Britt Gillette - Signs Of The Second Coming: 11 Reasons Jesus Will Return in Our Lifetime

SIGNS OF THE SECOND COMING

11 Reasons Jesus Will Return in Our Lifetime

Britt Gillette

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DEDICATION

To Samantha and Tommy. May you always follow Jesus.

FOREWORD

IN MY FIRST BOOK, Coming To Jesus: One Mans Search for Truth and Life Purpose , I tell the story of my personal struggle with the universal questions of life and my search to uncover the truth. That search ultimately led to the Bible, where I discovered the existence of countless specific and fulfilled prophecies.

In my mind, the existence of these prophecies verifies the claim that the Bible is the Word of God. No other book in the history of the world comes anywhere close to matching the Bibles track record of fulfilled prophecy. In fact, if youre keeping score (and you should), the Bible has a perfect track record when it comes to fulfilled prophecy. Thats right. Perfect.

Every single prophecy found in the Bible (with the exception of those regarding the end times and beyond) has been fulfilled to the last letter. Did you know that? Years ago, I didnt. But then I discovered these astounding prophecies detailed prophecies written hundreds and sometimes thousands of years in advance.

For example, did you know the Bible foretold the rise of the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great and its break-up into four kingdoms following his death ( Daniel 8:5-22 )? Did you know the Bible foretold the destruction of the Temple and the long, worldwide exile of the Jewish people ( Luke 21:20-24 )? The Bible even called out Cyrus the Great by name as the king who would give the command to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple ( Isaiah 44:28-45:13 ). And the Bible made every one of these prophecies centuries in advance of their fulfillment. But you know what else?

Thats just the tip of the iceberg.

The Messianic Prophecies

The Bible also foretold the coming of a Messiah who would save the world. The prophet Zechariah claimed He would release a multitude from death in a waterless dungeon ( Zechariah 9:11 ). And the prophet Isaiah said, through Him, many will be counted as righteous ( Isaiah 53:11-12 ). The Messianic prophecies are so specific and detailed in nature, they even include the actual year of the Messiahs arrival foretold more than 400 years in advance ( Daniel 9:25 ). They detail His birth, life, death, and resurrection. And these prophecies were all fulfilled in the life of one man and one man only Jesus of Nazareth.

In fact, these prophecies played a pivotal role in my commitment to follow Jesus. But of course, if you read my first book, you know this already. But you know what?

Thats not all I found

Yet To Be Fulfilled Prophecies

Through study of the Bible, I found something else hundreds of prophecies concerning future events. So what are these prophecies about? A whole range of subjects such as future wars, political events, and the establishment of an everlasting Kingdom ruled by Jesus Himself. But an overwhelming number of these prophecies focus on a single event the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In fact, the Bible contains more prophecies describing His Second Coming than it does His First.

Given that every single prophecy describing His First Coming was fulfilled to the letter, doesnt it make sense to believe the prophecies of His Second Coming will also be fulfilled? I think so. In my mind, the only question is when they will be fulfilled, not if .

Watching for Signs

Jesus rebuked the religious elites of His day for their failure to recognize His First Coming. He told them, You know how to look at the sky and predict the weather, but you dont know how to recognize the signs of the times ( Matthew 16:1-3 ). In other words, just like you and me, the Pharisees and Sadducees could look at dark clouds on the horizon and know that a rain storm was on its way. Likewise, they also knew the Old Testament Messianic prophecies. Yet they failed to recognize their fulfillment in Jesus. Had they prepared themselves spiritually and made a serious commitment to study the Messianic prophecies and watch for their fulfillment, I have no doubt they would have recognized Jesus as the Messiah.

But theres more to this story. As I studied the Bible, I realized Jesus wasnt simply addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees. He had a second audience in mind. Who?

You and me.

Thats right. Jesus was talking to you and me. Jesus had a lot to say about His return, and He told us to faithfully watch for it. In fact, He did far more than that. He commanded us to watch:

You, too, must keep watch! For you dont know when the master of the household will return in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Dont let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him! Mark 13:35-37 (NLT)

As a follower of Jesus, I take this command seriously. And long ago, I made a conscious decision to stay alert, study these signs, and watch as He commanded. But what I found when I studied these prophecies is not at all what I expected. What did I find? I found that all the signs Jesus and the prophets said to look for are present right now .

And not only are they present, but ours is the only generation in all of history that can make that claim. And you know what else? Jesus said once you see the presence of all those signs, Hes coming. Does that get your attention?

CHAPTER 1

The Timing of the Second Coming

ON OCTOBER 22, 1844, thousands of people throughout the United States gathered on hills and mountain tops. Many of them sold everything they owned in anticipation of that day. Some left their jobs. Others even left their families. But why? What did those people gather together and do on those hills and mountaintops?

Believe it or not, they waited. Thats right. They waited. All day long, they sat around and waited. But why?

They waited because they had convinced themselves beyond all doubt that October 22, 1844 was the day of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Youve probably heard of this group.

Their belief was based in part on the teachings of William Miller. A Baptist preacher, Miller originally pinpointed the date of the Second Coming as destined to occur sometime between March 1843 and March 1844.

When those dates came and went, most of his followers (known as Millerites) realized the error of their ways and returned to life as normal. But the rest latched onto a new date and gathered together on that infamous Tuesday in 1844. Needless to say, the result was the same. That date too came and went, and Jesus did not return.

So why am I telling you this story? Because I want you to know that the Millerites should have known without a doubt that October 22, 1844 was not the day of Jesus return. Why? Because Jesus Himself said no man knows the day or the hour of my return, not even myself. Only my Father in heaven knows ( Mark 13:32 ). So any attempt to set a specific date for the Second Coming is nothing more than pure guesswork. Its completely at odds with Gods Word.

The Negative Effects of Date Setting

Even though Jesus made it clear that no one can know the day or the hour of His return, that hasnt stopped an untold number of people from claiming He will return on a specific date. One modern example is the media circus surrounding Harold Campings prediction that Jesus would return on May 21, 2011. Of course, you and I both know Jesus didnt come back that day.