Jesus' Second Coming
You don't hear so much talk about heaven anymore or about when Jesus will return in glory. Too many believers nowadays forget how much the Bible has to say about the end of this present life.
In the past Christians took great comfort from the Lord's promise that he would return in glory. We can still find such comfort in this belief today. Billy Graham summarized it well: "Our world is filled with fear, hate, lust, greed, war, and utter despair. Surely the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the only hope of replacing these depressing features with trust, love, universal peace, and prosperity."
"I, the Son of Man, will come in the glory of my Father with his angels and will judge all people according to their deeds." Matthew 16:27
"If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels." Luke 9:26
"No one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. So be prepared, because you don't know what day your Lord is coming." Matthew 24:36-42
In the Gospels, Jesus promises his return but names no specific time. The promise is intended to give people hope, but Jesus makes it clear that it should do more than that. It should cause us to live in such a way that constantly reflects our readiness to meet our Lord.
"The coming of the Son of Man can be compared with that of a man who left home to go on a trip. He gave each of his employees instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. So keep a sharp lookout! For you do not know when the homeowner will return -- at evening, midnight, early dawn, or late daybreak. Don't let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning." Mark 13:34-36
"Watch out! Don't let me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness, and filled with the worries of this life. Don't let that day catch you unaware, as in a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep a constant watch. And pray that, if possible, you may escape these horrors and stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:34-36
I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
You know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, "All is well; everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman's birth pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3
The Bible ends, appropriately, with both a prayer and a promise: Jesus is coming.
"See, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds." He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:12, 20
The Book of God's Promises -- Copyright, 1999 by J. Stephen Lang. All rights reserved, used with permission.
