At the first coming of Christ, the prophecy from Mal 3:1 was fulfilled with the ministry of John the Baptist: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me …” (Mt 11:10; Lk 7:27). This is the promise that finds fulfillment before the Return of Christ: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD …” (Mal 4:5). It was confirmed by our LORD after the ministry of John the Baptist: “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.” (Mt 17:11). In Mk 9:12 our LORD confirmed it once again: “Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things …”

The “Return of Jesus Christ” is mentioned repeatedly in the New Testament. Right from the beginning, the expectation of His Return was a central topic for all believers. This expectation is founded on the promise that He Himself has given: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (Jn 14:3).

When the disciples asked about the sign of His Return and of the end of the world (Mt 24:3), the LORD answered them with the following words: “… this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (v. 14). Never before has there been a time in which the Gospel has reached the remotest corners of the world through modern media as it does now. The principal purpose of the proclamation of the full Gospel is that the believers are made ready for the Return of Jesus Christ, for thus it is written: “… and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” (Mt 25:10).

The Return of Christ was the main subject of the proclamation at the time of the apostles and still is in our time. In the first Epistle to the Thessalonians, the apostle wrote: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our LORD Jesus Christ at his coming?” (1 Ths 2:19). The Apostle Paul could end his testimony with the words: “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:8).

Now, so close to the Return of Christ, all those who are part of the Church of the LORD must have the same experiences of salvation as the early believers in the beginning and have to be brought back to the original, scriptural standing before God. That is how the Apostle Peter foretold it already back then in reference to Christ and the believers: “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:21). Before the Return of Christ, everything in the Church of the living God must be as it was at the beginning; the first and the last sermon, the first and the last baptism, every doctrine and practice must be in agreement with the original one. The same Gospel, the same faith, the same baptism are now being preached worldwide, and all those who truly believe as the Scripture says experience the forgiveness of their sins and are baptized in the Name of the LORD Jesus Christ and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit as at the beginning. This is the only true apostolic and biblical pattern (Acts 2:38-39; Acts 8:14-17; Acts 10:43-48; Acts 19:5-6), which is valid before God until the end.

At the first coming of Christ, the prophecy from Mal 3:1 was fulfilled with the ministry of John the Baptist: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me …” (Mt 11:10; Lk 7:27). This is the promise that finds fulfillment before the Return of Christ: *“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD …”* (Mal 4:5). It was confirmed by our LORD after the ministry of John the Baptist: “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.” (Mt 17:11). In Mk 9:12 our LORD confirmed it once again: “Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things …”

The “Return of Jesus Christ” is mentioned repeatedly in the New Testament. Right from the beginning, the expectation of His Return was a central topic for all believers. This expectation is founded on the promise that He Himself has given: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (Jn 14:3).

When the disciples asked about the sign of His Return and of the end of the world (Mt 24:3), the LORD answered them with the following words: “… this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (v. 14). Never before has there been a time in which the Gospel has reached the remotest corners of the world through modern media as it does now. The principal purpose of the proclamation of the full Gospel is that the believers are made ready for the Return of Jesus Christ, for thus it is written: “… and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” (Mt 25:10).

The Return of Christ was the main subject of the proclamation at the time of the apostles and still is in our time. In the first Epistle to the Thessalonians, the apostle wrote: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our LORD Jesus Christ at his coming?” (1 Ths 2:19). The Apostle Paul could end his testimony with the words: “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:8).

Now, so close to the Return of Christ, all those who are part of the Church of the LORD must have the same experiences of salvation as the early believers in the beginning and have to be brought back to the original, scriptural standing before God. That is how the Apostle Peter foretold it already back then in reference to Christ and the believers: “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:21). Before the Return of Christ, everything in the Church of the living God must be as it was at the beginning; the first and the last sermon, the first and the last baptism, every doctrine and practice must be in agreement with the original one. The same Gospel, the same faith, the same baptism are now being preached worldwide, and all those who truly believe as the Scripture says experience the forgiveness of their sins and are baptized in the Name of the LORD Jesus Christ and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit as at the beginning. This is the only true apostolic and biblical pattern (Acts 2:38-39; Acts 8:14-17; Acts 10:43-48; Acts 19:5-6), which is valid before God until the end.