Presented by Evangelist Wendell Stover

Take your Bible with me this evening and turn to the book of Matthew the 24^th chapter. We are going to seriously study from scripture. I suppose any study from scripture should be done seriously, shouldn't it? But, this evening I want us to take a serious look from scripture at the manner in which Jesus is going to come to the earth. One man said to me that when Jesus comes a number of spacecraft will come out of the eastern sky toward the earth. Out of those shiny silver spaceships the doors will come open. They will hover just above the earth's surface, and all of God's people, the chosen ones, the enlightened ones, will make their way into those spaceships and be taken away. The earth will go through it's natural cleansing process, and then at the right time the spacecraft will come back toward the earth. Those who have been inside will be let out upon an earth created perfect. Don't you believe it!

The devil wants us to be deceived about the manner of Jesus' coming. Even the timing of His coming, and especially as we approach the year 2000, I'm going to suggest that Satan is very much in favor of doing something that would draw people's attention toward a false understanding of how Jesus is going to come. Now, we won't spend all of our time on Satan this evening. But, if I were a strategist in Satan's army, I would be looking toward the year 2000 to do something. If Satan were ever going to duplicate the coming of Jesus Christ, he would have to devise a plan far from the REAL teaching of scripture. After this evening, you will understand why Satan cannot duplicate the original manner in which Christ is going to come. If Satan could introduce some false ideas, and cause people to believe that, and be able to duplicate those ideas, then he knows he can ultimately hurt Jesus. I promise you that this is exactly what he is trying to do. After this evening, there is no way, it is impossible for you to ever be confused about the manner of Jesus' coming.

As a matter of fact, the disciples asked a question about His coming and of the end of the world. Matthew 24:3 says, "And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?'" This evening I would like to address the answer to that question. Jesus did not present it to them exactly in the order that they wanted it. Turn the page with me and notice if you will Matthew 24:25. Could they have had this discussion earlier? Could this have been a favorite topic that they discussed as they were doing their ministries? Evidently so because in verse 25, Jesus says, "Behold I have told you before." Well what has He told them before? As we read on in verse 26 we find the answer in the following verses. "Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not." Satan is a master deceiver. You cannot trust what you see if you are in his company.

Some time ago, my wife and I attended a presentation by a man who has the best reputation of being an illusionist -- Mr. David Copperfield. I wanted to go see his program mainly for my own information, but I sat there and watched the strobe lights flashing up front on the stage. I watched as the smoke began to bellow up. It's been quite a while since I've been in that environment. I wasn't so sure I really wanted to be there if Jesus were coming.

Someone brought a beautiful antique Harley Davidson motorcycle out on the stage. Like some two-wheeled monster it was belching smoke out of both pipes. Then the attendants began to unbuckle the sides of a large box. I just knew, my intuition kicked in, I knew they were going to place that motorcycle inside that box, close the ends, and close the sides, buckle it all down and do something. The motorcycle disappeared, the sides would come down and it would no longer be seen. That is what happened. But, I'm not too impressed. I mean, I've seen them draw rabbits out of a hat. Suddenly up on the left-hand side of the stage, a huge saw blade began to turn. A full support of the sound of a big blade began going through wood. At the end of that shaft, there was a lady tied there. Now, this program is about illusionism; trying to make you believe something that is not there. It looks so real as that saw blade came down on the shaft. I knew that surely they were not going to murder someone in public view, but I turned my head aside anyway and closed my eyes because I didn't want to see it.

Watching all that taking place on stage, a man is there that I assumed was Mr. Copperfield dressed in black. A wooden box was brought out. A lady crawled into that wooden box. A large saw was brought out. You know what happens next, don't you? They begin to saw through the box. All the animation is there, and sure enough, they saw all the way through the box making it APPEAR as if they've sawed all the way through her body. I know something is wrong because the attendant is waving her arms up front and still kicking her feet at the end of the box after they've sawed through it. You wouldn't believe such a thing would you? They pushed the head to this end of the stage, pushed the feet and legs to that end of the stage, and I KNEW what I had been watching was just an illusion. When out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. I could have reached out and touched him. Somehow, that which we have been watching up front was really not Mr. Copperfield's presence at all because he had somehow allowed himself to come down through the air, and he was standing there on the back of a man's chair.

You cannot believe what you see. You cannot trust your own emotion. When it comes to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, you do not have to rely upon how you think it's going to take place because the Bible gives us clear definite instructions. There is no way Satan can duplicate the REAL manner of Jesus' coming. Now, we just read a verse that would be easier for Satan to duplicate as far as involving this with Jesus' coming. If you were to go home this evening, and as you turn on CNN News, the broadcaster would say, "Please stay tuned. We have news that Jesus Christ has just appeared in the Sahara Dessert. As soon as the technical work is finished, we will bring you a live report. Stay tuned. Don't touch that dial." Would you watch it? Come on now, some of you would watch it! You KNOW how Christ is going to return. You can be protected can't you?

Notice what Jesus said. He said, "If they say unto you, he is out in the dessert or in the secret places, don't you believe it." Why not? Could this be part of a discussion they've had before? Could Jesus have really been giving a hint here that near or close to the end of time Satan would try to duplicate His coming? Why, if Satan could have people who believed He would come a certain way, Jesus that is, he could impersonate Christ. He could wear a white robe. He could speak eloquent words about world peace, feeding the children and doing away with poverty. He could have a very convincing speech, and unless we knew better, it would appear to be Jesus Christ himself.

Ultimately, Satan's attack is against Jesus. I would not be surprised if he worked in there even something about the Law of God. To be able to stand and say, "Awe, the Ten Commandment law, most of it is OK." I would think that if we heard the news, most of us would watch it to try to figure out if that's really Jesus or not.

Would you like to know when Jesus is coming? Now, I can't tell you. I happened to be in a meeting a few years ago down in Augusta, Georgia. We had rented a banquet room in the Ramada Inn and advertised the meetings as The End Time Bible Prophecy Lecture Series. We expected about 150 people that evening and were greatly surprised when over 300 people packed into that auditorium. Just briefly before I was to stand and speak, someone handed me a note. They said, "Brother Stover, many of the people here tonight believe that you are the gentleman from Florida who is predicting the end of the world tomorrow." So, there is a lot of interest in the end of time and of Jesus' coming. But, we don't want to be fooled.

Let's read on. He tells us in verse 29, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken." Verse 30, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Some of you are Bible students; I know you are, and I would not deny that which we all would understand to be a very special time in history -- May 19, 1780. You see, these signs have already happened before -- a long time ago. I would like to suggest again though, that near or at the coming of Jesus Christ they shall be repeated again.

 Notice this closely. Three times in scripture, at least, these signs are mentioned always in this order. There shall be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars. If you read Revelation 7, it has the sign in the sun, the moon, the stars, and then a great earthquake. Wouldn't it be most interesting if those same signs were to be repeated again at the coming of Jesus? Now listen to me. May 19, 1780 -- we have an accurate record and detail given to us about this. It's the dark day of history. On that evening the moon turned an eerie color of blood red. About 50 years or so later on November 13, 1833, the stars began to fall from heaven. Significant was the timing of that day, coming after another time of tribulation, and the scholars studying back then, especially those that would eventually come to lean upon that 2300 day prophecy, many great minds and the attentions of people were turned toward the fulfillment of scripture. We know these signs were fulfilled back then in a significant way. But, it seems to me that in the context here of this passage and other information that they would be fulfilled again.

Now, Satan cannot duplicate all of that. There shall be signs in the sun. What should happen to the sun, in the moon and even in the stars? Keep your finger here and turn with me to Revelation chapter 6, page 1222, verse 12 he says, "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood." Now, it's interesting that there is an earthquake there, and then when you come on down it appears in verses 14, 15 and 16 that there is another earthquake. I'm not arguing about that, but I'm trying to make the point that Satan cannot duplicate this the way the Bible is presenting it. Verse 12, "I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake." It was true way back there the great earthquake of Lisbon, Portugal affected over, I forgot how many million square miles, but it touched the lives of thousands of people, but millions of square miles. It certainly drew people's attention to the study of the scriptures. The Bible says, "And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind."

Verse 14, "And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places." We know we have not yet seen that. Some have said that we are living between verses 13 and 14, and I could certainly go along with that, can't you? Yes! But, wouldn't it be something if at or near the coming of Jesus Christ those same signs would be repeated again? Look back with me if you will to Matthew chapter 24. I would like to put something on the board this evening. It reminds us here that the powers of the very heavens would be shaken, and then verse 30, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven." Could that be really what the disciples were asking back in verse 3? We always study this in its context. We talk about how there will be signs in the political world, signs in the physical world, and signs in the religious world. There will be poverty, famine, sickness, disease, and a lot of bad things happening.

But here the Bible says, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." I would like to place this word "see" up here because the Bible is teaching us that the Second Coming is a visible coming. There is a reason why Jesus said that He would not be appearing in a secret way. Remember Jesus said, "If they say unto you he is in the secret places, believe it not"? Well, here is the reason why. It tells us here that they would see Him coming. He would be arriving with power and great glory. I have often thought about this. I don't know the difference between glory and great glory, but this is just the greatest way of saying that it's with a fullness of God's presence.

Verse 30 says, "And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." You will see tonight that the word "clouds" are repeated several times. Some have said that this represents a cloud of angels, and that is the direction that I lean this evening, that He is coming surrounded by that representative host of the heavenly beings. We know in verse 30 He mentions the angels. He says, "And He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet." Why such a great sound? It is part of the awakening call of God announcing the presence for the great resurrection morning. If something is repeated in scripture, why is that? It is important to God and He wants us to know that. The great sound of the trumpet, "And they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the earth." The elect of course being those who have elected to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Can you see how Satan could not duplicate such a coming as this?

Turn with me to what the Apostle Paul recorded in the book of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4:16,17 on page 1176. We see a special insight right here, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." It seems to me that on that great day of Jesus' Second Coming, the clouds open wide and Jesus makes His descent towards the earth. It's the greatest event since His resurrection. The holy angels escort Him toward the earth. At a given time, maybe even place, the music begins to sound. I think I know what Jesus says when He comes to the earth, but I want to tell you that in another meeting.

Those who have died in Christ hear His voice. He is sending His angels with a great sound of a trumpet filled with power and great glory. The dead in Christ, the Bible says here, "Rise first to meet the Lord in the air." That's the reason Jesus said that this is not in secret; this is not out in the dessert in some foreign place. This is worldwide; it's inclusive. As the dead in Christ come to life, those of us who are living will join them as they ascend up into the air. The Bible says, "So shall we ever be with the Lord." Satan cannot duplicate this manner of Jesus' coming.

Turn with me if you will to Revelation chapter 1. God has been good to me in ministry. I've had the privilege of speaking to a number of different kinds of audiences. But, my wife and I took an invitation to speak to a group of legally blind young people. For one week, I spent an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening teaching this group of young people who were all legally blind between the ages of about 8 and 18. We started in the book of Genesis very briefly sharing how that in the beginning God had created the earth in perfect beauty. Because of the uninvited guests that came, sin began to destroy all the good things that God had created. Through the week, we moved down through some of the Bible heroes of the Old Testament. Finally we came down toward the weekend, and I was telling the story of Jesus, of His birth, of His life, of His death and of His resurrection. Finally, Saturday evening came. It was the last hour that I would have with those young people, and I knew they would be going home on Sunday morning. This might well have been the last spiritual thought and Bible study any of them would have for another year. I wanted to talk about Jesus' coming. We had already shared how He was the world's Messiah, the one from prophecy, and how He became the Savior; how He had died; how He had come forth from the tomb and ascended up to heaven. I had prayed, "Lord, please give me the adjectives and the language to be able to describe what is going to happen to these kids who've never been able to see."

Have you ever tried to describe a cloud to someone who has never seen one? I just believe the presence of Jesus was there in that auditorium. Holy angels must have been sitting there beside those young people. I had prayed, "Lord, please give me the adjectives and the language to be able to describe what is going to happen to these kids who've never been able to see."

Have you ever tried to describe a cloud to someone who has never seen one? I just believe the presence of Jesus was there in that auditorium. Holy angels must have been sitting there beside those young people. You see, this idea that when Jesus leaves heaven comes to the earth, is some little dinky affair that happens in the middle of nowhere and nobody knows anything about it is a lie. It is very wicked and don't you believe it! You see, when Jesus comes, this also involves complete restoration for His family.

I began to describe how that when that electrifying power of God would come on the resurrection morning. Yes, the dead in Christ will come forth. Everybody believes in the resurrection, but also for the living because I believe that those young people by the grace of God surely will be alive when Jesus comes with other young people. There will be some that have never been able to walk because of polio or some crippling disease, nor ever been able to run and to play like the other children. Their bodies will be recreated and they will be able to walk, leap and to run! Those who have never been able to hear can throw their hearing aides away because when the trumpet begins to sound and the voice of Jesus echoes across the deep, I know those ears are going to be developed. Some who have never been able to speak might just proclaim the name "Jesus" as their first spoken word. Did you sort of follow where I was going with this about the body, the ears, the mouth and the eyes. Even before I began, there was one over here who began to cry, and another one began to cry.

