One important issue concerning the return of Jesus Christ is that it will take place at a time when no one will be expecting it except His saints who will only recognize the “season”–general time element–of His second advent. This is born out in Luke 21:35 where Jesus compared His second coming to a snare that lies hidden until the instant it slams shut. He says that the whole earth will be surprised at His coming. In Matthew 24:36-39 He compared that era to the time leading up to the Great Flood, stating that the world’s people “knew not” that anything was about to happen. He also noted that neither man (including Himself) nor angel knows the designated time. He noted that everything would be normal; that people would be lured into a state of complacency, their minds on the things of the world and not on Him. This will be true even when God’s people head toward the place God has prepared for them where they will wait out the Great Tribulation (Rev. 12:6). In Matthew 24 He compares this event to Noah and his family entering the ark. Just as Noah knew when it was time to enter the ark, those who are prepared and watching for Christ’s return will be ready when God calls takes them away from their families and friends and places them in what He calls “her (the church’s) place.” When asked by Peter if only His apostles would know when the time would be approaching, Jesus said that His faithful and wise stewards (ministers) would know. Stewards are those who “feed” the sheep. And what is the “food” they are to feed them? THE WORD OF GOD, which includes the signs of the end of time. Obviously, those who believe and obey that Word will be ready when the Messiah arrives. In Luke 21:36 we are told to be watching for the signs Jesus gave us in Matthew 24. In Matthew 24:14 Jesus gave us one of the signs of His imminent return: “And this gospel of the Kingdom (of God) shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations; then the end shall come.” THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM was heard for the first time since the second century A.D. when God established the globe-encircling ministry of Herbert W. Armstrong. Today only a few ministers preach the gospel that Jesus commanded His apostles to preach throughout the world. Today this gospel is practically unheard of because of Satan’s total control of the Institutional Church (Catholicism/Protestantism) which he keeps inoculated from the Truth of God by flooding the world with his perverted gospel (Gal. 1:6-9). Because Jesus promised that “this generation” that sees all of the signs marking the soon return of Jesus Christ, the generation now in its elder years will witness His return. I will be 75 next month. Being a member of “this generation” (Mat. 24:23,24), I fully expect to welcome Him from wherever He will have taken His saints to wait out the Great Tribulation.

But the removal of the Church of God from the deadly madness to come will not end God’s ministry to mankind. There will be a ministry in place which will speak to those billions of church people who had rejected God’s Words. He will also call out to those who had never heard “the only name by which we must be saved.” During this time God’s ministry will consist of only two people whom He calls “My two witnesses” (Rev. 2:13). To be continued. L.J.