Signs of the Second Coming of Christ!

---

The Gospel According To LUKE Chapter 17:20-37

Signs of the Second Coming of Christ! (STUDY #1)

I) When will the kingdom of God come? (v20-21) - The kingdom of God is “within you”- The word within is better translated “among” or “in the midst of” you. Meaning Jesus is the kingdom of God and one can only experience this kingdom by inviting Jesus into one’s heart. Jesus told Nicodemus in John ch. 3, “you must be born again of the Spirit.” Let’s get insight from John ch. 14:15-27. Jesus gives us a helper for life, the Spirit of truth, and the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and bring them to our remembrance. In addition, we receive His peace!

II) Signs of His Second Coming! (v22-37) (v22-24) Sign #1 - Watch Out Deceivers Ahead! -Matt 24:4-5- Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. Jesus also said in Matt 24:11- many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. When Jesus returns to the earth it will be like lightning flashing through the sky, the whole world will know!

(v25) Sign #2 - Christ must be rejected by this generation! Observe Matt 27:21-24- The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas!" Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!" Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!" (STUDY #2)

(v26-27) Sign #3 - It will be like the days of Noah! > What was it like in the days of Noah? Look at Genesis Ch. 6:1-11. The earth was filled with “wickedness” (v5), the Hebrew word is ra-- this speaks of bad, wicked, evil, vicious, injurious, and wrong lifestyles before God. Matthew Henry writes in regards to Paul’s reference to godless and wicked times, “They did not like to retain God in their knowledge (Ro. 1:28). The blindness of their understandings was caused by the willful aversion of their wills and affections. They did not retain God in their knowledge, because they did not like it. They would neither know nor do any thing but just what pleased themselves. It is just the temper of carnal hearts; the pleasing of themselves is their highest end. There are many that have God in their knowledge, they cannot help it, the light shines so fully in their faces; but they do not retain him there. They say to the Almighty, Depart (Job 21:14), and they therefore do not retain God in their knowledge because it thwarts and contradicts their lusts; they do not like it. In their knowledge-en epignosei. There is a difference between gnosis and epignosis, the knowledge and the acknowledgment of God; the pagans knew God, but did not, would not, acknowledge him.” (STUDY #3)

(v28-33) Sign #4 - It will also be like the days of Lot! > What was happening in the days of Lot? Turn to Genesis Ch. 19. Every vice known to man was being practiced (Gen. 18:20-21), especially homosexuality (observe verses 4-5). Jesus refers to the judgment of Sodom & Gomorrah in Luke 10:12; 17:26-30; Mt. 10:15; 11:23-24. This sin is also mentioned in Leviticus 18:22; Isaiah 3:9; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10; Jude 7; Revelation 21:8. All people must repent of their sins and be saved

through Jesus Christ! In the “Great Tribulation” Jerusalem is referred to as Sodom and Egypt- Rev 11:7-10- Now when they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies 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. (They’ll see it on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BBC, MSNBC.) > Israel - There are Pride events in both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The Jerusalem parades are met with resistance due to the high presence of religious bodies in the city. Three Pride parades took place in Tel Aviv on the week of 11 June 2010. The main parade, which is also partly funded by the city's municipality, was one of the largest ever to take place in Israel, with approximately 100,000 participants. The first Pride parade in Tel Aviv took place in 1993. > HARRATZ.COM - Annual gay pride parade draws thousands in Jerusalem Thousands of people marched in the Jerusalem gay pride parade Thursday, joining forces with housing activists carrying tents. Police arrested a Hassidic man trying to throw stink bombs at the marchers. Dozens of right-wing extremists who brought four donkeys with them gathered at Biyaney Ha-uma conference center. Participants of the gay pride parade in Jerusalem, July 28, 2011

Photo by: Olivier Fitoussi (STUDY # 4)

