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The Return Of The Lord Is Our
"Blessed Hope"
"Blessed Hope"
Are you
yearning or yawning?
Dr. David Reagan
The first of those
events will be the Rapture of the Church. That will be followed by the Great
Tribulation of seven years, a period of unparalleled horror that will culminate
in the return of Jesus to reign over all the world.
The writings of the
early Church Fathers (100 to 300 A.D.) reveal that one of the earliest prayers
of the Church was "Maranatha!" (1 Corinthians 16:22).
That word is actually
an Aramaic phrase that means "Our Lord come!"
This prayer expresses
a fact that is confirmed by many other scriptures; namely, that the First
Century Church had an ardent desire for the soon return of Jesus.
A Waning of the Zeal
The Twentieth Century
Church seems to have lost that desire. Most professing Christians today do not
pray "Maranatha!"
They do not yearn for
the return of the Lord. Instead of yearning, they are yawning.
Christendom at large
is caught up in apathy regarding the return of Jesus. And that is sad, for the
Word says that the return of the Lord is our "Blessed Hope" (Titus 2:13).
Also, we are
constantly admonished in Scripture to watch for the Lord's coming and to be
ready.
Jesus Himself said, "Be dressed in readiness, and keep
your lamps alight . . . for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not
expect" (Luke 12:35,40).
Paul exhorted Titus to live "looking for the blessed hope
and the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior, Christ Jesus"
(Titus 2:13).
And as Paul faced death in prison, he wrote: "I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in
the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also
to all who have loved His appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:7-8
Think of it, Paul
says that a special reward — "a crown of righteousness," will
be given to any person who lives his or her life loving the appearing of the
Lord.
Are you a candidate
for this reward? Do you have a zealous yearning in your heart for the Lord's
soon return? Do you pray daily, "Maranatha!"?
Looking for Jesus
There are at least
six reasons why every Christian should earnestly desire the soon return of
Jesus:
1) Jesus: When Jesus
returns He will get what He deserves — honor, glory and power.
When He came the
first time, He was repudiated by the Jews, rejected by His home town, and
spurned by his family.
He was persecuted by
the religious leaders, betrayed by a friend, denied by another friend, deserted
by His disciples, and mocked by the masses.
He had no place to
lay His head. His only possession was a robe.
He was born in a
stable, raised in poverty, nailed to a tree, and buried in a borrowed tomb.
Today, people scoff
at Him and ridicule Him. His name is used as a curse word. That is not what He
deserves!
He came the first
time as a suffering lamb to die for the sins of the world, but He will return
as a conquering lion who will pour out the wrath of God on those who have
rejected the love, mercy and grace of God.
His first coming was
marked by compassion, humility, and a willingness to be judged and to die.
He will return in
triumph and in wrath to judge and make war against the enemies of God. He came
the first time as a Servant; He is returning as a Monarch.
Jesus was humiliated
in history. I want to see Him vindicated and glorified in history. And He will
be because His Father has promised Him that He will reign over all the earth (Psalm 2:7-9).
He has also been
promised that He will manifest His glory before His saints (Isaiah 24:21-23) and before the
nations of the earth (Isaiah 66:18 & Psalm 22:27-31).
Paul says He is returning "to be glorified in His saints .
. . and to be marveled at among all who have believed" (2 Thessalonians
1:10).
2) Satan: When Jesus returns,
Satan will receive what he deserves — defeat, dishonor and humiliation.
I'm sick of Satan.
I'm tired of his plots and schemes and lies and deceptions. I'm fed up with his
sicknesses and temptations.
I'm weary of his
physical, emotional and spiritual pollution. I'm disgusted with his wrecking of
marriages and homes. I loath his wars and terrorism. I despise His ceaseless
attacks on the Church.
I often feel like the martyrs portrayed in Revelation who cry out
day and night before the throne of God, "How long, O Lord, holy and
true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood?" (Revelation 6:10)
Like Isaiah, I want to cry out to God, "Oh, that You would
rend the heavens and come down!" (Isaiah 64:1).
The fate of Satan was
sealed by the Cross, but his nefarious activities will not cease until the Lord
returns. At that time, the Word says that God will deal with Satan decisively.
Luke 18:7 says that
God will vindicate His elect who cry out to Him day and night by providing them
justice.
Romans 16:20 says
that Satan will be "crushed."
The book of Revelation says he will then be thrown into the lake
of fire where he "will be tormented day and night forever and
ever" (Revelation 20:10 — see also, Isaiah 14:12-17).
But Satan doesn't
want to go to Hell alone. He's working overtime to take as many people with him
as he can. And I want that work stopped! I want Satan to get what he deserves.
3) The Creation: When Jesus returns,
the creation will receive what it has been promised — restoration.
The material universe
was originally created in beauty and perfection. There were no poisonous plants
or animals, nor were there any meat-eating animals.
There were no natural
cataclysms like earthquakes and tornados. Mankind lived in perfect harmony with
nature.
But when Man rebelled
against God, one of the consequences of his sin was that God placed a curse on
the creation. Poisonous plants and animals suddenly appeared.
