seeing the signs of the Lord’s second coming and of the consummation of the age

Christians, Jews, and all people alike wonder what is the end, what will it happen, and what’s the consummation of this age. There are books on the rapture and being “left behind” series, and there are even movies on this.

But we as believers in Christ need to study the Bible and get into the Word of God in a deeper way to see what are the signs of the Lord’s second coming, the signs of the consummation of this age.

There are certain prophecies in the Word of God, bits and pieces here and there, which put together can give us a panoramic view and a general impression: the Lord’s return is very near!

We need to be saved from being befuddled and drugged with the things of this age and rather be prepared for the Lord’s return!

What Are the Signs of the Lord’s Coming?

We must see the signs of Christ’s second coming and of the consummation of the age (see Matt. 24:3, 14-15; Luke 21:28-36). Christ is coming back the second time, and this age will soon be completed.

We need to know the signs of the consummation of this age, because the Lord’s coming will NOT be “just like that”, in a twinkling of an eye. Rather, the Lord’s coming, according to the Bible, will occur over a long period of time – a seven years period of time.

We know this by studying the books of Daniel, Revelation, Matthew, and 1 Thessalonians. There are specific signs that the Lord pointed out to us in the Bible, which signs will occur at the end of this age; these signs indicate that the Lord’s second coming is near.

We need to know some things concerning these four main signs: the great tribulation, the Antichrist, the fig tree, and the rapture of the saints.

A View of The Seventy Weeks in Daniel

In Daniel we see that there are 70 weeks: the first 7 weeks (49 years) are from the decree of the king Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem to the completion of the rebuilding.

Then there’s a period of 62 weeks (434 years) from the rebuilding of Jerusalem until the cutting off of the Messiah (the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus when He came the first time).

After this, there’s a long period of time, an interval, which is now almost 2000 years, before the last week will take place; this period is called the age of the church, the age of grace, the age of mystery.

Although we cannot know the day and the hour of the coming of the Son of man, we can know the year!

At one point at the beginning of the last 7 years the Antichrist will rise up and will make a covenant with Israel, but at the middle of the seven years something will happen and the Antichrist will be killed and will die. When he dies, the spirit of Nero will come into him to resuscitate him and resurrect him, and he will be made the eighth Cesar of the reformed Roman Empire.

As such a one, he will break the covenant with Israel, he will set up the idol in the temple of God, and he will even call himself God (Matt. 24:15; 2 Thes. 2:4).

This is the man of lawlessness in 1 Thessalonians and the beast in Revelation. He will proceed not only to desolate and desecrate the temple of God in Jerusalem, but he will change laws, he will make laws, he will speak against God, and he will persecute the people of God.

The Antichrist will persecute the believing Christians and the God-fearing Jews remaining on the earth – these are the saints that he will try to wear out.

At the end of this last half of the 7 years period, also called the great tribulation, Christ will come with His overcomers and will destroy the Antichrist and his armies, and Christ will bring in the kingdom of God.

The Great Tribulation and the Antichrist

The last three and a half years of the last 7 years period are called, the great tribulation. In this time the Antichrist will be given power from Satan to persecute the people of God, and make life miserable for all mankind, especially for the saints.

At the same time, during the great tribulation God Himself will come through all kinds of natural calamities to judge the entire universe and especially the earth. The earth will be unfit for human existence – you don’t want to be here on earth when God judges it in the great tribulation!

This will be the hour of trial, and it will be a situation that has never happened before. There will be signs in heaven and on earth, and the normal things we enjoy today will be changed and judged. If God has not kept this time for only 3.5 years, no flesh will make it!

Oh, Lord, save us from being left behind when You rapture the saints! We don’t want to be on earth in this time!

The Sign of the Fig Tree

In Matt. 24:32 the Lord gives us a clear revelation concerning the restoration of Israel. From AD. 70 the nation of Israel was wiped out, when Titus came with the Roman armies and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.

Since then, there was not a nation for Israel for 19 centuries. But in 1948 and 1967 God recovered the nation of Israel back to its land and to its city!

Even though, humanly speaking, this was impossible and there was no hope for the nation of Israel to be reformed, God is faithful in allowing the fig tree (the nation of Israel) to put forth branches and leaves!

The only thing that remains as a great sign to be fulfilled is the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The Jews have all the materials ready, the monetary backup is there, and there is a growing desperation and zeal for the house of God to be rebuilt!

When this happens, we have only 7 years left and the Lord will return!

Oh, Lord, make us those who see these signs and who are prepared for Your return! Make us those counted worthy to be raptured by You before the great tribulation!

Taking Heed to Ourselves

Before the great tribulation, the Lord will rapture the overcoming saints, but the majority of the believers will be left on the earth to pass through the great tribulation.

We need to be those who are mature and ripened, the overcoming ones, so that we may be saved from this hour of trial and tribulation and be raptured by the Lord before it happens.

This is why we need to take heed to ourselves and be sober and watchful believers that we may be raptured by the Lord when He returns (Matt. 24:40-41)! We need to not be befuddled and caught up with all the things of this world.

Saints, let us take heed to ourselves, lest at some time our hearts be weighed down with debauchery and drunkenness and the anxieties of life (Luke 21:34), and we miss the rapture and become like Lot’s wife!

When we see all these signs being accomplished in our eyes, let us be sober, watchful, and ready for that our and that time, and let us live in such a way that we would be counted worthy to overcome and to escape that trial that will come on the whole earth!

Lord, make us those who live such a life that is worthy and precious in Your sight! Lord, we want to be raptured to You and by You – we care for nothing else! Make us those who are sober and watching!

References and Further Reading

• Sharing inspired from brother Minoru Chen’s sharing in this message, and portions in chapter 6 of, The Up-to-date Presentation of the God-ordained Way and the Signs concerning the Coming of Christ (by Witness Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-Study of the Minor Prophets, week 11 (entitled, Experiencing the Healing Christ in Malachi for the Lord’s Second Coming and the Consummation of the Age).
• Hymns on this topic:
  # My King will soon come back again, / The sky be filled with Him; / The universe to be redeemed / Will see His light therein. / The Lord will soon fulfill His plan, / His footsteps now I hear; / His glorious frame I faintly see / Beginning to appear.
  # Lord, Your return… / How long must it be, dear Lord? / The ages have come, / The centuries have gone, / The years have passed us by.
  # When God wants to move, / He must gain an instrument; / Overcomers separated from the current age. / They have joined themselves / Through His word to His desire. / Overcomers constituted with the Holy Word.
• Picture credit: Matt. 24:42, taken from here.