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Second Coming Ready
By Terry James
Most all people in western culture and society who are mature, so far as age is concerned, have heard of the term “the second coming.” Few, however, understand the term. Even fewer who think they have understanding have it right in their perception of that world-transforming future event. The accuracy of their understanding depends upon adhering to what God’s Word, the Bible, says on the awe-inspiring topic. Interpretation must be undertaken from the viewpoint that God is speaking to His creation–man—in a literal sense. That is, His foretelling must be taken as literal, not as being spiritualized, symbolic, allegorical, or as things that have already occurred in any way, shape, or form.
The second coming, or second advent, as it is also called, is a literal future event that will take place at a literal moment in literal time, by the literal King of all kings and Lord of all lords. It is the coming back to earth of Jesus Christ to put down all rebellion, to restore Planet Earth, and to rule and reign from His throne atop Zion for literally 1,000 years.
With that as an admittedly simplistic frame of reference, we will move more deeply into the subject through a stupendous body of prophecies yet to unfold that will profoundly affect every human being who has ever been conceived within the long history of this now fallen sphere. We will look particularly at the prospect of Christ’s return as it affects each and every person presently alive. To be “second coming ready” is the most important preparation any individual can make. This is because being “second coming ready” means a person’s soul, his or her eternal being, is in God’s family forever.
Dissecting the Second Coming
Comprehending the second coming of Jesus Christ to restore all things to conformity with God’s will requires understanding that God deals with His creation called man in dispensations. He has done so through covenants made with man throughout human history. The study of dispensationalism becomes quite involved, and this article, because of length parameters, doesn’t allow for an in-depth examination of that. We will look at the dispensation in which we live today–the age of grace, also called the church age, and the dispensation that will follow this one–the tribulation. Even so, we have space only to delve briefly into these as they reflect upon our topic, what is involved in being “second coming ready.”One Second Coming; Two Phases
The return of Christ makes no sense if viewed only as a one-phased event. This is because the Scriptures present conflict and confusion, if trying to make the second coming simply the Lord breaking through the black clouds of Revelation 19:11, then defeating all rebels and moving to Jerusalem to set up His millennial kingdom.Some Scriptures reveal that no one can know the exact day or hour of Christ’s return. Others tell that the exact number of days to His return to earth can be precisely calculated. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 indicates that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1,260 days, starting when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God. This takes place three and one-half years into the seven-year tribulation period.
Which is it? Can Christ’s time of return be known for sure, or not? God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). His Word is orderly, and always makes sense when proper context is applied and when the reader is faithful to seek out what it really says. It is vital, therefore, that Bible prophecy, as the Word of God in general, be studied thoroughly in total context. It can be hard work, but blesses the soul every time it is done. So, we see that the area dealing with knowing or not knowing the time of Christ’s coming back to earth presents what might be construed as contradiction. Bible prophecy seems to say different things about earth dwellers being aware of exactly when He is coming again. It is impossible to understand the apparent contradiction (which is not contradiction at all) without in-depth study on the matter. Such study, covered with prayer for understanding, reveals that Christ will return to Planet Earth in two distinct phases. Additionally, study brings realization that it is essential to understand that God is working within two prophetic programs: one involving the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the other involving His chosen people, the nation Israel. The two dovetail into the most glorious event in human history to occur since Christ’s first coming.
Phase 1: The Rapture
This event involves the church, all born-again believers in Jesus Christ for salvation. A person is born again (John 3:3) into the family of God by accepting that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This is the “rock” upon which Jesus said He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18). All people who have been born since the church began have lived in the “church age” or “age of grace.” That is, all during this period of time, this dispensation, who accept Christ’s blood as atonement for sin are under the grace of God. These believers are recipients of reconciliation with God the Father, their sins forever removed from receiving His judgment.Rapture of the church, as foretold by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 will be the one atomos of time (faster than the eye can blink) when Jesus will call all believers of the church age to be with Him forever. This is the “mystery” Paul showed believers, revealing in full what Jesus meant when He said the following: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).
The prerequisite, then, for being rapture ready is to accept Christ as Savior. Paul tells us that ALL will be changed in that “twinkling of an eye.” Who is included in the “all” he wrote about? “All” was the pronoun he used to include every individual during the church age who will accept Christ for their personal salvation.
