The second coming of christ signs table. What will happen after the second coming of Christ? Glorious Coming of Christ

Second coming

The Bible foretells the birth of a Messianic personality who will change the world and bring complete truth.

The Bible predicts the birth messianic person, which will change the world. Messiah at the Second Coming born in the East. Jesus will personally give him rescue mission peace. However, at first, he will be rejected and endure persecution from this generation.

The Bible promises a new and complete truth
As the Bible itself says in 1 Corinthians 13:8-12, we don't have the full truth right now: « For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; Now we see through dim glass, guessingly, then face to face; now I know in part, and then I will know, just as I am known ... When the perfect comes, then that which is in part will cease .. ”(1 Corinthians 13:8-12)

The problem throughout history is that when we are caught up in a part, we cannot let it go and accept the whole.

The Second Coming of Christ, Jesus Christ, signs of the coming of Christ The Last Judgment
New revelations about the return of Christ
Many Christians receive direct revelations and guidance about the coming of Christ. However, they contradict the traditional understanding of the return from heaven. In accordance with them, immediately after the appearance of the "Red Dragon" (communism), a sinless child will be born in the east. He will rise up and bring salvation to the world and lead people of all races, cultures and religions to build the kingdom of God on earth.
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Second Coming of Elijah
If we consider the second coming of Elijah, it becomes clear how God works and how Christ will return. Since the second coming of Elijah is supposed to represent the return of Elijah who had gone to heaven, people expected and believed that Elijah would come from heaven without a doubt. But Jesus is very clear that John the Baptist, who was born on earth, is Elijah (Matthew 11:14, 17:13). The fact that Elijah's second coming was through John the Baptist does not mean that Elijah himself was born in the body of John the Baptist. Elijah is in the spirit world and helps John, who had the same mission as Elijah on earth. (Luke 1:17) Therefore, although the mission is the same, the person who fulfills it is different.
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Jesus' own words about second coming
From the words of Jesus in the Bible, we can understand that Second coming, Christ is most likely to be born on earth. As foretold in Revelation 12:5,

“And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun ... and screamed from the pains and pangs of birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon (Red communism)... And she gave birth to a male child, who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron; And her child was caught up to God and His throne.” (Revelation of John the Theologian 12:5)

The Second Coming of Christ, Jesus Christ, signs of the coming of Christ The Last Judgment
He will have a new name«

There is no child who can have such a direct relationship with God unless he was born sinless - like the Messiah. In other words, when the Lord of the Second Coming comes, he will look different and even have a “different name.” As Revelation 19:12 says, “ He had a name written, which no one knew .. His name: "The Word of God."

Does the Bible really predict this? Could Jesus really pass on his mission to another? In John 14:16 Jesus says, "And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter to be with you forever." Jesus even explains why another must come.

“I have much more to tell you; but now you cannot contain it. When He comes, the Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:12)

Here Jesus is talking about the Complete Truth that will be given by the Lord of the Second Coming. The Bible is accurate, the Lord of the Second Coming will be born as a child on earth with a different name. Jesus will give him his mission and he will reveal the full truth to the world, the truth that Jesus could not reveal, because people were not ready for this 2000 years ago.

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Jesus will hand over his Messianic mission to another

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“Whoever overcomes and keeps my works to the end, to him I will give power over the Gentiles, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; like earthenware they will be broken, just as I have received authority from my Father.” (Revelation 2:26-28)

Just as Jesus was anointed to have the power to be the Messiah to rule "over the Gentiles"; those. was Christ the Messiah (which means in translation "Anointed to reign"), in the same way he is going to "anoint" the Lord of the Second Coming to the same Mission. “Just as I have received authority from my Father,” Jesus promises the prophet.

This opens before us that another person, sinless like Jesus, will appear on earth. Jesus himself will give him his Mission ( “just as I received authority from the Father mine"). The mission that he will have to carry out is the mission of the Messiah ("to him I will give power over the Gentiles, and he will rule them with a rod of iron"). It means to be "God's anointed", "King of Kings", Christ, Messiah.

But one might ask, why then did Jesus say that he is the only Son of God, and no one else will bring us salvation? Doesn't this conflict with biblical prophecy that he would come with a "new name" ("He had a name written that no one knew"). No, there is no contradiction here. 2000 years ago this was true; at that time Jesus was the only Son of God and then there was no other name through which salvation could come. The Bible is accurate not only about the Second Coming of Christ. Reach a level God's Son It won't just be for one person. In fact, the reason God sends the Messiah is to restore all people as God's Children - Sons and Daughters of God. The Second Coming of Christ, Jesus Christ, signs of the coming of Christ The Last Judgment
The Lord of the Second Coming will reign through the "Word«

In both quotations, Rev. 2:26-28 (that Jesus will pass on the same mission that he received from the Father) and Rev. 12:5 (the birth of a child who was "caught up to God and his throne"), the Bible is very clear about the same thing. man (“to him I will give power over the Gentiles, and he will rule them with a rod of iron”). This phrase, often found in the Bible, points to the Messianic person, the person who will bring the kingdom of God's justice through the "Word", "Truth". Therefore, we cannot expect him to send us any special signs or miracles. The greatest miracle that Christ will bring is the Truth to live by. The greatest miracle that he has to perform is to transform the world in the direction of good through his word. For this reason, in many places the Bible speaks of a sharp sword from his mouth, by which he will judge.

The Bible predicts the failure of Christians to accept the Messiah. Jesus himself warns us of this. “And when He comes, will He find faith on earth?” He also warns that the Lord will come as "a thief in the night."

Jesus called young Moon

Rev. Moon was 15 years old when Jesus appeared before him, repeatedly urging a Korean boy to accept His mission and lead the implementation God's will on the ground.

If we do not know why Jesus called Sun Myung Moon to fulfill the role of the Second Coming of the Lord, we must ask Jesus himself.

The Bible warns that God does not work in the way we expect. But we always think we know better than God. It is difficult for us to be humble and sincerely ask Jesus himself what he thinks. It is difficult to be patient and persevering in our prayers and sincere seeking until He answers. But if we sincerely pray with an open heart, God will find a way to guide us so that we can understand the truth. And that's what happened to me.

Personal testimony from God

One day God took me to spiritual world and I heard the angels and saints say to me, "This is the Messiah, and all your life we ​​have been preparing you just for this, so you can accept and follow him." They showed me the life of Rev. Moon and his victories over the past 70 years. I spiritually saw how he brought the end of communism (Red Dragon) as predicted in the Bible. When I brought myself back to earth, my legs were trembling.

I couldn't tell anyone about the Messiah. Who would understand? There were people sitting next to me, but they wouldn't believe me if I told them. And then I understood the words, “I tell you: that night there will be two on the same bed: one will be taken, and the other will be left ... two will be in the field: one will be taken, and the other will be left.”

The rapture is in our hearts, not in the material air. God's ideal must also be set in our hearts, not in the air and evaporated water on the clouds.
I went back to my room crying, praying, "Heavenly Father, I know You're telling me this, but I can't take it." I wanted a Messiah in the clouds. I don't like God's way. But the Bible proved to me why I was wrong. From Revelation (17:15) it is clear that "water" symbolizes the multitude of sinners, while "clouds" are cleansed, separated from Satan believers, prepared to receive the Second Coming. Yes, Jesus said that he would come again in the clouds, but we read in Philippians that these words refer to the "cloud of evangelizers", those who have a pure and sincere heart, able to understand and accept the Lord of the Second Coming.

Birth Pangs

“Jesus answered and said to them, “Beware that no one deceives you, for many will come under my name and say, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many. Also hear about wars and war rumors. Look, do not be horrified, for all this must be, but this is not the end yet: for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in places; yet it is the beginning of disease. Then they will hand you over to torture and kill you; and you will be hated by all nations because of my name; and then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another; and many false prophets will rise up and deceive many; and because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold. He who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come "" (Matthew 24: 4-14)

From verse 4 begins the actual Sermon of Olives, which Jesus delivered in response to the question of the disciples: “Tell us, when will this be? And what is the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” (Article 3). As stated in the previous chapter, the Twelve "thought that the kingdom of God was about to open" (Luke 19:11), and the events of the past few days have made this thought even more firmly fixed in their minds. They had long believed that Jesus was the Messiah and that John the Baptist was His prophesied forerunner. The cheering of the crowd during Jesus' solemn entry into Jerusalem, the cleansing of the temple, the condemnation of the religious leaders, as well as His prediction of the destruction of the temple - all this made them think that the Lord would soon reveal His messianic glory, subdue the nations that rebelled against Him, and establish His eternal Kingdom . They were unable to accept Jesus' many predictions that He would first have to suffer, die, and be resurrected.

The disciples thought that Jesus' preaching, His healing, consolation, judgment, and restoration of Israel would happen in the same period of time. Like the Old Testament prophets who spoke of the Messiah, the disciples imagined only one Coming, which included a number of events (see, for example, Isaiah 61:1-11).

Perhaps the first key to understanding that the Coming of Christ will take place in two stages was the reading by Jesus of this passage from the book of the prophet Isaiah during a service in the synagogue of Nazareth.

Jesus stopped short of reading verse 2 to the end, leaving out the phrase “and the day of vengeance of our God.” Then He explained, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:18-21). Jesus emphasized that at that time He did not come to judge, but to preach the gospel and heal the sick.

But since the disciples did not understand His promptings, as well as many other specific teachings that He came to die for the sins of the people, they expected that Jesus would then complete His messianic mission, perhaps in the next few days or weeks.

The students were expecting something dramatic. They felt that the Son in Isa. 9:6 was ready to take the government of the kingdom of God on His shoulders, and that the stone that was torn from the mountain without the help of hands (Dan. 2:34) was ready to destroy the power of wicked people. The Messiah, the Prince, was ready to end sin, stop iniquity, grant eternal righteousness, and become the anointed King, the most holy of all kings. They looked forward to how the Son of Man would soon be given an eternal kingdom and glory. They were convinced that very soon Israel would turn to the Lord and call on His name, and that the Lord would say, "These are My people," and they would say, "The Lord is my God!" (Zech. 13:9).

But in the Sermon of Olives, Jesus makes it clear that all this will happen in the future. Matthew 24-25 is a prophetic sermon that tells the twelve disciples about a time that has not yet come, about a time in which they themselves will not live.

There are at least six indications in the sermon itself that it refers to the distant future and that it cannot be applied to events related to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, as many interpreters believe, or with the age of the Church, as others have suggested.

First such a sign is birth pangs, where false Christs (Matt. 24:5), wars between nations (vv. 6-7a), famines and earthquakes (v. 7b) are only the “beginning” (v. 8). The figurative expression "birth pain" was often used by ancient Jewish writers, especially in connection with the end times. The great modern Jewish scholar Alfred Edersheim writes: "The Jewish writings very often speak of the pangs of the birth of the Messiah."

Birth pains do not occur at the time of conception and not during pregnancy, but just before birth. Therefore, the figurative expression "birth pain" could not personify either the destruction of Jerusalem that occurred at the beginning of the era of the Church, or the very era of the Church as a whole.

Paul reminded the Thessalonians that Christ would come as a thief comes at night—suddenly, silently, and suddenly. Using the same figurative expression that Jesus used in the Sermon of Olives, the Apostle said:

"When they say, 'Peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them, as childbirth comes upon a woman with child, and they will not escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

The labor pains begin just before the birth, and the contractions gradually become more frequent until the baby is born. In the same way, the events associated with the return of the Lord will begin just before His Coming and will rapidly escalate and intensify until they turn into a series of catastrophes. This same period is depicted in the book of Revelation when the seals of the judgments are broken and events unfold, probably over several years (see 6:1–8:6). Then the trumpet judgments occur in much shorter periods, probably weeks (see 8:7-9:21; 11:15-19), and the bowls of God's wrath are poured out on the earth, most likely over several days or even hours (see 16:1-21).

Second sign that these events refer to the future is noted in Matt. 24:13-14 where Jesus speaks of believers who will endure birth pangs to the end. Since the disciples clearly did not live to see the end of the age, the events of chapters 24–25 could not have applied to them or to other believers, including those living today. All believers who will live at that time will be raptured just before the Great Tribulation (1 Thess. 4:17), so all these events will not affect them. These events can only apply to those who believe in Christ during the Great Tribulation, whose true faith will be confirmed by enduring everything to the end (Matt. 24:13).

Third sign- Proclaiming the Gospel throughout the world (Mat. 24:14). This event completely excludes the apostolic age, when even the Roman Empire was not entirely evangelized. This event cannot be applied to our time, when, despite the spread of the Gospel through modern means mass media all over the world, there are still billions of people who have never heard the gospel. In Matt. 24:14 is implied, and in Rev. 14:6-7 explains that the future proclamation of the gospel around the world that Jesus speaks of will happen miraculously and in an instant.

The fourth sign- “the abomination of desolation, [said] through the prophet Daniel” (Matt. 24:15). Daniel predicted that just before the Messiah would establish His kingdom and judge the world, the Antichrist would “[stop] sacrifice and offering, and on the wing of the sanctuary there will be an abomination of desolation, and final predestined destruction will come upon the desolator” (Dan. 9:27). This is yet to happen.

Fifth sign what Jesus says about future events is "the great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and never will be" (Matt. 24:21). The terrible events that Christ describes in this sermon will be the most tragic in the history of mankind, and they will occur at the end of the age, when the full and final judgment of God will be poured out on wicked people. Jesus speaks of the time foretold by Daniel, when "there will come a time of peril such as has not happened since there were men until now," which will be accompanied by the resurrection of the righteous to eternal life, and of sinners to eternal damnation (Dan. 12: 1-2).

Sixth sign- “after the tribulation of those days, the sun will grow dark, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken; then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven” (Mat. 24:29-30). These supernatural events have obviously not happened yet.

Seventh, and the last sign that Jesus was talking about the distant future is illustrated by the example of a fig tree (Matt. 24:32-35). As the blossoming leaves of the fig tree indicate the approach of summer, so the events that Christ mentions here will be a sign of His near Coming. “This generation will not pass away,” that is, the generation that will live at the time of the end of the age, “as all this will be” (v. 34). The signs described in Matt. 24–25 will take place before the eyes of one generation, the generation that will witness the coming of Jesus Christ.

Thus, everything that Christ said in the Olivet sermon will be fulfilled in the future. This does not mean that most of the circumstances and events mentioned here have never happened before. There have been wars and rumors of war practically since the time of the Flood; throughout history, mankind has suffered famine, and at all times earthquakes have occurred on earth. But the events recorded in Matt. 24-25, will be unique and unique to the end times both in description and in sequence, scale and strength. Some of them, such as the destruction of the physical universe (24:29), will be completely unique.

The fact that Jesus spoke in the second person, especially in chapter 24, is not proof that He was speaking to the disciples about their generation.

Old Testament prophets just as often addressed their words to distant descendants. God miraculously carried the prophet to the time he was to prophesy. And the prophet, as it were, directly addressed the people of future generations (see, for example, Is. 33:17-24; 66:10-14; Zech. 9:9).

Jesus was essentially saying, "You who will live at that time..." Beginning with Matt. 24:4, Jesus answers the disciples' questions: “When will that be? And what is the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” (Article 3).

But He gives the answer in reverse order. Jesus does not address the question of "when" until 24:36, where he states, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, but only My Father alone." In 24:4-14, Jesus answers from the second question, naming the first six signs, "birth pains" that will begin just before His Coming: the deception of false Christs (vv. 4-5), enmity between the nations of the world (vv. 6-7a) , widespread catastrophes (vv. 7b-8), the betrayal of believers to suffering (v. 9), the apostasy of ostensible believers (v. 10-13), and the proclamation of the gospel throughout the world (v. 14).

The deception of false christs

“Jesus answered and said to them: “Beware that no one deceives you, for many will come under my name and say, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many” (Matt. 24:4-5

First the sign that heralds the return of Christ will be the appearance of many false Christs, leading people astray. There were false Christs, or "messiahs", both before and after Jesus; they appeared at different times, including the present. But in last days their number and influence will increase significantly.

Jesus warns the people who will live in Lately.

They will not include Church Age believers (they will either be dead by then or be raptured before the Great Tribulation). In those days, the world will be deceived like never before, as the Holy Spirit will remove His restraining power, and all the powers of hell will be out of control. The evil, deceit, troubles, tragedies, clashes and hostility of those days will surpass everything the world has known until then.

As deception reaches its climax, Jesus warns, "Beware lest anyone deceive you." Greek word blepo (beware) literally means simply "to look," but it has often been used, as in this text, to mean "look out" or "beware." In a parallel passage, Luke records the words of Jesus: “Beware that you are not deceived, for many will come under my name, saying that it is I; and that time is at hand. Do not follow them” (21:8). Later in this sermon, Jesus repeats the warning: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Here is Christ or there,’ don’t believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Mat. 24:23-24). Using demonic power, end-time false Christs will demonstrate supernatural power that their predecessors did not have.

As the number of deceivers grows, so will the number of people who will desperately try to understand why so many calamities have come upon them and hurt them (see 2 Pet. 2:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:13) . The world will begin to collapse, suffering will become unbearable, and sin will manifest itself in its full measure. The moral and spiritual influence of the Church will no longer exist, and more importantly, the limiting power of the Holy Spirit will be removed (see 2 Thess. 2:7). Affected by unbridled vice, world systems and institutions will begin to collapse from within.

The desperate situation will be taken advantage of by skillful deceivers, false "messiahs", each of whom will declare: "I am the Christ." With their false gospel, they will deceive many, as they will promise people liberation from problems and troubles. The personification of all these false Christs will be the Antichrist, the last false messiah and deceiver. Just as Jesus Christ was the embodiment of righteousness, so the Antichrist will be the embodiment of evil. In the book of the prophet Daniel, he is called an impudent and skillful king in deceit (8:23) and a self-willed tyrant who exalts himself above all the gods and speaks blasphemous things about the God of gods (11:36). Paul calls him a man of sin and a son of perdition (2 Thess. 2:3), and in the book of Revelation he is called a beast (11:7; 13:1-10).

Disagreements and wars between peoples

“You will also hear about wars and war rumors. Look, do not be horrified, for all this must be, but this is not the end yet: for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom ”(Matthew 24: 6-7a)

Second the sign will be the intensification of unparalleled divisions and wars between the peoples and kingdoms of the world.

Verb "will hear" the form of the future tense of the Greek is translated. words mello, which means the duration of the action. People, more than ever, will constantly talk about ongoing wars and war rumors. Undoubtedly, there will be hot spots where hostilities will take place, as well as cold wars in the form of economic and political conflicts. Comparing these events with birth pangs, we can conclude that as the Coming of Christ approaches, these conflicts will increase both in quantity and in their intensity until they develop into a terrible massacre, a bloody massacre.

But believers at this time should not be horrified, says Jesus, because this is a sure evidence that God's plan is being carried out according to His will. These events, no matter how terrible and destructive, must be, says Jesus. They are the harbingers of the end, but it is not the end yet.

There seems to be no difference between the people and the kingdom, except that the people may mean democratic government, and the kingdom - authoritarian rule or dictatorship.

The bottom line is that there will not be a single group of people who would not be at war or under the threat of war. Conflicts will be both national and racial, ethnic and cultural in nature, which we are seeing today. However, at that time they will be much more intense and numerous. The confrontation will intensify all over the world. The book of Daniel in the Old Testament and the book of Revelation in the New Testament describe future conflicts in greater detail.

We learn from Daniel that “at the end of the time the king of the south will fight [Antichrist], and the king of the north will rush like a storm against him with chariots, horsemen and numerous ships, and will attack the regions, flood them, and pass through them” (Dan. 11:40).

The kingdom of the Antichrist will mainly cover the territory previously occupied by the ancient Roman Empire, namely, the western union of the states of a united Europe. Daniel mentions that it will be an empire of ten states (7:24), which immediately suggests the current European Common Market.

Earlier, Daniel spoke of Israel making a pact with the Antichrist in order to protect themselves from their neighbors (Dan. 9:27).

The Antichrist's confederation will completely dominate this part of the world and will exert strong pressure on the rest of the world.

The king of the south will come from somewhere in Africa, and the king of the north is most likely Russia, which will enlist the support of the Middle Eastern allies. These huge military forces will converge on the Holy Land, which is called "the fairest of the lands" (Dan. 11:41). “Many areas will suffer,” Daniel continues to explain, “and only Edom, Moab, and most of the sons of Ammon will be saved from the hand of his [Antichrist]. And stretch out his hand to different countries; the land of Egypt will not be saved. And he shall take possession of the treasures of gold and silver, and the various treasures of Egypt; Libyans and Ethiopians will follow him” (vv. 41-43).

The Antichrist will obviously triumph over the other great powers, at least temporarily. “But rumors from the east and north will alarm him, and he will go out in the greatest fury to destroy and destroy many, and he will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the mountain of the glorious sanctuary; but he will come to his end, and no one will help him” (vv. 44-45). The northern and eastern forces will regroup, and when the antichrist goes to them, he will be completely defeated and defeated, and no one will help him. Revelation speaks of a horse army of 200 million horsemen that will come from the east and destroy a third of mankind (Rev. 9:14-16). Interestingly, the Chinese land army exceeded this number several years ago.

This clash will be a war on a scale never seen before. All the forces of a united Europe from the west, Russia from the north, Africa from the south and Asia from the east will converge in Israel to fight in a great battle.

Consistent with Daniel's description, Zechariah's prophecy says that the Lord “[gathers] all the nations to war against Jerusalem, and the city will be taken, and the houses will be plundered, and the wives will be dishonored, and half of the city will go into captivity; but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against these nations, as he did in the day of battle” (Zechariah 14:2-3).

Through the prophet Haggai, the Lord said: “And I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms, and I will destroy the power of the kingdoms of the Gentiles, I will overturn chariots and those who sit on them, and horses and their riders will be thrown down - one by the sword of the other. On that day, - says the Lord of hosts, - I will take you, Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, my servant, - says the Lord, - and I will keep you as a seal, for I have chosen you, - says the Lord of hosts "(Hag. 2:2223 ). It seems that Zerubbabel, the ruler of Judah in the days of Haggai and a descendant of David, is the image of the Messiah, the greater Son of David, who will send His army to defeat the armies of the world, and then ascend to His rightful throne on earth.

In our time, it is not difficult to imagine how such a worldwide conflict could flare up. For decades, the world has been living under the threat of nuclear war, in alarm from the growing strife within states and at the interstate level.

The book of Revelation describes in more detail the wars and rumors of war that will involve all the nations and kingdoms of the world in the last days. Christ, the Lamb, is depicted with a book in his hands, which, as it were, personifies the will of the Father and the covenant, according to which the whole world passes to the Son (Rev. 6:1). When Christ opens seven seals in turn (such a number of seals was required by Roman law for a will to be considered legal), He alternately sets in motion the events prescribed by God, returning the world to Himself.

By breaking the first seal, He releases the Antichrist, the rider on the white horse, who will deceive in order to win (v. 2). During this time there will be no open hostilities, but a false sense of peace and security. As Jesus foretold in the Sermon of Olives, the first phase of Satan's final offensive will consist of deceit and cunning.

However, when the second seal is broken, the rider sitting on the red horse will be allowed to take this false peace from the earth, “to kill one another; and a great sword was given to him” (v. 4).

John also saw a terrible conflict caused by three unclean spirits, high-ranking demons of Satan, who would work great miracles and gather the kings and all the armies of the world "to battle in that great day of God Almighty ... And he gathered them to a place called in Hebrew Armageddon" (Rev. 16:13-14, 16). These demon-led forces will go to Israel, namely to Jerusalem, trying in vain to prevent Christ, the King of kings, from regaining His earthly throne. When they fight each other, Christ will come and destroy them all (19:11-20).

But before the Lord comes to win the final victory, the Antichrist and the forces of the north, south and east will take part in the fiercest battle, and they will succeed in destroying a third of the world's population.

In the face of an unprecedented carnage, the last hopes of the people will leave, and in those days, horror will reign on the earth. Only believers who hold fast to the Lord will have divine strength and courage, and fear will not strike them.

Devastation

“All over the world there will be famine, pestilence and earthquakes in places; yet this is the beginning of diseases” (Matthew 24:7b-8)

Third the sign of the end times is desolation throughout the world. Added to the deceit of false Christs, discord and war among the nations will also be added famine and earthquakes, natural disasters on a massive scale that will occur as the cursed earth begins to collapse. Luke adds that there will also be "plagues, and terrible things, and great signs from heaven" (21:11).

Earthquakes, terrible epidemics, a variety of terrible events and grandiose changes in the sky will bring suffering to people. Before their eyes, the world will begin to collapse, when in those indescribable days the unbridled forces of evil will rampage. The world has witnessed many earthquakes, times of famine, pestilence, and even heavenly signs, but they cannot be compared with the calamities of the end times. They will take place in different places and, obviously, simultaneously. While in one part of the world people will suffer from hunger, in other places there will be earthquakes; some will die of disease, others will be paralyzed with fear or terrified of what is happening in heaven.

John foresaw that when Christ opened the fourth seal on the book, power would be given to death and hell "to kill with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, and with the beasts of the earth" (Rev. 6:8). When He opened the sixth seal, “there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree, shaken by a strong wind, drops its unripe figs. And the sky disappeared, curled up like a scroll; and every mountain and island moved out of its place” (vv. 12-14).

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, seven angels appeared before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. When the first angel sounded, there were hail and fire mixed with blood and fell to the ground; and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

The second angel blew his trumpet - and as if a great mountain, blazing with fire, fell into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the living creatures that dwell in the sea died, and a third of the ships perished.

The third angel blew his trumpet - and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a lamp, and fell on a third of the rivers and on the sources of water. The name of this star is Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many of the people died from the waters, because they became bitter.

The fourth angel sounded - and the third part of the sun and the third part of the moon and the third part of the stars were struck, so that the third part of them was darkened, and the third part of the day was not bright - just like the nights (Rev. 8: 7-12; cf. 16:1-11; Joel 2:10; Acts 2:19-20).

All cereals and other vegetation will be destroyed throughout the world; those who eat seafood will starve; a third of the world's freight traffic will be disrupted; a huge number of people will be poisoned by polluted water; the seasons, the tides of the sea will be disturbed. The physical and emotional suffering will be so excruciating that people will bite "their tongues for suffering" (Rev. 16:10). Their torment will be like “the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man,” and “people will seek death, but will not find it; wish to die, but death will flee from them” (9:5-6).

After some time, when the seventh angel poured out the bowl into the air, there were lightnings, thunders and voices, and there was a great earthquake, such as has not happened since people on earth. Such an earthquake! So great! And the great city fell into three parts, and the pagan cities fell ... And every island fled, and the mountains were gone; and hail, the size of a talent, fell from heaven on people; and the people blasphemed God for the plagues from the hail, because the plague from it was very heavy (Rev. 16:18-21; cf. 11:13).

Yet this is only the beginning of illnesses (literally, labor pains), and there is still a lot to come.

Committing believers to suffering

“Then they will hand you over to torture and kill you; and you will be hated by all the nations because of my name" (Matthew 24:9)

Fourth a sign of the end times is the cruel persecution of believers by a vicious, wicked world. At this time, more than at any other time in history, the people of God will be treated in the most ungodly way, and in this sense they will be defiled.

Greek word paradidomi (will betray) often used to mean being arrested by the police or the military (see Matt. 4:12). While in prison, believers will endure terrible torment. Many of them will be put to death, and they will all be hated by all nations for the name of Jesus. In a parallel passage, Mark reports that Jesus said, "You will be betrayed in the courts and beaten in the synagogues, and you will be brought before rulers and kings for me, to be a witness before them" (13:9). Judgments seem to refer to Gentile authority, and synagogues to Jewish authority, indicating that persecution will come from both groups. Identification with the name of Jesus Christ will cost believers freedom, rights, respect, and often life.

As already noted, these will be people saved after the rapture of the Church, who will turn to Christ during the Great Tribulation. Many will be saved through the preaching of two witnesses whom the Lord will send to serve for three and a half years (Rev. 11:3). At first these witnesses will be supernaturally guarded (v. 4), but “when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes out of the abyss will fight with them and overcome them and kill them” (v. 7). In three and a half days they will be resurrected and ascended into heaven, and by this miracle many people will believe, be saved, and give "glory to the God of heaven" (vv. 11-13).

The persecution will be directed not so much against the believers as against the God whom they will serve and whom they will represent.

The hatred of the unbelieving world for God will increase. And since the world will not be able to carry out its attacks directly on God, it will persecute His people fiercely. When Paul said that he bore "the wounds of the Lord Jesus" on his body (Gal. 6:17), he confirmed that he had received the wounds that were actually intended for Christ. Since the people could not hurt Christ, they beat the one who represented Him.

When the Holy Spirit ceases to exercise His restraining function and Satan is given greater freedom, the saints will suffer as they have never suffered before. Those who openly confess Christ will have nowhere to hide or run. They will be persecuted and killed not for their deeds, but for the fact that they will bear the name of Christ. They will suffer for the name of Christ, that is, because they will identify themselves with Him.

When Christ opened the fifth seal on the book, John saw these holy martyrs under the altar, the souls of those slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying: “How long, O Lord, Holy and True, do you not judge and avenge our blood on those who live on earth?” And white robes were given to each of them, and it was said to them that they should rest for a little while longer, until both their co-workers and their brothers, who would be killed like them, complete the number (Rev. 6:9-11).

Later, the Apostle John saw “a great multitude of people, whom no one could count, from all nations and tribes, and peoples, and languages, stood before the throne and before the Lamb in white robes and with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! “” (Rev. 7:9-10). One of the elders explained to the Apostle that “these are those who came from the great tribulation; they washed their clothes and made their clothes white in the blood of the Lamb” (v. 14).

The killings that unbelieving humanity will not repent of (Rev. 9:21) will include the killing of unbelievers, but, as in the case of the Antichrist (13:7) and the great harlot (17:6), the saints will be the most severely attacked.

Apostasy of False Believers

“And then many will be offended, and they will betray one another, and they will hate one another; and many false prophets will rise up and deceive many; and because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold. He who endures to the end will be saved” (Mt. 24:10-13)

Fifth sign is a consequence of the fourth. As end-time persecution intensifies and believers are hated, imprisoned, and killed for Christ, many professed Christians will backslide. Although they pretended to belong to Christ, by their desertion they would prove that they never really belonged to him.

When persecution becomes too severe, they will leave Christ, join the unbelievers, and do evil to the people of God.

Jesus points to three reasons for their apostasy: too high a price, a very convincing deception of the false teachers, and a very attractive sin.

1. Too high price

“And then many will be offended, and they will betray one another, and they will hate one another” (Matthew 24:10)

Any noble cause has minions who are flattered to be involved in it while it is popular. But as soon as a conflict arises or a case is criticized, they immediately fall away. The Church of Christ is no exception. Throughout its history, the Church has had adherents who liked to bear the name of Christian when it was acceptable and honorable in society, but who very quickly lost their loyalty when this name was reviled, and those who bore this name were persecuted (see Matt. 13:20-21).

The feigned Christians who will be offended during the Great Tribulation are not true believers who have shown timidity and weakness. These are unbelievers whose true character will be revealed when they openly reject Christ and betray His people with hatred. They cannot be compared with Peter, who, in a moment of fear and weakness, renounced Christ. They will be like Judas, who betrayed Christ to his enemies out of hatred for Him.

The apostle John says that such pretenders leave Christianity because they have never truly been a part of it. “They left us,” he says, “[because] they were not ours: for if they were ours, they would have remained with us; but they went out, and through that it was revealed that they were not all of ours” (1 John 2:19). Such people leave the visible church of Christ because they have never been part of His invisible Church. They leave God's earthly family because they were not born into His heavenly family. “If you continue in my word,” Jesus said, “then you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31); and on the day of judgment He will declare to the professed believers: “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity” (Mat. 7:23).

“The student is not higher than the teacher, and the servant is not higher than his master,” Jesus said. - It is enough for a student to be like his teacher, and for a servant to be like his master. If the owner of the house was called Beelzebub, how much more so of his household? (Mat. 10:24-25). A true disciple of Christ is ready to suffer as Christ suffered, and no amount of suffering can make him abandon his Lord and Savior.

Christ said: “Therefore, anyone who confesses Me before men, I will confess him also before My Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven… And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (vv. 3233, 38; cf. 2 Tim. 2:12) .

The pretended Christian who turns away from Jesus Christ and refuses to suffer for Him was not a true believer from the very beginning. A person who truly belongs to Christ may stumble or be disobedient, but he will never reject his Lord. The person who belongs to Christ continues to confess Him, serve Him, and suffer for Him when necessary. He can endure everything, not because of his strength or endurance, but because the Spirit of Christ lives in him, which always strengthens God's children and gives them grace.

The writer of Hebrews warned those of the early church, "Be careful, brethren, that there be not an evil and unbelieving heart in any of you, lest you fall away from the living God" (Heb. 3:12). Paul told Timothy: “The word is true: if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we endure, then we will reign with him; if we deny, He will also deny us” (2 Tim. 2:11-12).

This text brings us to the realization that in the days of the Great Tribulation, as today, not all Christians will be true Christians. Many will be feigned, and when the price of discipleship becomes too high, they will leave Christ and His Church. They will be like those feigned disciples who said to Jesus, “Lord! I will follow You wherever You go”, as well as: “First let me go and bury my father”, and: “I will follow You, Lord! But first, let me say goodbye to my family." They will lay one hand on the plow of discipleship, but they will not leave their old life, thus proving that they have never found a new one. Jesus said they were "not fit for the Kingdom of God" because their hearts were never with Him (Luke 9:57-62).

The ostensible believers who have backslidden in the last days will not be content to simply leave the church, but they will join its persecutors and betray each other and hate each other.

God's people will be betrayed by those who were once part of it but turned away from Christ when the price became too high. In order to save their own skin, and also to give vent to their hatred for everything of God that has always lived in their hearts, they will turn into informers and persecutors.

At that time, Jesus said, “Brother will betray brother to death, and father his children; and children will rise up against their parents and kill them” (Mark 13:12; cf. Luke 21:16). Not only in churches, but also in families, those who did not truly belong to Christ will turn against true believers, even to the point of betraying their own children and parents to torment.

2. Very Convincing Deception of False Teachers

“and many false prophets will rise up and deceive many” (Matthew 24:11)

Some ostensible believers will back down because the cost will be too high; others because they will be deceived about the gospel.

In the days of the Great Tribulation, false prophets will join the false Christs (v. 5) in trying to deceive the people with false teachings about God. They will persuasively present teachings that at first glance will seem true and pious, but, in their essence, will be deceitful, satanic. In the end times, not only will there be outright evil such as the world has not seen until then, but there will also be a vast array of false religions that has never been seen before. Satan will act under the guise of an angel of light until the very end (2 Cor. 11:14).

It is clear from Revelation chapter 17 that false religions, represented there in the form of the harlot of Babylon, will flourish. The image of a harlot is undoubtedly used because the world religious system, like a harlot, will sell itself in order to keep people from the true Good News and salvation with the help of false gospels and other means. Despite external differences, the religions of that time will have one common feature: they will hate the people of God, the true, purified brothers and sisters of Christ.

It's interesting that feature false religions of the end times will be "sorcery"(Rev. 9:21) that in Greek matches the word pharmacology from which the term pharmacy is derived. Both ancient Greek and modern word related to medication. The use of mind-altering drugs was common in many pagan religions of antiquity, and in light of the modern epidemic of drug abuse and addiction, it would be surprising if end-time sorcerers did not use drugs and hallucinogens.

A very attractive sin

“And because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold. He who endures to the end will be saved” (Mt. 24:12-13)

Third the reason for the apostasy is the love of lawlessness, which, as it multiplies, will contribute to the fact that the love of righteousness, truth, and everything related to God will grow cold in many.

While end-time iniquity will most certainly involve a disdain for human laws, it will most likely manifest itself as an increase in contempt for God's law. Evil will multiply so rapidly and unceremoniously that many people who were initially attracted to the gospel will turn away from it, because they will be fascinated by increasing sin.

Lawlessness will be devilishly aggressive and unscrupulous. Instead of hiding their sins, people will expose them, and such obvious evil will distract many, including some professed believers, from spiritual matters in which they once had an interest.

Describing the same time that Jesus is talking about here, Paul warns:

“Know that in the last days there will be hard times. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, ungodly, unfriendly, uncompromising, slanderers, intemperate, cruel, not loving good, traitors, insolent, pompous, more voluptuous than lovers of God, having an appearance of piety, his powers are denied. Turn away from such” (2 Tim. 3:1-5).

General cruelty, immorality, debauchery, selfish aspirations, and all other moral vices will spread rapidly as sin becomes rampant. People will wallow in debauchery and will be proud of it.

“He who endures to the end will be saved,” Jesus said. This does not mean that a person will be saved by his patience, but his patience will be the result of the work of the Holy Spirit and the proof that he is saved. Neither the high price of discipleship, nor the deceit of false prophets, nor the attraction of sin, can force true believers to forsake Christ, for He Himself will keep them from apostasy.

Patience is always a sign of salvation. “You will be hated by all for my name,” Jesus said. “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt. 10:22; cf. Luke 21:19). The man who endures in faith, no matter how hard or persecuted he may be because of his belonging to Christ, proves that he belongs to Him. And Christ assures such a person that he will be saved. Such a person will eventually be delivered from the modern evil system of lawlessness and wickedness and enter God's eternal kingdom of righteousness.

The perseverance of the saints in faith is a fundamental element of the doctrine of salvation in the New Testament. It says that people who are truly saved do not fall away from the faith (see John 8:31; James 1:2-4; 1 Cor. 15:1-2; Col. 1:21-23; Heb. 2:1-3; 3:14; 4:14; 6:11-12; 10:39; 12:14).

The mention of salvation in the future tense in the passages just quoted does not signify its beginning, but rather its end. Patience cannot initiate salvation, just as no other human effort can. But it is a testament to the spiritual life in the believer and a reminder to him that "he who began a good work in [him] will do it even until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6; cf. John 10:27-29; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24; Rom. 5:8-10; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 7:25).

The one who endures to the end is the overcomer, the beloved child of God who is not afraid of suffering or death, who will be given the crown of life and who "will not suffer harm from the second death" (Rev. 2:10-11).

Persistent faith is faith given and kept alive in the Christian by the Holy Spirit of Christ.

The end-time patient believers are those who have come out of the great tribulation; they washed their clothes and made their clothes white in the blood of the Lamb. For this they now stand before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple, and He who sits on the throne will dwell in them. They shall no longer hunger nor thirst, nor shall the sun burn down upon them, nor any heat: for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall shepherd them, and lead them to fountains of living waters; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Rev. 7:14-17).

Proclaiming the gospel to the whole world

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14)

Sixth and the last sign of birth, indicating that the end times are at hand, is the proclamation of the gospel throughout the world like never before. Before the Lord Himself comes, this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all nations.

Despite the deceit of false Christs and false teachers, unprecedented wars, pestilences and calamities, severe persecution of the saints, and apostasy of false believers, the gospel of Christ's Kingdom will be proclaimed. Despite the tyrannical rule of the Antichrist and the efforts of hell and its demons that will devastate the earth, the Lord Jesus Christ will not be left without witnesses.

Just before the bowls of judgment are poured out and the last great slaughter begins, and just before the intensified birth pangs will testify to the imminent establishment of the Kingdom, God will supernaturally bring the gospel to every person on earth. He will send an angel who has "the everlasting gospel to proclaim the gospel to those who dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people." This angel will proclaim: “Fear God and give Him glory, for the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, and the sea and springs of water” (Rev. 14:6-7).

This will be the last and complete evangelism for the world, which will be miraculously proclaimed from heaven. After that, the days of a person will be numbered, his rebellion will stop and there will be no possibility for salvation, because then the end will come.

All glory to Christ

The Second Coming, the Lord will judge you will know that there will be a terrible judgment. The first coming was in humble form, but now God will come as Judge.

And coming again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.

The Second Coming will be different from the First

The first coming to earth of the Lord Jesus Christ was humble, He took upon Himself the “image of a servant” ( Philp. 2:7).

His second coming will be different, He will come again, but already as a Judge, in order to judge the deeds of people, both those who lived before His second coming, and those who have already died.

The second coming will be very formidable.

The Lord Himself says this about him:

“as lightning comes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man,” and then the Second Coming is when: “the sun will darken and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven 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 Coming Son on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet; And they will gather His chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:27-31).

When will the Second Coming happen? The Savior tells us:

No one knows about that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but only My Father is One. Matthew 24:36).

Second Coming and False Prophets

Previously and in our time, all kinds of false teachers often appeared who prophesied about the end of the world and even called the exact date this event. No one who will tell the number or exact time The Last Judgment cannot be trusted, this is unknown to anyone except God.

In addition, for any of us, every day of our life can be the last, and we will have to answer before the Unflattering Judge.

Ignaty Brianchaninov about our own demise

Here is what St. Ignatius Brianchaninov says about the end of this world, and about our own end:

“The day and hour are unknown when the Son of God will end the life of the world by coming to judgment; the day and hour are unknown, at which, according to the command of the Son of God, earthly life each of us, and we will be called to separation from the body, to giving an account in earthly life, to that particular judgment before general court that awaits a person after his death.

Beloved brothers! Let us stay awake and prepare for the terrible judgment that awaits us on the verge of eternity for the irrevocable decision of our fate forever.

Let us prepare ourselves, stocking up on all the virtues, especially mercy, which contains and crowns all the virtues, since love, the motivating cause of mercy, is the “totality” of the Christian Col.3:14).

Grace makes people who are filled with it god-like ( Matthew 5:44,48; Luke 6:32,36)!

Signs of the Second Coming of Christ

Before the end of the world there will be, predicted in the Holy Scriptures:

1. wars
2. unrest
3. earthquakes
4. hunger
5. national disasters
6. mass diseases

There will be an impoverishment of faith and morality. A “man of perdition”, the Antichrist, a false messiah, will appear - a person who wants to become in place of Christ, take His place and have power over the whole world. Having reached the supreme earthly power, the Antichrist will demand to be worshiped as God. The power of the Antichrist will be destroyed by the coming of God.

About the Last Judgment

After His coming, the Lord will judge all people. How will the Last Judgment take place?
St. Philaret of Moscow (Drozdov) writes that God “will judge in such a way that the conscience of each person will be revealed to everyone and not only all the deeds that someone has done in the course of his entire life on earth will be revealed, but also all the spoken words, secret desires and thoughts ".

Another Saint John (Maximovich), Archbishop of Shanghai and san francisco also says:

“The Last Judgment knows no witnesses or records. Everything is recorded in human souls, and these records, these "books" are revealed. Everything becomes clear to everyone and to oneself, and the state of a person's soul determines him to the right or to the left. Some go in joy, others in horror.

Impact of sin after death

When the “books” are opened, it will become clear to everyone that the roots of all vices are in the human soul. Here is a drunkard, a fornicator - when the body died, someone will think that sin also died. No, there was inclination in the soul, and sin was sweet to the soul.

And if she has not repented of that sin, has not been freed from it, she will come to the Last Judgment with the same desire for the sweetness of sin and will never satisfy her desire. In it will be the suffering of hatred and malice. This is a hellish state.

“Fiery Gehenna” is an internal fire, it is a flame of vice, a flame of weakness and anger, and “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” of impotent malice.

Christ will judge the world

The Lord Jesus Christ will judge the world.

“For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son” ( John 5:22).

Why? Because the Son of God is also the Son of Man. He lived here on earth, among people, experienced sorrows, sufferings, temptations and death itself. He knows all the sorrows and weaknesses of man.

The last judgment will be terrible, because all human deeds and sins will be revealed before everyone, and also because after this judgment nothing can be changed, and everyone will receive what is worthy according to their deeds.

How a person lived on earth, how he prepared for a meeting with God, and what state he reached, then he will go with him into eternity. And the worthy, the righteous will go to eternal life with God, and sinners into eternal torment prepared for the devil and his servants. After that, the eternal Kingdom of Christ will come, the Kingdom of goodness, truth and love.

On God's Mercy to Sinners

But the Lord is not only a Terrible Judge, He is also a Merciful Father, and of course He will use His mercy, not to condemn, but to justify a person.

Saint Theophan the Recluse writes about this:

“The Lord wants everyone to be saved, therefore, you too ... the Lord doomsday will not exact, how to condemn, but how to justify everyone. And he will justify everyone, if only there is at least a small opportunity.

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in the bible

In the Old Testament

Events of the Second Coming

Time of the second coming

Jesus told his disciples about the second coming

Signs of approach

The apostles also pointed out some signs of this time, such as: the appearance of many false Christs (Matt.; 1 John), the spread of the gospel sermon throughout the world, to all nations (Matt.), the impoverishment of faith and love in people (Matt.; Lk.), fear of disasters that should befall the Earth (Lk.) and the appearance of a lawless person (Greek. ὁ ἄνομος ) (2 Thess.), that is, the Antichrist.

1. Rev. - "and every eye shall see Him";
2. Matt. - “and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”;
3. Mr. - “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory”;
4. OK. - "People will die of fear and expectation [disasters] coming to the universe, for the powers of heaven will be shaken, and then they will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory."

In some areas of liberal theology, the second coming of Christ is understood as an invisible presence on earth.

Rapture of the Church

At the same time, the doctrine of the Rapture (Ascension) of the Church, based on a number of New Testament passages ( “Then we, the survivors, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” 1 Thess. and also 1 Cor. etc.) According to them, at the Second Coming, the Church will be caught up to heaven to meet Christ.

In Christian theology, there are different opinions regarding the time of the Rapture of the Church: whether it will take place simultaneously with the Second Coming, or some time before it (before or in the middle of the Great Tribulation period).

The author of Lectures on Systematic Theology, Henry Clarence Thiessen, found statements that the Rapture and the Second Coming are different events separated in time already in ancient Christian works: the treatise Against Heresies by Irenaeus of Lyon and The Shepherd by Hermas. However, according to Thyssen, in the first centuries of Christianity “there was some confusion about this issue”.

