The Christ in Prophecy Journal

Ron Rhodes Defends Jesus’ Promise to Return (Part 1 of 4)

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Our guest author this week is Dr. Ron Rhodes, the founder and president of a ministry called Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries. Dr. Rhodes has been Lamb & Lion Ministries’ most frequent conference speaker over the years, and we have always been blessed by his spiritual and scriptural insights as a guest on our television program, Christ in Prophecy. Dr. Rhodes joins us to answer the question, “Why is Jesus Christ’s promise to return under attack today?”

Dr. Ron Rhodes

False Christs and Failed Second Comings

Dr. Rhodes: Did you know that the doctrine of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is under attack today? It really is! It’s created so much confusion concerning biblical prophecy.

The Jesus Seminar, for example, was made up of 200 liberal scholars who tried to determine which of the sayings of Christ were real and authentic. They ended up rejecting more than 80% of what the New Testament claims that Jesus said. They rejected virtually all of Christ’s words about His Second Coming. How amazing to think that everything about the Second Coming was tossed out!

There was a survey taken of Protestant pastors, and that survey found that 90% of them had no expectation that Christ will ever return again. Now, what does that mean? That means that 90% of them don’t believe the Bible.

New Agers certainly share their view. New Ager Benjamin Crème identified Christ as Maitreya. By the way, I debated Benjamin Crème on live radio on Southern California’s KBRT radio. It can be best described as a “controlled brawl.” But anyway, this Maitreya character is supposed to take leadership in the New Age, and there is a day of declaration coming in which he is going to manifest himself to humanity, and then the New Age is really going to be “exciting.”

David Spangler is another New Ager who claims that just as the cosmic Christ came upon a human Jesus, so today the cosmic Christ is coming upon all of humanity. And so, the Word is being made all flesh. That’s the Second Coming according to David Spangler.

I’m sure you’ve encountered Jehovah’s Witnesses, right? You’ve likely encountered them on the weekends. They teach that Jesus spiritually resurrected from the dead. They teach that the Second Coming was spiritual as well and, by the way, it happened back in 1914. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that the Bible says that every eye will see Him, right? So, how come we didn’t see Jesus return back in 1914? They say that the reason why nobody else saw Him return is that only those who have “eyes of understanding” could see Him. Now, who has eyes of understanding? It is the Watchtower Society, the organization that leads the Jehovah’s Witnesses. That’s why it’s nobody but them who saw Christ return spiritually. You just don’t have eyes of understanding, you see.

This one is really wild. The Aetherius Society is a UFO cult that teaches that Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and other religious world leaders are extraterrestrials traveling aboard UFOs. They are here to help us enter into the New Age. Their leader is George King. They teach that, in fact, all of the references to the Second Coming are references to George King.

Then there’s Baha’u’llah, the leader of the Baha’i faith, which is an offshoot of the Islamic faith. This particular cult teaches that a new prophet comes every so often, and then he teaches humankind what they need to know. The greatest prophet of all they believe is Baha’u’llah, and he fulfills all of the prophecies of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Then there is Reverend Moon, the Lord of the Second Advent. According to Moon, Jesus failed in His mission, but Moon came to the rescue and fixed what Jesus got wrong. Now, of course, I suspect he’s had a little bit of a change of heart since he died and passed on to judgment.

In the second segment of Dr. Rhodes’ defense of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, he will address the doctrinal errors of the Preterists.

Resource

Ron Rhodes’ entire presentation, along with the other powerful ones made by Kelly Shackelford, Mike Gendron, Eric Barger, Mike Riddle and David Reagan, are included in the Contending for the Faith 2019 Bible Conference video album. Get your copy today!

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ABOUT AUTHOR View all posts Author Website

Dr. Nathan E. Jones

As the Internet Evangelist at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Nathan reaches out to the over 4.5 billion people accessible over the Internet with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He also co-hosts the ministry's television program Christ in Prophecy and podcast The Truth Will Set You Free.

