LESSON NINE – THE COMING AGAIN OF CHRIST

Matt. 24:21 — At that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not occurred from the beginning of the world until now, nor shall by any means ever occur.

SEVENTY WEEKS BEING APPORTIONED BY GOD

The age that we are in today is the age of grace.…This age began with Christ’s first coming, and it will end with Christ’s second coming. When Christ comes back, He will conclude this age and bring in the kingdom age. The conclusion, the consummation, of this age…will be at least seven years long. Therefore, if we want to understand Christ’s coming back, we must have a clear understanding concerning the last seven years of the present age. These seven years…are recorded in Daniel 9:24-27. [In these verses, each week signifies seven years.]

The Bible clearly reveals that at the beginning of the last week, Antichrist will make a firm covenant with Israel for seven years; in the middle of the seven years he will break the covenant, terminate Israel’s sacrifices and oblations to God, and persecute those who fear God (Dan. 9:27; Rev. 12:13-17). He will set up the idol of abomination in the temple to replace God, and he will carry out a great destruction to cause desolation (Matt. 24:15) until Christ comes to the earth. Then Christ will slay Antichrist by the breath of His mouth and bring Antichrist to nothing by the manifestation of His coming (2 Thes. 2:8; Rev. 19:19-20).

THE SIGNS CONCERNING CHRIST’S SECOND COMING

The Appearing of Antichrist

In Matthew 24:15 the Lord said, “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand).” This will definitely be fulfilled in the last three and a half years of the present age, the time of the great tribulation, the second half of the last week. At that time Antichrist’s image will be set up as an idol in the temple of God.

Revelation 13:1 points out that a beast, which signifies Antichrist, will come up out of the Mediterranean Sea. This beast has seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:8-11 tells us the origin of this beast. The seven heads of the beast are seven Caesars of the Roman Empire. According to historical records, the Roman Empire had a total of twelve Caesars, but only six of them are referred to in Revelation, because all these six were “fallen” [v. 10]; that is, they all died unnaturally—they either committed suicide or were murdered, their throne being usurped. Antichrist, the seventh Caesar referenced in Revelation, will come from one of the Gentile nations around the Mediterranean Sea. He will have the support of ten kings, and they will unite to form a great empire, which will be the revived Roman Empire.

The Restoration of Israel

In Matthew 21:19, during His last visit to Jerusalem, the Lord Jesus cursed a fig tree because He could not find any fruit on The fig tree is a symbol of the nation of Israel (Jer. 24:2, 5, 8). Because Israel was stubborn and rebellious and had no fruit that could satisfy God, she was rejected by God. In A.D. 70 Titus, the Roman prince, brought with him a great army to destroy Jerusalem and the temple, as prophesied by the Lord when He said, “There shall by no means be left here a stone upon a stone, which shall not be thrown down” (Matt. 24:2). From that time the children of Israel were scattered among the nations. Not only did their nation fall, but even their homeland was lost. Humanly speaking, there was truly no hope for the nation of Israel to be re-formed. However, the Bible contains a prophecy saying that one day the cursed and dried up fig tree would become tender and put forth leaves. [This has been fulfilled.]

The Rebuilding of the Temple

Concerning the rebuilding of the temple, first we need to see the two halves of the last week. In the first three and a half years, Antichrist will support the children of Israel, permitting them to freely worship God; in the latter three and a half years, Antichrist will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease (Dan. 12:7; 9:27) and replace them with an idol of himself. In Matthew 24:15 the holy place in which Antichrist’s image will stand refers to the sanctuary within the temple (Psa. 68:35; Ezek. 7:24; 21:2), and the abomination refers to the image of Antichrist as an idol. In other words, the idol will remain in the temple for three and a half years until Chris will destroy Antichrist by the manifestation of His coming. Therefore, first the temple will have to be rebuilt; then the children of Israel will be able to worship God and offer sacrifices to Him, and Antichrist will be able to set up his image.

