I read somewhere, “One thing churches and pastors seem to do very well is answer questions no one is asking.”
I’ve been noticing that many people are speculating and asking questions about eschatology, the study of the end times.
Eschatology is defined as, the branch of theology or doctrine concerning the ultimate or final things, such as death, the destiny of humanity, the Second Coming and the Last Judgment.
I’ve seen many social media posts with comments and questions, and yes, some false
information as well.
Questions directly to me have become more frequent.
So as I prayed about what the Lord would have me share with you, I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to talk about end time prophecies.
So we are beginning a series today that we are calling, “On the Edge of Eternity.”
Our focus in this series is NOT to get everyone to agree exactly on “what happens when.”
Our focus, rather, is to remind us as the New Testament Church that… “MARANATHA!”
(Greek word meaning… “Rejoice! Jesus Is Coming!)
Revelation 22:7 NLT “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”
1. Look for Jesus.
Scripture never teaches believers to look for the Antichrist, the Mark of the Beast or any other prophetic end-time occurrence.
Scripture simply teaches us to look for Jesus.
Revelation 1:1-2 NLT This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, 2 who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Acts 1:9-11 NLT After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 NLT Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.
Matthew 24:1-8 NLT As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. 2 But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?”
4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
Jesus said, I'm going to tell you how to answer the questions about my kingdom, my return and the end of the age... Pay attention to the contractions! As they increase with intensity and frequency, the time is near.
2. The Rapture of the Church.
Former General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Thomas Trask, 2006, “The next great event on planet earth will be the rapture of the church.”
You may think it sounds far-fetched and crazy, like we’ve read too many science fiction novels.
But the truth is, Jesus was entirely serious when He said He’d come back.
John 14:3 NLT When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
A moment ago we read what the angels said to those who watched His ascension.
Acts 1:11 NLT “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
This isn’t a myth, a metaphor for something abstract, or just a figure of speech.
It’s a real event that will shock planet earth.
History will abruptly come to its climax when Jesus returns.
For over 20 Centuries people have been asking, “When?”
The Bible gives no specific date. Actually Scripture teaches that we won’t know the day or the hour in advance.
This opens the loophole for some to be cynical and dismiss the whole idea as a hoax.
Hear me; it’s far better to take the Lord’s Return seriously and be prepared to face the Lord with joy rather than sorrow on that day.
Romans 14:10-12 NLT So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” 12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.
The day we each give an account of our lives to God, the question will not be how much money we made, how many good deeds we have tallied, or how many times we were in church.
The all important question — the one that will make the difference between eternity in heaven or hell — will be what did you do with Jesus?
Did you accept God’s provision of mercy, grace, peace, and forgiveness? Did you accept and believe in Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior who died so you could truly live?
Jesus taught many times that He was leaving earth and would return. In fact, He cautiously warned His disciples to be ready for His return.
Matthew 24:42-44 NLT “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
Jesus comforted His disciples before His death, with the assurance that He would return.
John 14:1-4 NLT “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
As you read through Scripture and compare passages relating to the Second Coming of Christ, it doesn’t take long to notice that some Scripture speaks of Jesus’ return with His saints as a visible event seen by all humanity and involving the judgment of sinners.
Then other Scriptures describe Jesus coming for only those who are His, those who have believed in Him, He comes and delivers them.
The latter is referred to as the Rapture. This word is not found in the English Bible, it is used to translate the expression “caught up.”
Now before you check out and stop listening, consider this:
The supernatural removal of Godly individuals from earth is not unknown in Scripture.
Enoch, Gen. 5:21-24 — Elijah, 2 Kings 2:1-13 — Jesus, Acts 1:9-11.
Listen to what Paul wrote.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
The same Greek word used here in verse 17 for caught up is also used in Acts 8:39.
Acts 8:39 NLT When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.
Notice Luke states that the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip. The Rapture of the saints will be a similar experience.
The writer of Hebrews calls being caught away a translation bypassing death.
Hebrews 11:5 NLT It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NLT But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.
Here in Corinthians, Paul is teaching on the same event as 1 Thessalonians. He speaks of changes that will take place in both the living and the dead at the Rapture.
Notice he calls it a “wonderful secret! (NIV “Mystery.)
It is a truth previously unrevealed, now made known to Paul by the Holy Spirit.
Since Scripture does not contradict itself, it seems reasonable to conclude that the passages describing Christ’s return for the saints and with the saints indicate two phases of His coming.
We believe it is Biblically correct to assume that Christ will come for His people and Rapture (Catch Away) the Church and at a later time, shown in Scripture He will come with His saints to execute judgment at the Second Coming and the world to see Him.
The time period between the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ is when the world will experience the Great Tribulation, which will involve the reign of the Antichrist and the outpouring of God’s wrath on the wicked.
