Prophecy Today Q&A: ""What is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?""

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Question: "What is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?"

Answer: The second coming of Jesus Christ is the hope of believers that God is in control of all things, and is faithful to the promises and prophecies in His Word. In His first coming, Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem, just as prophesied. Jesus fulfilled many of the prophecies of the Messiah during His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. However, there are some prophecies regarding the Messiah that Jesus has not yet fulfilled. The second coming of Christ will be the return of Christ to fulfill these remaining prophecies. In His first coming, Jesus was the suffering Servant. In His second coming, Jesus will be the conquering King. In His first coming, Jesus arrived in the most humble of circumstances. In His second coming, Jesus will arrive with the armies of heaven at His side.

The Old Testament prophets did not make clearly this distinction between the two comings. This can be seen in Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7 and Zechariah 14:4. As a result of the prophecies seeming to speak of two individuals, many Jewish scholars believed there would be both a suffering Messiah and a conquering Messiah. What they failed to understand is that there is only one Messiah and He would fulfill both roles. Jesus fulfilled the role of the suffering servant (Isaiah chapter 53) in His first coming. Jesus will fulfill the role of Israel’s deliverer and King in His second coming. Zechariah 12:10 andRevelation 1:7, describing the second coming, look back to Jesus being pierced. Israel, and the whole world, will mourn for not having accepted the Messiah the first time He came.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, the angels declared to the apostles, “‘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’” (Acts 1:11). Zechariah 14:4 identifies the location of the second coming as the Mount of Olives. Matthew 24:30 declares, “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” Titus 2:13 describes the second coming as a “glorious appearing.”

The second coming is spoken of in greatest detail in Revelation 19:11-16, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Yes! Jesus is Coming!

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Prophecy Today Q&A: "What is the Apocalypse?""

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Question: "What is the Apocalypse?"

Answer: The word “apocalypse” comes from the Greek word apocalupsis which means “revealing, disclosure, to take off the cover.” The book of Revelation is sometimes referred to as the “Apocalypse of John” because it is God’s revealing of the end times to the apostle John. Further, the Greek word for “apocalypse” is the very first word in the Greek text of the book of Revelation. The phrase “apocalyptic literature” is used to describe the use of symbols, images, and numbers to depict future events. Outside of Revelation, examples of apocalyptic literature in the Bible are Daniel chapters 7–12, Isaiah chapters 24–27, Ezekiel chapters 37–41, and Zechariah chapters 9–12.

Why was apocalyptic literature written with such symbolism and imagery? The apocalyptic books were written when it was more prudent to disguise the message in images and symbolism than to give the message in plain language. Further, the symbolism created an element of mystery about details of time and place. The purpose of such symbolism, however, was not to cause confusion, but rather to instruct and encourage followers of God in difficult times. 

Beyond the specifically biblical meaning, the term “apocalypse” is often used to refer to the end times in general, or to the last end times events specifically. End-times events such as the second coming of Christ and the battle of Armageddon are sometimes referred to as the Apocalypse. The Apocalypse will be the ultimate revealing of God, His wrath, His justice, and, ultimately, His love. Jesus Christ is the supreme “apocalypse” of God, as He revealed God to us (John 14:9; Hebrews 1:2).

Yes! Jesus is Coming!

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Prophecy Today Q&A: "What is the Rapture of the church?"

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Question: "What is the Rapture of the church?"

Answer: The word “rapture” does not occur in the Bible. The concept of the rapture, though, is clearly taught in Scripture. The rapture of the church is the event in which God removes all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period. The rapture is described primarily in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. God will resurrect all believers who have died, give them glorified bodies, and take them from the earth, along with those believers who are still alive and who will at that time also be given glorified bodies. “For 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. After 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 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The rapture will be instantaneous in nature, and we will receive glorified bodies at that time. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in 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” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The rapture is the glorious event we should all be longing for. We will finally be free from sin. We will be in God's presence forever. There is far too much debate over the meaning and scope of the rapture. This is not God’s intent. Rather, in regard to the rapture, God wants us to “encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

Yes! Jesus is Coming!

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Prophecy Today Q&A: "What is going to happen according to end times prophecy?."

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Question: "What is going to happen according to end times prophecy?"

Answer: The Bible has a lot to say about the end times. Nearly every book of the Bible contains prophecy regarding the end times. Taking all of these prophecies and organizing them can be difficult. Following is a very brief summary of what the Bible declares will happen in the end times.

Christ will remove all born-again believers from the earth in an event known as the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54). At the judgment seat of Christ, these believers will be rewarded for good works and faithful service during their time on earth or will lose rewards, but not eternal life, for lack of service and obedience (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

The Antichrist (the beast) will come into power and will sign a covenant with Israel for seven years (Daniel 9:27). This seven-year period of time is known as the “tribulation.” During the tribulation, there will be terrible wars, famines, plagues, and natural disasters. God will be pouring out His wrath against sin, evil, and wickedness. The tribulation will include the appearance of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, and the seven seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments.

About halfway through the seven years, the Antichrist will break the peace covenant with Israel and make war against it. The Antichrist will commit “the abomination of desolation” and set up an image of himself to be worshipped in the Jerusalem temple (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10), which will have been rebuilt. The second half of the tribulation is known as “the great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14) and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). 

