There is a popular delusion, held today, in high and low places, which not only shapes U.S policy, but has paved the way for the global deception, Christ, and the apostles warned us of. And there are now a plethora of end-time prophecies, interpretations, and predicted events, which in some instances have sparked doomsday fanatics, and bunker builders by the thousands. In our study today, we will set forth the truth about end time events, as they pertain to the 2nd coming of Christ, in a very simple question, and answer format.
Most Jews believe that the long-looked for Messiah will appear in Jerusalem, for they generally believe that Christ was a mere prophet, not the Messiah of the old testament prophecies. But most protestant Christians believe that the Messiah came 2000 yrs. ago, and are now expecting His return in the city of Jerusalem. This is one of the main reasons for the intense interest in having a U.S embassy relocated within its precincts.
What’s also very disturbing, in the same breath, is that the 12th Imam is also expected to soon make his appearance in the middle east, and that’s one of the main reasons for the never-ending tensions in that part of the globe. And while we are not here to vouch for any of these interpretations, the popular belief is actually based on the scripture, which has been misunderstood, in much the same way as the Bible prophecies which pointed to Jesus, as being the Messiah were, back then. Let’s read:
Zechariah 14:1 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled.
3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
5 And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
Question: is that prophecy going to be literally fulfilled in that region of the earth?
Answer: Yes. Absolutely. That’s what the Bible says and that’s what it means in the most literal sense.
Question: So then, what’s the problem with the current popular interpretations?
Answer: The problem with current contemporary interpretations is timing, for when the scripture is studied carefully, it will be discovered that three appearances for Christ were scheduled, the first as Messiah, the 2nd as King, and the third as Judge. As it stands currently it’s one down, and two more to go.
When Christ incarnate came to this earth, that was His first coming of which many of the old testament prophets pointed to, and to which John the Baptist added His verification, under the direct power of the Holy Spirit. But the verification was not left up to mortals only, for God The father Himself, as well as The Holy Spirit, certified Christ’s first coming as being the one in which His role as Messiah, would be forever sealed. Let’s read:
Genesis 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in the blood of grapes.
Isaiah 53: 1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he
opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Matthew 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
The previous passages do cover beyond all doubt, Christ’s first coming as The Messiah, but as stated before, His second coming as King is also distinctly outlined in the scriptures. This 2nd appearance is the one that is looming on the horizon, and which will permanently close off human probation for every person who has ever lived upon the planet. Thus, it is extremely important that we get this one right, because if we miss this train, the next stop will be hell, literally. Let’s read:
Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
1st Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
This last passage in Thessalonians has one distinct feature, which sets it apart from the prophecy in Zechariah, because the phrases “Caught up in the clouds”, and “Meet The Lord in the air” clearly show that Christ’s feet will never touch the earth at this time, for He will remain in mid-air, while His people are gathered from the graves, together with those who will be alive at His 2nd coming. The prophecy in Zechariah however stands in stark contrast, to the information just given. Let’s read again.
Zechariah 14:3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
5 And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
This passage in Zechariah represents Christ’s third coming, in which He will execute those judgments written against all who have despised the day of His grace. This is the reason why Zechariah says that He Lord will go out and “Fight against those nations”. When Jesus Christ comes the second time, He is not coming to fight. It is only at His third coming that he will execute judgement on the wicked. This third coming is certified in scripture, as being the last and final one, which will usher in His reign on the earth. Let’s read:
Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
During this period of one thousand years, the earth will exist without inhabitants, because the cities of the earth, and the nations thereof, will have been destroyed by the second coming of Christ; not just because Jesus did so, but because the destruction is the incidental collateral damage resulting from the sheer power brightness of His coming. Then, after He leaves for heaven, with His saints, the earth will remain desolate, until He makes His third and final entry. The earth in its decimated state is described thus by the prophet Jeremiah. Let’s read:
Jeremiah 4:23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord.
27 For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are
in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are.
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Therefore, a very serious question arises, pertaining to the popular expectation, that Christ, Moshiac, and the 12th Imam will soon appear in the east. Question: Could it be that a counterfeit of all three persons is now being prepared to fill out those expectations, and if so, how can we distinguish between the true and the false?
Answer: Any teaching which prepares people for a temporal reign upon the earth as it is, will feed into the deception that is to unfold globally. For every good thing God has given the human family, satan has a counterfeit waiting in the wings, to ensnare
the careless, and the unwary.
This is a fundamental principle by which he always operates, that’s why we have the good news, and we have fake news. God has given us true religion, and satan has introduced the false. We have a true day of worship, and there is a counterfeit. God has given us His ideal in diet, but we have fast foods. God ordained marriage was instituted in Eden, but lo and behold we have alternative marriages. And the counterfeits do not stop there, for they have also reached into the arena of the gospel, the Spirit, the prophets, and even Christ Himself. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also
be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Thus, the word of God must speak clearly for itself. Satan will make his appearance on the earth in the form of a being of dazzling brightness, never before seen by mortal eyes, and according to the Bible, the popular expectation of Christ, Moshiac, and the 12th Imam, will culminate into one universally accepted, composite Christ, who will feed into the desires of all who have rejected truth.
Satan’s counterfeit will be easily distinguished by the following features: [1] His feet will touch the ground, for he will walk the earth, even as Christ did 2000 years before. [2] His appearances will occur in different parts of the earth, since he does not possess the singular ability of omnipresence. Thus, if anyone hears on CNN, Fox news, or MSNBC, or any other news outlet for that matter, that Christ has come, we may know for sure that it isn’t Christ, but is the counterfeit Jesus has warned us of, over, and over again. Let’s read:
Matthew 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
2nd Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Revelation 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
[G.C pp 624] As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Savior's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. [Revelation 1:13-15.]
The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air., “Christ has come! Christ has come!” The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands, and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed his disciples when he was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Savior uttered.
He heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying, This is “the great power of God.” [Acts 8:10.]
Many years ago, while on tour in New York city, our band members needed to get to a certain location in Manhattan, but for some reason, we took the wrong train, and ended up in the Bronx, about 3:00 am in the morning, after playing at another venue. As soon as we came up out of the train station, we were greeted with a barrage of gun shots, a gentle reminder, that taking the wrong train could cost us dearly.
There is another train leaving for the “Bronx”, in the spiritual sense, and it seems as if the majority of the world’s inhabitants are boarding. That’s why The Lord speaks to us distinctly in our day saying, make certain you’re on the right train, because taking the wrong one could put your lives in jeopardy. Which leads us to our closing passage for meditation:
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word.
God bless!