We are living in such difficult times that more and more people are longing for a fresh start.
Some dream of a heroic leader, others of a fresh start in politics, the economy, or in areas such as climate action, science, cultural integration and so on. It seems to me that we can all make a real contribution in every sphere of society, even bringing about significant change, whilst remaining aware that we cannot definitively resolve the root causes of evil, iniquity and injustice.
History shows that humanity can only bring about temporary adjustments or improvements to society. It is a fact that wickedness is increasing irreparably, but we believe this will only be the case until the return of the Lord, who is the long-awaited, definitive solution.
The return of the Messiah will usher in a gradual yet definitive New Beginning, marking the start of a new era with the resurrection of our bodies, the long-awaited eternal kingdom of Yeshua physically established on earth, the elimination of all evil through the total destruction of the devil, and so on, culminating in life on a new earth, under a new universe, in the New Jerusalem.
A spiritual foretaste of such a wholly new reality had already been given at Pentecost, 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, when the Church was born. From that moment on, those who are born from above, immersed in and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, already live in God’s ‘spiritual’ kingdom, even whilst surrounded by enemies in a fallen world. But then, in our resurrected bodies, we shall share in the kingdom and glory of the revealed King Yeshua.
As believers, we know full well that the ‘time’ that follows that New Beginning will depend on how we have lived ‘to the very end’ the time in which we now find ourselves.
Oh, the fear of the Lord!
This is what keeps us grounded in the here and now, whilst we look forward to future glory. The blessed hope of his return does not relieve us of our responsibility as we live in the present. We must not, therefore, fall into any religious trap that focuses solely on the afterlife. On the contrary, it compels us to act now.
The Second Coming of the Lord is the link that connects history with eternity.
Jesus foretold this on several occasions. It will be a radical, global event, visible and obvious to everyone.
At his first coming, he opened the kingdom to all people of good will.
When he returns, he will shut it to all unrepentant evildoers. Forever! Iniquity will find no place there.
Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit will continue to empower believers more and more. It seems to me that the Scriptures say that in the last days this power will be increased and amplified as never before, to enable the ‘remnant’ to fight and stand firm even against the Antichrist. There will be war. The enemy will appear to have won. But only until Yeshua’s return.
The Lord foretold that on that day there would be cosmic cataclysms. No more light from the sun, nor from the moon, nor from the stars. Total darkness. And then, in the deafening silence of the heavens, a sudden flash of lightning will simultaneously blind the whole earth: this is the sign of the Son of Man that will be visible in the sky. Suddenly, Jesus will gather his own, cast the Antichrist and the false prophet alive into the lake of fire, and kill those who have tried to save their lives by taking the mark of the beast and worshipping the Antichrist. Our King will establish his physical kingdom on earth and finally cast out the devil forever.
The day of Yeshua’s return is the great and terrible day of the Lord, the day of God’s vengeance. Yeshua foretold what the signs of these final events would be, so that we might not be caught unprepared. He insisted: ‘Watch until I return; be watchful and ready’. No one can know the day or the hour of his return. However, we are called to discern the season of his coming, which we know will culminate when the good news of the kingdom has been preached and witnessed to all nations (Matt 24:14).
Yeshua revealed all these things only to his disciples. Not to the crowds, nor to the religious leaders, nor to the politicians, nor to any man of power. Only to his closest friends, so that those warnings might serve as a lamp to light their way through the dark times that were to come, and to keep watch, persevering until the end.
In fact, such prophecies could never have warned the world of its inevitable end. The world would never believe them. A system cannot anticipate its own end, for it would then cease to be a system and become merely a historical accident destined to fade away.
Let us therefore continue to encourage one another, bearing in mind that it is God himself who has devised the path of redemption. He has already lived it out in eternity and now walks it with us in history, having promised never to leave us.
Let’s encourage one another to keep trusting in God!
Let us remember Noah, Abraham and Moses. They undertook historic journeys, preparing diligently and facing unknown and insurmountable difficulties with hope in their hearts, without straying to the right or to the left. How did they do it? They trusted in God, who had made the promise, and faithfully followed his instructions. Dear friends, when we love God, we listen to His word and act accordingly. Let us trust in the Holy Spirit who dwells within us to guide us and manifest His power through us. Let us therefore continue to watch and we shall not miss the destiny God has set for us.
