The Real Story About Noah

When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  (Genesis 6:1-8, KJV)

Years ago — while volunteering at my former church’s Sunday school — I remember watching the horror come over the faces of the five-year-olds as the teacher told them the story of Noah and the flood. I admit, I questioned God’s actions. It didn’t make sense to me that God would wipe out the human race because the thoughts of their hearts were evil, only to later send His Son to die for sinners who believed in Him, no matter what evils they had committed.  But it was a time and place when I was more interested in what the latest best-selling Christian book had to say than the Bible, so I never pursued it.

Years later, a faithful sister in Christ explained to me that the Nephilim were the giant offspring of fallen angels who had mated with women.  It sounded like something you would see on a television program like the X-Files. I was highly intrigued and incredibly skeptical, which led me to dive into Scripture to determine the truth for myself. For that alone, I will always be grateful.

I found the Nephilim again in Numbers 13:33:

There we saw the Nephilim [or giants], the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. (Amplified Bible).

This confirmed that the Nephilim were not like normal human beings.  I searched several commentaries and found an explanation that the “sons of God” were the faithful family of Seth and the “daughters of men” were the descendants of apostate Cain (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown).  But it begged the question: How did a line of giants result from human beings intermarrying with other human beings?  They are referred to in Genesis 6:4 as “the heroes of old, men of renown” and Rob Skiba offers an excellent presentation on Greek mythology and its relationship to the Nephilim, which is worth viewing.

I did a word search on “sons of God” and it only appears two times in the NIV (Genesis 6:2 and Genesis 6:4). In the Amplified Bible, however, I found several passages:

Again there was a day when the sons of God [the angels] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and the accuser) came also among them to present himself before the Lord.  (Job 2:1)

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now your loins like a man, and I will demand of you, and you declare to Me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Declare to Me, if you have and know understanding. Who determined the measures of the earth, if you know? Or who stretched the measuring line upon it? Upon what were the foundations of it fastened, or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job:38:1-7)

Using Scripture to interpret Scripture led me to believe that in the Old Testament, the term “sons of God” refers to angels. In the New Testament, it appears to refer to both angels (Luke 20:36) and believers (Matthew 5:9, Romans 8:14, and Galatians 3:26), depending upon which translation you use.

That still left another important question: could angels have children with women? We know that angels appeared on earth and talked to Hagar (Genesis 16:7-11, Genesis 19:21), ate with Lot (Genesis 19:1-3), pulled Lot into the house (Genesis 19:10), seized Lot, his wife and two daughters by the hand (Genesis 19:16), touched Gideon’s staff, meat, and unleavened cakes (Judges 6:21), touched and spoke to Jezebel (1 Kings 19:5), went into a pool and stirred up the water (John 5:4), opened prison doors (Acts 5:19), and gently struck Peter on his side (Acts 12:7).  Clearly, angels are able to physically interact with humans in this dimension.  And if you do a word search, they appear to always be men.

As I searched further, I found author Doug Hamp and others, who opened my eyes to believe that these fallen angels had indeed mated with women to pollute the human gene pool and prevent the Messiah from being born!  Or in the words of Scofield, “Whichever view is held, it is obvious that Satan attempted so to corrupt the race that the Messiah could not come to redeem man.”

Studies into ancient (nonbiblical) texts like the Book of Enoch suggest that these fallen angels also procreated with animals to create new species. Now it begins to make sense why God not only wiped out all of humankind (save for Noah and his family), but also according to Genesis 6:7, “the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground.”  

As Hollywood prepares to launch its blockbuster Noah movie this month, I doubt that most viewers — whether they are believers or non-believers — will truly understand why God caused the flood. 

We should also remember that Genesis 6:4 tells us that the Nephilim appeared before and after the flood. That’s a huge concern for Kingdom believers who are living in what I believe are the last days of this age and those who will be left behind during the Tribulation.  But I will have to save that for next time.

What’s in a Name?

When I read genealogies in Scripture, I often have to remind myself that every word of Scripture is there for a reason.  So I thought it would be interesting to see what genealogies may tell us. 

I started with the genealogy in Genesis 5:1-31, which describes the line descending from Adam to Noah.  I consulted two sources for my exercise: the NET Bible and Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary. 

I was surprised to learn that some of the names listed in the King James Version have different spellings in the New International Version (the alternates are in parentheses). 

