BEFORE Christ ascended into heaven, He made another great and startling promise. He said he would come again and take those who are living and watching for Him to heaven.
Bishop Colin Nyathi In other words, some may not die before Jesus returns, but will be instantly taken to heaven and given a perfect and immortal body — not the one we have now. (We call that rapture).
God’s people are to know the times and the seasons, for that day is not to overtake them unawares as a thief. Even though no one knows the day nor the hour, no not the angels, neither Christ Himself, but only the Father, we are to know the seasons and the signs. In Matthew 25:14 and 19, Christ taught that the time of His absence would be long.
Matthew 25:14 states: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
Verse 19 reads: “After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.”
Jesus declared His going away would be as a man “travelling into a far country” who would return “after a long time”. What then are the signs of Christ’s coming? Do these signs indicate the event is yet far off, or is it nigh?
Signs of the soon coming of Christ
The increase of knowledge
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Daniel 12:4 reads: “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
The prophecy spoken by an angel indicates that at the end-time, there will be an unprecedented increase in human knowledge. Second, there will be a startling increase in travel upon the earth.
These developments, the angel would have us to understand, will be key signs in discerning the approach of the end of the age. It is commonly known that during most of the history of the world knowledge has increased comparatively slowly.
Our grandfathers, as boys, travelled about on donkeys in much the same fashion as the disciples of Jesus did 2000 years ago. A man in his ’90s today can remember when there were no cars, no telephones, no electric light, no radio and no television.
However, with the turn of the century came the invention of the aeroplane, radio, television and many electronic devices we now take for granted.
Computers, laptops, cellphones, microwaves, palm computers, etc, e-mail, cable television, Viber, skyping, Ipads, I-phones, satellite that heightened interactivity were introduced.
The angel implied the great increase in human knowledge would be a sign of the time of the end.
The vehicle (automobile) sign
Nahum 2:3 and 4, (The book is after Obadiah and Micah before Habbakuk)
The shields of his mighty men are made red. The valiant men are in scarlet.
The chariots come with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the spears are brandished.
The chariots rage in the streets, they jostle one another in the broad roads; they seem like torches, they run like lightning.
Here is one of the most remarkable prophecies of the Bible. This prophetic fore view of vehicles and highways is so detailed it can hardly be misunderstood
These strange vehicles that Nahum saw in his vision were as flaming torches — an illusion, obviously, to the brilliant lights of today’s vehicles.
The raging in the streets is an apt expression describing the traffic, which has increased in intensity until it has become a menace to life as seen in cities like Johannesburg, Harare, Nairobi, Lagos, London, New York where traffic jams are a nightmare.
The prophecy says: “ . . . they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.” Most of the cars being manufactured today have had their power stepped up until they can make over 220km/hour.
What about Formula One racing cars, they move like lightning. But the most significant part of the prophecy is the time element.
The vision was to be fulfilled “in the day of his preparation” (Verse 3).
In other words, at the time when the Lord would be preparing His return to the earth, these things should come to pass. The cars that you drive today are a sign of Christ’s soon coming.
Radio and television sign
Not until about 1875 did man dream of the possibility of sending music and pictures by means of electromagnetic waves through space at the speed of light. Job saw this before it happened long ago.
Job 38:35 states: “Can you send out lightnings, that they may go, And say to you, ‘Here we are!’” There is an interesting prophecy in this connection in Revelations 11.
At the end time the beast or Antichrist, will overcome and kill the two witnesses, whom God will send to warn people against this evil ruler.
Then the beast will permit their dead bodies to lie in the streets of Jerusalem. Revelations 11:9 says: “Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.”
The implication is that people of many nations will be able to view the scene at Jerusalem. How? Cable and satellite television.
The earthquake sign
Luke 21:11 reads: “And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
The general increase of destructive earthquakes has been one of the most notable phenomenon of the past 500 years.
Here are the statistics:
15th century 115; 16th century 253; 17th century 378; 18th century 640; 19th century 2119 and 20th century 18564.
On average, each year there is:
One great earthquake; 10 major earthquakes; 100 destructive shocks; 1 000 damaging shocks; 10 000 minor strong shocks and 100 000 minor shocks.
If all of the shocks (tremors) were included there should probably be one million in a year, including the Bulawayo shocks (tremors) — we had a few years ago. Jesus said there would be earthquakes in various places.
Sign of the sea and the waves roaring
Luke 21:25 reads: “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring.”
The words of Jesus concerning the roaring of the seas obviously is an expression indicating that at the end-time the seas would cross over their bounds.
Floods are being recorded daily, in different parts of the world, Mozambique in recent years, South Africa, United Kingdom, Asia, United States and many parts of the world.
Revelations 8:8 and 9 states: “Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.”
The sea and the waves roaring indicates the time of Christ’s coming cannot be far off.
Don’t miss out next week’s edition of Signs of The Soon Coming Christ
