Good News for All

Is Jesus coming back again, and if so, when ?

The numerous Messianic prophecies of the TNK (Old Testament) caused serious problems for Jewish Bible teachers. One proposed solution to the apparent contradictions in the prophecies was the proposal of two messiahs, one from the line of Joseph who would be like a servant, suffer humiliation and die, and another from the line of David who would take vengeance in judgement, and rule as king over a triumphant Israel. All of the false messiahs of the era sought to embody the second of these roles by violently overthrowing Roman rule, the eventual end result of which was the destruction of the Temple in 70CE and the banishing of Jews from Jerusalem following the 2^nd century BarKochba rebelion.

The disciples of Jesus, recognising him as the Messiah, typically expected him to establish a kingdom in which they would feature. Jesus died by crucifixion at the hands of the Romans by request of the Jewish leaders, fulfilling the suffering messiah prophecies. After he rose from the grave, his disciples understood that there was only one Messiah to fulfill two distinct roles. The remaining messianic prohecies, along with the promises of Jesus himself, encouraged them to continue to expect the imminent establishment of a Davidic kingdom. This belief is enshrined in the various creeds (official declarations of faith) of the church.

Along with repeated prophecies of suffering and death to come, Jesus also foretold his resurrection, and spoke of the Kingdom of God. He promised his disciples a place in that kingdom, and though he foretold his departure he also promised to return. This was confirmed by angelic messengers at the time when he ascended. Throughout his teaching, and in his final words at the ascension, Jesus made it plain that his return would be unexpeced and its timing was a closely guarded secret.

Why Has He Not Returned (Yet) ?

It has been almost 2,000 years since these words were spoken. Though a short time for an eternal God, comparable on the basis of scripture to a couple of days, it has be been a long time, 50 generations or more, for the disciples of Jesus to wait. Over such a long time the hopes and expectations of many have faded. Skeptics have been emboldened to joke about the second coming. Some Bible scholars have devised excuses and ways to explain away the apparent failure. However, a core of believers continues holding fast to the promise that Jesus will return. They hope it will be soon.

So why the delay? Jesus himself predicted that the gospel he preached would eventually reach everyone on Earth. Though it did not happen in his own day, or even after many hundreds of years and many generations of disciples, it is a real possibility today. Although there are areas of the world where Christians continue to be persecuted and their message suppressed, radio, television and the internet have made the message of salvation well published and widely available. The Bible, or a portion of it, is now avalable in almost every language. Experts predict that every language may be covered in less than a decade.

The delay is in accord with the declared will of God. He is unwilling that any should perish but that all should come to the knowledge of salvation. God wants the whole world to know. He wants everyone on the face of this globe to have an opportunity to make an intelligent and informed choice to receive or reject his rule. This has been a plausible reason for the wait, and we are now on the verge of this being complete.

What is Expected to Happen ?

The purpose of Jesus birth was to bring about salvation and launch the good news message of God's grace and forgiveness for those who repent. The purpose of his return will be to exercise necessary judgement. There are several indications that judgement will soon become necessary. One is environmental degradation from the mismanagement, greed and excess of humanity threatening the imminent biological and climatological collapse of the planet. Another is the widespread, growing, and concerted persecution of God's chosen people. He has an irrevocable covenant with Abraham that is threatened by attacks on the Jews as a people and on Israel as a Jewish nation. Past persecution, whether of Jews or Christians, has tended to be localised and sporadic, but a general worldwide rejection of God and his chosen seems a reasonable trigger for divine judgement.

Many of the second coming predictions of scripture presuppose the existence of Israel as a nation centred on Jerusalem. For most of 1,800 years prior to the 20^th century this made the fulfillment of many of these prophecies seem impossible. Scholars tried to explain them away by making the church out to be a replacement for Israel. The Balfour Declaration and the subsequent establishment of the State of Israel against overwhelming odds has made a significant difference. Israel is a bellweather, the "fig tree" of prophecy, and as we see the Jewish nation grow and thrive in the face of fierce opposition, it is an indication that the time for Jesus to return may be drawing near.

There may be only veiled hints in advance, but when Jesus does return it will not be some secret, hidden event. Jesus said that his return would be like the sunrise. When the sun breaks over the horizon the change is immediate and dramatic. The Bible says that everyone alive will witness this event, something now possible through real time broadcast technology. The Bible predicts that the Jews as a people and nation will suddenly repent in recognition of Jesus, the one they pierced, as their Messiah.

Not all of the unfulfilled prophecies directly reference the return of Jesus. Some refer to a future beyond that return. They do predict that there will be a major reset in terms of how the world is governed. All of the nations will be judged, and Jerusalem will become the centre of a government operated by Jesus through his designated associates. The aftermath will be a time of universal peace and prosperity.

When Will This Happen ?

Basically, no one knows when this will occur. Jesus said the timing was something known only to his Father in heaven. That does not mean we will have no hints of its approach if we are attentive. Few were aware of the birth of Jesus. Only Simeon, Annah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, and a few wise men knew in advance what was coming, and then only in part. None of the great leaders or scholars, the people expected to know, had a clue. They knew the Messiah should be born in Bethlehem, but they knew nothing about the Christ child until some wise men from the east came asking. The second coming may be similar, with only a few, and not the expected few, having much idea of what is coming.