Adam: Earthy, red, the first man

Seth (Sheth): Put, who puts, fixed, compensation

Enos (Enosh): Man, mortal man, sick, despaired of, forgetful

Cainan (Kenan): Possessor, possession, purchaser, buyer, owner

Mahalaleel (Mahalalel): Praise of God, praising God

Jared (Jered): descent, a ruling, commanding, coming down

Enoch: Dedicated, disciplined

Methuselah (Mathusala): He has sent his death, man of the dart

Lamech: Poor, made low, powerful

Noah: Repose, consolation, rest

Chuck Missler has written that this Genesis genealogy describes the first advent of Jesus Christ.  The references he used are different from mine, but I think we do get this picture.

 

I then chose the genealogy from Matthew 1:1-20, since it marks the beginning of the New Testament. Once again, I found it interesting that many of the names of the ancestors of Jesus also tell us about some the attributes of our Lord. 

But when you break the list up into separate blocks as I’ve done below, you might argue that it results in several “mini-stories,” that allude to the first or second advents of Christ Jesus.

Abraham: Father of a great multitude

Isaac: Laughter

Jacob: Heel-catcher or supplanter

Judas (Judah): The praise of the Lord, confession

Phares (Perez): A breach

Zara (Zerah): A rising as the sun

Esrom (Hezron): Enclosed, dart of joy, division of son

Aram (Ram): Elevated, high

Aminadab (Amminadab): One of the prince’s people, my people is liberal

Naashon (Nahshon): Enchanter; that foretells, conjectures

Salmon: A raiment; a garment, peaceful, he who rewards

Booz (Boaz): In him is strength

Obed: Serving, a servant; a workman

Jesse: A gift, oblation, wealth

David: Well beloved, dear

Solomon: Peaceful, perfect, one who recompenses

Roboam (Rehoboam): Enlarger of the people, who sets people at liberty

Abia (Abijah): The Lord is my father

Asa: Physician, cure

Josaphat (Jehoshaphat): Whom Jehovah judges, the Lord is judge

Joram (Jehoram): Whom Jehovah has exalted, exaltation of the Lord

Ozias (Uzziah): Strength of Jehovah, strength of the Lord

Jotham (Joatham): Jehovah is upright, perfection of the Lord

Achaz (Ahaz): Possessor, one that takes or possesses

Ezekais (Hezekiah): Might of Jehovah, strength of the Lord

Manasseh (Manasses): Forgetting, he that is forgotten

Amon: Faithful, true, builder

Josiah (Josias): Whom Jehovah heals, the Lord burns, the fire of the Lord

Jechoniah (Jechonias, Jehoiachin): Whom Jehovah establishes, preparation or strength of the Lord

Shealtiel (Salathiel): I have asked of God, or lent of God

Zerubbabel (Zorobabel): Born at Babel, a stranger at Babylon, dispersion of confusion

Abiud (Abihud): My father is majesty, father of praise

Eliakim: Raising up by God, resurrection of God

Azor: Helper, a court

Zadok (Sadoc): Just, righteous

Achim: The Lord will establish, preparing, revenging, confirming

Eliud: God is my praise

Eleazar: Help of God, court of God

Matthan (Mattan): Gift

Jacob: Heel-catcher or supplanter

Joseph: Let him add, increase, addition

Jesus: Jehovah is salvation, savior, deliverer

Hosea: A Type for Christ or God’s Bride?

I was listening to my audio bible and heard a passage from Hosea 3:1-9 that sounded like a type for Christ:

The Lord said to me, “Go, show love to your wife again, even though she loves another man and continually commits adultery.  Likewise, the Lord loves the Israelites although they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.” So I paid fifteen shekels of silver and about seven bushels of barley to purchase her.

Hosea means “help” or “salvation” and the prophet does appear to speak to God’s love for us by sending His Son to die for us on the cross in Hosea 6:1-3:

Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.  After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.  Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

Upon further study, however, I think that Hosea is a type for God’s relationship to His eventual wife: Israel. 

Looking at Hosea’s life, we learn that God instructed Hosea to marry a prostitute.  He chose Gomer, who was not faithful to him.  God chose Israel to be His bride, which has also been unfaithful in its covenant with the Lord.  So one could say that God also chose a harlot.

When we look at the names of Hosea and Gomer’s children, their firstborn was named Jezreel, which means God sows.  The second child was a daughter named Lo-Ruhamah, which means no pity or no mercy.  Their third child, Lo-Ammi, means not my people.  That sounds an awful lot like God’s long-suffering relationship with Israel, which turned to worship Baal and not the Lord.

