THE SECOND COMING.
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: Die Wederkoms
Translator: Robin Barker
Someone asked me if I would write something about the Second Coming.
If I share with you about the Second Coming, I clearly want to state that there are quite a few differences amongst Christians about this matter and I share with you here how I understand the Second Coming from the Word in respect of those who will disagree with my view.
If you have really accepted Jesus Christ as your Redeemer and Saviour and you walk on His path, however you look at the Second Coming, whenever it is going to happen to put it that way, for you it will be a lovely, wonderful experience.
Therefore, just for interest sake. As far as my knowledge goes, the words “Second Coming” appears 10 times in the New Testament.
I am part of the group of Christians who believe that the return of Jesus, to state it in other words, will occur in more than one phase.
The first phase will be, when Jesus comes for His followers before the great oppression happens.
When this is going to happen we do not know but there are certain clear signs which will warn us that it is near.
The most important sign for me that we are living in the last days before the Rapture, which is for me the first phase of Jesus’s Second Coming, is the restoration of Israel to the land which our Lord gave to them.
Because Israel is so absolutely prominent in everything which must occur during the last days.
You can, or then, I can just not meaningfully talk about the last days, without including Israel.
Adding to that the corruption of today’s contemporary people and you have a fairly clear picture that our Lord’s long awaited return cannot now be too far away.
2TIM 3:1-5
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 reacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
As I have mentioned, the first phase will be, when Jesus comes for His followers before the great oppression happens.
I quote here ‘The Bible, The New Living Translation (NLT)’ for which I have become very fond of:
The Hope of the Resurrection
1THES 4:13-18
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.
17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.
18 So encourage each other with these words.
The reason why I believe the Rapture, – the first phase of Jesus’s Second Coming when He comes to fetch us – shall occur before the oppression and everything pertaining to that, is for the reason that a few verses later where Jesus allowed Paul to write in what way Jesus is going to come and fetch us, Jesus also allowed Paul to write:
1THES 5:8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
1THES 5:9 For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.
It is totally incomprehensible to me, that our Lord will allow to be written…
1THES 5:9 For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.
And then will allow that we, His children, also experience His wrath as described in Revelation.
After Jesus has fetched us, we will be judged by Him on how we have lived our lives on earth.
Take note critiqued (judged) and not condemned / denouncement (judgement), because there will be no condemnation (judgement) for those people who have accepted Jesus Christ as his/her God and Redeemer:
JOHN 3:16-19
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
ROM 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
An example of this, which I call critique / evaluate we see in 1Corinthians 3:11 onwards:
1COR 3:11-15
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.
15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
In regard to this Paul wrote on another occasion the following:
2COR 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Then concerning us, after all of these things, follows the battle of Armageddon and then peace will reign for 1,000 years and then the judgement of the angels on those who were not part of the Rapture. You can read this in Revelations 20:7-15.
In passing, I think at this point in time, where you and I are going to share in the judging ‘Correcting’ of the world and the angels.
1COR 6:2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
1COR 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
However you look at the future of this earth, there lies ahead unbelievable trauma and drama for everyone and everything which lives on this earth, except of course naturally for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as Redeemer and Saviour.
Us, who have accepted Jesus as our Redeemer and Saviour, we look without apprehension but full of excited anticipation to the future. Certainly not with fear like so many people around us.
ROM 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
ROM 8:15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
2TIM 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
When I read again what I have just written for you, a chorus which we used to sing all the time popped into my heart and I would like to close with it:
"Ek is op my pad Hemel toe. – I am on my way to Heaven.
Ek is op my pad Hemel toe. – I am on my way to Heaven.
Singend, singend, altyd singend, – Singing, singing, always singing,
Ek is op my pad Hemel toe. – I am on my way to Heaven."
(Note: this is a literal translation of the Afrikaans.)
Greetings,
Sakkie
Email: bediening@sakkieparsons.co.za
Website: www.sakkieparsons.co.za
Cell: 083 457 6669
Jude 1:24-25 24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – 25 to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (NIV)
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All verses quoted are from the New International Version of the Bible (NIV) unless otherwise specified.
New International Version (NIV)
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