One aspect of Christ’s second coming is that it will happen suddenly, taking most of us by surprise. If Jesus has repeatedly cautioned us to watch, and if the apostles take up the same strain, it is because it will take place at a time when most people are not looking for it, and this will include the impenitent as well as the remnant. One thing is certain though, it is undisputable that it will occur suddenly. Let’s read:
Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at
midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
1st Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
The servant of The Lord even makes a much more disturbing discovery to us, in that probation will be closed when no one knows, for life will continue on in its normal round, with buying and selling taking place, all unaware that the final decision in heaven has been reached. Therefore, church will continue as normal, and members who have no real interest, or relationship with Christ, will be following norms, just as usual. Let’s read:
[The Great Controversy pp 491] The righteous and the wicked will still be living upon the earth in their mortal state—men will be planting and building, eating and drinking, all unconscious that the final, irrevocable decision has been pronounced in the sanctuary above. Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will come the decisive hour which marks the fixing of every man's destiny, the final withdrawal of mercy's offer to guilty men.
However, the second coming of Jesus need not take us by surprise, for Christ has made ample provisions and predictions, so that we need not be caught off-guard. The apostle alluded to this when he stated that the remnant are not in ignorance, concerning that great day. Thus, even though in the parable of the ten virgins, the wise ones, as well as the foolish were sleeping, yet the five wise were at least ready. Let’s read:
1st Thess 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Matthew 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Thus, it is a fact that God has not left us in darkness concerning that great day, for all we have to do is to study carefully that which has been revealed in the scriptures. The prophecy of Daniel, specifically the 2300-year prophecy is of particular importance, for it bridges the B.C and A.D time periods, bringing us well into the 18th century. And even though no man knows the day nor the hour, we certainly can know the time. Let’s read:
Matthew 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender and puts forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
The phrase all these things means a conglomeration of all the signs given. This phrase makes a very clear distinction between times gone by, and the time at which Christ will appear. There are signs occurring now, even as we speak, which did not occur in times past, and in the near future “all these things” would form a bottleneck, which will herald the dawn of a new day. Things such as the following. Let’s read:
Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh.
There were times in years gone by, when America was racked with great violence, such as during the civil war, and the civil rights movement, but there has never been a time in American history when lying has become the order of the day, from the highest echelons of society, to the humble John Doe on the street.
A constant barrage of lying lips signals the increased presence of evil spirits, because lying is a signature characteristic of satan, who is described in the Bible as the father of lies. There were times in years gone by when we would have dangerous hurricanes, but there has never been a time when the intensity and frequency of storms has ramped up significantly, to the point where federal agencies, resources, and funds are being stretched to the limit.
Then again, there has never been a time in history when the lotto has reached one and a half billion, tempting even the most fiscally conservative to cast of all restraints, and jump right into the fray. People seem to be dazzled with money as if it can purchase happiness, and security. The irrational exuberance displayed by many hearkens back to those passages which warn us of trusting to riches at any time, but especially in the last days. Let’s read:
James 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted;
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
1st Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Pride, and boasting stalks the land unrebuked, and unnatural affection has now become a mainstay of society, whereas in times past, such activities, and lifestyles were frowned upon. Thus, the paradigm has now shifted positively in favor of iniquity on all levels, to the point where most Americans now accept “All these things” as the norm.
It isn’t normal for downtown Miami to be flooding when there is no rain; it is not normal for more than 72,000 people to die of drug overdoses in one year in America. No, it is not normal. Neither is it normal for approximately 90% of our food to be G.M.Os. This isn’t normal by any means.
Therefore, the phrase “All these things” refer to a time when every and anything that could go wrong, will go wrong, and the practice of iniquity, with it’s inevitable results upon man and beast and upon the natural world would be peaking. Nine out of the ten costliest hurricanes to hit America have occurred in the last 14 years.
So, whatever may be our views or the deductions of scientists, one thing is certain, we are now living in very abnormal times. And according to the Bible, we haven’t seen nothing yet, because as the coming of Christ draws closer, “All these things” will converge within a very short period of time and with little up- front notice, if any. Let’s read:
2nd Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.
Therefore, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the Bible declares that those who are looking for the coming of Christ, should know the times in which it would be fulfilled. Which brings us to the crux of our study “Jesus Is Coming Soon” Part [1]. The 2300 day/year prophecy of Daniel 8 and Revelation 11 are of very critical importance for they bridge the gap between the B.C and A.D time periods.