The rapture is the first of the two-phase second coming. Thus, those who are rapture ready are also second coming ready. “All,” not “some,” will go to be with the Lord when He calls, as He did to John in Revelation 4:1. Each believer is rapture ready in the sense that each will go to be with Jesus in that stupendous event. Each will be taken; none will be left behind.
However, not every Christian will be “ready” in another important sense. Those who have lived carnal lives–lives that are not walking in the will of God will lose rewards at the bema, or judgment seat of Christ. The believer must do his or her best to live the way God expects of His children while still in this mortal flesh. Those who do not won’t be kicked out of God’s family or be left behind to suffer His wrath (for we are not appointed to the wrath of God; see 1 Thessalonians 5:9). But, those who choose to live apart from the Father’s instructions will have disappointed their Lord, and at the bema judgment will see their carnal works burned in the holy fire that purges unrighteousness. Sinful acts, through commission or ommision, cannot enter God’s eternal kingdom.
The child of God should take this truth very seriously. How he or she attempts to walk righteously here on earth will determine his or her eternal service status when they look into their Lord’s omniscient eyes.
Phase 2: Second Advent
continue at Rapture Ready:
The False Messiah has to come first…
The “rapture” theory and millenarianism — which supposes that Christ will return to the earth in a bodily form and rule it for one thousand years from Mt. Zion — have both been condemned as heresy by Church fathers and doctors.
There is not going to be any “rapture” and Christ is never returning in bodily form to the earth again. By preaching these heresies as dogma, Rolls is leading many souls astray, including his own.
Jesus said we would know when we are in the season of His return (and we are in that season right now) and we would also know when it is right at the door, or truly imminent. Here is how and when we will know the Second Coming is right at the door, or truly imminent:
There are 3 woes in the Book of Revelation (REV 8:13). In the 1st woe, which lasts 5 months, Abaddon, or the Destroyer (REV 9:11), comes on the scene. During the first woe, no one dies, though many will wish they could (see REV 9:6). But many, many, many will die in the 2nd and 3rd woes (Trumpets 6 and 7). There are 4 angels bound right now at the Euphrates river. When they are loosed, they will kill a third of all mankind (see REV 9:14-15, this is during the time of the second woe). The 2nd woe consists of the 1260 day (REV 11:3) ministry of the two who are one. Their 1260 days coincides with the 1260 days of the Antichrist (Mr. 666). Then at the conclusion of the 1260 days of the two witnesses, at the conclusion of the 2nd woe, the 3rd woe will come quickly thereafter (REV 11:14). The 3rd woe occurs simultaneously with, and in concert with, the Second Coming (rapture). So it is at the conclusion of the 2nd woe that the 3rd woe/Second Coming will be truly imminent, right at the door (Matthew 24:33).
At the advent of the 3rd woe, at the sounding of the 7th trumpet (REV 11:15), there will be “a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great” (REV 16:18). And Christ will come riding on the clouds (REV 1:7) in a more than awesome burst of power and glory to set up the eternal kingdom of God at the glorious conclusion and climatic and cataclysmic exclamation point at the end of the age known as the Second Coming of Christ!
And it is of the utmost importance for those that belong to the Lamb of God to be read for the Second Coming. For more on that, see:
/prophecy/2013/12/the-second-coming-why-it-is-so-important-to-be-ready-for-it-2456898.html
Do not be misled by this article concerning the rapture. Concerning the rapture, or coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 to not let any man deceive you in any way, for that day (the rapture) will not come until there comes a falling away FIRST and the Antichrist is revealed. So Paul said that the Antichrist will come first and then the Day of Jesus Christ, or rapture, comes after that. This article teaches that the rapture comes first and then the Antichrist comes, which is the exact opposite of the order of events that Paul teaches
Whom shall we believe then, the Apostle Paul or this article
For more on the doctrine of demons called the pre-tribulation rapture theory, see:
/alternative/2013/02/rapture-alert-millions-of-christians-have-been-deceived-2561260.html
666 was drawn in the lottery in Obama’s hometown Chicago on the day after his election so he’s the Antichrist.
I’m the only one announcing it and I do it reluctantly because I’m Buddhist not Christian and in our Buddhist faith (the highest form of culture because we have Tantric [sexual] Yoga etc..) we don’t have 666 so I’m using foreign concepts to me picked which are up from Christianity.
Christianity is not a good religion to me.
Revealing this is a reluctant message to me.
The Bible does say that no Christians will be saved in the Apocalypse.
