Second Coming

"...whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" 1 Corinthians 11:26.

The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus to the earth is one of the most important subjects for the Christian to know. The writers of the New Testament discussed it more than 300 times, and the language used was almost always imperative. The first thing we need to know about the Second Coming is that it is certain.

"But be patient, my brothers, as you wait for the Lord to come. Look at the farmer quietly awaiting his precious harvest. See how he has to possess his soul in patience till the land has had the early and late rains. So must you be patient, resting your hearts on the ultimate certainty. The Lord's coming is very near" James 5:7-8 (Phillips) (see also Hebrews 10:37).

Jesus spoke about His return (Matt.24:30; John 14:2-3).
Angels foretold it (Acts 1:10-11).
Early Christians encouraged one another with it (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; Revelation 1:7).
God's Spirit bears witness of it (2 Corinthians 5:5).

The Return of Jesus

The Bible tells us clearly how Jesus will return:

Unexpectedly to the world

"Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly." 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.

Expected by the Church

"But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief" 1 Thessalonians 5:4 (read also verses 6-11).

Like the lightning

"For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" Matt.24:27 (see Luke 17:24).

In the same way that He left

"...This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven" Acts 1:10-11.

With great power and glory

"At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" Luke 21:27.

In full view of all

"Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen!" Revelation 1:7.

The End of the Age

The return of the Lord Jesus Christ will mark the end of this "present age" and the commencement of a totally new age (1 Timothy 6:19). At the Second Coming, a number of dramatic events will take place:

The mystery of the ages will be completed (Revelation 10:6-7; Romans 16:25-26).
The Bride of Christ will be revealed to the world (Revelation 19:7; 21:2-11; Ephesians 5:25-27).
We will enter our full glory (Philippians 3:20-21; Romans 8:19-21; 1 Corinthians 15:35-53).
The dead in Christ will be raised (2 Corinthians 4:14; John 6:40;11:25).
Living believers will be caught up (Matthew 24:31;
1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Creation will be set free (Romans 8:19-22; Isaiah 35:1-7).
Every enemy will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:24-25; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:8).
Satan will be bound (Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10).
Judgment will be meted out (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9),
God's Kingdom will be set up (Dan.2:44; Rev.19:15-16).

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever" 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

Signs of His Coming

Jesus gave His disciples clear signs of His return:

Worldwide war, earthquakes and famines (Mark 13:8).
False Christs and false prophets (Matthew 24:23-24).
Ecological disasters (Luke 21:25)
Signs in the sky (Luke 21:25-26; Matthew 24:29-30).
The return of Jerusalem to Jewish hands (Luke 21:24).
The rise of the "man of sin" (2 Thess.2:3-4).
An abomination in the temple of God (Matt.24:15-16).
The Gospel is preached to every tribe and nation (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10).

Alert and Ready

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" Luke 21:28.

The reality of Christ's return should affect the way we live on earth now. We are called to live as people with our eyes fixed on the Second Coming.

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming." 2 Peter 3:10-12.

The Second Coming of Jesus is linked to the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose. This is why Jesus has been kept in heaven until now (Acts 3:21; 2 Peter 3:3-4, 8-9). But the Bible indicates we can "speed" the return of the Lord. We do this by cooperating with the purposes of God in our lives and being obedient to His voice.

"But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him" 2 Peter 3:13-14.

[UP] [PREVIOUS] [NEXT] [HOME] [WORLDSCOPE] [LEADERSHIP FORUM] [FEEDBACK] [POST OFFICE] [RANDOM] [SEARCH]

Copyright & copy; 1981,1996 Paul, Bunty and David Collins. All rights reserved. This study may be freely used and reproduced, wholly or in part, by the Christian Church for the non-profit purposes of study and training only, provided copyright and contact information is included.

Unless otherwise stated, all scriptures quoted in these studies are from the New International Version of the Bible, & copy; New York International Bible Society, used by permission. Other versions referred to are: KJV (King James Version), NKJB (New King James Bible), TLB (The Living Bible), Amp (The Amplified Bible) and The Message. All versions used by permission.

These studies are "graceware" - distributed freely and without obligation. If you would like to help financially in the continuation of this ministry, you can send your gift to:

Churchlink
P.O. Box 1033
Newcastle 2300
Australia.

For more information on Bible studies available, visit the Churchlink site on the World Wide Web at http://www.churchlink.com.au/churchlink. Enquiries to: [email protected]