Hosea is such a beautiful story because despite God’s judgment, it also typifies God’s love for Israel.  Hosea speaks to the day when Israel will finally repent and be welcomed back into the arms of her long-awaiting Husband.

Therefore, behold, I will allure her [Israel] and bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak tenderly and to her heart.  There I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor [troubling] to be for her a door of hope and expectation. And she shall sing there and respond as in the days of her youth and as at the time when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be in that day, says the Lord, that you will call Me Ishi [my Husband], and you shall no more call Me Baali [my Baal].  For I will take away the names of Baalim [the Baals] out of her mouth, and they shall no more be mentioned or seriously remembered by their name. (Hosea 2:14-17, Amplified Bible).

What is the Worth of Wisdom?

But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:12-28)

I have been reading the book of Job, which has a lot to say about wisdom (it is mentioned more than 20 times):

• Sinners die without wisdom (Job 4:21)
• God has the secrets of wisdom (Job 11:6)
• With the ancient is wisdom, strength, counsel, and understanding (Job 12:12-13)
• The price of wisdom is above rubies (Job 28:18)
• The fear of the Lord is wisdom (Job 28:28)
• God is mighty in strength and wisdom (Job 36:5)

When the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see the types in Scripture that foreshadow the coming Kingdom, God blesses us with wisdom that is not only worth more than rubies, but all earthly treasures.  It allows us to see that Job is yet another Old Testament ensample (type) of Christ Jesus. 

Both Job and Jesus:

• Were sinless and falsely accused of being sinners
• Were tempted by Satan and remained faithful to God
• Suffered tremendously despite being blameless
• Forgave the words and actions of their adversaries
• Lost everything and are later blessed abundantly

His Kingdom come!

Quoteworthy: He Will Return As King!

“It is clear from the Scriptures that God has been trying to set up a "visible" Kingdom on this earth ever since the creation of man, to whom He gave dominion (Gen. 1: 26-28). But that dominion was lost by the "Fall," and Satan set himself up as the "Prince of this World" (Matt. 4:8-10, John 14:30).

In the "Call of Abraham" God took the first step toward the setting up of a visible Kingdom on this earth, which assumed an outward form in the "Jewish Commonwealth" under Moses, but the plan was blocked by the Jews losing their "National Existence" at the time of the Babylonian Captivity B. C. 606, and the beginning of the "Times of the Gentiles."

But when 600 years of the "Times of the Gentiles" had run their course, God again made a move to set up the Kingdom, and the angel Gabriel announced to Mary the Birth of the King (Luke 1:26-33). Thirty years later the King's forerunner, John the Baptist, announced that the Kingdom was "at hand" (Matt. 3:1-2), and when the King manifested Himself to Israel He Himself made the same announcement (Matt. 4:17-23), and later He sent out the "Twelve" (Matt. 10:7), and the "Seventy" (Luke 10:1-9), to proclaim the same thing. But the King was rejected and crucified, and the setting up of the Kingdom postponed, and the Kingdom took on its "Mystery Form" under the name of the "Kingdom of Heaven."

There are some who object to what they call the "Postponement Theory," and claim that the Kingdom which was "At Hand" was not an outward visible Kingdom, but a spiritual Kingdom, and that it was not withdrawn but is seen today in "New Born" believers. They base their claim on the fact that the earthly visible Kingdom of Christ could not be set up until after He had suffered and died on the Cross as the Saviour of men and had risen from the dead, and ascended to the Father and received the Kingdom, and that therefore the offer of an outward visible and earthly Kingdom at that time was not a "bona fide" offer, and that John the Baptist and Jesus must have meant by the "Kingdom of Heaven" something else than an outward visible and earthly Kingdom.

What are the facts? First, that the Old Testament scriptures teach that there is to be an earthly and visible Kingdom over which the Son of Man is to rule (Dan. 7: 13-14, 2:34-35, 44-45; Jer. 23:5; Zech. 14:9), and we know that at the time of Jesus' birth there was a widespread expectation of the coming of the Messiah, and that Simeon and Anna waited in the Temple for the "Consolation of Israel" (Luke 2: 25-38). We are also told that "Wise Men" came from the East to Jerusalem inquiring "Where is He that is born KING OF THE JEWS?" and when they had found Jesus they worshipped Him as KING (Matt. 2:1-11).

There can be no question but that Jesus was born to be a KING.”

From Rightly Dividing the Word by Clarence Larkin.

The Return of the Jewish Messiah

I am Jewish by birth and attended Sunday school at a synagogue until I was a teenager.  But it wasn’t until many years after becoming a believer that I learned that Jesus was Jewish.  This knowledge was the beginning of an incredible journey to understand His (and my) Hebrew roots.

