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How does the Lord return in the last days?

Discussion in 'Calvinism & Arminianism Debate' started by Mary Brown, Oct 6, 2023.

  1. Mary Brown

    Mary Brown New Member

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    For 2000 years, welcoming the Lord Jesus to return has been the greatest hope of all believers. 2000 years ago, our Lord Jesus said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” To welcome Lord’s return is our biggest event in every Christian’s life. But how does the Lord return in the last days? In what way will He return? Some people say that the Lord Jesus will return with clouds. Some say that He will return like a thief, and no one knows when He will return. Some say that He will return on a white horse, with angels and lightning....
    So, in what way will the Lord Jesus return exactly? This is a very important question. If we do not know the way of the Lord Jesus' return, we will probably lose the opportunity to welcome Lord.
    What do you think about this question ? Please share your ideas ok ?
     
  2. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    There are various verses about the event. We should be content with those.

    Any of God's elect alive at Christ's second coming will certainly not miss out.

    Some verses:

    Acts of the Apostles 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

    1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

    2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

    2 Peter 3:10-13 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
     
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  3. Silverhair

    Silverhair Well-Known Member

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    @Mary Brown I would not worry about if you will miss the opportunity to greet our Lord. When He comes to call us home there will be no doubt in our minds. Whether one sees that as the rapture or when He returns after a 1000 yrs we will know Him. The one we have to be wary of is the deceiver. He will fool many.

    The information is rather cryptic so we can only guess. That was why my dad always said we have to keep short accounts as our being with God is only one heart beat away.

    I happen to think that the rapture view is correct and I am a pre-mill. but I could be wrong.
     
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  4. tyndale1946

    tyndale1946 Well-Known Member
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    You will not miss a thing... This will be the greatest event this world has ever seen... These are not words of fear but words of comfort, joy and glory... You know the Lord and the Lord knows you... Rest easy Mary Brown!... Brother Glen:)

    1 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.
     
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  5. Mary Brown

    Mary Brown New Member

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    Thanks for your nice sharing, brothers and sisters.
    I'd like to share some bible verses too.
    "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen" (Revelation 1:7).
    "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame" (Revelation 16:15).
    "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh " (Matthew 24:44).
    These bible verses told us that the Lord may appear among clouds and every eyes shall see Him, and also He may come like a thief and the Son of man. It seems that the Lord will not just like what we are looking forward that He may appear among clouds, but He may also come secretly like a thief among us ? If He only appear on clouds that every eye shall see Him, it definitely must be in public, right ? How come He come like a thief which means He comes quietly without knowing by anyone ?
    What do you think ? Please open up to share.
     
  6. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    "Like a thief" does not mean secretly, but that Christ will return suddenly. There will be no build up to His second coming, it will simply happen in an instant. His return will not be like a thief to God's elect, as they are eagerly anticipating His return to remove this present heavens and earth, and usher in the new heavens and earth wherein dwells righteousness.

    1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
     
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  7. Alan Gross

    Alan Gross Well-Known Member

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    Jesus' Return will be unsuspected by the lost, the way a thief is unsuspected.

    This is a reference to what I believe the scriptures show, which is that in each instance Jesus' Second Coming is mentioned, that is it, and it is The End of the World and the End of Time.

    I don't see them saying anything else.

    THE SECOND COMING of JESUS
    ( PAROUSIA )
    and

    THE END of THE EARTH
    WILL BE:
    God’s Consummation of All Things and
    The End of Time.

    As you use this chart to study them,
    we trust you will f
    ind that God Has Planned A Single,
    Christ-Centered Consummation for the End of the Present evil Age,
    when, at
    JESUS CHRIST’S SECOND COMING
    ( Parousia ),
    Jesus Christ Himself
    Will Raise the dead,
    Judge the world in Righteousness,
    Destroy the present earth
    and its works by fire,
    and
    Create A New Heavens and A New Earth,
    The Eternal Home of The Redeemed.
     
  8. Dave G

    Dave G Well-Known Member

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    What does the Lord, through His word, tell us?

    " And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
    And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
    which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
    ( Acts of the Apostles 1:9-11 ).

    Bodily, and in the clouds.
    "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
    For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
    For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
    But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
    Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
    Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. ."
    ( 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 ).

    " Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." ( Revelation 16:15 ).

    Suddenly, when most are not expecting it, and He catches them unawares with His coming.
    He does not catch His people unaware, however.
    " 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.
    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.
    And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
    And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
    And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
    ( Revelation 19:11-16 ).

