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2012 IS HERE!

WILL 2012 SEE THE SECOND COMING
OF JESUS CHRIST

AND THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH?

OR

WILL THE END OF THE WORLD OCCUR IN 2012?

I simply ask the questions that some are posing. In fact, some are even forecasting either one of these events will take place this year. Well, to take the second question first, we did have the false prophecies last year of that deceived American pastor, Harold Camping. In the massive (and expensive) advertising campaign arranged by himself and his Family Radio International, Camping claimed he had discovered the key to a numerical dating code contained in the Bible to calculate “the end of the world.” He predicted first of all the date – May 21, 2011. That proved to be SO wrong, for that date passed without incident. He then sought to get around it by stating that by a reconfiguration of his calculations it was to be October 21. Well, that also proved to be untrue. As with all false prophets, they seek to come up with their ‘explanations,’ as did Camping – but we won’t go into those, for they are as theologically twisted as his prophecies. Sadly there were many gullible people who fell for his plausible prognostications, and one wonders where all those deceived people are today!  It is evident that Harold Camping, and all others of his kind who are now predicting that 2012 is ‘the end of the world,’ DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES CONCERNING THE “END OF THE AGE.”

Interestingly, many of the current prophecy ‘gurus’ apparently base their 2012 predictions NOT on anything Biblical but on the mysterious 5126-year-old calendar of the Mayans of ancient Mexico, that ends on – December 21, 2012; and thus the theory of the expected ‘end of the world’ on that day. So it has nothing to do with the Bible, but the Mexican ‘Aztec Sun Disk’ and those who go by the occultist, mystical interpretations and a predicted apocalypse in 2012. So we are told the given date marks “a Shift into a New World Age Cycle, an essential part of this transformation process (being) for humanity to re-connect with Nature's wisdom that we may find balance, harmony and life-affirming paths for the evolution of human culture.” (So says Eden Sky) How confused is all of this!! You can see how this has given rise to several New Age books, as well as a senseless American science-fiction disaster film which you will probably know about, called “2012.” In this movie a man named Jackson Curtis (played by actor John Cusack) is returning home with his family when significant seismic activity was building up along the west coast of America, with the result there was a displacement of the Earth’s crust. He manages to rescue his family (on an Ark, like Noah’s) before Los Angeles disintegrates and slides into the Pacific Ocean, but the rest of the world is destroyed by a tsunami.

That is NOT what the Bible teaches! And I now link the first question to this, for there are also those who are saying that 2012 is not the year of ‘the end of the world’ (they know better from Scripture) yet proclaim that it will be the year of “the Second Coming of Christ.” To make such predictions is NOT Scriptural. We do NOT know the time, and any ‘dates’ we might conjure up can only be speculation. All I can say is what the BIBLE says, and these are the words of JESUS Himself as He addressed questions asked  by His disciples about ‘end times’: “But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Matthew 24:36. Mark 13:32) And later, after His resurrection, when again they pressed Him to say if He would now restore the Kingdom to Israel, He replied: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”  Note this: Jesus does not contradict their expectation that the kingdom would be restored to Israel, simply tells them that on earth they would never know the specific, critical times in the outworking of God’s great purposes. In His infinite wisdom the Father has made the times and seasons His business. It is not the concern of the church. That is why Jesus immediately tells His disciples, “BUT you shall have power when the Holy Spirit will come upon you…”

I must pause there, for there seems to be something implied in that answer. Had not Jesus said to them sometime earlier (Matthew 19:28), “In that day when I will restore the kingdom as I have intended, which will be like a new birth, and the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory (alluding to His setting up of the kingdom on earth, and His reign as King of kings, and Lord of lords), YOU SHALL SIT UPON TWELVE THRONES, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Can it be that now, after the resurrection THAT day would soon be introduced – a day when THEY were going to exercise certain power and authority in that Kingdom? Is there then a personal interest in its establishment: they would know positions of authority with Christ? So the response of Jesus in this respect is significant. “YES, you are going to receive power (authority) – but NOT to rule, but to SERVE; to be witnesses UNTO ME.”

So this is where Jesus focuses upon the real business of believers (the Church) in this age, to serve as Christ’s ambassadors, His faithful witnesses, telling forth what they have seen, heard, and experienced. It is the urgent responsibility of the Church to be spreading the Good News of the Gospel throughout the nations, and He has given us His Holy Spirit to fulfil that Divine mandate – and to keep doing so diligently and with passion, confidently leaving with the Father the day of Christ’s coming to receive His Bride unto Himself. He said, “I must work the works of (the Father) while it is day; the night comes when no man can work.” (John 9:4) So let us be faithful in proclaiming the Gospel, encouraging the saints to remain steadfast in faith, and preparing our own hearts for that moment when we shall look into our Saviour’s face. May we not be ashamed before Him at His coming – whenever that may be! See 1 John 2:28. OUR PASSION SHOULD BE TO BE READY TO MEET HIM WHEN HE COMES! Matthew 24:42,44 – “Watch, therefore, for ye know NOT  hat hour our Lord doth come … Therefore. Be ye also READY: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.”

Let me say that no one is more firm a believer in the Second Coming of Christ than I am. Yes, the Bible has so much prophecy content that we should seek to understand, and pastors need to be giving sound, systematic teaching in this glorious area of Divine truth. [I have a 16-part series on the Second Coming of Christ available on CD.] I know that Jesus gave us many incredible ‘signs of the times’ that would indicate the nearness of His coming – and I have no question that we ARE in ‘the times of the signs.’ Our redemption IS drawing very near. (Luke 21:8) But I remember my spiritual fathers in the faith, when I was a boy and a young Christian. They urged upon us the nearness of Christ’s second coming, and felt that He might well come in their lifetime. How often did I hear them say, “Be ready! He may come TONIGHT!” They believed in the immanent return of Christ Jesus our Lord. Those men of God are long since with Christ! What they did NOT do was to predict a time, a year – no, they urged us TO BE READY! That, I believe is the message we should always be hearing from our pastors and pulpits. Away with all speculation. Away with fanciful conspiracy theories that are circulating in abundance. NEVER go outside the bounds of BIBLICAL REVELATION. Let’s get on with the Great Commission – and “looking for (and loving) His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8. Titus 2:13.)

I was blessed in reading an article in “The Herald of His Coming” entitled, “WATCH THEREFORE – YOUR LORD COMETH.” The authors of this timely article clearly spell out what we should be doing in the light of Christ’s Return. CLICK HERE to read it.