by Ken Alexander

Created on: August 11, 2008

The second coming of Christ and the rapture

About all we can be absolutely sure about, as far as His Second Coming is concerned, is that no one knows the time not even Christ Himself.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone (Matthew 24:36). Therefore anyone who attempts to predict the time from prophecies, years, millenniums, even from a Mayan calendar etc. will probably be wrong, as so many have been in the past. The main thing the Lord teaches us is that we must be ready, even if He tarries in His Coming.

"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will" (Matthew 24: 42-44). Thus we can be sure He will not come on our timetable but on His and even at a time when we don't think He could possibly come.

Jesus goes on: "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?
"Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
"Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
"But if that evil slave says in his heart, My master is not coming for a long time,'
and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know,
and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt 24: 45-51).

About all we can do is keep doing the will of God and walking with Him so that when He does come we can be assured we aren't among those that go where the gnashing of teeth are. Even if he delays His coming, we do not become discouraged and turn again to the fleshly living we formerly had. Some of us are very lucky he didn't come sooner or that is where we would have gone.

Christ reiterates this warning immediately following, that is the parable of the 10 virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). The parable starts with the gathering of 10 chosen virgins who are actually waiting right at the door of the Lord, awaiting the call of the Bridegroom to come to the marriage feast. These were very

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• Next Page >>