I have long learned to tolerate Christians who are not at
all into the last times. Over the years, I have enjoyed deep fellowship with
those who do not want to think about the end times. When it comes down to it,
we are commanded many times to love one another, and that includes times when
we have basic disagreements.
I did not spend a lot of time on this Bible study; it was so
easy to find the commands. Once through the New Testament seemed to do the
trick. But the point of the study is that the commands are so clear. It is part
and parcel of our believing in Christ that we should also be anticipating his
return. A Christian who is not watching is not being obedient to his clear
commands.
I was reading a book on the history of dispensationalism
recently, and the author pointed out that dispensationalism has a failing. For
the four generations of dispensationalism, the people have believed in the
immanent return of Christ. His point was that they were disappointed and they were obviously wrong. I hope to show that they were absolutely Biblical in
their expectations. If, of course, they went overboard and predicted the time
of his return (and some of that has happened), they were wrong. But the
expectation of His coming is very Biblical and should be maintained throughout
the Christian’s life.
What are the clear commands to every Christian? Listed in
frequency they are:
1.
Watch is the clearest command and is repeated
five times.
2.
Nearly equal to that is be diligent or careful
(repeated five times).
3.
Be ready is repeated three times.
4.
Repent is repeated twice.
5.
Hold fast is repeated twice.
6.
Overcome is repeated twice.
(Scriptures included at bottom of page.)
Making a total of nineteen times, these passages show
collectively that Christians should indeed be watching with all diligence and
care, holding fast to the faith and overcoming the sins and lusts of the world.
There is no other way for the spiritual Christian to behave.
In John 14:3, Jesus says I go now to prepare a place for
you, that where I am, there you may be also. Where was he going? We watched him
ascend to heaven, to be with the Father, in heaven. He is preparing a place for
us—I doubt that heaven would be fit for human living without Jesus making it
so. But he says, I go to prepare a place for you. We are supposed to watch and
wait for his return.
What does that mean? I think it means that we have been
doing exactly what the Lord commands. We are watching and waiting, expecting
the return of the Lord at any time, and hopefully soon. If we have had four generations
of dispensationalism, where Christians are looking for his return, they were merely
being obedient to his direction.
It pleased God to have us not to know the date of the return
of Jesus, but in every generation, to work each day as if it were our last. And
a study of history will show that many did indeed go to their grave believing
in the imminent return of Jesus. It our duty to watch, to be careful, and to be
ready. Are you watching with me today for the return of the King of Kings?
Verses:
1.
James
5:8
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the
coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Be
patient and careful with your life.
2.
1
Peter 1:13
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober,
and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ;
Be
sober and hope to the end.
3.
2
Peter 1: 10,11
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to
make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never
fall:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Give
diligence to make your calling and election sure.
4.
2
Peter 3:11-14
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,
what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,12 Looking
for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on
fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?13 Nevertheless
we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness.14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing
that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace,
without spot, and blameless.
Be
diligent to be blameless.
5.
Revelation
22:12-14
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with
me, to give every man according as his work shall be.13 I
am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.14 Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of
life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Be
careful to follow his commands.
6.
Matthew
4: 17
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say,
Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Repent
7.
Matthew
16:27
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his
Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his
works.
Work
for your reward.
8.
Matthew
24:42-44
42 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.
Watch
and be ready for his coming.
9.
Matthew
24:45,46
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his
lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?46 Blessed
is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Be doing your duty.
10.
Matthew
25:13
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the
hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Watch.
11.
Matthew
25:20- 23
20 And so he that had received five talents came and
brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five
talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.21 His
lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou
into the joy of thy lord.22 He also that had received
two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold,
I have gained two other talents beside them.23 His lord
said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful
over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the
joy of thy lord.
Be
good and faithful.
12.
Matthew
25:25
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the
earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
Do
not hide thy talent.
13.
Matthew
25:34,40,41, 45
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand,
Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world: 40 And
the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto
me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left
hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels: 45 Then shall he answer them, saying,
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these,
ye did it not to me.
Treat
others as Jesus that you may inherit.
14.
Mark
8:38
38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my
words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of
man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Be
not ashamed.
15.
Mark
13: 33-37
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when
the time is.34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a
far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to
every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.35 Watch
ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or
at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:36 Lest
coming suddenly he find you sleeping.37 And what I say
unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Watch
and pray.
16.
Luke
12:36-38
36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their
lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh,
they may open unto him immediately.37 Blessed are those
servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto
you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will
come forth and serve them.38 And if he shall come in the
second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those
servants.
Watch
and be ready.
17.
Luke
12:40
40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh
at an hour when ye think not.
Be
ready.
18.
Luke
19:15-24
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned,
having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto
him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had
gained by trading.16 Then came the first, saying, Lord,
thy pound hath gained ten pounds.17 And he said unto
him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little,
have thou authority over ten cities.18 And the second
came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.19 And
he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.20 And
another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid
up in a napkin:21 For I feared thee, because thou art an
austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou
didst not sow.22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own
mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an
austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:23 Wherefore
then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have
required mine own with usury?24 And he said unto them
that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten
pounds.
Be
diligent with what you have been given.
19.
Luke
21:27,28
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a
cloud with power and great glory.28 And when these
things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your
redemption draweth nigh.
Watch
for your redemption is near.
20.
Revelation
1:3
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the
words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for
the time is at hand.
Read
and hear for the time is at hand
21.
Revelation
2:16
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and
will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Repent
22.
Revelation
2:26
26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the
end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Keep my works to the end
23.
Revelation
3:3
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard,
and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on
thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Hold fast, repent, and watch
24.
Revelation
3:11
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou
hast, that no man take thy crown.
Hold fast.
25.
Revelation
3:12
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the
temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the
name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem,
which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new
name.
He that overcomes will be a pillar in the temple, and he will write upon him
the name of God, the name of his city, and a new name
26.
Revelation
3:21
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in
my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his
throne.
He that overcometh will sit with him in the throne
