The Secret Coming

Updated 01/08/20

 

   Download Text

 

     In John chapter 7 as well as in other places in the Bible we are shown through typology a picture of Christ returning to Earth, only this return will be spiritual in nature and it will be "in secret." This return will be exclusively for a chosen group of saints: the "good stewards," the "wise virgins," the "spotless bride," "them that look for Him," etc. For there are other believers that will not qualify because of their position and condition of their souls. Now there is also a verse in Malachi 3:1 that states one day the Master will "suddenly return to His temple." However, this will not be a natural temple build with stone that Christ returns to, and it will not be the physical appearing where "every eye" will behold Him; that comes at Armageddon. Some may say "Hey, that was speaking of Jesus' first coming with John the Baptist, and it was in part. Nevertheless, there is an end-time application that applies in type to the third temple(s) of the faithful Christian.

 

"And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S." Obadiah 1:21


     If you would just read the following verses in Malachi 3:2-5 you would find verbiage that describes some of the end-time judgments that come forth at that time. Thus, this verse can also apply to Isaiah 66:7-8, Matthew 25:10, John 7:10-14, and Revelation 11:3. "The Christ" (the Son of GOD) will first return to inhabit the souls of a remnant group of saints; those who have made themselves ready to receive the "double portion" after the midnight travailing (trimming of lamps) has done its "strange work" to make ready a people prepared for the LORD.


     Let us begin by symbolically interpreting the story portrayed in John 7:1-14. Again, one needs to keep in mind that there are many different manifestations in which the LORD told us He would return (see link). He said, "Behold I come...": at "the marriage" (the 2nd watch); "suddenly/secretly"; "as lightning"; "the cock crowing"; "on a cloud" (the 3rd watch), and "as a thief" at "Armageddon" (the fourth watch/morning watch). Of course all of these references include the way in which and the reason(s) why the LORD will appear at these different times. For as you will see they are not all the same appearing nor are they for the same reason.

 

"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles [which was one week long] was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret... V.14: Now about the midst of the [week long] feast* Jesus went up into the temple, and taught." John 7:1- 10, 14

 

     *This midweek appearing: 3.5-days/yrs (Dan 9:27) where Messiah is "cut off," (see link) is in actuality the same chronological point in time at which He will return "to confirm the covenant with many," only this time it will be to the 21st century Jew. The gap of approximately 2000 some years is not included in God's prophetic "one week" timeline in Daniel 9 because it was "given to the Gentiles."

 

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye [born-again Gentile believers] should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." Romans 11:25

 

     There is also the story in John 11 where Jesus returns "after two days" to a place "outside the city" to Martha only before He went on the "fourth day" to raise Lazarus from the grave. Even His disciples tried to stop Him saying: "Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?" There is much more in that story that relates to the secret coming but since it's already on another page you can go to the link to read it if you would like to.


 

The Types in The Secret Coming:

Galilee:

     "Walking in Galilee" represents the nations of mixed peoples that the gospel would go to. It is symbolic of the "out-ward" course the Kingdom message was to have taken in going forth into all the world. We call this the "time of the Gentiles." This is also prophetically when the "Master of the house" was to have taken a "long journey" (approx. 2000-years/"two pence," "...and whatsoever thou spendest more [referring to time], when I come again, I will repay thee"), after which time He would return and reckoneth with His servants.

 

 

The Feast of Tabernacles ("the ingathering" of harvest):

     The feast that is mentioned in John 7:2 was the seven day long feast of "Tabernacles." This involved three divisions of harvest or ingathering: 1.) the labor of the field (Ex 23:16; woman in the wilderness: Rev 12:6), 2.) the fruit of the earth (Duet 16:13; the Witnesses called up: Rev 14:15-16), and 3.) the ingathering of the threshing floor and of the winepress (Lev 23:39; GOD's fierce wrath upon sinners: Rev 14:19). During this feast the Jewish people were to live in booths in remembrance of how God delivered them from the hard bondage of the Egyptian Pharaohs. In like manner God said He will cover over a remnant people during the last half (3.5-days/yrs) of this great symbolic feast, which correlates with what the Bible calls the great tribulation. Those who are covered over (Psalm 19) will be protected by God because they were able to faithfully keep His Word and push through the veil. This feast is also where the principle of "the ingathering" was first established that will be played out spiritually as the faithful oil seeking woman in the wilderness is martyred, the Two Witness Co. are martyred and gathered up to heaven after they have finished their testimonies'. We also know the Bible says "the wicked" are to be gathered into bundles for burning, but that ingathering (Rev 16:16, which is even taking place now) is another gathering altogether.

