What Happens When Jesus Returns? The Fig Tree Means...

When & How Does Jesus Return?

Matthew 24:30, “and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Few Christians understand what the “sign” is, which is the reason I am writing this article.

One of Scripture’s most prominent themes is prophecy: the Bible presents humanity’s history—past, present, and future—through God’s revealed plan. Its most compelling promise concerns what still lies ahead. As Christians, we believe the Bible is the Word of God because so many prophecies have already been fulfilled, including those tied to specific dates and, in the case of Jesus’ first advent, even the time of day. As the Lord says in Isaiah 42:9, “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.” No other book compares with the Bible in revealing the future, and one of its greatest prophetic events is the Coming and Return of our Lord Jesus—the world’s Messiah—known today as His first and second advents.

Where, then, are we in relation to the Lord’s “Return,” or Jesus’ second advent? Scripture tells us in Matthew 24:42, “Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord does come.” Likewise, Revelation 3:3 says, “Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you do not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” Read carefully, this implies that those who do watch will know. The real question, then, is what we are to watch for. Many assume there is no need to watch, because Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him…” From this, they conclude that everyone will instantly recognize His return, especially when they expect Christians to suddenly disappear. This conclusion, however, comes from a mistaken interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, (1260) with the voice of the archangel, (1290) and with the trump of God: (1335) and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (1260) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord…” Because of this view, many think “watching” means only watching their own conduct. That is certainly good, but it is not the whole thought Scripture gives about what we are to watch for. Let us consider additional scriptures, then return to these passages to see how they fit into the larger prophetic picture.

Acts 15:14-17 says, “Simon (Peter) has declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, says the Lord, who does all these things.” What is especially important here is the order of events, which many seem to miss or ignore. First, the Lord takes from among the Gentiles a people for His name—His Church, often called His Bride. After this, He “returns” to “build again the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up…” This suggests that the rebuilding of Israel’s ruins serves a purpose: that the rest of mankind may “seek after the Lord.” But are not the “ruins” of Israel being rebuilt even now? If Scripture says He “returns” to rebuild the “tabernacle of David and the ruins of Israel,” then how can we say He has not yet returned?

Note that Peter is giving us a clue as to where Jesus went when he said in this parable in Luke 19:12 “A man of noble birth [Jesus] went to a distant country [to "the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name".] to lay claim to his kingship [Church of the firstborn] and then return [to the Jewish people]. 13Before he left, [to go to the Gentiles] he called ten of his servants [the Jews converted to Christ] and gave them ten minas. [the holy spirit] ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said. 14But his subjects [the Jewish people] hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ 15When he returned from procuring his kingship, [in 1874 beginning of the harvest] he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what each one had earned.

16The first servant came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has produced ten more minas.’ 17His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ [now happening beyond the veil, as their deeds now follow with them] 18The second servant came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’ 19And to this one he said, ‘You shall have authority over five cities.’ [the church in training... revelation 14:13] 20Then another servant came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have laid away in a piece of cloth 21For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’

22His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then did you not deposit my money in the bank, and upon my return I could have collected it with interest?’

24Then he told those standing by, ‘Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ 25‘Master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ 26He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more; [as in the double portion given to Elisha] but the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. [binding of the tares or cast into outer darkness] 27And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’” [the slaying of the Jewish people in World War 2. Jeremiah 16:16 Done to drive them home. Revelation 16:17-21]"

Acts 15:14-17 continues Peter’s quotation from Amos 9:11, so let us pick up where he left off in Amos 9:14-15: “And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel [this began in 1878 Petah Tikva - Wikipedia] and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them. 15And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, says the LORD your God.” It is difficult to spiritualize this passage as applying to Christians, as many denominations have tried to do. Today, we should be able to agree that this prophecy has been fulfilled and continues to unfold. Anyone familiar with Jewish history can see that Israel’s restoration has taken place. How, then, can anyone deny that modern Israel fulfills Acts 15:16 and its reference to Amos 9? A nation that ceased to exist for more than 1800 years has been reborn, just as Scripture foretold. Can such a remarkable event be ignored? Certainly not. Yet many misunderstand it, and because the Devil remains the god of this unconverted world, they fail to grasp what it reveals about the times in which we live.

Many today believe the Church is the tabernacle of David and that Christ returns to build His Church. He does build it in heaven, which relates to the scriptures cited earlier by those who say we “don’t have to watch because we are going to be caught up in the air to be with him.” Still, please consider the following scriptures, which support the view that His return involves building not only the heavenly tabernacle—the Church—but also the natural house of David.