9 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • I guess I’m too emotional but my eyes welled up with sorrow as I read these various repudiations of the Second Coming. The promise of his return means so much to me. I hold onto that with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Thanks for this article. It gives life and meaning to the teaching that we are indeed engaged in perpetual spiritual warfare. Blessings, Jeffrey

  • Yes, it is sad that liberal theologians reject the prophecies of Jesus—especially his second coming. Jesus will return on the Day of the Lord. The Bible is perfect.

    Much of this is due to incorrect prophecy predictions made by well-meaning dispensationalists, and those that tried to set dates.

    Imagine how many people would believe prophecy if you could prove that most of the Revelation prophecy of the Bible has come to pass. It has when you understand Islam!!

    Here, for example, are ten Bible prophecies precisely fulfilled by Islam.

    1. Mohammad is the False Prophet. (Revelation 13:11-18) Mohammad is the final prophet. There will NEVER be another prophet in Islam. Mohammad is the “seal of the prophets” in the Qur’an. All Muslims know Mohammad was the final prophet.
    2. Mohammad claimed Jesus (and the Bible-the ”Spirit of Truth”) predicted his prophethood. (Revelation 13:11 “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.”)
    3. Mohammad set up Revelation’s Image (Revelation 13:14-15). The image is the Kaaba Blackstone in Mecca. Mohammad placed the Blackstone in the Kaaba.
    4. Mohammad said the Kaaba Blackstone would speak. (Revelation 13:15 “And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.”)
    5. Mohammad gave the mark, the Islamic Shahada (Revelation 13:16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, [m]to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead.”)
    6. Mecca is the “Great City”, the harlot city of Revelation chapters 17-18.
    7. John was taken to the desert wilderness to see the harlot. (Revelation 17:3 “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.”) Rome is NOT in the desert wilderness, but Mecca is.
    8. Mecca is on seven mountains, but Rome is not. (Revelation 17:9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.”)
    9. The “antichrist” is not a human. The antichrist is Satan. The Bible says the spirit of the antichrist was active at the time of the Apostles. (1 John 2:18-19 “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.”)
    10. The Kaaba in Mecca is the “wicked house” in Babylon of Zechariah 5:6-11.

    There are dozens more fulfilled prophecies by Islam.

  • And how do they explain 2 Thessalonians chapter 2? “For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction” The man of lawlessness is the antichrist. 2Th 2:6 – 8:  And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming”.  What (He that) restrains the antichrist is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells Christians, the church. The Holy Spirit will not be removed until the church is removed in the rapture. The antichrist will not appear until after the Rapture. Popular books and movies to the contrary, Christians will never see the antichrist. The church is not mentioned in Revelation after the seventh church. After that God deals solely with Israel and the Gentiles.

  • Praise God ! I’m happy to find people who still believe in the truth and aren’t trying to be “conformed to this world”, it doesn’t surprise me that there are so many false religions and people and churches that have fallen away, as the scripture warns us of.

  • Really, a survey found that 90% of pastors had no expectation that Christ will ever return again? The very bottom line of our salvation, received by grace, is that we should ever be; “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ”, Titus 2:11,13. Thing is, about faith, only those “that look for him shall he appear the second time..” . Hebrews 9:28.

  • Satan wants us to be doubting Thomases. He doesn’t want God’s people to have hope for the future and a place at the Table with the Bridegroom, (Christ.) for redemption and salvation.

    There have already been a hundred or more prophecies totally fulfilled by Christ.

    2 Peter 3:3. Above all you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is the coming he promised?” Scoffers want to make you believe that Jesus isn’t coming, but God has mastery over time and events.

    2 Peter 3:10. But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

    11. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, What kind of people ought you to be?
    You ought to live holy and Godly lives. Be prepared always. The Holy Spirit gives true believers that wisdom and assurance!

  • 2 Peter 3:3. Above all you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this coming he promised. Scoffers tell you Jesus isn’t coming back, but only God has mastery over time.

    Jude 1:8. “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.

    2 Timothy 2:19. God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription. “The Lord knows those who are His.”

    Be glad you know the truth in these times and are told ahead of time by the Lord.

    We appreciate all the teachings of God.

  • Just remember as things get more chaotic in this world, Satan and his followers are in a constant war with God and, therefore, (with everyone who loves the Lord.) All who have placed their faith in Christ have overcome Satan and the world. 1 John 5:4.

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