PortalsGate

TRACKING THE ORDER AND PATTERN OFTHE LORD’S COMING AND FINAL RETURN.

35 “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. 36 Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.

38 Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” Luke 12:35-40.

The return of the Lord is not about external signs observation or calculated dates, it is rather about internal lifestyle reconfiguration and transformation, spiritual development and maturity, and a deep sense of readiness to graduate from being sons of God to becoming His bride. The return of our Lord Jesus Christ has been the subject of countless predictions, calculations, and speculations throughout church history. Yet Revelation 22:17 provides us with profound insight into the true nature of this divine event: “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

This verse reveals that Christ’s return is fundamentally about the union of relationship between the bride (the church) and the Spirit. When the church reaches a place of genuine maturity and readiness through our union with the Holy Spirit, who prepares the church for the coming of Christ, only then can we properly understand the timing and nature of the Lord’s return.

Acts 3:21 further clarifies this truth: “whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” The phrase “restoration of all things” does not merely refer to material restoration, but more into the complete alignment of our spirit, soul, and body in perfect union with God’s divine image and intentions for humanity. This restoration speaks to mankind returning to his original ordained position so that when Christ returns, He can find a truly mature church to call His bride.

Breaking Free from Deceptive Focus on Natural Events
One of the most subtle yet deceptive schemes of the enemy has been his ability to direct certain prominent individuals in the body of Christ to base God’s prophetic intentions primarily on natural occurrences and events, often studies linked to the nation of Israel, the temple, and the ongoing conflict between the political nationhood of Israel and Palestine region. While these activities and events are indeed part of unfolding prophetic events, they are not the measuring standard to track the coming of the Lord.

The coming of the Lord is not a political or cosmic geological events, it is rather a spiritual event that speaks directly to the readiness and maturity of the church, the bride of Christ. This is precisely why Jesus told His disciples not to track natural times regarding His return, but instead commanded them to “go into the world and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

This distinction is crucial, or we will find ourselves falling into the same mistakes that others have made throughout history, those who have continued to use Israel’s political conflict as the primary timeline in defining the coming of the Lord. While Israel does play a significant role in God’s prophetic plan, we must understand that the maturing of the church, the spiritual Israel of Christ, is the true measuring standard, timeline, and pattern for defining the coming of the Lord. In other words, if we want to see what the Lord is doing and know where God is in terms of His prophetic agenda, we must look at the state and maturity [readiness] of the church, not merely the nation of Israel. The mistake many have made is focusing primarily on natural Israel when, as we shall see, Israel plays a role, but the church of Christ is the primary focus and finale of the Lord’s return.

The True Nature of Christ’s Return
“whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” The phrase “restoration of all things” does not refer to material restoration, but to the complete alignment of our spirit, soul, and body in perfect union with God’s divine intentions for humanity provided through the work of redemption. This restoration speaks to mankind returning to his original ordained position so that when Christ returns, He can find a truly mature church to call His bride.

Scripture declares that Christ is coming for a glorious church, “not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). This passage lays the foundation for understanding the Lord’s return—it is fundamentally about internal spiritual transformation and reunion with God’s original pattern for humanity, rather than something external that we should be looking for in the physical realm.

The apostle Paul reinforces this in Ephesians 4:13, speaking of the church coming “to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” This maturity is not optional; it is the prerequisite for being ready as the bride of Christ.

Navigating Strategic Distractions
The days we live in are marked by unprecedented levels of distraction. These distractions are not random, they are strategic, designed to shift our focus away from God’s divine intentions and derail His people from their assigned mission. As Paul warned Timothy, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (2 Timothy 3:1-2).

Therefore, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding at the highest levels of maturity are required to maintain our focus on the assigned prophetic mission of the Lord for this season. This work is twofold: first, to mature the saints for the work of ministry, and second, to prepare the saints as the bride of Christ for His return.