Romans 11:25-28, “For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the full number [of the Church, the 144,000] of the Gentiles be come in. 26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, "There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer [the Church completed beyond the veil] and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies [During the gospel age] for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for their fathers’ sakes.” [Abraham Isaac and Jacob]

Many Christian churches today try to spiritualize all the scriptures being cited. Yet Paul clearly said that Israel’s experiences were written as examples for us: 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” In many ways, the institutional Christian Church today appears to be in the same condition as the Jewish Church in Jesus’ day. Luke 19:44 says, “and shall dash you to the ground, and your children within you; and they shall not leave in you one stone upon another; because you knew not the time of your visitation.” After His resurrection, Jesus brought judgment upon the Jewish nation, overthrowing their hopes because they failed to recognize “the time of their visitation.” Likewise, most so-called Christian nations before World War I failed to recognize the time and purpose of His return. In 1914, He brought them down, just as He had brought down Israel in A.D. 70—forty years after His coming in each case. Like the Jewish synagogues, Christian churches still place His return in the future, just as Song of Solomon 5:8-9 said would happen.

Another statement by Jesus—one few examine closely and one that makes it difficult to spiritualize every scripture about Israel—is found in Luke 21:24: “And they [the Jewish people] shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” This echoes the apostles’ question to Jesus on the day of His ascension about whether the kingdom would be restored to Israel, but it also gives the timing: “the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Clearly, then, the times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled; Israel’s rebirth as a nation in 1948 makes this an undeniable fact of history.

For 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples. On the final day, we read in Acts 1:6-11, “They therefore, when they came together, asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father has set within His own authority. 8But you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you: and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. 9And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10And while they were looking steadfastly into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11who also said, "You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you beheld him going into heaven.” Several important points are highlighted here. First, Jesus did not rebuke the disciples for believing the kingdom would be restored to Israel—something that has now occurred. The wording also suggests that this restoration would be connected with His return. Second, the angels’ question—“why do you stand looking into heaven?”—is often misunderstood. Yes, He comes “in like manner,” but the point is that few saw Him go, and few would recognize Him at His initial return. If the angels meant what most Christians today are taught to expect, the disciples would have had reason to keep staring into the sky until they died. Clearly, then, watching literal clouds is not the intended meaning of “like manner.” A cloud did receive Him out of their sight, but it is the “cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews 12:1 that helps make plain that He has returned.

A helpful illustration of this “cloud” appears in Revelation 14:14: “And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand sharp sickle.” Christians are meant to view matters from a heavenly perspective. Anyone who has flown above literal clouds knows they are always white from above, though from below they may appear very different. The earthly view of this same cloud is described in Joel 2:1-3: “Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD comes, for it is nigh at hand; 2A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there has not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 3A fire devours before them; and behind them a flame burns: the land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.” Amos gives the same warning in Amos 5:18-20: “Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! To what end is it for you? The day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. 19As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. 20Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it.” Why is it described this way? Because people do not understand what is happening—even now.

Not everyone agrees with how I view Acts 15:16 about the Lord’s return, and what the tabernacle of David represents. I really respect Gloria Zendler and her feelings on the subject are as follows.

[My thinking is that the reference to the tabernacle of David is to natural Israel. The tabernacle there means the earthly restored nation. The Tabernacle is a picture of the new creation and the development of the Christ as in Hebrews, but tabernacle also has a generic application for an earthly dwelling as in "tabernacling in the flesh." I see the Acts 15 text as a synopsis of God's plan--first development of the church class, the "people for his name,” then the restoration of Israel, the "tabernacle of David" [David was the nation's king not a priest], then the return from the grave of the rest of mankind, the "residue of men." I also think the phrase, "and all the Gentiles who are called by my name," is a reference to the church class who in association with their Lord will administer the restoration work in the Kingdom and to whom returning mankind will look for their instruction in righteousness. This is different from what most brethren think. I have had discussions with others on this last point and somehow, they seem to equate the residue of men to the Gentiles on whom his name is called.]

Another scriptural example of a cloud picturing the Lord’s return appears in Exodus 19:9-15, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever… 10And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11And be ready against the third day: for the third day [the day of the Lord] the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12And you shall set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that you go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever touches the mount shall be surely put to death: 13There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mount. 14And Moses went down from the mount unto the people and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 15And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.” Notice the items I have highlighted in bold…

I come unto you in a thick cloud: Spiritual meaning: The cloud prevents the people from seeing the Lord directly, shielding them from the blinding light, as happened to Saul on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:13-14). This was given for our instruction, so that we might recognize the Lord amid the surrounding trouble—the antitypical cloud—and see that He is the one changing the world and establishing Israel as His mountain/Kingdom, which must not be touched. Zechariah 2:8 says, “For thus says the LORD of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.”

be ready against the third day: Spiritual meaning: Just as Jesus was in the grave for parts of three days, this may picture parts of 3,000 years from the time Jesus came down and spoke to the people in the place of Moses. It may also have a more literal fulfillment in the third millennial day, beginning in 2033—from Jesus’ resurrection in A.D. 33 to 2033—which may mark the completion of the Church’s resurrection. See also: Selection of the Lamb on the 10th.

Whosoever touches the mount shall be surely put to death: Spiritual meaning: Israel is the mountain of God, and history shows the consequences faced by those who have fought against her since she became a nation again in 1948. As Zechariah 2:8 says, “For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “After His Glory has sent Me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye.”

