Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

"But He [Jesus] was wounded for our transgressions [breaking God's laws], He was bruised for our iniquities [sins]; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed."¹

"Will Jesus Christ come again?" is a question on many people's lips today. It could be today or it may not be for another thousand years. Only God knows the day and the hour. However the Bible does give us the promise of his coming and we looked at that yesterday. Today we want to look at the proof of his coming.

Second, The Proof for Christ’s Return: One of the great proofs we have for Christ's second coming is that God always keeps his promises. This is seen in the many prophecies from the Bible that have already been fulfilled.

For example, Christ's first coming was predicted hundreds of years before it took place. A thousand years before, Samuel declared that Christ would come through the lineage of David,² and he did. Around 700 BC Micah wrote that Christ would be born in Bethlehem,³ and he was. About the same time Isaiah predicted that Christ would be born of a virgin,⁴ and he was, and 600 years before Christ came, Daniel accurately stated the time of Christ's birth.⁵

David and Isaiah both specifically foretold the sufferings of Christ and the manner of his death hundreds of years before they happened. "They pierced my hands and feet,"⁶ David wrote in the Psalms in a vivid picture of Christ's crucifixionâ€"a torturous death unheard of in David's day. And Isaiah prophesied that Christ would be "pierced for our transgressions"⁷ which was also fulfilled when Roman soldiers thrust a spear into Christ's side when he was on the Cross.

Christ's first coming, death, and resurrection, were predicted hundreds of years in advance and fulfilled in minute detail. History gives complete evidence of these facts. We can therefore be just as certain that every prophecy in relation to Christ's second coming will also be fulfilled exactly as the Bible says.

To be continued…

To be sure you are ready for Christ's return click on the link to “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian� at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that every prophecy in the Old Testament regarding the first coming of Christ to die for our sins was fulfilled in minutest detail, and that we can be equally confident that every promise and prophecy regarding Christ's second coming will also be fulfilled in minutest detail. Thank you for this blessed hope we have to look forward to when you will put down all evil forever, where there will be no more sadness, sickness, sorrow or death for all who believe in you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV).
2. See II Samuel 7:12-16.
3. Micah 5:2.
4. Isaiah 7:14.
5. Daniel 9:25-26.
6. Psalm 22:16.
7. Isaiah 53:5.

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