“The Bible does say that no Christians will be saved in the Apocalypse.”
Got chapter and verse for that KOS
All real Christians will be raptured BEFORE the Apocalypse: the Bible says “The Church will be totally corrupted by false christs in the end times.”
No Christians will be saved in the Apocalypse because they’ll all have accepted the Mark of the Beast of 666 (which is Obama’s money because 666 was drawn in the Chicago Lottery the day after Obama’s election making him the Antichrist seeing it’s relevant because Chicago is his town.)
am123, you must use or read the entire context of Scripture verse 7 of said chapter For the mystery of iniquity doth already work;only he who now leteth(hindereth) will let(hinder),UNTIL HE BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY!!! verse 8 And then shall that wicked BE REVEALED!!…
@johnw,
At the heart of Satan’s deception of a pre-tribulation rapture is the misconception that the “restrainer” referred to in the second chapter of 2nd Thessalonians, who is holding things back, is the Holy Spirit. This restrainer that Paul talks about is not the Holy Spirit, it is the unholy spirit, or Satan. Look at the language Paul uses. The one holding back the secret power of lawlessness will continue to do so until “he is taken out of the way”. It is not a voluntary thing—he is forcibly removed. The Antichrist is Satan’s “trump card”, his last resort. If you are in a war and you are wise and cunning, then you do not use your last resort before it is time to do so. The world today is full of corruption and evil. It would be foolish of Satan and not necessary for him to use his best weapon or last resort in a world where he is pretty much having his way. But that will change when Christians unite and become the true Church. As the Church realizes its part in the end times and comes together in love and grows and matures and starts walking in the true power of Christianity, doing the things Jesus did and even greater things, reaping the great end time harvest in the greatest revival the world has ever known, and as they pull down strongholds of the enemy all over the place, then the overcoming Church, as personified by the man child of Revelation 12:5, will win the victory over the Devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony and Satan will be cast down from heaven—he will be taken out of the way. Paul knew there was coming a time when the Church would be victorious over Satan as described in Revelation 12:7-12. This onslaught against the powers and principalities of darkness will back Satan into a corner, forcing him to play his trump card, or use his best weapon, his last resort. It is at the very beginning of Revelation 13 that the beast arises. So it is Satan who is the restrainer who must be taken out of the way in heaven and then the Antichrist will be revealed.
“His foretelling must be taken as literal,..”
If there was an all knowing anything that knows the future as a fact, there could be no free will. We would be left with predestination to follow the known future exactly like a preprogrammed Sim. In which case, we are deliberately set up to fail, are judged and condemned for the privilege, thousand of years before we are even born.
There is no such thing as knowing the future as a fact and the bible claims we have free will, but because both all knowing and free will are absolutes, ie there can one or the other but not both, means there is no such thing as an all knowing anything to be taken literally.
Look at this way: If you knew the future of your children for a fact, that they turn out to be evil, would you create them anyway? And if so, why? For the pleasure of torturing them for all eternity?
Such a being would be more evil than all the demons combined for knowingly creating monsters that it knowingly will torture.
Sorry but you can’t have it both ways, is IT all knowing or not, which is it?
It is atoning for the guilt of being all loving, all powerful and all knowing.
As you say: If he wasn’t all loving and all powerful and all knowing … then how could he be guilty (mea culpa) and how could he atone?
IT’s not all powerful, Judges 1:19 ..And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.
Clearly all one needs to best ‘the LORD’, is a nice shiny new tank.
Well lowlanders – who’d want them anyway
But I didn’t say all powerful but all powerful, loving and knowing. At the same time.
If he was all powerful and all knowing but not all loving then he couldn’t be guilty.
If he was all powerful and all loving but not all knowing then he couldn’t be guilty.
If he was all knowing and all loving but not all powerful then he couldn’t be guilty.
But he was atoning for something so clearly he was, as you yourself said, guilty of something:
All powerful, loving and knowing at the same time.
“Most all people… have heard of the term “the second coming.” Few, however, understand the term.”
YOU do not understand it AT ALL…… The “second Coming happens to each person when they attain “CHRIST CONCIOUSNESS” through meditation and prayer. YOU are locked into a Physical Kingdom “of THIS world” …………… You are completely WRONG
Phooey!
This guy does not even understand what “born again” means then sticks in the now dis-proven Rapture theory.
He does not even understand what he is talking about, and he wants to TEACH US???