We have 24/7 and Live Streaming! visit us at http://www.shrevegrace.org/

Signs and Wonders

³⁰ And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. ³¹ The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. ³² And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

(Joel 2:30-32)

The sun turning to darkness takes place on occasion during a solar eclipse. The sun’s light is blocked and the moon has a reddish appearance, like blood. This has been a common occurance over the history of the world over the passage of time. However, there is a religious fanaticism that uses Scripture such as Joel 2 to predict the coming of the end of the world, and stir up excitement over end time, apocalyptic events. However, is that what we should expect? Is this what Joel 2 prophecies?

A careful study of the context of Joel 2, and a comparing of Scripture with Scripture will clearly show that Joel’s prophecy is not about the end of the world, but rather about the end of the Jewish economy that existed through the Old Testament times, and now God has ushered in a ‘new heaven and earth’ in the Kingdom of the LORD Jesus that He inaugurated with His first coming and obedience unto death at the cross. How do we know that it is FULFILLED?

1. The apostle Peter, directed of the Spirit of God declared it was fulfilled in his day, ‘But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel,’ (Acts 2:16). This he said upon occasion of the pouring out of the Spirit of God on those gathered in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and the languages of the then know world were spoken by the Galilean apostles, declaring the glories of God in Christ to those gathered, in their native tongues, (Acts 2:6-8).

2. What began with the pouring out of the Spirit, according to the Word, the last days were already ushered in, and Joel’s prophecy would culminate with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The signs and wonders in the sky, and the moon into blood, were all indicative of an eclipse that would have occurred at the crucifixion of the LORD Jesus, and again, 40 years later with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman government.

a. Total eclipse at the cross- (Matthew 27:45)

b. Total eclipse at the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:29–30): “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Where many attribute this to the end of the world, the scriptures attribute this coming of the Son of Man with power and great glory in the destruction of Jerusalem.

3. Matthew 24:34,The LORD Jesus declares, “[T]his generation shall not pass” until a series ofevents transpire–including the second coming–did Jesus mean “this generation will not pass away” or “that generation shall not pass away,” was Matthew 24 fulfilled in the first century? Two first century Roman historians record a supernatural event that was seen in the sky at the start of the Jewish War with Rome, in A.D. 66, that literally fulfills every detail of every verse concerning the second coming found in the Bible. Almost immediately thereafter, the Roman Historian Cassius Dio records a multitude of spiritual bodies coming out of the earth at the sound of a trumpetin what appears to be a literal resurrection of the dead that same year in fulfillment of Matthew 24:31. These two events marked the start of the worst war Israel ever faced. As a result of this war, the Roman army worshipped the beast within the Temple and then destroyed it in A.D. 70 such that “not one stone [was] left on another” in fulfillment of Matthew 24:2 and Matthew 24:15. Around this time, the saints, including the disciples, were martyred in Jerusalem and Rome; the sun and moon were darkened; many false messiahs and false prophets appeared; and there were earthquakes, famines, wars and rumors of wars. (Luke 21:20-24). Every single one of details foretold was fulfilled within the forty year span between the time of the LORD’s discourse and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

4. As for the end of time and the second coming of the LORD Jesus, no man knows the hour or day, nor is there any sign to be given. (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Every generation of believers, including believers in the New Testament, has strongly believed that Jesus would return in their lifetime. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 tells us, "Concerning the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the LORD has already come." Some are mistakenly frightened that they have missed the Second Coming. Others doubt that it will ever occur, "They will say, 'Where is this "coming" He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3:4). So, we must avoid both extremes: (1) believing that the Second Coming has already occurred, and (2) believing that the Second Coming will never occur.

Conclusion:

So, we are to anticipate the Second Coming of the LORD Jesus, but have a biblical understanding of it. There are many who are focused on the LORD’s second coming who have yet to know the reason for His first coming. He came the first time in the fullness of time, made of a woman, ,made under the law, to redeem those that God the Father chose from eternity and gave to His Son (Galatians 4:4, John 6:39, John 10:28-29). He will come again the second time to raise again His chosen, redeemed ones, who have been given grace to love Him and await Him coming again. One thing is certain, He is coming for His own in our lifetime. He will come either because it is the end of time (no signs required), or He will come because it is the end or our God-ordained time determined for this life and He comes to take us in death. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints, (Psalm 116:15).

Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which the LORD, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8).Those for whom is laid up a crown of righteousness (Christ is that Crown of Righteousness) are those for whom He came, lived, died, and worked out that perfect righteousness, and now await with joy His second appearing.