Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
[The second coming of the Lord will be a global, visible, and rapid event. This is certainly not a secret occasion. And, this is the only time He is coming back - to rapture His bride and to judge the ungodly as well. This is not the third.]
For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
[Carcasses are dead bodies left in the open for decaying. There will be a huge number of 'believers' in the end days that would have lost their lives they received from Jesus at their salvation / born-again experience. They have lost their life because they failed to keep communion with 'the true vine' that sustains life. They would not continue in His goodness believing in Him for Life. (For if God spared not the natural (olive) branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. -Rom 11:21, 22). Such dead bodies will be scattered everywhere across the battlefield of life. Bible speaks about such dead in clear terms: "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withers, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever". -Jude 12, 13. Beware! There are also eagles in waiting - the evil-spirit filled devourers in the desert and in the secret chambers (both in the open and in the closets). Demonic god-men and selfish 'ministers of God' will greedily gulp, consume and destroy these 'twice dead' with their deceptive words and ways. These eagles will flood the world with false doctrines (Eph 4:14) and doctrine of devils (1 Tim 4:1) in books, lectures, films, and other media ushered in by technology trying to deceive even the 'Elect'. If the 'Chosen' have 'Life' in them, then they can 'shoo away' the eagles and run to safety under the wings / shadow of the Almighty (Ps 91:1; Matt 23:37).]
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
The end of the great tribulation will be the cosmic-level calamities. There will be severe pollution (caused by the smoke that rises due to the nuclear blasts happening all over the world?) that will hide the sunlight and the moonlight. Asteroids, meteors and comets will fall on the earth to 'consume' the 'whole earth' (Isa 28:22). God will shake the powers of heaven that had been providing stability to planet earth. This is the time when the the wrath of God is poured on the ungodly. The Lord has stated that He will save the believers from this 'wrath'.
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. -Matt 24:15-31.
[At the end of the great tribulation, when the cosmic-level calamities are about to happen, the Lord will return to rapture / catch up the Church, His bride. Saints will met Him in the air. The dead in Christ will rise first. Then, all believers those who are alive will also be caught up to be with the Lord forever. They will come down with Him in their glorious bodies to judge the earth and the fallen angels.]
[And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. -Matt 21:19. Mark adds (11:13,14, 20, 21) that the fig tree was deceptive. It was not the time of figs. Still, it appeared from afar off as if it had fruits. However, only after coming closer was it evident that it only hyped and deceived the hungry].
Now learn a parable of the fig tree (cited in Matt 21:19 - the hypocritical nation of Israel); When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it (the coming of the Son of man) is near, even at the doors.
Verily I say unto you, This generation (of the fig tree whose branch is yet tender and puts forth leaves) shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
[The nation of Israel is the fig tree that Jesus was referring to in the passages quoted above. He also spoke about this 'fig tree' in Luke 13:6-9. He said that defying His curse, the nation of Israel would revive. Its branch would become tender and would put forth leaves, not fruits (as per the curse).
(The name Israel for the country today is a misnomer - actually it is the Southern Kingdom that has revived with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and a few belonging to the Levi. The other ten tribes and a significant number from Levi that formed the Northern Kingdom named Israel lost their identity earlier by mingling with the pagan nations of the world post the 721 BC invasion of the Assyrian Kingdom. The people of Israel subsequently scattered to the corners of the world. Today the Jews have become so unidentifiable (by mingling) that a person is recognized a Jew if either the mother or the father has a Jewish identity).
On 14th May 1948, Israel proclaimed itself an independent nation and the USA was the first nation to recognize it the very same day. Though western Jerusalem had been occupied by Israel from 1950, the entire city (unified Jerusalem with its entire eastern half annexed) came under its control on 10th June 1967. The 'fig tree' revived itself in 1948 and its branch was still tender when it put forth leaves in 1967. The generation born during this event will be the last generation on this earth. This generation will not pass away till all these things (the coming of the Lord and the winding up of creation) be fulfilled. Now, a generation lives seventy to eighty years (of 354 days Jewish lunar calendar) according to the Bible -Ps 90:10. A generation is sixty years (of 365 days) according to the earliest known solar calendar (Tamil). Applying these numbers for calculations, it seems we might not go beyond 2027 considering the normal course.]
But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. -Matt 24:32-36
[However, looking at the 'short work' phrase at the beginning of this post, the end of the age and the earth might be even closer to us. And, the coming of the Lord will precede the winding up of the earth. This means that the Lord will come any time soon to take his people home. Judgement by the pouring down of the wrath of God on the ungodly will commence immediately after that. The event foretold in 2 Peter will unfold. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up....wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?" 2 Pet 3:10-12. The 'thief in the night' portion of this passage talks about the unpreparedness of the people of the world who are agnostic about His return. The believers will, however, be anticipating the return of their Lord. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God - 2 Pet 3:11.]
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
The day of Salvation for the believing minority will be the beginning of destruction of the ungodly majority. The arrival of the Son of man significantly unfolds two things in quick succession:
(1) The saints (physically dead in Christ and those who are alive) will be caught up (raptured) to meet their Lord in the air.
(2) Subsequently, the Lord will come down with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgement upon the ungodly of the earth. -Jude 1:14.
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (midday)
Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (morning or evening)
(There shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. - Luke 17:34) (night)
The time of the return of the Lord will be morning or evening for a portion of the earth, midday for another portion and night for the rest of the earth.
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man comes. -Matt 24:37-44.
[The exact date and time of the return of the Lord is unpredictable. The year might be! This is because, the disasters and catastrophes might have started by the time the end is unfolding. And, they have already started. The cosmic calamities might not be far behind. However, the world and the majority of the last day 'christians' will continue to live casually as ever (as in the days of Noe). Their hearts will be overcharged with surfeiting (hangover), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon them unawares. -Luke 21:34. However, believers already in 'the ark' will know that the return of the Lord is at hand and the 'short work' has been initiated.]
Comentários