The recent conversations about the second coming of Christ have caused quite a stir in the living rooms of many Christians and non-Christians in South Africa. These discussions echo the tone of the conversations that often took place in the early Church.

According to the Bible, no one knows the day or the hour of Jesus’ return (Matt 24:36). He will come like a thief in the night (1 Thes 5:2), but first the Gospel must be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations – then the end will come (Matt 24:14). This importance of this last condition in Scripture can’t be understated, and sadly, I have hardly heard it mentioned in recent discussions about the second coming…

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