What Happened to The Second Coming of Christ?

A few individuals in our church have been studying the book of Revelation.  In this last lesson, the question came up about Christians who are spiritually sleeping.  There was a time in the 1970’s that the subject of the “Rapture” was on the lips of many Christians.  Some movies gave instructions on how to survive after the “Rapture.”  There was A Thief in the Night (1972) and continues with Image of the Beast (1980) and The Prodigal Planet (1983) all were warnings of the coming doom that those who missed the “Rapture” would face. 

So, why aren’t more Christians talking about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and end time prophecies today? Is it because they have been fooled by the so called “prophecy experts" like:

·        1988 Edgar C. Whisenant Published a book, 88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be in 1988.

·        1994 Sep 6 Harold Camping, general manager of Family Radio and Bible teacher, published a book, 1994?, a prediction that Christ's return was likely pointing to 1994.

·        Jerry Falwell, Fundamentalist preacher who predicted in 1999 that the Second Coming would probably be within 10 years.

·        Ed Dobson predicted the end would occur in his book The End: Why Jesus Could Return by A.D. 2000.

·        Timothy Dwight IV  President of Yale University foresaw Christ's Millennium starting by 2000.

·        Edgar Cayce a psychic predicted the Second Coming would occur in 2000

·        Harold Camping claimed that the rapture would be on May 21, 2011 followed by the end of the world on October 21 of the same year.

·        Ronald Weinland predicted Jesus would return on September 29, 2011. When his prediction failed to come true, he moved the date of Jesus' return to May 27, 2012.When that prediction failed, he then moved the date to May 18, 2013, claiming that "a day with God is as a year," giving himself another year for his prophecy to take place. Weinland was convicted of tax evasion in 2012 and sentenced to 3 1/2 years in federal prison.

·        Jack Van Impe, televangelist who has, over the years, predicted many specific years and dates for the second coming of Jesus, but has continued to move his prediction later. Many of these dates have already passed, and he pointed to 2012 as a possible date for the second coming. Van Impe no longer claims to know the exact date of the Second Coming, but quotes verses which imply that mankind should know when the second coming is near.

·        Starting in 2008, Mark Biltz began teaching that Christ's return would correspond with the September 28, 2015 lunar eclipse. His idea, known as the Blood Moon Prophecy, attracted attention from pastor John Hagee (who stopped short of claiming Christ would return on that precise date) and mainstream media such as USA Today.

Have Christians been burned so many times that they are saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 2 Pet.3:4

We are living in a time that it is difficult to tell the difference between predictions made by a Jean Dixon, hotline psychics, and those who claim to be a "prophecy expert." So, who is and who is not believable?  And, how does one tell?  In our age of rampant spiritual deceit, one cannot be too careful (Acts 17:11).  However, are we to allow this to destroy our faith in the promise that the LORD will return?

There is an attitude that dogmatic Christianity is falling out of favor with the secular Christian.  Christianity is no longer the common understanding among those who call themselves "Christian" and it moral principles no longer are to be shared in public or private.  The secularists who call themselves Christian do not believe the teachings of Christianity are logically defensible but are based on "blind faith." As to the return of the LORD to set up His Kingdom, you would be better off putting some aromatherapy candles around your tub and commune with the cosmos.

The "secular Christian" is more interested in the feel-good spirituality of the dozens of television preachers who have involved a counterfeit spirituality to blind the eyes of the nearness of Christ coming.  There is no longer an attitude of "Watch" among those who call themselves Christian.

Today, there is so much visible evidence taking place daily around the world that Christians should be concerned.  Most Christians do not discuss it at all. Many do not even tie current world events and figures to anything biblically prophetic.

When you can get a discussion started it ends quickly with someone quoting what Jesus said in Matthew, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matthew 24:36 NKJV)

With that the discussion comes to an end.  However, that should not be the end of the discussion.  Paul in writing to the church at Thessalonica about the coming of the LORD.   He did not need to explain to them about times and dates because they knew the day when the Lord comes would be like a thief who comes at night. He gave a warning about what to look for when the time was approaching, people will say, “We have peace and we are safe.” At that time destruction will come to them quickly, like the pains of a woman giving birth. And those people will not escape.  He did not need to go into details about what they already knew because they were not living in darkness.  They were believers who lived in the light.  They were not sleeping they were wide awake.  Paul told them that they would not suffer the anger of God because they had salvation through Jesus Christ. (1Thes. 5)

The disciple of Jesus had concerns about when the LORD would return.  In Matthew 24 Jesus gave them the events that would lead up to His return.  He did tell them that no one knows the day and hour of His coming.  If any “prophet” tells you they know the day and/or time that Jesus is coming back, they are lying and attempting to deceive you.

However, this does not mean that we will not be able to know when He is coming back. It merely says that no one will know exactly when He will come. But He did go into detail about the end times in that same chapter of Matthew 24 and Luke 21. When the disciples asked what the signs of the end of the age would be, he explained in-depth. The whole chapter is devoted to us knowing what the times would be like and what were the things to come. If He did not want us to know what to look for, He would have told the disciples that they do not need to know. He would have told us through His Word that we do not need to know and there will be no signs.

Jesus told us about the things to come at the time of the end. He also told us there would be signs. A sign is something you look for to show you where you are going. Are you looking for His Signs? No one knows when He is coming back but based on what He has told us about what the end will look like and the signs He will show, it’s fair to say that we will be able to identify when He’s close. He wouldn’t tell us what the times would be like if He didn’t want us to be warned that the end is near.

The last of the disciples, John was given the revelation of Jesus Christ concerning the end times and His return to set up His kingdom.  Those who have taken the time to study the scriptures will not be caught unaware of events that lead up to the return of the LORD.  As a Christian, we are to wait expectantly for the return of the LORD. His day should not come upon us as a thief. Those that are not ready for Him while He gives us all the signs and warnings are making one of the worst decisions of their life. We are to watch for Him expectedly. Any view to the contrary is not biblically based. It’s a view that needs to be addressed and corrected.

Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. (Revelation 3:3 NKJV)

 I often hear from people that they do not understand all the symbols, the weird beast, the bowls, and the trumpets. Most will say something like, “I don’t believe anyone can understand or interpret prophecy.”  Some feel that because so many have been wrong before, it’s not logical that anyone would be right about it now. This a lot of times removes faith and belief that Jesus is coming back.

 It has been shown that false teachers and false prophets are claiming to know the time and date of the end. When their prediction naturally doesn’t happen, they are then looked at as crazy. Now when others that are not false want to talk about end time prophecy, they’re automatically discredited because of the overall stigma of the false ones.

As Christians, we need to wake up to the fact the description Jesus gave in Matthew, Luke, and Revelation concerning the end times is happening now.