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![]() Research and Compilation By: Larry Moore and Robert E. Dalton, O.M. In this modern time, we live in a world where laws change from day to day. Nevertheless, there are some laws which never change. Let's spend a little time going over a few of these laws so that we can get an idea of what it means for a law to be immutable. In other words, it will never change, and cannot be changed. In fact, the word Immutable means never changing or varying; unchangeable. For everything in existence there is an opposite. There is an up, and there is a down. Whatever goes up must come down. Life and death are opposites, as are light and dark, first and last. We want to consider first and last. If a thing is first, there is nothing before it. Likewise, if a thing is last there can be nothing after it. Let's begin this study by defining the term "The Last Day".
Jesus himself stated, in Revelation, Chapter one.......
Jesus said that he was first. That means that there was no one before him. Had there been someone before him then that someone
would have been first. But Jesus said that He was first...that none came before him. He also said that he is Last, and there will be none
after him. So we see that first is first and there is none before it; last is last and there is none after it. We must keep this immutable law
in mind as we proceed with this study. It will never change.
I know there are some who are wondering what this has to do with our study of the end times. Please bear with us and keep it in mind,
because it is a very important part of the overall picture..
It is our hope, and our desire to see the second coming of Jesus Christ, and the scriptures say that he is coming again. In the
book of Acts, Chapter 1, Verse 11, we read...
"...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."
Also, in
NOTE: What did Jesus mean by "all the tribes of the earth"? It is argued that the saints are already gone at this point, because they
would not be mourning at Jesus' arrival. Let's see what Jesus said concerning this in the book of St.
John, chapter 17, verses 14 through 16...
14.
So Jesus said that the saints are not "of the world", yet they are still "in the world" . So we see that the tribes of the earth shall mourn at Jesus' appearance, but those who are not of the earth, but are in it, who belong to him, shall rejoice.
The book of Mark, chapter 13...
In reading all these scriptures and many more, questions kept coming to mind because of all the different interpretations. Are these scriptures referring to the "second coming" or the "third coming" of Christ? Well, if we haven't just lost half our readers, let us look at what the Bible says.
Hebrews, Chapter 9...
This scripture says how many times Jesus would come back, and it said that he would return the
There is one group saying that when Jesus returns for his people, he will do it secretly. Remember, in Revelation
1:7 we are told that every eye shall see him, even to
those who pierced him. There is no secret about that. As a matter of fact, there is not one scripture in the Bible that says anything at all
about a secret coming. It does say that he will return as "a thief in the night", or when he is least expected. If
then, as Revelation states, there is no "secret" coming, then what really happens when Jesus returns? We see one picture in the
Gospel of Luke, Chapter 21......
25. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of
nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Many say that the things mentioned in verses 25 and 26 have already been fulfilled.
We will cover that subject thoroughly, beginning later in this study.
28. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption
draweth nigh.
When did these things take place? Even back in the seventeen or eighteen-hundreds, and early nineteen-hundreds, who, among us
remember seeing them? Some people will say that verse 28 is too vague, that it doesn't
specify any particular amount of time. Well then, let us look at some of the parallel scriptures, like in Matthew
24.
29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her
light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Yes, Jesus was talking to his disciples at the time, but did their generation see
everything take place right before their eyes? Did they see or hear all of the
following?
1.. Many coming in Christ's name, deceiving many?
Ask yourself the question again... did the disciples see all of these things?
Matt. 24:33. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is
near, even at the doors.
Now, the question again...did the Disciples see all these things? If the answer is yes, then Christ has already come again. If the
answer is no, then Jesus was speaking of a generation in the future that would see all these things during its lifetime.
One of the key verses here is the following:
The beginning of sorrows, are the birth pains... "as a woman travaileth with child". Any woman who has children of her own will
tell you that the pains get stronger and stronger, faster and faster, lasting longer and longer until it is one massive pain so great that the
mother almost feels like she can't live through it. Suddenly, Hallelujah, it is born. Did the birth take place when the woman had her first
labor pain? Not likely.
Now the scripture comes to life, as we read:
So when you see Jesus coming, will you see anything secret about all this?
So far, we have discovered and discussed the immutable law of God, that First is First and there is none before it, and Last is Last and
there is none after it. We have also read that Jesus will return The Second Time without sin unto salvation to those who are
looking for his coming. Heb. 9:28 . (Note that there is no salvation unto those who
disbelieve.)
Now, without trying to set a date for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, let us read the scriptures
to see when He will return. Here is
St. John 6:
We see that it is God's will that all that was given to Jesus should be raised up on the last day
. Let's look at the next verse...
