F.M. Riley (18
June 2017)
"Christ Jesus is
still Coming!"
Christ Jesus is
still Coming!
By Pastor F. M. Riley
June 17, 2017
"And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where
I am, there ye may be also."
John 14:3
"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in
the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of
nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Men's hearts failing them for fear, and
for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:
for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." Luke 21:25-26.
Introduction
Yes, Pentecost has come and gone, and
the Lord Jesus did not return on that date, in spite of the
anticipation of many of God's people. So as one fellow
said to me, "Perhaps we have been wrong about the coming of
Christ, and His coming is only spiritual, not literal."
Hogwash! I don't buy the
fellow's statement at all, not in any sense of the Word.
The Lord literally and bodily and visibly went back to His
Father in Heaven some 2,000 years ago [Acts 1:9-10], and the
Lord is literally and bodily and visibly coming again, ".....for
He is faithful that promised," Hebrews 10:23.
And what did the Lord Jesus Himself say
would indicate His return, just after "the times of the
Gentiles" are fulfilled, Luke 21:24? The Lord
explicitly stated that there would be.......
Signs in the Sun, and in the Moon, and in the Stars
Yes, the Day of Pentecost is past, but
there are other "possible" dates for the Lord's coming which
need to be carefully "watched" by every true believer.
Right now I am thinking of the Summer
Solstice, June 21st, which is just four days away as I
write. June 20th is the last day of Spring, and June 21st
is the first day of Summer. So one day ends and another
day begins! So what makes the first day of Summer so
special? I'm so glad you asked!
The night of June 20th-21st, is the
time when the Planet Venus occults, or comes into conjunction,
with the Moon. This means that Venus will cover or conceal
the Moon for a period of some three to four hours during that
night.
However, let me make it clear that no
reader will be able to see this occur in the night sky unless
you have an infra-red telescope, for the time will be "the dark
of the Moon." The "dark of the moon" is caused by the
shadow of the Earth covering the Moon, and hiding it from the
light of the Sun. While the Planet Venus will be
easily seen in the night sky, the Moon will be totally dark as
Venus comes into conjunction with it, and it will require some
three to four hours to cross in front of the Moon's location in
the night sky. So what does this have to do with the
coming of the Lord? Possibly nothing! Possibly
everything!
Types and Shadows
That there are types and shadows in the
inspired Word of God is clearly stated in Hebrews 8:5 and
10:1. These are things mentioned in God's
Word, which typifies or shadows something else also
mentioned in the Scriptures. In other words,
one thing illustrating another thing.
Over and over again in God's Word the
Sun is set forth as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself. And since all the light that the Moon sheds down
upon the Earth, is the reflected light from the Sun, then the
Moon is obviously a type of the Lord's Church. The source
of all the spiritual light the Church sheds forth upon mankind,
is reflected directly from the Word of God. And WHO is the
Word of God? None other than the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself, John 1:1-5; 8:12; 9:5.
So the Moon is a definite type of the
Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But there is also the Planet
Venus. Venus, throughout human history has traditionally
served two purposes for mankind. Venus has always been
regarded by mankind as the "evening star." In other words,
the very bright star which first apppears in the night sky at
evening.
However, Venus is also regarded
as the "morning star." One of the brightest stars in the
early hours of the morning which appears just before the dawning
of the day. So for centuries Venus has served as both the
"evening star" and the "morning star." And the Planet
Venus is another type of Christ.
Some reader may be wondering how Venus
could serve as both the "evening star" and the "morning
star?" I do not pretend to know enough about the movements
of the stars and planets to explain this, but I do know that the
Lord Jesus Christ explicitly stated, ".....I am the beginning
and the end.....," Revelation 21:6. Christ claimed that He
filled both of those positions. Do our readers believe the
Lord's statement? So why should it be thought impossible
for Venus, who typifies the Lord to serve as both the evening
and the morning star?
The Planet Venus is therefore a type of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Who said so? The Lord
Himself said so! In Revelation 22:16 the Lord Jesus
explicitly stated, "I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto
you these things in the churches. I am the root and the
offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." See
also Revelation 2:28 and 2 Peter 1:19. So the Planet Venus
definitely typifies the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, as the
"morning star" is going to appear in the heavens above the
earth, very early in the morning, to resurrect and rapture His
Church and believing people to Himself, before the dawning of
"the Day of God."
Oh glory to God!
Hallelujah! Praise be to the Lord God!
A Possible Application
Now since the Moon typifies the Lord's
Church, and Venus typifies the Lord Jesus Himself, and......
Since Venus is going to come into
conjunction with the darkened Moon on the summer solstice,
occurring the night of June 20th-21st, could this "possibly" be
the Lord's way of warning His people that the rapture is going
to occur over the whole earth as that conjunction of the Moon
and Venus occurs? Is that "possible?"
So what if the Rapture doesn't happen at that time?
Then this believer will just keep
"watching" for the Lord's coming, as the Lord's disciples were
instructed to do by the Lord Himself.
I would add that astonomers tell us
that there are more eclipses, meteor showers, and conjunctions
which will occur in the months of July and August, and the
constellation of Revelation 12 in September. As the Lord
Himself said in our text Scripture for this study, ".....there
shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the
stars...." Just keep "watching."
Conclusion
Remember, as you read this study, the
summer solstice is just four days away! Does any
true believer want to risk meeting the Lord with unconfessed sin
in your life? Read 2 Corinthians 5:10, and let the truth
stated there soak in. If you need to make things right
between you and the Lord, before being brought before His "bema
seat of judgment," now is the time to do so. Hurry!
If any reader is unsaved, with no real
assurance of forgiven sin and salvation, do you want to risk
being left behind on the earth when the rapture occurs, to enter
the terrible Tribulation period? Then seek the Lord for
salvation right now. And hurry! Tomorrow could
be too late! Just bow your head [and your heart], and in
simple prayer ask the Lord Jesus to reveal Himself to you in His
saving grace, and if you really mean it, He will! Read and
believe Ephesians 2:8-10 and Luke 18:9-14.
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Permission is granted to reproduce this study
to share with others as the Lord leads, while there is still
time.
I truly thank each dear reader who is
praying for me, and for this ministry, for every kindness you
have shown. May our gracious Lord reward each of you
abundantly.
All comments, questions, and
correspondence should be addressed to me at: Pastor F. M.
Riley, 14275 County Road 8120, Rolla, Missouri
65401. All phone calls should continue to be directed to
573-201-0491. My phone problem has been determined to be
my location, rather than the phone. I am having difficulty
receiving the signals, but sometimes I am in the right place and
the phone rings, so don't give up.
God bless you all is my prayer.
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