Warnings
Mathew 24:3-5. 3 . And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
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.
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Even though Jesus wasn't born on December 25, His first coming is celebrated around the globe with songs like "Away In A Manger," "What Child Is This?" and "Silent Night." He was here once, but will He return? If we believe the Bible, the answer is, yes! Yet unlike His first appearance as the Babe of Bethlehem, His Second Coming won't happen on a Silent Night.
John 14:1-3: A few days before His death, Jesus told His small band of bewildered disciples, "Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:1-3). Thus the clear answer from the Lord is, "I will come again."
Acts 1:9-11: But how will He come? Will it be in some invisible or symbolic way? Let's find out. 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus led His disciples to the top of a small mountain - the Mt. of Olives - just east of Jerusalem. Suddenly, "…while they watched, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing; which also said, 'Men of Galilee, why are standing there gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven'" (Acts 1:9-11). It's obvious Jesus ascended literally, bodily, in full view of His watching, awestruck followers. As they watched Him go up, two angels appeared and said He would come back "in like manner" as He went up. Thus Christ's Second Coming will be literal, bodily, and visible to normal human eyes.
Titus 2:13: This visible return of Jesus is the true hope of the Church. Paul told the early believers to keep "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). Thus our hope is the visible revelation of Jesus Christ at the end of the world.
Matthew 24:26, 27: There will be nothing secretive about His return. In words of warning and clarification, Jesus Christ said, "Where if they say to you, 'Behold, he is in the desert,' go not forth; or 'Behold, he is in the secret chambers,' believe it not; for as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:26, 27). Language could not be plainer. False teachers may talk of a "secret" coming, but don't believe it. Christ's coming will be like highly visible, electrically charged bolts of lightning flashing across a stormy sky.
Matthew 24:30, 31: When Jesus finally returns, this event will not only be witnessed by believers, but by all nations. And He's not coming alone. Jesus clarified, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of the trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" Matthew (24:30, 31). Thus Christ's return will be loud and visible to the eyes of "all the tribes of the earth." When God's heavenly trumpet sounds and billions of shiny angels burst into Earth's atmosphere, no one will wake up the next day wondering what happened.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9: Christ's return will bring happiness to the saved, yet it will result in destruction to those who are lost. Paul wrote about the great day when "the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18: The return of Jesus will be an incredibly loud, noisy event that will wake up the dead: "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (see Exodus 19:19): and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, the meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). When Jesus Christ comes, all God's children - those who are resurrected and those living at that time - will bid goodbye to the sins of earth. We shall be "caught up," literally, just like Jesus was "taken up" at His ascension, and we shall forever "be with the Lord" who died for us.
One Taken, One Left ?
Jesus Christ said, "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:40).Countless Christians apply this verse to the "Great Disappearance" when believers will suddenly vanish - leaving their clothes, shoes, necklaces, and wedding rings on earth. Such an interpretation is professionally illustrated in Left Behind: The Movie. In many prophecy books on this subject, unbelieving spouses are described as waking up in the morning only to discover that their believing husbands or wives have been "taken" or raptured to heaven. All who are "left behind" must then endure the "seven years of Tribulation" and the rise of the Antichrist. But they have a "second chance" to be saved.
Is such an interpretation, popular though it may be, really what Jesus meant in Matthew 24:40? Let's look closely at the context to find out.
Matthew 24:27 - Jesus said, "For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
This verse is clearly describing Christ's visible and ultra-glorious Second Coming. Few disagree here.
Matthew 24:30, 31 - Jesus continued, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels, with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another."
Once again, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is clearly described. This coming will be literal, visible, loud, and glorious,(international). All the world will see it.
Matthew 24:36 - "But of that day [the day of the Second Coming] and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My father only." once again, the context is the Second Coming.
Matthew 24:37-39 - "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be, For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Jesus clearly compares His Second Coming with Noah's flood. This flood came suddenly upon the lost "and took them all away."
In other words, they were lost - with no second chances. Christ said, "...so shall the coming of the Son of man be."
Matthew 24:40 - "THEN [capitols added] shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left."
The all-important question is: When is "then"? Does this verse describe the sudden disappearance of millions of Christians before a seven-year period of tribulation, as is taught in Left Behind? Or is it talking about the salvation of one and the destruction of another at the Second Coming of Jesus - at the end of the world? For those willing to closely examine the context, the answer is clear. According to the preceding verses of Matthew 24:27, 30, 31, 36, 37-39, the answer is - "one shall be taken" and "one shall be left" at the visible (vs. 27), audible (vs. 31), glorious (vs. 30) flood-like (verses 37-39) Second Coming of Jesus Christ! And just like in Noah's day, when that time finally comes there will be no second chances.
God's Word speaks clearly again. Many deceptions were planted in protestant churches who Today the effects of these umbilical delusions are misleading many.
Who would you believe what Jesus and the Bible says, or what John Nelson Darby the originator of the secret rapture says.
source: Steve Wohlberg...http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4700127586628202776
http://www.whitehorsemedia.com/articles/details.cfm?art=52
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