Could Jesus Christ Return Tomorrow?

Good News Magazine ^ | Oct 2010 | Gary Petty

[DouglasKC]

Could Jesus Christ Return Tomorrow?

article by Gary Petty

A little-noticed prophecy in the biblical book of Revelation shows that Jesus Christ's return couldn't take place without a revolutionary change in global mass communications—a change that has taken place only in the last few years.

I have in my office a newspaper from 1858. The front-page story is about how a mob in Lexington, Kentucky, broke into a jail and lynched an unfortunate prisoner. On the second page is a report about an upstart political candidate named Abraham Lincoln.

In the 1850s it could take weeks, even months, for a news event from another part of the world to be published in a newspaper like this. Most people had little knowledge of events outside their own community. 

A simple technology like glass insulators made it possible to string tens of thousands of miles of wire for telegraph and telephone lines. Because of telephones and faster vehicles like trains, by the early 1900s the speed of communication was much faster than in the days of news delivered by horseback.

Then came radio, and soon those with a receiver could listen to a news event halfway around the world the moment it happened. Everything changed. During World War II, people in New York City or on a farm in Iowa could listen to nightly reports of the Nazi bombings of London.

In the mid-20th century the technologies of radio and motion pictures were combined to create what was called "the miracle of television." Now people could, in the comfort and safety of their own living room, watch earth-shaking events, first in black and white and then in "living color." People marveled in 1969 at the surreal images of the first man stepping onto the moon.

Today, with computer networking technology, billions of people are connected through the Internet. Satellites, orbiting thousands of miles above the earth, make it possible to receive or send images from the most remote areas of the globe. With the advent of instant visual technology, there are few places where people can't learn of news as it happens.

But did you know that this explosion in communication technology was foretold in a prophecy in the mysterious book of Revelation?

A prophecy unfathomable until our day

Revelation, the last book of the Bible, is an advance newscast of events that will happen before Jesus Christ's return. In this book the apostle John writes about two "witnesses," two divinely appointed individuals who will announce to the world the urgent need to turn to God because Jesus Christ's return is imminent. According to Revelation, these two men will perform amazing miracles.

John tells us, "And if anyone wants to harm them [these two witnesses], fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies . . . These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues" (Revelation:11:5-6).

After 31⁄2 years of proclaiming the return of Jesus Christ, the two witnesses will be killed at the behest of the political and religious leaders who oppose them, and their bodies will be left in the streets of Jerusalem. John describes the scene: "Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies for three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation:11:9-10).

This passage reveals two important points if you want to know the answer to the question, Will Jesus return tomorrow?

One is that these two men are killed and seen by the entire world. This wasn't possible until the explosion in satellite and computer technology. People in Beijing, the outback of Australia, the Amazon and the major cities of Europe will all see this event from Jerusalem.

This prophecy now comes alive! Television, satellites, cell phones, computers—these kinds of technologies make it possible for those the world over—"the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations" of this planet—to see the dead bodies of the two witnesses.

There's another important point in these verses: Prior to their death, these two individuals will have achieved worldwide acclaim in announcing God's message for the nations, performing miracles and stirring up opposition among political and religious leaders and many of the common people. This also hasn't happened yet.

So we're back to our original question: Will Jesus Christ return tomorrow? 

Since the two witnesses haven't yet appeared on the world scene, we know that Jesus isn't returning tomorrow. But the explosion in communication technology reminds us that key conditions foretold in Bible prophecy are coming into existence and that Christ's return is getting closer every day. He's not returning tomorrow, but the stage is being set for that dramatic, earth-changing event!

By the way, the death of the two witnesses isn't the end of their story. Their bodies will lie in a street in Jerusalem for 31⁄2 days. The entire world will see them on their electronic devices like television sets, computers and cell phones.

But then—all activity screeches to a halt as all human beings look to the sky and witness the majesty and power of the second coming of Jesus Christ! Life enters into the bodies of the two witnesses and they are resurrected to meet the Christ they were killed for proclaiming!

What does it matter?

So how does this prophetic information about technology and the biblical two witnesses affect your life?

