"...And I believe in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God....and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, Whose kingdom shall have no end..." (From The Nicene Creed)The Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus will come a second time to the earth. The first time He came in humility, taking on the form of a servant (Phil 2:5-9). The second time He will come in glory to judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1,2; Hebrews 9:26-28). It has been said that in the 260 chapters that make up the New Testament that there are 300 references to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Someone please count them for me!!!
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is a singular event. No where in Scripture do we see mentioned a two-part return of Jesus; first a secret rapture, then a few years later a glorious second coming of Jesus seen by all on the earth. We read in Acts 1:9-11, that when Christ ascended into glory, "..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". There is no mention of "two" second comings! He ascended in glory. He shall return in glory.There is no "Pre-Trib Rapture"! Matthew 24:29-31 tells us that, "Immediately AFTER THE TRIBULATION of those days" that Jesus will come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Just as the angels described His return in Acts 1:9-11. There is One, and only one "Second Coming of Jesus Christ".
The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto him is a singular event (2 Thessalonians 1:7 - 2:8). Note: 2 Thess 2:1. And before that day can come, there will come "a falling away (an apostasy), and that man of sin (the antichrist) will be revealed. Before Jesus comes the second time there will be a great deception that will befall the people of the earth. Satan will manifest himself in the "Wicked One" (the antichrist) with power and signs and lying wonders. And, "if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew 24:24). But Jesus promises that "for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened (Matthew 24:22). The "falling away" that is going to happen, and is even happening now, is the work of Satan described as "all deceivableness of unrighteousness". A great delusion is blanketing the earth. But note that the cause of the deception is because people "received not THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH, that they might be saved". God will allow a "strong delusion" to overtake those "who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness".
I very much enjoyed your article, until it came to your strong denouncement of a pre-trib rapture, which is in the Greek, "Harpodso"; a rescue at the last moment of safety in a violent snatching away of the children of God. We of common belief in the Gospel ought not to quibble, or especially poison any belief that Jesus would catch us up from the enemy, while removing His Holy Spirit from the realm of man. We are not, I repeat NOT appointed to wrath. There are a few down here that relish the thought of being "The Special Christians" that will go above and beyond what we "normal" Christians can endure for the Lord's glory. No one will top the 144,000 Jewish Euniches at the end time harvest, not even the mid or post-trib saints, nor the twelve apostles, especially! Remember, our God of glory is not willing that any should perish against their own will, and certainly, the faithful will not be expected to forego the Satanic indwelling of all mankind, which is to be revealed in the Anti-Christ's reign. Lighten up!....God's grace is sufficient for us and we will never be left subject to Satan's domination and control!
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