A troubling aspect to Christ's return

When the Nazareth radical left the earth, all those he left behind seemed pretty certain he would return one day, return bodily to the very spot from which he departed. Living again after a most grisly execution, showing himself to many for a period of 40 days in a supernatural yet corporeal form, Jesus, the man, the Christ, God the Son, provided support for his declarations that he would in fact return.

You can't read the New Testament and not get the picture that he's coming back.

Likewise, you can't read the Old Testament and not get the picture that the prophecies of the conquering king were not fulfilled upon Jesus' first advent (purposefully) though the prophecies of the suffering servant were fulfilled in startling detail (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22). Thus the prophecies of the conquering king must be yet to come.

Like no other book, the Bible contains predictions documented hundreds of years before their occurrence that affirm the veracity of the book and affirm a future fulfillment of that which has not yet taken place (i.e. Jesus' return to Israel).

A half dozen years ago, a friend pointed out a section about what will take place that I had not seen before. It haunts me still.

Then that lawless one will be revealed ... that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

It catches my breath. What's it saying? There will come a time, perhaps in our day if Jesus' second advent is nigh, when folks who have heard and rejected his sacrifice as the means to their reconciliation with God will no longer be able to turn to him as their Savior. Despite the overwhelming signs that will precede Jesus' return, those who reject him prior to the unfolding of those events will not turn to him but will spurn him all the more.

Because of what they do now. Today.

Imagine if the dweeb in the office that we ignored for years through crazy circumstances becomes company president. How will he take to our sudden overtures of good will? Why should we be surprised that he fires us for how we treated him? So, also, will God do to those who do not accept his means of forgiveness prior to the coming travails.

Perhaps the biggest question of all is why would those who recognize they fall short of God's holy standard attempt to satisfy his justice by trying to be good, carrying out x-number of penitential acts, or any other man-crafted device when he himself has provided so precious an escape?

Rejecting that priceless gift becomes the most costly decision many will ever make. No wonder one of the writers pleads, "Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts..."