by
Keith Hunt
If you have done some prolonged reading of the popular
fundamental prophets of today ... well also yesterday, going back
100 years and more, you will soon realize they talk about the
"imminent" return of Christ. Now do not bother to go and look up
in the dictionary what the word "imminent" can mean, for the way
the fundamental prophets use it is very clear from their
literature; to them it means they teach that Christ could return
any day, any hour, any minute, any second! They tell you that
reading the NT (New Testament) shows the apostles believed and
taught that Jesus could return any second. Is that the truth of
the matter?
Does it make no difference what any prophecy in any
prophetic books of the Bible says must come to pass before the
end of this age arrives? Does it make no difference what the book
of Revelation has to say in regards events leading up to the
second coming of Jesus? Can Christ come at any second, regardless
of any prophecy in the Bible. Are the prophecies of the book of
Revelation just there to make a horror story, and to entertain
us, as they may not happen at all, as Christ Jesus may come at
any second?
We need to look at every verses in the NT that deals with
the second coming of Christ, and see if the NT and the writers
thereof really did teach that Jesus could come at any second. Now
of course in one sense, the coming of Christ is at the time of a
Christian's death, but that is not what the fundamentalists are
dealing with when they talk about the "imminent" return of
Christ. Most of them are meaning the "secret rapture" - Christ
coming invisibly for His church - is the "imminent" return of
Jesus, and they claim that secret coming, could be at any second.
It is to be NOTED as we begin, that in the KJV Bible, the
NT, you cannot find the word "imminent" used AT ALL!! If you try
to find the word "imminent" in Strong's Concordance, which is
based upon the MSS that the KJV is translated from, you cannot
find it. It is NOT there!!
We shall first look at the verses using "coming" in regards
to Jesus' return.
1. "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which
shall not taste of death until they see the Son of man coming in
his kingdom" (Mat.16:28).
Does this mean Christ at some "any second" in the first century
came and had His kingdom? Even the fundamentalists don't say that
it was so. Even they still look for the Kingdom to be set up on
this earth by Christ. The words "any second" do not appear in
this verse. This verse can hardly be said to support the
"imminent" return of the Lord.
2. "....what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the
world (or age)?" (Mat.24:3).
Here the question asked to Christ was, give us a sign of
your coming. Jesus did not go on to say, "Well some sign is not
important, or valid, because I can come at any second." Jesus,
actually did go on to give some very real literal signs. You
cannot find that after the signs were given, Jesus saying, "And
do not take too seriously these signs I've given for in reality I
can come at any second."
The whole logic and wording from Jesus Himself in Matthew 24
would dis-prove the idea that Jesus can come at any second, in
any day, in any year, in any century, without any of these signs
having to come to pass. If these signs that Jesus gave need not
happen before He returns, then Jesus is seriously leading us down
the garden path. There is nothing here from the Lord's lips
saying something like: "But the signs you should not take at face
value, for I can come at any second."
3. "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shines even
unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be"
(Mat.24:27).
This verse tells us what manner the Son of man comes. Jesus
gives a comparison as to what His coming will be like. There is
nothing in this verse to say His coming can be at any second
dis-regarding all the signs He was laying out.
4. "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" (Mat.24:30).
Once more our Lord gives a "descriptive" picture of His
coming, there is nothing here to teach Jesus could return at any
second, disregarding and ignoring the signs He was laying out and
giving in answer to the disciples question of verse 3.
5. "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the
Son of man be" (Mat.24:37).
Jesus had just finished telling the disciples to take the
sings He was given as like looking at the fig tree, putting forth
leaves you know summer is close at hand, and so when we see these
signs we can know Jesus' coming is near, even at the doors
(verses 32-33). He then goes on to say that that generation that
sees all these signs He has given, that generation will not pass
away before the Son of man indeed does come back (verse 34). The
very day and hour we shall never know, only the Father knows that
(verse 36), but the signs He has given in all the previous
verses, will come to pass. Some of those sign were VERY specific -
the abomination that makes desolate - the fleeing of the Jews in
Judea to the hills, the greatest tribulation to ever come on
earth, the close extinction of mankind, the sun being darkened,
the moon not giving its light, the stars of heaven falling (verses
15-29). Signs so noticeable, a disciple would have to be blind
and deaf to not see them and know them. Yet in those days it will
still be like the days of Noah, people will eat and drink and
marry, life in daily living will go on. Noah we are told was a
preacher of righteousness. God had told him there would be 120
years before the flood would come to destroy his society. People
could have watched Noah build the ark, preach about the 120 years.
