Time! What a subject of contemplation. For most of us we've all heard the many cliches -"time is of the essence, Time is on our side, There is no time like the present, Time flies when you are having fun, and Time is money" - indeed we've all heard these well worn phrases. However, aside from the basics about time, many know very little about it. Especially the time element of the Second Coming of Christ. It is for this reason, I want to talk plainly about the Coming of the Lord, that I believe is the next event in Biblical prophecy.

In a few years, we will be celebrating the 20^th anniversary of man's fantastic achievement of travel to the moon. Yes, I can remember sitting by my TV, and watching Commander Neil Armstrong stepping down from his lunar lander and seeing a puff of dust as his foot stood firmly on the lunar soil of the moon. Everyone will remember his famous words, "that's one small step for man-one giant leap for mankind!" Yet as incredible as that journey was, an even greater event and journey is predicted to take place at any moment for a select group of people. Yes, the Bible predicts that in a coming moment of time, the entire Church of Jesus Christ, from every kindred, tongue and nation of peoples around the world, will one day be "RAPTURED," from the earth and will sail upwards to meet their Lord in the air!

Now admittedly, this teaching of the historic Christian Church, that once was an exciting anticipation of many, has dismally fallen in the past decade. However, if one reads the Bible correctly they will find that the hope, the excitement and the power of the Church of Jesus Christ has always been in the grand anticipation of the imminent return of the Lord for His Church. Now the church that believes the Bible also believes, that what God has said in His Word will one day come true - that is, Christ is coming back for four distinct reasons.

(1) First, to "rapture," or take up and away, all His children by faith, that they might be with God for all eternity. (1 Thess. 4)

(2) Second, the Bible tells us that Christ is coming back again to rescue His elect Old Testament people called the Jews, who for centuries have been apostate and fallen away from trusting the prophesied promises of their Messiah's coming for them and the world. Yes, one day Christ, the Jewish Messiah, will come to purge the Israelites from their sinful unbelief and restore to them the promises of God to Abraham and His children.

(3) Third, Christ is coming back to clearly judge sin and all sinners (Jude 1; Rev. 20).

(4) And, the fourth and final reason for Christ's coming again is to set up His Millennial Kingdom prophesied so often in the Old Testament.

How can we know these things are true? Well, the Bible says God is just and a God of justice. Although He has delayed for centuries and may still delay for a considerable length of time, God promises in His Word that He will come and bring wrath and judgment upon a Christ rejecting world. So for these four reasons, The future holds an event in time called the "Second Coming" of the Lord.

Unfortunately, the Bible prophecies surrounding the 2^nd coming of the Lord have been terribly abused. Ironically, much abuse has not come from unbelievers, but actual zealots who have made sensational predictions that every moment of middle East happening is somehow a fulfillment of prophecy of the 2^nd Coming of the Lord. So let's try to find out some answers about the Time of the Lord's Coming and from there prepare our hearts for a new year and the possible return of the Lord.

What do you know about time? I read some interesting statistics recently about it. For instance, did you know that time is not a constant thing to be measured? Yes, we have the most accurate clocks in the world today. In Boulder, Colorado the National Institute of Standards and Technology maintains an atomic clock called the NIST-7 which has an official degree of uncertainty of 5.0 x 10^-15. Yet scientists today find that where you are, can change time!

Until 1960, a second was defined as 1/86,400 of an average solar day. Since 1960 though a second has been defined as 9,192,631,770 periods of certain radiation emitted by the cesium atom. With this accuracy scientists have discovered that if you fly a clock around the world in a plane, it will show a different time at the end of the trip that one fixed on earth. Why is does this happen? The answer is the two clocks are in rotation as different speeds and the gravitational effect on them is different.

