"SIGNS" of
His ComingWHAT "SIGNS" WILL PRECEDE the
return of our Lord Jesus Christ? This
theme is a very popular one today among
Christians. Well known Bible teachers have
gained large followings by setting a date for
Christ's return. Some point out political,
economic, religious and earthly develop-
ments that, they say, must occur before the
Lord's return to catch away His [saints].
They refer to passages in the Bible that
appear to support their claims. The Word of
God, however, presents the imminent
return of the Lord Jesus Christ--He could
come at this very moment! No calamitous
phenomenon on earth or in the heavens,
no political, religious or economic develop-
ments, no Scriptural prophecies need to be
fulfilled before Jesus Christ can return for
His Bride (Jn. 14:1-6; Eph. 5:23-32).
Why, then, is there confusion on this
subject? It is simply this: there is not a
proper delineation between the time
preceding the Lord's return in the air for
the saints and the time preceding His
return to the earth with the saints to
inaugurate His Millennial Kingdom. These
two events have great dispensational
significance and must be kept separate. Any
signs mentioned in the Scriptures as
preceding "the Lord's return" must be
placed in the correct context and dispensa-
tional setting. The order of prophetic
events yet future is as follows:1) The "latter times" or the last days
of the Church Age (today).
2) The return of the Lord Jesus
Christ for His Bride--the Rapture
of the [saints] (1 Thess. 4:13-18).
3) The seven year Tribulation period
on earth (Rev. 4-19); the "Seventi-
eth Week of Daniel" (Dan. 9:24-
27); the "latter days" for Israel
(Jer. 30:22-24).
4) The return of the Lord "with
power and great glory" to estab-
lish His Millennial earthly reign
(Matt. 24:29,30; Rev. 20).The believer today lives in the "latter
times[,]" the "last days," the Apostles referred
to in addressing the Church. The portions
of Scripture that describe this period of
time must, therefore, apply to the believer
in this dispensation. Biblical texts that
meet this qualification are: 1 Timothy 4:1-
5, 2 Timothy 3:1-9,13; 2 Timothy 4:3-4, and
2 Peter 3:3,4. A study of these texts reveals
the characteristics and attitudes that will
prevail in the days immediately before the
Rapture. These prophesied "last days" for
the [local] Church will be marked by apostasy,
seduction by false spirits, unnatural
affection, pride, treachery, sensuality and
skepticism, to name only a few. Read these
texts carefully.
This is the condition of the world at
this very moment! The believer in this
Church Age is never instructed to look for
signs that will precede the Lord's return.
We are to look for Him! This has been the
Blessed Hope of every born-again believer
in this dispensation (Titus 2:13). There are
no signs that must appear before the Lord
can return for the [saints]. All is ready. The
character of the last days of this Church
Age is at this moment abundantly evident.
The disciples of Christ were well-
aware of the literal, earthly reign of the
promised Messiah (as plainly prophesied in
the Old Testament Scriptures). The Church
Age and the Rapture were not taught in the
Old Testament and they could not, there-
fore, be inquiring about doctrines that had
not yet been revealed by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, in Matthew 24:3, they requested
of the Lord, "Tell us...what shall be the
sign of thy coming, and of the end of the
world[.]" They desired to know what mani-
festations would precede His coming as
their promised King to set up the promised
kingdom on earth. The disciples did not
have the Rapture in mind when question-
ing the Lord; they were only concerned
about what would transpire before His
return to reign. The Lord detailed the
seven-year Tribulation period that would
set the stage for His return "with power
and great glory" to inaugurate His
Millennial reign in fulfillment of promises
made to the patriarchs (Matt. 24:29-30).
The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew
is often erroneously used to describe the
scene before the Lord's return in the air for
His [saints]. For example, some say that
Christ's return is not imminent because
the "gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world...then shall the
end come" (vs. 14) before His return.
Therefore, they say that universal evangeli-
zation is a prerequisite to the Rapture of
the [saints]. The context of Matthew 24
reveals that this universal proclamation of
the Gospel of the Kingdom (see also Rev.
14:6-8) will occur during the Tribulation,
not during the Church Age. It is pro-
claimed in all the world by God's miracu-
lous means, not by the church [saints] which [are] in
Heaven. This Gospel of the Kingdom is the
message of the coming King and the
pending judgment upon all who fail to
trust in Him. This world evangelization will
take place after the Rapture!
