C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON, Eternal Plan of God for Man For June 9th, 2019 : LESSON ELEVEN : TOPIC – BEHOLD I COME QUICKLY
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C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
Eternal Plan of God for Man.
June 9th, 2019.
LESSON ELEVEN
BEHOLD I COME QUICKLY
Jesus is coming in the sky. All eyes would see Him. His glory is beyond description. Don’t be among those who would weep on that Day. Accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, now.
MEMORY SCRIPTURE
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and very eye will see Him, even they who peirced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen (Revelation 1:7).
BRIEF COMMENT
This memory scripture emphasises the Lord’s imminent return. It is the word of Jesus Christ, given to us through revelation and pinned down by Apostle John, in the island of Patmos. ‘Behold’ here reveals the level of attention expected by the readers to give to the message of Christ’s Second Coming. To behold may mean to look every carefully and closely, to observe with great attention, or to watch with rapt attention. We must carefully watch out (be on the looking) for the Second Coming of Jesus.
THE reason for this is not far-fetched from the fact that it is by far, the most certain. It is an event that God has predetermined (Matt. 24:36), which must be prepared for. Jesus is coming with the clouds. The clouds here could be saying the same thing as, the cloud of witness in Hebrews 12:1. The writer says, Behold… and … every eye will see Him. Yes, every eye will see Him, but only those who have given their lives to Him, here and now, and continue with, and in Him would eventually rise to meet Him in the air. This is also a question of attitude. Bad attitude to Jesus and His return, would only land one in irredeemable danger in the end. Keep a positive attitude.
All the tribes of the earth refer to the godless nations that finally rejected, despised, and opposed the eternal redemptive plan and programme of God. No wonder, they would definitely mourn because of Him, on sighting the One they would have tried in vain to truncate His purpose and programme. Their mourning would be as a result of their rejection of Jesus, while they had the opportunity, now, to do so and this would lead to their regrets and damnation.
Jesus is calling today that you do not joke with the gift of salvation God has granted all of us the opportunity in Christ Jesus. Avail yourself the opportunity now, and escape the coming damnation to reign with our Lord, eternally. May we never regret, in Jesus’ name.
DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS FOR WEEK ONE
Mon. 3: The Son of Man is Coming (Dan. 7:13)
Tue. 4: They shall see Christ Returning (Matt. 24:30)
Wed. 5: The Lord is Coming in His Glory (Matt. 25:31)
Thur. 6: The Lord is Coming Back (Acts 1:11)
Fri. 7: Till the Day of His Appearance (1 Tim. 6:14)
Sat. 8: The Second Coming of Christ (1 Thess. 3:13)
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
1. Jesus is coming soon; we must prepare now to welcome Him on arrival.
2. Jesus Christ would certainly return to take us to be with Himself and His Father, but those who would not make Him their Lord and Saviour, now, but despise and reject Him, would regret.
3. The preparation expected of us includes that we accept His Lordship, continue in His holiness, and keep looking unto His return. This is when we are said to be working out our salvation.
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES: Matthew 24:29-44
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
AIM: To intimate God’s people more about the fact and inevitability of the Second Coming of Christ.
OBJECTIVES: At the end of this lesson, the learner should be:
i. able to defend the reality and certainty of Jesus’ Second Coming;
ii. demonstrating a better understanding that there is going to be initial coming, which is the appearing to take the saints to Himself.
iii. more vocal about the fact that any soul that misses out of the first appearance is doomed to face the great tribulation and eternal condemnation; and
iv. able to discuss the reality and details of the final coming of Jesus to ultimate effect His victory over Satan, establish His eternal reign.
INTRODUCTION
TEXTUAL SOURCE: MATTHEW 24:31; REVELATION 16:1-21; 20:1-15
The previous lesson was a discourse of the FINAL JUDGMENT. God helped us to refocus on the series of divine judgement that would be meted on this earth/world in the end. This calls us to be more up and doing, in ensuring that we are well-prepared for His Coming. May we not be found wanting in the end. Amen.
