The Signs & Events of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

[reddogs]

We see Christ laying down what will happen and the signs and events to watch for.

Matthew 24 King James Version (KJV)

"1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 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.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 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.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 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:
30 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.
31 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."

We also see it repeated in Mark:13:1-28 and Luke 21:5-28, Now many of the events portrayed in these chapters have always existed on the earth, but never has there been a time when all these events were evident in the world simultaneously in diverse places.

 

[reddogs]

Now lets look at the 144,000 in the Bible:
Revelation 14:1-5
“1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

According to Revelation, at the end there will be a people who have certain characteristics, they keep the commandments of God and they have the testimony of Jesus. We know them as the remnant, but there is also another name, the 144,000.

Lets look at Daniel 12:1
“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Daniel 12:1

So we have a remnant who are a commandment keeping people who have the testimony of Jesus Christ, so its a small part of those who say they follow Christ. But this remnant must go through the tribulation and “the time of trouble, such as never”.

So we have Christians who are not all Gods people, we have the true followers of God there are many others whose hearts and minds are not cleansed and ready for Christ. So the church itself must go through a shaking in which the tares will be separated from the wheat, and the people who are His, prepared for the Second Coming of Christ.

We find in John 6:27 it tells us the true saints will be sealed including those who go to the grave before the resurrection at the Second Coming:
“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” John 6:27

We also find in 2 Corinthians 1:21-23 (KJV)
“21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts”

So the saints throughout the ages have been sealed, and we to need to be sealed. Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of those who love the world or have false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God ready for heaven.

Now lets look at Matthew 5:48 which and read what it has to say:
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48.

Hebrews describes the role of Jesus as our mediator in heaven. And yet its clear there will be a time when there is no mediator at all as Christ comes to redeem His saints, and at that time we must reflect the image of Jesus fully. These are those 144,000 who are the people of God who are alive at these last days. Look at what happens at this time:

“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11

The 144,000 must wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. They must be ready, humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth and preparing for the seal of God.

In Revelation 3:21 Christ makes a promise to the church of Laodicea. “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21).

So these saints that live at the end during the time such as never was must not only overcome, but be perfect and just like Job to go through the final trial, and be ready to stand pure and spotless with their robes washed in the blood of the lamb.

The number 144,000 occurs only twice in Scripture, we read Revelation 14:1-5. But we also find it in Rev. 7:1-4, prior to the Second Coming:

Revelation 7:1-4
“1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”

Some Christians assert that the text refers to Jews only so lets look to determine whether or not this 144,000 are actually 12,000 literal Israelites from their 12 respective tribes. We find the following in Galatians 3:29:
“29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29 (KJV)

Then we have from Paul, the following of who is a true Jew:
“28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Romans 2:28-29 (KJV)

Next we read inJames what shows that the Apostles viewed the tribes in a spiritual sense:
James 1:1
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad, greetings” (James 1:1).

We know it is clearly addressed to Christians, and yet James plainly refers to them as spiritual Jews from 12 spiritual tribes. So its clear that it is referring to spiritual Israel regardless of whether they were Jew or Gentile by blood.

So lets go back to see the characteristics of the 144,000. We saw in Revelation 7 in verse 3,4 that they are sealed, “3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”

In Revelation 14 verse 1, we find the same sealing:

“1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.” Revelation 14 (KJV)

The true believers who are the people of God, will be in the end in the sealing time of the one hundred and forty-four thousand who are to stand without fault before the throne of God.

So what description does scripture give, we find Revelation 14 verse 3 & 4:
“3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb..” Revelation 14:3-4 (KJV)

These believers are ‘virgins’ or undefiled by the corruption Satan has out there. God’s end-time people are wholeheartedly dedicated to God as a bride is to her bridegroom.

Christians may think they can survive this time such as never was, but only a remnant “who have washed their robes and made them white” are prepared for it and will be alive as the 144,000. 

 

[reddogs]

So what are the events that Christians look for. One is the coming of Christ in glory, which they all show be waiting for. Jesus said:"I will come again." John 14:3

This promise will be fulfilled and the return of Christ or His second coming to this earth is the event that will finally release the people of God from Satan's bondage. We also have:

Titus 2:13 (KJV)
"13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"

Hebrews 9:28 (KJV)
"28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."

So how He will be Christ's Second Coming?

Acts 1:9-11 (KJV)

"9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;"

So we see in the clouds together with His angels. Jesus was taken up into heaven by a cloud, and He will return in the clouds. The clouds refer to the angels of God that surround Him. Jesus Himself promised that He would return with the clouds (the angels).

Matthew 24:30 " 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."

Matthew 25:31" 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."

Christ's coming surpasses anything we can imagine, as He will return in the glory of His angels, and that of the Godhead:

Luke 9:26 (KJV)
"26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels."

The Second Coming will also be universally visible:

Revelation 1:7 "Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him.."

Christ warned against false christs that would not be universally visible, and how His coming would be:

Matthew 24:26,27 "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 cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

The Second Coming will not be hidden at all but very audible, as He gathers the saints:

Matthew 24:31 "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."

Christ will not come down to the earth, but await the saints in the sky with the cloud of angels:

1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord."

At the second coming, Christ calls forth the dead and sends forth His angels to gather the elect, and together they meet Him in the air. Christ Himself does not come down to the earth His feet do not touch the earth. His command to His angels is:

Psalm 50:5 "Gather my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

The saints who are alive and those who have been resurrected from the grave will be gathered together by angels and taken up into the air to meet the Lord in the sky. This will not be in any sense a secret rapture, but a worldwide event.

Matthew 24:31 "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."

 

[metis]

Because the highest number in Hebrew 2000 years ago was 1000, the 144,000 could not be written as such. Instead, theologians tend to believe it was originally written this way: 12 12's thousands or, to use modern math 12 X 12 X 1000,

In ancient Hebrew these numbers were symbolic, with 12 being a number of "completion" (a "holy" number) and 1000 being a "great many" and/or "numbers beyond our imagination", which is similar in modern English of "Look, there must be a 'million' birds over there!"-- iow, hyperbole.

So, to put this together, the 144,000 may be translated as "completion upon completion in numbers too high to even count". Which stands to reason as the Church was rapidly growing in size, especially in the diasporah, so there likely was optimism in the continuation of that outreach.