Jesus’ second coming is rapidly approaching as we draw near to the end of this age. This word will release further understanding about Christ’s coming, so that His bride will have an opportunity to enter into a greater level of preparation.
Where is Jesus’ Coming?
In these last days, the antichrist spirit has arisen to mock the second coming of Jesus:
“First of all, know [without any doubt] that mockers will come in the last days with their mocking, following after their own human desires and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming [what has become of it]? For ever since the fathers fell asleep [in death], all things have continued [exactly] as they did from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4 AMP)
This mocking spirit will say, “Other generations thought Christ was going to return and didn’t. You are foolish if you believe He could come back in your lifetime. Believers have thought they were the final generation ever since Jesus came the first time, and they were wrong. You are wrong. Things are going to continue like they always have.”
The Lord warns us of this because He doesn’t want us to have this attitude. He desires us to have the attitude of waiting, expecting, alertness, discerning the season, and faith (Luke 12:35-40). When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His son the first time; so will it be the second time. Those who are not ready and not expecting Jesus to come soon, may find Jesus coming in a time that they are not expecting Him to. This is a warning for those believers who don’t think Jesus could return in our generation. You may fulfill Luke 12:40 yourself.
The same scoffing spirit that mocks Jesus’ second coming, will also mock the events leading up to Jesus’ second coming. There are events the Bible states must take place in order for Christ to return and set up His Kingdom on earth. The book of Revelation discusses major events of judgment, along with the manifestation of a world leader (antichrist). The return of Christ is linked to these events foretold in scripture. Therefore this scoffing spirit will attack the fact that Christians believe an antichrist is coming, or that widespread judgment is coming. The spirit mocks these truths and tries to convey them as fairytales. These evil spirit attempt to shame believers for actually believing the events spoken of in the book of Revelation will take place. We must stand against this mocking spirit and not allow it to wear us out.
The Holy Spirit through Peter tell us, ““Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;” (II Peter 3:14 NKJV)
We are commanded to look forward to Jesus’ coming and the events surrounding His coming. When we believe what is coming, we will then prepare ourselves and be made ready by the Holy Spirit. When we are made ready, we are without spot and blameless. When enough of the bride is without spot and blameless, the Lord will trigger the final judgments, the antichrist, and the tribulation; so that He can come back for His bride and set up His Kingdom on the earth.
If we are more focused on our earthly lives, and our priority is this natural life; it will prevent us from making ourselves ready. If we keep our minds fixed on the things above, we will do our part in “hastening” the day of the Lord (2 Peter 3:12). If we listen to the mocking spirit, we may end up helping to delay the coming of the Lord. If He can be hastened, then it means He can be delayed. It’s not an issue of a set time or date, it’s an issue of enough believers coming into maturity, and being transfigured into the image of Christ. Christ will come back when His crop is mature and ready to be harvested. No farmer would harvest a crop that is not ripe.
Why all the mocking of Jesus’ coming and of the book of Revelation? The mocking is a strategy by the enemy to cause believers to lose faith and trust in the pure and simple word of God. If Satan can discredit preachers of the truth or the scriptures of truth, he can can set believers up for the falling away of the faith. Believers will not be prepared spiritually, mentally, or physically for what is coming; and thus be at a greater risk of falling away from Christ.
The events described in the book of Revelation will come to pass regardless of our doctrines or theologies. Can we hear a stark warning from the the Holy Spirit through John:
“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19 NKJV)
Normally this would be interpreted by meaning anyone who physically adds or subtracts written words from the actual book of Revelation (which is true). I would also add that this warning could be for those people who attempt to twist the book of Revelation, and preach an alternative version of. It could be a warning to those who take away the words of the book by means of telling people that these events will not actually occur. “They are all symbolic,” one might teach. “The events in the book already happened in 70 A.D.,” another might proclaim. These people should be warned and stand in fear. Do not take away from the meaning, reality, significance, and truth of the book by your teaching; or what is spoken of in the above verse may be taken from you.
The mocking spirit opposes Christ’s coming, but Christ will certainly come. Just as the flood came during the time of Noah, so will Christ come suddenly for those who disbelieve or mock. The events in the book of Revelation have not occurred in past generations, but they certainly will occur in a certain generation. It could be ours if we will become ready for the Bridegroom. Who are we to tell the Lord that He can’t come in our generation? We don’t tell Him what He can and can’t do. We watch, wait, pray, and expect Him as the scriptures teach.
Opposition to Jesus by Leaders
The greatest opposition to Jesus’ first coming was the religious leaders of God’s people. So could it be in the times leading up to Jesus’ second coming, if we do not guard our hearts. The religious leaders that had a seat of authority during Jesus’ first coming, enjoyed their leadership roles and ministries. They viewed Jesus as a threat because, they saw it as an end to their ministries. If Jesus returns to the Earth soon, He would take the influence from all ministers and ministries. Therefore some ministers see His coming as a threat. The thought of Jesus coming back sometime in the distant future, however, is not a threat to them.
