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Jesus is coming again. It’s in the Bible, John 14:2-3, NKJV. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

There are signs of Jesus’ second coming. It’s in the Bible, Luke 21:29-31, NKJV. “Then He spoke to them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.’”

What are some signs? It’s in the Bible, Matthew 24:3, NKJV. “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’”

Men posing as Jesus will try to deceive people in the last days. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 24:23-24, NIV. “At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. For false Christ’s and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.”

Second coming signs

There will be wars, though they may seem overwhelming, it is not the end. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 24:6, NKJV. “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”

Earthquakes and famines, and all the signs are only the contractions of what’s coming. It’s in the Bible,Matthew 24:7-8, NKJV. “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

Are we living in the last days?

Non-Christians will find it hard to believe we are living in the last days of earth’s history. It’s in the Bible, II Peter 3:3-4, TLB. “First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will come scoffers who will do every wrong they can think of, and laugh at the truth. This will be their line of argument: ‘So Jesus promised to come back, did He? Then where is He? He’ll never come! Why, as far back as anyone can remember everything has remained exactly as it was since the first day of creation.’”

The coming of the Antichrist is a sign of the end. It’s in the Bible, I John 2:18, NKJV. “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”

What moral conditions will be characteristic of society in the last days? It’s in the Bible, II Timothy 3:1-5, NIV. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

What other signs of the last days does the Bible mention? It’s in the Bible, Luke 21:25-26, NIV. “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

Talk of peace and safety are a sign of the last days. It’s in the Bible, I Thessalonians 5:2-3, NIV. “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

The gospel will go to the whole world and the end will come. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 24:14, NIV. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

What are people to do when they see these things taking place? It’s in the Bible, Matthew 24:42-44, TLB. “So be prepared, for you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for My unannounced return.”

It’s in the Bible, Luke 21: 28, NKJV. “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

THE WORLD SIGNS

1. An increase of sin and lawlessness and conditions similar to the days of Noah and Lot –- 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Luke 17:26-30; Genesis 6:11.

Are not these signs evident in a very marked degree today? Do not these world signs proclaim the nearness of our Lord’s return?

2. THE CHURCH SIGNS

1. The increase of apostasy –- 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:1;
   2 Timothy 4:3-4.
2. Hypocrisy and much empty profession –- 2 Timothy 3:5.
3. Lukewarmness in the Church –- Matthew 24:12; Revelation 3:14-20.
4. Many who scoff at the Truth –- 2 Peter 3:3-4.
5. False prophets and a great increase in false religions and demonism (the occult) –- Matthew 24:11; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10; 2 Peter 2:1-2.
6. Much persecution of the faithful ones –- Matthew 24:9-10; Mark 13:9-13.
7. Worldwide evangelism –- Mark 13:10.

Do you not agree that these signs are evident in a very marked degree today? Do not these churchsigns proclaim the nearness of our Lord’s return?

3. THE JEWISH SIGNS

Please read Luke 21:29-33. In this scripture our Lord compares the Jewish nation to a fig tree, and He tells us that when the fig tree begins to bud and bear fruit we may be sure that His coming again is near at hand.

The budding of the fig tree is taking place today.

• Over the past 30 years, the Jews have been returning to Israel in fulfilment of many prophecies –- Isaiah 11:11-12; Ezekiel 36:24; 37:21; Jeremiah 23:3-8; 32:37-41; Amos 9:14-15; Luke 21:24. “Jews from all parts of the world have been regathering in the land of Israel. Week by week, month by month, by ship and plane, great throngs of the sons and daughters of Abraham have been arriving at the ports of Israel.”
• There are wonderful industrial, agricultural and cultural developments in Israel, in fulfilment of prophecy -– Isaiah 35:1-10; Jeremiah 30:18-22; 31:7-14; Zechariah 14:9-11; Hosea 3:4-5.

This is a truly significant Jewish sign that proclaims the nearness of our Lord’s return.

As you study and meditate upon the above scripture portions, is it not clear that we are living at the end of the present age and that we are justified in believing that “the Lord’s coming is near”? (James 5:8). This truth is at the same time most glorious and most solemn. It is glorious for all who know Him and who are trusting Him as their Lord and Saviour, but it is terribly solemn for those who do not know Him, who have never turned to Him in repentance and faith. Please conclude this study by looking up Isaiah 55:6-7.

ANSWER

Jesus made many statements recorded in the Gospels that garnered great controversy in His day. He said that He came from heaven (John 3:13), had the authority to forgive sins (Luke 7:48–50), and is the “Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). But perhaps His most surprising assertion was given in response to the Jews in John 8. Amid a heated debate over His identity, Jesus told them, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58). This declaration is especially significant given that the phrase I am was used as a title for God (Exodus 3:14).

When analyzing Jesus’ comment, it is important to notice what Jesus did not say. He did not say that “before Abraham existed, I existed.” Or, “Before Abraham was, I was.” Rather, He declared that before Abraham was even born, “I am.” Before Abraham was (past tense), Jesus is(present tense). Jesus was claiming pre-existence.