After all, we’ve already been told what’s going to happen. More or less:
– wars, earthquakes, famines and epidemics will increase in intensity, number and frequency.
– The Messiah’s followers will be persecuted, hated and killed.
– Within families, the ‘believers’ will hate and betray one another in order to save themselves.
– Many believers will be misled and led astray; out of fear, they will renounce their faith, and as wickedness spreads throughout the world, the love of many of them will grow cold.
– The saints will continue to receive power from the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for Yeshua.
– There will be a flurry of events, culminating in Judea. Idolatry will take hold and the troubles will become ‘great’.
– False messiahs and false prophets will continue to deceive many believers.
– There will be a military attack and unprecedented terror.
– The message of the kingdom will be proclaimed everywhere and witnessed to all nations.
– The world will hate the saints and the growing power bestowed upon them by God, and the Antichrist will be permitted to wage war against them, defeat them and kill them.
– Then Yeshua will return, as a glorious King, to claim the promised victory and share it in glory with his own, for ever.
What good does it do us to waste time on trivial and worldly matters (from non-essential doctrines to vaccines) that fuel division amongst us and encourage civil disobedience? Or to devote our energies to the maze of alleged plots and conspiracies?
Prophecies about the end times are helpful to us because they ensure we do not lose our way; on the contrary, they enable us to continue spreading the message of the Kingdom with courage and strength, whilst maintaining unity amongst ourselves.
The messianic warning is, in fact, directed at those who, if found unfaithful and unprepared, risk being “cut to pieces and cast into the place of the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” or shut out of the wedding feast with a “I do not know you” (Mt 24:45–25:30) or even killed before the King by his order (Lk 19:11–27).
Who is the Messiah referring to? And what does it mean?
It is generally believed and accepted that Yeshua speaks to believers and about them. This seems plausible from the language used in the texts, where he addresses them as ‘servants’ of a master who is temporarily absent but will return, and as ‘virgins’ awaiting the return of their betrothed. Building on these premises, scholars offer various interpretations: some believe that these servants and virgins, having proved themselves wicked, unfaithful, foolish or lazy, have lost their eternal salvation. Others deduce that they are excluded only from the Messiah’s millennial kingdom. Still others say that, if this latter hypothesis were true, then it would be logical to consider admissible for them a sort of temporary punishment-exclusion-torment between the return of the Messiah and the New Jerusalem, without, however, losing eternal ‘salvation’.
These few reflections on highly controversial issues may also lead to significant doctrinal divisions.
What, then, can be said? Well, one thing is certain: the Messiah calls on us to remain faithful and vigilant, making it clear that every action will have its consequence. And this is all the more true for those who are his followers. Indeed, when Yeshua returns:
– The unbelievers, oblivious to the signs of the times and accustomed to sin, will go about their daily business and be taken by surprise.
– Believers, on the other hand, strengthened by Yeshua’s teachings and the power of the Spirit, should persevere in doing their part and be found faithful as they keep watch.
The Messiah said: “Whoever endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).
Paul wrote, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence but now much more in my absence—work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12).
Peter also wrote, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, your entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be abundantly secured” (2 Peter 1:10–11).
And Yeshua tells us again, “Therefore, be ready yourselves, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come,” whilst at the same time asking, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” And we know that he is “… coming”. (Revelation 22:20).
What a wonderful story!
Yeshua still has much to do, and it will all be accomplished.
Let us pray for a trusting and faithful heart, a pure desire to be eternally united with him, and a holy fear of betraying his instructions whilst he is temporarily absent.
To ensure this happens, let us pray and wait to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to persevere and be bold in fulfilling the task entrusted to us by our God.
The real key to getting through these times is to know God’s ways and to trust that there will be a great new outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and that we will receive power, guidance and wisdom in a measure commensurate with the difficult times we are called to live through.
The Lord has called us to be his witnesses and heralds, even in the final days of the end times. He expects us not to be taken by surprise by his return. His second coming will transform the earth and life upon it.
The Lamb and the Lion are One: mercy and glory, just as sacrifice and victory, cannot be separated.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Maurizio Tiezzi
Article published in English in the magazine “Thy Kingdom Carriers”, January 2022