Lesson 11 for December 13, 2014

JAMES AND THE SECOND COMING

James 5:7-12

Waiting
Waiting for
rain (5:7)
Waiting for His
coming (5:8)

Acting
Dont complain (5:9)
Be patient (5:10-11)
Always tell
the truth (5:12)

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of

the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the
precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it
until it receives the early and latter rain. (James 5:7)

Jesus compared His Second Coming to the harvest of

wheat (Matthew 13:37-39).
The harvest begins in April-May in Palestine. The early
rain (October-November) and the latter rain (MarchApril) are expected before that.
Which rains must come before the Second Coming?
The early rain: The Holy Spirit is rained
down on Pentecost (Acts 2:4, 16-17;
Joel 2:23, 28-32)
The latter rain: The Holy Spirit will rain
down before the End. The Church will
receive power for the great proclamation in
Revelation 18:1-2.

Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is

within you (Luke 17:21) as a spiritual
kingdom. But we also must wait
patiently for a glorious Kingdom that
Jesus will bring at His Second Coming.

You also be patient. Establish

your hearts, for the coming of
the Lord is at hand. (James 5:8)

How can we establish our hearts

until His Coming?

Reminding the truth

(2 Peter 1:12)

Overcoming temptation
(James 1:12)

Bearing tribulation because of

our faith (Acts 14:22)

Do not grumble against one another,

brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold,
the Judge is standing at the door! (James 5:9)

Is it possible to find complaints,

gossip, envy, favoritism, lawsuits
within the Church of Christ?
Then He said to the disciples, It is
impossible that no offenses should come,
but woe to him through whom they do
come! (Luke 17:1)

Unfortunately, we may find that kind

of problems within the Church. James
said that those things should not
happen among brothers.
Ultimately, each one of us will be held
accountable for our actions before
God on the Day of Judgment.

My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the

Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count
them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of
Job and seen the end intended by the Lordthat the Lord is very
compassionate and merciful. (James 5:10-11)

What hardships did the prophets suffer because of their

faithfulness? Hebrews 11:33-38

My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the

Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count
them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of
Job and seen the end intended by the Lordthat the Lord is very
compassionate and merciful. (James 5:10-11)

What hardships did the prophets suffer because of their

faithfulness? Hebrews 11:33-38

But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by

earth or with any other oath. But let your Yes be Yes, and your
No, No, lest you fall into judgment. (James 5:12)

James echoed Jesus words in Matthew 5:3437. Our words must always be true.
If a person always speaks the truth and his or
her acts reflect that, then he or she wont
need to swear in his or her conversations.
Several things need to be kept in mind when
speaking the truth, first and foremost being
that we seldom even know all the truth, even
about ourselves, and so we must be humble.
Second, when we do speak the truth, it
should always be spoken in love and for the
edification of those who hear.

Fellow pilgrim, we are still amid the shadows and

turmoil of earthly activities; but soon our Saviour is to
appear to bring deliverance and rest. Let us by faith
behold the blessed hereafter as pictured by the hand of
God. He who died for the sins of the world is opening
wide the gates of Paradise to all who believe on Him.
Soon the battle will have been fought, the victory won.
Soon we shall see Him in whom our hopes of eternal
life are centered. And in His presence the trials and
sufferings of this life will seem as nothingness
Look up, look up, and let your faith continually
increase. Let this faith guide you along the narrow
path that leads through the gates of the city into the
great beyond, the wide, unbounded future of glory
that is for the redeemed.

E.G.W. (Prophets and Kings, cp. 60, pg. 731-732)