THE SIGN OF HIS COMING
Dear brethren,
Have you ever heard of people who give an actual date of when the Lord Jesus is coming back? What does the Bible say about that? This has actually happened in recent days.
Matt 24:36-38″But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. NKJV
From those words of Jesus, it is clear as can be that any specific date given for the return of Christ or the end of the world should never be taken seriously.
More importantly, Jesus already gave us the number one sign of His coming, which has not yet been fulfilled.
In Matthew 24:3 the disciples had asked Jesus what “the sign” of His coming and of the end of the age would be.
In answer to their question, first our Lord Jesus warned them not to be deceived because many false “messiahs” would show up and deceive many. He was saying to expect such things to happen and don’t be alarmed by them. Nation (ethnic group) will rise against ethnic group, kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of “birth” pains. (Matt. 24:4-5.)These are not what we are to look for, they are just precursors of what is to come. Jesus warned that these difficult times would come but they are merely“labor pains”. These cataclysmic disastrous events will become more intense and more frequent as that day approaches.
However, in verse 14 of Matthew 24, Jesus reveals to us the one indisputable sign that we should be preoccupied with.
Matt 24:1414 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.KJV
This is something we can be certain of. Jesus is not going to return and the world is not going to end before this happens. This is our Lord’s irreducible minimum. J From the meaning of the word “nations” as ethnic groups, what Jesus was saying is that the Gospel must be proclaimed to every ethnic group before the end will come.
The Church still has a huge job to do before we can make Revelation 7:9 a reality.
Rev. 7:9After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes…NKJV
I believe this is God’s dream…to see people of all tribes standing before His throne clothed in His righteousness. We can make His dream come true. It’s up to us the body of Christ to do it. He’s waiting patiently for the harvest of the precious fruit of the earth for which His Son Jesus was sown as a grain of wheat, which falls to the ground and dies, producing more grain. (John 12:24).
James 5:7-8Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.NKJV
Jesus said it’s not for us to know “the times and the dates” but that we should receive power to be His witnesses.(Acts 1:7-8) Instead of trying to figure out the cosmic or eschatological calendar, we need to focus on receiving and operating in the power of the Holy Spirit so we can take the Good News to the world until we reach every ethnic group with the Gospel. Let’s focus on what manner of people we ought to be in holy conduct and godliness, doing all we know to do, to preach the gospel so as to hasten the day of His coming.(2 Peter 3:11-12) Brethren, let’s be urgently about our Father’s eternal business!