When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mount: This refers to the 7th trumpet as pictured occurring on the 7th day of Joshua going around the walls of Jericho, also the 7th trumpet of Revelation 11:15.

come not at your wives: I believe this is a spiritual reference to Revelation 14:4, “These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. In other words, we need to be careful against being defiled by the doctrines which Satan’s Churches of Christ teaches. Especially the most blasphemous; those that teach the doctrine of hell fire and brimstone.

Another scripture describing what would happen at the Lord’s return is Matthew 24:44-51: Therefore, be also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes. 45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? [extending the “Marriage Supper” to those who remain] 46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he has come shall find so doing. 47Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming [saying after he has “returned” that his return has not yet occurred] 49And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken [those who do not recognize his return, drunken with the teachings of unfaithful churches that just want your money] 50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” This passage indicates that, when the Lord returns, He appoints a watchful servant as a messenger to the Church, giving “meat in due season” about the timing and purpose of His return. This servant is also connected with the sounding of the trumpet. The same thought appears in Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Many Christians acknowledge that we are at “the end of the age” and living in the seventh stage of the Church, where this message applies. Yet they often miss that this is also the stage of the Lord’s return. To the previous two stages He says He is coming, but to the seventh He says He is “standing at the door.” Someone standing at the door and knocking is not merely on the way—he is already there. Jesus is inviting His people to share the same “meal” spoken of in Luke 12:36. Historically, someone did announce His return in a significant way: Charles Russell. Likewise, after His resurrection, Jesus did not reveal Himself to everyone, but only to chosen witnesses, as Acts 10:41 says: “Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.” In the same way, I believe the Lord now reveals Himself at the end of the age to those He has “chosen”—those who are called, chosen, and faithful. The general call has ended; those chosen must now keep their crowns and remain faithful unto death. At this time we are partaking of the marriage supper, also called the Latter Rain. See also: When is the Marriage of the Lamb.

The other part of Matthew 24:48-51 says “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming [saying, after He has “returned” that his "return" that His has not yet occurred] 49And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken [those who do not recognize His return, being drunk with the teachings of unfaithful churches, often hate those who say "He has returned"] 50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This describes the “tare” class in the parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-29; 36-43). The tares, or weeds, are burned; that is, they cease professing Christianity as it becomes unpopular and less comfortable for the flesh, especially as Christianity is increasingly viewed as full of hypocrisy. In the resurrection, they will be found “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” because their deeds will be made manifest, as described in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

The Double and Russell

When Charles Russell was alive, he started an organization/publishing company called “The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.” Today that organization has come to be known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. After Russell died, the publishing company was forcefully taken over by a man named Joseph Rutherford who systematically instructed those who followed the Watch Tower to reject most of the major teachings that Russell believed in, including the time of the Lord’s return delaying it by 40 years. I believe this was to fulfill again what was stated in Matthew 25:48-51 “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delays his coming; 49And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” One of the first things Rutherford (who took over after Russell died) did was to change what the Watch Tower publications taught concerning the belief that the Jewish people have anything to do with God’s plan to use them as his witnesses, Rutherford taught that those who followed him, that is, The Watch Tower are God’s chosen witnesses hence their adoption of the name, “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” This is the same thing that the institutional Christian churches today teach. But the Bible is clear, the Jewish people are God’s witnesses, not because they have followed his ways, but because their Fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob followed him and because he loved them and is watching over their offspring. He is now disciplining those children for their wrong actions and yet he still considers them his people! They (the Jewish people) are God’s witnesses to the world, for the world to take note as to how he is able to correct people from their wrongful ways, and to show the world his patience and mercy with them, even when the world can see the Jewish people’s bad behavior. Note Jeremiah 16:10-21, speaking of the Jewish people God says, “And it shall come to pass, when you shall show these people [the Jewish People] all these words, and they shall say unto you, Wherefore has Jehovah pronounced all this great evil against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against Jehovah our God? 11Then shall you [referring to Jesus and the Christians] say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me [not referring to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but to their children which became “fathers” after they entered the promised land] says Jehovah, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law; 12and you have done evil more than your fathers; for, behold, you walk every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that you hearken not unto me: 13therefore I cast you forth out of this land into the land that you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there shall you serve other gods day and night; and I will show you no favor!!!. 14Therefore, behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that it shall no more be said, As Jehovah lives, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 15but, Jehovah lives, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries [not just Babylon at the end of the 70 years Babylonian captivity] whither he had driven them. And I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. 16Behold, I will send for many fishers, [Jewish Zionists] says Jehovah, and they shall fish them up; and afterward I will send for many hunters [Hitler and other Jewish haters], and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. 17For mine eyes are upon all their ways; they are not hid from my face; neither is their iniquity concealed from my eyes. [notice they are brought back in unbelief.] 18But first [before I bring them back] I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable things and have filled mine inheritance with their abominations.

