• The rapture of the church
• The receiving of our glorified bodies
• The Judgments (The Seal Judgments, The Trumpet Judgments, and The Vial Judgments)
All these things will take place on earth during the seven years of the tribulation period.
But we also discovered that while this is taking place on earth, two great events also will be taking place in heaven:
• The Judgment Seat of Christ
• The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
The seven years that will take place after the rapture will be the most important years of mankind. But at the end of these seven years, when the last Vial Judgment takes place, something else that is very important is going to take place.
WHAT IS THAT? The Second Coming of Christ will take place.
Let’s look at some of the remarkable things about the Second Coming of Christ.
First, we need to consider-
I. THE PLACE OF HIS SECOND COMING
The Second Coming of Christ will take place on this earth.
In fact, the Word of God tells us that when He returns to the earth, it will be at the same place from which He left in His ascension.
Look at Zechariah 14:3-4, “Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”
This world in which we live has not seen the last of Christ. HE IS COMING BACK!
• Something many folks do not know, is that the Second Coming of Christ and the rapture of the church are two separate events.
• The Bible teaches us that the Rapture will take place in the air, but the Second Coming will take place on earth.
Look at 1 Thess. 4:13-18, we read, “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 the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
The Second Coming and the Rapture of the church are different events.
Look at some of the differences:
• The rapture will take place at the beginning of the tribulation period and the Second coming will take place at the end of the tribulation period.
• The rapture is when Christ will come FOR His Church, the Second Coming is when Christ will come WITH His church.
• The rapture is when Christ will come in the air, but at the Second Coming He will come to the earth.
• The rapture is when Christ will come as a thief (no signs), but the Second Coming is when He will come with many signs of nature exploding like fire works, as the last vial judgment is poured out on the face of the earth.
• The rapture is when Christ will come as a thief, but the Second Coming is when every eye shall see Him.
The Second Coming of Christ will bring human history to a close. The Second Coming of Christ will be the most fearful thing that mankind has ever had to face on this earth.
Look at Luke 21:25-26, we read, “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”
This coming is called the Second Coming, and unlike the Rapture, He literally will come to earth again.
The earth is THE PLACE OF HIS SECOND COMING. Now let’s look at -
II. THE PURPOSE OF HIS SECOND COMING
Rev. 19:11 says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”
He just got through sending His judgments on the earth. Notice, the Bible says, “…and in righteousness he doth judge….”
The word “Righteousness”, is the Greek word dikaiosune, (pronounced as dik-ah-yos-oo'-nay) which means JUSTIFICATION.
He just poured His wrath out on the inhabitants of the earth, and He was JUST in what He did. Evil men deserved such justice, and He gave them what they deserved.
But notice, the Bible says:
• HE IS JUST in doing what He does
• He IS JUST in what He is preparing to do
WHAT IS THAT?
Look at verse 11, it tells us what He is coming back to earth to do. He is coming back, “To make War”.
This is the WAR of WARS, this is Armageddon. This is the battle where God destroys all the evil men and women on the face of the earth.
God has been long-suffering with mankind, but now God’s patience has come to a end.
• This is the war that will usher in the Millennial Reign
• This is the war that Jesus Christ will be involved in
• This is the war where mankind will see the Lord in a way they have never seen Him before
Look at verses 12-13, we read, “His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”
• No wonder the Bible says that men will run and hide
• No wonder the Bible says men’s hearts will fail them
The Lord has not come to stand on a hillside with outstretched arms to a lost people, crying out, “Come unto me”.
He has now come to “Make War” against the inhabitants of the earth.
This is THE PURPOSE OF HIS SECOND COMING.
Let’s look at-
III. THE PARTICIPANTS IN HIS SECOND COMING
Look at Rev. 19:14, we read, “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”
Notice, the word “armies” is plural.
The Bible shows us the armies that will follow Him.
A. THE ARMY OF THE SAINTS
When He returns to the earth, the Bible said, “And the armies which were in heaven followed him…”
The Bible tells us who these are, notice, they are “Clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”
That definitely gives us a clue that indicates that the Saints of God will be in that army.
Remember Rev. 19:8, at the marriage feast the Bible says about the Bride of Christ, “…to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white.”
This army is going to consist of all the redeemed who have followed the Lord down through the centuries, and now they are following Him back to the earth.
• Enoch, in the Old Testament, talked about this army of Saints.
Look at Jude 14-15, we read, “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with TEN THOUSANDS OF HIS SAINTS, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
All the Old Testament saints and the New Testament saints will be in that army. THIS WILL BE THE ARMY OF THE SAINTS!
But also, notice there will be-
B. THE ARMY OF THE ANGELS
Look at Matthew 25:31, we read, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.”
• The apostle Paul talks about this army of angels, in 2 Thess. 1:7-9, we read, “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.”
These armies will consist of the SAINTS and the ANGELS.
IV. THE POWER OF HIS SECOND COMING
When we go into a battle, we want a large army because the more we have, the more powerful we are.
But even though the Lord is coming back with the ARMY OF THE SAINTS and the ARMY OF THE ANGELS, THIS IS NOT HOW HE WILL DEFEAT THE ENEMY.
Never has the world seen such humility as they did in the life of Christ. God became flesh and dwelt among us as a helpless infant.
Never has anyone so HIGH, stooped so LOW!
But I mention that to mention this:
• When He comes back at His Second Coming, He is not coming back as a helpless Child
• He is not coming back at His second Coming to allow evil men to nail Him to a cross
He is coming back at His Second Coming to “Make War” against those who rejected His love and forgiveness.
And when He returns to make war on the inhabitants of the earth, He will not use HIS VAST ARMY. The Bible says that ALL HE WILL NEED TO DO IS SPEAK THE WORD AND THEY ARE DESTROYED.
Look at Rev. 19:15, we read, “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”
To defeat the armies of the world, He will not need nuclear weapons. The Bible says His mouth is as a, “…Sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations…”
But notice, He wants those who have rejected Him to know Who He is.
Look at verse 16, we read, “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Men today strut around like they are gods. But look what God is going to do with this crowd.
Look at verses 17-21, we read, “And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
Conclusion:
We have seen …
I. THE PLACE OF HIS SECOND COMING
II. THE PURPOSE OF HIS SECOND COMING
III. THE PARTICIPANTS IN HIS SECOND COMING
IV. THE POWER OF HIS SECOND COMING