I often wondered why the Jewish leaders did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah.  They dutifully and rigorously studied the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), most likely on a daily basis.  They knew about the writings of the prophets (while there was no collection of these books yet, the various texts were read as separate scrolls).¹  So how could they have missed it?

Believers today are fortunate to have knowledge from both the Old and New Testaments.  We can look back and clearly see how Jesus fulfilled Scriptural prophecies during His first advent on earth.  We have the advantage of having the full picture and of knowing exactly what we are looking for. 

The Jewish people were looking for Christ too, but I think their preconceived beliefs about who the Messiah was — and the role He would play — kept them from seeing the entire story.  When you explore both early and later Jewish beliefs, however, the parallels are amazing.

The Jewish people held the belief that there would be a future Messianic period, which would bring salvation to the Jewish people and to the whole world.  Their hope was for a future king who would redeem Israel and establish the kingdom of God on earth.²

In apocalyptic literature of the last two centuries B.C.E., the Messiah is described as a powerful warrior and ruler.  He was also described as a supernatural being who existed from the beginning of days and was close to God; designated as the “son of man” or as “My son.”  He is also sometimes described as an angelic being whose existence antedated the creation of the world, just waiting for the right time to reveal Himself and assume His seat of glory.  At that time He will dispense justice to all the inhabitants of the earth.²

The Jewish people also had a double concept of the Messiah: One Messiah was the son of Joseph, and another Messiah was the son of David.  They came to associate the figure of their Messiah with King David or a descendant of King David.  This idealized version of the Messiah fueled their expectation of a mighty warrior and king — and they were correct — but this will not be fulfilled until Christ Jesus’ second advent. 

When Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-21) he stopped at the comma in the middle of passage:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

The Jewish leaders had no idea that the remaining part of that passage (and the day of vengeance of our God;) would be fulfilled at a future time. 

The idea of a Messiah’s supernatural birth, earthly suffering, and death to atone for sin and bring salvation to those who believe in Him was inconceivable to many Jews during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  It is not so surprising when you consider that even those who were closest to him — his disciples — did not fully understand this for themselves until Jesus appeared to them after He was crucified.  

Jesus’ resurrection was certainly beyond the realm of understanding of the Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection.  It was also beyond their level of comprehension that a Messiah could come first as a suffering servant, be raised from the dead, and return to earth once again as king.

The Jewish people looked to the Messianic era (yemoth hamashiah, which literally means “days of the Messiah”) as a period of redemption to be ushered in and ruled over by the Messiah.  It is a time that marks the return of the people of Israel to the land of Israel. 

Interestingly, the “days of the Messiah” are different from the “world to come,” which will usher in resurrection and the judgment and the reign of God.   Later Jewish writings suggest that the Messianic era was postponed due to sin and will be preceded by social and political problems, extreme poverty, heresy, and wars, including the wars of Gog and Magog.  Jewish writers during the Middle Ages pointed to a new Jerusalem and a time of perfection.²

A more contemporary parallel to what we see with “kingdom now” believers is a platform that was established by American rabbis in 1937.  They stated that their historical task is to “cooperate with all men in the establishment of the Kingdom of God, of universal brotherhood, justice, truth and peace on earth.”² 

Issac Landman, an American reformed rabbi, educator, and prolific author who lived from 1880 to 1946 and edited the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, wrote that “The hope for a future king who will redeem Israel and establish the kingdom of God upon earth is not expressly found either in the Biblical or in the Apocryphal writings.”  

Believers know that there are Bible passages that speak to Jesus’ return to earth as King and reigning upon David’s throne (Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:31-33, Psalms 132:11, the tenth chapter of Zechariah, and the eleventh chapter of Romans, to name a few).  But we have the power of the Holy Spirit, which reveals to us the mysteries of the Kingdom within Scripture.

It is impossible for unbelievers to understand these mysteries (some believers are blind to them as well).  God opened my eyes when I asked Him to show me that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and our future King.  If you happen to be of the Jewish faith, I pray that you will ask God to open your eyes too. 

 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7)

1. Jones, Barry A (2000). "Canon of the Old Testament." David Noel Freedman. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans.

2.  The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia.  Isaac Landman, Ed.

Dividing, Selecting, and Electing

 

Tom Bradford speaks of God’s pattern of dividing, selecting, and electing in Scripture.  He runs a wonderful website called Torah Class, which offers free lessons on the first five books of the Bible.  It provides bible studies and Scripture research for Christians, Messianic Jews, and all seekers of truth. 