Notice “I will send for many fishers” & “I will send for many hunters” the one speaking here is our Lord Jesus "spiritually” at the time of his return. Russell never saw the “hunters”, that is, Germany under Hitler, or the formation of the State of Israel, as he died in 1916. And only a small group of Bible Students broke from the Watch Tower and continued with →his teachings← on the subject. Russell was intrigued with the use of the word “double” in the above text and linked it to another in Zechariah 9:9-12, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes unto you: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim [the 10-tribe kingdom] and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off [cease to fight for them] and he shall speak peace unto the gentiles: [where he went to receive his kingdom] and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. 11As for you also, by the blood of your covenant I have sent forth your prisoners out of the pit wherein there is no water. 12Turn you to the strong hold, you prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto you.” This text is cited in Matthew 21:5 and applies to the time that Jesus’ rode into the city of Jerusalem in triumph as Israel’s true King. It is hard to mistake the meaning of this double today. Jacob the grandchild of Abraham died around 1813 BC which began the time that the Lord began to deal with the twelve children of Israel (Jacob) as a nation. God’s favor to the nation of Israel therefore lasted 1845 years until Jesus who, similar to (Jacob having twelve children) had twelve apostles, rides into the city of Jerusalem, is hailed King of the Jews and pronounces upon the Jewish nation “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:38) to fulfill the above cited text in Zechariah 9:9-12. If then their favor lasted 1845 years, is it not reasonable to assume that the “double” would mean that their corresponding disfavor would also last 1845 years as God is a God of Justice? When we add 1845 years to AD33, the time that Jesus pronounced the “double” to begin, we come to the year 1878. God, true to his word, in 1878 he raised Benjamin Disraeli, the only person of Jewish descent ever to become a Prime Minister of England. Disraeli made it possible for the Jewish people to buy land again in Palestine that is, present day Israel.

And thus it was in 1878, that Petah-Tikva, the first Jewish city was created in Palestine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petah_Tikva. Note: today Petah-Tikva is a suburb of Tel Aviv which was the Jewish capital of Israel until 1950 at which time the capital was moved to Jerusalem. In 1948, when Israel began to be recognized by the rest of the world as an independent country, at that time the border was drawn right through the middle of Jerusalem. This was in fulfillment of Zechariah 14:2 which states, “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” That is exactly what happened to those on the wrong side of the border that was drawn through the middle of Jerusalem in 1948. This border stood until 1967 when Israel was attacked by Egypt, and Israel responded by taking the whole Sinai desert, and pushing the Jordanian Arabs out of Jerusalem. Satan is still the god of this world, but Jesus is now King of Israel even though the Jewish people still do not recognize him. Most of Christianity fails to recognize that Jesus is the one that is bringing the Jewish people back to Israel. Because most of Christianity feels that you must believe in Jesus in this lifetime to be saved at all, they fail to understand why Jesus would be dealing with the Jewish people. Therefore, most just ignore what is happening in Israel today. Christians need to realize the purpose of the second resurrection that Jesus spoke of in John 5:28-29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, 29and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life [first resurrection] and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.” The second resurrection. Also note: Romans 11:25-28.

Note that Zechariah 14:3-5 goes on to say, “Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5And you shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, you shall flee, like as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.” This is symbolic language! After Israel became a nation in 1948 with half of Jerusalem in captivity, the largest exodus of Jews from the rest of the world began in earnest to flee to Israel, and all who know much about the history of Israel recognize that it is God that has been fighting for her because she continues to win all her battles even when the odds are totally stacked against her. Read: The Shulamite Message to the Daughters of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 37 & 38 clearly describe what I believe will soon take place—possibly by 2037. These chapters speak of Israel being rebuilt as a nation until she is self-sufficient and dwelling securely as a free people, a condition that has largely been fulfilled. Russia, the strongest of the nations supporting Arab opposition to the Jewish people, will eventually be influenced by Turkey and Iran to come against Israel in an attempt to destroy her. According to Ezekiel 38:11-12, they will fail, and all nations will then recognize that God, through His Son Jesus, has been fighting for Israel. At that time, Israel will also recognize that Jesus was—and remains—their Messiah, and that He has been gathering them back to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As Isaiah 40:1-2 says, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, says your God. 2Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.” Notice again that this comfort comes after the “double” has been completed—that is, since 1878.

Again, speaking of Israel and the double, Isaiah 61:6-7, says, “But you [the Jews after the Church is complete] shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: [in the Kingdom for which we pray] you shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall you boast yourselves. 7But for your shame [for not keeping the law and rejecting Jesus] you shall have double; and for your confusion they [referring to the Gentiles] shall rejoice in their portion: therefore, in their land they [the Gentiles] shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.” Do you see the two parts here? How could the Lord have made it more clear?