 

     The 1st harvest is the martyred saints who had to flee into the wilderness (went underground) because they were not ready when the Bride Groom returned; they did not have the extra oil in their souls. It says a place is provided, but it's not the same place of total complete protection the two witness brethren will have. Many of these saints may be killed as they are in hiding because of the betrayal of those nominal Christians in the outer court who will have no covering and will sell them out hoping to avoid death.

 

"And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she MIGHT fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time [31/2-yrs], from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood [armies/Gog] after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth." Revelation 12:14-16

 

"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another." Matthew 24:9-10

 

     The 2nd gathering is a gathering of all the martyred overcomer saints, not just the Witnesses; those who followed the Lamb wheresoever He went. This takes place chronologically after the 42-months, as described in Revelation 14 below.

 

"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud [Christ] thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped." Revelation 14:13-16

 

     The end-time harvest that immediately follows the first harvest of the first-fruit saints that we just saw in revelation 14 above, is the harvest of the wicked (the chaff) during the time of GOD'S fierce wrath. This harvest is cast into Hell.

 

"And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire [GOD'S fierce wrath]; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters [nations] of the vine of the earth [those rooted in the earth]; for her grapes are fully [Dan 12:11; 666] ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city [meaning this time the sinners get it, not "the city" of GOD], and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs" Revelation 14:17- 20

 

 

...my time is not yet come:

     In Daniel 9:26 we were told that Messiah would be cut off—but not for Himself, and that Daniel's seventieth week (a seven year long prophetic week) was to be cut in half; half for Jesus to minister, and half for the Son's of God (1-John 3:2) to minister during the great tribulation. Thus, the start of the second half of Messiah's prophesied split ministry will begin when He secretly returns to His temple (the submitted soul) of believers to consummate the marriage.

 

 

Go ye up to the feast:

     Jesus was telling His disciples (and us) that they should be busy about the things that pertain to God's Kingdom; that there would be a space of time (2000 + yrs) occurring before "He would return to keep the fullness of this feast. However, they were to be offering themselves up as living sacrifices and preaching the Kingdom message, until the time of His (secret) return. At which time He would bring forth the "new wine"/new anointing/new order/"double portion" ministry through a prepared people.

 

 

...but as it were in secret:

     Christians have been warned all throughout the Bible "to watch," for they know not the hour [/watch] in which their LORD would return. Jesus said this because He knew the power of the enemy to put His children to sleep, spiritually speaking that is. However, He also said that the wise [virgins] would know when the LORD'S return was imminent. Thus, the secret coming will only be a secret to those who are not watching or expecting their Master's return in this way: "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Hebrews 9:28. I must tell you though that some who have at least the understanding that there will even be a secret coming, have mistakenly attributed this secret coming to the "thief in the night" coming. However, if you study the diagram on this link you will see how that coming of the LORD is for a different purpose altogether: it is to steal lampstands from apostate Christians, kill unrepentant sinners, and destroy the works of Satan.

 

 

In the midst of the feast Jesus went into the temple:

     Here is where Daniel 9:26 leaves off: with Christ returning to finish His ministry onto the Jews, only this time it will be through His body of overcomers: those who have obeyed the head. This secret coming takes place when the bridegrooms returns after midnight to consummate the marriage. Even though many believe midnight marks the time of His return, the Bible tells us "midnight" is when only the call to awake is made. This call releases a time of unprecedented pain, suffering, and "travail" for Christians ("...go ye out to meet Him"). I believe God is sending the midnight time of travail to awaken His Church from the sleeping sickness that has overtaken her and allowed the world to become the hellish place that it has. The Bible calls this in Matthew 25:7 and in other places the time of the "trimming of the lamps," "time of travail," "Zion's travail," the woman's travail," etc.