Many Christians believe that their Lord Jesus Christ will return. A wonderful purpose to live for. It is less known that the Bible speaks about two returns. The first, only visible for His bridal congregation, the second in majesty visible for everybody. Successively we can distinguish the next events, all belonging to the Day of the Lord, that will be detailed afterwards:

1. One coming (usually called the Second Coming) to take His bride from the earth and to celebrate the royal marriage supper

2. The great Tribulation on earth culminates to a peak as never before

3. Israel meets terrible times

4. Another coming, now together with His Bride

5. In order to cast Beast and False Prophet into the Lake of Fire and bind Satan for thousand years powerlessness.

6. Then Israel takes its place as the first under the nations

7. And the earth will be ruled by Bridegroom and Bride.

8. "Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?" Luke 18: 8

At the moment that the Lord returns to the earth there are Christians who expect His coming. Living people, who has not died yet, but who cannot enter the immortality because of their mortal bodies. Therefore their bodies have to be changed; from mortality into immortality, from earthly into heavenly bodies. (1 Thess. 4:14-17; 1 Cor.15:51; Phil.3:21) This changement of the living is almost unimaginable (e.g. somebody who is handicapped, will not be handicapped any longer!), but the crowning of God's creating work. For, when God had created man, the man was good, but not perfect. There was still a way to go, to reach the perfectness. Therefore in Gen. 2:3 (Hebr.): "His work which God created to make (to complete)".  When Adam and Eve would not have sinned, they would have grown on to perfectness and so their bodies would also have come to perfectness and immortality. With this changement of the living another purpose of His counsel is reached. And this Bride, during her life changed into perfectness ascends now to heaven, in the clouds towards the Lord. This changement and ascension are so incredible and so important, that they are not described once, but several times in the Bible. As mentioned in the above quoted verses, but also in Rom.11:25, where we read that the fullness of the Gentiles will enter. Again in 1 Cor.15:23 and Luke 17:34-37. And John on Patmos sees this happening even two times; each time from another point of view. As the two witnesses, who ascended up to heaven (Rev. 11) and as the man child (that is, although just born already reached the maturity of a man) that was taken up to God and His throne (Rev.12:5). In the Old Testament we find in Henoch and Eliah already a foreshadowing of this ascension of the Bride, that should ever happen. And Song of Solomon 6: 12-13 may also be so understood in this relation. Here we find also again a lead for another peculiarity of the Bride. The Shulamite, as the Bride is called here, is compared with the (choir-) dance of two armies. And the Bride, who is taken up to Heaven, indeed consists of two army groups. One group that is changed alive and one group that raises from the dead, for that is what may be clearly understood from the words of ap. Paul to the congregation of Thessalonica: "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. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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" (1 Thess.4: 15-17). So besides, yes even before the changement of the living a resurrection from the dead happens. An event, that is also seen in Rev.20 vs.4-6. These verses have a clear similarity with 1 Thess.4:15-17. In Rev.20:4-6 it is seen that the believers rise up from the dead, but the rest of the dead lived not again until the following 1000 years were finished, the  thousand years of peace on earth. This event is called the first resurrection. The same resurrection is described in 1 Thess.4:15-17. The resurrection, that takes place before the changement of the living and their rapture. After that first resurrection and that changement of the living, after the bride ascended to her bridegroom, the time of the the royal marriage supper has arrived. More about this supper is found in Matt. 22:2; Matth. 25: 10; Rev.19:7-8, 9. Bridegroom and Bride have the supper with many invited guests.

2. The great Tribulation on earth culminates to a peak as never before

During His sojourn on earth the Lord Jesus already spoke about a great Tribulation, that should come over the earth ( Matt.24:15-35). Although these words were surely partly fulfilled with the rebellion of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70 A.C., these words see just as much on the end of times, wherein Satan tries again as hard as he can to get control over the whole world. A great Tribulation as never before is seen. This great Tribulation culminates to a peak with the beast out of the earth and the Beast out of the sea as the leaders, with Satan in the background as the source of all this evil (Rev.13:2).

