SECOND COMING

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.

—Rev. 1:7

5457 Repeated Promises Of Coming

Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with promises of the Second Coming of Christ. There are 1,845 references to it in the Old Testament, and a total of seventeen Old Testament books give it prominence.

Of the 260 chapters in the entire New Testament, there are 318 references to the Second Coming, or one out of 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. The four missing books include three which are single-chapter letters written to individual persons on a particular subject, and the fourth is Galatians which does imply Christ’s coming again.

For every prophecy on the First Coming of Christ, there are 8 on Christ’s Second Coming.

5458 Descriptions Of Second Coming

(1) Personally—I Thess. 4:16.

(2) Literally and visibly—Acts 1:11; I Jn. 3:2; Rev. 1:7.

(3) In Glory—Matt. 16:27; 24:30; 25:31.

(4) In Power—Matt. 24:30.

(5) With Angels—Matt. 25:31; Rev. 5:11.

(6) Come Quickly—Rev. 22:7, 12, 20; Matt. 28:7, 8.

(7) Unexpectedly—Matt. 24:50; Lk. 21:34, 35.

5459 Exobiology

A brand-new science called “Exobiology” came into being in the 1960’s. This science is dedicated specifically to the study of extraterrestrial life. In laboratories, at giant radio observatories and at esoteric symposiums, some of the world’s keenest intellects are focusing on this new discipline. Someone, however has sardonically called exobiology a science “that has yet to demonstrate that its subject matter exists.”

It will be demonstrated at the sudden coming of Christ.

5460 Bookmaker’s Odds

Ladbrokes, a London bookmaker, has lowered the odds against a visit from outer space to 33-to-1—they had been 100-to-1—because of a rash of bets from all over the United States. The firm said it now stands to lose nearly $500,000 if somebody does drop in.

—Milwaukee Journal

5461 Civilized Planets In Space?

Ten civilized planets may exist within 1,000 light-years of the earth, according to the calculations of a German astronomer. There is even a chance that scientists on one of them may be sending out “to whom it may concern” broadcasts for the information of the galaxy. Our best hope of survival is to get advice from a planet that has had atomic war.

5462 When Light Bulb Falls

The Rev. Earl Kelly, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Holly Springs, Mississippi, was preaching on the second coming of Christ.

He had just quoted Matthew 24:27, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.”

At this point, a large light bulb fell from its socket in the ceiling and shattered on the floor in front of the pulpit.

As reported by Baptist Press, Kelly was equal to the occasion. He told the startled worshippers, “His coming will be just as sudden, and unexpected, and devastating to the dreams that are not Christ-centered.”

—Christianity Today

5463 “Interview God!”

A Pittsburgh managing editor sent a cub reporter to cover a mine disaster near Cokeville, some distance from Pittsburgh.

The young man arrived at the scene, dallied around until late at night and started to wire his story in as follows:

“Cokeville, Pa., No. 300—God sits tonight on the hills around Cokeville—”

“Stop him,” said the night editor, handing over the story. “Send him this message: “Never mind mine disaster. Interview God. Get pictures.””

—Irvin Cobb

5464 My Boy In America Coming

When I left Australia years ago, I said to my mother, “Mother, if God spares me, I will come back to see you.” For years she waited. Had anyone said to her, “Mrs. Talbot, what are you waiting for?” she would have said, “My boy in America is coming back.”

And suppose this person said to her, “Coming back? What do you mean? Surely you don’t expect a personal, visible, actual coming!” “Yes,” she would have replied, “that’s the way he is coming.” Possibly her friend might have said, “Did you ever get letters from him? Do you ever receive gifts? Well, that is what he meant—he is coming in all these things.”

My mother would have answered, “Why, that isn’t what he meant, for he said that he would come back!” Some years afterward, I did cross the ocean, walked down the gangplank from the steamer, and said, “Mother, here I am.”

—L. T. Talbot

5465 Mount Of Olives To Split

Holiday Inns had planned to erect a hotel on the Mount of Olives. They sent a group of engineers to prepare for the erection. After some investigation they said it could not be done. There is a geological fault under the Mount which is causing it to split (Zech. 14:4).

—Christian Victory

5466 A Fault In Olivet

There was an earthquake on July 11, 1927, which shook Palestine from the Sea of Galilee to the border of Egypt and, after the tremors, geologists discovered a fault in Olivet, running from east to west. Prof. Bailey Willis, of Stanford University, said that the land could expect to suffer from seismological disturbances and that the area around Jerusalem was a region of potential danger, a fault line, along which slippage might occur, passing directly under the Mount of Olives. It is evident, therefore, that what Zechariah described is precisely what geologists would expect to occur.

—F. A. Tatford

5467 Messianic Jews

A group of people in the State of Israel today call themselves “Messianic Jews.” According to a popular Israeli dictionary, Messianic Jews are “a sect of Jews who have declared themselves as Jews in their nationality and for their faithfulness to the State of Israel and as Christians in their religious expression.” In conversations with many of these people, I was told that the word “Christian” is actually an expression of their particular Messianic faith and hope. Their faith and hope is centered in Jesus as the Messiah, but they identify with Jewish people and claim that they are still Jewish.

—Christianity Today

5468 First Protestant Church In Israel

The first Protestant church built in Israel since its establishment as a state in 1948 was dedicated in 1962 in Nazareth. It housed a congregation of the Church of the Nazarene. Officiating at the dedication was Dr. Hardy C. Powers of Dallas, Texas, a general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene. The new church seats about 200.

5469 Biggest Basilica In Middle East

Plans are underway for a $3,000,000 basilica in Nazareth, which promises to be the biggest Roman Catholic shrine in the Middle East.

