Friday, February 24, 2017

Can Jesus Delay His Return? (LG15)


‘Last Generation’
Mat 25:1-4 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall  be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
    
Mat 24:48 “But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘ My master is delaying his coming,’”
    In the last Millennium, Christians were expecting our Lord to come back by the end of the Millennium. As more signs were being fulfilled, the unlearned in endtime prophecies and events, being in darkness became more fearful of endtime events due to ignorance. They will not welcome endtime prophecies unless they surrender their lives to His will and plans. Following signs pointed to the possibility of our Lord coming back then:-

1993 PLO-Israel Peace Treaty – first Seal opened
1993 Latur great earthquake
1994 Los Angeles earthquake
1994 Rwanda Genocide April – second Seal opened. More than 25 deadly civil wars then, with El Nino causing famines, fire,  loods, starvation, etc.
1997 Asian Financial Crisis – third Seal opened Fear of WW3 by Y2K bug  setting off nuclear arsenals.

As the above unfold one by one, all those who are learned in endtime events rejoiced as the signs were fulfilled one at a time and in the right order. By mid-1998, we realized that rapture was unlikely for the following signs were still not fulfilled:

1. Fourth Seal or World War 3 with a quarter of mankind killed.

Rev 6:7-8 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

2. Temple of God must be rebuilt

2 Thess 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day (rapture) will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

3. Fifth Seal or great martyrdom

Mat 24:21,29-30 “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be...Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
    The few wise and learned were comforted that even if Y2K bug be at its worst, all it could do was to start WW3 or fourth Seal. It would not blow up the earth and wipe out all mankind for many prophecies have not been fulfilled yet.
    Unfortunately, the majority of Christians, who are unlearned, foolish and blind, kept expecting and fearing that rapture would be at the end of the Millennium (Y2K). So when our Lord Jesus did not turn up as they expected, they then thought that his coming was delayed.

    Mat 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
    Since no one knows when Jesus is coming, then we cannot accuse Him of delaying His coming.