Jesus taught that his return would be sudden and unexpected. He compared his return to the unexpected arrival of a thief in the night, a theme repeated and elaborated on by his followers.

Paul tells us that prior to the return of the true Christ, there will be a rebellion against God led by a false messiah, called the antichrist. "That day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God."

The return of Jesus can be compared to the announcement of the Jewish New Year. At that time it was not on a regular, prescheduled calendar. It depended on a particular lunar observation made at Jerusalem and was announced across the nation with blowing of trumpets that signaled the start of a special feast. Those who heard and heeded the summons would immediately stop working and assemble to celebrate. Paul elaborated on this saying, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."

Hints About Timing

Trumpets feature significantly in connection with the returning Messiah. There is a special Jewish feast called Yom Teruah or 'Day of Blowing' when everyone gets together to blow trumpets in celebration of the beginning of a new year. The days which follow are a time for introspection, self-judgement and repentance. When Jesus returns it will be both a time for judgement and a new beginning for all of creation, for which a new year celebration is a fitting symbol.

Around this time there is a Day of Atonement called Yom Kippur at which time a special sacrifice is made for the whole nation to mark the beginning of the new season. At 50 year intervals this is accompanied by the blowing of silver trumpets to announce a general amnesty and forgiveness. All debts are cancelled, and all slaves are freed on this special occasion of Jubilee. In addition, family homes or farmlands seized or sold to settle debts are restored. As a symbol for the return of the Messiah this would be very fitting ‐ trumpets, with forgiveness and freedom equally for everyone, and a restoration of all that was lost, and a complete new start.

In preparation for the fulfillment of many prophecies, Israel has again become a nation against all odds. No other people in the history of the world has lost their lands, been displaced, even lost their language, yet still survived. Only the Jews have done this, retaining their culture for over 1,800 years, restoring a dead language to life, and recovering their former lands though opposed by many enemies. Since Israel became a nation in 1948, Jews have been gathering back into the land of their forefathers. A good deal of that migration has been driven by rising antisemitism, particularly in Islamic countries, but also unexpectedly in places where Jews were safe and well established such as France, the UK, and even America. Other countries which had formerly prohibited people from leaving (such as the Soviet Union) have opened their borders to allow Jews to leave. Scripture prophesied that to facilitate this ingathering of his Abrahamic covenant people God would draw them from all nations, open prison doors, and even drive them out.

Jesus told his disciples that, "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." We are very close to the point where this has happened, with the message of the Bible translated into almost every language, and the spoken message spread by radio, television and internet in many languages and even to countries and people closed to Christian outreach.

Numbers in scripture often carry a significance all their own. According to the Bible timeline approximately 4,000 years passed from Adam to Jesus, and a further 2,000 from Jesus to the present day. That is about six millenia in total. Six is a number that in the Bible represents man, work and sin. Adam was created on the sixth day. The number for the antichrist is 666. There are six days to work, followed by a seventh of rest. Every 7^th year in Israel marked the end of slavery. A millennium of respite from sin is planned for the Messianic reign (Rev 20:4: They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years). It would seem fitting to have the millenium as a seventh thousand years of rest from the toil against sin during the preceing six thousand.

The context of end time Messianic prophecies implies some sort of world spanning agreement, government or economic system under the influence of an antichrist, with universal evil ‐ rejection of God as sovereign through a false religious system ‐ spreading through the world. If we are not yet at this point, it would appear that groundwork for its potential may be coming into place.

In Summary

Two of the prominent predicted features of the end times are unrestrained self interest, and skepticism regarding the return of Jesus. Peter warned that, "In the last days scoffers would appear, living after their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of his coming? Since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.'" The frequent warnings to believers to remain true to their calling, stay prepared, and be vigilant make sense in this context. The more the world in general falls into doubt, moral disorder, false religion, and denial of divine authority, the closer would seem the day of his return. Though essentially no one will know in advance exactly what to expect or when, there are many prophecies that give us hints. Some have already happened, indicating the time may be quite near. After the fact, their fulfillment will confirm the wisdom and authority of God.

What should I do ?

Jesus urged his disciples to be prepared. Being prepared first of all means making your peace with God. Decide to believe what Jesus taught. Stop fighting him and start cooperating. Do good, not evil, to everyone ‐ including people you dislike.

Staying prepared means keep doing the things you know you should ‐ prayer, mutual support, speaking about Jesus to others, doing right and avoiding wrong. It also means not giving up on believing Jesus wll be back soon, and meanwhile looking forward to meeting him.

Do the work. We were told to go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe everything Jesus taught. Doing our part and helping other believers do their part is our number one and basically only job while we wait for God to finish things up. Part of that is using what time and opportunity we have to tell others about Jesus, the Messiah who came to suffer and who will return, without being embarassed over any delay in that return.