(The Bible on the return of Jesus, part 2)

Last week we were looking at some cheering Bible texts, telling us that Jesus will come back to this earth and take us to be with Him in heaven. To that perfect and pure world, without pain, sorrow or sickness. (Click here if you haven't read part 1 of this series)

But how will this happen? Who will Jesus take back with Him to heaven? And do we know how far away the coming of Jesus is?

Lets see what the Bible says!

What will the coming of Jesus be like and do we know when He will come? I'm so glad the Bible hasn't left us to think up our own answers! So lets read from Matthew 24. Here Jesus' disciples, or followers, ask Him a question:

Matthew 24:3 "...Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"

Isn't this just what we want to know too? When shall these things be? And what signs will tell us that Jesus is coming soon? And what are the signs of the end of the world?
Let's have a look at Jesus' answer.

v4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
What is the first thing Jesus says? Before he starts telling us the signs? He tells us to take heed, or to take care or attention, that no man deceive us. To deceive someone means to mislead them or cause them to believe something that isn't true.

v5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
This is why we need to take heed! Because many people will come in Jesus' name, claiming to be Christ.
Has this happened today? Click Here to see a list of some of the people who have claimed to be Jesus.

v6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Wars and rumours of wars? Do we see that today? In the last seven years there have been more than forty wars worldwide! (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_2003-current)

What a large number of wars! But we should not be troubled, because Jesus said that all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

v7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Nations and Kingdoms rising against each other? Famines, Pestilences or plagues of disease, earthquakes in divers places? Have we seen these things take place today? What about WWI and WWII? More than 100 nations were involved in WWII.

What about Pestilences? We've recently seen the swine flu scare, and in the past we've seen the bird flu scares, mad cows disease etc. As well as diseases such as Cancer that have almost become an epidemic in western worlds. One in three Americans will be diagnosed with Cancer.
(see http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/opinion/19iht-edservan.1.16308287.html)

What about earthquakes? There have been over 100,000 earthquakes in the last 100 years. Click the image below to see a graph of earthquakes greater than M6.0 over the last 45 years. Notice the steady increase.

(sources http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/data/centennial.php, http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/historical_mag_big.php)

v8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
So Jesus says that when we see these signs, that it is only the beginning of sorrows.

Do you think we have seen these signs fulfilled today? It is a sobering thought, that what Jesus said would happen, and that the signs He gave us to point to His coming and the end of the world, have actually happened in our world!

Matthew 24 continues to tell us more valuable signs and warnings, but we'll look at that further next week.

There are many people who are looking at what is happening and are recognising that something great is about to take place. And indeed by looking at the state of our world we could agree with them.

The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the strained, restless relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they recognize that something great and decisive is about to take place--that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis. - Education, by Ellen White p. 179

And while we study more on this amazing topic, remember that we are:

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;