When Jesus claimed to exist before Abraham, His hearers “picked up stones to stone him” (John 8:59). They knew immediately that Jesus’ statement was tantamount to claiming equality with God, and the penalty for blasphemy under Jewish law was stoning (Leviticus 24:16). Jesus’ opponents were unsuccessful, however. John records that “Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple” (John 8:59). Later, in John 13:19, Jesus again applies the divine name I AM to Himself: “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.” The words echo God’s statements in Exodus 3:14, “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’” and in Isaiah 41:4, “Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.”

One day, “the LORD appeared to Abraham” (Genesis 18:1). Throughout the conversation, the Lord is alternately called a “man” and “the Lord” (verses 2, 13, 16, 17, 22). This is a case of an Old Testament Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ). Genesis 18provides further support for Jesus’ claim that He existed before Abraham. Jesus visited Abraham and Sarah in their tent and ate a meal with them.

Yes, the Bible certainly teaches that Jesus existed before Abraham. Jesus was “with God in the beginning” (John 1:2; see also John 1:14; Colossians 1:16–17), and that predates Abraham by quite a while. Jesus claimed to be divine on numerous occasions, and one such claim was that He existed prior to Abraham. Not only did Jesus exist prior to Abraham, but Abraham gave Him honor (Genesis 18:2–5).

As Jesus’ resurrection from the dead made clear, Jesus’ divine claims were true! So Jesus’ use of the name “I am” was not blasphemy as the Pharisees had supposed. Such an identification with Yahweh was entirely appropriate given who Jesus is. He is the “Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). He is “God over all” (Romans 9:5) and “the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). He was then and will forever be the great “I AM.”

ANSWER

Isaiah 14 is a biting and vivid prophecy against the king of Babylon. In Isaiah 14:9–21, the prophet Isaiah imagines the king’s death and his subsequent entrance into the realm of the dead. The dead mock the king of Babylon as he enters his new abode: in contrast to his great aspirations, the king is now equal to everyone who came before him (Isaiah 14:10–11). Weak, dethroned, and powerless, he finds that all his great ambitions have come to nothing (Isaiah 14:19–21). In the center of their sobering taunt, the dead recount the king of Babylon’s enormous pride: “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit” (Isaiah 14:13–15).

While these verses are talking about the king of Babylon, many interpreters, including some early church fathers, saw a secondary reference to Satan’s fall from heaven (Luke 10:18; this view is the basis for John Milton’s famous confrontation between Satan and God in Paradise Lost). In this interpretation, “I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High” also represents Satan’s ambition to overthrow God. Assuming a secondary reference to Satan in Isaiah 14:14, why was it a sin for Satan to want to be like God?

In the context of Isaiah 14, being “like the Most High” does not mean “being like God in character or attitude.” Isaiah 14:12–15 is talking about an attempted coup, a desire to surpass God. Verses 13–14 are laden with ancient Near Eastern images of divine dominance and power, including stars, mountains, and clouds. The speaker wants to be like God in power and authority. He wants to wield ultimate cosmic power, even over God Himself. Simply put, he would like to be God, ruling the universe with unopposed might.

A desire to be like the Most High in holiness and righteousness is not evil but is encouraged by the Scriptures (Ephesians 5:1–2). But a craving to have God’s power and authority is evil, stemming from the depths of depravity (Proverbs 16:5). God is incomparably great (Psalm 145:3), so it is irrational to attempt to surpass Him. He alone is God, so it is irrational to attempt to be God. The only reason a creature would want to become its Creator is due to a warped, prideful sense of self-importance. Selfishness, envy, and pride drive rebellion against the perfect Creator. It is a sin for Satan to attempt to be “like the Most High” in glory and power because it is a pointless attempt fueled by selfish ambition and pride.

Thankfully, Satan’s rebellion against God is futile. God remains enthroned over the cosmos (Isaiah 40:12-31). Satan is in no way comparable to God because God is incomparably awesome (1 Chronicles 29:11; 2 Timothy 1:7; Colossians 1:16; 1 John 5:18–19). God’s power has no match, and He has no equal. He is the perfect King and governs the universe with righteousness and love (Mark 10:18; Isaiah 28:28; Romans 11:33; Psalm 100:5; 1 John 4:8). Satan’s plans have already been defeated, and he will be subject to eternal torment for his sins (John 12:31; 16:11; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:10). “This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6).

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What is your take on 1 Corinthians 7:40, where Paul says, ‘I think also that I have the Spirit of God’?”

The vast majority of things Paul taught in his epistles were things he himself had been taught by direct revelation of the Lord. However, he occasionally wrote things that the Lord had notrevealed to him, such as:

“Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment…” (1 Cor. 7:25).

The Corinthians had evidently asked Paul about something concerning which he had received no revelations, so he gave his own personal opinion. Of course, his opinion was molded by his understanding of all that God hadrevealed to him, so it would have been a very sound opinion. But when he then wrote it in an epistle that became part of God’s Word, that removed all doubt that his personal conviction expressed God’s will.

You see, it was the job of the prophets to identify which epistles were canonical (1 Cor. 14:37). Paul mentions some epistles that they did not include in the Scriptures (1 Cor. 5:9; Col. 4:16), but when they did include 1 Corinthians, that tells us Paul did have the Spirit when he wrote it, and that his own personal “judgment” was also the judgment of God.