ISRAEL'S MESSIAH

​The return of our Lord and Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, is wrapped with as much controversy and misinformation as was his birth, death and resurrection. Some believe that he already has returned and lives among us. Others believe that the Scriptures which speak to his return were never meant to be interpreted literally. Still others believe that he will indeed return at some nebulous point in the future, but it is incomprehensible to them that it could occur in their lifetime. Most of the misinformation and controversy regarding the Scriptures takes place among individuals who have never read the entire Bible. Their knowledge is limited to Scriptures removed from context and read haphazardly.

There are three principal Scriptures which speak clearly and succinctly about Jesus' return. In Luke 13:35 Jesus states that the Jews will not see him again until they bless those he has sent in his name. Also, in Mark 13:28-29 he states that when they see the fig tree come alive and begin to grow again they will know that his return is near. The fig tree is representative of Israel which was reborn as a nation in 1948. The country came alive spiritually in the year 2015 when millions of people all received the indwelling Holy Spirit of God and began their journey to repentance.

Finally, in Mark 13:26-27, Jesus indicated that he would return in precisely the manner stated by the prophets. Daniel 7:13-14 states that the Messiah will return on the clouds of heaven. Acts 1:9-11 confirms that just as Jesus physically ascended into heaven until a cloud hid him from sight, so he will descend from the clouds in precisely the same manner. There are many other prophecies related to the return of the Messiah and they all agree that he is now at the door, fervently knocking on the hearts of men and women and seeking to enter. Some have opened the door to his indwelling Holy Spirit, but others have not.

When we know that Jesus is at the door to our hearts, and is seeking to enter, we have only two options. We either can open the door, allow him to enter, and live, or we can remain closed and succumb to the devil and to death. The first option, of course, is preferable. If you wish to adopt a "wait and see" position, Jesus is guaranteed to come as a thief in the night. You will never know that he came and left. You also may not survive to see the kingdom of God established in the earth.