The Beast out of the sea. Strong, mighty, favored by Satan as a useful instrument in his service (Rev.13:1-10). Risen up out of the sea, symbol for peoples and nations (Rev.17:15). Worldwide, international, a political power, a world(ly) power.

The Beast out of the earth (Rev.13: 11-18). Evidently a religious power, for it has two horns like a lamb (vs.11), reminding the religious symbols of the Lamb (baptism and communion). And also worldwide, international. It imitates the Lamb, as Satan so often does to confuse the true believer. This beast too is favored by Satan, yes even with paranormal power; as the true church also has in the spirit gifts (see e.g. 1 Cor.12)! This Beast out of the earth is the same as Babylon, the great whore. Drunk form the blood of the saints and the prophets. And are not many, many saints and prophets killed by the false Church? This Beast out of the earth is the same as the false ‘Prophet’, compare Rev. 19:20 and Rev.13:12,13. And who does not remember 2 Thess.2:1-12 by reading about this false Prophet? Being the anti-Christ. No longer now more or less hidden, but public. That what kept him back (2 Thess.2 vs.6-7) is taken away. ‘That’ is the Bride. She is no longer on earth. And this Bride was the property of Him, Who had conquered Satan and had bought her with His blood. When one should touch the Bride, one should touch the Bridegroom and that was the border Satan was not allowed to pass. To his fury and humiliation. But now the Bride is taken away, Satan can continue unrestricted. And how can he blaspheme God and humiliate mankind more than by placing one of his vassals (the false Prophet) as the head of the Church, as God, but the anti-Christ in reality? In the Church that remains behind (for the Church is the temple, the temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor.3:17). The power that keeps him back is taken away from earth and so Satan can develop his greatest power on earth ever. To a lesser degree all forms of repression exists already. Satan has already tried out many tactics. Revolutions, wars, communism, socialism, capitalism, false Christianity. Manipulation in a way, that a short time the people will say: peace and safety (1Thess.5: 3). Furious persecution as well as a tolerance far beyond the borders of sound moralities. All sorts of strategical posts already occupied. In international administrations, in media, in sciences, in Churches. Now he comes to the point of combining the results of all these actions to get the control over the whole world population. Many partly repression's come together and culminate to the peak of what is called the great Tribulation. Satan wants to control the whole mankind and the Church that remained and Israel. He will not succeed with these last two, but both communities meet terrible times.

3. Israel meets terrible times

This is the time, that Zechariah saw before. He prophesied about it, as we read in Zech.14 vs 2, that all the heathens will be gathered against Jerusalem, that is against Israel and its capital. And a terrible lot strikes the people of the Jews. But the Lord will beware the city by His coming in glory and He will defeat the enemy according to the verses of Rev. 19: 11-21. In this relation the events of Ezek.38-39 may also be considered (just like Dan.11: 36 - 12: 3). It is a time of all things coming to a decisive moment, a peak. The ap. Peter narrates that "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up". (2 Peter 3:10-13). The spiritual elements collide, accompanied by the same movements of the natural elements. These events are also described in Ezek.38-39 and in Zech.14: 4 and 12. Not a wonder that Amos prophecies (5:18) "Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light".

4. Another coming, now together with His Bride

The first return of the Lord to take His Bride up in heaven is  only visible for the Bride as pointed in the first paragraph above. The second return is visible for the whole world and this time the Lord comes as Israel expected Him in the days of the beginning of the New Testament: in glory, power and majesty. And indeed: it is like this that He comes, as described in Acts 1:11, Rev.19:11,14 and Jude vs.14-15. Also in Zech.12:10. In some of these verses there is talk about clouds. It reminds of the cloud(s) of witnesses in Hebr.12:1. Being the many thousands of saints. Satan, the Beasts out of the sea and out of the earth and their armies are defeated by the Lord and His army (Rev.19:19-21). This means at the same time the end of the great Tribulation. Satan is made powerless for thousand years and his vassals even for eternity. The great day of the Lord's wrath has arrived then and the enemies of the Lord cry it out: "Mountains, fall on us; hills, cover us". (Luk. 23:30, Rev.6:15-17,Isa.2:19).

