Jesus will return with a shout, but what will He say?
Have you ever been “bone tired”?
You know, so tired you can feel it all the way down into your bones.
This past week for me was a protracted trial of sheer exhaustion. I’m glad that week is over!
We can all relate to a time in our lives when we felt so overwhelmed — whether spiritually, mentally, emotionally, or physically — that it felt like we just couldn’t go on.
By the grace of God, we did.
But all of us could list some things we’d like to be forever done with.
That day is coming!
Let me encourage you to remain diligent and persistent until Christ returns. To give you some encouragement, let me share with you this compelling little story as shared by missionary Gregory Fisher …
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“What will he say when he shouts?”
The question took me by surprise. I had already found that West African Bible College students can ask some of the most penetrating questions about minute details of Scripture.
“Reverend, I Thessalonians 4:16 says that Christ will descend from heaven with a loud command. I would like to know what that command will be.”
I wanted to leave the question unanswered, to tell him that we must not go past what Scripture has revealed, but my mind wandered to an encounter I had earlier in the day with a refugee from the Liberian civil war. The man, a high school principal, told me how he was apprehended by a two-man death squad. After several hours of terror, as the men described how they would torture and kill him, he narrowly escaped. After hiding in the bush for two days, he was able to find his family and escape to a neighboring country. The escape cost him dearly: two of his children lost their lives. The stark cruelty unleashed on an unsuspecting, undeserving population had touched me deeply. I also saw flashbacks of the beggars that I pass each morning on my way to the office. Every day I see how poverty destroys dignity, robs men of the best of what it means to be human, and sometimes substitutes the worst of what it means to be an animal. I am haunted by the vacant eyes of people who have lost all hope.
“Reverend, you have not given me an answer. What will he say?”
The question hadn’t gone away.
“Enough!” I said. “He will shout, ‘Enough!’ when he returns.”
A look of surprise opened the face of the student.
“What do you mean, ‘Enough!’?”
“Enough suffering. Enough starvation. Enough terror. Enough death. Enough indignity. Enough lives trapped in hopelessness. Enough sickness and disease. Enough time. Enough!”
I don’t know if Fisher’s guess as to what Jesus will shout upon His return is accurate, but I like the thinking. I could imagine Jesus shouting, “Enough!”
It’s a coming glorious day which scripture itself tells us to encourage each other regarding. Read for yourself …
We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18.
Whatever it is that Jesus shouts, His return will be the end to sin and all of its horrid works upon all of God’s creation, including you and me.
That will be the day when enough is enough, forever!
Scotty
February 20, 2019 at 7:27 am
Thankyou for this encouraging article. I wondered if He might shout out ” Come up hither!” like He will with the two witnesses in Revelation.
February 20, 2019 at 9:24 am
Thanks, Alana. As to your comment, that’s not likely, considering what will be taking place upon His return.
December 23, 2020 at 9:30 am
But when Jesus returns He will be coming to for the church so that they may be saved from The Great Tribulation
December 23, 2020 at 10:40 am
Hi Eric, that’s a view some hold (mostly in America) but most of the Christian church around the world don’t believe that’s a biblically accurate teaching. One thing we can agree on, Jesus is coming back!
August 16, 2022 at 9:57 pm
Dr Scott,
I read today some of your opinions concerning the return of Jesus Christ. Am I to assume that you disregard the teaching of the Rapture of the Church. You say that the teaching is not scriptural and that it is primarily taught only in America.
I like some of the things you say but I cannot agree with you on this subject. Let me just ramble for a few moments and tell you why I believe it to be true.
1. God operates throughout the Old Testament by showing us patterns of things to come. Numerous times we see types of Christ, all the way to Malachi. From the very beginning He shows us types and shadows of good things to come. God knows that He could keep things in mystery if He wanted to, but He chooses to want us to understand so He shows us what is to come by showing patterns of how He operates. The flood was a pattern with 8 souls being rescued from it because they were those who loved God. Sodom and Gomorrah was another pattern. Before destruction came, Lot and his family were removed. Joseph going to Egypt and then being able to save his family from famine and draught is another. Joshua and Caleb are another example. Out of all that unbelieving generation who died in the wilderness, they were spared because of their faithfulness to God. They were not under judgment.
2. Finally, Jesus speaks to the church of Philidelphia in Revelation and tells them that because they kept the Command to stay faithful, Jesus said He will keep them FROM the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell upon the earth.
I believe the Rapture to be very important for many reasons. Christ will triumph over Satan by removing His church prior to the tribulation because Paul says the Church is NOT appointed unto wrath. 1 Thessalonians 5:9. Thank you
August 17, 2022 at 11:14 am
Pastor Sawnson, thank you for sharing. I’ll first jump to the essential point, then make a comment or two. Regarding the return of Christ, something we can agree and find unity on is that Jesus Christ will, most definitely return; the “how” is not something Christians need to break fellowship over, but it is vital we agree that He is coming back, and all of humanity needs to be prepared for His return. As a young Christian, I had been taught the popular concept of the rapture, but over decades of studying scripture and church history, I don’t hold to that idea because I think it’s a gross misunderstanding of scripture; I understand you don’t, so on that point we’ll disagree. My view is that the rapture is NOT taught in the Bible, certainly not in the Old Testament but also not in the New testament either, although I understand where some think certain scriptures might indicate the idea of a rapture. It is true that even beyond that, the earliest “church fathers” didn’t teach any concept of rapture, and it still isn’t popular outside of America. In fact, the idea wasn’t introduced into America until 1830 when a woman in England, Margaret McDonald, who from a self-induced fever went into a trance or state of self-induced prophecy, spoke of the idea of a rapture. John Nelson Darby heard this and was the first to run with it and begin to popularize the concept; then a string of influential church leaders (like Scofield [who put it into the Scofield Reference Bible notes], Moody, then Billy Graham, Hal Lindsey, etc.) ran with the idea and that is how the idea of rapture became a teaching popularized in America. That’s how, for more than 1,800 years after Christ the rapture wasn’t known or taught, but in less than 200 years an unbiblical idea became popularized as scripture, simply because of the influence of some popular church leaders. But it isn’t biblical, which is why I don’t hold to or teach the idea. Again, we’ll have to disagree on this topic. We can agree on the overarching, greater issue: Jesus Christ will return, and let us look forward to that day!