Some ministers want to prolong their influence and ministries. They want to pass on their ministries to their children so that their legacy will continue to grow. Therefore they develop doctrines that state, “Jesus won’t return until all the world is saved and transformed. If Jesus were to return soon, then many would be damned; and He won’t allow this, since He is so merciful. Also, our children and grandchildren have to grow up and have their destinies fulfilled before Jesus can return.” Their focus and teaching centers around an earthly destiny and calling.
By the reasonings of man, these leaders put off the coming of Jesus. By teaching the delay of Jesus, it causes the bride to refrain from making herself ready (Revelation 19:7). “If Jesus isn’t coming back in our generation, then why should we get ready now,” believers may reason. When the bride refrains from making herself ready, it delays the coming of the Lord instead of hastening it; as Peter tells us we can do (2 Peter 3:12). Since Jesus is coming back for a bride that is without spot and wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27), believers can delay His coming by not allowing the Holy Spirit to cleanse them of their spots and wrinkles.
So certain leaders teach that we shouldn’t want Jesus to return right now, but the scripture teaches something else:
““I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you and to give you assurance of these things for the churches. I am the Root (the Source, the Life) and the Offspring of David, the radiant and bright Morning Star.” The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, believers) say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take and drink the water of life without cost.(Revelation 22:16-17 AMP)
The Holy Spirit wants Jesus to come at His proper time, and not to be delayed. Those who can hear what the Spirit is saying want Jesus to come. Those who thirst for Christ more than this natural life, long for Him to come. And those believers who have been making themselves ready and becoming the bride, are crying out for Jesus to come. Those believers and ministers who have other agendas, alternative motives, or are afraid of His coming; are calling out for Jesus not to come. This is how we can tell the difference between the bride and believers who are simply saved. The scriptures say the bride wants her bridegroom to come, because she can’t live without Him. Believers who love their earthly lives can live without Jesus for a while longer.
The Harvest
The Charismatic church has taught that the great harvest is coming. Most of the time, the harvest is defined as souls that are going to come into the Kingdom of God through the salvation knowledge of Jesus Christ. While this is true, it is only half of the truth. Jesus teaches that the harvest is both the removal of the righteous and the unrighteousness from the earth. We will examine this further, and a few other important points after the following scriptures:
“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 NKJV)
There is a lot of teaching going around in the church, but what is necessary, is to listen to the teaching of Jesus. Jesus tells us what is going to happen. The harvest is defined as both the righteous and the wicked. It takes place at the end of this age. Not years before the end of this age, but as Jesus teaches; the end of the age. The harvest of the wicked and the righteous will happen together, and not at different times; as Jesus teaches.
In Jesus’ parable, the servants thought that they could go and pluck up all of the tares (wicked) in order to separate them from the righteous. Much like many believers now think the righteous can be plucked up or raptured before the wicked are. Hear Jesus’ teaching to the church. The wicked cannot be taken away from the righteous, and the righteous cannot be raptured away from the wicked. Both must grow together unto maturity, and then at the end of the age (God’s harvest time); both will be harvested together.
Jesus’ teaching is simple and straightforward, yet many in the body of Christ desire their own doctrines over the teaching of Christ. If we do not conform ourselves to the teaching of our Master, then He is truly not our Master. Other scriptures that are not clear, should never trump the clear teaching of Jesus. There is clarity in Jesus. Believers have gone off into false doctrine when they insert their own speculations and theories into the meaning of certain scriptures.
Misinterpretations of Jesus’ Coming
God’s own people missed Jesus’ first coming, because they didn’t know God. The Jewish people developed a theology in which the Messiah would come as a conqueror, rule from Jerusalem, and rescue them from Roman rule. They completely misinterpreted how Jesus would come the first time. We will be at great risk if we do not properly understand the times right before Jesus’ second coming.
