This same Jesus who has been taken up into heaven, so shall he come as you have seen him go into heaven…

Learning to walk in the knowledge of the manifestation of His Revelation

which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:11

These days of Holy Week, in which it is the custom in the great majority to dedicate them to study about the last week of Jesus on earth, it is convenient that we also review the apostolic teachings about the coming of Jesus, or his return to earth, because it is practically the conclusion of all the prophetic activity that Jesus established in Jerusalem, and which culminated in His crucifixion and eventual resurrection. As recorded in the apostolic writings, the coming of Jesus back to earth is a fundamental doctrine of the proclamation of the gospel, and shows part of the believer’s hope of being saved from the coming wrath. The word coming (παρουσια) is even a particular word that reveals the way in which His coming will take place.

Jesus returns, and returns soon, was the proclamation that was launched from Jerusalem as part of the Gospel of Jesus, or Gospel of the Kingdom, and returns to establish a Davidic reign that will last a thousand years over all the earth.

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Revelation 20:4

The expression, Maranatha! (Heb. מרן אתא; Gr. μαραν αθα),[1] our Lord comes,[2] is the best evidence of how the doctrine was present in the proclamation of the Gospel even among the Gentiles, so much so that according to the historical records, the faithful and saints of the Gentile regions made it a doctrinal greeting.

The practice of selling property and placing the sum of the proceeds at the feet of the apostles for distribution to the faith community,[3] a practice widely used by the foreign faithful relocated to Jerusalem, was born almost as a result of the forcefulness, transcendence and imminence of how the doctrine was implanted in Jerusalem.

For his part, in the writings of the apostle Paul where he establishes about the doctrine, Paul includes himself as a living protagonist for that time, which indicates that the doctrine established an extremely short time for His return.

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1st. Corinthians 15:51-52

15 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 them which are asleep…    17 then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1st. Thessalonians 4:15-17

if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Philippians 3:11

So, the doctrine of the coming of Jesus to earth was never an appendix doctrine, nor an accessory doctrine to the Gospel, it was a foundation doctrine of the Gospel that walked on the side of the doctrine of Christ. The apostle Paul identifies in his writings that to misrepresent this doctrine is equivalent to introducing apostasy;[4] the apostle Peter, likewise, wrote that to attempt the doctrine is detrimental to the person’s salvation.[5]

  • When does Jesus return? Is there a date for His return?

No, there is no pre-set date that marks the coming of Jesus.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:36

Jesus stressed the importance of faith communities seeing in this absence of a date a way to detect any erroneous doctrine,

And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. Luke 17:23

In several of His parables, Jesus stressed the need to “watch”, always prepared to know the time of His return,

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.  Matthew 24:42—44 (Mathew 25:13)

  • What will the time of Jesus’ coming be like? Is it a public or private event?

The return of Jesus will be a visible event for the whole world, Jesus will be seen by everyone and not because the mass media will televise Him, His magnificence will be seen in a supernatural way by everyone, as if the event were a local one,

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:27

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7

The apostle Paul, however, points out that the coming of Jesus will be a surprising, unforeseen event, to some extent without prior notification,

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1st. Corinthians 15:52

Which means, again, that no one has a date about His coming, and although Jesus warned about the signs of His coming, not because of them can anyone say, “today is the day of His coming.

  • when Jesus returns to earth, is he suspended in the air permanently?

Jesus stated in his teaching that on his return to earth he comes among the clouds, which is established to show how shocking and supernatural His return to earth will be; this description highlights how evident the coming of Jesus will be for everyone, the text does not present a “hidden” presence,

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. Matthew 24:30

Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Matthew 26:64

In the writings of the apostle Paul it is detailed that His manifestation among the clouds is only temporary, only to give place to the gathering with Him of all the saints and faithful of the whole world, and of all the ages of history,

then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1st. Thessalonians 4:17

The expression, and so we shall always be with the Lord, does not mean a “permanent” or “prolonged” suspension with Him in the air, means only that there will no longer be a separation between Him and His people.

After the process of the resurrection of the saints together with the transformation of those who were alive has been completed, the prophetic writings, among them those of the prophet Zechariah, reveal that immediately after His manifestation in the clouds, Jesus will descend to the earth and settle on the Mount of Olives, at the very site of His ascension,[6]

And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. Zechariah 14:4

According to the words given by the angels to the disciples who witnessed Jesus’ ascension, Jesus descends right at the very place from which He was taken to heaven,

which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:11

  • What world circumstances will be manifested prior to the coming of Jesus?

The coming of Jesus will be marked by critical “signs” of social conflict, religious decadence, and a sharp increase in environmental degradation.