The animal kingdom
turned against itself and Man as some of the animals became meat eaters. And
the natural cataclysms began to take their toll. Man, now had to strive against
nature to survive.
But the moment God
placed the curse on the creation, He promised that one day it would be lifted
through "the seed of woman" (Genesis 3:15).
That promise is repeated throughout the Scriptures. For example,
in Isaiah 11, the prophet says that when the Messiah comes to reign, "the
wolf will dwell with the lamb" and "the lion will eat straw like
the ox."
He further states that "the nursing child will play by the
hole of the cobra" because the snake will no longer be poisonous.
Paul reaffirms this
promise in the New Testament in the eighth chapter of Romans. He pictures the
whole creation as being like a pregnant woman gripped by birth pains, crying
out for the moment of delivery.
He says that moment will come when "the sons of God are
revealed." In other words, it will occur at the resurrection when the
Lord returns (Romans 8:18-23).
On the day the Lord
returns, the earth will be renovated by earthquakes and supernatural phenomena
in the heavens (Revelation 6:12-17).
The result will be a
refreshed and beautified earth. The destructive forces of nature will be
curtailed.
Deserts will bloom.
The plant and animal kingdoms will be redeemed. Poisonous plants and animals
will cease to be poisonous. The carnivorous animals will become herbivorous.
All of nature will
cease to strive against itself. Instead, it will work together harmoniously to
the benefit of Man. (Isaiah 11:6-9; Isaiah 35:1-10; Isaiah 65:17-25; Acts 3:19-21; and
Romans 8:18-23)
4) The Nations: When Jesus returns,
the nations will receive what they have been promised — peace, righteousness
and justice.
Mankind has dreamed
of world peace throughout history.
Disarmament treaties
have been negotiated, peace treaties have been signed, international
organizations have been created, but true peace has remained elusive.
The Bible says that
permanent world peace will never be achieved until the Prince of Peace, the
Messiah, returns.
Both Isaiah and Micah prophesied that when the Lord returns, the
nations "will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks" and that "nation will not lift up sword against
nation, and never again will they train for war" (Isaiah 2:4 and Micah
4:3).
The hope of the world
for peace will never be realized in summit conferences between heads of state.
The only hope is the return of Jesus who will rule the world with "a
rod of iron" (Psalm 2:9 and Revelation 2:26-27).
5) The Jews: When Jesus returns, the Jews will receive what they have been promised — salvation and primacy.
5) The Jews: When Jesus returns, the Jews will receive what they have been promised — salvation and primacy.
God has made many
wonderful promises to His chosen people, the nation of Israel. Most of these
are unfulfilled and will not be fulfilled until a remnant of the Jews turn to
Jesus and accept Him as their Messiah.
The prophetic
scriptures tell us this will happen at the end of the Tribulation when the Jews
who are left alive have come to the end of themselves and decide to turn to
God.
Zechariah says this remnant will "look upon Him whom they
have pierced and will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son" (Zechariah 12:10).
The prophet also says that on that day of repentance, "a
fountain of salvation will be opened for the house of David and for the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity" (Zechariah 13:1).
This believing
remnant will then be regathered to the land of Israel to receive the blessings
that God has promised the nation.
Those incredible
blessings are described in great detail in chapters 60 through 62 of Isaiah.
God's Shekinah glory
will return (Isaiah 60:2) to a rebuilt Temple (Isaiah 60:7). The nations will
send all kinds of assistance (Isaiah 60:10), including their wealth (Isaiah 60:5).
The land of Israel
will be reclaimed (Isaiah 60:13), the nation will receive respect (Isaiah 60:15), the people will
enjoy peace (Isaiah 60:18), and the Messiah will live in their presence (Isaiah 60:13,19).
All the ruins will be
rebuilt (Isaiah 61:4) and the land will be filled with joy (Isaiah 61:7-8) and praise (Isaiah 61:10-11).
The nation will be a
beacon of righteousness, and its glory will be witnessed all over the world (Isaiah 62:1-3).
To sum it up, Isaiah says the nation of Israel will be "a
crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of
God" (Isaiah 62:3).
In effect, the world
will be turned upside down regarding its relationship to the Jews.
Today the Jewish
people are despised and persecuted. They are the butt of jokes and ridicule.
But a day is coming when all that will cease. Zechariah says that
during the Lord's millennial reign the Jewish people will be so honored that
when a Jew walks by, ten Gentiles will grab his clothing and say, "Let
us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you" (Zechariah 8:23).
6) The Saints: Some of the
promises to the Saints — to those who are members of the Lord's Church — will
be fulfilled at the time of the Rapture.
The Rapture is an
event that could occur any moment. It will precede the Second Coming.
At the Rapture, the
dead in Christ will be resurrected and the living will be translated to meet
Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
It is at this time
that both the living and dead in Christ will receive their glorified bodies.
These will be immortal, perfected bodies — like the body that Jesus had after
His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:42-53 and Philippians 3:21).