The Jewish people still don’t know the Lord, and therefore can’t discern who He is. They are still waiting for their Messiah to come for the first time. This deception will put them at great risk for falling away in the days ahead. Jesus spoke to this:
“I have come in My Father’s name and with His power, and you do not receive Me [because your minds are closed]; but if another comes in his own name and with no authority or power except his own, you will receive him and give your approval to an imposter.” (John 5:43 AMP)
Jesus warns the Jewish people that if they don’t receive Him, that they will receive another messiah that comes in his own name; the antichrist. The Jewish people are at great risk of accepting the coming antichrist, because the antichrist spirit is currently at work in them:
“Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)? This is the antichrist [the enemy and antagonist of Christ], the one who denies and consistently refuses to acknowledge the Father and the Son. Whoever denies and repudiates the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses and acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” (1 John 2:22-23 AMP)
Those who do not believe in Jesus as the Messiah are under the influence of an antichrist spirit. These people are very susceptible to seducing and deceiving spirits (Jews and Gentiles). Antichrist spirits are working in and moving these people to accept, receive, and welcome the coming antichrist. False Christ’s will appear and demonstrate miraculous power. Some may be charismatic leaders or heads-of-state. Jesus tells us how He will return so that we cannot be deceived by the fakes:
“Then if anyone says to you [during the great tribulation], ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones). Listen carefully, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out there, or, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms [of a house],’ do not believe it. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming [in glory] of the Son of Man [everyone will see Him clearly]. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will flock together. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not provide its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And at that time the sign of the Son of Man [coming in His glory] will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth [and especially Israel] will mourn [regretting their rebellion and rejection of the Messiah], and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory [in brilliance and splendor]. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet and they will gather together His elect (God’s chosen ones) from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Matthew 24:23-31 AMP)
When Jesus returns in the sky, He is not going to come as a weak man. He is coming in His glory and splendor. It will be a terrible day for many who have not accepted Jesus and repented of their sins. Jesus will personally slay wicked men and women Himself and spill their blood all over His garments (Revelation 19:11-16, Isaiah 63:1-6). Jesus is coming back as a King, Judge, and Warrior. He is coming back in His righteous anger, for the coming day of vengeance has been in His heart.
Understanding Jesus’ Coming
False doctrine has been taught on how many times the Lord will come again. The scriptures teach that Jesus will return one more time and then set up His Kingdom. Some leaders in the current church are teaching that Jesus will come before the great tribulation to rapture the church and to resurrect the dead in Christ. But then that would mean Jesus will have to come a third time to rapture the believers who converted in the tribulation, and to resurrect the believers who died in the tribulation (Revelation 20:4-6).
The major problem with this line of thinking or teaching is that the scriptures do not support it. They support Jesus coming back once more. They do not support multiple resurrections from the dead at the end of this age (which would be the case if there are multiple raptures). The scriptures are very clear so that there isn’t any confusion in the church. At the time of Jesus’ second coming, at the end of this age, the rapture and the resurrection from the dead will occur simultaneously (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). The second resurrection from the dead will not take place until a thousand years later, after Jesus has ruled on the earth for a thousand years. There will not be three resurrections from the dead.
“And then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those to whom judgment [that is, the authority to act as judges] was given. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had refused to worship the beast or his image, and had not accepted his mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead [the non-believers] did not come to life again until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) and holy is the person who takes part in the first resurrection; over these the second death [which is eternal separation from God, the lake of fire] has no power or authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and they will reign with Him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4-6 AMP)
Jesus will not leave His faithful disciples out of the first resurrection who are destined to die in the great tribulation. He will wait until the full number has come in. Since the rapture and resurrection have to happen simultaneously, Jesus must wait until the last day of the age to perform this:
“For this is My Father’s will and purpose, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him [as Savior] will have eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day.”” (John 6:40 AMP)
Jesus has such an affection and high regard for His followers who are willing to suffer and die for Him. His nature is to honor these people in the age to come by giving them the rewards of the overcomers (Revelation 2 & 3). Jesus will not simply leave these chosen vessels out of the first resurrection, because some believers and leaders desire the rapture to occur before the great tribulation. It is selfishness on our part if we want the rapture and resurrection to occur before the full number of our brothers and sisters have been killed in the tribulation:
“When He (the Lamb) broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained [out of loyalty to Christ]. They cried in a loud voice, saying, “O Lord, holy and true, how long now before You will sit in judgment and avenge our blood on those [unregenerate ones] who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe; and they were told to rest and wait quietly for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed.” (Revelation 6:9-11 AMP)
There are also some who teach and believe that we are already living in the millennium. This mindset is easily proven false by the simple facts that Christ has not returned and the resurrection/rapture has not occurred. False doctrine was spreading during Paul’s time as well. False teachers were declaring that the rapture had already taken place and that it was only a “spiritual one,” and not a physical one. Paul addressed this false doctrine with the truth:
“Now in regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to meet Him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly unsettled or alarmed either by a [so-called prophetic revelation of a] spirit or a message or a letter [alleged to be] from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has [already] come. Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, for that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first [that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians], and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist, the one who is destined to be destroyed],” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 AMP)
So don’t let any evil spirits trouble you. Jesus will not come back at any time to rapture us. The scriptures must be fulfilled first. The falling away must occur, and the antichrist must be revealed in the world. The antichrist will be given authority and have three and a half years of global rule (Revelation 13:4-8). Then Jesus will return to the Earth for a second time:
“Then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by the appearance of His coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8 AMP)
At Jesus’ coming, the antichrist will be destroyed, and the church will be resurrected and caught up. The Lord is coming back a second time, not a third or fourth time:
“so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” (Hebrews 9:28 NKJV)
Personal Opinions vs Scripture
Many believers have their opinion on when Jesus will return, how He will return, and the number of times He will come back. Sometimes people formulate opinions based on preaching or denominational doctrine, instead of the word of truth. Many of the Jewish people missed Jesus’ first coming because of their improper interpretation of scripture, or because of the teaching of the religious leaders. We must be very careful that we do not fall into this category, and thus become deceived by seducing spirits in regards to Jesus’ coming.
