13--The Second Coming

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" – Titus 2:13


Note: One of our favorite subjects should be the second coming of Christ. Why? Because when Jesus comes all sin and suffering will end. This will be the most glorious event in history. God looks forward to the day when heaven in populated with His children from this earth. We should be homesick for heaven.

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." – Hebrews 9:28

Note: This is the blessed hope of all those who serve the Lord, whether we die and are resurrected or are among the living who see Him come.

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 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." – John 14:1-3


Note: The Lord doesn’t want us troubled. He wants us to be hopeful. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us in His glorious kingdom. We will be with Him throughout eternity.

"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." – Acts 1:9-11


Note: Yes, in the same manner He went to heaven He will return again.

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." – Matthew 24:14


Note: When will He return? There are many signs that indicate is coming is near. Bible prophecies make this plain. Though we don’t know when, it will be when the gospel has been preached to all the world. In our day and age, there are many more avenues for preaching the word to people. It is being extended in various places and in many languages. God knows when this is completed. We are told to be part of this witnessing. He expects us to do all we can for Him, according to our abilities. He uses men who believe they have little talent, at times, to do much work, because they are humble an teachable. Let us prepare our own hearts and help others to do the same.

"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


Note: God says every eye will see Him when He returns. It will not be a secret thing. Even the wicked who are alive will see His coming.

"But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." – Matthew 24:43, 44

Note: Here again we see that we will not know just when He is coming. We will know from the signs of the times it is near, but not the date.

"Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." – Matthew 26:64


Note: The last text is talking about those who pierced Him. Jesus told the Pharisees, who finally crucified Him, they would see Him come. There is a special resurrection of some of the wicked to view Christ’s coming. As we will learn later, not all the wicked dead are raised at this time.

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with Wherefore comfort one another with these words." – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18


Note: The righteous dead, who sleep in Jesus, will be raised at the first resurrection. Then any of us who are still alive will be caught up with them and be taken to heaven. Notice this text indicates Christ does not come down on to the earth. Instead, we rise up to meet Him in the air and are taken to our heavenly home. The Bible warns us that many will say Christ is here and there on the earth, but this will be Satan impersonating Christ. Let us not be fooled by such a idea of His coming.

"Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." – 1 Corinthians 15:51-54


Note: This text and the last especially show that Christ coming is accompanied with much sound and action. It is not an event that is secret, but well known. The righteous dead who are asleep will rise at that time. Then they will be changed and receive an immortal body. It is then that mortal shall but on immortality, not before.

"And to you who are troubled rest with us, 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; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." – 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10

Note:The end is coming. God’s children are finally saved and safe from the tempter. The wicked will be destroyed and no longer cause suffering. What a wonderful day! Why must God destroy the wicked? Because they have set their minds to living for self. They would not be happy in a place where all are content with living with “agape love” in their lives.

"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:" --2 Thessalonians 2:8


Note: When Jesus comes, the wicked who have not been destroyed by the seven last plagues, will be destroyed by the brightness of His coming. They cannot bear the light and glory that surrounds Him.

"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud [one] sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs." – Revelation 14:14-20


Note: The harvest on earth is ripe when Jesus comes. All men have made their choice. God, in mercy, will take care of those who never had a chance to make a choice, who died while still too young to understand, or were not sound mentally. As we shall see later, there will be a thousand year period where the saints of God will be able to see the records in heaven. They will understand fully God’s mercy and justice in dealing with all cases.

Revelation 19:11-21


Note: There is a lot of symbolic language used in this text. We need to remember this fact when we are studying prophecy. Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven. But the final fate of the wicked is later. Notice the wicked are destroyed by fire. This too is explained in another study. God explains more in detail as we begin to understand what He wants us to know. What is not for our good to know, while on this earth, He will not tell us, just as we cannot tell young children some things.

Read of Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21


Note: Our Saviour was talking to His disciples who had asked about the signs of the times and what would happen later. He knew they needed to know about the fate of the people who existed then. And, He also knew (looking down to our time) we would need to know about the signs of the second coming.

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." – 2 Timothy 3:1-5


Note: The condition of the world today should make us realize we are in the last days. Just one example: Older people will say they remember the time when they didn’t have to lock their doors. That statement alone tells us the state of many people hearts and minds. We need to remember Satan knows his time is short, so he is working harder than ever. We, as God’s people, should also be working harder than ever. Some put on a pretense of being believers, but their lives are not changed. They are only nominal Christians.

"But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober." – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6


Note: Christ only comes as a thief in the sense that we aren’t expecting Him. But if we are watching and praying we will be on our guard and ready for His coming. As we learned, His coming is not secret, but in the open. He is not a thief, but the King of Kings! We will not be overtaken, but the wicked will call for the rocks and hills to fall on them, because of the brightness and glory of His coming.

Conclusion:

Are you ready for Jesus to come? We ask this again. It is so essential for us to make the needful preparation. We cannot do this in our strength. Jesus says without Him we can do nothing. Nothing of value can be accomplished without Him. The time is coming soon with probation will be closed for all men. Now is the day of salvation. Seek Him while He may be found!