This is lesson 11, another 2-week lesson. The Greek New Testament normally uses three important words to express the Second Coming of Christ: paraousa, ephiphanea and apokalupsis which are collectively interpreted as “emergence” or “peeping”. This means that surely, Jesus will emerge openly/publicly/in the full glare of all, not secretly. Moreover, according to the confession of the angels in Acts 1:10-11, it will be in four formats: As Jesus ascended into the heavens Himself, and He will come back; Just as He rose up and ascended in His glory, He will come again; He was seen in His ascension, just like we shall see Him when He returns; Jesus ascended into heavens in His great power. He will likewise come back in His awesomeness. However, His Second Coming shall be in two ways
May God continue to bless us as we learn from the Holy Spirit this week. Amen.
INTRODUCTION TO EACH DIVISION
This lesson is divided into two sections, I and II. Each of the sections is further divided into A and B.
DIVISION I: THE INITIAL COMING
The initial coming of Jesus Christ is discussed in this division under two subdivisions: Part A focuses on His appearance to take the saints with Him in the sky, and is taken from Matthew 24:31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.
Part B is on the fate of the sinners after the initial appearance of Jesus Christ, and it is tagged, “Tribulation for Sinners on Earth”, meaning that while the saints would have been with the Lord in the sky, the sinners who would be left behind would face the terrible times that would ensure here on earth, under the rulership of the antichrist.
DIVISION II: THE FINAL COMING
In this second division, the final coming/conquest of Jesus would be on the radar. As usual, there are two different parts under this. The first part is captioned The Armageddon war, from Revelation 20:1-6, and the second part is The Cog and Magog war, as taken from Revelation 28:7-15. These are two different wars that would ultimately seal the doomed destiny of Satan and all who choose to follow him obstinately to the end.
LESSON OUTLINE
I. THE INITIAL COMING
A. APPEARANCE TO TAKE THE SAINTS.
B. TRIBULATION FOR SINNERS ON EARTH
II. THE FINAL COMING/CONQUEST
A. THE ARMAGEDDON WAR
B. THE GOG AND MAGOG WAR
LESSON EXPOSITION
I. THE INITIAL COMING (Matthew 24:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; Revelation 16:1-21)
‘Initial’ suggests that there would be others to come, or the final one that is yet to come. The Second Advent of Jesus on earth has two phases. The initial coming takes care of the resurrection of the dead in Christ, transformation and the snatching up, or taking of the saints to the sky, known as “rapture”. It is advisable to make yourself ready for the initial coming, so that you can reign with Him in the final coming.
A. APPEARANCE TO TAKE THE SAINTS (Matt. 24:31; 1 Thess. 4:16,17
And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matt. 24:31).
i. A lot has been said about the rapture of the beloved. It is our hope of escaping the tribulation coming upon the earth (Tit. 2:13). However, some things are peculiar about that event.
ii. 1 Thess. 4:16: The rapture will start with what Paul called a shout (cf. Jer. 25:30; Heb. 12:25-26), with the voice of an archangel (cf. Thess. 1:7-8), and with the trumpet of God (the last trumpet) (cf. Zech. 9:14; Matt. 24:31; 1 Cor. 15:51-52).
iii. Rev. 1:7: Jesus shall appear, circling the earth on heavenly supernatural clouds (cf. Exod. 14:20; 20:21; Deut. 4:11; 5:22-23; Psa. 97:2; 2 Sam. 22:10,12), in a global procession over every occupied place on earth, and all (believers and unbelievers) will dramatically witness it with their natural eyes (Lk. 21:27).
iv. Matt. 24:30-31: Angelic hosts will gather His saints from everywhere to Him in the sky. In doing this, He will raise the dead first before catching up the living (1 Thess. 4:16,17).
v. Matt. 24:40-42: It is taking one and leaving the other behind, thus separating the saints from the finally impenitent sinners (cf. 25:31ff).
vi. 1 Thess. 4:17: We shall be made to meet the Lord in the air, to be with Him there for the 7-year Marriage Supper of the Lamb (cf. Dan. 7:13; Matt. 24:30), where rewards shall be given to the faithful believers, consisting in greater leadership capacities in the Millennial Reign (Matt. 25:21,23).
vii. It is going to be a great wonder on the entire surface of the earth (Joel 2:10,15,31; Acts 2:19-20).
viii.He would appear in the brightness of His glory (Matt. 24:27).
ix. Rapture is an English word for an euphoric transcendent state in which somebody is overwhelmed by happiness and unaware of anything else, or a mystical transportation, as in the ease of Elijah (2 Kgs. 2:11). The believers shall be raptured to be with Christ, our Bridegroom (1 Cor. 15:50-53, 1 Thess. 4:16).