5. Beast and false Prophet cast into the lake of fire and Satan bound for thousand years of powerlessness.

The Beast from the sea and the Beast from the earth (the false Prophet) will be arrested and rendered harmless. The two Beasts because they are thrown in hell for eternity. Satan because he is bound in the abyss for thousand years, so that he is no longer able to lead mankind astray. And after that prison ship, he will be loosened a short time. Here we find written about the 7th millennium of the history of man on earth. In relation with this end of times Peter (2 Pe.3:8) writes that one day for God is as thousand years and thousand years as one day, quoting Psalm 90 vs. 4.  It is striking that this 7th millennium (of rest), counted in this way, corresponds well with the 7th day, on which God rested from His works. In the same way we can understand that the Passover lamb was kept four days before it was sacrificed (Ex.12:3-6). Is this not a clear indication of the four thousand years that it should take from the Fall of man until the coming of Jesus Christ as the true Passover lamb? Then again 2 days/2000 years until the day of the Lord (please note the prophecy of Hosea 6 vs.2: After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.) And so at last the 7th day/ the 7th millennium. An era of rest and peace.
 

6. Israel takes its place as the first under the nations

In Hebr.2 vs.8 we read that we do not see yet now all things put under him. When the Lord will have returned in might and majesty, then it will be seen that all things are put under His feet. Then Israel will also see the One, they have pierced according Zech. 12 vs. 10 ff. Not only will they see Him, they will also understand that they have judged Him wrong. They expected Him in majesty, therefore they do recognize Him now. But at His first coming on earth they have not recognized Him as they did not expect Him in humility, as the man of sorrow, who would die for the sin of men. Then at the beginning of the 7th millennium will be fulfilled what the Apostle already foresaw in Rom.11 vs.25, that Israel will come to salvation. And in vs.15 he says that their reception will be life. So they will be accepted again, when they have converted because of the awesome events that has happened (see also Zech.12 vs.10-13 vs.1). And what a richness of spiritual treasures will be revealed through them. Where the Spirit of God has already revealed so many beautiful things through the converted heathens, how much more will that be possible through the converted Jews. And so Israel will be able to teach many, as it is written in Is.2 vs 2-5:  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

7. Bridegroom and Bride will rule the earth.

Under their leadership will be build up what has been destroyed in the great Tribulation and by the awesome terrible geological events, that have happened. With Israel as first under the nations.. Those who participated in the first resurrection and those who are livingly changed and raptured, rule as kings and priests together with their bridegroom. Yes, under the leadership of their Bridegroom, the King of Kings (High King) and the Priest of Priests (the High Priest). Church and society will be build up under the leadership of perfect (!) statesmen and ministers. A time of happiness and peace has really arrived (Rev.20:4-6, also Is.11, 65 vs.15ff). Mankind is no longer led astray by Satan, his black angels and demons. Men has only still to do with their own, evil heart. And after a long life on earth he dies waiting for the the last day and the last Judgment. And at last after thousand years (how is it possible after such a paradisecal period!) a big rebellion originates against God and His mercy. Satan is loosened from his prison ship in the abyss (Rev.20:7-10). And again he finds under the off-spring of Gog and Magog, a new generation, his principal accomplices, who function as captains of the worldwide rebellion. But a fire from Heaven devours them and Satan is cast for eternity in the Lake of Fire. Just as death and Hades, whose times have passed (vs.14).

The last Judgment is held and God's work that He had created to make, is fulfilled. Glory to Him in all eternity and to the Lamb.