I've tried to explain that it just might be the first thing they would see of all of God's creation would be the Creator himself in all of His shining glory and splendor. To see the One who HAD died to take away sin, the one who HAD died to redeem them, to restore them back into full vision inside. You see, not everyone can share this verse in Revelation chapter 1:7. If this is a shining space craft or if this is in some secret place, it cannot be true. I declare to you the Bible says in verse 7, "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him."

Now, if you are really interested in this theology, think about another special group here, "And they also which pierced him." Maybe Herod is part of that little group right there. If we had time we could talk about that just a little more, but can you see how that Satan cannot duplicate what the Bible really described is going to happen at the coming of Jesus? The Lord in His wisdom has just given us so much information.

Turn with me to the book of Acts. Here we find the last recorded words of Jesus before He would leave the earth. It is found on page 1078, Acts chapter 1. Jesus is speaking to those disciples and telling them that their lives would change. They would be His supreme witnesses and that they would do some traveling. Notice verse 8. Here is the setting. Jesus is standing there on the mountain. We know at least Peter, James and John were there, and Jesus is talking to them. He says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Verse 9, "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." Does this agree with what the other Bible writers say will take place? You see, this is a very visible coming. It is an audible coming, and it's also a literal coming. By that I mean we shall see Him coming. We shall hear Him coming. It is not just imaginary. It is so literal you shall be in the very presence of Jesus himself.

While those disciples were listening to all that taking place, while they were watching that take place, surely Jesus must have been just talking to them and suddenly He began to levitate. You would have done the same thing those disciples did. Here were the disciples and there was Christ. Suddenly He began to go up. This cloud came. As they were watching, naturally their eyes would have gone up. Everybody look up. Isn't this a beautiful ceiling? There went Jesus up into the cloud. While they were watching their best friend leave, they hear a voice behind them. The voice asks a question that really does not need answering, but I'm thankful that he answers the question because it solves a lot of questions tonight. Here is what happened in verse 10, "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?" Now those two angels knew the answer to that question. That is in Acts 1:11. They were watching their Lord going up into the air. He was leaving them. "Why do you stand gazing up into the sky?" Notice what he says, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

I suppose if you wanted to come up with some wild ideas, you could say, "Well, He is going to come back more than one time in the future." Don't you believe it -- oh, He WILL come and get His people!

At a certain time in prophetic teaching, the holy city will descend out from heaven out of God. We are going to study that one evening. It is all about Revelation chapter 19. We will study about what happens before the thousand years, during the thousand years and even what brings it to an end. This is the most interesting study. But, I'm thankful this evening that when it was described to those disciples that Jesus would not change. You've heard a lot of discussion about the Son of Man, the Son of God and about the nature of Christ. What I am totally convinced of more than ever is this, Christ had every attribute that we have. He knew how to laugh. He knew how to cry. He knew how sadness felt. We see Him standing at the tomb of Lazarus. He can certainly identify with His friends that were there and even to the association of Mary and Martha. To that dear lady whose son had died and Jesus brought the widow of Nain's son back to life; He was touched by that. The little children evidently enjoyed being in the company of Jesus. You can't be in the company of children long without smiling. They do some of the funniest things. They have the most tender, innocent love. He wanted the children to come. He loved being in the company of children and young people. When you study the ministry of Jesus you will also learn that Jesus was always giving Himself for the benefit of other people.

Jesus would sometimes pray all night long for strength. Not that He had committed sin, but, yes, He needed emotional power, and He needed physical strength. It was through His communion with God that He was able to live the life that He lived. When it says to us here that this same Jesus is coming back, I see that same Jesus as being the Jesus who loved people so supremely that people were more important than anything. You know, there are some churches who have made doctrine more important than people; don't you believe it.

Here is what we have seen this evening: the Bible declares beyond any shadow of a doubt in the book of Matthew. We could also have gone to Luke; we could have gone to Mark. There are also other texts in the book of Revelation, We've read from the writings of Paul here that which he wrote to the church at Thessalonica. Luke writing here in the book of Acts, we believe. All these Bible writers agree that the coming of Jesus Christ, yes, will be one in which we shall see Him coming and described as being filled with power and great glory; the clouds unfolding like a scroll when it's rolled together into the clouds. It will be an audible coming, a visible coming and a literal coming. I would suggest that coming is very, very soon.

