LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE

In Titus 2:13, born again believers are told to be "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."  There are many verses which support the idea of looking for the return of Jesus (1 Cor. 1:7; 16:22; Phil. 4:5; Col. 3:4; 1 Thes. 1:9-10; 5:6; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:8; Heb. 10:37; Jam. 5:8; 1 Pet. 1:13; 1 Jn. 3:2-3; Rev. 22:20)!  There is even an Aramaic word for it:  Maranatha = "Come Lord Jesus!" 

First, let me state the most obvious:  Christians have been looking, longing for, the return of Jesus, since the day of His Ascension.  One might even surmise that the disciples were expecting Jesus to make a U-turn as He rose into the clouds.  Notice that they had to be told to quit looking up and to go do what He told them to do:  "And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:10-11).

But today, some criticize the Church for being more interested in the "signs of the things to come," than they are in His coming.  I believe the criticism is totally unfair.  Jesus told His disciples, in His Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24-25), that they were to look for the signs!  So, why is there even a debate about that for which we are to look?  I believe the answer is due to a failure to rightly divide the Word of God (2 Tim. 2:15). 

The disciples, just as with the Jewish people, were looking for the return of their Messiah, their Christ, their world-governing leader.  They preached the Gospel of the Kingdom (Mt. 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; Mk. 1:14-15; etc.).  What they had not yet learned, was that Jesus would return in clouds twice in the future:  once to receive the Church up to meet Him in the air (our blessed hope, the Rapture - Jn. 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 1Thes. 4:16-17; Rev. 3:10; etc.), and a second time, His Second Coming to this earth to rule His Kingdom (Rev. 19:11 - 20:15).

Because the Bible teaches that, following the Rapture, there will be a seven year Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:3-29; Rev. 6 - 18; etc.), followed by Christ's Second Coming to establish His 1000 year reign over His creation, called the Millennium (Rev. 20:1-15), born again believers are encouraged point out "the signs of the end," as a warning to those who have not accepted God's gift of salvation (Acts 20:31; Eph. 2:8-9; Col. 1:28; Heb. 11:7; etc.)!  Those signs do not indicate when Jesus will Rapture His Church, but because the three events closely follow each other, born again believers know that if the signs of the second event, the Tribulation, have begun appearing, then it is obvious that the first event is imminent!

 

Signs are encourage believers, and are to warn unbelievers!