Here we see the resurrection on the last day. Now let's look at another scripture:
Again, we see the resurrection on the last day. Isn't it meaningful that we see three
scriptures, even in the same chapter, saying the same thing? But wait, let's look at another.
Well! Was Jesus trying to tell us something? After all, he spoke these words Himself. It is obvious that Jesus was trying to tell us
something very important, like when the resurrection was going to take place? Well, let's not stop here, let's look at another scripture
in St. John 11...
Wait a moment! Martha even knew when the resurrection was going to take place. Did Jesus rebuke Martha, and say, "No Martha,
you're wrong. The resurrection will actually take place secretly about seven years before the last day"? No, He didn't say that,
because Martha's statement was in complete agreement with what Jesus himself taught in John 6:39, 40, 44,
and 54. It was all his own teaching. Remember in chapter One, First is First, and there is none before it. Last is
Last, and there is none after it.
Let's look at another verse of scripture, and see what else happens on the last day.
We have seen that the resurrection was going to be on the last day, but now we see that judgement also will take place on the last day. We now have two very important events which both take place on the last day. Let's make another drawing and try to present these events in a visual representation of each one's relationship to the other.
Now that we have established that the resurrection is going to take place on the last day, and that judgement also will take place on the last day, let's look at more of the scriptures to see if there is a conflict with this conclusion or if the rest of the Bible backs up what we have covered up to now.
I Corinthians, chapter 15...
Now we see a little different piece of the puzzle. Here we see the dead shall be raised, (the resurrection). When? ...at the
last trump . Let's look at more scripture. Here's First
Thessalonians, Chapter 4...
15.
NOTE: The word prevent, in this connotation,
means (during Biblical day) to precede, or to come before, or in anticipation ofa future event, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.. It does not mean to stop. Hence, the scripture says that we which are alive and remain when Jesus returns will not be raptured up
before the resurrection takes place.
16. 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:
We have now learned a lot from the scripttures in I Corinthians and I Thessalonians.
(1) We see the resurrection of the dead. (2) We see this taking place at the last Trump. (3) We see that this also takes place when Jesus returns (The Second Coming). (4) We see that these scriptures also bear witness with previous scriptures, that Jesus is coming again, and He shall return in the clouds.
Now let's put these scriptures on the visual display and take another good look at what we have so far.
There is another scripture we need to look at which will tell us what else happens when Jesus returns. In
II Timothy 4...
1. I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead
at his appearing and his kingdom.
So what happens when Jesus returns (at his appearing)? ...He shall judge the quick and the dead. So now we can safely put
the two visual displays in figure 3 together. We now see that when Jesus returns He
shall judge the quick and the dead (II Tim. 4:1 and St. John 12:48). We also see the
resurrection in St. John 6:39,40,44, and 54; and in St. John 11:24 and I Corinthians 15:52 and I Thess. 4:15-17.
Now let's put it all together.
Let's look at a few more scriptures to see what else happens when Jesus returns.
Now it is shown that when Jesus returns he brings his rewards with him, to give to every man according to his works. So we see the resurrection, the judgement, and the rewards. The Bible says that all this will be on the Last Day.
There is another subject we must look at which will show us another event that takes place when Jesus returns at his Second Coming.
Rev. 6:16 ...and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the lamb: Isaiah 2:19 ... and they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
II Thess. 1: verses...7. And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
Actually, there are two short subjects covered here. Beginning with Revelation 6:16, let's list some of the content of the scriptures we have covered together...
Rev. 6:16. and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne...
The scriptures tell us that the heavens shall depart as a scroll. Men shall see Jesus sitting on the throne. The scriptures say that all the tribes of the earth shall mourn. Men shall see Jesus stand and pour out his wrath upon those who do not know God, and upon those who do not obey the gospel. Men shall hide themselves in the rocks and caves to hide from the face of God, because He is pouring out his wrath upon the earth, and God shall shake terribly the earth. This great shaking shall be so violent that every mountain and every island shall be moved out of its place. Revelation 6:17 , because God's wrath is so great, asks the question, who shall be able to stand. Then in Isaiah 13, we read the following. ...
9. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: The sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Here are more descriptive references to the Great Shaking. ...
Isaiah 13:13 ..Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. Then, as we look in the New Testament, we see this scripture which also describes the great shaking. ...