Isaiah 11:11-12 says, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” This occurs after the double and at the same time described in Hosea 6:11, “Also, O Judah, he has set a harvest for you, when I return the captivity of my people.” Again, this began to occur in 1878 with the Balfour movement in England. It is striking that much of Christianity today is taught, incorrectly, to expect a seven-year tribulation in which the “man of sin” sits in a rebuilt temple like the one Ezekiel describes. This teaching arose after Israel became a nation and reflects institutional Christianity’s belief that only Christians are to be saved. In doing so, nominal Christianity repeats the error of nominal Judaism: it refuses to believe that God’s Kingdom is being established through Israel and often resists that work. I believe Satan is sowing this doctrine among blinded Christianity today. Institutional Christianity now stands much as the Jewish people did when they failed to recognize Jesus at His first advent. Likewise, it has failed to recognize that we are living during His second advent, as Revelation 3:16-17 says, “So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. 17Because you say, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” This parallels what He said and did to those who failed to recognize His first advent. For that reason, many have embraced unusual seven-year tribulation interpretations, applying prophecies whose true fulfillment belongs in the distant past. I believe Satan uses this doctrine to oppose God’s work in restoring Israel and to prepare for his final effort at the end of Christ’s thousand-year Kingdom.

The Harvest

Why is it so hard for Christians today to recognize that He has returned? For the same reason the Jewish people failed to recognize Him at His first advent: they expected the wrong thing at the right time. Luke 3:15 says, “And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not.” Likewise, Christians have been expecting the Messiah for about 180 years because of the signs of the times, often saying that He is “coming soon.” But does He travel so slowly that it would take more than 180 years to arrive? For a long time, Christians have believed they were living at the end of the age. Since the end of the age is identified with the harvest in the parable of the wheat and tares, we should recognize that we are now living in that harvest period. Matthew 13:30 says, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn…” Verse 39 adds, “The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are the angels.” Therefore, this harvest has been underway for about 150 years.

Remember, there was a harvest at the end of the Jewish age. The reapers then were the apostles and those who recognized Jesus at His first advent. Likewise, we are now living during His second advent, and the angels—or harvesters—spoken of in the parable are again those who recognize Him as present at the end of the Gospel age. If we are at the end of the age and in the harvest, then the harvest itself is one of the signs that He has returned. This is vividly pictured in Revelation 14:14-15: “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in your sickle, and reap for the time is come for you to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Revelation uses graphic imagery to show what is happening. Notice that He is above the cloud; from that heavenly viewpoint, the cloud appears white. But from beneath—as most people in the world see it—the same cloud appears as trouble and darkness. That lower viewpoint is described in Zephaniah 1:14-18: “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hastes greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 15That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of waste and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. 17And I will bring distress upon men that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. 18Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land [World War] shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all of them that dwell in the land.” This describes our day—also pictured in Revelation 16:17-21 as the seventh plague—with two world wars, the Cold War, the Great Depression, and today’s terrorism. No other period has seen trouble like the last 110 years, and the world has changed dramatically. Is that not what people expect Messiah’s return to bring—great changes in the world? The old world is passing away before our eyes, while the institutional Christian world remains unaware of the new world now being established. Even political leaders speak of a “new world order.” Just as the Jewish people failed to recognize Jesus’ first advent and the changes it brought, most of the Christian world now attributes these changes to Satan, when it is the Lord working to transform an already evil world into His own—a world where the desire of all nations, true democracy, can exist.

Of the 60 million European military personnel who were mobilized from 1914 to 1918, 8 million were killed, 7 million were permanently disabled, and 15 million were seriously injured. Then in 1918 the Spanish flu hit and killed another 17 million. WW2 had 70 to 85 million fatalities. that is, 2 to 3 times as many as WW1...

Christians should ask how we can know when the harvest began. The answer is not difficult. Hosea 6:11 states, “Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed, when I return the captivity of my people.” So the question is: has the Lord returned the captivity of the Jewish people? That fact is now clear in history. The next question is when this return began. As stated earlier, I believe it began in 1878, when Disraeli—the only person of Jewish descent ever to become Prime Minister of England, then ruling much of the Christian world—made it possible for Jewish people to buy land again in Palestine, present-day Israel. That same year, Petah Tikva, the first Jewish city, was established in Palestine. This is also the very date indicated by the 1845-year double. What more should it take to awaken a sleeping Christian? This should not be hard to understand, especially for those who claim to be “spiritually minded.” Indeed, Jesus’ coming has been like a thief to those who are not watching—or, more precisely, who do not know what to watch for. It is not enough merely to watch one’s character. We must also watch what God is doing in the world and seek to understand His Word and our place in the stream of prophetic time.

Thief in the Night

1Thessalonians 5:1-10 says, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you [apparently, we do now]. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night [quietly, to take His jewels—the Church]. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety [Woodrow Wilson’s Dec. 2, 1913 State of the Union Address said, “The country… is at peace with all the world…,” reflecting diplomatic optimism shortly before WWI began in July 1914] Then sudden destruction comes upon them [1914, WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, the Cold War, and now terrorism] as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5Ye are all [supposed to be] the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” Nevertheless, it is a true saying: Proverbs 10:5, also warns, “he that sleeps in harvest is a son that causes shame.” And Revelation 16:15 says, “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” It is time for Christianity to wake from its drunken sleep before the shame of its ignorance is exposed. Revelation 14:8 says, “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Why does Protestantism continue drinking her wine and remain in such a stupor? Wake up. The signs of His presence are all around you. Adjust your prophetic expectations to match the signs of the times, and do not accept the Roman Church’s doctrines of the Antichrist—the doctrines the foolish virgins in Matthew 25:8-9 have bought because they did not know what to purchase.

