Coming Soon (ISV)

What’s coming soon?The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic warning about how close the world stands to “midnight,” or global catastrophe. Over the years, the clock has inched closer to midnight as turmoil around the world has increased at an alarming rate. To many, it seems that significant, foreboding events are at hand. The Bible tells us that “in the last days difficult times will come” (2 Timothy 3:1). Jesus prophesied that as the end times draw near, “nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:7). The events we see in the news every day indicate that the greatest event of all time is soon to take place. Not what, but WhoJesus is coming soon! At any moment, we could witness the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to this world. He has been here before. He was born as a baby and lived a perfect, sinless life of love and goodness—a life never before lived or known among men. Men rewarded Him for it by crucifying Him and hanging Him between two criminals. Then, three days after His death, He triumphantly rose from the dead. After encouraging His followers, Jesus ascended to heaven.  As His disciples watched, an angel announced: “Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw Him go up into heaven” (Acts 1:11). First, He will descend from heaven to meet every true believer. They “will be caught up in the clouds together … to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Secondly, Christ will return to the earth itself—in power, judgment, and glory—accompanied by the hosts of heaven. “Look! He is coming in the clouds … and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him” (Revelation 1:7). What happens then?If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, you will be left behind to face the terrible judgments of God upon this Christ-rejecting world. The effect will be terrible, as the Bible foretells that people from every walk of life will cry out to “the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the  … wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to endure it?’” (Revelation 6:16-17). The great and small, rich and poor, weak and powerful—all who have not bowed their knees to Jesus the Savior now—will bow them to Jesus the Judge at the final Great White Throne judgment. “Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). Will You be ready?Dear reader, are you ready for the coming of Jesus Christ? Have you turned to God in repentance, and are you washed from your sins through faith in Jesus Christ? Or are you still rejecting Him and sealing your doom? Now is the time to recognize your need of Him and put your trust in the sinless Son of God who died for your sins and rose again to be your Savior. Bow the knee to Jesus today. Tomorrow may be too late. “Flee from the coming wrath” (Matthew 3:7) and enjoy the presence of God for all eternity. Your opportunity is now. “Listen, now is really the ‘right time’! Now is the ‘day of salvation’!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).  “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36).