When Jesus comes…

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:1–12)

This person is often called the ”Antichrist” yet that term is more about an attitude according to several verses in 1 John For example:

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22)
… and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. (1 John 4:3)
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. (2 John 7)
It is as if the attitude of being against Christ makes a person antichrist. So does that practice of lawlessness that goes with that attitude: “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4)

While Jesus described signs of the times as events, this deception could be a greater indication when He will return. For one thing, lawlessness in the world is a greater threat to His people. Law has protected many, at least in some countries, so that Christians can worship freely. However, “law” is now making illegal the proclamation of some Bible truths. When will lawlessness be preferred over faith in the Lord?

The Christians of Thessalonica thought Jesus had already come. That is a deception of a kind, but worse is the delusion of not being able to believe in Him  because sin is the preferred choice. God can open blind eyes, yet there is no hope for those who love sin. 

Jesus, there are a few people on my prayer list who have mocked You or openly set in a sinful pattern. Yet past history shows that You can show mercy. You died for us while we were still sinners. I pray that those who are locked in to a strong delusion would be miraculously released… for their good and Your glory.

Encouragement about dying…

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:1–11)

With floods, earthquakes, tornados and other natural disasters, plus air and auto accidents, cancer and other life-threatening diseases, and the media repeating bad news continually, little wonder some people are thinking that Jesus will come soon. 

Interesting that this passage says this will happen when people will be saying there is peace and security. Is that the Pollyanna people who never listen to bad news? Or those in spiritual darkness or drunk as this passage suggests? Or those who have no idea that Jesus will return to judge the world, or even do not know who He is?

For those not in such categories, we know that we don’t know when He will come, either in judgement or to take His people home. Those who know Jesus and yet die in accidents or disasters, etc. go to live with Him. We are not destined for wrath and even though such deaths can be a terrible thing, both on the news and for grieving survivors, we will be with Him. 

This week, a group of us prayed for a woman who is 100 years old and not well. Her son asked that she die peacefully in her sleep. Many Christians do. My parents did. This eases those who are left, yet if He takes me home in a fire or flood or crash or whatever, the encouragement should be that I am home, however I get there.

Jesus, most sudden deaths seem more tragic to us than leaving this world in our sleep, but You are in charge of that. I just want those I leave behind to know that I am with You and to know You so they have total confidence that they will see You and even me one day as well.

 

Is the end close?

And they asked (Jesus), “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives. (Luke 21:7–19)

I know a person that seldom listens well. It seems she is busy planning her response and when it comes, the evidence of not listening is sometimes annoying, or at best, humorous. Really listening is an art. 

That said, I’ve written about the folly of trying to predict the day Jesus will come back. He said that even He does not know when His orders will send Him. We are just supposed to be ready. Is it possible that this description is telling Christians what to be ready for? And saying how important to listen rather than try to plan what will happen.

As I look at the list, the first item says many will come in His name claiming to be Him. Has that happened yet? Being ready means knowing Him so well that I’m not fooled by imposters. Listen.

Then it says there will be many wars with nations rising against nations and this must happen. He does not say why this is necessary, but I think it is one way people will realize their need of God, and Christians will see Him using the tumult of war to draw people to Himself. This tells me how to pray and not be terrified. Listen.

He also says there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. While minor quakes happen frequently, it seems major quakes are increasing. Statistically, this is debatable, but it also tells me not to be anxious about things that only God can control. I cannot understand how He can use horrible events to draw others to Himself, but I can listen.

That most dreaded threat of severe persecution, even from family members, has been happening for centuries. Is it increasing? Reports say that approximately 388 million Christians face high levels of persecution, representing an increase of 8 million people compared to prior counts. Being ready involves being so certain that the worst others can do results in the best that can happen to me!

As for the actual return of Jesus, all these events signal it will happen, particularly the fear, but this is not to be feared because: 

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25–28)

Jesus, the daily news is often shocking, but it should not be fearful. As it unfolds, it verifies what You predicted and tells me to be ready, even excited. I will see You face to face and everything that causes fear will no longer exist. Come, Lord Jesus, come.

 

Quit guessing

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:36–44)

Yesterday I repeated to my praying friends that I’ve never been able to second-guess God. I’ve learned that too much of my prayer requests are more like telling Him what I want Him to do, and His response is never what I thought it would be and always a surprise, not a surprise that He answered, but exactly what He did about the issue.

This means that that He has taught me to stop speculating. I cannot say, “Maybe God will do this or that” because I have no clue what His plan is or what He will do. I am not God and even making suggestions to Him about how to answer my prayers is simply impertinent. 

As I read what Jesus said about His return, it seems important that even He does not know the day or the hour. Some might say this is His humanness talking, but as God He must know. Yet I read it again — He says only the Father knows, not the Son.

Why? Well, if I am to be like Jesus, this is a trust issue. He is coming back. My role is not speculation about the time or how it will happen, but to be doing what He says. I could waste a lot of time researching all the definitions and descriptions when He asked me to have coffee with my neighbor who needs to hear the gospel. He will let me know what I should be doing, not what He is doing.

Even if I could figure it out, the last line verifies that being ready is more important, for He will not show up when I expect it. So all my ideas are useless anyway.

Jesus, You convince me to be alert to Your Spirit and involved in whatever Your will is for me. Only vanity can make me think this day or year or whatever. You also convince me that how and when You do show up, no one will be able to say, “I told you so.” 

 

He came and will come again

“The Lord was very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’ ” (Zechariah 1:1–6)

God accused them of doing the very things their ancestors had done before the exile. He was concerned about social justice for widows, orphans, and foreigners. 

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts. “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.” . . . .  The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace. (Zechariah 7:8 - 8:19)

Even as the people endured opposition from the non-Jewish inhabitants of Judea, Zechariah reassured them of God’s abiding comfort and care. He would continue his covenant with Israel. Messianic hope was rekindled as He promises to establish His rule over all the earth: 

Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one. (Zechariah 14:1–9)

Maybe it is my advancing age, or maybe the mess in the world and the nonsense ideas of our leaders, but I am increasing longing for the last things to happen and the return of Jesus to make all things right.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.