People could have counted down, they could have watched, they
could have seen the sings, but they refused to look and see. The
flood came as the sings of that time came, one huge sign, the
count-down of the 120 years. Noah would have been telling them.
The people refused to listen and acknowledge the signs. "They
knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall
the coming of the Son of man be" (verse 39).
The signs MUST take place, just as it did for Noah's day. It
was pointless for Jesus to give signs, so His disciples would
watch for them, IF He was going to come at any second, rejecting,
ignoring, being in different and having contempt for the signs He
had just given.
As we cannot know the hour or the very day of His coming, we
are to "Watch therefore, for you know not what hour your Lord
does come" (verse 42).
Jesus will come as a "thief" - not secretly but as a thief
of the night comes, not telling you which "watch" of the night he
will come. You have no idea if the thief will come at 10 p.m. or
1 a.m or 3 a.m. or 5 a.m. Jesus' disciples do not know the "hour"
so "Therefore be you ready; for in such an hour as you think not
the Son of man cometh" (verses 43-44).
It should be plain by now. Jesus DID give SIGNS, they are
and will come to pass, the generation that sees them, will not
pass away until they are all fulfilled and Jesus has returned.
But even with the signs, Jesus' disciples cannot know the day or
the hour of His coming. They will know it is surely at the door,
very near indeed, but they have to be ready spiritually, mentally
and emotionally. They cannot let down their guard, they must
continue the fight against Satan, they must continue to wear the
armor of God (Eph.6) and hold up the shield of faith whereby they
can stop all the fiery darts of the wicked one. At that time the
darts of the Devil will be so many and so strong it will be like
no other time in history. So the servant of the Lord must be
vigilant: "Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh
shall find so doing" (verses 44-46).
If in those days, the servant of the Lord thinks the signs
have gone on too long, or gives in to the wickedness and
deceptions of those days, and walks away from the calling of God,
thinking the Lord is delaying His coming, having an attitude of:
"Lord, you should have come by now, the signs are here that you
spoke about, I cannot bear the burden of fighting the evil and
wickedness and powers of Satan any longer. I'm giving up, I'm
going with the crowd, I'm going back to the world" (verse 48-49).
Then that servant's attitude has changed. He will no longer
keep watching the signs, and so not watching, the Lord will come
on a day and in an hour that he is not expecting, just as the
rest of the world of sin and deception is not expecting (verse
50).
Everything in this Matthew chapter 24 is TOTALLY AGAINST the
teaching that Jesus can come at any SECOND, of any day, of any
month, of any year, of any century. The disciples asked for the
signs to the coming of the Lord, and Jesus obliged by laying out
those signs, some in specific detail. The book of the Revelation
of Jesus Christ is just an AMPLIFICATION of the signs given in
Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Those chapters and the book of
Revelation I have expounded for you in detail elsewhere on my
Website.
6. "Thou oughest therefore to have put my money to the
exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own
with usury" (Mat.25:27).
Just a statement of the fact that Jesus will come again. No
word here of coming at any second. It would be silly foolishness
to use this verse to try and prove an "any second" coming of
Christ.
7. "Jesus saith unto him, 'Thou hast said: nevertheless I say
unto you, Thereafter shall you see the Son of man sitting on the
right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven'"
(Mat.25:64).
Another simple statement of fact only. When Jesus does come
it will not be secret, or invisible, but with POWER and with
CLOUDS of heaven. Once more anyone trying to use this verse to
prove an "any second" coming of Christ is reading into things
that are just not there, and showing their mind is from planet
Pluto (which they now claim is not a planet at all, but a blob of
gassy nothingness).