8. "Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?" Luke 18: 8

Generally these words of the Lord are understood as seeing on His second coming and by consequence in the faith in that coming. Of course such a faith implicates also the faith in His first coming on earth and His following work of redemption.

Understood in this way, these words can hardly be applicable to our time for there is, humanly spoken, still a lot of faith on this earth. We need only to remind the millions of Christians in the countries where it is forbidden to belief in Christ and His coming, and their persecution therefore. Because of their example other millions(!) of men convert.

Because there is so much faith on this earth it does not seem correct to situate the second coming of the Lord in our time according to the verse above.

Yet there are other prophecies and biblewords that seem to look definitely on our time as the time of the second coming of the Lord.

E.g. the words of the Lord in Luke 21: 24 where we read that ".....Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." With these words the Lord foresaw the collapse of Jerusalem in 70 a.C., but also her liberation form foreign rule. The last being realised in 1967.

Another indication is found in Matth. 24:32 vs.33 "......Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh; even so ye also, when ye see all these things, know ye that he is nigh, even at the doors." Again in connection with His second coming the Lord points out that the sprouting of the fig tree is a sign of His coming. As in other bibleverses the fig tree here is a type of Israel. And indeed since 1948 when the Jews received their homeland back the state of Israel is as the endtime-clock whereon the worldevents may be read and the last minutes are passing.

There is a third indication as written in the last 2 paragraphs of point 5 : "......Here we find written about the 7th millennium of the history of man on earth. In relation with this end of times Peter writes in 2 Pe.3:8 that one day for God is as thousand years and thousand years as one day, quoting Psalm 90 vs. 4. It is striking that this 7th millennium (of rest), counted in this way, corresponds well with the 7th day, on which God rested from His works. In the same way we can understand that the Passover lamb was kept four days before it was sacrificed (Ex.12:3-6). Is this not a clear indication of the four thousand years that it should take from the Fall of man until the coming of Jesus Christ as the true Passover lamb? Then again 2 days(2000 years) until the day of the Lord (please note the prophecy of Hosea 6 vs.2: After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.) And so at last the 7th day: the 7th millennium."

Summarized: These 3 indications point undoubtedly to this, our time as the time of the second coming of the Lord in contradiction with the above mentioned Luke 18:8. Could it be therefore that the text of that verse has to be or may be read in another way?

The words "on the earth" in this verse are the translation of the words 'epi tes ges' in the original Greek text. These same words are also used in Luke 21 verse 23: "...Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress upon the land, and wrath unto this people". In this sentence the words 'epi tes ges' are translated as '(in or) upon the land', with which the Lord refers to the land of Israel.

So it looks permitted to translate the words 'epi tes ges' in Luke 18: 8 into 'in the land', i.e. of Israel. The more because grammatical objections are not found.

Luke 18 verse 8 then may be read as: "Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith in the land (of Israel)?" According to Zechariah 14:4 this second coming of the Lord shall happen in the land of Israel. Seamless joining with these words of Luke 18:8 in the alternative translation.

By reading this verse in this way, it turns out that not only this verse is not in contradiction with other indications of the time of the second coming of our Lord, but are even a well-chosen characterizing of that time. Since

a. the Lord speaks in vs. 7 of the elected ones, which cry day and night unto Him for justice. This is clearly the case with the millions of the persuaded and threatened Christians all over the world in this days.

b. at the same time (not afterwards!) there is the situation of the hardly present faith in His second coming in His own land, the land of Israel. Only some Messiah-confessing Jews believe in that coming.

c. between 70 and 1948 a.C. there is not a time to find, wherein the crying to God by so many are found together with so much unbelief in His own land concerning His second coming.

Dear fellow Christian:  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. (Hebr.12:14)
 

I send you herewith as (Word) attachment a Bible Study about the Day of the Lord with the request to place it on the site. Hereby I grant you permission to publish it on the didaskoulos-site on the conditions I read there. ... I should like it if my email-address (ben@wederkomst.org) is mentioned.