Jesus warned His followers, “If they shall say unto you (you believers), ‘Behold, he (the returning Christ) is in the desert,’ go not forth, (expecting to meet Him); ‘Behold, he is in the SECRET chambers,,’ believe it not” (See Matthew 24:26). Note well that Jesus clearly says there will be nothing secret about His return. “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!” (verse 27, Matthew 24). The return of Jesus Christ will be the most spectacular event the people of this world have ever witnessed!
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away!” (Matthew 24:35). If we will only listen to Jesus and pay attention to the words He spoke and the statements He made we would not be confused or susceptible to men’s distorted unscriptural teachings. King David wrote, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Again, “The entrance of thy words giveth light, it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:13). I do not listen to the words of Tim LaHaye or Jerry B. Jenkins – authors of the Left Behind fictional series portraying a distorted view of the end times and Christ’s return. Nor am I swayed by the oratory of Hal Lindsey in his bestseller The Late Great Planet Earth. These three men might mean well. The Mormon bishop might mean well. The Pope might mean well, but that is no indication they know and speak the truth.
Tens of thousands of professing Christians and their pastors, who lived in the 20th Century were absolutely certain they would be alive to be caught away in the “rapture.” Most of them are now long dead, their bodies moldering in their graves. Tens of thousands of professing Christians of this 21st Century likewise are certain they will be caught away in a secret rapture long before Islam begins conquering nation after nation. Many of them are so certain of this that they refuse to prepay their funeral expenses or purchase grave plots. They are unaware that thousands of Christians who lived and died in the 20th Century had the same mindset.
The apostles had no idea over twenty centuries would pass (and maybe even more) before the Lord would return. Early on, they thought the Lord’s return was imminent. And they thought that due to the intense persecution brought against the Christians by both Jews and pagan Rome. Over and over again in his first epistle Peter speaks of the suffering of Christians and how they were looked upon as evil doers. (See I Peter 1:6-7; 2:12, 19-23; 3:14-17; 4:1-4). And then, in light of this continued persecution of believers, Peter writes “But the end of all things is at hand Be ye, therefore, sober, and watch unto prayer!” (See I Peter 4:7). Christians were not being spared these fiery trials, suffering and persecution, and it was such continued treatment that prompted Peter to say, “the end of all things is at hand!” He could not be faulted for believing that as the Lord had plainly stated there would be a great persecution of believers prior to His return!
When Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Jesus, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (or age)…Jesus answered and said….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…and then shall the end come” (See Matthew 24:3-14). These were the words that were ringing in Peter’s ear as he saw the growing persecution of Christians, prompting him to write “the end of all things is at hand!” (See I Peter 4:7).
Peter then writes, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (I Peter 4:12). It seems most believers would think it mighty strange if they began to be persecuted and even put to death! Yet Peter firmly believed such treatment was a sure sign of the Lord’s near return.
Peter goes on to write, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed (following this unparalleled suffering of Christians), ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified” (See I Peter 4:13-14).
Peter then says, “Wherefore let them that suffer ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (verse 19, I Peter 4).
The apostle Paul also taught that the intense persecution of Christians would be the sign that our Lord’s return was imminent, for in speaking of the severe “present distress” of Christians by the Romans – so severe that Paul advised against Christians marrying and attempting to raise a family – Paul then wrote ‘THE TIME IS SHORT…..for the fashion of this world passes away!” (See Romans 7:25-31).
Paul and Peter could not be faulted for believing “the end of all things was at hand” and that “the time is short.” Even James wholeheartedly agreed, writing that it was “the last days” and that “the coming of the Lord draws nigh” even stating “the judge (Jesus Christ) stands before the door!” (See James 4:1-9). He then speaks of Christians “suffering affliction.” (verse 10). That’s WHY James was certain the Lord’s return was quite near. Satan has blinded countless pastors, preachers and Bible teachers from seeing this oft repeated truth, leading them to teach the very opposite – that Christians will escape persecution by being “raptured” or “caught away” before things get really bad. Continued in Part 3.
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley