By Benji Carey-Smith

I sure am! What am I eagerly awaiting? The return to earth of the Son of God – Jesus Christ. I have been really only since God rescued me back three or four years ago. It does make sense. After all, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God created a new heart within me that loves Him exceedingly. So it is no wonder I’ve been longing to be with my Saviour since then: it’s no wonder I long for His return. That is true for every Christian; every person whose heart has been recreated by God’s power – because He has put a heart within them that loves Him! If a professing Christian isn’t longing for Jesus to come back (as He Himself has promised to, and commended us to watch for), then it could be because they don’t have a heart that loves Jesus.

Christians won’t feel at home in this world. They always will feel out of place.

Jesus said:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21 – NIV)

That is a clear statement that gives evidence of whether you truly are a Christian or not. If your heart is set on the things of this world – your plans and desires and thoughts are all consumed with temporal, earthly things – then that is where your treasure awaits.

In other words, if you aren’t focussed on eternal things, you don’t have an eternal treasure waiting; meaning eternal life!

That is talking about what consumes your time; what the overall pattern of your life is. Of course even true Christians get off track and focus on earthly things at times, but not as the overall pattern of their life – they will be set on eternity. Jesus said:

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19 – NIV)

So if you do feel at home with the world, and it loves you and treats you like everyone else (this is talking of the way non-Christians treat you), then chances are you’re not born of God. Because if God is transforming you into the image of His Son, which He is with every Christian – then every  unbeliever (all of who have a heart that hates God and the truth, according to the Bible) will hate you more and more.

Of course they will: the more you become more like the God they are hostile to in their depraved minds. It is inevitable. We truly are aliens and strangers in this world, as the Bible says. We don’t belong to the world; we belong to God who chose us out of the world. That is the Biblical characteristic of all those with genuine faith in God.

Is that your description? Do you feel like an alien and stranger in the world? If not, you probably belong to the world and not to God (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Because of these things, I believe every one of Christ’s sheep will be eagerly awaiting His return. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are always thinking about it, because we can all get distracted by things around us, by people and other things demanding our attention.

Things sure can be hectic. But we always know that we have a future hope, even though we can temporarily forget that. But it means that in their spirits there is a longing and desire for that glorious event and the hope it holds.

I need to make it clear that I am not judging another believer’s heart to say whether they are saved or not, because sometimes we can’t always see the outward expression of the heart, though as the pattern we should be able to. It’s not my intention to judge any fellow believer’s heart or to take away assurance that is not false.

I am also not stating that you must be eagerly awaiting His return as the basis to be saved! Of course we are saved though repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone, by grace and not by works so that no one would boast. But Scripture gives us evidence and characteristics of there being a true work of God in salvation in believer’s lives, hence why we are told to make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10-11) and test ourselves to see whether we are in he faith (2 Corinthians 13:5) and why we are clearly told faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26).

This is to bring us assurance of our faith if it is genuine or take away false assurance if we are not – so it is a good thing! So no works, including eagerly awaiting Christ’s return, can contribute in any way to our salvation – I want to make that crystal clear. It is by the precious blood of Jesus Christ alone. His work was sufficient. But rather, I am showing how Scripture reveals to us this is a characteristic of believers (or evidence that their faith is for real).

It is clear the early church were, by the apostle’s writings, and it is clear throughout the church age Christians were longing for Christ’s return in their generation and time (just read hymn lyrics from all throughout time – it was simply words coming out of a people that loved God). Today is just the same. But the Scriptures seem to indicate one of the characteristics of this time nearing the end of the age is that:

‘in the last days scoffers will come, following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. But they deliberately forgot that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.’ (2 Peter 3:3-7 – NIV)

This is talking about people who have an understanding of Scripture; that is very clear in that they know about the Lord’s coming. They obviously have a basic grasp of prophecy and the Bible, and the words of Jesus. They scoff at the idea of Jesus returning soon, and maybe even doubt the actual physical return of Jesus (one of the ploys Satan has used since the garden – doubt of the truth of God’s word – or distortion of this truth – or denial of this truth).

They claim time continues to go on. If told that there are many signs today of the Lord’s soon return (in nature, society, Israel, the church, and many other arenas), they will say these things always happened (like earthquakes etc). They cannot see that the birth pains are increasing and the birth is about to occur, because these signs are rising dramatically and are all aligning and happening at once.

They doubt that God would ever come back to destroy this world and every person who doesn’t have faith in Christ. They hate a God like that who is righteous and holy as well as merciful and full of grace and kindness (the true God of Scripture) because of their evil hearts, so they cannot accept God’s promise to return.

They cannot see through spiritual eyes just how evil the world is at this time. I cannot understand why God has not come back to judge the earth yet! When I see the evil around and begin to see how much God hates it, I only start to grasp the riches of His mercy already shown to us. These people, Peter implies, are within the “church” of this age (the ‘last days’).

Look around! It fits the description of so many. It used to fit me. A huge number have even embraced a false doctrine that Christ won’t physically return. Pure ridiculous. They cannot accept what scripture clearly says. And many say, “Every generation expected Christ to return in their time, and so far they’ve all been wrong, so why should we now?”

Well of course they always did, because they had hearts that loved God and longed to be with Him, and they simply took to heart God’s words when He told us to be prepared and expect His return. Paul and the apostles did – they lived and breathed as though Christ would come at any moment! So how much more should we today?

Peter says these scoffers will follow their own evil desires. Their seeking of God will be a self-centred seeking, a lust-based seeking, fuelled by their own desires. The result of this will always be a critical view of God’s warnings. If you look at the Western “church” today, most people have this view, and only a minority are truly believing in Jesus’ imminent return and living it out as the general pattern of their life.

Could these ones be the real Christians? Peter infers this. He infers these scoffers won’t see His coming (verse 10 says it will come like a thief to them – and later we will show it won’t come like a thief to true children of the light), in other words, they won’t be taken by Christ along with the rest of the saints of the church age.

There is a link between these people, the scoffers Peter described, and people Paul described in his letter to the church in Philippi:

‘For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.’ (Philippians 3:18-21 – NIV)

Here, by context, Paul is speaking of people in the church (professing Christians). He says many will go to hell. Not just a minority, or a few here and there – but MANY.

There are two types of professing Christians in the church; one type live as enemies of the cross by the way they walk/their lifestyle. The characteristics of these people are again a self-based seeking of God. They just do whatever their own desires tell them. They feed their desires. Of course they’re living as enemies of the cross, because the cross is all about self-denial and the Lordship of Jesus, and submission to His will and Word.

These people, Paul makes clear (a large number in the church setting) will not see the coming of the Lord at His return. He also contrasts them from ‘us’, in other words the true Christians, who are eagerly awaiting the return of Christ. The others have their mind on ‘earthly things’. That goes hand in hand with a destiny of destruction.

He says ‘we’ don’t have our mind on earthly things, but on the Lord’s return. Why? Because our very citizenship is in heaven. Of course our mind won’t be on where we truly don’t belong. In other words, if we truly have a citizenship in heaven, we will be focussed and thinking about this heaven.

No doubt sometimes we are distracted, but we always have that awareness if our minds are on focus. If our mind is on earthly things as a general pattern, then our citizenship is simply not in heaven. So Paul clearly makes a distinction between two types of people in the church.

From the last few scriptures that we have explored, we can draw a table marking down their definite characteristics. Let me say again: these characteristics are the general pattern of their lives; the fruit of their faith or lack of faith; how they ‘walk’:

TRUE CHRISTIANS:	DECIEVED CHRISTIANS:
-          A number who claim to be Christian	-          Many people who claim to be Christian
-          Have a Christ-centred seeking of God, based upon the truth of His Word, denying self and their own fleshly desires. Live in submission to Christ as Lord	-                       Have a self-centred seeking of God. In reality are not seeking the true God, but a god they desire formed in their own flesh and mind. Don’t deny themselves, but lives as enemies of the cross
-          Mind on heavenly things	-          Mind on earthly things
-          Eagerly await Christ’s return, in their spirits	-          Don’t eagerly await Christ’s return
-          Destiny/citizenship is heaven and eternal life	-          Destiny is destruction/hell
-          Boast in Jesus Christ, not in their own flesh or strength, and nothing of this world	-          Boast in things they should be ashamed of, like things they’ve done and can do in their own flesh
-          They will see Christ returning. It won’t surprise them. They’ll expect it	-          They won’t see Christ’s coming. To them it will come like a thief and surprise
-          They’ll long for, believe in, and proclaim Christ’s coming, and in love warn of judgement to come	-          They will scoff at Christ’s imminent return, and other promises and warnings of coming judgement

It’s amazing how much truth we can extract from just a few passages of scripture! Paul said in the previous scripture that these destined for judgement within the “church” (quoted because God’s definition of church is different than ours) are ‘living as enemies of the cross’.

It doesn’t matter about their profession of faith; that means absolutely nothing. It doesn’t matter about their church attendance or any other religious activity. The general pattern of their how they live (day in, day out) shows they don’t walk in self denial and putting God’s will above their own, but following their own desires. So Jesus doesn’t have Lordship over them.

Christians won’t have this as a pattern. They won’t walk like this. They may have characteristics of an unbeliever for a short time. But God will reprove them by His Word. He will discipline them out of His love for them as their Father (Hebrews 12:4-11).

They won’t as a lifestyle have a single characteristic of an unbeliever described above. It is not a matter of matching up to most of the above characteristics. If you’re a professing Christian in the church you’ll either have all of one list or the other. If you have a single characteristic of a deceived Christian, that gives evidence you are deceived. Why?

Because these characteristics show forth the nature of the heart of a person: they go hand in hand. And you can’t have one nature/heart and another at the same time – we’re talking about the very root of your being. You’re either a new creation or you’re not!

To deny that you’re completely a new person in Christ, with new characteristics and nature and fruit, is to deny the power of God to truly and completely change someone’s heart. It is to diminish God’s mighty power, and take away from His nature.

This can be done even in a practical way. Someone who lives in a way that is not completely different than the way they were before they became a Christian (who still has characteristics of an unbeliever, like sinful living, or mind on earthly things) is denying, even without words, that they really are a new creation, that God is truly mighty to save not only from the penalty but also from the power of sin, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

How can anyone have a true encounter with the Spirit of God and not be permanently changed? Mind you, Paul also said that these days would be characterised by these very people – people who have a practical denial of God’s power to change their nature in salvation:

‘People will be lovers of themselves…….. having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.’ (2 Timothy 3:2,5 – NIV)

And later on, Paul said these same people are:

‘.… loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth…….. these men oppose the truth – men of depraved minds, who, as far as faith is concerned, are rejected.’ (2 Timothy 3:6-8 - NIV)

These people Paul is talking about are in the last days. The context:

‘But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.’ (2 Timothy 3:1 – NIV)

Clearly this is our time: the season of the end of this current age, the time of the Gentiles. We know this not only because of the clear signs of the season in numerous quantities.

But this passage shows this too because clearly at this time there is a lot of apostasy in the church, and because of our lack of knowledge of God and ways of God, and how we have been filtered with many false doctrines and teachings (and perhaps also the lack of loving church discipline), the church is filled with people who are practically denying the power of God.

They ‘have a form of godliness but denying its power’.  I was one of them for a long time, so the only thing in my heart is love and sorrow for these people – the vast majority of our Western “church”. It is also because we have this last century or so watered down and changed the gospel of our Lord.

So back to the table above: If you say you have one of the characteristics of a deceived Christian but call yourself saved, there is a high chance you are lost.

Because in identifying even a single Biblical characteristic of a deceived Christian (fruit of lack of genuine conversion), but then saying you are still a Christian, you are denying the power of God to change your very nature that leads to this evidence/fruit of conversion. And this denial of God’s power, even of a single characteristic, according to the passage in 2 Timothy shows you, ‘as far as faith is concerned, are rejected’. Wow!

Notice also, a characteristic of lost people in the church is being ‘swayed by all kinds of evil desires’: that self-centred based seeking again. They do whatever their own desires tell them to; their god is their stomach.

They are also ‘always learning, but never able to acknowledge the truth’. In regard to the promise of Christ’s return, that is why they scoff; because they are actually not able to acknowledge this is what will happen, what God has declared it in His Word. That is why they are not eagerly awaiting the return of Christ Jesus, which as we’ve seen, is a characteristic of a true believer.

This indeed is the theme of this piece of writing (believe it or not): that indeed, every Christian will be eagerly awaiting the return of their groom, Jesus Christ. I have explained a few reasons why this is so, like for example how it comes from our love of God and the fact our citizenship is in heaven.

As we’ve seen, another major reason is because unbelievers pursuit and seeking of God is a selfish lust-based seeking which leads to an attitude of scoffing God’s Word in regard to warnings (because they are believing only what they want to believe, not true faith which is believing it because God has said it, and His nature is trustworthy) which leads to being apathetic towards Christ’s return. True believers cannot be.

To the church in Corinth, Paul said:

‘Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.’ (1 Corinthians 1:7 – NIV)

Again, Paul emphasises that they are eagerly awaiting the rapture (note ‘Christ to be revealed; His meeting with them in the clouds. This revealing is for Christians and not for the rest of the world; that will come at His actual second coming back to earth where He will set foot on the Mount of Olives).

Paul clearly sees it as being something inevitable with these Christians, something completely expected, not out of the ordinary or unusual or only something a few would do. He is addressing the whole church: all the believers.

Paul addressed the church in Thessalonica:

‘They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead – Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.’ (I Thessalonians 1:9-10 – NIV)

Paul is reporting to these people how he had heard they had become Christian; how they had turned from idols to serve God, and how they also began to wait for Jesus to return. The two are clearly linked. For these things, they are exhorted.

This whole passage is talking about Paul’s thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ faith – how he has heard about their conversion. The things Paul was told about them are the very characteristics of their faith (the evidence), that cause Paul to give thanksgiving as they demonstrated it in these ways.

After all, if you didn’t have faith in God and His Word, why would you be waiting for Christ’s return? It actually shows you do have faith. It shows you believe God will do what he said He will do! That is, return to earth for His awaiting bride.

This is clearly shown by the parable of the wise and foolish virgins at Christ’s return (Matthew 25:1-13). The wise ones, who we know were Christians because they had oil: the seal of the Holy Spirit, could see their groom coming when He returned at midnight.

His bride can see Him coming! Every Christian can see our Lord’s return as imminent; they’re expecting Him. The above passage says that Jesus will rescue us from ‘the coming wrath’. If you don’t believe Christ will rescue us from the time of God’s wrath being poured out upon the earth (the time of tribulation, or Day of the Lord), then of course you won’t be waiting for Jesus: you’ll be waiting first for the antichrist to appear!

If the church is raptured later on, why should we be expecting Christ to come at any moment? And why then does Scripture say above that He will rescue us from wrath to come? And why should we obey Jesus:

“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36 – NIV)

Where His command for us, in the context of the return of Christ, is to pray we’d be able to escape all that is to come, but instead stand before Him? If the church is raptured after the time of tribulation, wouldn’t it make more sense to not eagerly await Christ’s return that is now not at all imminent, but instead wait for the antichrist being revealed which precedes Christ’s appearing to His bride?

That is why anything other than what the Bible teaches is silly! Christ’s return is imminent! It can happen at any moment. Only our Father in heaven knows when. Nothing needs happen before. Otherwise, why wait for Jesus, ‘who rescues us from the coming wrath’?

Later in his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul talks about the coming of the Lord at the trumpet call of God to take His bride and resurrect them (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11). We are told to encourage each other with these words. In other words, reminding each other what could happen at any moment will give us as Christians courage to live out our faith with strength.

I acknowledge I really haven’t been doing this as much as I should, encouraging other believers with these words. This is very important to do, so that our focus is on this day of our Lord’s coming and not on earthly things. The apostle Paul said some very interesting statements after he described this coming:

‘Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying “Peace and safety”, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you, brothers, are not in the darkness that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled…….. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6,9 – NIV)

Paul says he doesn’t even need to write to the Christians about the times and dates of this coming, because they will know when He’s coming! They are sons of light. Every Christian is. Paul says only those in the darkness will be surprised by this day: it will be like a thief to them.

If you’re scoffing about an event happening, you’re obviously going to be surprised when it does happen; it will be like a thief. Paul, with no ambiguity, says our Lord’s return won’t be like a thief to us; because we’ll be awaiting, expecting, and aware of it.

Again, the idea is of light and darkness: we are in the light so our spiritual eyes are all open, and we can all see His coming. We are all aware of the times and seasons – of the season we’re in; which is why Paul says that he doesn’t even need to inform any other Christian of the knowledge of these times and seasons, because every other Christian will have an awareness of Christ’s soon return.

Most in the “church” are asleep. They belong to the night. Every person, even every professing believer, who cannot see Christ’s return, belongs to the darkness – simple as that. This isn’t easy to write, but it is what Scripture clearly says.

Paul also says, in the context of the previous teaching on the coming of the Lord, that we as Christians have not been appointed to suffer wrath – so of course Christ is going to come at any moment before the Day of the Lord (He Himself said that no one would know the exact day or hour beforehand – so if it were at the end of the seven-year tribulation period, we would during those years know the exact hour of His coming by counting forward to the end of the tribulation – but He said we can’t know it, so it must occur before the tribulation).

Sorry this writing might not seem to have a lot of structure! I’m kinda just skipping from Scripture to Scripture and expounding on each. But I’m really trying to overall drive home the point that we should as believers in Jesus eagerly await His appearing – it actually is one of our marks.

We read in Titus:

‘For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.’ (Titus 2:11-13 – NIV)

In other words, we can only say no to sin by the grace of God, not in our own strength or merit, but by God’s power given in grace to us to leave sinful ways and overcome their power in our lives through the Holy Spirit working in us. That is all grace.

This is talking about the continuing work of God’s grace and sanctification in our lives, and is addressed to every believer as a reality in their life. Then it links the other part of our continuing walk in faith: as waiting for the appearing of Jesus.

It says this will be glorious, this appearing for His church. When Jesus appears to all mankind at His second coming, it will be terrifying and frightening for unbelievers and make them angrier than they were already. Paul in this passage links believers living in this age to having a constant attitude of waiting for Christ’s return (which completes the age).

This event is not some hum-ho, far-off occasion – but it is our present, constant, daily blessed hope! It is the great acropolis of all our future hope. And so much so, that it will always shape our present. Because if it is our blessed hope, a reality for every believer, then how could it not then affect the way we live.

Waiting for something, particularly something very important, changes the way you view things in the now – it broadens your outlook past today; it lifts your eyes to a far greater event than will every happen at any other point, not just in our lifetimes, but in all of history.

To Christians, our Lord’s return is the ultimate. It’ the culmination of everything. It’s all we’ve ever hoped and believed in. It makes every suffering we inflict, every sacrifice, every trial, every minute we serve God – all worthwhile. It is our blessed hope – when our bodies will be redeemed and glorified, and when we will actually be in the presence of our Lord, in an instant, for eternity more.

When sin will no longer be a battle, when pain and suffering will pass away. When this God whom we’ve only ever had faith in but never seen will actually be revealed before our very eyes as we rise to meet Him in the air!

The One who has infinite worth, who created and sustains the universe, who gave His life and suffered the wrath of God we deserved for our sinful ways on the cross, who is Lord over absolutely everything: this Being will in an instant be before our eyes in ALL His glory and majesty, and we, united with every believer in this church age since the apostles, will have our lowly bodies transformed so they will be like our Saviour’s glorious body; clothed in an immortal, heavenly, in corruptible body, forever more forward.

Does that sound at all like a blessed hope to you? Of course it is. It’s the longing of every believer’s heart. It is to BE WITH HIM. To be like Him. It is to be gone from this earth. Jesus said:

“if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:3 – NIV)

This promise from our Lord, which was to encourage us as His followers in this age, will be completely fulfilled for all in the church at our Lord’s return. It really is our blessed hope! If we are Christians that is.

Remember a Christian is a follower of Christ. Now it makes sense that the greatest thing someone who follows Christ could desire is this One they give everything to follow to come and return to them. If we are saved, then Christ’s return will be our blessed hope.

And if that is true, then of course we’re going to be waiting for this blessed hope to occur, otherwise by definition, it’s not a blessed hope. It should consume us. Like Paul:

‘But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.’ (Philippians 3:13-14 – NIV)

Read all his letters. Was there anything that consumed him more? Was he focused on the past, or what was ahead? He said the one thing he does do is forget the past and strain towards the future hope and prize in heaven.

His mind was on heaven, on the return of Christ, on glorification and His eternal reward. And we are called to be mature people by having this same outlook and drive, towards our eternal hope; our blessed hope.

At the end of the final revelation given to us, the church, to show what must soon take place (Revelation 1:1-3), we read:

‘The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” (Revelation 22:17 – NIV)

And a few verses later:

‘He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.’ (Revelation 22:20 – NIV)

What the Word of God says is that the Spirit says, “Come!” That is one of the deepest desires, one of the deep groaning of the Spirit – He longs for Christ’s return, for creation to be redeemed, and the world judged for sin. And He is within the church, in every believer (we are His temple), which is why the bride also says, “Come!”

This verse is so awesome. It is so clear. Everyone who has really been part of Christ’s bride over this whole church age has had the longing within them for Christ Jesus to come. It is their deep desire. That is why the bride says, “Come!”

It always has been (and will be till He does actually come) on her heart. Because His bride loves Him, that is why she is His bride of course! A bride is a lover. A lover cannot bear to be away from her groom.

She longs to be reunited; for Him to come back and take her away to where they belong, to where they’ll live. Christianity is a love relationship with people and God, and not so much just individuals (though that is true), but as a body of people, a bride, who love their God.

Are you part of that body who belong to God and love their Saviour? Jesus confirms these things said in this revelation given to John are true; that He truly is coming. And not just coming, but coming soon. It is what is always on our hearts and on our lips as the children of light; “Come!”

That is why we’ll eagerly await His return. Remember it’s because has put within us a heart of flesh that loves Him, replacing our former God-hating heart of stone.

Jude wrote in his letter:

‘Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.’ (Jude 21 – NIV)

When will He bring us to eternal life? When He appears to rapture His church and resurrect all their bodies to become eternal bodies.

Here is another clear teaching of this reality in a believer’s life:

‘We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.’ (Romans 8:22-24 - NIV)

A beautiful verse, this describes basically the deepest desire within us. Our inmost being, our spirit, is groaning to be redeemed from these bodies, and the sin that still is part of our nature. As slaves to righteousness, we long to follow God’s law, yet struggle so much because our sinful nature is restricting us from doing so; it is restricting us from our deepest desire to honour and glorify and serve God, and to obey and delight in God’s law (Romans 7:22).

So that is why our deepest hope and desire is to be redeemed into a glorified body and to be adopted as sons of God, so we can do these things without any hindrance or restriction of the enemy’s schemes or our sinful flesh and fallen nature.

Again it emphasises that we are waiting eagerly for this redemption and adoption. When will these things happen? The answer is when our Lord returns. That is another reason why everyone who ‘have the firstfruits of the Spirit’ eagerly await Christ’s return. Because in us, the Spirit testifies, it means redemption!

Another interesting point in this last Scripture is that creation also is groaning – and it is groaning like the pains of childbirth as it awaits for its redemption by Christ at His coming, for He will redeem creation; it will be restored for His millennial reign on earth following His second coming.

Now I have to admit that I’ve never personally experienced the pains of childbirth (or intend to, you’ll be relieved to know). But I do have a basic understanding of what happens with giving birth to a child. As the birth nears (or redemption in this particular case), what happens?

What happens is that the pains (contractions) increase in frequency and size. Paul says ‘we know creation has been groaning’, because we can look around and see natural disasters and extremes of weather, carnivorous and poisonous animals etc. It is under the curse, as we all know.

But as the birth is about to happen, so the birth pains increase. As Christ’s second coming (creation’s redemption) is about to happen, we should expect to see natural disasters increase in magnitude and frequency. They have always been there, right up till this present age (since the fall when creation was put under the curse), as Paul has stated: but they will dramatically increase right before Christ’s return.

This is interesting, is it not! It is undeniably what we’ve seen the last 50 years or so, and particularly the last 10 years – natural disasters on an unprecedented and unparalled scale.

Earthquakes, tsunamis, bushfires, droughts, landslides, floods, hurricanes, monsoons, storms, volcanoes, winds – all bigger than ever before and in the news more and more often, in fact almost daily now, over  every corner of the world. This is just fact, it is scientific fact. Just the other day I was reading the results of a report: that natural disasters have increased by 400% in the last 20 years. Here is a little of it:

‘The number of natural disasters around the world has increased by more than four times in the last 20 years, according to a report released by the British charity Oxfam. Oxfam analyzed data from the Red Cross, United Nations and researchers at Louvain University in Belgium. It found that the earth is currently experiencing approximately 500 natural disasters per year, compared with 120 per year in the early 1980s. The number of weather-related disasters in 2006 was 240, compared with 60 in 1980…….. “This is no freak year,” said Oxfam director Barbara Stocking. “It follows a pattern of more frequent, more erratic, more unpredictable and more extreme weather events that are affecting more people.”’ (From article on NaturalNews.com, 6/5/08, by David Gutierrez –  http://www.naturalnews.com/023362.html)

And this report was up till 2006 - the last three years have had even more – just look at the news every day! Having studied geology and seismology, I have seen the recorded rise in earthquakes’ frequency and magnitude particularly over the last decade. It is frightening.

Yes there have always been disasters, but major natural disasters fairly few and far between. Today, they are frequent and almost beyond keeping up with. Creation is having birth pains: the birth is about to happen. Of course Jesus actually echoed this very truth.

In Matthew’s gospel, He said in response to the disciples question about what the sign of His coming and of the end of this present age would be:

“There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of the birth pains.” (Matthew 24:7-8 - NIV)

In other words, the sign of the end of the age, among wars and many other things Jesus mentions, is that natural disasters such as famines and earthquakes (pestilences also mentioned in Luke 21; very interesting) will increase in numbers and size, like contractions before the baby is born; the beginning of the birth pains.

Actually creation won’t be fully redeemed till Christ’s actual second coming at the end of the time of judgement upon the earth. That is when Satan will be bound and the curse lifted, leading into the millennial reign of Christ where creation is restored to as it was before the fall, with the earth as God created it originally to be; flourishing, with no natural disasters, with animals living side by side  (Isaiah 11:1-11, 35:1-10, 65:17-25).

We will be redeemed from our fallen bodies at the rapture, creation at the second coming (two separate events), so this birth in reference to creation’s redemption is at that second event, the actual second coming of Jesus. This is further shown by a few verses:

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.” (Acts 3:19-21 – NIV)

‘The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.’ (Romans 8:19 – NIV)

The sons of God (the church) will be revealed when they return with Christ to earth at the final battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:7-14).

That is creation’s redemption; her re-birth. Of course this makes sense, because during the judgement period on earth, creation will be going berserk (huge contractions) with earthquakes, signs in the stars and heavens like meteor showers and solar activity, famines, plagues etc. (Revelation 3-20).

That is why what we are seeing now is nothing compared to what will happen in terms of nature’s extremes. Nothing. It is only the beginning of the birth pains.

Something interesting is that later on in this summery Jesus gives of the signs of the end of the age and His second coming, He said:

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” (Matthew 24:32-34 – NIV)

Let me remind you, these are the words of Jesus Himself. He tells us to learn something – to gain wisdom – from the example of what happens to a fig tree. We can tell the season by what we see happening to the tree; by looking at its twigs and leaves. Using this example, Jesus informs us that when we see these things, his return is near – right at the door. It is about  to happen.

There is actually a double meaning here too, because the previous day He had put a curse on a barren fig tree. This was a symbolic prophecy that God would soon pour out His wrath upon the Jewish people because of their spiritual barrenness in rejecting Jesus, His Son (in the Bible a fig tree is often a metaphor for Israel). In this same speech, as recorded in Luke’s gospel, Jesus also echoed this prophecy:

“They [the Jews] will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24 – NIV)

These things happened in history of course as the Jews were dispersed among the nations by the Romans under Titus, who conquered Jerusalem in 70 A.D. They really were scattered to all nations; they were cursed by God for their disobedience; they were punished for their rebellion.

But in accordance with the prophets (like Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Jesus Himself), God made Israel a nation again in 1948. Jerusalem had remained under Gentile occupation for 1,897 years, but on June 7, 1967, Israel won the city back during the Six Day War.

Since it became a nation again, God has been regathering them to this land from all the nations of the earth they were dispersed to for nineteen centuries. It is a modern day miracle, thought impossible even up till the early 1900’s. But it happened because God is in control and ordained it to happen; He has set the times and dates and seasons.

Anyway, the prophetic meaning here with this illustration Jesus gives of the fig tree in Matthew 24 is that when its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know it is the season of Jesus’ return: when we look at Israel and see the leaves comes out, which we saw in 1948 when it became a nation again, and the Jews return to the land again (in contrast to Jesus cursing the fig tree; dispersing the Jews).

So in context to both these meanings of looking at the fig tree – with  the regathering of God’s people to Israel and re-establishment of the nation, and with these things Jesus had previously described in Chapter 24 beginning to happen – what Jesus says next is just astounding. It is unambiguous.

Read the passage above again. He says, “This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened”. What generation? The generation that were born at the time Israel became a nation again in 1948; that saw the fig tree blossom. This generation has begun to see “all these things”.

They have seen the beginning of the birth pains, with natural disasters increasing in size and number over their lifetime. Jesus’ own words are that this generation won’t pass away till all these things happen. In regard to this promise, He says “I tell you the truth”.

In other words, we can absolutely trust this to happen. Jesus assures us that His words are true. Maybe He said that because He knew there would be people who would doubt what He said in the future. We can’t just ignore what our Lord has said.

“All these things” includes the time of judgement on earth (the Day of the Lord), which lasts seven years, much of what is described by Jesus in this chapter. For example, the very end of this tribulation period:

“They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30 – NIV)

“They” is referring to all the nations of the earth, so this is talking of the second coming of Christ, visible to every person, where He again sets foot on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:1-4, Acts 1:11), at the end of the seven years of judgement upon the earth. Jesus says all these things will happen in the lifetime of this generation, because they will see all these things happen!

All of them: the second coming of Christ, and the beginning of the birth pains we can all see around us (this is among many other things Jesus speaks of, which I won’t go into detail here). Point is, this generation Jesus speaks of is clearly the one born in 1948, at Israel’s rebirth.

They will see in their lifetime the return of Jesus – He has clearly promised this. This generation, as of now, is 61 years old. If the judgement before the second coming of our Lord is seven years, as Scripture tells us, and the rapture of His church is before that (maybe months or years); then that doesn’t leave a lot of time, particularly as the average lifespan is given in Scripture as ‘seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength’ (Psalm 90:10).

Obviously, in fact without any doubt at all, the Bible declares we are in the season and generation of the Lord’s return – it is very, very imminent. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees Sadducees for not being able to interpret the signs of the times (Matthew 6:1-4) and He tells us to know and understand the signs he has clearly given us.

The world who will face God’s judgement will have no excuse: they can’t say they haven’t been warned. They have. God is always patient and merciful. What we learned earlier is that many in the “church” will be blind to see the season we are in. But not those who belong to the light.

We will see. We can see. The Holy Spirit has opened our eyes and illuminated our vision. We know Christ’s return to rapture us is in the matter of years, or else our God is a liar. And that He ain’t! No we don’t know the day or hour, only the Father knows the precise time. But we know we are in the season.

So in light of the fact we can see the Day drawing near, what should we do?

‘Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.’ (Hebrews 10:25 – NIV)

This says we can see the Day approaching. Some people say, “We can’t know the season of Jesus’ return or if we’re in that season”. Well not according to the Bible. Here it says we can and will be able to see the Day approaching. And we are told, in light of this, to encourage each other even more.

That is priority number one – because the world will get blacker and blacker, more evil, more chaotic – so we as believers need more courage. Hence why we who are living in this season today (people the writer of Hebrews specifically addresses) should be encouraging each other like mad!

Another decent response is outlined by Paul in his letter to the Roman church (Romans 13:8-14). Basically he tells us, understanding the hour we live in, and because the Day is near, to love. Love our neighbours as ourselves. And clothe ourselves with Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

The writer of Hebrews also said:

‘Just as one man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.’ (Hebrews 9:27-28 - NIV)

Jesus will appear a second time, to bring salvation to those waiting for Him. You see, waiting for Christ eagerly is not merely an option for Christians, it simply is a reality.

In writing his second letter to young Timothy, a pastor, Paul said (right before his death):

‘For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.’ (2 Timothy 4:6-8 - NIV)

Paul goes on from saying that because he’s fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith, he will receive the crown of righteousness as a reward. These things are true for every single Christian.

Can someone not fight the good fight and be a Christian? Can someone not finish the race and be a Christian? Can someone not keep the faith and be a Christian? Every person who enters heaven will be able to say they also fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith (endured).

So, like Paul, every believer will receive this crown of righteousness in heaven. It suggests perhaps a right standing with God (righteousness), which is through Christ’s blood. Is that not true for every Christian? Paul isn’t some super-spiritual Christian who’ll receive this special reward along with a few others who ‘longed for his appearing’.

Rather, Paul says this prize will go to all Christians by saying, ‘and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing’ (obviously including himself in that group). So every Christian will long for His appearing. All who have longed for His appearing = every Christian in history.

By context, this verse could not mean anything else. As you read this article, I want to emphasise that I think that sometimes we can be distracted by the world, by the business and rush all around us, day by day. We can take our eyes off the prize. We can forget for a time about our Lord’s return. But deep in our spirits there is always that longing for our Saviour to appear.

Jesus said:

“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:37-42 – NIV)

What Jesus is emphasising here is what the world will look like at His return. Although the days of Noah were evil, and evil certainly will increase towards the end of this age, Jesus is actually emphasising the fact most people won’t be ready or expecting it.

They’ll just be living normal life, eating and drinking and marrying and divorcing, as though nothing is about to happen (clearly this has to be talking about the rapture, because if it was the second coming, people sure won’t be living normal life at that stage, in the midst of the great hour of tribulation).

They’ll ignore any warnings of God’s coming judgement, like Noah’s day did; and so they will know nothing of what’s about to happen on earth (a terrible time, in fact Jesus said it will be a time of “great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equalled again” – Matthew 24:21) until suddenly the church is raptured away from this earth and absolute chaos breaks loose across the earth; mayhem, confusion and fear.

The restraining power of the Holy Spirit over sin and lawlessness in this world (present in the body of Christ) will be taken away and people will be let loose in their depravity. There will be no second chance to escape it. They will face the Day of the Lord if that time comes suddenly to them/like a thief.

Many will turn to Christ during this time (Revelation 7:13-14), but they will face this time all the same, many being martyred for their faith but of course immediately taken to heaven if they are believers. It will come like a thief to most of the world alive right now, and many in the “church” who right at this precise moment are not expecting it in the least.

Many in the church are completely oblivious to the fact God is about to judge mankind on earth, or if they have been told they scoff at the idea. It is exactly as Jesus predicted. People are just living normal lives with no awareness – they can’t SEE, because they are not in the light!

What is about to happen? This passage above tells us. People will just disappear; they will literally vanish off the face of the planet (that is, Christians). Two people will be working side by side, one will be taken, one left. One raptured, one not touched. It will happen in the twinkling of an eye, at the trumpet call of God (1 Corinthians 15:52).

Did you know, that scientifically, this twinkling of an eye takes one six billionth of a second (i.e. 1/6,000,000,000 sec)? That’s how quick and suddenly it will happen; Christ’s bride will vanish. No wonder it will be a surprise!

Especially if you happened to, right at that moment, be looking right at a believer. It will particularly be a surprise for those who thought they were really Christians. I just hope lots of them straight away realise the truth of what’s happened and repent and turn to Christ. We are all called, because of this all, to “keep watch”.

Again, Jesus repeated His exhortation:

“So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:44- NIV)

Are you expecting Him? Am I? Most are not….

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or hour.” (Matthew 25:13 – NIV)

Keep watch means open our eyes and look! See Him returning. Or else it will surprise you like a thief, and you will be left behind to face the great judgement of God, the demonstration of our God’s perfect justice and righteousness.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!”(Mark 13:32-37 – NIV)

God has appointed the time; the day and hour. He will blow the trumpet for His Son to return, for our redemption. We’re told to be alert and on guard for our Master’s return. We don’t know the exact day or hour, so we have to be watchful and ready at all times, and never let down our guard.

We are all that servant at the door: and we are all told to “Watch!” Jesus is sure making it emphatic and clear! We know He’s returning soon: we don’t know exactly what time of day, whether it will be in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn, or in the middle of the day. But we must be ready:

“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress them himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.” (Luke 12:37 – NIV)

What good news! Our blessed hope, the glorious return of our Lord, is about to happen. I have been eagerly awaiting it since God saved me in 2005, and now I understand why. Every Christian, as we have seen, will be eagerly awaiting Jesus Christ’s return. Of that there is no question.

Let us encourage each other ALL THE MORE, because    WE CAN SEE THE DAY DRAWING NEAR!

Amen.

©2009 Benji Carey-Smith. Please distribute freely.