The Lord through Isaiah, says to the RELIGIOUS UNBELIEVERS, in about 740BC, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but THEIR HEARTS ARE FAR FROM ME. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise WILL PASS AWAY, and the intelligence of the intelligent WILL DISAPPEAR.” (Isaiah 29:13-14) Paul said this in about 56AD. “The message of the cross IS FOOLISH TO THOSE WHO ARE HEADED FOR DESTRUCTION! But we who are being saved know it is THE VERY POWER OF GOD.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Peter wrote in about 70AD “…you must understand that IN THE LAST DAYS SCOFFERS (empaiktēs: false teacher, mockers) WILL COME, scoffing, and following their own evil desires. They will say, “WHERE IS THIS ‘COMING‘ HE PROMISED?” (2 Peter 3:3-4) Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled; you 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 (paralambanō: to take with) YOU TO MYSELF; that where I am, THERE YOU MAY BE ALSO.” (John 14:1-3) He is preparing a place but when will He come and get us? “Don’t let anyone trick you in any way. That day will not come until people rise up against God. It will not come until the man of sin appears. He is a marked man. He is sentenced to be destroyed…NOW YOU KNOW WHAT IS HOLDING THE MAN OF SIN BACK…For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, HE WHO NOW RESTRAINS (The Holy Spirit empowering the Church is holding him back) will do so UNTIL HE IS TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY…” (2 Thessalonians 2:3,6-,7)
When is He taken out of the way? “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. THEN WE WHO ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP (harpazō: to snatch away, the Latin translation of “caught up” is rapturo. the Bible was first translated to Latin) TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) This is not the “Second Coming” because Jesus does not come back to earth, He meets us in the air.
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham