Bible Again

Our world, with its inhabitants from every age, has gone through great events. The pages of history are filled with events, still more and more significant. Mankind is surely looking forward to new surprises, bearing in mind the past and present – our age of mind-boggling discoveries, especially in the realm of technology. News articles today are being read with intense interest. Everyone is eagerly watching the events that are taking shape before our eyes. Men are generally in vague anticipation of something. The veil of the dark future will soon be lifted and things that have never been seen before will transpire on the scene of our world. Yet these major events are just a prelude. They are going to be followed by the most solemn event ever, expected in faith from the earliest ages by those who were not ashamed of their faith in God. For them, the Holy Scriptures say:

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off.” Heb. 11:13.

And in truth, the ancient patriarchs waited for this event with unflinching faith. With this hope died also the Christians from the past centuries who readily gave up their lives at the stakes and guillotines, so that they would not lose the promise of God.

Dear reader, the most solemn event we alluded to is the Second Coming – an event that thousands of our contemporaries, having utter disbelief in God, don’t want to even hear about. Many Christians confess that this event is inevitably going to transpire and they talk about it, though they certainly don’t expect it to come so soon or in such an open manner. The Holy Scriptures mention this great event 1,500 times, and the New Testament alone mentions it 380 times.

There can hardly be found a church in which baptism is not accompanied by special ceremonies. This rite is mentioned in Paul’s epistles 13 times, while the Coming of Christ is mentioned by him 50 times – a promise that Christendom talks so little about.

And not only are today’s Christians silent about this event, but they have even got to a place where they can’t even believe in its fulfillment.

Dear reader, God never lies! Everything he has said shall come to pass.

Let us now consider some of his promises.

Unerring promises

Before leaving our world, the Savior gave to his disciples the following promise which is so full of hope:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3.

Teaching his disciples, he said:

“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Matt. 16:27.

At the ascension of Christ, while the disciples were watching with eyes riveted to the skies, two angels appeared to them and confirmed the promise of Jesus with the following prophetic words:

“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11.

As we consider other prophecies and promises dealing with the Second Coming of Christ, the following serious question is going to come up…

When is this promise going to be fulfilled?

Speaking extensively about his Second Coming, Jesus said:

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matt. 24:36.

Yet he did not specify the day, nor the hour of his coming. He gave a series of signs, by which those who are interested may know the time of his coming. To the question, asked by the disciples, “When shall these things be?”, Jesus answered:

“But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by… Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven… Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory… Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” Luke 21:7-31.

Out of the many events that testify of the soon coming of Christ, an outstanding one is that which was prophesied by the Old Testament prophet Daniel:

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4.

The increase in knowledge which modern man perceives as a normal result of the cultivation of the human mind, was prophesied 2,500 years ago by God, as a sign of the end of the world and the coming of Jesus Christ. The book of Daniel which was not studied by anyone less than three hundred years ago, which was truly considered a sealed book, is now read and studied in every land with earnest interest. The prophecy that “knowledge shall be increased” is being fulfilled in our very day. And not only in the study of the book of Daniel but also in our material world.

Going back throughout history, many indications of progress would fade before us, as the cinematograph, the phonograph, and the rotary dial, for instance. Electrical lighting and electricity in general with all of its complex branches will disappear from our view. The telegraph, the submarine communication cables, and electrical trams will be seen no more. The radio will vanish from our view. The sewing machine which is so much needed by every housewife, will not be seen anymore. All agricultural and industrial machines will disappear. Those grand printing presses that print, stick, cut, fold, and count up to 96,000 sheets of paper per hour, or 1,600 in one minute, will sink into insignificance. We will no longer see the motorcycles, asphalted streets, lifts, and water pumps. We will also lose sight of the petrol probes, money strongboxes, medicinal appliances, etc.

There are many other discoveries which we could mention but we shall stop here. Bearing in mind the numerous discoveries that were made less than a century ago, we can certainly say that we are living in the age of discoveries and the increase of knowledge. All this is one of the signs of the Second Coming of Christ. All the prophecies dealing with the increase of knowledge have been fulfilled. The time is not far distant when the last prophecy will come to pass, which reads:

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 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. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” 1 Thessalonians 5:2-5

And this is going to happen because the Word of God never lies. The Savior said regarding his word that heaven and earth shall pass away but his words shall not fail but shall be surely fulfilled.

Very soon, this great event, anticipated by the people of faith in past ages and thousands of years will come to pass. It is very near! Terrible will be the surprise of those who, while living in ease, have not expected such an event. In distress and anguish, they will say to the mountains and rocks:

“Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Rev. 6:16-17.

But to those who have waited for him and have lived in the fear of God, this event will bring inexpressible joy. Which class do you desire to be in?

Today is the time, dear reader when we must come to our senses and prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the close of this world’s history.