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Bible Basics
For Smart People
Who Do Not Want To Be Dummies
About God and the Bible
(Parts I, II, III)
By J. George Cover
Lesson 16
What About the Second Coming of Jesus? (Text Version)
The Signs of His Coming: (Cont'd.)
8. The increasing number of martyrs of Christians (Matthew 24:7-9).
It is reported that in the past year 150,000 Christians have been martyred for their faith. In the past three months 3 house pastors in China have been beaten to death. In southern Sudan, Christians are even crucified, the men killed, the women taken as concubines, and women and children sold into slavery by the Muslims who want to dominate the country.
9. Iniquity, sin, abounding and the parallel love of many Christians becoming cold (Matthew 24:12; Revelation 3:14-18).
10. The great efforts to preach the gospel of the kingdom in all the world for a witness to all nations (Matthew 24:14).
11. The rise of occultism, of so many false prophets and false religions (Matthew 24:24; 1 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 4:13).
12. The amalgamation of nations into large trading blocks and political entities, advancing toward world government under the antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; 1 John 4:3; Revelation 13:1-8).
13. The ecumenical movement of the churches to form one world church under Rome (Revelation 13:11-18;
Revelation 17:1-7; 9, 18).
14. The rapid development of a generation of unrepentant and wicked people described as the one that will exist at the coming of the Lord and during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 9:20-21; 16:9-11). And as it was in the days of Noah (Luke 17:26-27; Genesis 6:5-6; 2 Timothy 3:1-9).
15. The blatant rise of sodomy (homosexuality, lesbianism) as in the days of Lot (Luke 17:28-30).
16. In spite of all this, life continuing as usual - eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage, building, and planting (Matthew 24:36-39).
17. A feeling of security in spite of looming destruction that will come suddenly (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3; Luke 21:26).
Warnings About Being Ready
- "Take heed that no man deceive you" (Matthew 24:4).
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"Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many" (24:11).
- "If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not" (24:23).
- "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not."
- "All these are the beginning of sorrows" (24:8).
- "Then shall they deliver you up to he afflicted, and shall kill you and ye shall he hated of all nations for my name's sake" (24:9).
- "Because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold" (24:12).
- "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (24:36).
- "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to he broken up" (24:42-43).
- "Therefore he ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (24:44).
- "If that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall he weeping and gnashing of teeth" (24:48-51).
- The parable of the 10 virgins, warns us to keep a good supply of the oil of the Holy Spirit and our lamps trimmed and burning to be ready for the coming of our heavenly bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13).
- The parable of the talents warns us to make good investments of what God has entrusted to us for the King (Matthew 25:14-30).
- When the Lord comes to take us out before judgment falls on the earth, don't go to your house to take anything out. "Remember Lot's wife" (Luke 17:30-32).
- "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it" (Luke 17:33).
"Please tell me more."
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