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on. (c) While John speaks of many antichrists as already present, he also speaks of Antichrist in
the singular as one that is still coming in the future, I John 2:18. (d) Even in Revelation, where
the representation is largely symbolical, the personal element is not lacking, as, for instance in
Rev. 19:20, which speaks of Antichrist and his subordinate as being cast into the lake of fire.
And (e) since Christ is a person, it is but natural to think that Antichrist will also be a person.
5. SIGNS AND WONDERS.
The Bible speaks of several signs that will be harbingers of the end of
the world and of the coming of Christ. It mentions (a) wars and rumours of wars, famines and
earthquakes in various places, which are called the beginning of travail, the travail, as it were,
of the rebirth of the universe at the time of the coming of Christ; (b) the coming of false
prophets, who will lead many astray, and of false Christs, who will show great signs and
wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect; and (c) of fearful portents in heaven
involving sun, moon, and stars, when the powers of the heavens will be shaken, Matt. 24:29,30;
Mark 13:24,25; Luke 21:25,26. Since some of these signs are of a kind which repeatedly occur in
the natural order of events, the question naturally arises in what way they can be recognized as
special signs of the end. Attention is usually called to the fact that they will differ from previous
occurrences in intensity and extent. But, of course, this does not entirely satisfy, because those
seeing such signs can never know, if there be no other indications, whether the signs which
they are witnessing may not be followed by other similar signs of even greater extent and
intensity. Therefore attention should also be called to the fact that there will be, when the end
is near, a remarkable conjunction of all these signs, and that the natural occurrences will be
accompanied with supernatural phenomena, Luke 21:25,26. Jesus says: “When ye see all these
things, know that He is nigh, even at the doors.” Matt. 24:33.
C. THE PAROUSIA OR THE SECOND COMING ITSELF.
Immediately after the portents just mentioned “the sign of the Son of Man shall be seen
coming on the clouds of heaven,” Matt. 24:30. In connection with this the following points
should be noted:
1. THE TIME OF THE SECOND COMING.
The exact time of the coming of the Lord is unknown,
Matt. 24:36, and all the attempts of men to figure out the exact date proved to be erroneous.
The only thing that can be said with certainty, on the basis of Scripture, is that He will return at
the end of the world. The disciples asked the Lord. “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of
the end of the world?” Matt. 24:3. They link the two together, and the Lord does not intimate
in any way that this is a mistake, but rather assumes the correctness of it in His discourse. He
represents the two as synchronizing in Matt. 24:29-31,35-44: comp. Matt. 13:39,40. Paul and
Peter also speak of the two as coinciding, I Cor. 15:23.24; II Pet. 3:4-10. A study of the
concomitants of the second coming leads to the same result. The resurrection of the saints will