Mark 13:32-33 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
Matthew 24:42-44 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
My beliefs: I believe in salvation by faith through grace through the redemptive work of Jesus's crucifixion, death, and resurrection. I believe in a pre-Tribulation rapture aka "escape" (harpazo).
My perspective: I am 52 years old. I grew up in a prophecy-watching Christian household, attended a Christian school until 10th grade, and accepted Christ as my Savior at 7 years old thanks to Mrs. Linda Jordan at Suffolk Christian Schools.
I have lived through the oil embargo of the 70s, the prediction that Armageddon would start in 1975, the passing of Hailey's comet in the mid-80s, the rapture prediction of 1988, the Gulf War in the '90s, the end of the century predictions, 9/11, the 2012 end of the world Mayan calendar, and the tetrad of blood moons. Along the way, there were more dates where the Lord's return was predicted by well-meaning Christians. Yet, here we are waiting still for His return.
Please notice, I am not scoffing at the date setters. I am stating my observations. I believe the things I have witnessed over the course of my life show there are Christians who ARE obedient in being sober, alert, and watching for the Lord's return. That is a very good thing. However, the flip side of being in a constant state of readiness is that sometimes you go too far with eager anticipation. I think it is fine to speculate (make an educated guess) a time frame, but we should stop short of predictions.
Why I watch events: Through Scripture, Jesus commands His followers to watch what is going on around us and we will know His return will be soon. He lets us know we can get an idea of when His return will be by what we see happening around us. He also very strongly warns us about being deceived.
Even when looking at all of the "He's coming!!" predictions I have lived through, I have never witnessed such a more visible time of good and evil warring heatedly back and forth. It is clear there is a silent war going on all around us.
Satanic rituals are performed right in front of our eyes under the guise of entertainment. Slumbering and deceived Christians are dancing, singing, and signaling with demons. Our music, music videos, movies, and tv programming contain symbols, allusions to, and outright statements to darkness and those who worship it. If you are aware of the dates, terms, and symbols of the partakers in evil, then you can easily find them. What I and others see them displaying says they think Jesus' return is imminent too. I could share about the evil in our governments, education, healthcare, and so much more, but I'll stop here.
Considering
- the signs in the sky
- the happenings in the world
- our physical calendar when considering the Fig Tree generation
- and the behavior/signaling of the ones who follow darkness,
If what we are witnessing is not leading us to His imminent return then we are, at the very least, at the beginning of a very significant time period.
There is too much going on everywhere we look. Even the science points to His return or something very big happening very, very soon. Even the evil workers are showing us they are expecting something big. Every pastor I know personally and the others I follow are expecting His return.
If Jesus returns today or 100 years from now, it does not change how we are to live. Jesus' followers are commanded to stay watchful and prepared lest we be caught unaware. After accepting Jesus as our Savior, we are to make Him LORD over our lives by laying aside the things contrary to His Word and doing what He wants us to do. We are to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. We are to live out the 59 One Anothers (printable pdf) in Scripture and seek to reach the lost (evangelize). We are to make His return, His kingdom, and His commands our focus. It should be HIM we run to first when we have questions, thanksgiving, and worries in this life. There is great wisdom in not giving us, His soldiers, an exact time because it keeps us in a state of living our best for His glory.
Dear Reader, Christians are told in 2 Corinthians 13 to examine themselves to know if they are of the faith. If the Most High visited you personally, read your thoughts, and saw how you were living, what would He tell you to do differently? Examining our faith, our thoughts, our actions, and comparing ourselves to God's standards is something all Christians should be doing regularly. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Make sure you are giving God the proper place in your life. Make sure you are treating others the way He wants you to value them. Are you sharing the good news? Do people you care about KNOW that you know Jesus? Consider your life carefully, and ask the Lord to make you ready for whatever is coming next.
Come, Lord Jesus, come!
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Romans 13:11-14