When Jesus returns to
this earth, the Saints will come with Him and will witness His glorious victory
over the Antichrist and his forces (Revelation 19:11-21).
The Saints will then
receive what they have been promised — a redeemed earth and ruling power over
the nations (Matthew 5:5 and Revelation 2:26-27).
Jesus will reign from
Mount Zion in Jerusalem as King of kings and Lord of lords (Isaiah 24:21-23).
David in his
glorified body will reign as king of Israel (Jeremiah 30:9 and Ezekiel 34:23-24).
The Saints in their
glorified bodies will be scattered all over the world to assist with the Lord's
reign (2 Timothy 2:12 and Revelation 2:26-27).
Some will serve as
administrators (mayors, governors, presidents, and kings), others will serve as
judges, but most will serve as teachers, for the entire educational system of
the world will be in the hands of glorified Saints.
It will be their
responsibility to teach those who are in the flesh about the Lord.
There will be no
legislators (thank God!), for Jesus Himself will give the law. (See Isaiah 2:1-4;
Isaiah 66:19-21; Jeremiah 3:12-18; and Luke 19:11-27.)
These six reasons
make it clear that every Christian should be earnestly desiring the return of
the Lord. Yet apathy prevails. Why?
Yawning about Jesus
Unbelief — Regarding unbelief, many professing Christians simply do
not believe that Jesus will ever return.
Most of these are people
with a liberal view of Scripture. They have spiritualized away the meaning of
the Second Coming, just as they have spiritualized the virgin birth and the miracles.
To them, the Second Coming
is nothing more than a fairy tale.
In 2 Peter 3:3-4 we are
told that the end times will be characterized by scoffers who will mock the
Lord's promise to return. The tragedy is that many of these are people who
profess to be Christians.
Ignorance — I think most of the Christians who
are apathetic about the Lord's return are just ignorant about what will happen
when He comes back.
As a result, they cannot
get excited about an event they know nothing about. I was in this category for
thirty years. Although I attended church faithfully, my church ignored the
teaching and preaching of God's Prophetic Word.
I didn't have the foggiest
idea about what would happen when the Lord came back, and the result was apathy
about His return.
But when I began studying
Bible prophecy and learned what is in store for believers when the Lord
returns, I started jumping pews and shouting "Maranatha!"
I have never been
apathetic since that time.
Fear — The apathy of some Christians is due to the fact that they
fear the Lord's return. Because of that fear, they try to repress the thought
that He might break from the Heavens at any moment.
They fear He might return
on one of their "bad" days or when they have an "unconfessed
sin" on their conscience. These people are caught up in works salvation.
They do not understand
that they are saved by grace and that "there is no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).
Carnality — Finally, there are many carnal
Christians who cannot get excited about the coming of the Lord because they are
in love with the world.
They are walking with
one foot in the church and one foot in the country club.
They want the Lord to
come, but they want Him to come when they are 80 years old and have experienced
all that this world has to offer.
In other words, they
want Him to come, but they don't want Him to mess up their lives.
A Seventh Reason
Let me conclude with
a personal note. There is another reason I want Jesus to return.
It has to do with the
fact that when you love someone, you want to be with them.
I love to fellowship
with Jesus in worship, in prayer, and in His Word. But these forms of
fellowship are no substitute for being with Him.
I love Him, and
therefore...
I want to be with Him.
I want to bask in the presence of His love and holiness.
I want to see the glory of God in His face.
I want to kiss His nail-scarred hands and say,
"Thank you!"
Thank you for ...
dying for me,
forgiving me,
changing me,
guiding me,
comforting me,
and for giving my life meaning and purpose.
And I want to join the Saints and the Heavenly
Host in singing, "Worthy is the Lamb!"
Maranatha!
I want to be with Him.
I want to bask in the presence of His love and holiness.
I want to see the glory of God in His face.
I want to kiss His nail-scarred hands and say,
"Thank you!"
Thank you for ...
dying for me,
forgiving me,
changing me,
guiding me,
comforting me,
and for giving my life meaning and purpose.
And I want to join the Saints and the Heavenly
Host in singing, "Worthy is the Lamb!"
Maranatha!
Dr.
David R. Reagan
serves as the Founder and Director for Lamb & Lion Ministries. He is a
native Texan who resides in a suburb of Dallas. He is married and is the father
of two daughters. His wife, Ann, is a retired first grade teacher. They have
four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Dr.
Reagan is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Texas in Austin. His
graduate degrees were earned in the field of International Relations from the
Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy of Tufts and Harvard Universities.
Dave —
as he prefers to be called — was the founder of Lamb & Lion Ministries in
1980. Before entering the ministry he had an extensive career in higher
education which included the following positions: Assistant to the President of
Austin College in Sherman, Texas; President of South Texas Jr. College in
Houston; Director of Pepperdine University’s Center for International Business
in Los Angeles; and Vice President of Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma.
Praisegate
International Ministries
started 2005 in California and is fully approved as a non-profit organization
in USA. Our purpose and goal is to equip God's people and make Jesus known.
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