Christ Centered Lessons
|
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 – Did you Miss Christ's Return? |
| ||
Harold Camping is a false teacher. He may be a perfectly nice and well-meaning man, but to pronounce that he knows when the return of Jesus Christ will occur exposes him as a false teacher.
Christ himself stated, in Matthew 24:36, “but of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” If Christ does not know the hour of His return, why do we believe any man can predict it?
We do know that Jesus will come again. The apostle Peter describes the event for us in 2 Pet. 3:10 when he says, “but the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”
The Bible teaches that Jesus visibly ascended, and that he is visibly coming again. Luke says, “And when he had spoken these things, while they BEHELD, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their SIGHT. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall SO COME IN LIKE MANNER AS YE HAVE SEEN HIM GO INTO HEAVEN…” (Acts 1: 9-11)
The study of Revelation is critical to this subject. This book presents a real and visible coming of Jesus at a time of God’s choosing. The apostle John wrote, "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM, and they also which pierced him: and ALL KINDREDS OF EARTH SHALL WAIL BECAUSE OF HIM:' (Rev. 1: 7) Note the following facts here stated: (1) “Behold he cometh with clouds"; (2) "AND EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM…” and (3) “they also which pierced him,” showing it will be after they are raised from the dead, (4) “and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him…" which shows it will be at the general resurrection at the last day (John 6:39,40.44.54; 11: 24; 12: 47). Christ will come again and gather all nations and will judge them. This will be the second coming of Christ and it will be REAL!
The outcome for those found faithful and those found unfaithful will be much different:
“WHEN the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, THEN shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. THEN shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…THEN shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels…And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." (Matt. 25:31-34; 41; 46)
When Jesus comes again, to judge the world, the righteous will “inherit” the heavenly kingdom, and the wicked will go into everlasting damnation. The call of the scriptures is to always be prepared, regardless when His return occurs.
Are you ready?