The question is: What was the Calendar being used and referenced when the prophecy was given both to Daniel and to John? The Jewish, the Julian, or the 360-day Calendar? because God would not give us a prophecy of so very great importance without any reference to measured time calculation, as we know it. Thus, to understand the measurement of time from the Bible’s perspective, we will need to go to the very beginning of time when days, months, and years began to be measured. Let’s read:
Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness.
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
These passages, when put together, firmly establish our weekly cycle, with the Sabbath being the cut-off point. The seven days which comprise one week are to continue as long as the earth remains. {See Lev. 12:2&5}
Thus far the Bible establishes one week as being a period of seven days. But how long is a month? So that we may safely move on to settling on what one year means. The floods of water have overwhelmed the entire planet, and only Noah, and his immediate family are saved. But, the Bible gives us important information pertaining to the time that has elapsed from when the rain started, to when the ark rested on Mt. Ararat. Let’s read:
Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Genesis 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
Genesis 7:24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.
The Bible confirms that from the 17th day of the 2nd month, to the 17th day of the 7th month five months have elapsed, for 2-7=5. And since during those five months 150 days elapsed, then five months would contain 150 days, according to the scriptural record. Ten months will be equal to 300 days, and thus, 12 months will contain 360 days, giving us one full year, this is according to the scriptures. Let’s read:
Esther 2:12 Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors, and with other things for the purifying of the women. [Explain]
Daniel 4:28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?
[P.K 509] A year from the time he had received the warning, Nebuchadnezzar, walking in his palace and thinking with pride of his power as a ruler and of his success as a builder, exclaimed, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?”
The prophecies in Daniel, and given to John in the Revelation, were given in prophetic days and weeks, one month being calculated at 30 days, and one prophetic day being equal to one year; and just as in the days of Noah, five months would contain 150 days. Let’s read:
Daniel 8:13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spoke, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.
Revelation 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Revelation 11:2 And the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Forty-two months multiplied by thirty days will give us 1260, the number referenced in the two previous passages, and therefore, the calculation of the 2300 day/year prophecy of Daniel, which ended in 1844 is correct, using the Biblical standard of measuring prophetic time. Thus, the question is: Where are we in the stream of time since the judgment began in 1844?
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, the 1000 years in Revelation 20 are Sabbatical years of rest, due to the earth since the fall of man; and since after sin, we were commanded to plant six years, and let the earth rest one, then it means that Adam and Eve fell into sin pretty early on in their existence, for if that was not the case, then the earth would not need a thousand year rest. It would have only required 999 or 998 as the case might have been. Let’s read:
Exodus 23:10 And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:
11 But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat.
Leviticus 26:34 Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.
35 As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.
Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
It is very important for us to note what comes just before Revelation 20, for in chapter 19, the second coming of Christ is revealed, which reduces planet earth to rubble. It is right after, in chapter 20 that we read of the commencement of the Sabbatical rest of 1000 years. Let’s read:
Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns, and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse.
Most people in the western world currently use the Gregorian calendar, which is a derivative of the old Julian/Roman methods of measuring time. But the Jewish calendar is the one which comes even closer to mirroring the age of our world, which according to the Bible, is about 6000 years old. And according to the Jewish measurement of time, we have about 21 years remaining before 6000 years elapse.
The current (2018/2019) Hebrew year is 5779. This leaves us with just about 21 years to elapse before the 6000/year threshold is reached. Next week we will take up from where we leave off this evening, but all pointers, in the political, judicial, financial, and natural worlds, indicate that we are heading for climactic, and cataclysmic events in the very near future.
If any of us are getting ready when Christ comes we will be lost forever, for Jesus is not coming for those who getting ready. Only believers who are found in readiness will be saved, according to the parable of the ten virgins, because the five foolish were getting ready when the Bridegroom showed up.
Therefore, we submit to you that the 2nd Coming of Christ is much nearer than most Christians believe, and as such, we should now make our calling and election sure. Those who have been sitting on the fence, those who have been wandering in the valley of decision, and those who have back-slidden from Christ and His church, especially S.D. A’s who have known the truth, the Holy Spirit speaks expressly to you, not to procrastinate any longer, because the time is short.
In harmony with God’s urgent appeal, we will end this segment with a word of exhortation which is commensurate with the seriousness of the times in which we now live. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 5:19 God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
God Bless!