At the end of the seven-year tribulation, the Antichrist will launch a final attack on Jerusalem, culminating in the battle of Armageddon. Jesus Christ will return, destroy the Antichrist and his armies, and cast them into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:11-21). Christ will then bind Satan in the Abyss for 1000 years and He will rule His earthly kingdom for this thousand-year period (Revelation 20:1-6).

At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released, defeated again, and then cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10) for eternity. Christ then judges all unbelievers (Revelation 20:10-15) at the great white throne judgment, casting them all into the lake of fire. Christ will then usher in a new heaven and new earth and the New Jerusalem—the eternal dwelling place of believers. There will be no more sin, sorrow, or death (Revelation 21–22).

Yes! Jesus is Coming!

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Prophecy Today Q&A: "Revelation Time Line." -Jack Kelley

 

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Jack Kelley

 

Revelation Time Line.

Q. I understand that we should interpret scripture literally whenever the context allows us to do so, but what about being able to understand whether something that was prophesied has already occurred? For example, I understand that books such as Revelation are still future because of the awesome events described in them, but how do we know for sure that the events in Revelation will span 7 years and not longer? Is it because of the parallel in Daniel’s 70th week? If that is so then how do we know the events BEFORE the abomination of desolation take place over a period of 3 1/2 years?

 

A. From chapter 6 thru 19 the Book of Revelation appears to be a commentary on Daniel’s 70th Week. The first seal of Rev. 6 is thought by many to be the arrival of the anti-Christ on the world scene, although in his role as a peace maker, as described inDaniel 8:25, not as the personification of Satan. In Daniel 9:24-27 the first public act of the anti-Christ is to confirm a 7 year treaty with Israel.

If these two passages are saying the same thing, as seems likely, then from the first seal to the 2nd Coming takes a period of 7 years, Daniel’s 70th Week.

Daniel 12:7, Revelation 12:6 and others state that the Great Tribulation is 3.5 years long. Matt. 24:15-21 says that the Great Tribulation will begin with the Abomination of Desolation. Daniel 9:27 says that the Abomination will happen in the middle of the 70th week. Therefore the events from Rev. 6-12 constitute the first half of Daniel’s 70th week, and events from Rev. 13, when Satan indwells the anti-Christ and receives the worship of the whole world, thru Rev. 19 take up the 2nd half.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes! Jesus is Coming!

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Prophecy Today Q&A: "Defining Grace" -Jack Kelley

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"Answering the Questions in Prophecy Biblically"

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Defining Grace

Q. Would you please write to me in very few sentences what GRACE is? Any short illustration?

 

A. Grace has been defined as an unmerited favor, something you receive even though you don’t deserve it. If a stranger came to your door and gave you a large sum of money, even though you hadn’t done anything to earn it, and could never hope to repay him, it would be considered an act of grace on his part.

Of course the world’s most outrageous act of grace occurred when Jesus redeemed you from death by giving His life in your place, even though you hadn’t done anything to deserve it and can never hope to repay Him.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephes. 2:8-9)

 

 

 

 

Yes! Jesus is Coming!

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Prophecy Today Q&A: "Left Behind For Bad Behavior, Follow Up" -Jack Kelley

 

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Left Behind For Bad Behavior, Follow Up

Q. I always thought that there was something more than just having faith to go in the Rapture. But after reading your article, I realized that Faith really encircles everything there has to be. Having the faith, we do what the Lord wants to be prepared for His coming. I would add, however, that the Lord does not want us to know the date and the time of the Rapture because, knowing it, we would continue living our worldly lives and start preparing by the appointed time. It would be very easy. Not knowing it means that we have to be prepared in advance and wait for Him to come.

 

A.  Your opinion about why God hasn’t revealed the date of the rapture makes sense from a human point of view, but is not consistent with Biblical history. God keeps His enemies in the dark but not His friends. In Amos 3:7 He said, “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”

For example, He told Abraham what He was going to do before He did it.  This included the gift of the promised land (Genesis 15:12-21) and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:17, 20-21).  He had Gabriel tell Daniel the timing of the First Coming (Daniel 9:25), He had Paul tell the Church that we should recognize the signs of the end times (1 Thes. 5:4-5), and He told post-Church believers how to know when the second Coming would take place (Matt. 24:15-21, 29-30).

In none of these examples did He give a day or hour, but each time He gave unmistakable signs that would indicate the time was at hand, and that includes the Rapture.

 

 

Yes! Jesus is Coming!

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Prophecy Today Q&A: "Missing From Heaven" -Jack Kelley

 

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Missing From Heaven

Q. Just wondering about our loved ones who’ve passed on before us.  Since there will be no tears or sorrow in heaven how will we not be sad if those we thought would be there are not?  Will we have no memory of them so we won’t be sad?

 

A. The Bible makes two general statements in this regard.  The first is in Isaiah 65:17which reads,

“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”

And the second is the one you cited from Rev. 21:4

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

We know discovering that people who we assumed were saved turned out not to be would normally cause us sadness.   And yet both these verses say that at the 2nd coming everything will be changed to such a degree that we’ll no longer remember the way things were before.  (I’m of the opinion that these promises will come true for the Church at the rapture.)  Therefore the absence of people in Heaven who we knew on Earth will not cause us any sadness.

 

Yes! Jesus is Coming!

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