The Second Coming for Jesus

The Bible teaches that Jesus is returning. Are you ready?
"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21:28
 
We are living in very momentous days. Each day brings an unfolding of new events that are very interesting in the light of Bible prophecy.  People are asking questions concerning Bible prophecy. I think it is amazing as to lack of knowledge of end-times events. What is the overall prophetic view of what God has for the future?  Will these things that God has spoken about actually transpiring before our very eyes?  As we look at the world events and the things that are transpiring in the world in which we live in it is painting a clear picture of what the Bible tells what would be happening in the "Last Days."
 
In the next few articles we will be looking at the Bible to understand the events of the "Last Days" and what will take place in what I believe to be in our near future. From the scriptures we will get a understanding of the last days and of the events that will take place in the future concerning Jesus Christ and His coming again and establishing God’s kingdom on the earth.
 
The Lord has declared that He did not want us to be ignorant but that He wanted us to be understanding of the times in which we live. That is why He wrote in advance of things that would take place so that that day would not take us by surprise.  God wants us to know as Paul said, “knowing the time, it is high time to awake out of our sleep, now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”  It is high time that the church wake up as we are almost at the end, we are almost home.
 
First we need to lay a foundation of prophecy.  The foundation is not as interesting as the framing but if we don’t have a good foundation then the  building isn’t going to last.  It is important to know how the whole thing is put together. Bible prophecy is like a composite drawing in that we have a little part of the picture here and another part over there but when you put them all together you will have a good idea of what the whole picture looks like.
 
The Bible tells us that Jesus is coming again.  When Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection He spent some forty days with His disciples.  Meeting with them in different places and in different circumstances. The last picture we have of Jesus before He ascended we find Him standing with his disciples and those who gather with them on the Mount of Olives. Jesus said to them “you go back and wait in Jerusalem until you receive the promise of the Father that I’ve been talking to you about "for John baptized with water but you’re going to be baptized with the Spirit not many days from now.”  The book of Acts goes on and tells us that after Jesus after Had given them this promise that He ascended into heaven out of their sight and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  They were left standing there gazing into heaven...
 
Acts 1:8-11 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
 
The promise that the angel spoke to them was that Jesus is coming again.
 
During the last days before His crucifixion Jesus was telling his disciples about the crucifixion and resurrection and the fact that He was going away. Hearing this news was disturbing to them because they just didn’t understand what He was telling them.  The disciples concept of the Messiah was that He was going to rule and reign forever that He would deliver in a glorious new kingdom.  They thought that Jesus was the Messiah.  How is it that He was talking about death and going away back to the Father have anything to do about the glorious new kingdom? They were disturbed about these things.  Jesus knew what they were thinking said to them, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1-3  So He gave his disciples the promise that He is going to come again.
 
The second coming of Jesus is absolutely essential for the fulfillment of Bible prophecy concerning the Messiah. ... continued next week