8. "And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with
great power and glory" (Mark 13:26).
You can read all the previous verses of this chapter and you
will see there is no talk from Jesus about Him coming in a
"secret rapture" invisible manner before He comes with power and
in the clouds.
Again, a "descriptive" verse, as to HOW Jesus will come,
nothing in this verse or the previous verses to teach an "any
second" coming as the "imminent" fundamentalists teach.
9. "Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping" (Mark 13:36).
Jesus saying the same as in Matthew 24. Jesus is on a far
journey. We are to watch for we do not know if He will come again
in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the cock, or in
the morning (verses 32-35). We do not know the day nor the hour
(verse 32), but we sure do have some signs that must be fulfilled
before He comes, as we have seen in Matthew 24. To have these
signs repeated in Mark 13 is totally crazy and inept on Jesus'
part IF Jesus can come again at any second, and ignore and trash
the signs, He so painstakingly gave.
10. "And Jesus said, 'I am: and you shall see the Son of man
sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of
heaven'" (Mark 14:62).
Another descriptive verse of Jesus telling us a FACT of His
visible return. This is what it will be like. The subject here
has nothing to do with Jesus coming at any second, of any
generation in history. It is just a straight-up fact that when He
does come it will not be secret, but mighty powerful and with
clouds of heaven.
11. "But and if that servant say in his heart, My Lord delays His
coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and
to eat and drink, and be drunken; The Lord of that servant will
come in a day when he looks not for him, and at an hour when he
is not aware...." (Luke 12:45-46).
A simple plain truth given here by Jesus. All the words
around the word "coming" and "come" qualify what Jesus is talking
about. A disciple that thinks Jesus is taking too long to come
back to earth, and just gives up, falls in the fight with Satan
and the world, puts down the shield of faith, takes off the armor
of God, and puts up the white flag of surrender. The disciple who
goes back into the world, who stops watching for the signs of
Jesus' coming, then for sure, if that disciple is living so in
the generation that shall see the Lord return, that once-upon-a-
time disciple will not be ready in the day and the hour that
Jesus does come again. Jesus gave the signs to watch for, those
signs can be speeded up or slowed down, according to the will of
God the Father. We must always be watching and ready, so we can
know Jesus is even at the door.
12. "Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that
at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?" (Luke
19:23).
A mention of Jesus' coming, in relation to another matter.
Just a statement that is all. It's more than dumb to try and
teach from this verse Jesus can come at any second of any
century.
13. "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. And then shall they SEE the Son of man
coming in a CLOUD with POWER and great GLORY. And when these
things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your
heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:26-28).
Once more, to give even further emphasis, Jesus had Luke
record the signs of the times leading up to the coming of Christ.
Three persons, three times, Jesus gave the signs to be recorded,
without any qualifying statement like: "Well now, remember these
signs may not happen as I can come at any second in any decade of
any millennium."
Nor do we find one word in the Gospels where Jesus came even
close to saying: "And do not forget I will come secretly first,
invisibly, at any second, to snatch away my church to be with me
in heaven."
Once more these verses in Luke are a simple statement of
fact. There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars and
mighty weather upheavals (which we have had at times already, but
the sun, moon, and stars, are still pretty calm and even). The
heavens will be shaken, men's hearts failing them (I guess some
could say we have more heart-attacks in men than ever before, but
I somehow do not think this is what Jesus is talking about in the
context), which all leads up to the SEEING of the Son of man
coming in a CLOUD, with POWER and with great GLORY!
Just a statement of facts. To use these verses to teach an
"imminent" and/or any "second/minute" coming of Christ, that
ignores the signs Jesus gave leading up to His coming, is surely
stretching the theological truth we have seen.
14. "So that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the
end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ" (1 Cor.1:7).
Can you find the word "imminent" here? Can you find any word
or words where Paul says here that Jesus's coming can be at any
"second" of any day or year? Can you find here where Paul
contradicts the clear teaching of Jesus that certain events or
signs MUST and WILL come to pass before His coming again?
