We were united with the boys and girls of Kilskeery Independent Christian School this morning, around the Word of God.
We were looking particularly are a 5000 year old prophecy of the return of Christ, preached by Enoch way back in the days of Adam!
For an unknown reason, I did not obtain a recording but the notes attached set forth just what it was we sought to teach them!
Because I know that some of you like to LISTEN to our school talks, I have just made a recording of my notes.
It is not quite the same as the ‘live’ recording of my talk with the girls and boys, for it is much shorter. I did ‘copy’ our exchange of greetings, which begins each assembly talk, from an earlier recording!
Much of what I say is often unscripted and cannot be ‘reproduced’ extemporarily. However, it is as near as I can get to what was taught the children this morning, but which I failed to get a recording of.
We still await that day spoken of by Enoch in faith and hope. All will yet end in victory and glory for the Son of God and His saints.
How good to be able to teach the girls and boys this wonderful truth.
Sincerely in Christ’s name,
Ivan Foster
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him,” verses 14-15.
Jude now makes reference to one of the most godly men that ever lived — Enoch. It is said of him that: “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him,” Genesis 5:24.
How different he was to those mentioned in verses 4 and 11.
I. JUDE TURNS FROM THOSE IN OPEN REBELLION AGAINST THE LORD TO THOSE OPPOSING IT.
1. We see here just how long the rebellion we see all around us today, and which Jude opposed, has been going! Enoch lived in the earliest years of the earth’s existence. Adam died 930 years after Creation, just 57 years before the Lord took Enoch to heaven. That means that their lives overlapped by 308 years. I would believe that they knew each other and Adam heard Enoch the preach the message Jude mentions. Of course man’s rebellion began with Adam and Eve’s sin and mankind has been in rebellion ever since!
2. The means of resisting evil men in the dawn of time is the same as is required of us today! Enoch preached against them even as Jude did by way of his epistle. God’s servants today MUST expose, denounce and oppose the lies and deceits of the false preachers!
3. Enoch warned them of the judgment that would befall them when Christ returns. This TRUTH all men need to be reminded of. “When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power,” 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9.
II. FROM THE EARLIEST DAYS BELIEVERS HAVE HAD A KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST’S SECOND COMING.
1. I have always found it very sad that we today, living near to Christ’s return, know much less than did Enoch. Preachers do not take up the information given us in the Bible of that wonderful day and preach it to their people. That is what Enoch did!
2. Enoch ‘prophesied’ or spoke by ‘divine inspiration’ of Christ’s return. That means that the Lord WANTED His people and the rebels of Enoch’s day, to know about this great event. Knowing of it, waiting for it, will influence and shape our lives!
3. By expounding the many prophecies in the Bible regarding Christ’s return, preachers may act as did Enoch. Expounding such prophecies is but a repeating of the divinely inspired revelation of Christ’s return. The devil has surrounded this wonderful subject with the myth that it is very complicated and should be avoided! Is there anything complicated about Enoch’s words? The devil wants the prophecies ignored for for then he will have freedom to advance his wickedness and deception! If we ignored the warnings about activities of robbers, would we not not all end up being robbed?
III. THIS FIRST PROPHECY OF THE RETURN OF CHRIST IS VERY INFORMATIVE.
Just like all prophecies!
1. The Saviour will be accompanied by His saints. The words, ‘ten thousands of his saints’, literally means ‘an innumerable number of His saints’. Thus the Lord let His people know way back then that He purposed to save a vast number of sinners. This was especially encouraging, since Enoch preached just before the great rebellion in Noah’s day and the drowning of all mankind but Noah’s family. Man’s wickedness was not going to stop God’s plan of redemption.
2. The little word ‘behold’ at the start of this prophecy, indicates that the Lord wanted His people to consider this truth. It is the same still today! “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen,”Revelation 1:7.
3. I want you to note the reversal of circumstances from those of today, that will take place on that day.
A. The Lord is coming in glory with His saints. It will be His and their day! Today, the Person of Christ and the people of God are despised and mocked, but not on that day.
B. He is coming to put down man’s rebellion. He will ‘convince’, ‘prove them wrong’. The rebels will learn to their eternal horror how wrong they have been!
C. It not only what they have done but what they said against Christ that will be judged. All their sinful activities will be brought before the Lord for judgment!
This is the fate of the unconverted sinner who resists and rejects the gospel. O take heed girls and boys and seek the Lord for mercy and salvation before that day dawns when the Saviour comes seeking sinners for judgment.