Christ’s return is a done deal!
In the May 1984 National Geographic color photos and drawings showed the swift and terrible destruction that wiped out the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in A.D. 79. The explosion of Mount Vesuvius was so sudden; the residents were killed while in their routine: men and women were at the market, the rich in their luxurious baths, and slaves at toil. They died amid volcanic ash and superheated gasses. Even family pets suffered the same quick and final fate. It takes little imagination to picture the panic of that terrible day.
The saddest part is that these people did not have to die. Scientists confirm what ancient Roman writers’ record--weeks of rumblings and shakings preceded the actual explosion. Even an ominous plume of smoke was clearly visible from the mountain days before the eruption. If only they had been able to read and respond to the Vesuvius warning!
There are similar "rumblings" in our world: warfare, earthquakes, the nuclear threat, economic woes, breakdown of the family and moral standards. While not exactly new, these things do point to a coming Day of Judgment. People need not be caught unprepared. God warns and provides an escape to those who will heed the rumblings.
In the same manner that the explosion of Mount Vesuvius occurred, the return of Christ will also be sure and is imminent. Are you preparing for the return of Christ? He is coming again as sure as we are here today! Don’t be like the people in the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in A.D. 79; be prepared!