The Returning Lord - 1

Written by Reinhard Bonnke

download .pdf All life’s great experiences are pinpointed in the Bible. Today we want to take a closer look at the second coming of the Lord. Numerous accounts and a wealth of information can be found on this subject. There is already some interesting evidence in the Old Testament. Look for example in the book of Judges. It describes a nation without a leader. After Israel settled in the Promised Land, there were two centuries of turmoil, anarchy, and civil war. The book explains why. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). Later they had David as king. But rebellion by the king’s own treacherous son Absalom drove him into exile (2 Samuel 15-19). The son was killed, and the throne was vacant. Again anarchy returned, and all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel. But the bitter lesson of the past had been learned, and they knew the answer: Now therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king? (2 Samuel 19:11) Those and numerous other episodes in the Scriptures pointed to another king, Christ. Standing before Pontius Pilate he asked Jesus: “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” Pilate said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 18:37; 19:14-15). In their blindness they chose Caesar, a foreign oppressor. Shortly after the Caesars destroyed Israel as a nation and the fury of the Roman operation still pollutes the history of that empire today. Israel rejected their greatest Son, their true King and, by and large, the world does the same. The world today is leaderless, shepherdless, and without a King. Where are do we find ourselves, and to whom can the world turn for true authority? As individuals, we find realize that if God does not rule our lives, then the devil does. The Bible simply states the obvious when it declares that the whole world is led by the devil, and that we need a Deliverer. Christ is like a king in exile. He is the absent Lord. The world seeks to manage its affairs on its own, without any interference from its King. When Jesus made His official entry into the capital, Jerusalem, He wept, saying: “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:37-38). Christ’s great apostle, Paul, described things similarly: as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting...and (they) served the creature rather than the Creator (Romans 1:28, 25). The world has no genuine king, only warring leaders. It is like it was in Israel; every man does what is right in his own eyes. We know what we should do. But doing it is another thing! We yearn for strength, not only advice. Religions are an added burden, laying down dogmas and rules. We want a Deliverer-King, a Savior. Jesus laid down His life, not rules. We cannot redeem ourselves, but Christ is the world’s Redeemer. A new age needs new people, and Christ creates new people—if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Bible story shows that David took his throne again, and so will Jesus Christ. Christ declared that He would come back, and He will! Everything He ever said turned out to be true. It is impossible for this one promise not to be true also. Jesus made many tremendous promises, all of which He has kept. His promise was to rise from the dead! Nobody could understand it. It was impossible; and they did not think that He meant it. But He did, and He walked out of the tomb. He deals in impossibilities. You are the God who does wonders (Psalms 77:14). He came out of the grave; therefore coming back from glory to earth is no problem. It is where history is going - if not, history is going nowhere. For 2,000 years, the tens of millions of the church of Christ have expected His return. The doctrine has taken on many forms, but Scripture teaches unambiguously the personal, visible presence of Christ on earth. This is the key hope of every Christian creed. The last prayer of the Bible therefore is: Amen! Come Lord Jesus! What will He do when He is King? We can determine that by His First Coming. It altered the destiny of peoples and nations, and His Second Coming will do all that and more. He is the Prince of Peace. The first time He lived in obscurity, never wrote a book, and died as a victim of political intrigue, but nobody has ever affected the world like He has. His next appearance will not be as a humble babe in a manger. He declared that His return would be with power and great glory, which will shake and re-shape the world. If He did no more than carry on what He was doing, what a happier world it would be! One man who personally knew Jesus said that He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. What He meant by doing good was ‘doing things that nobody else ever did’. To multitudes His hand was the hand of God. His very presence brought certainty of assurance of forgiveness and healing. He lifted the fallen, delivered the demon-possessed, and championed the oppressed. His graciousness and understanding overwhelmed people. His words created astonishment. Crowds thronged Him, and immediately wanted to put Him on the throne. Instead, He let His enemies put Him on the Cross. He came as a Savior, not as a Caesar. He was the Redeemer not a rebel leader. He lived the most extraordinary life, an inspiration to other good lives. His enemies took it as the end when He expired on the Cross. It was in fact the beginning. They were dealing with somebody, likes of whom had never been encountered before. He conquered death; rose from the tomb robed in immortality, ascended to God, and left the promise that every eye would see Him again. If we need anybody back, we need Jesus Christ. The wonderful thing about Christ is that He is indeed The Coming One. The apostle Peter, preaching the first Christian sermon said, Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior. He took that office when He ascended. In order to finish the work, He must return. It can only be accomplished on earth. That was always God’s purpose. The everlasting King is poised on the threshold. The government will be upon His shoulder. He will take over global responsibilities. No power on earth, or in hell can prevent it. Psalm 2:12 warns the nations to kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. When He comes the whole world will know about it. With all power in heaven and earth He will remove from His kingdom anything that offends. His coming is as sure as the dawn. Reinhard Bonnke