    Does this not describe the Lord Jesus at His coming?:)
     
  9. taisto

    taisto Well-Known Member

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    (Matthew 24:37-44)
    “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

    (Matthew 25:31-46)
    “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
     
  10. Tsalagi

    Tsalagi Member

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    The Lord's first coming helps to understanding the second ... i.e., a first phase personal and observed by a relative few of the faithful, the second open and visible to both seekers and opponents; the two phases separated by a preordained period of time where the Lamb is not operationally visible to those dwelling on the earth. The return of the Lord begins at the rapture (body of Christ meets Him in the air) and culminates at the second coming proper (returns with clouds of church age saints to plant His feet on the Mount of Olives to deliver Israel at the inception of the formal earthly kingdom age). Every "second coming" passage reconciles and harmonizes when understood in this light.
     
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  11. percho

    percho Well-Known Member
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    'Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, also in me believe; in the house of my Father are many mansions; and if not, I would have told you; I go on to prepare a place for you; and if I go on and prepare for you a place, again do I come, and will receive you unto myself, that where I am ye also may be;

    And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that ye may not sorrow, as also the rest who have not hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also God those asleep through Jesus he will bring with him, for this to you we say in the word of the Lord, that we who are living -- who do remain over to the presence of the Lord -- may not precede those asleep, because the Lord himself, in a shout, in the voice of a chief-messenger, and in the trump of God, shall come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we who are living, who are remaining over, together with them shall be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in air, and so always with the Lord we shall be; so, then, comfort ye one another in these words.
     
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  12. Alan Gross

    Alan Gross Well-Known Member

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    Thank you, for comforting me with these words, percho!

    Another thing, if anyone can take it. You notice percho's quotes above and the texts in bold?

    You see, there aren't any references to any particular numbers of years, at all, that is said in those verses.

    What if nothing whatsoever intervenes, between, "now", our present Age and Time and
    "again do I come, and will receive you unto myself, that where I am ye also may be"?

    Or, again, if nothing whatsoever intervenes, between, "now", our present Age and Time and
    "the Lord himself, in a shout, in the voice of a chief-messenger, and in the trump of God,
    shall come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first,

    "then we who are living, who are remaining over, together with them
    shall be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in air,

    "and so always with the Lord we shall be; so, then, comfort ye one another in these words."


    And, that would mean?

    And, what I am saying is?

    I got a "Bible Question" for ya.

    Ahhhhh....

    Ready?

    Question, then:

    "Do any of you, per chance, perceive or discern any "number of years",
    or anything like that mentioned in those verses quoted?"


    That's the Question.

    Any 1260 days?, "time, times, and a half a time"?, a million years?,
    a hundred years? 14 years? 83 years? "a thousand years"? 70 years?,
    7 years?, 60 seconds?, "a thousand years is as a day"?, any period of time, at all?


    If the Lord's Return is truly Immanent and it is The End of Time, The End of The World,
    The Great Consummation, Judgment, Resurrection, The Earth Dissolved in a Fervent Heat,
    The Creation of The New Heaven and The New Earth,


    "again do I come, and will receive you unto myself, that where I am ye also may be"

    "and so always with the Lord we shall be".


    To my mind, that is it.

    That is what we have in store for us.


    I can't see anything else in there, anywhere?

    U?

    I believe that The Lord is Coming Back ANY SECOND and that is it.

    Nothing further for Earth, or its inhabitants.
    (for the Jews, or anybody else. No "second chance")


    Just Eternity Future.

    "If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth:
    and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north,
    in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be."
    Ecclesiastes 11:3.

    THAT'S THE WAY IT IS!

    Now, ask me, if this would do wonders for Evangelism? for the Spirit of our people?

    I believe it sure would.

    If we only knew.

    If we only know WHAT AN ENORMOUS BLESSING THIS SPIRITUAL REALITY IS
    AND TO HAVE A REVELATION OF JESUS RETURN,
    CONCERNING THE IMMEDIACY of JESUS SECOND ADVENT and COMING to EARTH.

    See: THE PROPHECY of JESUS COMING AGAIN!

    "The Acceptable Year of The Lord" & "The Day of Vengeance of Our God."

    at: THE PROPHECY of JESUS COMING AGAIN! "The Acceptable Year" & "Day of Vengeance of Our God."

    and: THAT EXTREMELY CLEAR PROPHECY of ISAIAH
    TELLS US THAT JUST AS SURE AS GOD IS REAL: JESUS COMING AGAIN!

    THE PROPHECY of JESUS COMING AGAIN! "The Acceptable Year" & "Day of Vengeance of Our God."
     
    #12 Alan Gross, Jan 15, 2024
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2024
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