Now, it may be true that Paul (and other apostles) believed
that Jesus would come again in that generation, in their life
time. But to believe and teach that the coming of Christ could be
at any second of any day of any year, no matter that the signs
Jesus gave leading up to His coming were nowhere to be seen ...
that is a whole matter of a different ball game. Paul was taught
by Christ (see Galatians 1:11-19). Paul's second epistle to the
Thessalonians is generally (by most "scholars") said to have been
written as one of his first letters, about 51 A.D. In that
epistle we have the clear understanding that the "falling away"
and THE man of sin would need to appear BEFORE the day of Christ.
For the man of sin - "THE WICKED" is to be consumed by the Lord
via the spirit of His mouth with the BRIGHTNESS of His coming -
see indeed 2 Thes.2:1-12.
Also note verse 1-2. Some had been circulating letters as if
from Paul and other apostles, that the "day of Christ is at
hand." Paul was writing to the Thessalonians to counter-act this
deception, and to inform them that TWO EVENTS at least was to
happen BEFORE the "coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our
gathering together unto Him" (verse 1). Paul knew by 51 A.D. in
one of the very first letters he wrote to a church congregation,
that Jesus could NOT come UNTIL these TWO events had ARRIVED!!
They HAD NOT YET ARRIVED in about 51 A.D. Jesus had taught Paul
(Gal.1). Paul knew what Jesus had taught in Mat.24; Mark 13; and
Luke 21. Paul KNEW Jesus could NOT come at any "second" of the
day, with a disregard to the signs Jesus had taught and had
given. Now Jesus had taught Paul that a GREAT MAN OF SIN, THE
WICKED, had to come shortly before Jesus would return, for Jesus
was going to DESTROY "THAT WICKED" with the spirit of His mouth
at the BRIGHTNESS of His coming. Certainly not in any "secret
rapture" event, but in a very OPEN and GLORIOUS event!
Oh yes, Paul may have believed (up to the point of his
death) these events were going to take place in his life time,
but that is a LONG WAY from saying Paul believed and taught Jesus
could come back at any second, disregarding any signs Jesus had
given and these two signs Jesus had revealed to Paul, as
contained in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.
Paul fully believed and very clearly knew certain events HAD
TO TAKE PLACE before Jesus could return to earth.
15. "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits;
afterwards they that are Christ's at His coming" (1 Cor.15:23).
Just a statement of fact that is all. A fact that at
Christ's coming those that are His will be resurrected as the
context is talking about. Nothing more than that, those that add
to this simple statement of fact, will be in judgment of adding
to the word of God, and the book of Revelation has something
pretty serious to say to those who add to God's word, or take
away from it also. Those who would try to us this verse to teach
some "imminent" any second coming without regarding the signs
Jesus gave, do take fire into their hands which can slay the
deceiver.
16. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not
even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming"
(1 Cor.2:19).
A statement of fact once again. It was going to be Paul's and
other apostles' joy, crown of rejoicing, to see those whom they
had worked among in bringing the Gospel to them, in the presence
of Jesus christ, when He came again. Just that simple, nothing
complicated about it at all. Nothing here about HOW Jesus will
return or WHEN, nothing here to prove the "imminent" teaching of
the fundamentalists, as they teach the word "imminent" in
relation to the coming of Christ.
We wise, do not add or take away from the word of the Lord.
Do not read into things that are not there.
17. "To the end He may establish your hearts unblamable in
holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ with all His saints" (1 Thes.3:13).
Another hope of Paul for them and another statement of fact.
That at the coming of Christ the Thessalonians would be
unblamable in holiness before God the Father. This verse has
nothing to do with HOW or WHEN Jesus will return.
Once more read not into the word of the Lord that which is
not there.
18. "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent (precede) then which are asleep" (1 Thes.4:15).
Again, a statement of fact for something that is to happen
at the coming of the Lord. Nothing here is talking about HOW and
WHEN the coming is. Not in this verse it is not, but yes in the
following verses Paul does talk about HOW, in what MANNER the
coming of Christ will be. He shall descend from heaven, with a
SHOUT, with the VOICE of the archangel, with the TRUMP of God.
