THE RAMBLINGS OF AN OLD OPTIMIST

I read somewhere that there is to be a Super-moon total Lunar Eclipse tonight over Israel, and yet, there doesn't seem to be much, if any, interest by born again believers.  Perhaps that is because many of us have spent the last couple of years watching for Christ's Second Coming based upon of the Blood-Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, only to be disappointed that He hasn't come for us - YET (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Th. 4:16-17; etc.)!  Since there is little interest, it seems to me that this could be it!  After all, Jesus will come unexpectedly, as a thief comes in the night (Mt. 24:43; Lk. 12:39; 1 Th. 5:2; 1 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:3; 16:15)! 

I think it is interesting, too, that today's Our Daily Bread devotion was about one of the miraculous events which occurred at Christ's death:  the renting of the veil which isolated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple (Mt. 27:51; Mk. 15:38; Lk. 23:45).  That got me thinking about Christ's death, and how it was also accompanied by a "three hour Solar Eclipse" (Mt. 27:45; Mk. 15:33; Lk. 23:44-45); and an earthquake, which the Bible describes for us: 

"Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.  Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God" (Mt. 27:50-54).

Note:  Notice from the Scripture passage, that although the graves of believers were opened, they did not come back to life until AFTER Jesus rose from the dead three days later.  That is explained, and confirmed, by both Paul and John (1 Cor. 15:20, 23; Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5).

Yes, whenever Jesus is involved in something "new," there seems to be miraculous activity "highlighting" the event.  He birth was announced to Gentile astronomers by a "star" which not only suddenly appeared; disappeared right on time; and reappeared, only to make a ninety degree left turn (Bethlehem is South of Jerusalem - Mt. 2:1-10)!  His death involved a massive curtain being torn from top (15 feet) to bottom "on cue!"  It involved the Sun being darkened, the earth quaking with graves being opened and the dead rising!  Shouldn't we, therefore, expect His coming for God's children to be "less dramatic?"  The Apostle Paul suggests not:

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.  For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep.  For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  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.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Th. 4:14-18).