By Gary Ray Branscome
The Bible clearly tells
us that Christ will return. As it is written, “This same Jesus that has been
taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the
same way that you saw him go into heaven” (Acts
The words, “I know
that he will rise again in the resurrection [singular] on the last day,”
tell us that there will be one general resurrection “on the last day”
(John 11:24). The words, “He who rejects me, and does not receive my words,
has one who judges him: the word that I have spoken, will judge him on the last
day,” tell us that judgment will take place on that same day [“the last
day”] (John
We must emphasize the
truth of Christ’s return in opposition to all who scoff, “Saying, Where is
the promise of His coming?” (2Peter 3:4). And also as a reminder to Christians,
lest they say in their heart, “My lord delays His coming,” and begin to
behave as if they will never have to answer to God (Luke 12:45). For, none of
us know when Christ will return, as it is written, “Of that day and hour no
one knows, no, not the angels in heaven” (Mark
At the same time, even
though we should be ready we should never try to compute the time of Christ’s
return. As it is written, “Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you, and you are found to be a liar” (Proverbs
30:6). Because Christ said, “Of that day and hour no one knows, no, not the
angels in heaven,” we know that God has not revealed the date (Mark
However, the Bible has
listed certain “signs of the times” that we should be aware of (Matthew 16:3).
And, they should arouse in us greater watchfulness and preparedness. The Bible
tells us that, “There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the
stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the
waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those
things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken”
(Luke 21:25-27). We are also told that, “They will hand you over to
persecution, and kill you: and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s
sake. And then many will turn away from the faith, and will betray each other,
and will hate each other. And many false prophets will rise up, and deceive
many. And because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end, will be saved. And the gospel of
the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a
testimony to all nations; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:9-14).
But, “Let no one deceive
you by any means: for that day will not come unless it is preceded by a great
apostasy, and that man of sin
is revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself over
everything that is called God, or is worshipped; so that he sits as God in the
temple of God, and says that he is God” (2Thessalonians 2:3-4).
As a sign of the time,
persecution of Christ and His Gospel is most telling. For even though
Christians have been persecuted through the centuries, and persecution is going
on today, it suggests a time when men turn away in ingratitude, harden their
hearts, and show only contempt for the love Christ has shown them. Of this time
the Bible says, “Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow
cold” (Matthew 24:12). We are also told, “That day will not come unless
it is preceded by a great falling away,” (2Thessalonians 2:3). Despite this
opposition, “The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations” before the
end comes (Matthew 24:14). [See Matt. 24:9; John 16:2; Matt. 10:17; Rom. 8:36;
Acts 14:5-6, 19:16-22.]
After Jesus told His
disciples that the
The Thousand Years
The claim that Christ
will reign on this world for one thousand years, comes from the words, “I
saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus,… and
they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).
In response to that claim it needs to be pointed out that 1- those words say
nothing about Christ reigning on this world, 2- the context, which
speaks of souls reigning with Christ suggests that this reign is taking place
in heaven, and 3- these words are describing something John saw in a
dream or vision, not earthly events. Furthermore, because this passage says
nothing about Christ reigning on this world, those who claim that He will reign
on this world are adding their own opinions to what the Bible says. And,
because the claim that He will reign on this world contradicts Christ’s own
words, “My kingdom is not of this world,” those who teach it are
rejecting what Christ said (John
Because the claim that Christ will reign on this world does
not come from Scripture, every passage that Millennialists
interpret to support that claim is being interpreted to teach an unscriptural
doctrine, and that is “private interpretation” at its worst (2Peter 1:20).
Furthermore, those who teach that doctrine often teach a number of other
unscriptural doctrines. One of those is the claim that Christ will raise up
believers before the last day. That claim contradicts Christ’s own words, “This
is the will of the Father who sent me, that I should not lose any of those He
has given me, but should raise them up again on the last day” (John
6:39, 40, 44, 54). Moreover, when they interpret the words, “Then we which
are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air,” to contradict Christ’s words, “raise them up
again on the last day,” they are teaching contrary to God’s Word
(1Thessalonians 4:17). It should be obvious that if Christ will raise up believers on the last day, then the
rapture will take place on the last day. [Compare
John
Worse yet, the claim by some that God’s offer of grace will
be withdrawn in the future and people will go back to the sacrificial system of
the Old Testament is satanic, and is condemned by the words, “If anyone
preaches any gospel to you other than the one you received, let him be accursed”
(Galatians 1:9). Those who hold that doctrine need to read the third chapter of
Galatians, for that chapter plainly tells us that salvation has always been
through faith in Christ. As it is written, “The covenant concerning faith in Christ that was
confirmed by God at the time of Abraham cannot be nullified by the law, which
came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to make the promise of no
effect. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it is not given by promise:
but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” (Galatians 3:17-18).
Another mistake that they make is to assume that Christianity
is not the religion of Ancient Israel. What they fail to see is that because
God gave the inheritance to Abraham through faith in God’s promise, “Those
who trust in Christ are the children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7). “For he is not a Jew, who is one outwardly;
neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew,
who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and
not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Romans 2:28-29). “For not all who are descended from