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:4-8

One of the most significant characteristics will be the proliferation of apostate doctrines,

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:24 (Mark 13:22)

This characteristic is linked to the spiritual deterioration of faith communities, mostly in those that were once considered to be leading communities among international communities. To better understand this detail, the message of the seven churches of Revelation reveals what the situation of the church will be; of seven representative churches only two were approved.

I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8

  • In terms of faith, what additional circumstances will be shown prior to Jesus’ return?

There will be a series of special movements, some of them nuanced with a religious emphasis, which will emerge in different parts of the world, in some places with an argument of spiritual awakening of the church.

  • Jerusalem is established as the capital of Israel and a city of political influence over the nations of the world

In the prophecy of the prophet Micah it is established that the first evidence of the soon return of Jesus to earth is the constitution of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, it is the sign that initiates the events signaling the coming of Jesus; this prophecy was fulfilled with the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by the United States of America, on May 14, 2018,

But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. Micah 4:1

  • The time of the Gentiles has ended and the time of Israel’s restoration has begun

This is a teaching that was brought by the apostle Paul in his epistle to the community of faith in Rome, in which he indicated that there would be a specific date where the time of the Gentiles would end, followed by the time of the restoration of faith in Israel,

24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: Romans 11:24-26

This prophetic word walks hand in hand with the establishment of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. On May 14, 2018, it was seventy years since the establishment of Israel as a state in the Middle East, seventy years equivalent to the seventy years of exile due to the destruction of Jerusalem by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar.

This time of restoration and revival of faith in Israel will follow a parallel with the accounts of Ezra and Nehemiah; the protocol that will be followed for the restoration of Israel is the same used by both Ezra and Nehemiah, and it will be easy to identify in reality the prophetic presence of these two restorers.

  • The definitive return of the Jews to Israel

The prophet Isaiah stated in his teaching that a time would come when the nations of the world would facilitate and promote the return of the Jews to Israel.

Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. Isaiah 49:22

In the time of the coronavirus the return of Jews to Israel has become much more noticeable.

  • A prophetic generation with a trait of exclusivity develops, which later degenerates into an apostasy movement

This teaching was established directly by Jesus; it draws a comparison with past apostate events to show how many revival movements eventually degenerated by satanic intervention and became apostate movements,

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Matthew 13:30

37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:37-39 (Luke 17:27)

The generation of Noah’s day was a prophetic generation that contaminated their genetics and the Revelation given by God when they decided to unite with the “daughters of men”.

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. Genesis 6:1-3

The children of God in the text of Genesis 6 are not “angels” as reported in many religious circles, according to the epistle to the Hebrews, no angel is called “son”. The “sons of God” of Genesis were a prophetic generation to which Enoch belonged, but by union with the daughters of men they degenerated into an apostasy movement.

The apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans speaks of the rise of a generation defined by him in the same way as in Genesis; this is not a generic name for the church, Paul writes from the platform of Genesis 6.

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. Romans 8:19

  • The emergence of a European power

The book of Revelation sets forth the teaching that from the embers of the ancient Roman Empire will arise a mighty empire in the manner of the ancient empires described in the book of Daniel. It is an empire that will rise from the nations that were a regional part of the Roman Empire.

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. Revelation 13:1-3

  • CONCLUDING

The last week of Jesus on earth was developed in Jerusalem, His presence there was not only to fulfill a mere religious formalism but, above all, to establish a series of prophetic activities for the foundation of the hope of our faith in Jesus. For example, the supper of the Passover lamb (Pesach) established in Egypt as a sign of liberation, is transformed that night and constituted as a prophetic sign of the coming of Jesus,

for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. Luke 22:18

The teachings given to His disciples that week, most of them registered in the Gospel of John, have a prophetic value and were established to mark the times of execution and establishment of signs. Jesus is the Passover lamb, as denounced by John the Baptist in the manifestation of Jesus on the day of His baptism.[7]  And from there, His anointing on the 10th day of the month, His resurrection coinciding with the day that Isaac was going to be sacrificed by his father,[8] and in accordance also with the presentation of the Omer for the first fruits of the harvest,[9] a teaching which the Apostle Paul takes to speak of the resurrection of the saints,[10] they reveal to us an operation of the Spirit of God that emerges as an explosion of Revelation for those who establish the Kingdom of God on earth,

and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Ephesians 1:19

 

The biblical quotations are taken from the Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

Pastor Pedro Montoya

WhatsApp 1 (407) 764-2699

Twitter: @pastormontoya

https://earthenwarevessels.com/

 

[1] 1st. Corinthians 16:22

[2] Philippians 4:5; James 5:8-9

[3] Acts 4:34-35

[4] 2nd. Timothy 2:18:  who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

[5] 2nd. Peter 3:9:  9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

[6] Acts 1:11-12

[7] John 1:29

[8] Genesis 22:12

[9] Leviticus 23:10

[10] 1st. Corinthians 15:20-23