THE RETURN OF JESUS

     There are 27 Bibles in the world.  26 are spurious.  The only true and proven Holy Bible is the Christian Bible.  There is one salient difference between all Bibles and the Christian Bible.  The Christian Bible is 1/3 prophecy.  Yes, these prophecies came to pass although written hundreds of years earlier.  On the other hand there are no prophecies which we can identify and say....This is proved false.  One question arises spontaneously.  Are there any prophecies still to be fulfilled?  Yes....not many, just a few.  But the most important of these is that relating to THE RETURN OF JESUS.

     If there were 1000 predictions and some 999 came to pass, even to the most minute of details, what would be the chances of the 1000th coming to pass?  I would say without adverting to the spiritual, the odds would be so much in its favour....It would be a certainty.

A CERTAINTY

     Well, the return of Jesus is a certainty.  When?  No one knows the date or the exact time, but we do know the period when it could take place and that period is ANYTIME NOW!!  It could happen even as I write.

     Let us commence from the last days of Jesus on earth.  Jesus was tried -- a mockery of a trial.  He was found not guilty yet the crowd cried for His blood and so Pilate ordered His crucifixion.  He was crucified then on the third day he conquered death.  He conquered the grave.  He rose from the dead fulfilling yet another scripture which had been repeatedly written in the Old Testament and which He proclaimed in the New Testament, that he would rise from the Dead.  The resurrection mentioned more than 100 times in prophecies was fulfilled.

     Well, you may ask why is prophecy so important?  It is because it provides the criterion for the acceptance of the deity of Jesus and the establishment of the Bible.  Let us turn to God as the authority.  In Isaiah 41:21 it is written:  "Present your case," says the Lord.  "Set forth your arguments, says Jacob's King.  Bring in your idols, to tell us what is going to happen.  Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome.  Or declare to us the things to come, tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods."  The test of divinity lies in the ability to foretell, to state accurately what will take place.  In this way is the Bible outstandingly different.

HIS ASCENSION

          So we come to the Ascension.  We know that the hundreds of prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled.  Let us look at some of those yet to be fulfilled.  Acts, Chapter 1 verses 9-11 state:  "After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.  They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed white stood beside them.  "Men of Galilee" they said, "Why do you stand here looking into the sky?"  This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."  The Bible states that this same Jesus will return in the same way as the disciples were seeing Him go up to Heaven.  How was he going up to Heaven?  Alone.  Well, how should He come back? -- Alone.  The Hebrew and Greek words used signify: in exactly the same manner, Jesus will return.  That is what we call the Rapture a return which could take place even as you read this.

     Now Jesus had often time stated that he would return and perhaps one of the most dramatic passages in the Bible is found at John 14:1-4.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.   And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

WHAT JESUS SAID

     In the simplest of language in the most direct and pointed of speech he was saying:

     This is no double talk.  Jesus said He will return.  The angels said He will return in the same way as he ascended.  It means as I stated before that He will return by descending alone for He ascended alone so will He come back alone.  Who is He coming back for?  He is coming back for you the believers.  The believers were called His Church.  The believers are referred to as His Saints.  He is coming back alone for, let me repeat, for His Church.  So that we do not get confused let us think of this in its simplest form, Jesus will return alone to take us His Believers to be with Him, to Heaven, to the place He had prepared for us.  Jesus has been faithful to every promise.  He has made.  The prophecies in the Holy Bible have all come to pass.  Why then should this promise made by Jesus; this prophecy in the Holy Bible not come to pass?  Indeed, there is every good reason why every word should be fulfilled.

Prophecies fill one third of the Bible.  Prophecies are designed to show God knows the end from the beginning.

