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Signs of the Second Coming of Christ
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know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee
to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let
not those who are in the country enter her.” Jesus gave this warning
to be heeded forty years after, at the destruction of Jerusalem. The
Christians obeyed the warning, and not one died in the fall of the
city.
“Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath,”
Christ said. He who made the Sabbath did not abolish it. His death
did not cancel the Sabbath. Forty years after His crucifixion His
followers were still to hold it sacred.
Dark Centuries of Persecution
From the destruction of Jerusalem, Christ turned rapidly to the
last link in the chain of this earth’s history—the coming of the Son of
God in majesty and glory. Between these two events, long centuries
of darkness for His church lay open to Christ’s view, centuries
marked with blood, tears, and agony. Jesus passed these scenes by
with a brief mention. “Then there will
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be great tribulation,” He said, “such as has not been since the
beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And
unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for
the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”
For more than a thousand years, persecution such as the world
had never before known was to come upon Christ’s followers. Mil-
lions of His faithful witnesses would be killed. If God’s hand had
not been stretched out to preserve His people, all of them would
have lost their lives.
Now, in unmistakable language, our Lord speaks of His second
coming: “If anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or
‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will
rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even
the elect. ... If they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go
out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the
lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will
the coming of the Son of Man be.” From thousands of gatherings
where people profess to hold communication with departed spirits,
is not the call now heard, “Look, He is in the inner rooms”? This is