You are part of this big picture. The God of the Bible is the Creator of the universe. He is also the God of history. In all this human mess we see around us, the Creator has a plan. He has a plan for humanity. He has a plan for you. Your life can change.
In all this suffering and chaos you can actually become part of God's solution!

Christianity has enough adherents merely paying lip service. Jesus Christ wants committed disciples—men and women willing to emulate His way of life. If you're tired of powerless Christianity, it's time to find out what Jesus really taught and to live as He tells us to!

Prophecy is one way that God shows us that He really does exist and that He is involved in His creation. It is also a way for God to show you that you can have a personal relationship with Him.

He tells us the future. It's up to you to prepare for that future!  GN

[Rodm]

Well you have four problems with that view.
the church is not mentioned on earth after Rev 3.
The church is the age of grace not wrath of God.
The time of Jacobs trouble is to bring Israel to Christ.
The “falling away” can also be “the departing”

[ScottfromNJ]

“I don’t think that the bible supports two separate events.”

Rapture:

1 Thess. 4:13-18 -

Meeting he church in the air.

1 Corinthians 15:52 -

No signs to herald Christ’s coming for his Church. This will come in the twinkling of an eye.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 -

“and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”

Christians will be delivered from the “coming wrath.”

Revelation 6:8 -

Describes the coming wrath where 1/4 of the population is destroyed.

Second Coming:

Zechariah 14:4 - No meeting in the air, Jesus returns to earth on the Mount of Olives

Revelation 1:7

“every eye shall see him”

Unlike the rapture, Jesus will be seen by all.

[sasportas]

Well you have four problems with that view. the church is not mentioned on earth after Rev 3.

Yes it is: Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.

The church is the age of grace not wrath of God.

The church is still under grace in the tribulation. The church is not appointed to the wrath of God - even in the tribulation.

The time of Jacobs trouble is to bring Israel to Christ.

Granted, the tribulation is the time of Jacobs trouble, but the rest of the world will be affected by it (Zech. 12:2,3).

The “falling away” can also be “the departing”

This is prime example of "private interpretation," no one until E Schuler English came up with that novel idea ever interpreted "apostasy" to mean anything other than a defection from truth. It is twisting scripture in order to make it fit your preconceived doctrine.

[DouglasKC]

Christians will be delivered from the “coming wrath.”

Why do the dead have to be delivered from the coming wrath?

1Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

The dead are dead. They need no protection. What this is describing is the resurrection of the saints. This is the same event described in Revelation 20:

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God,(THE DEAD IN CHRIST) who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Those in the first resurrection are those who are dead in Christ and those Christians who are alive when Christ returns.

And since our bodies will be instantly transformed into glorified, spiritual bodies, we will need no protection or need not worry about any man!

1Co 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—
1Co 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.

At the ONE return of Jesus Christ Christians are instantly transformed and meet our king in the air to escort him to the Mount of Olives:

Zec 14:4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.
Zec 14:5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with You.

It's all the same event. Zechariah, 1st Thessalonians and 1st Corinthians all describe the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the saints at his coming. He then makes war against those nations that have come against Jerusalem. There is no 2nd coming and then a 3rd coming.

[ScottfromNJ]

“Why do the dead have to be delivered from the coming wrath?”

The dead? Read on to the next verse:

17 - After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Revelation 20-26 describes those who come to Christ after the rapture.

[ScottfromNJ]

Second Coming of Christ:

Angels will announce Jesus Christ’s coming and gather all the faithful Jews back to their homeland. All will see the Lord coming in glory and will mourn (Matt. 24:30).

Rapture:

On the contrary, the earth will be left in “great delusion” when the Church is raptured (2 Thess. 2:11)

[ScottfromNJ]

“The parousia (the coming of Christ) and the gathering together unto him (which pretibs call the rapture) can’t happen until there come a falling away first”

This had actually already begun happening at the end of paul’s life “Acts 20:29 and 2 Timothy 1:15” and is not discussing the coming post rapture tribulation.

“And the man of sin be revealed sitting in the temple of God.”

Which will be revealed in the day of the Lord/gathering. 2 Thessalonians 2: 6-7 indicates that the man of sin can’t be revealed until there’s a removal of a restraining power “Church/body of Christ”