Christ’s Second Coming – The Blessed Hope (10)

With all evil that the enemy of God has brought into this world, we can be sure of one thing, Christ has promised to put all of it to an end. It will be clear that Christ’s second coming is imminent, visible, audible and glorious to those who have waited for Him. Christ’s second coming is the climax of salvation history. What does the Bible say about why, when and how He will return?

Why is Jesus coming back? John 14:1-3
“1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 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. 3 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.”

Do we know the exact day He is coming the second time? Matthew 24:35-37
“35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Certainly the Maya Calendar 2012 didn’t.)

Can we know anything about that time, such as when it’s near? Matthew 24:32-33
“32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.“

What are these things, or the signs of Christ’s near return? Matthew 24:3, 6-8
“3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? .. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Calamities have always been there in the past, yet as we come closer to the end, they are intensified in strength, frequency and devastation; 2 World wars, cold, revolutions, famines, world wide epidemics, earthquakes, hurricanes, tidal waves around the world, with one causing the death of quarter a million people, not to mention that suffering the followed. The list is endless. 

What is the religious climate prior to the seconding coming? Matthew 24:11-12
“11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

Religious deception in the form of Spiritism and New age movements have facilitated false many Christ’s. There is Matreya, Bahaullah, Rastafari (Haile Selassie), David Koresh, Marshall Applewhite, Jim Jones, José Louis de Jesus Miranda to name a few. Moral decay has increase and more people are calling what’s good bad, therefore evil has increased; cohabiting, divorces, grievous crimes public and private, and against property and persons, profanity, etc. 

How does Paul describe the moral decay in the last days? 2 Timothy 3:1-5
“1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

It doesn’t come as a surprise that the moral condition just before Christ’s return will include love money more than God, unforgiving, in-compassionate, brutal (shootings, rapes and robbers), disobedient to parents, busybodies, (gossip magazines), lovers of pleasure ( sports, alcohol, sex and unhealthful foods), etc.  Christ’s return is imminent and He could come in our lifetime!

Is Christ’s second coming literal or just spiritual (compared to New Age & Mayan Movement)? Acts 1:9-11
“9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 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.”

How many eyes will see Him return, and does that include His enemies? Revelation 1:7
“7 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.” (See also Matthew 24:30)

What awakes the dead at Christ’s return? 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
“16 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: 17 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.” (See also 2 Peter 3:10; Matthew 24:31.)

How does the same sound affect the living? 1 Corinthians 15:51-53
“51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

How glorious, or bright will Christ’s return be? Luke 9:26
“26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.” (See also Matthew 25:31 and 24:30)

What is the effect of the glory of one single angel? Matthew 28:1-4
“1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.”

Will the wicked, those indifferent of God’s mercy, endure Christ’s glory Jesus at His Return? 2 Thessalonians 2:8
“8 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:”

Why has Christ not returned yet? 2 Peter 3:3-4, 9
“3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. .. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (See also Ezekiel 33:11.)

What then are we encouraged to consider, with God’s help? 2 Peter 3:11-12
“11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”

Did Christ have concerns about the people on earth in the last days? Luke 18:8
“8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

Friend,

You have seen how patiently and in mercy Jesus is waiting for us to be ready to meet Him. He waits that as many as possible may repent and be cleansed by His blood from their sins. Is it your desire to be ready for His second Coming? Let nothing keep you back from having the faith He expects at that time!