Now that is no secret invisible coming, not if you read
English as it reads. It says what it means and means what it
says, unless you are from Jupiter (I still think they say that is
a planet).
Nothing here about Christ coming any second, without regards
to the signs He gave us leading up to His coming.
19. "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 Thes.5:23).
Can you find anything here about HOW or WHEN Jesus will come
again? I think not, unless your adding to God's word. Nothing
here about a "any second of any century - no signs needed"
coming. This verse is a prayer from Paul that his readers will be
preserved blameless (forgiven of sins - and many studies on my
Website show the truth of that matter) unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
20. "Now we beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him....Then shall that
WICKED be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of
His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming"
(2 Thes.1,8).
I covered this section already. Nothing, in fact just the
opposite, to prove Jesus can come at any second in any century,
without the need of the signs He gave us in Mat.24; Mark 13; Luke
21 or in this very chapter of 2 Thessalonians. This section is
proof positive Paul KNEW that the "day of Christ" - "our
gathering together unto Him" - was not at hand UNTIL TWO EVENTS
at least were to happen - a falling away and the man of sin to be
revealed, who would live at the time of Christ's coming, for THAT
WICKED would be destroyed by the BRIGHTNESS of Jesus' coming.
Pretty easy to understand context I would say. You just have
to believe what it says; it says what it means and it means what
it says. There are SIGNS that lead up to the coming of Christ.
Jesus cannot just come in secret, at any second of the day or
year, without certain signs taking place BEFORE He returns. It is
just that simple to comprehend. If your willing to be like a
child in reading your Bible.
21. "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the
earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early
and latter rain" (James 5:7)
Ah, the husbandman must wait in anticipation for the fruit.
It is yet to come, but the early and latter rain must come for
him to receive that fruit. There is a time plan, and signs along
the way towards the end of that time plan. Jesus gave us the signs
to watch for His coming, when we would know His coming was at
hand, near the door. James is saying we have to be patient, the
fruit of our patience will be given, but we need to have even
long patience. Most put the book of James as written about 62
A.D. Jesus had not yet come, the signs given by Jesus and by
Jesus through Paul (2 Thes.2) had not yet come to pass. If the
apostles did believe Jesus would come again in their lifetime
(and there is no reason to believe they did not believe that) by
62 A.D. James was saying LONG patience could be needed to see the
fruit of the coming of the Lord. I'm pretty sure James probably
had no idea that long patience he was inspired to write about
would have to stretch over for at least another 2,000 years.
So it is today folks, Jesus has not yet come, the signs are
not yet fully come that Jesus and Paul and John (as the writer)
in Revelation have given. It is in the Father's time plan, to
bring the signs shortly or to put them into the future as He
wills. Nothing in this verse of James, tells us Jesus is to come
invisibly and at any second, in some "secret rapture" teaching,
that needs not the signs to precede it. Actually nothing in the
Bible teaches any "secret rapture" period!
22. "Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming
of the Lord draweth nigh" (James 5:8).
Did James think the signs of his time looked like they were
heading to be the signs that Jesus gave and that Paul proclaimed?
Yes, he may well have thought so. You'll notice James says
"draweth nigh" - he does not say "Jesus can come at any second."
And once more I'll repeat the word "imminent" is not there nor is
it found in the NT via the MSS used by the KJV translators.
Certainly the way "imminent" is understood and taught by the
fundamentalists is not within this verse and thought by James.
"Draweth nigh" is clearly the expression of someone looking at
the signs around them and thinking the signs could lead up to the
very signs Jesus and Paul gave, that must come to pass before
Jesus will return. James may have thought the signs of the day
were such as that the coming of the Lord was drawing nigh. If
James thought this, he was like many others down through the
centuries, who also have thought the same, but it was not so.
Then on the other hand this was probably inspired to be written
as a LIVING verse, applicable to all saints in all ages over the
last 2,000 years. All saints hope and pray that their generation
will be the generation to see the signs given, fulfilled, and to
witness the coming of the Lord. Then we also need to remember the
coming of the Lord is as close to us as your death. The very next
moment we fall asleep we awake in the resurrection at the coming
of the Lord.
