Know about the Second Coming

For many years I have been studying the Scripture to understand what God is saying. I have also listened intently to what people say about God’s Word. Often, I encounter significant differences between what God says and what people say, God says. This is also evident when it comes to topic of the return of Christ. When I attempt to talk to people about the topic I frequently get brushed off with statements that indicate the topic is not important to the Church today. People and pastors alike will say things like, “It doesn’t matter what I understand as long as I know Jesus everything will be OK.” or they will say. “Oh, I’m a Pan Tribulationist, it will all pan out in the end.”

A few years ago, after renewed biblical study on the topic, I began to seek the Lord for an answer to this question.

Is it important to understand about Last Days and the Second Coming of Christ?

Of course I know the Scripture states, the people of God are to know and understand the prophecies regarding the Coming of Christ. This is true for both the First and Second Coming of Christ. There are two very clear commands in Daniel’s prophecies stating that we are to "know and understand" about the Coming of the Messiah.

Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision: "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' (Daniel 9:23-25)

The full prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 provides for the calculation of the exact day of the First Coming of Christ and a road map of the events which will lead to the Second Coming.

Jesus reiterated, in Matthew 24:15, this same command that we are to understand the prophecies of Daniel when He is telling the disciples about the signs that would occur before His Second Coming.  Jesus said,

So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- (Mathew 24:15)

Because I am aware of these commands, I was not asking the Lord if we were to know or not. What I wanted to know was the importance of these commands, for the Christian church today.

Then early one morning while I was seeking the Lord in prayer He answered my question. He gave me a passage from Luke where He admonished the leaders of the Jewish church for not understanding the timing of His Coming to them.  Here is what He said,

"If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you" (Luke 19:42-44).

This is an amazing statement and prophecy by Christ. Remember, the people of God where told (Daniel 9:23, 25) to know and understand the prophecy which predicted the day when the Messiah would come. The Jewish church did not understand and recognize His First Coming. Therefore, Jesus states that because they didn’t recognize His First Coming their city and sanctuary would be destroyed, which it was 38 years later.

So, the Lord gave me this passage (Luke 19:42-44) in response to my question, and this is its interpretation.

Just as the Jewish church was commanded to "know and understand" the prophecies relating the First Coming of Christ, so the Christian church is commanded to "know and understand" the prophecies relating to the Second Coming. Just as there were extreme consequences for the disobedience of the Jewish church there will be extreme consequences for the Christian church if it does not obey these commands to “know and understand”.

We should be aware that the consequences which the Jewish church suffered as a result of their disobedience was the total destruction of Jerusalem, in 70 AD, and the slaughter of between 1,100,000 and 1,600,000 men, women and children.

The Lord also indicated that the destruction which the Christian church will experience, for not knowing, would be proportionate to what they have been given.

The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! (Luke 12:46-49)

Be Obedient, "Know and Understand."

Richard H Perry