Be Watchmen
We have a practical duty of watchfulness in the prospect of Christ's return and even more so for the rapture of His bride, the Church (1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).
Be a Watchman
We are to be ever discerning and joyfully expectant of the return of Jesus!
People often refer to the rapture as the "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13) because it provides comfort not only to those believers who are concerned about the coming tribulations, but also to those who long to be reunited with their departed loved ones who shared their faith in Christ.
The second coming, which encompasses both the rapture (before the tribulation) and the glorious appearing (at the end of the tribulation), is one of the most significant events mentioned in the entire Bible. It is clearly taught in both the Old and New Testaments.
The New Testament alone refers to this awesome event 321 times in one out of every thirty verses making it the second-most prominent doctrine presented in Scripture after the doctrine of salvation.
It is mentioned in every chapter of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, the first books written for the early church. All nine New Testament authors mention the second coming, and 23 of the 27 New Testament books reference it.
Notice the similarity of the descriptions of the rapture in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18. When Christ comes to take His church (all believers) to heaven in fulfillment of His promise in John 14:1-3, He will include both the living and the dead. Together, all believers will be instantaneously transported into heaven to meet their saved loved ones "in the clouds" and then to meet the Lord in the air.
Those who have rejected the salvation of Jesus Christ will remain on earth and witness a miraculous event of astonishing proportions the sudden mass disappearance of millions upon millions of Christians from the face of the earth.
God clearly intended His church to be motivated to holiness and world evangelism by the study of the second coming of Jesus Christ. Since Jesus is coming again, we are called to live for Christ with urgency and to share Him with everyone we can.
Much confusion exists among Bible readers regarding the second coming of Christ. Of central importance is whether Jesus will return once or twice.
It may be easier to speak of the return of Jesus as two phases of His second coming. There are NOT two second comings, instead two phases beginning with the rapture of His church, the bride of Christ, and then followed by the return of Christ with His church to rule and reign for 1000 years.
The end of the millennium reign with Christ is followed by a final rebellion spurred on by Satan, the great white throne judgement, and finally the new heaven and new earth which extend into eternity.
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Matthew 24:36-51 ESV
"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. [37] For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. [38] For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, [39] and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. [40] Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. [41] Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. [42] Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. [43] But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. [44] Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. [45] "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? [46] Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. [47] Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. [48] But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' [49] and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, [50] the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know [51] and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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We must be as children of light, and children of the day and not be of the night and darkness (dwelling in sin and unconcerned or without care for Christs return). We are not to sleep (spiritually) as the day of Christ’s return draw’s near. We are to keep awake and be sober (spiritually).
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1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 ESV
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. [2] For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. [3] While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. [4] But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. [5] For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. [6] So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
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We have a practical duty of watchfulness in the prospect of Christ's second coming (Matthew 24:42,44).
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Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. [44] Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
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This is a point which our blessed Master frequently presses on our notice.
We hardly ever find him dwelling on the second advent without adding an injunction to watch. He knows the sleepiness of our nature. He knows how soon we forget the most solemn subjects in religion. He knows how unceasingly Satan labors to obscure the glorious doctrine of his coming again.
He arms us with heart-searching exhortations to keep awake if we would not be ruined for evermore.
May we all have an ear to hear them.
True Christians ought to live like watchmen.
The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. They should always be on their guard. They should behave like the sentry on guard duty in an enemy's land. They should resolve by God's grace not to sleep on duty.
The statement of Paul deserves many a thought (1 Thess. 5:6).
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1 Thessalonians 5:6 ESV
So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
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True Christians ought to live like good servants whose master is not at home. They should strive to be always ready for their Master's return. They should never give way to the feeling that their Master delays his coming.
They should seek to keep their hearts in such a frame that whenever Christ appears they may at once give him a warm and loving reception.
There is a vast depth in our Lord's words in verse Matthew 24:46.
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Matthew 24:46 ESV
Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
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We may well doubt whether we are true believers in Jesus if we are not ready to have our faith changed into sight at any time.
Let us close this chapter with solemn feelings. The things we have been reading call loudly for great searchings of heart. Let us seek to make sure that we are in Christ and have an ark of safety when the day of wrath breaks on the world. Let us strive to live so that we receive the Lord's commendation and are not cast off for evermore.
Let us dismiss from our minds the idea that unfulfilled prophecy is speculative and not practical. John sees a future hope as placing on us a very real present duty (1 John 3:2-3).
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1 John 3:2-3 ESV
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. [3] And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
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