Introduction:

Everywhere I go, I heard from my Pentecostal friends that Jesus is going to come secretly very soon. Now, he will not come openly, but secretly as a thief comes. He will come and pick up all the good people into the sky. Picking all the good people up with him, he will leave the entire wicked in the world to suffer at the very great chastisement that will prevail in near future. But the good people will have feast with Jesus in the sky. It is a great joy for them to be with Jesus in the sky in spiritual body; yes, not in physical body. These are the strong views of Pentecostal friends and they are eagerly expecting the secret coming of Jesus.

Their Disappointment:

Even though the Pentecostals don’t know the exact time of his coming, they had staunchly believed that he would come at the end of the year 2000 A.D. I saw their message in the wall paintings, postures, bit notices and I heard in their conventions and sermons as an important and urgent message the world to know. They even went up to publish pamphlets depicting some pictures that the pilots of the aircrafts and ships and drivers of the train and other vehicles will be picked up by Jesus in his secret coming when they are in operation and thereby every where will be accident, chaos and confusions as the operator of these locomotives were picked up. Such prophecies of their own were flashed everywhere by them. Now it is the year of 2002 A.D. and Jesus did not come secretly and no person was picked up into the sky.

One of the divisions of Pentecostal named, “Jehovah Witness” even had ventured to prophesy the exact time of secret coming of Jesus. They constructed buildings to provide accommodation for Jesus, Elijah and Moses and others, saying that we have to welcome them warmly and accommodate them. Such prophecy was proved false when they met with disappointment, as Jesus did not come secretly.

Still waiting:

Yet almost all the members of Pentecostals are eagerly waiting for the Secret Coming of Jesus to escape the chastisement that may come upon their lives in the Chastisement time. But I wonder which the holy verses they rely upon are! However I heard from them some quotations from bible as the base of their belief. I found that they awfully made fatal flaw in understanding the Holy verses. Let us heed to their elaborative view:

Pentecostal view:

Great suffering:

Matthew 24:15-21 says, “So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the Holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; the one on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house; the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”

As a thief comes and picks up:

Quoting these verses they say that there will be a chastisement in this world and at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and never will be. Just before this time, Jesus will come secretly as a thief and pick up all the good people to the sky to be with him. They quote 2 Peter 3:10 that reads, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief”. They quote also Luke 17:34-37 that say, “I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.” They quote Matthew 24:40-41 also that says, “Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.”

Taking up in Spiritual body:

They say that taking up us to the sky is not in physical body but in Spiritual Body- Imperishable body. They quote 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 that says, “Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability and this mortal body must put on immortality.” After that we will be caught in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and be with the Lord forever. They quote 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 that says “For the Lord himself with a cry of command with the archangels, call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.”

Great Joy and Feast:

Jesus will give us there a great treat. They quote Isaiah 25:6-8 that says, “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples, a feast of rich food, a feast of well - aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well aged wines stained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”

Their wrong view:

On seeing their view I surprised how much careless they are in understanding holy verses. Let us analyze their views one by one carefully:

Careful analysis!

 

Jesus at God’s right hand:

Psalms 110:1 says, “The Lord says to my lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool” “. Mark 16:19 says, “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” 1 Peter 3:21–22 says, “Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of the God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.” So we come to know that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the God Almighty with full authority.

He has all authority:

Revelation 5:12 says, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” We know Lamb is Jesus. In Matthew 6:13 of King James Version, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray like this towards God the Father: “For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever.” This kingdom is in the hands of Jesus as he says in Revelation 3:21, “just as I myself conquered, and sat down with my Father on his throne…” Yes, he is sitting on his father’s throne. Jesus says in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Yes, our Lord Jesus is ruling from the right hand of the God the Father with all his authority and power.

Rules until death defeated:

Unto what time he must rule from the right hand of the God? 1 Corinthians 15:25–26 says about Jesus, “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Hebrews 10:12-13 says, “”he sat down at the right hand of God,” and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.” “ So the Lord Jesus is reigning from Heaven and waiting there at the right hand of the Father God Almighty, until he puts all his enemies including the last enemy death under his feet.

When death defeated:

Let us see when the death is defeated. When Jesus raises Lazarus alive in John 11:23-25: “Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” “ So only on the last day the dead are raised. 1 Corinthians 15:22–24 says, “for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power” including Power of death the last enemy. Then there will be no death. This coming of Jesus at the end of the age is his Second coming. So the dead are made alive at the end of the age - at his Second Coming, when the death is destroyed after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power.

At the end of the age there will be last trumpet, which will sound at the Second Coming of Jesus and the dead will be raised imperishable and the persons who are alive at his coming will be changed into spiritual body in imperishability. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 says about this: “Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability and this mortal body must put on immortality. Thus death is destroyed and defeated.

Regarding imperishability of body, 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, & 50 says, “So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.” “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”

1 Corinthians 15:54 says, “when this perishable body puts on imperishability and this mortal body puts on immortality then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “ So Death is defeated only when this perishable body puts on imperishability and this mortal body puts on immortality in the resurrection of the last days that is on his Second Coming at the end of the age.

Unto his Second Coming at the end of the age, we understand, Jesus is reigning at the right hand of God Almighty until he puts all his enemies including the last enemy death under his feet. Then how can we say that he comes in this world before that?

Taking up only after resurrection:

In 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 St.Paul says, “through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air and so we will be with Lord forever.” We saw already that the descending of Jesus with the God’s trumpet at the end of the age is the Second Coming of Jesus and it will be the time of rising dead. Then only, those who are alive (who put on immortality by changing into spiritual body) are taken to the sky (refer 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). It will occur in the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of the age when he comes with the sound of God’s trumpet.

