by Luke Rasmussen

Created on: June 08, 2008

The Bible is very clear to us about the return of Christ. Of course, I think it depends on each individual person what is meant by "return." When the Bible says that "no man knoweth the day nor the hour," is it talking about the actual rapture of the church; or when Christ comes to rule for all eternity?

Here is what we read: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:36-37)."

I have heard so many preachers be for the rapture, others telling us that the word isn't even in Scripture. Same sort of thing as purgatory. Many Catholic priests will tell you there is no such thing, and it is not in Scripture. It is however, a part of the Catholic belief system.

John Kilpatrick, former pastor at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola FL, notable for the revival that was there in the 1990s once said, "we may not know the day or the hour, BUT we will know the SEASON of His return."

Charismatic preachers have told us for years that we have been in the "last days" ever since Christ ascended to Heaven shortly after His crucifixion. That much is true. But, when are we in the "last of the last days?"

Here is what the Bible says, let us look at Matthew 24:6-11, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people."

That should be enough to cover it right there. You read that portion right there, you think to yourself, "2008, here we are." We are in a war, there are constant rumors of war in Africa, potential wars over oil and nuclear weapons. Nations are rising up against nations. The US is fighting to keep its freedoms and liberties from all ends.

There have been plenty of earthquakes to go around recently. More severe storms. There's been talk of food crises over the world because of rising prices. Look around you, these things are starting to happen, at seemingly a more alarming rate than ever before.

How about this verse here, 2 Timothy 4:3,

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