Well we could go on about time, but suffice it to say that time is ticking on steadily and one day it will stop for millions of people called Christians. For God and His Word have promised us that at any moment, eternity will be ushered in for all who have trusted in Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. Listen to the apostle Paul who gives us God's Word on the matter,

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NIV) "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

The Bible tells us some important things concerning the coming again of the God/Man Jesus Christ. First it tells us it is a mystery. That means in Bible language it is a formerly unknown or hidden truth, that in time, is now clearly revealed by God in bold clarity. The mystery of the 2^nd Coming of the Lord for His Church can be clearly understood by those who trust and believe God's Word as truth. Now, the second thing we learn from these verses is what happens to believers when they die. Paul said, "we shall not all sleep." This phrase sleep in the Bible in reference to the saints of God, means that death has not really come for them, rather like physical sleep it is just a "resting," period until one is awakened.

Now, the historic Christian faith believes this sleep is ONLY for the body, not the soul and spirit which we are told that upon death, goes to be with the Lord, very much alive and in a fully conscious state. This promise "we shall not all sleep," means that one day in the future when God returns, not everyone will experience death to be with God, those living in the day of Christ's return will simply be "translated," from our earthly mortal existence into a glorified new body and existence called immortality. That event for the Church of Jesus Christ is the RAPTURE of the saints.

You see, he word rapture admittedly does not appear in our English Bibles, but it is a biblical word none the less. It comes first from the Latin verb translating the Greek text of 1 Thess. 4:17 where we read,

1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NIV) "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."

The meaning to "catch away," or "be caught up" are accurate translations of the Bible's teaching of what happens when Christ comes again for His Church. This event refers to a time prior to the start of the 7 year Tribulation Period also described in the Bible. The Second Coming of Christ is one of the most prominent doctrines in the Bible. In the New Testament alone it is referred to over 300 times. His FIRST Coming was almost 2000 years ago, when Jesus Christ came to earth through the incarnation to save us all from our sins.

Now let's review this important section of scripture we are considering. The Bible says,

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NIV) "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

The mystery is now revealed. There is coming a day when all of God's people will leave this earth and go to be with their God and Savior Jesus Christ. Now that by itself is not astounding. But the way in which this will happen is! You see God says it will happen in a "twinkling of an eye." This phrase is reference to a sudden, instantaneous moment that will take everyone unawares. This is why Jesus Himself said,

Matthew 25:13 (NIV) ""Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

This important Scripture spoken by the lips of God Himself tells us God is not about to let anyone know when He is going to come again. This, by the way, in the historic teaching of the Church refers to the doctrine of the IMMINENT return of Christ. That means it can happen at any moment in time, form the time Christ left the earth in His ascension to Heaven until now. I realize today a rising element in the professing Christian church has scrapped the doctrine of imminency of Christ's return in favor of looking for signs of His return for the Church. But to do this is to reject God's Word. The fact remains that the New Testament and its apostle taught that Christ could and would come back at any moment and in a twinkling of an eye - that's less that 1,400 of a second, so says the Bible that God's children will be translated into glory to be with God. Listen to some of the Scriptures that teaches this truth. We read in,

Philippians 4:5 (NIV) "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."

1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NIV) "So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled."

James 5:7-9 (NIV) "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!"

Revelation 22:7 (NIV) ""Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.""

Revelation 22:20 (NIV) "He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

Friend, it is significant that all of the above passages and many, many more relate to the rapture of the Church and speak of the Lord's coming as something that could occur at any moment, specifically in their lifetimes. This is why true believers are waiting for a person, Jesus Christ, not the unfolding of events to happen before God fulfills His promise to the Church. Now some teach the Tribulational rapture of the Church. They say we must first enter this period of Jacob's trouble, and then after suffering some, God will release His children and rapture them to Heaven. Such teaching though, is purely speculation and disallows what the early church and Biblical literalists have always believed. Now going again to our text we read,

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NIV) "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

This time as we progress through these verses on the 2^nd coming of Christ, we learn that His return will be "at the last trumpet." Now, this phrase held specific significance for the Jews. You see, a trumpet call was always a means of announcing an official event. In Israel's trek through the wilderness, a trumpet was sounded to alert the people of the signal to begin packing and getting ready for moving through the desert. A series of trumpet blasts were sounded to prepare to move and finally, the last trumpet sound was given, for the Israelites families to begin moving out. This is what is referred to as the "last trump," or trumpet blast. As to the rapture of the Church, the last trumpet sound is the signal for the event of moving the Church from earth to Heaven. And, for the believer in Christ this is the most wonderful, and comforting truth to embrace. To help us understand this teaching of Scripture we read the apostle Paul's greatest teaching on the subject found in,

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV) "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words."

