"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 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."-Matthew 24:29-30 (NKJV)
After Christ shared with His disciples about the time of great tribulation that would come upon the earth, He provided them with another prophetic puzzle piece, a big piece-the event commonly referred to as the second coming, when Jesus will personally and physically return to this planet for the purpose of setting the world straight (read Revelation 19 for a more detailed description).
We need to be careful not to confuse this event with the rapture of the church (see October 26). At the rapture Jesus will be united with us in the air and then usher us into heaven. At His second coming He will return to earth and establish His kingdom here (Zechariah 14:4). Also, the rapture will take place prior to the seven-year tribulation. The verse above tells us that the second coming will be "immediately after the tribulation."
At long last the world will be governed by its rightful owner. All that was ruined at the fall will be restored. No longer will there be any confusion over right and wrong. Injustice will cease to exist, and peace will finally prevail from one end of the globe to the other. Best of all, the nations of the earth will worship Jesus as their King from year to year!
As fallen as this world is, it's healthy to remember that it won't always be this way. The King will come, and when He does, everything that's evil will be taken away.
And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be; "The LORD is one," and His name one. (Zechariah 14:9 NKJV)
Discuss and share with your friends about one of the most amazing experiences you have ever had in your life. Now how do you think that will compare to heaven? What do you think a world without evil will be like?
Dig into this topic a little deeper. How has today’s devotion changed the way you view the Rapture and the Second Coming? Discuss what you have learned and what still may be unclear. How do the promises of Scripture give you assurance?
Decide to encourage a friend who is overwhelmed with the evil of this world. How can you use the comparison of these two realities to compel someone to trust in Christ?
No comments:
Post a Comment