The Prophetic Messenger
A Newsletter From Mysteries From The Word Of God Ministries
January/February 2006 - Volume 8/Issue 1
Can Jesus Christ Return At Any Moment?
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. I Thessalonians 5:4
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger we will discuss the answer to the question "Can Jesus Christ return at any moment?"
Before Jesus Will Return
Before Jesus Christ will return there are some events that must be fulfilled, and we will look at some of them in this newsletter.
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger we will discuss the answer to the question "Can Jesus Christ return at any moment?"
Before Jesus Will Return
Before Jesus Christ will return there are some events that must be fulfilled, and we will look at some of them in this newsletter.
1. Judgment On The Church
The word of God says that God will judge His church before He judges the world. In I Peter 4:17-18 it says "17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" In Mark 4:22 it says "For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad." It is because of God's love for the church that He judges it. He is judging it now to bring repentance and to prepare His people for Jesus Christ's return. In Malachi 2:17; 3:1-3 it says "17 Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied Him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment? 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and He shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. 2 But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3 And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness." God must purify the ministry of Jesus Christ to equip the church of Jesus Christ for His return.
2. Let No Man Deceive You
The apostle Paul warned the church in Thessalonica not to be deceived about the return of Jesus Christ. In II Thessalonians 2:1-3 it says "1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" We will share more from this passage in the next two sections. The prophet Ezekiel also warned against false prophets. In Ezekiel 13:3-8 it says "3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! 4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. 5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. 6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. 7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken? 8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD."
a) Will Jesus Come As A Thief To The Church?
The question is "Will Jesus come as a thief to the church?" No, Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul showed that church would know and not be overtaken as a thief. In I Thessalonians 5:1-6 it says "1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." Notice what verse 4 and 5 says "4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." Jesus Christ shared this same truth in relating to the days of Noah. In Luke 17:26-27 it says "26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." In Genesis 6 it shows us the state of the world before the flood. In Genesis 6:5-7, 11-13 it says "5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.......11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth." In Genesis 7, God told Noah how much time would elapse before the flood took place. In Genesis 7:1,4 it says "1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation..... 4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth."
a) Will Jesus Come As A Thief To The Church?
The question is "Will Jesus come as a thief to the church?" No, Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul showed that church would know and not be overtaken as a thief. In I Thessalonians 5:1-6 it says "1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." Notice what verse 4 and 5 says "4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." Jesus Christ shared this same truth in relating to the days of Noah. In Luke 17:26-27 it says "26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." In Genesis 6 it shows us the state of the world before the flood. In Genesis 6:5-7, 11-13 it says "5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.......11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth." In Genesis 7, God told Noah how much time would elapse before the flood took place. In Genesis 7:1,4 it says "1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation..... 4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth."
3. The Falling Away Of The Church
The apostle Paul told us about two events that would take place before the return of Jesus Christ. In II Thessalonians 2:3 it says "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" The first event is "a falling away first" or the falling away of the church. In I Timothy 4:1 it says "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" Also, in II Timothy 4:1-4 it says "1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." From these passages of scripture we see how some will fall away by "giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" and "they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." ( For more information about the falling away of the church or apostasy see the May/June 2005 edition of The Prophetic Messenger newsletter and read the article titled "Apostasy").
4. The Man Of Sin Be Revealed
The second event that Paul spoke of in II Thessalonians 2:3 is that the man of sin (also called the antichrist) would be revealed. In II Thessalonians 2:3 it says "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" From Webster's Dictionary the word reveal means "to make known, as something before unknown." Revelation 17 shows that the beast is the antichrist. In Revelation 17:12 it says "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast."
Based on the scriptures we have shared in this article, it is clear that Jesus Christ cannot return at any moment. Several prophecies have to be fulfilled, and then Jesus Christ will return.
Based on the scriptures we have shared in this article, it is clear that Jesus Christ cannot return at any moment. Several prophecies have to be fulfilled, and then Jesus Christ will return.
Coming Up In The Next Issue
Marriage God's Way - Part I. Read this article in the next issue of The Prophetic Messenger.
Memory Verses
As Christians if we want to live in victory and if we want to be able to share the Word Of God with others we must know the Word of God ourselves. Let's see what the Bible says about this. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11. " If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." John 8:31. We encourage you to put the following scriptures in your heart: James 4:14, Ecclesiastes 11:1, I Corinthians 15:51-52, Psalm 27:1-2, Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Isaiah 59:19-20, Psalm 30:4-5, Romans 12:1-2, Deuteronomy 8:18-19, Galatians 1:6-8. Use only the Old King James version of the Holy Bible. (If you have any questions about this please see the book New Age Bible Versions, by G.A. Riplinger ©1993, ISBN 0-9635845-0-2.)
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