Bible Prophecy 3 of 7 - posted by Leland Jon (RevedUp) - tangle.com

Christ has bidden His people watch for the signs of His advent and rejoice as they should behold the tokens of their coming King. "When these things begin to come to pass," He said, "then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." He pointed His followers to the budding trees of spring, and said: "When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." Luke 21:28, 30, 31. rnrnBut the spirit of humility and devotion in the church has given place to pride and formalism, love for Christ and faith in His coming have grown cold. Absorbed in worldliness and pleasure seeking, the professed people of God have been blinded to the Saviour's instructions concerning the signs of His appearing. The doctrine of the second advent has been neglected; the scriptures relating to it have been obscured by misinterpretation, and to a great extent, ignored and forgotten. Especially is this the case in the churches of America. The freedom and comfort enjoyed by all classes of society, the ambitious desire for wealth and luxury, beget an absorbing devotion to money-making, the eager rush for popularity and power, which seems to be within the reach of all, leads men to center their interests and hopes on the things of this life, and to put far in the future that solemn day when the present order of things should pass away. rnrnWhen the Saviour pointed out to His followers the signs of His return, He foretold the state of backsliding that would exist just prior to His second advent. There would be, as in the days of Noah, the activity and stir of worldly business and pleasure seeking--buying, selling, planting, building, marrying, and giving in marriage--with forgetfulness of God and the future life. For those living at this time, Christ's admonition is: "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares." "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." Luke 21:34, 36.rnrnThe condition of the church at this time is pointed out in the Saviour's words in the Revelation: "Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." And to those who refuse to arouse from their careless security, the solemn warning is addressed: "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Revelation 3:1, 3.
« Close