The new basilica will replace an eighteenth-century church, razed six years ago, that occupied the site where the archangel Gabriel is said to have announced to Mary that she was to be the human mother of Christ.

5470 Who Was The Most Worthy

During one of the Crusades, Philip Auguste, King of France, before he went into one of his battles, removed his royal crown from his head and, setting it on a table with the inscription, “To the most worthy,” he made his oration, as was the custom in those days.

He asked his nobles, knights, and men to forget that he was their king and commander, and to consider that the crown which he had laid aside for the battle would be the prize of the one who carried himself most worthily and bravely and contributed most to their victory.

They entered the battle and returned victorious. All gathered round the table on which the crown had been placed. One of the nobles, stepping forward, took the crown and, advancing toward the monarch, placed it on his head, saying “Thou, O king, art the most worthy.”

5471 Misplaced Trust Of Aztecs

The Aztecs, a Mexican Indian tribe, held the tradition that “Quetzal-coatl the white,” a kind and gracious god, who had come to earth to teach the people the domestic arts, would return after many centuries, and lead them to a land that was the abode of the gods, a place of eternal and highest happiness. And this was the reason for the awe inspired by the Spanish conquerors. Being white of skin and bearded, they were thought to be the descendants of the White God.

5472 Origin Of The Salute

After the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, a naval tournament was arranged for the victorious British seamen and, at the request of Admiral Drake, Queen Elizabeth consented to come from London to award prizes. The officer in charge of arrangements issued orders that “on account of the dazzling loveliness of her Majesty, all men, upon receiving their prizes, should shield their eyes with their right hand.” Thus was born the naval and military salute!

5473 Columbus And Prophecy

An all too little-known fact from the life of the discoverer of America is that he predicted the end of the world. In all seriousness he wrote a volume called The Book Of Prophecies, in which he prophesied that the world would end in the year of our Lord 1656. He even states very definitely that “there is no doubt that the world must end in one hundred fifty-five years.”

5474 Signs In The Sky

In Bombay, India, 100 girls from a missionary home were holding a Christian service on the street one evening when they all saw in the sky an immense semicircle of letters of fire, which read: “JESUS IS COMING SOON.”

Then, in Sweden, 300 people were returning from an all-night prayer meeting. Suddenly they saw a hand pointing to words which were written in large letters in the heavens: “SEE, I COME QUICK LY.”

In York, Pennsylvania, Dr. H. E. Kline called out on a case at 2 AM., noticed an abnormally brilliant star. Some distance from it he saw a distinct cross with a silvery sheen on one side and a crimson glow on the other. Above was a diadem, a crown of stars. Dr. Kline called his family and they watched this amazing sight until it disappeared at 4 AM.

—Charles E. Taylor in Jesus is Coming

5475 Mrs. Tan’s Vision Of Cross

The New Grace Christian Church in the Philippines has a distinctively massive Cross outside its sanctuary.

One mid-morning in 1976, Mrs. Julia L. Tan was returning home from a God-honoring project in Manila when she saw a beautiful, shining Cross over the church’s existing cross structure. Disbelieving her own eyes, she thought it must be a case of “double vision.”

The shining Cross disappeared. But in another minute, the Cross again appeared over the roof of the church. This precious experience proved a great comfort and assurance to her in the ministry.

Mrs. Tan co-founded the 5,000-student Grace Christian High School and Grace Bible Church, and started the Grace Gospel Church and Grace Christian Church. She still actively serves the Lord having completed over 50 years of educational service in the Far East by 1980.

5476 Simpson’s Dream

In my dream I was gazing into the heavens at night, looking at one of the brightest constellations, when suddenly there appeared among them a wonderful star as bright as Venus at its brightest. As I gazed upon it, wondering at its strange beauty in that quarter of the heavens, I became conscious that it was rapidly growing larger every moment and swiftly approaching. So fast did it enlarge that it seemed to be literally rushing earthwards. My whole being was stirred with the thought that some stupendous event was happening.

Then there passed over my spirit in my dream a distinct consciousness that the Lord was coming; that this was the Morning Star and He was just behind it. The best part of the dream was that it brought only rest and joy. Startling as was the appearance and certainty of the coming King, there was no fear, but a sweet con sciousness that all was right. I was glad He was coming, that in a few moments He would be here. I also had the consciousness that it was all right for those I loved as well as for myself.

Just at that moment I awakened with the quiet sense that God had spoken to my heart with a personal message respecting what His glorious Coming would be to me. Oh, that we may so live each moment that when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His Coming.

—A. B. Simpson

5477 Horses’ Long Wait For Rider

The most remarkable horse in the world has been kept in readiness since 1072 for the expected resurrection of Sultan Muhammad Ibn Daud. The sultan ruled Iran as well as a large contiguous territory between the Tigris and the Oxus and his reign has been termed Iran’s Golden Age. He extended the frontiers of his country through conquest and expansion, accumulating great wealth in the process.

As soon as he died and was laid to rest, myth and legend seized upon his memory, embroidering it with prophecies derived from national yearnings. It was said that he would rise from his tomb, mount his horse and lead his subjects to new conquests and glory. So strong was this belief that in all the intervening centuries a thoroughbred charger—complete with saddle and groom—has been kept in readiness before his tomb in the Mosque of Kuchan, province of Khorasan, waiting for the day when the dead sultan will emerge from his tomb to resume the reins of both mount and government. It is one of the strangest manifestations of enduring faith and loyalty to be found in the modern world.

—Selected

See also: Eternity ; Expectation ; Heaven ; Judgment ; Rapture ; Uncertainty .