Ask yourself: how does a thief in the night come to steal jewels? Does he arrive with horns sounding, or quietly while people sleep? When the Lord returned in the late 1800s, it was quiet. But from the perspective presented here, the sound today is deafening, as 1Thessalonians 4:16 says: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.” The only reason many cannot hear it is that Satan has lulled them into a drunken sleep. This is why the seventh stage of the Church is “spewed out of His mouth” (Revelation 3:16).

Matthew 24:30-31 says, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven [Israel’s return to the land and restoration as a nation], and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power [trampling the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored] and great glory [seen in the dramatic changes throughout the world]. 31And he shall send his angels [messengers announcing His second advent] with a great sound of a trumpet [the seventh trumpet], and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds [the winds of war: WWI, WWII, the Cold War, and one more described in Ezekiel 38], from one end of heaven to the other.” If you desire to be counted among the elect, it is time to wake up, proclaim that He has returned, and join the reapers. Put away the errors taught by sleeping, drunken institutional churches—churches still intoxicated with the “wine” of Roman doctrine and her Protestant harlot daughters, the antitype of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Jesus’ day. The elect recognize Him at His return; the tares, or imitation Christians, do not. This is the separation of the wheat and tares. Revelation 17:4-6 says, “The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and bedecked with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; 5and on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth's abominations." 6And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly.” Historically, all the Reformers recognized the “Mother of harlots” as the Roman Church and the Man of Sin as the office of the Pope, the head of that church. In response, the Roman Catholic Church launched a counter-reformation teaching that the “Man of Sin” was not the papal office but a future individual who would sit in a rebuilt temple in literal Israel, rather than in the true temple of God—the Church. Many Protestant churches today, no longer protesting Rome, have accepted that interpretation and become the “children” of the “harlot.” This is the doctrine the foolish virgins in the parable of the ten virgins have bought.

Matthew 24:3 says, “And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when shall these things be?’ And what shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?” Many Christians today say they see the signs of His coming, yet few examine the Greek word translated “coming.” If they did, they would see that the translation reflects theological bias. The English word “coming” is translated from the Greek word “Parousia,” pronounced par-oo-see'-ah, which carries the meaning of presence. In a Greek-speaking classroom, a student may answer roll call with “Parousia,” indicating that he is present. For that reason, the word can—and should—be translated as “presence.” When this meaning is applied consistently throughout Scripture, many passages become clearer. One example is 2 Peter 3:3-4: “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts [preaching for money] 4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming [that is, His presence, meaning His return]; for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” Most churches apply this to the unbelieving world, though the world generally does not understand the promise of His return. But when translated as Young’s Literal Translation renders it—“presence”—the passage applies more naturally to professing Christians who reject the idea that He is already present because they expect His return to bring something different. They say all things continue as before, even while the world is changing dramatically before their eyes. This is a form of willful ignorance, much like the Jewish people’s refusal to recognize Jesus as their Messiah.

Just as the English words presence and absence are closely related, the same is true in Greek. Presence is phonetically rendered par-oo-see’-ah (παρουσία), while absence is rendered ap-oo-see'-ah (ἀπουσία). Their connection is striking, and both words appear together in Philippians 2:12: “Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”

The Lord’s message to the seventh Church in Revelation 3 is a sharp rebuke—essentially the same kind of warning He gave Israel for rejecting Him at His first advent. It is no coincidence that Scripture says Israel’s experiences were written as examples for us, though evidently not many take that lesson to heart. 1 Corinthians 10:11-12 says, “Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. 12Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Likewise, Matthew 23:37-39 says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets, and stones them which are sent to you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you would not! 38Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39For I say unto you, ‘You shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.’” Today, the signs of the Lord’s return are far clearer and more evident than the signs given to the Jewish people at His first advent. If He cast them off for rejecting Him then, what will happen now to those who reject such plain evidence of His return without even examining it?

Most studied Christians today believe the seven churches in Revelation represent Christianity throughout the Gospel age, and many also believe we are now living in the seventh stage of the Gospel Church. If that is true—and I believe it is—then this gives another witness to His return. To the first four churches, the Lord says little about coming again. To the fifth and sixth, He says, “I come soon.” But to the seventh stage He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” If you believe He has not arrived but is merely “coming,” you will not answer the door. But if you are willing to consider that He may already be present, you can hear the knock, open your heart, and receive the great meal He is offering—truth you may not yet be able to comprehend. He is knocking, yet many are doing nothing about it. They have likely been lulled to sleep, paying spiritual “fire insurance” to their local church to avoid the fearful place called Hell. This resembles the bondage the Jewish people experienced under the Law in Jesus’ day.