Hebrews 12:... 26. Whose voice then shook the earth: But now he hath promised, saying, yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven
More of the great shaking and other subjects will be covered later on, but for now we want to point out the significant events that take place at the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So out of these last scriptures we see that God's wrath is poured out, and God will punish those who do not know Him and those who do not obey the gospel. Before we continue, let us review
the events briefly and put them all together on the visual display. We read that first is first and there is none before it and last is last and there is none after it. In
Now let's look at all this information again. ...We will illustrate the overall harmony of all these scriptures by placing them in another visual display, then we will go on to the most
important step in this study.
We read in I Cor. 15:52 that the resurrection would take place at the last trump. Keeping in mind all the information we have covered up to now, let's go to the Last Trump and the scriptures relating to it to see if everything matches up, or if there is any conflict in the scriptures. Let's begin with
Did everything match up? Yes. But that is not all. Let us read on, making special note of the events taking place in the next
verse.
Now let's look at our visual displays and see what the relationships of all the events are: All this is contained in the scriptures that
follow:
Remember this: the Last Day and the Last Trump are the LAST, and there can be no more after them. As we look at this next scripture, we find the picture basically the same.
Rev. 16: beginning with verse 17...
The first thing we want to look at is in verse 17: "It Is Done". It is
all over...it is finished...it is complete. Next, look at verses 18 through 21 and notice the earthquakes, the thunderings, the lightenings and the great hail. Suppose we now put all this information down in visuals, recalling figures 7 and 8 and adding figure 9. Now we find that the times all converge into one time, and that each is upheld by the other...no secret coming and no mention of multiple comings. Observe...
Look closely now, and consider. Remember in the beginning, about God's immutable laws (first is first and last is last) we determined that last is last and there is none after it. See the events depicted in the visuals, first there is the Last Day, next, there is the Last Trump, and then the Last Vial. There will be no more days, there will be no more trumps, and there will be no more vials. It is apparent then, according to all the scriptures, that these events take place at the one and only Last Time.
There was silence in Heaven
The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord.
There were Voices
IT IS DONE
With all these scriptures before us, let's see if there are any contradictions, or if the rest of the Bible points to the same teaching.    So far, all the scriptures say that the resurrection, the judgement, the rewards and God's wrath will take place on the Last Day.
This, however, is not what a large group of the churches are teaching at this time. Many of them are teaching that Jesus will return secretly about seven years before the last day. They call this secret coming "THE RAPTURE". We have just seen in the scriptures that there is nothing secret at all about the second coming of Christ. As a matter of fact, there is not one scripture in the Bible that mentions a
pre-tribulation Rapture. Look at the following scriptures located in the
We have just read that we should not let anyone deceive us by any means, that the Day of Christ
(the day Christ returns) is at hand.
"return of Christ" and "our gathering together unto him". Then, in verse 3, this time is referred to as that day (one day) .
The scripture says there will be a great falling away first, and the son of perdition will be revealed. This, in itself, may not mean much to you, but let's read on and see what happens next. 8. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: This scripture clearly states that the "wicked one" (the son of perdition—the Anti-Christ) will be destroyed by the brightness of the coming of Christ. For those who believe in the "pre-tribulation Rapture" this scripture presents quite a problem. The Anti-Christ is the central figure in the Great Tribulation, therefore if he is destroyed by the brightness of Christ's return, and Christ returns before the tribulation period, then there can be no tribulation. Now, since the Bible says that the Great Tribulation will take place, it follows that the Anti-Christ must be destroyed after it is over. Since he is destroyed by the brightness of Jesus' coming, it follows that the second coming of Christ is after the tribulation of those days (as stated in
Matthew 24:29). With everything we have now covered showing the Second Coming of Christ at the Last Day
and the Last Trump, let's once again match it up with Matthew 24...
So when does Jesus return? ...Immediately after the tribulation...after the sun is darkened...after the moon refuses to give her light...after the stars fall from heaven. When is this?...Refer again to Revelation 6:12...
14. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and every island were moved out of their places.
God said to rightly divide his Word. What did he mean by that? It is really very simple...Whenever we reach any conclusion about what a scripture says or means, that conclusion must Agree with the rest of the Book. If there is conflict between our conclusion and the rest of the Book, then our conclusion is wrong. We simply cannot read only segments or
sections of the Bible without connecting them with the rest of the Book.
From one end of the Bible to the other, the scriptures we have studied all support the same conclusion: Christ will return a Second Time, at the
There are still a few arguments and opinions that should be covered in the interest of thoroughness. In the rest of this study we will cover some of the most common of these, in the light of the Word.
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