Since A.D. 70, when Titus destroyed the temple, the temple has never been rebuilt. Israel has regained  Jerusalem  and  is actively making preparations for the rebuilding of the temple. All the materials that will be needed for the rebuilding of the temple and all the utensils needed for the sacrifices have been prepared according to what is recorded in the Bible. Now they are waiting for the suitable time to come, and the rebuilding of the temple will be completed.

The Great Tribulation

The second half of the last week, the last three and a half years of this age, is the period of the great tribulation, such as has not occurred from the beginning of the world until now, nor shall by any means ever occur (Matt. 24:21). This period will begin with the supernatural calamities in the sixth seal of the seven seals (Rev. 6:12-17) and will end at the seventh bowl of the seven bowls (16:1-21). It will be “the hour of trial, which is about to come on the whole inhabited earth, to try them who dwell on the earth” (3:10). This great tribulation will come from three directions—from God, from Antichrist, and from Satan—upon all those dwelling on the face of all the earth (Luke 21:35).

The Rapture of the Saints

Before the great tribulation the overcomers will be raptured, leaving the majority of the believers, those who are not yet mature, on the earth to pass through the great tribulation. Matthew 24:40-41 says, “At that time two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left.” This indicates that while the worldly people are befuddled by material things, with no sense of the coming judgment, some of the sober and watchful believers will be taken away. To the befuddled and senseless people, this should be a sign of Christ’s coming. Therefore, we should take heed to ourselves, lest at some time our hearts be weighed down with debauchery and drunkenness and the anxieties of life (Luke 21:34) and we miss the rapture and become like Lot’s wife. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, “The Up-todate Presentation of the God-ordained Way and the Signs concerning the Coming of Christ,” pp. 572, 574-578)

References: CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, “The Upto-date Presentation of the God-ordained Way and the Signs concerning the Coming of Christ,” ch. 6; Life Lessons, vol. 3, lsns. 35, 36; Life-study of Revelation, msgs. 29, 30

MY KING WILL SOON COME BACK AGAIN

Hope of Glory— Longing and Praying – 960

• My King will soon come back again,
  The sky be filled with Him;
  The universe to be redeemed
  Will see His light therein.
  The Lord will soon fulfill His plan,
  His footsteps now I hear;
  His glorious frame I faintly see
  Beginning to appear.

• I’m longing for His presence blest
  And dare not slothful be
  While waiting for my Lord’s return,
  His own dear self to see.
  My only hope-that He may come
  And change my faith to sight;
  There is no other joy on earth
  Which gives my heart delight.

• My heart is always with Himself,
  My eyes are heavenward,
  My lips would utter nothing else
  Than meeting with my Lord.
  The coming of the Lord draws nigh,
  His coming is for me;
  His promise ever standeth firm
  And soon fulfilled I’ll see.

• My Savior, all Thy holy words
  Can never doubted be;
  With them encouraged day by day,
  I’m faithful unto Thee.
  Oh, may Thy glory soon appear,
  The foe be overthrown;
  Thy promises be realized,
  And we brought to Thy throne.

• Thy saving arm a refuge is,
  My Savior God, to me;
  Thou as the father keepeth them;
  Who put their trust in Thee.
  The sheep and shepherd are of one,
  The head and body same;
  None e’er can pluck from out Thy hand
  The child who trusts Thy Name.

• A thousand hands won’t hinder me,
  Nor will ten thousand eyes;
  The thorns upon the road but help
  Me onward to the prize.
  Arise, my spirit and my heart,
  And let the world go by;
  The Lord of life will take me soon
  To be with Him on high.

• Thou healing sun! Thou hope of man!
  I really love Thy ray.
  Oh, righteous Lord! Oh, glorious King!
  I bow to Thee and pray:
  Oh, may Thou soon ascend Thy throne
  And quickly show Thy face;
  Thy heav’nly kingdom may Thou found
  And grant all men Thy grace.

• The truth should triumph and be king,
  And freedom should be queen;
  But falsehood, which has rampant run,
  Head of the world is seen.
  We ask Thee, Truth, to quickly come
  And bring Thy light from heav’n;
  The foe be crushed and all Thy sons
  Into Thy bosom giv’n.