This leads to another point about what Scripture tells us to watch for at His second advent. Most Christians today have been taught that they do not really need to “watch,” because they expect to be raptured to heaven the instant He returns. They are told only to be ready—to keep their lives pure, much like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day tried to do. But we know what happened to them: they were rejected because they did not truly watch. Institutional Christianity teaches much the same message: “You do not really need to watch; we will watch for you.” Yet Matthew 25:13 says, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.” The point is that the day and hour cannot be known in advance because they are tied to world events we must be watching for—especially Israel’s return to its own land, as pictured in the parable of the “fig tree.” Interestingly, Hasidic Jews, among the most religious of the Jewish people, opposed Israel’s becoming a nation again because they believed the Messiah must first come. In that sense, they understood more than many Christians today. Yet many remain willfully ignorant. What about you? Most will remain unaware of the Lord’s return until the final battle described in Ezekiel 38, when Isaiah 25:7 is fulfilled: “And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.” Likewise, Romans 11:15 says, “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” Israel has been received and is being rebuilt as a nation. The Lord has returned, He has raised those found faithful, and we who are alive and remain no longer need to sleep while waiting for His return.

The willingly ignorant Jewish people will eventually come to know Christ, but it will be too late to receive the prize of the high calling as stated in Romans 11. So also, in like fashion, Christians today that are willingly ignorant will come to know the truth in the future, but at the cost of losing the prize of the heavenly reward to which they were called. Hebrews 12:1-3, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds.”

2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Acts 17:11, “The Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

Objections relative to His Return

Most Christians today are taught that they have nothing to worry about because they are to be raptured, to meet the Lord in the air the instant the Lord returns, and after that there will be 144,000 natural Jews converted to Christianity… So let's take a closer look at the scriptures they refer to and clear the matter up with a few scriptures they choose to ignore.

Matthew 24:30-32 says, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth smite the breast, and they [which must refer to Christians, since they are the ones who know to look and what to look for] shall see [Greek transliteration: Optanomai; definition: to look at, behold; also, to allow oneself to be seen, to appear; part of speech: verb] the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of the heaven, with power and much glory; 31and he shall send his messengers with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his chosen from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens unto the ends thereof.” To say that the world will see Jesus’ physical return with literal eyes conflicts with Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 5:16: “Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.” Regarding the “sign of the Son of Man,” most Christians familiar with the signs of the times already recognize the increase of knowledge and the running to and fro as signs that He has come, as Daniel 12:4 says: “But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Likewise, many also recognize the restoration of the State of Israel as one of these signs. A government reestablished after more than 1,800 years of nonexistence is extraordinary, and this alone shows that He is exercising His “great power.”

1Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,(1260) with the voice of the archangel,(1290) and with the trump of God:(1335) and the dead in Christ shall rise first:(1260) 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord…” The critical part of this scripture that is most generally ignored is the part about “alive and remain.” There is nothing here that states how long those that are alive will have to remain before they also meet the Lord in the air. But there are a number of scriptures that I believe give us a clue. The first one I would like to deal with is found in 2Corinthians 4:11 “For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” The second one is found in 1Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, [it does not say we shall not all die] but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall (already have been raised) raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” —from physical to spiritual instantly upon our death. As also stated in Revelation 14:13 "Blessed are the dead those who die in the Lord from this moment on. "Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, but their deeds will follow them.”

When these scriptures are considered together, Paul’s meaning to the Thessalonians about remaining becomes more clear: “Then we who are alive and remain [until we die] shall be caught up together with them in the clouds [beginning in 1874] to meet the Lord in the air.” When do we meet the Lord? After He returns and after we—who are still here—die. We cannot ignore Paul’s statement that we “are always delivered unto death” (2 Corinthians 4:11). But after the Lord’s return, something changes: we no longer sleep in death but are instantly changed when we die. Another scriptural witness to this thought is found in:

Psalm 82:6-7, “I have said, you are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 7But you shall die like men and fall like one of the princes.” “One of the princes” of which there are two, that is, Adam and Jesus. Again, the point is you must die… again 1Corinthians 15:35-36, “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? 36You fool that which you sow is not quickened, except it die.” Need another? John 12:23-24, “And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit.” Jesus here was referring to his own death and implying that it must happen to us also. As stated again in 2Corinthians 4:11, “For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

When one begins to comprehend this, then the scripture in Revelation 14:13-14 comes to life with meaning: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, blessed are the dead [dead in Adam whose lives are hid in Christ Colossians 3:3] which die [physically or literally] in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them. [as they are from that point forward meeting the Lord in the Air. This is the rapture, but the natural eye cannot see it.] 14And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.” This graphically depicts the time of our Lord’s return and the beginning of the harvest. Those who die in the Lord no longer sleep waiting for his return to begin their heavenly works. But it does again assure us that we are on the right track as it again states that we still must first die. Remember what we spoke of earlier about the time of the harvest, how can we know when it began? Hosea 6:11 states; “Also, O Judah, he has set a harvest for you, when I return the captivity of my people.” You should be able to plainly see how all of these things appear to be dovetailing together! Therefore, we believe that the harvest began in 1878.