23. "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we
made known unto you the POWER and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty" (2 Peter 1:16).
The majesty Peter and others were witness to was the majesty
that Jesus will have when He comes again. The coming of the LORD
will be with POWER! It will be with MAJESTY, as we have seen in
previous verses in this study. This is again a statement of fact
by Peter. They saw it, they knew it, they taught it. The coming
of Christ will be with power and majesty. Nothing in this verses
teaches the "imminent" teaching of the fundamentalists. There is
nothing here about the WHEN of Christ's coming, there is a little
about the HOW of His coming. That is all, do not add and do not
take away from the words of God.
24. "And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since
the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from
the beginning of the creation" (2 Peter 3:4).
An interesting verse indeed. Peter is answering the argument
that shall "come in the last days" - scoffers - laughing at the
idea of the second coming of Christ, and saying nothing has
really changed, the signs ain't there, all is as before, all is
happening in physical things on earth as it has happened before
down through the millenniums. The "last days" in Peter's mind may
well have been the first century as we can see it was so in the
mind of John the apostle (see 1 John 2:18). And most believe John
wrote his book and letters and penned Revelation towards the end
of the first century. Peter, most agree, was writing this second
letter shortly before his death, about 67 A.D. By this time both
Paul and Peter knew Jesus was not going to return in their life
time, they would shortly be executed. Scoffers had risen to laugh
at the idea Jesus would return period! They could not see the
signs Jesus had given nor what Paul had stated in 2 Thes.2. But
Peter is here giving a prophecy that such will be the case in the
last days - scoffers would come, and laugh at the teaching of the
coming of the Lord Jesus in power and glory back to this earth.
That has happened and it is still happening. That is all
that Peter is telling us here. There is no word in this verse as
to WHEN or HOW Jesus will return. It is only a prophecy that
there will be scoffers in the last days, scoffing at the teaching
of Christ's coming again. This verse proves nothing of the
fundamentalists teaching on the "imminent" return of Christ.
25. "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,
wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat" (2 Peter 3:12).
I've included this verse though it is not directly connected
with the phrase "coming of the Lord" and the like. Verse 11 gives
the thought and context of thought. We know God's plan will end
with fire, and a new heavens and new earth will come forth
(Revelation 21,22). We know the end of this age will be with
mighty signs and mighty destruction, as Jesus in the Gospels and
Revelation makes very plain. We are then to note the dissolving
of our world and a new earth to emerge wherein only holy
righteousness dwells (Rev.21,22). Hence we should live in all
holy conduct and godliness to assure that we will be a part of
that eternal dwelling and Kingdom of God.
26. "And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall
appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at
His coming" (1 John 2:28).
Finally, once more a verse that has nothing to do with
telling us HOW or WHEN Jesus will return. Just a verse of
statement and encouragement, exhortation to abide in Christ, that
when He does appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed
before Him at His coming.
Nothing in this verse upholds or teaches what the
fundamentalists teach on their so-called "imminent" return of
Christ. All this verse tells us is that Jesus SHALL appear, and
we should be living in full confidence that when He does come, we
should not be ashamed before Him.
Do not add and do not take away from the words of God.
I have taken MANY HOURS to go through every verse in the KJV
Bible that uses the word "coming" in relationship with the coming
of Christ Jesus again to this earth.
There is NOTHING in any of these verses to teach the
"imminent" doctrine of the fundamentalists. There is in the words
of Christ Himself many signs to watch for that lead up to the
coming of Jesus.
We are yet to study all the verses in the NT under "come" -
"cometh" - "return" - in connection with the Second Coming of
Christ. Those studies I will do shortly.
It takes time, and time, and more time, to study fully some
of the important truths of God in His word. All I did in this
study was to take Strong's Concordance of the KJV Bible and look
up every word where "coming" is used in the NT. I hope this may
be an example to you on how at times to study the Bible.
.......................
Keith Hunt, May 2009
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