This spurred me to find examples in Scripture where God divides, selects, and elects:

• Enoch is credited for walking faithfully with God and God removes him from the earth prior to the flood, which is a type of the rapture of the saints before the tribulation.
• God tells Noah to build an ark and enter it and thus only eight souls are saved from the flood (1 Peter 3:20, KJV), which is a type of the 144,000 who will be sealed and preserved through the tribulation.
• Abraham is told to separate from his people and his country to go to the land of Canaan. But Abraham never actually occupies the land flowing of milk and honey, which is promised to his descendents.
• God leads Lot and his two daughters out of Sodom and Gomorrah before its total destruction, which is an example of the danger of being yoked with unbelievers.
• Moses is told to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 12:37 tells us they eventually numbered 600,000), yet only Joshua and Caleb are allowed to enter the promised land.

I know that many have been led to believe that when Christ Jesus returns all believers will be rewarded equally in His Kingdom. But I believe that God’s pattern of dividing, selecting, and electing in Scripture tells us otherwise.

Ears to Hear

I was listening to an audio version of Leviticus 14 today and was struck by verse 17:

 And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering.

Leviticus is rich with symbolism and this passage made me wonder about the symbolism of the ear.  Walter W. Wilson writes that the ear is a type concerning the consecrated hearing of the believer.  An ear that is touched by oil now only hears God’s Word and is to refuse the call of all other leaders.  In his commentary, David Guzik states that the right ear was chosen because that side was considered to be superior and have more strength and skill.  Most people were right-handed and God wanted their best to be dedicated to him.

I believe it is Pastor Royce Powell who says that whenever Scripture uses the phrase “ears to hear” we need to listen carefully.  The first use of this expression is in Deuteronomy 29:1-4 (emphasis is mine).

 ¹These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.  ²And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;  ³The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:  ⁴Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. 

Jesus uses a phrase similar to “he who hath ears to hear, let him hear” three times in Matthew, three times in Mark, and twice in Luke.  Most of the time, He is speaking in parables.  When the disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables, He replied:

Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.  ¹²For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.  ¹³Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  ¹⁴And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:  ¹⁵For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.  ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. (Matthew 13:11-16)

When Jesus first came to offer His Kingdom, Israel shut up their ears, which is prophesied in Ezekiel 12:1-2:

 

 ¹The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,  ²Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. 

Unless believers have eyes to see and ears to hear, I fear that history will repeat itself when Jesus appears a second time.

Will Jesus Find Faith When He Returns?

Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)

How can this be?  There are churches everywhere, many with thousands of believers in their congregations.  Preachers on television are reaching millions of people worldwide.  Walk into a mainstream bookstore and you will see multiple shelves of books under the section “Religion — Christianity.”  

So what is this lack of faith Jesus is talking about? 

Jesus cannot be speaking of faith that He is our Lord and Saviour because more and more people are professing this every day.  I believe that Jesus is talking about having faith that He will return to earth again, this time as our King when He establishes His Millennial Kingdom.

“We are not to concern ourselves with the day or the hour,” “Why study prophecy when we have so much to accomplish here and now?”, and “His kingdom is already here in the hearts of believers” are just a few objections you may hear if you ask the question: “Why do we hear so little about the second coming of Christ from the pulpit?”

Jesus scolded the Pharisees and the Sadducees because they should have known that He was their Messiah based upon their knowledge of Scripture:

O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? (Matthew 16:3)

Will Jesus rebuke Christians in the same way when He returns?  Unlike the Pharisees and the Sadducees we have all of Scripture to study, which refers to Christ’s Second Advent more times than His first (some write that there are 2,400 such verses, eight times more than the verses that point to Jesus’ First Advent).

Here are just a handful of the many verses in the New Testament that make His second coming — and His purpose for coming — crystal clear:

• For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. (Matthew 16:27)
• Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
• ²³But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.  ²⁴Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:23-24)
• ¹I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;  ²Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:1-2)
• To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:13)
• And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
• Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)
• So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)
• ¹⁴And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,  ¹⁵To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 1:14-15)
• Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7)
• Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (Revelation 16:15)
• And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Revelation 22:12)

 And lest we forget the last verse of Scripture:

²⁰He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  ²¹The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (Revelation 22:20-21)

Jesus has promised to return — a truth that is our blessed hope!  We also need to prepare ourselves for His final judgment.  If man tells you otherwise, I pray that you will put your faith in Him.