WHAT PRECEEDS THE RETURN OF CHRIST
By W. G. Guy
What can we expect to happen prior to the return of Jesus Christ to gather the saints unto Himself. Very likely the same thing that occurred at His first appearance prior to Jesus being revealed as “Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world”, by John the Baptist.
John 1:29 – The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
What is suggested here is a parallel to the original revealing of the Savior is most likely to occur again just before the resurrection and rapture of the true believers. But, why would this be? The key word is PREPARATION! It is for the preparation of His coming that the church needs to get ready for.
Matthew 3:1-3 – In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
The days immediately before the return of the Lord are to be days of preparation, meaning, “getting ready” to meet Him! Believers should be cleaning themselves and their house, getting ready for His coming. The same ting you would do if you had special guests coming to visit. This period of cleansing is also implied by the phrase, “make his paths straight”.
To make His paths straight means to clear away all the obstacles and debris that may be cluttering His path to you. Such clutter is what is mentioned by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 5 when he says that Christ is coming for a church without spot, wrinkle, and blemish, or any such thing.
Ephesians 5:27 – that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
What could be the spots, wrinkles, blemishes and any such thing that needs to be removed from the saints to prepare for His return? A listing of such would be long and horrendous, but it consists of behavior unbecoming of the believers and followers of Jesus Christ. Just a few major items to mention are: fear, doubt and unbelief in all the truths of God and His Word. There is far too much doubt in what God has done and said in His Word among Christians today. Add to that false traditions, strife, division and envy that is prominent in churches of one another through their carnality or fleshly behavior and doctrinal differences. Unity of the faith and being in one accord of the truth is essential for the moving and empowerment of the Holy Spirit; (as seen in Acts 2:1), this is because where strife and envy exist there is every evil (demonic) work where the Holy Spirit will not operate.
1 Corinthians 3:3 – For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
James 3:16 – For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
Satan’s demons thrive in an environment where there is strife and envy; especially where there is strife and division over doctrines and traditions that have no biblical basis! Doctrinal truth is more important than churches realize, and Satan has set himself to destroy biblical truth along with the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. (Remember Satan is a thief and a liar whose work is to kill, steal and destroy – John 10:10).
Jesus is coming for a body of believers that are pure and holy reflecting who He is. We are not only to clean up the corporate body of Christ, the Church, but also our own individual lives.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
God no longer occupies a stone building as in the Old Testament Temple; He now seeks to abide in His holy people who are called out of this world and assembled unto Him. Jesus made it a point to cleanse and clean out the temple of that which offended Him and His Father; and He did it twice, once at the beginning of His ministry and again just before the end.
John 3:15-16 – and when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves,
Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
Luke 19:45-46 – And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. See also 2 Chronicles 29:16.
We, being His Holy Temple, should be Holy as He is Holy, and pure as He is pure, because He made such holiness and purity possible as we abide in Him and He is us. How much more should we not cleanse our own temple to welcome His coming and His presence?
1 Timothy 2:21 – If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
The apostle Paul also had these words to say to the believers in Rome about the lateness of the hour and Christ’s soon return.
Romans 13:11-14 – And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
There is a song sung in some churches today called “These are the days of Elijah”, and it is about the coming of the Lord. Just as John the Baptist had the spirit of Elijah upon him that equipped him for his ministry, so it is that we need that same Elijah anointing on us today to prepare for His coming. We are in a new “John the Baptist” moment; and what was the prevalent message of John the Baptist, and what we should also declare? REPENT, CLEAR THE GARBAGE IN YOUR LIFE OUT OF THE WAY, AND RETURN TO THE LORD! Getting ready for His coming! Selah! (Think on that).
By W. G. Guy
What can we expect to happen prior to the return of Jesus Christ to gather the saints unto Himself. Very likely the same thing that occurred at His first appearance prior to Jesus being revealed as “Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world”, by John the Baptist.
John 1:29 – The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
What is suggested here is a parallel to the original revealing of the Savior is most likely to occur again just before the resurrection and rapture of the true believers. But, why would this be? The key word is PREPARATION! It is for the preparation of His coming that the church needs to get ready for.
Matthew 3:1-3 – In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
The days immediately before the return of the Lord are to be days of preparation, meaning, “getting ready” to meet Him! Believers should be cleaning themselves and their house, getting ready for His coming. The same ting you would do if you had special guests coming to visit. This period of cleansing is also implied by the phrase, “make his paths straight”.
To make His paths straight means to clear away all the obstacles and debris that may be cluttering His path to you. Such clutter is what is mentioned by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 5 when he says that Christ is coming for a church without spot, wrinkle, and blemish, or any such thing.
Ephesians 5:27 – that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
What could be the spots, wrinkles, blemishes and any such thing that needs to be removed from the saints to prepare for His return? A listing of such would be long and horrendous, but it consists of behavior unbecoming of the believers and followers of Jesus Christ. Just a few major items to mention are: fear, doubt and unbelief in all the truths of God and His Word. There is far too much doubt in what God has done and said in His Word among Christians today. Add to that false traditions, strife, division and envy that is prominent in churches of one another through their carnality or fleshly behavior and doctrinal differences. Unity of the faith and being in one accord of the truth is essential for the moving and empowerment of the Holy Spirit; (as seen in Acts 2:1), this is because where strife and envy exist there is every evil (demonic) work where the Holy Spirit will not operate.
1 Corinthians 3:3 – For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
James 3:16 – For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
Satan’s demons thrive in an environment where there is strife and envy; especially where there is strife and division over doctrines and traditions that have no biblical basis! Doctrinal truth is more important than churches realize, and Satan has set himself to destroy biblical truth along with the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. (Remember Satan is a thief and a liar whose work is to kill, steal and destroy – John 10:10).
Jesus is coming for a body of believers that are pure and holy reflecting who He is. We are not only to clean up the corporate body of Christ, the Church, but also our own individual lives.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
God no longer occupies a stone building as in the Old Testament Temple; He now seeks to abide in His holy people who are called out of this world and assembled unto Him. Jesus made it a point to cleanse and clean out the temple of that which offended Him and His Father; and He did it twice, once at the beginning of His ministry and again just before the end.
John 3:15-16 – and when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves,
Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
Luke 19:45-46 – And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. See also 2 Chronicles 29:16.
We, being His Holy Temple, should be Holy as He is Holy, and pure as He is pure, because He made such holiness and purity possible as we abide in Him and He is us. How much more should we not cleanse our own temple to welcome His coming and His presence?
1 Timothy 2:21 – If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
The apostle Paul also had these words to say to the believers in Rome about the lateness of the hour and Christ’s soon return.
Romans 13:11-14 – And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
There is a song sung in some churches today called “These are the days of Elijah”, and it is about the coming of the Lord. Just as John the Baptist had the spirit of Elijah upon him that equipped him for his ministry, so it is that we need that same Elijah anointing on us today to prepare for His coming. We are in a new “John the Baptist” moment; and what was the prevalent message of John the Baptist, and what we should also declare? REPENT, CLEAR THE GARBAGE IN YOUR LIFE OUT OF THE WAY, AND RETURN TO THE LORD! Getting ready for His coming! Selah! (Think on that).