There will be, however, signs that
Israel is to look for during the seven year
Tribulation following the Rapture. The
Church [saints are] then in Heaven. God will, at this
time, deal with Israel again in judgment. It
will be a terrible ordeal for Jew and Gentile
alike. During this time, Israel is tried and
refined in preparation for the return of the
King of kings who will rule the earth from
Jerusalem -- "the city of the great King"
(Matt. 5:35). A few other signs for Israel
during this time (many more could be cited
from companion texts) are:
- False christs and prophets who
will deceive many (Matt. 24:5, 11).- Wars and rumors of wars (vs. 6).
- Political turmoil, famine, disease
and earthquakes (vs. 7).- Martyrdom, betrayals within
families (vss. 9, 10).- The regathering of elect Israel (a
believing remnant) from the four
corners of the earth (vs. 31).- Days like unto the days of Noah
(vss. 37-39).- A ten nation confederacy of the
revived Roman Empire (Dan. 2;
Rev. 13).- Construction of the temple in
Jerusalem (Dan. 9:26, 27).- Visible, physical signs in the earth,
sun, moon and stars (Lk. 21:25;
Joel 2:30, 31).- Men's hearts failing them for fear
(Lk. 21:26).What do these signs precede? They
pave the way for the coming of the Lord in
"power and great glory" to redeem a
purified Israel and to usher in His
Millennial Kingdom upon the earth (Lk.
21:27, 28; Matt. 24:27, 30, 42).
Today, many of the previously
mentioned "signs" are evidenced in one
degree or another (they will be literally,
fully manifested during the Tribulation just
as they are described in Scripture). This
can only mean that the stage is rapidly
being set today for the final fulfillment of
each of these prophesied signs given by the
Lord to His disciples. If the Great Tribula-
tion is, therefore, looming on the horizon,
then the catching away of the [saints]
before that time must be near, indeed!
Nothing must come to pass before the
Lord can return "in the air" to receive the
[saints] of Christ unto Himself. To believe
otherwise is to be shaken from the blessed
hope God has given His Church. The
believers in the Thessalonian church were
troubled by false teachers who taught that
they had somehow missed the Rapture (2
Thess. 2:1-3). The severe trials and tribula-
tions they were experiencing made them
wonder if they were at that very time in the
midst of the Great Tribulation--the "day of
the Lord"--of which the Old Testament
prophesied (1 Thess. 5:1, 2 cf. Amos 5:16-
20; Joel 2:1-11; Zeph. 1-7, 14-18; etc.).
The apostle then proceeded to explain
future events and how they affect the
believer. That day, the "day of Christ" (2
Thess. 2 cf. Rev. 6:16), will not come until
two things happen. First, the Antichrist will
be revealed and second, the great "falling
away" (2 Thess. 2:3 cf. 2:8-12) will take
place when all the world will be deceived by
the beast and the false prophet (Rev. 13:3-
14). The revelation of the Wicked one (the
Antichrist) and the events surrounding the
"time of Jacob's trouble" take place after
the Rapture, but before the full manifesta-
tion of the great and terrible Day of the
Lord that will culminate when Christ
returns to destroy the wicked. We are not
to watch for supernatural signs, nor the
Antichrist. We, like the early Church was
instructed, are to be looking for our Lord!
The lukewarm, Laodicean spirit that
the Bible sets forth as characteristic of the
"last days" is readily apparent. Our Lord's
return is imminent -- He could come back
today to catch away every true believer.
That was the "blessed hope" of the early
church (the Epistles are full of admonitions
to watch for the Lord's imminent return),
and it has been the glorious expectation of
the Christian in every generation since the
time of the apostles. The saint who daily
watches for his Lord's return is not ill-
equipped to face hardship and tribulation
as the opponents of the Pre-Tribulational
Rapture position suggest. He is, on the
contrary, truly prepared to do the Lord's
work of reaching the lost for Christ,
walking in the Spirit and earnestly con-
tending for the faith. The prospect of the
Lord's immediate return fosters this kind of
circumspect walk (1 Jn. 2:28-3:3).
When the Rapture is not the believer's
daily expectation and joy, then there will
inevitably be a tendency to become caught
up in programs and causes that are foreign
to the church's calling and mission.
"Kingdom building," "Dominion Theol-
ogy," or even "digging-in" in an attempt to
weather the coming Tribulation are not
instructions left the [local] Church.
Watch! Work! Witness! (1 Tim. 6:14).
"it is high time to awake...for now is our
salvation [our deliverance from coming
wrath] nearer than when we believed"
(Rom. 13:11). May we say with the apostle,
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus." q-- Dennis W. Costella
Fundamental Evangelistic Assn., P. O. Box 6278, Los Osos, CA 93412
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