B. TRIBULATION FOR SINNERS ON EARTH (Rev. 16:1-21)
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowels of the wrath of God on the earth” (v. 1).
i. v. 1: Here comes the time for the people of the earth to suffer for their ungodly actions — rejecting the gospel of truth and worshipping the Beast and its image. They shall be duly tormented (14:6-11).
ii. God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but he who chooses anything that makes him miss the rapture, should be ready to face the wrath of God, hence the 7-year period of Tribulation 15:1-7; cf. Dan. 9:27).
iii. It shall commence with a treaty of agreement of peace on earth with Israel. This agreement shall be violated after three and half years (cf. Matt. 24:15-25).
iv. vv. 2:21: The seven angels carried God’s wrath for the wicked that would bring great and terrible happening such has never being before, but have been prophesied (Zeph. 1:1ff; Matt. 24:29-31; Mk. 13:24-27; Lk. 21:25-28).
v. Good news: all these tribulation will not affect the redeemed who would have been caught up to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 4:1-3). Are you prepared to be there?
vi. vv. 3-7: As soon as the first one was poured, a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men… The second and the third caused the waters (cf. Exo. 7:17-21).
vii. vv. 8-11: The 4th and 5th caused power to be given to the sun to scorch with fire, darkness and regrettable pain. The severity would lead people far away from God, causing them to blaspheme Him, thus quickly coming to their end.
viii.vv 12-16: The plagues here would usher in Christ’s Second Coming. Everyone on earth, including the kings, would gather for battle against the Lord. The wicked are usually at loggerhead with God.
ix. vv. 17-21: The 7th bowl is the hallmark, as it echoes aloud, it is done. Despite the terrible disasters, these men could not repent. Perhaps, no mercy any longer for them.
x. While the saints would be enjoying with Jesus above, the sinners shall continue to have their full measure of punishment in form of tribulation from God, occasioned by the seven angels with vital containing God’s wrath. What are you waiting for? You can dodge this, by running to Jesus, while you have the chance now.
LESSONS DERIVED
1. Jesus would soon come to rapture His saints. Would you be there? You can’t if you haven’t accepted His Lordship. Repent not.
2. You can’t escape God’s wrath if you joke with His provision for salvation in Christ Jesus.
WORK TO DO
If the first coming does not profit you (for lack of faith and disobedience), the second would bring irreparable judgment on you. Discuss.
SUGGESTED ANSWER TO WORK TO DO
i. The statement above establishes the fact that there would be two different coming that we should be expecting.
ii. The first coming is the rapture of the saints, and the second is the coming for conguest and millennial reign. See Division I A and B.
iii. In the first appearance, Jesus would appear in the sky and every eye shall see Him, including those who murdered Him in the first advent. He would actually come for those who are taking the pain to do His will (the saints), here and now.
iv. The first appearance is termed “rapture.” The second coming would occasion the reign of Jesus for a thousand years.
v. The only way by which the first coming would not profit anyone is, if the person chooses not to align with Jesus, till death strikes or till the rapture happens. Such one cannot be part of the rapture, and thus would not benefit from the first coming.
vi. Yes, if the first coming does not profit someone, definitely the second wouldn’t. Anyone who would not go with the rapture or first resurrection is doomed already. Such would have to endure tribulation, be victim of the Armageddon, and eventually, fall in the Gog and Magog war. Finally, they would be cast into the lake of fire, the second death.
vii. He who misses the rapture cannot miss the eternal judgment. Choose to go with the rapture to avoid eternal condemnation. It is unlike that you would be able to endure the terror that would be unleashed on the habitants of the earth in the course of the reign of the antichrist.