Second Coming!

​

There are many within the church these days who have abandoned the great expectation of Christ's imminent return despite the obvious evidence. Sometimes called amillennialists, preterists, or postmillenialists they don't believe in a literal 1000 year reign of Christ on earth as simply stated in the book of Revelation. The preterists even re-date the writing of this prophecy to before the fall of Jerusalem and therefore assert that the bulk of the prophecies have already been fulfilled despite the fact that almost all New Testament scholars now take the view that Revelation was written during the reign of Domitian, sometime around 95-96 CE. Of course there are countless problems with this interpretation and here are just a couple.

​

In the book of Revelation chapter 11 describes two witnesses who will prophesy for 3 ½ years and will be killed when they have completed their testimony. It says that the world will rejoice and refuse to allow them to be buried and will gaze on their corpses for 3 ½ days and celebrate and give gifts to one another. So the entire world will gaze at their corpses? When, prior to this age, was that possible? Never! Also, according to the amillenialist view these prophets completed their testimony in 70 AD, and yet there is no record of them or the prophesied events just mentioned. 

​

Chapter 19 describes the return of Christ with the armies of heaven and the war with the beast, the false prophet, and their armies. Yes the beast who is a man is alive at the time of Christ's return along with the false prophet who is also a man, Obviously not fulfilled to date.

​

So what makes us believe the return of Christ is imminent? Well if you aren't aware of the massive global changes over the past generation or so then here are a few which may be considered noteworthy:

​

Industrial Revolution. Machines, automobiles and the infrastructure to build them which is rapidly destroying our planet and has had a huge impact on every civilized nation.

​

Travel. We now live in the jet age and one can cross the globe in a matter of hours.

​

Technology Revolution. Radio, television, computers, and the web.

​

War Machine. Guns and now nuclear weapons. Mankind now has the ability to annihilate the population of the entire world.

​

Israel a nation again after 2000 years. The Bible is full of God's promise to bring this about and this is now prophecy fulfilled!
 

At the close of Daniel's visions about the end he was told to ‘seal this prophecy until time of the end’ and that ‘many would travel to and fro and knowledge would be increased’. There couldn't be a better fulfillment of this prophecy then points 2 and 3 above.
 

Another important point is that Revelation is unsealed whereas Daniel is sealed. Furthermore there is a specific and severe warning in Revelation against adding to or taking away from this prophecy - don't do it!
 

Of course their are many other signs but I'll leave you with this scripture from Peter…
 

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:1‭-‬13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.