Ten Reflections on the Day of the Lord’s Coming

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Ten Reflections on the Day of the Lord’s Coming

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

With faith and anticipation for the day the Lord Jesus Christ will come to take the Church out of the world, we have a few reflections on the day of the Lord’s coming. First, we would like to reiterate that we believe the Lord Jesus Christ can come at any time. Apart from Israel’s reestablishment as a nation on May 14, 1948, its full regaining of sovereignty over the holy city of Jerusalem on June 7, 1967, and the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital on December 6, 2017, which demonstrate Israel’s role as God’s replanted fig tree in the Promised Land of Canaan and its sprouting readiness for the End Times, no other prophecy remains unfulfilled before Christ’s return to take the Church out of the world. We sincerely hope that Christ will come before the year 2027 ends, as Passover in 2027 marks the 2,000-year anniversary of Israel rejecting Christ, leading to His crucifixion on the cross. This is the appropriate time for God to restore Israel, according to the prophecy in Hosea 6:1-2 [1], [2].

We are living with a sense of eagerness, anticipating the appearance of Christ in the sky, calling the Church to join Him. This very anticipation helps us to easily overcome all difficulties and challenges, to triumph over temptations, and to zealously serve God in the remaining short days of this life. When thinking of the day Christ returns to receive the Church, we have a few reflections that we would like to share with the Church today.

We want to clarify that these are our personal reflections and understandings, based on certain details from the Word of God, and not doctrines from the Bible. These are thoughts drawn from the Word of God to reflect on certain matters in life. Whether brothers and sisters accept or do not accept what we share in this message does not affect anyone’s salvation.

Our first reflection is about the time of day when Christ will come. According to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ recorded in Luke 17:34, it is certain that He will come at night:

“I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.”

But immediately following that, in verses 35 and 36, the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of someone working in the field and someone working at home, implying that He will come during the day, when people are engaged in their usual labor:

“Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

“Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

Matthew 24:40-41 also mentions that at the time Christ comes, people will be engaged in their usual labor, implying that He will come during the day:

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

“Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

This leads us to understand that Christ will come when it is night in some countries, with people asleep, but it will be day in other countries, with people at work. For example, if Christ comes at 12:00 noon in Vietnam, it would be 11:00 p.m. in our state of Texas, USA, or 12:00 midnight during daylight saving time (from the second Sunday of March until the first Sunday of November). It is very possible that Christ will come at midnight in Israel, just as God brought the Israelites out of Egypt on Passover night. Midnight in Israel would correspond to 4:00 p.m. in Vietnam and 4:00 a.m. in Texas, during daylight saving time.

Our second reflection is about what will happen to children who are not yet conscious of sin but have parents who do not believe in the Lord on the day Christ returns. In the famous “Left Behind” series by Tim LaHaye [3], the author suggests that all children under 12 years old, whether their parents believe in the Lord or not, will be taken out of the world by Christ. However, we believe that Christ will come to take the Church out of the world. Only those who belong to the Church will be taken by Him. Therefore, children who are not yet conscious of sin but whose parents do not believe in the Lord and do not belong to the Church cannot be taken up with the Church.

The Bible shows that children during Noah’s time were still destroyed in the Great Flood; children in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were still destroyed by fire; and children in the city of Jericho and many other Canaanite cities were still destroyed by the sword.

We believe that only children who are not yet conscious of sin but have at least one believing parent will be taken up with the Church. Children who are conscious of sin and have not repented and accepted the Lord’s salvation, even if their parents are believers, will be left behind. This is because they live in sin and do not belong to the Church of the Lord. Children who are not yet conscious of sin but whose parents do not believe in the Lord will also be left behind. Certainly, God has a plan for them and will fulfill His will for them.

Our third reflection is about what will happen to pets in the homes of God’s people on the day Christ comes, such as dogs and cats. We have seen some people online sharing dreams in which they were taken up along with their pets. We think that this could be possible.

Last week, a believer asked us if there is any place in the Bible that mentions whether the souls of animals return to God after death and if there are animals in heaven.

The Bible does not mention where the souls of animals go after death, nor does it speak of the resurrection of animals. The Bible also does not say if there are animals in heaven, except for mentioning horses. However, we believe that what God created on earth is also present in heaven. In other words, everything on earth was made according to the pattern of things in heaven.

The Bible does not say, but we believe that in the Millennial Kingdom, the pets of God’s people will be resurrected and reunited with their owners. In the Eternal Kingdom, all animals will be resurrected and live eternally in joy with humans. This is because animals did not commit sins against God but have suffered alongside humans due to human sin. All creation was very good (Genesis 1:31), reflecting God’s wisdom and power and glorifying His name, so there is no reason why they should not exist eternally.

Our fourth reflection is about whether, on the day Christ comes, true believers who are alive and whose bodies are transformed and taken up to meet the Lord will leave behind their clothes, jewelry, and other personal items. According to the “Left Behind” series, all such items are left behind, including dentures, contact lenses, pacemakers, and metal bone implants. However, we think that, in the moment when the physical bodies of believers are transformed, it is likely that anything on or in those bodies that is not part of the flesh will dissolve into vapor. In other words, believers will suddenly vanish without leaving any trace.