LIKE A THIEF

     In Revelation 16:15 we have Jesus revealing to John:  "Behold I come like a thief, blessed is he who stays away and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."  I remember when reading this at first saying to myself it is strange that Jesus should make an allusion to a thief for we know that thieves are despised people but Jesus was referring to the act of His coming as a thief; He was not a thief but He would come as a thief.  Now, when a thief comes he does not announce his coming, He does not announce his time for if he did telegraph the time of his arrival all would be prepared.  A thief comes unexpectedly.  He comes when no one has a forewarning of the exact time and moment of his entry.  What else about a thief is of great significance?  A thief seeks out and takes the most precious, valuable objects and if he knows the quality and the value of what is present he will disdain the ordinary or common place objects and will seek out the most valuable of articles.  What is more valuable than a soul? Nothing!  The soul has the greatest value conceivable.  For what shall it profit a man if he gains the entire world and loses his soul.  So the "thief: would then come unexpectedly to acquire the most precious of all things.  The thief does not come to stay; so it is with Jesus He will return only to receive His Church, the saved ones, and then to go back to His Father's Kingdom.

     Indeed, he will take comparatively few leaving behind Him more than he was taking.  The analogy is that Jesus will return unexpectedly quietly, unostentatiously, and he will take the souls of the living and the dead.  The souls of believers, and then return with them to Heaven. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 sets it out: --

     "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever, therefore, encourage each other with these words."

     I repeat this is called The Rapture or Parousia, that is, Jesus returning for His Church.  This will then be the prelude to the return of Jesus coming back with His Church when He shall come as Jesus the King and Ruler upon the earth and we in the form and body likened under His, will come back in His train.  In Heb. 9:28 it is written "Christ will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring Salvation to those who are waiting for him."  He will return yet again to judge those who were left behind..

OUR BODIES

     The next question is what kind of bodies will we have and this is answered in 1 Cor. 15:50, "I declare to you brothers that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Listen I tell you a mystery:  We will not al sleep but we will all be changed -- in a flash in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will all be changed."

     You will recollect that when Jesus rose from the dead He had a new body, yet He was recognised.  He ate, He invited the disciples to touch Him, He walked through closed doors, He appeared and disappeared.  Our finite minds cannot now fathom or understand all of this.  One day we will.  Shall we then escape the tribulation if we are Believers?  The Biblical answer suggests that this will be the case, that the Rapture will be prior to the Tribulation. Revelation 3:10 stats: "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth, "I am coming soon...."   So we the Believers will avoid the hour of trial.  Jesus will return for us and we will rise up to meet Him.  We will be His Church.  His Bride.  Mat. 24:49 puts it this way:  "Two men will be in the Field, one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

JESUS' FURTHER RETURN

     Yet again will Jesus return but this time not for His Church but with His Church.  He will return as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.  Luke. 21:25 "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.  On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.  Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.  At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."  He will be returning not for but With His Saints.

     God calls on us to receive Jesus now, and our reward is to be with Him when He returns.  We will have earned our Salvation and the others will remain to endure the tribulation and to be judged by Jesus.  At this state let us remember Acts 4:122 "Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved: And Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved:  This is all that is required of us to be born again:

JESUS

     Jesus is the focal point.  Accept Jesus and Receive Salvation.  Jesus himself said John 5:24 "I tell you the truth whoever hears my word and believes  Him who sent me has Eternal Life and will not be condemned, he has crossed from death to life.  Jesus is the life-giver.  He said, "If a man keeps my word he will never see death:  (Eternal Death). In John 11:25 He said, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.  And whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

     In the scriptures there are scores of like passages that Life, Eternal Life -- that Salvation comes as a gift of God,  but only through Jesus Christ.  We could be the most powerful of men on Earth, we could be the kindest and most wonderful of men on Earth -- Except we have Jesus in our heart, except we remove Him from head knowledge to heart knowledge we are doomed -- we cannot be saved.  We must accept Jesus as the Son of God.  Believe in Him and believe that God raised Him from the dead.

     Saint John in his conclusion in John 20:31 puts it this way.  "All these things have I written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

     So my dear Brothers and Sisters -- this is the moment of decision this is the time for you to choose.  Accept Lord Jesus as your personal Saviour and Live.  Reject Him and die!!  The choice is yours.

THE DATE OF HIS RETURN

     The question that all Believers ask is -- When will Jesus return? Jesus himself said no man knows the time....only God.  Yet, Jesus gave many indications, indications of the period around which He will return.  The period is NOW, anytime Now, but the date and the hour no man knows.