A few of the many biblical signs that we are living in the “last days” …the time that is near the rapture of the church…
Wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7, Luke 21:8)
Famines (Matthew 24:7, Mark 13:8, Luke 21:11, Rev. 6:5-6)
Pestilence (Matt. 24:7, Mark 3:8, Luke 21:11, Rev. 6:7-8)
Earthquakes (Matthew 24:7. Mark 13:8, Luke 21:11, Rev. 6:12-17, 11:13, 16:17-21)
False prophets and people who claim to be the divine and “the Christ” (Matt. 24:4-5,15; Mark 13:5-6; Luke 21:8)
Sin and iniquity abounding (Matt. 24:12; 2 Tim. 3:1-8, 4:1-4; Rev. 9:20-21, 13:1-8)
Regathering of Israel back as a Nation (Occurred in 1948) (Isa. 11:11-12, 14:1, 27:12, 43:5, 60:9)
Increase of Travel and of knowledge (Daniel 12:4)
Lying, men having seared consciences (1 Tim. 4:1-8)
“Lover of themselves, covetous, disobedient to parents”
(2 Timothy 3:1-8)
“Unnatural affections, lacking self-restraint” (Meaning unrestrained sexual appetites; lacking moderation or self control of sexual desires… unnatural in that many are directed towards people of the same sex… Thus, homosexuality on the rise.) (2 Tim. 3:1-8, 4:1-4)
Revival of spiritism & the occult (1 Tim. 4:1-3)
Rise of Russian power in the north (Ezekiel 39:2)
Alliance & cooperation of nations of western Europe (Dan. 2)
Outpouring of the charismatic experience all over the world (Joel 2:28)
3. Timing.
The time of the Rapture, the catching away of the Church is a matter of great importance. Those who understand the Biblical teaching of the Great Tribulation are divided into three camps.
And there are differing opinions about the timing of this world-wide event.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 NLT Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. 2 Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction.
4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.
5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.
9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.
There has been so much teaching and study of this marvelous end time event that three prophecy groups have developed.
— post-Tribulation — mid-Tribulation — pre-Tribulation
post — teach the true church will be on earth during the entire 7-years of the Great Tribulation.
mid — usually describe the first 3½ years of the Tribulation as fairly peaceful, especially in comparison with the last 3½ years.
This group assumes the Rapture takes place in the middle of the Tribulation.
pre — the Bible promises that born-again believers, the true church, will not have to face the severe judgments poured out in the Tribulation because the church will be Raptured before the 7-year Tribulation begins.
As I mentioned earlier, Scripture never teaches believers to look for the Antichrist, the Mark of the Beast or any other prophetic end-time occurrence.
Scripture simply teaches us to look for Jesus.
In the Assemblies of God and in most Pentecostal churches, we believe the Rapture is imminent, will happen at any moment, and will happen before the Great Tribulation.
Scripture teaches us to “wait for God’s Son from heaven, not for the Tribulation.”
1 Thessalonians 1:10 NLT And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.
Luke 21:28 NLT So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”
When we see the Signs of the Times, Jesus said, “Look up, for your salvation is near!”
“While the world will not see the glory of Christ at the time of the Rapture as they will at the time of the Second Coming, at the Rapture Christians will behold Him in His glory, and to them it will be a glorious appearing.” John Walvoord, The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook, pg. 497
The weight of Scripture supports a Pre-Tribulation Rapture that is imminent.
The Pentecostal theology of the Rapture places this event before the Tribulation.
Those who support the mid-Tribulation or post-Tribulation positions always point to something that must happen before the Rapture.
The signs of the Lord’s coming will all be fulfilled before public appearance, but they do not have to be fulfilled before the Rapture.
Let me quickly support the pre-Tribulation positions with Scriptures.
— Matthew 24:26 NLT “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.”
— According to Revelation 19:14, the Lord is to come with His saints.
Revelation 19:14 NLT The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.
If He is to come with His saints, wouldn’t He need to gather them before He comes?
— The promise to the saints in Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:10 NLT Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.
—The assurance of the Lord to His own that they are “not appointed unto wrath.”
1 Thessalonians 5:9 NLT For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.
Romans 5:9 NLT And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
If we truly believe that Jesus could return at any time, every part of our lives (words, actions, choices) should reflect that truth.
Conclusion: Are you ready for the Return of Jesus Christ? To help you answer this question of eternal importance, please consider the following questions: If Jesus were to come at the conclusion of this service –
Would you have to change your lifestyle?
Would you have to change your thought life?
Would you have to change the way you spend your time, money, and abilities?
Are your past sins covered under the blood of Jesus?
Perhaps He has delayed His coming just to give you the opportunity to prepare your life for His return.
Christ the King is coming. Are you Ready?