Of course, many accidents will occur when suddenly many vehicles, ships, and airplanes operated by believers who have been taken by the Lord are left unmanned. The disappearance without a trace of some of these people will be attributed by authorities to abductions by extraterrestrials. This is also why the U.S. Congress publicly held a hearing on extraterrestrials and unidentified flying objects (UFOs) on July 26, 2023. Three former military personnel testified that the U.S. government is in possession of the remains of extraterrestrial beings and debris from unidentified flying objects. [4].

Clearly, Satan is preparing ways to deny the event of Christ taking the Church out of the world. This also helps us see that the day of Christ’s coming is very near.

Our fifth reflection is that, on the day Christ comes, there will not be many true believers alive, even though the number of those who claim to be believers has now reached nearly 2.4 billion people [5]. The Word of God says very clearly:

“Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” (Ma-thi-ơ 7:21-23).

*God’s will is for humanity to obey His Ten Commandments, repent of their sins, and believe in the atoning death of Christ. Among the nearly 2.4 billion people who claim to be believers in the world, how many truly have faith in the Lord, meaning they hear and follow the Word of God? That is, how many genuinely repent of their sins, fully believe in the atoning death of Christ, and obey *God’s commandments?

The Lord Jesus Himself prophesied:

“I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

The question, “Shall He find faith on the earth?” implies that on the day Christ comes, He will not find many people who truly have faith and follow the will of *God. Today, nearly 2.4 billion people claim to be disciples of Christ, but most of them openly reject the fourth commandment of *God, which is the most elaborately explained of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments of *God are recorded in Exodus 20:1-17 and repeated in Deuteronomy 5:4-21. Among them, the fourth commandment is explained by *God with the most words, in a very clear and specific manner. It even specifies the exact day, the seventh day of the week, and calls it the Sabbath of God.

We believe that, although there will be millions of God’s people who have died in the Lord resurrected on the day Christ comes, the number of those who are alive, transformed, and taken up to meet Christ will be relatively small.

Our sixth reflection is that, on the day Christ comes, both God’s people and those who do not believe in the Lord will continue with their usual activities. During the day, they will work to earn a living, and at night, they will sleep. Christ will come suddenly and take those who truly belong to Him. Therefore, it will not be the case that true believers will abandon their work and gather in one place to wait for Christ’s coming. Instead, God’s people will continue their normal activities with a heart ready to go with the Lord at any moment.

Our seventh reflection is about what will happen on the day Christ comes to those who have been excommunicated by the Church and have expressed repentance but have not yet been formally received back by the Church, as the Church is waiting to see the outcome of their repentance. We think that the Church does not know their hearts and thus must wait to see the result of their repentance. But Christ sees their hearts clearly. If they are truly repentant, He has already received them back, and they will go with the Church on the day Christ comes. On another note, if there is anyone in the Church who is secretly living in sin, even though the Church has not yet known to excommunicate that person, Christ knows and has already spat that person out of His mouth. On the day Christ comes, that person will be left behind.

Our eighth reflection is about what will happen on the day Christ comes to God’s people who have sinned but have not yet had the chance to repent. We believe that those who sin unintentionally, meaning they sin without realizing it, will still be forgiven by the Lord and taken with Him. However, those who commit deliberate sins without having had the chance to repent will be left behind. This is because when God’s people deliberately sin, they are essentially trampling on Christ and insulting the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:29). Those who deliberately sin are more deserving of punishment than those who do not believe in the Lord and sin.

Our ninth reflection is about the reunion of loved ones who are living far apart on earth or who have passed away before the day Christ comes. We believe that those within the same family, even grandparents and grandchildren who have never met, will recognize and meet each other in the heavens. Just as Peter, James, and John recognized Moses and Elijah when they saw them on the Mount of Transfiguration, we believe that God’s people within the same local Church will also appear together in the heavens. We hope to meet the dear members of local Churches in Vietnam in the heavens.

Our tenth reflection is about which of the seven festivals representing the works of Christ will be the one when Christ returns. As we know, God established seven festivals in the Old Testament to symbolize seven things Christ would accomplish in the New Testament.

Leviticus 23 records the seven festivals that symbolize the works of the Lord Jesus Christ. The dates and months are calculated according to the calendar given by God (Exodus 12:2), now known as the Hebrew or Jewish calendar.

  • The 14th of the first month: The Passover Festival symbolizes the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ is called the Passover Lamb: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

  • From the 15th to the 21st of the first month: The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts for seven days. The first and last days are Sabbaths, meaning days of rest from all labor to gather and worship God. The Feast of Unleavened Bread symbolizes the holy life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the new, holy life of those who accept His atoning death. The first Sabbath symbolizes God’s people being eternally at rest from the slavery of sin (Romans 6:6-7). The last Sabbath symbolizes God’s people entering rest from the toil of the flesh as they leave this life (Revelation 14:13). The seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread also symbolize the completeness of God’s people’s lives from the moment they accept the Lord until they leave this life, living a holy life in the Lord.

