The Second Coming of Christ
The popular thinking about Christ’s Second Coming does not always align with scripture! Be careful not to try to interpret scripture using the newspaper!
Some things to consider from the Word of God:
THE SECOND COMING WILL NOT BE SILENT OR SECRET!
“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 NIV)
When Jesus returns, there will be no news or media blasts to report it! There will be no need for explanation!
“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.”
(Revelation 1:7 NIV)
Jesus said, “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
(Matthew 24:27 NIV)
WHEN JESUS COMES, THERE WILL BE A GENERAL RESURRECTION AND GENERAL JUDGEMENT!
Jesus Himself said, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”
(John 5:28-29 NIV)
“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 done 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. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.”
(2 Peter 3:10-12 NIV)
Nothing will be “left behind” when it is all left behind! As the old hymn says, “When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more...” (James M. Black), when Jesus comes, this world will come to its end!
THE SECOND COMING WILL NOT BE SILENT OR SECRET BUT TO THE LOST AND UNPREPARED, IT WILL BE SUDDEN!
Jesus said, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
(Matthew 24:36-39 NIV)
STOP BELIEVING THE DECEPTION AND TRYING TO PREDICT THE FUTURE BASED ON THE PRESENT!
“Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”
(Matthew 24:4-6 NIV)
“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
(Matthew 24:30-31 NIV)
Be assured: JESUS IS COMING!!! And it is sooner now than ever, not just because of “signs”, but because of His Promise!
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
(2 Peter 3:9 NIV)
Jesus’ own description: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left....Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
(Matthew 25:31-33,46 NIV)
OUR RESPONSE...
Know Whose you are and where you are going!
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
(Philippians 3:20-21 NIV)
Encourage others to find the Lord and live for Him!
“Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:18 NIV)
