after Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its temple in AD 70. The Jews were scattered all over the world. There was no hope for the Jews to have a country of their own. Miraculously Israel became a nation once again in 1948. This is the fulfillment of a Biblical prophesy. The restoration of Israel as a country is a big step to the second coming of Jesus Christ.

2. The world will be completely unprepared for Jesus’ return.

Matthew 24:37-41 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

Here Jesus makes a simple comparison to the days of Noah. What was it like in Noah’s days? It was life and business as usual. While Noah patiently built the ark and warned people of the coming judgment people laughed at him and said it will never happen. The more Noah preached the more they mocked him. Finally the flood came and killed the entire people except Noah and his family in the ark.

These days are like the days of Noah. People do not want to come to church. Believers miss Sunday worship. People are busy doing business, giving and taking in marriage. No one has time to pray, read the word, and lead a holy life. Just at the floods brought sudden judgment to the world the return of Christ will do the same thing to this world. Just as the ark saved Noah, Christ is the ‘ark of safety’ for those who believe in him.

We are called to be always ready because Jesus may return at any moment. Matthew 24:42-44 42Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

This passage says ‘keep watch and be ready.’ How does a thief come to your house? Sudden and unannounced.

The relevance of the second coming.

What difference does it make to us, our lifestyle?

1. Encourage one another

1 Thessalonians 4:18 18Therefore encourage each other with these words. The coming of Jesus Christ must make us excited. We need to be completely committed, fully engaged, & passionately involved in the Kingdom of God. Illus of excitement when someone comes from abroad.

The first century Christians greeted each other with phrases Maranatha which means Come, Lord Jesus! Let us encourage one another with these words.

2. Live holy/pure lives

It is time to get out of all uncleanliness and live a holy life. Ask yourself ‘would I be doing this when Jesus returns?’

1 John 2:28 28And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

One day he will return, it may be today, tomorrow, or next year. Therefore let us live as if he is coming today; prepared, clean and holy.

3. Accept Christ as your saviour.

If you have not received Christ ask Jesus to save you. If you have never got into a relationship with Christ you have the choice now. God is waiting for you. 2 Peter 3:9-10 (Mes) God isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change. 10But when the Day of God's Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment.

God is waiting for you. Once Jesus comes the consequences will be too much. If you have never made a decision to accept Jesus Christ do it now. Don’t be too late and left behind.