(v34-36) Sign #5 (2 views) - Be ready for the Rapture or is this the Second Coming? > When will the RAPTURE happen? - The RAPTURE will happen when the gospel has gone out to the whole world (Matthew 24:14). - The RAPTURE will happen when Israel has become a nation once again (Matthew 24:32-35). - The RAPTURE will happen when there’s a revived Roman Empire; today we have the European Union, which is the revived Roman Empire; this has and will incorporate the whole world (Daniel ch. 7 & 9). - The RAPTURE will happen at the conclusion of the church age (Rev. ch. 2 & 3); the last days church will become lukewarm (Rev. 4:14-22) and apostate (to fall away from the faith, which is the Word of God) (2Thessalonians ch. 2). - The RAPTURE will happen when the world is full of sin and corruption like the “days of Noah” and “Sodom & Gomorrah” (Matthew 24:36-39; Luke 17:28-32)

(Let’s also observe Matthew 24:40-44 - The word “taken” is paralambano (Gk.) besides its meaning "to receive," denotes "to take to (or with) oneself," (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words). Paralambano is used in Matthew 1:24 when Joseph takes Mary to be his bride. Paralambano is used John 17:1 when Jesus takes Peter, James & John to the Mt. Of

Transfiguration, a place where Jesus is seen glorified! Paralambano is also used in John 14:3 where Jesus says, “I will come again and take you unto myself, that where I am there you may be also.” Where’s there? Heaven! This paralambano used in this passage (Mt. 24:40-44) is speaking of the rapture of the church! In the rapture Jesus will receive His bride (the church) according to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58. In the rapture all believers will be glorified! (2 Cor. 5:1-8) In the rapture Jesus will take us to heaven! (Revelation chapters 4 & 5) > Understanding the doctrine of the Imminent Return of Christ - means “at any moment coming.” The church was told to live in the light of the imminent coming of the Lord to translate them in His presence (John 14:2-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:4; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Tim. 6:14; Jas. 5:8; 1 Pet. 3:3-4). Such passages as 1 Thess. 5:6; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:3 all warn the believer to be watching for the Lord Himself. (The Pre-tribulation view of the rapture creates a “moment by moment expectation” for the Lord’s coming for the true church.) 1

(v37) Sign #6 - At Christ Second Coming there will be great human carnage! > Chronological Events Before the Second Coming of Christ: #1 - Jesus atones for sin on the cross, resurrects on the third day, ascends after 40 days, 10 days later “Day of Pentecost” the Church Age begins; and the Church Age will end at the “rapture” of the church (1Thess. 4:13-18; 5:9; 2 Cor. 15:51-53; Rev. 3:7-13). #2 - After the rapture the “70th Week of Daniel” (the final 7 year period determined upon Israel and the holy city, Jerusalem) will take place (Dan. 9:24-27; Rev. ch. 6—19). When this seven year period begins the Antichrist will be revealed, he will make a covenant with Israel and the nations (Dan. 9:27), his global peace, economic, political, military, and religious plans will bring unity and prosperity to the whole world. #3 - The Jewish people will be allowed to rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem (2 Thess. 2: 4; Rev. 11:1-2). After the completion of the Temple, three and a half years into this time period (that is the seven years) the Antichrist will go into the Holiest of Holies in the Temple and commit the abomination of desolation (Mt. 24:15); there will be “Great Tribulation” (Mt. 24:21-22); also known as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7). The mark of the beast will be established throughout the whole world, which will be the worship of the Antichrist. No one will be able to buy or sell without this mark (Rev. 13:11-18). #4 - During the “Great Tribulation” catastrophic cataclysmic events occur as a judgment of God against a Christ rejecting world (Rev. ch. 6—19). #5 - At the end of this seven-year period Jesus will return with His saints! (Rev. 19).

> GOOD NEWS! – “God has not appointed Christians to His wrath!” - "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36 - "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;" - Romans 1:18 - "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." - Ephesians 5:6 - "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" - Romans 5:9 - "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." - 1 Thessalonians 1:10 1

J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come, p.156-218

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.." - 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (This wrath is God's judgment being poured out during the Tribulation.)

> Always remember - Philippians 3:20-21 - For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.