Examining Our Progress: Two Critical Questions
We must honestly examine ourselves regarding these two assignments: First, how have we done in preparing the saints for the work of ministry? How effective have we been in bringing nations to redemption, sounding the alarm of his prophetic intentions, and calling people not only to acknowledge and accept Christ, but to fulfill God’s intentions for their lives? Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”

Second, how have we done in preparing the saints for Christ’s return? We cannot speak of Christ’s return while failing to position ourselves as the bride who has made herself ready. Readiness speaks to levels of maturity, becoming a church without spot, wrinkle, or blemish. If we cannot answer these questions satisfactorily, we must reorder our lives, steps, and priorities, for these things determine our actual readiness for the Lord’s return.

Without question, the current condition of much of the church does not reflect readiness for Christ’s return as the bridegroom coming for His bride. We must stop playing games and religion and start acting according to our visionary assignments in preparing for and fulfilling our prophetic mandates.

Romans 8:19 tells us that “the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.” This manifestation requires a new caliber of men and women who choose to be part of a remnant of saints who separate themselves from the noise of religious distractions and false spirituality that has infiltrated much of what is celebrated as Christianity today.

The Days of Noah: A Pattern for Understanding
Jesus said, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37). This Scripture provides another profound insight into the nature and pattern of Christ’s coming. While many focus on dates and timing, the saints must focus on something more profound in tracking the Lord’s coming: maturing in all aspects of existence and leading lives devoted to bringing nations to spiritual awareness, redemption, and transformation.

We can measure the day or season of the Lord’s return through the quality of work we have done and the quality of life we are living as saints of God. An immature church that refuses to do its assigned work cannot legitimately speak of being ready for the Lord’s return. It is crucial to understand that God is not waiting for the entire world to be ready for Christ to return. Rather, God waits for a company of people the Scripture calls a remnant to come into maturity and fullness in heaven’s counsel. We see this pattern with Noah and throughout Scripture.

This principle is powerfully illustrated when God was preparing to judge Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham interceded, asking God to spare the cities for the sake of righteous people within them, beginning with fifty and negotiating down to ten (Genesis 18:22-33). God’s response reveals that He looks for quality people who represent His order, allowing Him to accomplish His purposes based on their righteousness.

The principle is clear: if God can find a certain quality of spiritual men and women within nations who have yielded in total surrender to His intentions, this can trigger the return of the Lord. This pattern is consistent throughout Scripture; God does not wait for every human being to be saved or come to fullness for His prophetic intentions to be activated.

Individual Spiritual Maturity: The Key to Corporate Readiness
The development of individuals in spiritual maturity and readiness for God’s purposes should be paramount for every believer. This understanding echoes Peter’s message in 2 Peter 1:19: “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

We must look for the rising of the morning star within our hearts. This internal dawning is how we track the coming of the Lord and discern where the Lord is in our hearts, because that morning star within our heart’s points to our spiritual growth, maturity, and readiness for the Lord’s coming into our collective space. When individuals encounter a personal experience of the Lord’s presence in their lives, it provides a meaningful foundation for considering the collective coming of the Lord to the earth. The period of His coming becomes evident and tangible as individuals attain greater awareness and preparedness through spiritual growth and maturity developed in union with the Holy Spirit.

When the disciples asked Jesus about His second return, He told them it was not for them to know the times or seasons, but gave them clear instruction: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8). Jesus directed them to wait in Jerusalem to be endued with power and then engage in the work of the kingdom. It is through active participation in kingdom assignments that we understand the nearness of the Lord’s return.

We measure our readiness for His return by evaluating our level of commitment to the assignments of redemption, transformation, and restoration. We cannot fold our hands, continue in religious routines, and assume the Lord will return for such a church. That would be absurd. The Lord is coming for a church that has made herself ready by preparing in two crucial ways: first, in the work of the harvest, and second, in understanding that Christ is coming as the bridegroom King who will reign on earth.

The church’s role is not passive waiting but active preparation through spiritual maturity and kingdom work. As we align ourselves with God’s original pattern for humanity, as we mature in our union with the Holy Spirit, and as we faithfully fulfill our mandate to disciple nations, we become the prepared bride that Christ seeks.
The return of the Lord is not about external signs or calculated dates, it is rather about internal transformation, spiritual maturity, and the readiness of His bride.

Let us therefore pursue holiness, deepen our love and obedience in true relationship with the Holy Spirit, and commit ourselves fully to the work of His kingdom, that we may be found ready when our bridegroom King returns.
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)