Before the second coming, there will be a resurrection of the dead in Christ and a change of the faithful who remain alive. In some Christian denominations (Baptists, Pentecostals, etc.) they believe that at this time the Church will be raptured and meet with Christ in the clouds. (1 Thess.; 1 Cor.; Philp.; 1 Jn.).

The second coming will be joyful for Christians (1 Pet.; 2 Tim.) and at the same time terrible and formidable for non-Christians, because now Christ will come judge the world (see article The Last Judgment). [ ]

After the judgment, eternity will come - blessed in communion with Christ for some and painful for others. (Jn.; Dan., etc.)

The Second Coming in various teachings and denominations

• Entry into force of the new world order (general planetary system of power);
• Putting into operation a unified financial system;
• The manifestation in the human form of the "man of sin" - the Antichrist;
• Transfer to him from the strongest politicians of the world of all power on earth;
• Restoration of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem (Third Temple);
• The ban on faith in Christ, the physical extermination of Christians and dissidents, the restriction of personal freedoms;
• The peoples' militia against the state of Israel and the war with it.

Next historical events some theologians of the 19th century (Joseph Wolf, Edward Irving, William Miller, Joseph Smith, Leonard Kelber, Mason, Winthrop) were considered as a possible beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus Christ about his second coming [ ] :

• Lisbon earthquake November 1, 1755.
• Solar eclipse May 19, 1780.
• Two-day meteor shower from November 12 to 13, 1833.
• Edict of Toleration in the Holy Land, March 21, 1844.
• Religious revival in late XVIII and the first half of the 19th century in England and the USA.

Analogies and oppositions in other religions

Buddhism

Here is what the great sage Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, said about the coming of Bodhisattva Maitreya (who will become Buddha in the future):

“So, my brothers! In those days, the Exalted One will appear in the world, Who will broadcast under the name of Maitreya (three arhats who have achieved perfect enlightenment), blessed with wisdom and justice, the blessed Servant, knowing world, the incomparable Leader, the tamer of mankind, the Teacher of devas and people, the ascended Buddha, equal to Me. He will restore standards - merciful at the beginning, merciful in the middle, and merciful at the end. He will preach a full, true life - outwardly and spiritually. And He will lead a brotherhood of many thousands, just as I am now leading a brotherhood of many hundreds…”

Maitreya(Skt. Maitreya - "Merciful") - in the mythology of Buddhism - the expected Buddha. Buddhist legends tell that the Buddha met Maitreya in Tushita heaven and appointed him as his successor on earth, so that he would appear in the form of Buddha in the distant future.

Islam

According to Islamic doctrine, at the end of time, before the End of the World, Al-Masih ad-Dajjal (false messiah, antichrist) will appear. His appearance will mark the trials that will fall to people. The dominion of ad-Dajjal will last for several years, after which he will gather under his leadership a huge army and start a war against those who rejected him. And at that moment will come from heaven

Question: The Bible speaks of the Second Coming of Christ. How and when will it happen? Alexander
Answer: The events of the present time are of great interest to all living on earth. But God has always warned people of future destruction. Those who believed in His signs and acted in faith, obeying the commandments of God, avoided the judgments that came upon the disobedient and unbelieving.
Remember Noah? And a word came to Noah: “Enter you and all your family into the ark; for I have seen you righteous before me” (Genesis 7:1). Noah obeyed God and was saved. And the story of Lot? And Lot and his family were told, “Get up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city” (Genesis 19:14). Lot entrusted himself to the guardianship of heavenly messengers and was saved.

Are God's Warnings Over Old Testament? No. Christ predicted to His disciples that Jerusalem would be destroyed. History tells us that those who watched the signs of the coming catastrophe and left Jerusalem escaped death during its destruction.
So today we have been given a warning about the Second Coming of Christ and the destruction of the whole world. Whoever heeds the warning will be saved.
First, we CANNOT know the exact date of Christ's coming. The Bible says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, but only My Father alone” (Matthew 24:36). But there are signs by observing which we can say that this event is close:

1. Wars: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom…” (Matthew 24:7). 20 million people died during the First World War, 50 million people. - During the Second World War. And now there are constant military operations. You will say: there have been wars before. Yes they were. Only the number of those killed in these wars was in the hundreds and thousands, and now it is in the millions.

2. Famine: “…And there will be famines…” (Matthew 24:7). Every week, 250,000 people die of starvation. Over 100 million children will die of starvation this decade.

3. Epidemics: “… And there will be… plagues…” (Matthew 24:7). Despite the successes of modern medicine, in our time there are many diseases that cause mass death of people.

4. Ecology: Another sign of the times is pollution and global warming. The Bible predicts that our world will decay. In Isaiah 51:6, God says, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look down on the earth: for the heavens will vanish like smoke, and the earth will become worn out like a garment…”.

5. Earthquakes: “And there will be … earthquakes in places” (Matthew 24:7). About 1 million earthquakes are registered annually in the world. In the last 90 years alone, 1,500,000 people have died. And this statistic is growing every year.

6. Depraved society: The Bible warns: “Know, then, that in the last days perilous times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, ungodly, unfriendly, implacable, slanderers, intemperate, cruel, not loving good, traitors, insolent, pompous, more voluptuous than lovers of God, having an appearance of piety, but denied his strength” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Looking at the world around us, we understand that comments are unnecessary.

7. Fear (terrorism): "People will die of fear" (Luke 21:26). An attack on New York, explosions in the London subway, asphyxiating gas in the Tokyo subway, the death of innocent people on the streets of Moscow, Tel Aviv, Baghdad and many other cities. Today, these events are becoming commonplace and make the inhabitants of the Earth constantly fear for own life and the lives of their children.

8. Preaching the Gospel: Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). The gospel is preached all over the world on television, on the radio, on the Internet, through literature, and simply in personal conversations.

Secondly, there will be NO Flood - so God Himself said: “I establish My covenant with you, that all flesh will no longer be destroyed by the waters of the flood, and there will be no more flood to desolate the earth” (Genesis 9:11). There will be tsunamis, floods (which we are now seeing), but the Earth will not perish from the waters of the flood.

Thirdly, the coming of Christ will be a real event: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11), visible and audible to all people: “Like lightning proceeds from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27); “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Fourth, they will try to fake the coming of Christ. Jesus warned His disciples: “Beware that no one deceives you, for many will come in My name and say that it is I; and they will deceive many” (Mark 13:5-6).

Fifth, it will be a climactic event after which life on our sin-tormented planet will change completely. “For behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall no longer be remembered or enter into the heart” (Isaiah 65:17).

We add that the events of the Second Coming of Christ will not seem so terrible if we wait not for something (that is, disasters and destruction), but for Someone - a loving Lord and Savior who will not allow those who sincerely believe in Him to perish. Because God will prepare a new heaven and a new earth in which the redeemed will dwell.