I have done an interesting study about the commands the Bible gives concerning the return of Jesus. Over the years, I have befriended many a Christian who does not know what to do with the return of Christ and seems not to want to pay much attention to his return. The Bible, however, paints quite a different picture about what our attitude should be. I do notice the repetition. We are told to watch and be ready a multitude of times. We are to be diligent and careful. We are even to hold fast and overcome.
These are all commands, not an option for the spiritual Christian.
We are, in every generation, supposed to be looking for the return of the King
of Kings.
In the end, I copied all the verses out, for those who want to verify the Scripture.
The commands for us about his return:
1.
Be
patient and careful
with your life. (James
5:8)
2.
Be
sober and hope to the end. (1
Peter 1:13)
3.
Give diligence to make your calling and election sure. (2
Peter 1:10, 11)
4.
Be diligent to be blameless. (2 Peter 3:11-14)
5.
Be careful to follow his commands. (Revelation 22:12-14)
6.
Repent (Matthew 4:17)
7.
Work for your reward (Matthew 16:27)
8.
Watch and be ready for his coming. (Matthew 24:42-44)
9.
Be doing your duty. (Matthew 24:45-46)
10.
Watch. (Matthew 25:13)
11.
Be
good and be faithful.
(Matthew 25:20-23)
12.
Do
not hide your talent.
(Matthew 25:25)
13.
Treat others as Jesus that you may
inherit. (Matthew 25:34-41)
14.
Be not ashamed. (Mark 8:38)
15.
Watch and pray. (Mark 13: 33-37)
16.
Watch and be ready. (Luke 12:36-38)
17.
Be ready. (Luke 12:42)
18.
Be diligent with what you have been given. (Luke 19:15-24)
19.
Watch for your redemption is near. (Luke 21:27,28)
20.
Read and hear for the time is at hand.
(Revelation 1:3)
21.
Repent. (Revelation 2:16)
22.
Keep
my works to the end.
(Revelation 2:26)
23.
Hold fast, repent, and watch.
(Revelation 3:3)
24.
Hold fast. (Revelation 3:11)
25.
Overcome. (Revelation 3:12)
26.
Overcome. (Revelation 3:21)
I note that
there are lots of repetitions. It was not my design to consolidate the
repetitions, but rather let them speak for themselves. Watch is the most common
theme, followed by be diligent or be careful. It is interesting to note that there
is even one command to read. Of course, that command is to read Revelation, the
very book concerned much with his coming back.
We are to repent, to overcome, and to hold fast. It does appear that
every Christian should be concerned and watching for his return. Are you
watching today?
Here is the list of commands again,
with the Bible verses copied so you might see the actual commands.
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
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