It is not Secret Coming but he comes openly with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet. Matthew 24:27 says, “For the lightening comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

Secret coming a myth:

So the taking up of the alive in the clouds will be taken place only at the Last Judgement at the Second Coming of Jesus, that too after the dead are raised when the Lord Jesus Christ descend from heaven, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet. Beware! He is coming openly and not secretly. The secret coming of Jesus is only a myth.

Real coming:

Jesus said in Matthew 26:64, “But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” In Matthew 24:29-31 Jesus says, “Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of Son of Man will appear in heaven, 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. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elects from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

In this time, the sayings in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 occurred. Let us read the verses once again: “through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air and so we will be with Lord forever.”

So at the God’s trumpet the dead rise alive imperishable and those who are alive changed in to spiritual body and caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air. Now the God’s angels will gather his elects from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Now Revelation 20:11-13 says: “Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and books were opened. Also another book was opened the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, recorded in the books. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up the death that were in them, and all were judged according to what they had done.” This we know that it is the Last Judgement.

Matthew 25:31-46 also says in detail about the Last Judgement: “”When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me some thing to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, Just as you did not do it to the one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away to the eternal punishment, but the righteous in to eternal life.” “ Thus we will be with God forever.

Coming as a thief - wrong concept:

The basic root cause of their wrong concept of ‘Secret Coming of Jesus’ is their misunderstanding of the holy verse 2 Peter 3:10 that reads, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.” So they are saying that Jesus is coming as a thief who comes secretly. But we have seen that Jesus will not come secretly. But the real meaning of this verse is explained in Matthew 24: 42-44 that says, “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what days your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
Luke 12:39-40 also says the very same point. Let us read the verses: “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” So the term that Jesus is coming as a thief really means that the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour as a thief comes but not secretly as a thief.”

One will be taken and the other left:

Now, indicating the term “one will be taken and the other left” in Matthew 24:40-41 and Luke 17: 34-37, our Pentecostal friends ask a question what message is hidden in these verses. Let us read the verses: Matthew 24:40-41 says, “Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.” And Luke 17: 34-37 says, “I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.”

The answer is simple. We all know that at the time of Second coming of Jesus there will be very great sufferings in this world. But we had seen in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, “we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air and so we will be with Lord forever.” So, even though very great sufferings in this world at the time of Second coming of Jesus, some people are left and are alive in this world to be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord. In this time of suffering, life of wicked people will be taken and so we should keep awake and be cautious of that time. So we should lead a good life. Le us read Matthew 24:42-44 in continuation of Matthew 24:40-41, “keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the son of man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Feasting - wrong concept:

The belief of our Pentecostal friends is that during the chastisement period the wicked people alone will be in this world and suffer the agony of the chastisement and thereby they will be washed off. The righteous people are with Jesus in the sky, enjoying the feast with him. This is a wrong concept. Matthew 24:21-22 says, “For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” So the elected people are in this world at that time and for the sake of those elected people the chastisement days will be cut short. We have also seen in 1 Thessalonians 4:15, people who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord in this world.

Since we have seen that there is no Secret coming of Jesus, there is no picking up of persons in his Secret coming, as the Pentecostal people believe. So there is no feasting in the sky for the good people with Jesus during the period of Chastisement. Having Feast in the sky with Jesus is again a myth.

Time of horror:

Actually there will be a time of very great suffering in this world before the Second Coming of Jesus. Matthew 24:15-21 says, “So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the Holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; the one on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house; the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days. Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”

Regarding these days Jesus says in Luke 17:28-37, “likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day that Lot left Sod’om, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them - it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left. Then they asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” “

2 Peter 3:10 also says about a time of horror: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.” So in the last days there will be a time of very great horror. The very same matter is explained in Matthew 13:49-50, “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:40-42 also say, “Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

False prophets:

If there is a belief that the good people will be picked up by Jesus in to the sky in this time of great suffering, sure, those who expect the Secret Coming of Jesus will be very keen and busy in searching whether Jesus came secretly or not. We know that Jesus will not come Secretly. But they will very anxiously look for Jesus. So there will be every possibility of spreading rumors among those who expect the Secret Coming of Jesus saying that Jesus is there! Or Jesus is here! In Luke 17:23-24 Jesus rightly says, “They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.”

In Matthew 24:23-27 Jesus very emphatically says that those who make people believe to the falsity of the Secret Coming of Jesus and thereby one day they will say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness’ or say to you ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ to create a situation of searching for the secret coming of Jesus are False prophets. They will produce great signs and omens to lead astray, if possible even the elect i.e., you and me. We should not believe them. Let us read Matthew 24:23-27: “Then if any one says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’- do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible even the elect. Take note, I have told you before hand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For the lightening comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” So oh my dear Pentecostal friends! Beware of False Prophets who spread the false concept of the Secret Coming of Jesus.

Conclusion:

So, all of us should be very careful about the wrong concept of the ‘Secret Coming of Jesus’. Those who preach the Secret Coming of Jesus are misguiding God’s people and Jesus says that they will one day prove themselves as False Prophets as they will create a situation of searching for the secret coming of Jesus. Let us not be deceived by these wrong preachers but resort to the ‘Truth’ that is in Catholic Church that has the authority and tradition for the past Two Thousand Years.

Let us read Revelation 1:7: “Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen!”