I would like to share something with you before we close this evening. Go back with me to the book of Matthew. Something we need to recognize as we study this prophecy about Jesus' coming and that is two words--the manner of Jesus' coming and the timing of Jesus' coming. I would like to explain the difference between the manner of Jesus' coming and the timing of His appearing. Notice in Matthew 24 a short passage of scripture that is sometimes used suggesting that when Jesus comes it is a silent, secret rapture. Look in page 976, Matthew 24 and beginning with verse 37, "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark." Could that be a suggestion that business shall be as usual? Read verse 39 out loud with me, "And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Now, this passage of scripture is really directed at the timing of Jesus' coming. There will be those who do not go to heaven because they are not ready to go to heaven. You say, "Wendell, that is so simple. I know that." Let me repeat that. There are those who miss heaven simply because they are not ready for heaven.

Let me illustrate it this way in verse 40, "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." We could paraphrase this to say, "Two men or two women shall be in the mall shopping; one goes to heaven and one doesn't." Now, why? Is it because Jesus' comes in the clouds of glory? No. It's because one individual had his name written in the Book of Life and the other one did not. Are you with me now? Let's read the next verse, "Two women shall be grinding at the mill." May I say two women are at the Collegedale market or down at the Winn Dixie market? "The one shall be taken, and the other left." Why does one individual go on to be with the Lord and the other individual doesn't? It's because one is prepared, and one isn't.

This suggests nothing about a silent secret coming. As a matter of fact, it mentions in the next verse exactly what I'm trying to get across tonight that the timing of Jesus' coming very much was like when the flood came to Noah's generation. He had been preaching to those people, "Get ready! Get ready! Get ready!" And surely there must have been some of those people who believed Noah, but for whatever reason, maybe their family talked them out of it or maybe the work supervisors talked them out of it, or maybe their pastor said, "Don't you get on that boat with Noah!" But, surely there were some that believed, but just did not act on their belief.

Here these verses that suggest Jesus' coming will come at an hour when many people least expect it. This has to do with the timing of His coming. Notice verse 42, and actually the last part of this chapter as it continues is trying to get across that point to us. "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."

Now, we can be very watchful tonight. What are we supposed to be watching? It continues all through the same chapter. Verse 44, "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." May I suggest to you this evening that first of all we need to be watching, waiting, praying and earnestly seeking the character of Jesus? One of my favorite authors says that the nearer and closer we come to Christ the more faulty we will appear in our own eyes. Do you believe it? And for Christian people to be taught that Christianity only involves the event -- is a lie. I suggested to you last evening that when someone comes to the alter to be saved or to give their life to Jesus Christ, the event is very important, but the Bible also teaches that there is a life to be lived AFTER the event. Actually the way one lives that life is proof that they are saved. Do you believe that? We need to be watching and growing. To be ever mindful of the fulfillment of scripture that is taking place around us. If I read Revelation 13 correctly, religious persecution is to be rekindled. The pace is escalating of that uniting power of the world's largest religious body and the world's strongest political body coming together. It is interesting that it is happening so close to the year 2000. Isn't it fun to study scriptures?

Go with me to Revelation 7 tonight as we close. A lady in her 90's came to me one evening after a meeting. I became acquainted with this lady. She was a pastor, an evangelist, radio speaker and author. She wanted to sing at the meeting. I've never met this dear lady before, and so we worked it out. She stood to sing a cappella. I will long remember the song she sang. Almost so simple that even I could learn it and sing it. In a voice as only a dear mother and grandmother of maturity could sing it. She began to sing, "Don't let the devil ride with you. Oh, don't let the devil ride with you. If you do, he will want to drive." Listen to this, in Revelation chapter 6. It's coming, and we want to be riding with Jesus in control. Let's pick up verse 14, "And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains."

Why? Why at Jesus' coming do we find these groups of people trying to hide themselves from the King of glory, from the Creator of the universe, from the Savior of the world? They are scared. They are frightened. They realized their eternal destiny is at stake, and they have not made the right choice. Now, you don't want to be in this group. By God's grace, we won't be in this group. "And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Do you know who is standing? Somebody is. Those who are like Jesus, those who have come to love the things that Jesus loves, and those who have come to hate the sin that Jesus hates. That to me is more difficult than overcoming sin. It's much easier to stop doing something. Sometimes it's much easier to stop the outward behavior than it is to inwardly hate the sin. May God help us to grow more like Jesus.

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