Before his ascent, Jesus left us counsel about the signs that would mark his second coming. Whilst the most noticeable and spoken of these are the wars, pestilence, false prophets, earthquakes, famines, immorality, and Christian persecution there is little mention of the state of the Church or professed followers before that. Let’s find out together.
As a prophet, John the Baptist was “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” In preparing the way for Christ’s first advent, he was a representative of those who are to prepare a people for our Lord’s second coming. {Desire of Ages by E.G White 101.2} This means that the state of the church at that time will be the state in today’s time before the Second Advent.
Already before the appearance of John the Baptist, the people of God were oblivious to what had already occurred. It was a shame that the people who were entrusted with the Holy Scriptures and prophets of all kinds could not interpret the birth of Jesus but strangers and sojourners of a foreign land to whom little light had been given.
Matt 2:1-4
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
My goal and your goal are to be alert as the second coming of Christ draws nearer. As the saying goes history has a way of repeating itself but let’s make it a point that its fulfillment this time around does not involve us. During his childhood days, Jesus avoided the Rabbinical Schools citing faithless services that caused the requirements of society and God to be in constant collision. Men were departing from the word of God, and exalting theories of their invention. Are we any different today?
Matthew 3:11
Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance:
During John’s ministry, not all were pure of heart and prepared for the Messiah. John the Baptist rebuked every sin and called everyone to repentance including the Priests of the Temple. He denounced adultery, taking bribes of soldiers, divorce, and many more. Here is one final mark of the church of the last days that you and I should avoid being part of.
Matt 17:10-13
The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
The church had persecuted many of the prophets of God and Jesus himself was soon to suffer the same consequences. Is the church not persecuting the God’s sent nowadays? Can we even tell between God’s and Man’s sent prophets? Who are we listening to most of the time? Are we sure they are God’s sent or do we just enjoy their preaching? In the history of the Old Testament, most prophets were not sent to the Gentile worlds but to Israel. Why?
Prophets like Zachariah, Amos, Micah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah suffered martyrdom at the hands of the Kings and Priests of the Israelites because they did not agree with their God-sent message. How is the church any different today? Man hears and listens to what he or she likes to hear the rest he just lets pass. How can my actions be a hindrance to God’s work and cause suffering to his anointed ones today?
Matt 23:33-39
“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.
In my study of the whole Bible, I have heard God speak more earnestly to his people than the Gentiles. God has been rejected much more by his chosen than the rest of the world and so we need not be complacent because we are the so-called believers or Christians of today lest we fall into the same delusion that had Ancient Israel who missed the first Advent of Christ as a result and we too miss his Second One.
Mark 13:32-37
32 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 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. 35 “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. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!'”
God help us to keep watch for his Second Coming. God bless and see you in the next lesson.
If you liked this article then be sure to share it with friends and family.