Those who today teach a "Pre-wrath" Rapture, or any form of "Tribulational Period" rapture are alarming the saints with false teaching concerning this end time event. You see, God wants the Church to live in light of "the blessed hope." Can the rapture be a blessed hope, if the church has to go through the time of God's wrath appointed to the world of Christ-rejecting sinners? Paul the apostle answers,

1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NIV) "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."

No, we are assured by God in His Word, that He has not appointed His people, the Church, to suffer the Period of Time of His wrath called the Tribulation. Which by the way is the full seven year period, not just the latter half of it as some teach. Nor does this mean as some say, God's keeping of the Church will be to protect the Church. No, He will keep us, that is keep us out of it, from ever experiencing it.

So, what can we say about the time of the 2^nd Coming of the Lord? The answer is there is no scripture or events that need to be fulfilled for it to happen or occur. The next event in God's prophetic calendar is the home-going of the Church which will usher in God's dealings with His apostate people Israel and a Christ-rejecting world. So friend, I'm waiting, not idly waiting, but waiting by working very hard for the Lord, to see His message of truth proclaimed to all the world, so that when the time of His Coming shall appear, I am ready. Who knows, maybe this new year ahead will be the time Christ actually comes back in glory. If so, the question we all need to answer is - are we ready? Jesus warned,

Revelation 3:11 (NIV) "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown."

Revelation 22:12 (NIV) ""Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done."

Revelation 22:20 (NIV) "He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

This triad of calls from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself from Heaven, should be incentive enough for every saint to get serious with their faith. I plead with you my friend, will you make this new year coming, the finest and most productive of all in your walk of faith in Christ? Who knows it may well be the time Christ truly returns. So with the words of God's faithful servant the apostle John, who penned the very last words of the Book of Revelation, "Even so, come Lord Jesus." Yes sir, the promise of the Lord's return is both reassuring and comforting. For nowhere in Scripture are believers told to prepare for the Tribulation. Believers are to look rather, for the Lord's Coming not for God's judgment, but for His calling us to Himself. That is what the Bible teaches, anything else is biblically in error and leads one to wrong conclusions and emphasis.

Indeed friend, with wonder, amazement and anticipation we so wait, and work. Have a wonderful and blessed New Year, and may we be ready for the Coming of the Lord. To God be the glory, great things He has done!

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SUGGESTED READING & RESOURCES:

• "What You Should Know About the Rapture," by Charkes C. Ryrie, Moody Press, 1981, Chicago, IL.
• "Understanding End Time Prophecy," by Paul N. Benware; Moody Press, 1995, Chicago, IL.
• "It's About Time," Popular Science Magazine, July 1996.
• "Maranatha, Our Lord, Come! - A definitive Study of the Rapture of the Church,"by Renald Showers, The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc, 1995 Bellmawr, NJ.
• "The Rapture Question: Revised and Enlarged Edition," by John F. Walvoord, Zondervan Publication, 1979, Grand Rapids, MI.

• Radio talk # 5296
• Broadcast date: December 29, 1996
• Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator
• Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast
• Address: P.O. Box 575 St. Charles, MN 55972-0575

The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures.A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request.These weekly radio commentaries can be heard in selected areas around the nation. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for 16 years, and serves as General Director. These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of all messages is available upon request also.

For further information, reprints, or a listing of all topics, please write to our speaker, Dennis L. Finnan(dennis@wwy.org), or visit our webpage at http://www.wwy.org/