….so, Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Biblical prophecy provides some of the greatest encouragement and hope available to us today. Just as the Old Testament is saturated with prophecies concerning Christ’s first advent, so both testaments are filled with references to the second coming of Christ. One scholar has estimated that there are 1,845 references to Christ’s second coming in the Old Testament, where 17 books give it prominence. In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to the second advent of Christ--an amazing 1 out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. For every prophecy in the Bible concerning Christ’s first advent, there are 8 which look forward to His second!
(Today in the Word, April 1989, p. 27)
We are all witnesses that all the references in the Old Testament about the birth of Jesus are true. Now we are waiting for the second advent of Christ, referenced in the Old Testament 1,845 times and 318 times in the New Testament. Is there anyone who doubts the truth of these predictions? I dare not doubt, in case I get careless about being ready to meet Jesus when He does appear in the clouds. I have been waiting too long to take chances and I know thar all of you will be of the same mind as me.
We have been waiting too long to lose patience now. God has been patient with us, how much more should we be patient? We have much more to lose than many others, who may think we are mad to think this way. Perhaps we should be worried that they do not think as we do. The task of making them disciples was left to us, have we succeeded in this? Do we actually worry about not doing a good enough job of this task? I do.
However, the minute you mention that all the chaos and strife was predicted as the start of the end, people tend to stop listening. They really don’t want to know about it. ‘It’s just climate change and if folks would just care more for the planet, it will be alright’.
No! It won’t be alright until people get right with our Father and creator before Jesus appears.
It does seem like an eternity that the world has been waiting, but as scripture says, ‘With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day’. The Lord God is giving us chance after chance to repent and come to Him for His promise of eternal life.
As it says in 2 Peter 3: 17,18
Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever! Amen.
Prayer
Loving Father, we are waiting for Jesus. We know You are the only one who knows the time, but we ask that You help us to stay steadfast in our faith and belief. Help us to go on praising You and giving You the worship and adoration You alone deserve. We are weak and sometimes afraid, when we see what the world is becoming. As You tell us not to be afraid, please give us willingness to call on You every time we feel fear rising. We know, also, that Jesus and Your Spirit are always with us and can be our comfort and strength in You. Bless Your children, who are being beset on every side by the enemy. Lord God, be with world governments, give them wisdom to guide the people of the world in these difficult times. We ask these things in Jesus wonderful name. Amen.
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