  • The 16th of the first month: The Feast of the Firstfruits symbolizes the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the resurrection of those who are in Him: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

  • The 6th of the third month: The Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost, falls on the 50th day after the Sabbath following the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (not the seventh Sunday after Easter in Christianity). This day is also a Sabbath. The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) commemorates the day God gave the Ten Commandments and laws to humanity at Mount Sinai, symbolizes the rebirth of those who accept Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20-23), represents the establishment of the Church (Acts 2), and signifies the law of God written in the hearts of His people (Hebrews 8:10; Jeremiah 31:33). The Sabbath of this feast symbolizes the rest of God’s people from the burden of the penalties of the law’s condemnation (Romans 8:1).

  • The 1st of the seventh month: Feast of Trumpets. This day is also a Sabbath. The Feast of Trumpets symbolizes the Church being taken out of the world and gathered with Christ in heaven; it also represents the gathering of God’s people after the End Times, those who have believed in God during the Great Tribulation: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52). “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31). The Sabbath of this feast symbolizes the Church resting from serving God on earth, and God’s people during the Tribulation resting from the world’s persecution.

  • The 10th of the seventh month: Day of Atonement. This day is also a Sabbath. The Day of Atonement symbolizes the redemption of the Gospel for all humanity (1 John 4:10) and specifically for the people of Israel during the End Times (Romans 11:25-27). Additionally, the Day of Atonement symbolizes the separation of those who are not saved from the people of God, as seen in the final judgment at the End Times (Matthew 25:31-46) and the final judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), in the sense of the scapegoat bearing the sins of the people and being sent into the wilderness, as described in the ritual of the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). The Sabbath of the Day of Atonement symbolizes the rest for those in Christ from all punishment (Romans 8:1).

  • The 15th to the 22nd of the seventh month: Feast of Tabernacles, lasting seven days. The first day is a Sabbath, and the eighth day following the feast is also a Sabbath. The Feast of Tabernacles symbolizes the Word of God, the Son, dwelling among humanity (John 1:14); it represents Christ dwelling among people, ruling in the Millennium (Revelation 20:1-6); and it also symbolizes God and the Word of God, in the name of the Lamb, dwelling among humanity on earth in the Eternal Kingdom (Revelation 21-22). The first Sabbath represents the rest of God’s people in the Millennium, free from the corruption of a sinful world. The last Sabbath represents the eternal rest of God’s people in the Eternal Kingdom, free from all suffering and toil. This is also the Sabbath mentioned in Hebrews 4:9-10.

Thus, there are two suitable feasts that could symbolize the day Christ returns to take the Church out of the world: the Feast of the Firstfruits and the Feast of Trumpets. Among these, the Feast of Trumpets seems to be the more appropriate.

In terms of fulfillment, the Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost have been fulfilled in Christ and the Church. Christ died as the Passover Lamb to atone for humanity’s sins. Christ lived a sinless, holy life as unleavened bread and has granted that holy life to those who believe in Him. Christ rose as the firstfruits of the resurrection, and His resurrection power has been given to those who are made new in Him. Christ established the Church, and the law of God has been written in the hearts of those who belong to the Church.

The remaining feasts, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles, will be fulfilled when Christ returns to the world. We believe that the Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled in Christ taking the Church out of the world to join Him in heaven and in Christ gathering those who believe in Him during the seven years of great tribulation, at the end of the End Times. Therefore, each year we eagerly anticipate the Feast of Trumpets. Below is the schedule for the Feast of Trumpets from 2023 to 2027, according to the Gregorian calendar:

  • 2023: Saturday, 16/09/2023

  • 2024: Thursday, 03/10/2024

  • 2025: Tuesday, 23/09/2025

  • 2026: Saturday, 12/09/2026

  • 2027: Saturday, 02/10/2027

It is very likely that the day of Christ’s return will fall on the Sabbath of the Feast of Trumpets in 2023, 2026, or 2027.

Certainly, Christ will come in the air to take the Church out of the world before *God judges the whole world during the End Times. Christ could come at any time, but He might come on one of the Feast of Trumpets days, especially when the Feast of Trumpets falls on a weekend Sabbath. What is important for every believer is to eagerly await Christ’s return, to live a life of obedience to God’s commandments, and to maintain the faith of the Lord Jesus (Revelation 14:12). Our Heavenly Loving Father will make us wholly sanctified and ready for Christ’s coming:

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

May the Word of God sanctify us and strengthen us. May all of us hold firm in faith and remain faithful to the Lord until the day of Christ’s coming. May the love, grace, and fellowship of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, cover you all. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
07/29/2023

Notes:

[1] https://preachingfromthebible.net/067-the-end-of-the-world-and-the-year-2027/

[2] https://preachingfromthebible.net/075-the-end-of-the-world-and-years-2030-2040/

[3] The “Left Behind” series can be download for free here:
https://thepreachersportal.org/download-all-tim-lahaye-pdf-books-1926-2016/

[4] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/are-5-memorable-moments-congress-ufo-hearing-rcna96476

[5] https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/religion-by-country

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible uses a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.