I’m Still Watching

Mighty Hope

There is a scene in Charles Schultz’ Peanuts special, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” when Linus sits in the middle of the pumpkin patch awaiting the arrival of the Great Pumpkin. In classic form, Snoopy humorously appears as a silhouette causing Linus to swoon. Undaunted, Linus, continues to wait although being ridiculed and scolded by his sister Lucy and his girlfriend Sally for believing in the Great Pumpkin who, once again, did not show up. Even as the story ends, Linus has still not given up hope.

Charles Schultz had no illusion about the Great Pumpkin. It was part of the fiction, but hope is not fictional. It is interesting to me that it would be Linus, the faithful hoper in the Pumpkin Patch, that would explain the real meaning of Christmas to Charlie Brown. Maybe Charles Schultz was pointing out the power of faith.

I don’t know anybody that had the singular belief that the eclipse of 2024 would be the moment of Christ’s return. Cindy and I were on our way to an appointment but stopped and stood in the parking lot to watch. As we waited, we both said that we were ready if it were that moment. It wasn’t.

I know many people who’ve spent more time this past month than ever thinking about the Return of Christ in the days leading up to the eclipse. I’m still hoping. I’m still watching!

His Return Is Very Soon

You may have heard the word maranatha. It is a Syriac expression that means: "our Lord comes." It was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn't say "hello" or "goodbye" but "Maranatha!" In the Assemblies of God, we refer to that same expectation as “the blessed hope”.

In the foyer underneath the television there are 4 core truths that our church celebrates and emphasizes: Salvation, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Divine Healing and the Second Coming of Christ. It is important for Christians today to understand what the Bible says about the Return of Christ and what the implications are for the believer.

Today when I mention the Return of Christ I am actually conflating both the rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus. In reality they are actually two different things. The rapture is when the believers join Jesus in Heaven.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 NIV

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

The Second Coming will be when Jesus physically returns to the earth to establish His Kingdom on earth.

Revelation 19:11–16 NIV

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.

This is a version of Jesus that the world doesn’t want to acknowledge, but the Creator of the world will Return to end lawlessness. He is both the Lion and the Lamb. He will once again establish peace through justice and the lion will lie down with the lamb.

It is okay to celebrate victory! Until then we keep watching.

Why I’m Still Watching

#5 – Biblical Prophecy Has Proven to Be Accurate

One biblical scholar, who has categorized all the prophetic statements in Scripture, lists 1,817 predictions in the entire Bible: 1,239 in the Old Testament and 578 in the New Testament. And, another scholar adds this, “Because approximately half of the prophecies of the Bible have already been fulfilled in a literal way, it gives a proper intellectual basis for assuming that prophecy yet to be fulfilled will likewise have a literal fulfillment.”

We only have ½ of the prophetic record to verify the authenticity of biblical prophecy. But if we measured probability based on real world statistical analysis, we find amazing accuracy.

[Graphic of Bayes Factor]

This equation is called the Bayes Factor. The Bayes Factor is a measure of the strength of the evidence and indicates how many times more likely it is that you will observe this evidence given that your hypothesis is true than if it were false. For instance, a Bayes Factor of one hundred indicates that your evidence is one hundred times more likely if your hypothesis is true than if it were false.

There is no way that I can do this equation but Jonathan McLathchie with Crossexamined.com did using these prophetic details: First, our hypothesis is that Jesus was the Messiah. Our evidence includes: (1) Jesus would be slain on Passover, (2) the Passover Lamb would be chosen 5 days prior to Passover (Jesus entered Jerusalem 5 days earlier than Passover), (3) the connection of the feast of the first fruits and Pentecost, (4) Psalm 22 and the Crucifixion, and (5) Christianity becoming a dominant global religion.

A Bayes Factor of 100 means that it is 100 times more likely that your hypothesis is true. Throw all these 5 prophetic realities into the formula and the probability that Jesus was the Messiah is 1,000,000,000. Biblical prophecy is exceptionally accurate.

#4 – The Details Are Verifiable

Matthew 24 provides a dialogue between the disciples and Jesus. The disciples ask what signs will reveal the Return of Jesus. He lists these verifiable signs:

- False Messiahs

- Wars and rumors of wars

- Famines and earthquakes

- Intense persecution

- Mass exodus from the faith

- False prophets

- Increase in wickedness

- Gospel spread worldwide

- Abomination that causes desolation

- Some type of terror seemingly in geographic Israel

- Darkening of the sun and moon

- Some type of meteor display

- Shaking of the heavenly bodies

This is why there is so much interest among Christians about what is happening in the world. We are watching.

#3- The Revelation to John Confirms the Fact

The apostle John was the author of the book of Revelation. It is a book that concentrates on prophecy. As it begins, it clarifies the purpose of the revelation to be focused on Jesus and the things that are to come.

Revelation 1:7–8 NIV

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

So, my reason #3 for watching for Jesus is that the revelation to the Apostle John describes the Return of Jesus and many other things that are yet to happen.

#2 – Paul taught it to the early church

We are getting close to my #1 reason, but my #2 is very strong. The new church needed to be encouraged under the intense persecution that it received. Regardless of the persecution, the Church grew exponentially. Probably the greatest influencer and teacher for the Gospel was the Apostle Paul.

1 Thessalonians 4:14–18 NIV

For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

In this instance Paul is teaching the Thessalonians. He also taught it in Antioch. He tried to persuade the Pharisees and Sadducees. He taught it in Rome, Collosae, Ephesus, and Corinth. It was the understanding of the New Testament Church.

#1 – Jesus Told Us

My #1 reason that I’m still watching for the Return of Jesus is that He Himself told us to. I’ve already paraphrased what Jesus told the disciples on the Mount of Olives. It appears in all 3 synoptic gospels – Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

Matthew 24:42–44 NIV

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

To emphasize the need to keep watch, Jesus used several parables…

- The faithful servant/the wicked servant (Mt. 24:45-51)

- The parable of the 10 virgins (Mt 25:1-13)

- The parable of the bags of gold (Mt. 25:14-30)

- The parable of the sheep and the goats (Mt. 25:31-46)

- The parable of the watching servants (Lk 12:35-40)

If you love Jesus, there is nothing more that needs to be said to convince you that we need to be watching for Jesus. Well, let me add one thing. The last red-letter words in the Bible appear at the end of Revelation.

Revelation 22:20 NIV

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Even so, Lord Jesus, come!

Guard Your Heart

Staying ready can seem overwhelming. I suppose every generation has felt the tension. We live in a time where the Kingdom is now but not completely fulfilled. I believe this is why the OT prophets, the Gospels, the teachings of the early Church and the words of Jesus all encourage and remind us that Jesus will return.

Are you ready? At the end of the parable about the bridesmaids and the oil, 5 of them faithfully kept watch and remained ready. The other 5 didn’t. There is a very dreadful truth in this parable, and it occurs in verse 10:

Matthew 25:10 NIV

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“The door was locked” is a powerfully strong statement. We are not used to such terrible absolutes. We want some way in. Our national borders are mere suggestions. Our laws can be laid aside with the right lawyers and judges. But, it is not that way with God.

I like a statement by Ray Pritchard. He writes:

There is a “door” that leads to heaven. It is the door of God’s grace, held open by the bloody cross of Jesus Christ. For 2,000 years that door has been open to the entire world, and it is open even today. Over the door are these wonderful words: “Whosoever will may come.” Anyone, anywhere, anytime can go in that door and find new life, salvation, forgiveness, freedom, and eternal life. But not forever.

Are you ready? Are you watching?