If Satan can deceive believers, he can actually get them fighting against God; just like the Jewish people did at the time of Jesus’ first coming. In these days leading up to His second coming, we must be aligned with God, not fighting against Him. Here are a few scriptures that illustrate the point I am making:
“But we know where this man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one shall know where he is from.” (John 7:27 JUB)
“And many of the people believed in him and said, When the Christ comes, will he do more signs than these which this man has done?” (John 7:31 JUB)
“Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the scripture said, That the Christ comes of the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him, but no one laid hands on him.” (John 7:41-44 JUB)
“This he said, signifying what death he should die. The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that the Christ abides for ever; and how sayest thou, It is expedient that the Son of man be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?” (John 12:33-34 JUB)
The doctrine of the leaders and people caused them to drift into confusion. Their opinions of Christ’s coming blinded them from the true Christ. If we know the person of Christ, then we will recognize His coming. If all we know is doctrine about the person that we have heard taught; we are at great risk of deception.
The Last Trumpet
“Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (I Corinthians 15:51-52 NKJV)
When the final trumpet blows, the resurrection from the dead will occur and the rapture of the believers who are still alive on the earth. So when does this final trumpet sound?
“Then the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom (dominion, rule) of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”” (Revelation 11:15 AMP)
If the church is not raptured until the seventh and final trumpet, we must look at the things that occur when the previous six trumpets sound (Revelation 8-9). Massive judgments will be released upon the earth by the blowing of the trumpets. The sixth trumpet will spark a World War III type event in which one third of the earth’s human population will be killed (Revelation 9:18). The point is, we need to prepare for this coming chaos, because we will not be raptured until the seventh trumpet blows. We must prepare spiritually by knowing and walking with the Lord. Also, we should prepare physically as the Lord directs. Jesus is coming and we must be ready.
Knowing the Season
“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.” (I Thessalonians 5:1-5 NKJV)
The day of the Lord will only come suddenly upon people who are spiritually asleep. People who are engaged in worldliness, self-centered living, and a sinful lifestyle; are at great risk of that day overtaking them like a thief in the night. Those believers who are following the Lord and seeking first His Kingdom, will have an understanding of the season. We may not know the exact day and hour that Jesus is returning, but we can know the season. When the antichrist is revealed, and the mark of the beast is being implemented; we will obviously be in the final season of this age. The Lord wants His people to have understanding of the times.
Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. (Matthew 16:1-3)
The natural man can discern the signs of the weather, but Jesus rebuked people because they lacked spiritual discernment to understand the time they were in. If we know the Lord personally and intimately, we will have discernment and understanding. He releases this to His friends. It is also very important to know the word of God, which will be an anchor for us in these times. The Truth who lives in us will guide us and help us to understand the season we are in both corporately and individually.
Jesus’ rebuke was to people who had the opportunity to discern the spiritual season they were in, but choose not to do so; because it required spiritual sight and faith (which is foolishness to the natural minded man who depends on only what he can see with his natural eyes). We have the opportunity in these last days to either hear what the Spirit is saying, or listen to reasonings and explanations of the natural minded man. Natural discernment will be accompanied by a rebuke from the Lord, while spiritual discernment will enable us to be aligned with the Lord’s thoughts and plans.
The antichrist system of control has been progressing very rapidly on the worldwide stage over the last year. You can recognize this system by its desire to enslave people. Any system that attempts to take away personal freedoms is antichrist in nature. This evil system wants to control your medical decisions and force its will on you. This system wants to take away your freedom of religion, freedom of speech, right to own a firearm in order to protect your family, and your right to own personal property. It wants to track everywhere you go. The antichrist wants total control over us, so he can rule as a god.
Jesus Christ is freedom. In Him is true liberty. He is coming soon. Let us prepare for Him, and focus on Him. Let the bride make herself ready (Revelation 19:7-9). The Bible teaches that we should wait for, expect, and long for Jesus to come. These are the proper heart attitudes for the saints to have:
“awaiting and confidently expecting the [fulfillment of our] blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,” (Titus 2:13 AMP)
“In the future there is reserved for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that [great] day—and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and longed for and welcomed His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8 AMP)
- Ty Unruh (2021)