     Let us examine the relevant passages from the Scriptures.  In Mat. 24:32 Jesus said, "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree.  As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out you know Summer is near.  Even so when you see all these things, you know that it near right at the door."  Now the fig tree is the symbol of Israel and Jesus is referring to the rebirth of Israel as signifying the season or period for His return....You know the time is near, when Israel is re-established.

     The history of Israel provides a vital background.  God promised Abraham a new Land for his seed.  This was repeated to his son Isaac and then to Jacob.  Jacob's name was changed by God to Israel and the Israelites were led to the promised Land.  But twice they failed to honour their promises to God and worshipped and served idols.  On the first occasion they were conquered and taken to Babylon, then as was accurately foretold 150 years before Cyrus was born, it was foretold that King Cyrus would take the Israelites (Jews) back to their land, back to Jerusalem, after they were scattered for their sins.  This took place.  Prophecy was fulfilled.

Once again the Jews were unfaithful to their promises and as was foretold in prophecies, once more they were driven out of Jerusalem.  Now this was shortly after the death or crucifixion of Jesus.

     During the lifetime of Jesus, this period was deemed the days of the Jews.  It was the Jews who mattered.  The Gentiles were inferior people.  The people of Samaria were virtually untouchables.  Only the Jews mattered.  They were chosen.

     The death of Jesus had marked the end time of the Jews or to put it in its correct perspective, the time when one had to become a Jew to find God.  Rahab, a Gentile, joined the Jewish Nation to find her Salvation.  Similarly Ruth became an Israelite to join the peoples of Israel.

     Salvation, said Jesus, is of the Jews.  This was the old covenant; although all men, Jew and Gentile, could win salvation yet the Gentile first had to become as a Jew.  Now with the destruction of Jerusalem the day of the Jews was phased out and ended.  This was in 74 A.D. when the days of the Gentiles truly began.  The day of the Gentiles continued until this century.

     Let us repeat the prophecy in Matthew 24:34: Jesus is speaking "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree."  The fig tree is used to represent Israel.   As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is here.  Even so, when you see things, you know that it is near, right at the door."  Jesus is speaking of the signs of His return.  He is indicating the period.  When Israel blossoms forth the time is here.

     In 1948 the State of Israel was inaugurated and Israel was once again re-occupied by her peoples.  Jesus continues, "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."  The term generation connotes a period of 40 years and Jesus was saying that the generation in terms of 1948 will be there to see His return.  We know not the time but it should be within 1948 + 40 = 1988, that is by 1988.

Once again the Jews were unfaithful to their promises and as was foretold in prophecies, once more they were driven out of Jerusalem.  Now this was shortly after the death or crucifixion of Jesus.

     During the lifetime of Jesus, this period was deemed the days of the Jews.  It was the Jews who mattered.  The Gentiles were inferior people.  The people of Samaria were virtually untouchables.  Only the Jews mattered.  They were chosen.

     The death of Jesus had marked the end time of the Jews or to put it in its correct perspective, the time when one had to become a Jew to find God.  Rahab, a Gentile, joined the Jewish Nation to find her Salvation.  Similarly Ruth became an Israelite to join the peoples of Israel.

     Salvation, said Jesus, is of the Jews.  This was the old covenant; although all men, Jew and Gentile, could win salvation yet the Gentile first had to become as a Jew.  Now with the destruction of Jerusalem the day of the Jews was phased out and ended.  This was in 74 A.D. when the days of the Gentiles truly began.  The day of the Gentiles continued until this century.

     Let us repeat the prophecy in Matthew 24:34: Jesus is speaking "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree."  The fig tree is used to represent Israel.   As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is here.  Even so, when you see things, you know that it is near, right at the door."  Jesus is speaking of the signs of His return.  He is indicating the period.  When Israel blossoms forth the time is here.

     In 1948 the State of Israel was inaugurated and Israel was once again re-occupied by her peoples.  Jesus continues, "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."  The term generation connotes a period of 40 years and Jesus was saying that the generation in terms of 1948 will be there to see His return.  We know not the time but it should be within 1948 + 40 = 1988, that is by 1988.