Now notice that both the Thessalonians and the Corinthians scriptures refer to a “trumpet.” In Corinthians it is the “last trumpet.” Revelation again brings to light what is happening here. Revelation 11:15-19, “And the seventh angel sounded [the last of seven trumpets in Revelation] and there were great voices in heaven [from those wise ones who recognize his return] saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever [not that many listen as in the beginning he comes quietly]. 16And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17Saying, We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and was, because you hast taken to yourself your great power, and has begun to reign. 18And the nations were angry, and your wrath is come [1914 WW1] and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should give reward unto your servants the prophets, and to the saints, [beginning in 1874] and them that fear your name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth. 19And the temple of God was opened in heaven,[again indicating the Church is Complete] and there was seen [a clearer understanding of God’s covenant was beginning to be opened up by the 7th messenger to the Church that is, Charles Russell] in his temple the ark of his covenant: and there were lightnings [brilliant news flashes of understanding] and voices [people talking about the news flashes] and thunderings [people trembling about the things that are coming as a result of the news flashes that people are talking about] and an earthquake [earth moving-changing events beginning to take place as a result of all the people talking about the news flashes and doing something about it] and great hail.” Isaiah 28:17, “Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.” Hail is solid water. Water in the scriptures represents the truth. Therefore, hail represents solid truth that overcomes the errors taught in the past. But the meaning of all of this is not yet to be understood by the ignorant masses as stated in Daniel 12:10, “Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, but the wicked will continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.” All of this is being done in fulfillment of the scriptures while the world is still held in the grip of the “god of this world” which is Satan. Therefore, these things will not be understood by the masses until Israel is converted to Christianity as foretold in Ezekiel 39:6-7, “And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD. 7So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name anymore: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.” Only then will come to pass Isaiah 25:7-8, “And he will destroy in this mountain [Israel] the face of the covering [that has caused the world’s blindness] cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people (the Jew’s) shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD has spoken it.” As is also stated in Romans 11:26-27. “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer [Christ and his Church] will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob. 27For this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

I go, I come, I am with you always

The thoughts in the title to this section can be confusing as is evident from the following scriptures. John 14:2-3, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Compare with: Matthew 28:20, “lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” The question then becomes how he can be both “with us” and gone “preparing a place for us” at the same time. Another one like this is found in Matthew 18:20. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” How can he be in multiple places at the same time?

To add to the confusion, some scriptures seem to say that when He returns “every eye shall see him.” Yet the angels present when Jesus departed in the cloud told the disciples not to stand gazing into the sky, and said He would return in the same manner as they saw Him leave (Acts 1:11). Since only a few saw Him depart, it follows that only a few would recognize His return. This also agrees with the thought that He would come “like a thief in the night”—quietly, unnoticed by the masses, but known to those who are watching.

These scriptures about His coming point to its purpose: He comes to establish His Kingdom. As people witness great changes in the world, they will eventually recognize that Jesus has been the one bringing them about. The world will not see Him with physical eyes at the instant of His return; otherwise, how could we understand John 14:19: “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me”? This verse is especially helpful because it says, “but you will see me.” We do not see Him with natural eyes; we see Him with the eyes of our understanding. When we look for Him, we recognize His work in our lives and see Him overruling events, as Romans 8:28 says: “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” Eventually “every eye will see him” again—not physically, but with understanding as they come to know Him.

Both physically and spiritually Jesus is in heaven, and he will still be there after his return, just like he is always at the right hand of the Father… Think more of his return as when he begins to do a different work than when he was “away.” The different work is well stated in Acts 15:14-16, “Simon has declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up.” This makes it clear then that he has returned (whatever that may mean to you), because we see the ruins of Israel being set up. This is a citation from Amos 9:11-15.

When Jesus said, “I go,” “I will come again,” and “I am with you always,” the question is where He went and how He can still be with us. I believe the parable of the ten pounds helps answer this. Jesus said, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” Where did He go to receive that kingdom? I would suggest He went to the Gentiles. Because Israel rejected Him, He turned to the Gentile lands to accomplish what He had first offered Israel. This is also stated in Acts 15:14: “Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own.” Those selected from among the Gentiles became the kingdom He went to receive. In the same context, Acts 15 also shows to whom He returns: He returns to the Jewish people to restore them to their land and reestablish them as a nation, preparing both for their conversion and for the rest of the Gentiles to receive the Kingdom that He had taken from among them.

The Parable of the Fig Tree Matthew 24:32

In the parable of the fig tree, some argue that Jesus only says He is “near,” not already “here”: “So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.” They make the same point about the seventh stage of the Church—“Jesus stands at the door and knocks”—and about Luke 12:35-38: “Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.” Yet in each case, once the knock is acknowledged and the door is opened, His arrival is effectively received. And what does He do when He arrives? He provides a great meal. That meal represents the wedding banquet being extended to those still on this side of the veil that hides heaven itself. In other words, Jesus personally gives the understanding of His arrival to those able to receive it. As Hebrews 5:14 says, “Strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

2 Thessalonians 2:8 “and then shall be revealed the Lawless One, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the manifestation [manifestation Epiphania] of his presence [Parousia],”

Blessings to all of you who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

James Schucker

Email

Call: Jim Schucker 808-754-8978 for help in understanding.

JimSchucker@revelation17.com

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