The Second Coming of Christ

The Second Coming of Christ

Introduction

There are three Greek words o reveal this fact: 1) Parousia - personal presence 2)  Apokalupsis - revelation and 3) Epiphaneia - appearing. These words signify that there will be come a time when Christ will return on a public, personal revelation of Himself to the world.

Acts 1:10-11 described the ascension as being 1) personal, 2) bodily, 3) visible and 4) with power.

The Savior's first coming was in humiliation but the Second Advent will be glorious.

Actually there are three viewpoints respecting His Second Coming:

1. Post millennial view: It teaches that the Second Coming will follow rather than precede the millennial age.

2. The A-millennial view: Supporters do not believe in a literal period of a thousand years but believe that when Christ comes everything ends quickly.

3. The pre-millennial view: The Lord comes and the then the Millennium follows.

Another complication is that the Second Coming is in two stages:

1. The rapture which is secret (1 Thesalonians 4:15-17) when the Lord comes for His saints and we meet Him in the air.

2. The revelation which is public (Revelation 1:7), when the Lord comes with His saints to setup the Millennium, 1Thesalonians 3:13.

An unsolved problem of pre-millennialists is whether the Church will go through the tribulation so there are pre-tribulation and mid-tribulation debates.

I. Prophecies of Christ’s Second Coming

His firs coming was prophesied and those prophesies came to pass literally.

This gives us great confidence that the prophecies of the Second Advent will also be fulfilled literally and not in a figurative or spiritual sense.

1. It was foretold by the prophets. Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven.”

2. It was foretold by Jesus Himself. Matthew 25:31 “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.”

3. It was foretold by Paul. 1Thimothy 6:14 “Keep this commandments without spot unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

4. It was foretold by angels. Acts 1:10-11, when the Savior ascended from the earth.

None of these prophecies were fulfilled at His first coming.

II. Time of Christ’s Coming

This is a secret that only the Lord knows. Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but My Father only.”

Jesus Christ as man did not know that date but Jesus Christ as God is omniscient and certainly knows the exact moment when it will occur.

I believe it is a movable date (2Peter 3:12, R.V.) that can be advanced or retarded depending on the speed or slowness of taking the Gospel to every tribe, Matthew 24:14.

III. Purpose of Christ’s Coming

1. To complete the salvation of saints: He has delivered us from the power and penalty of sin but then He will deliver us from the presence of sin, Hebrew 9:28.

2. To be glorified in His saints. 2Thesalonians 1:10 “When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.

3. To bring to light the hidden things of darkness. 1Corinthians 4:5 “…who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness , and make manifest the counsels of the hearts.”

4. To judge. 2Timothy 4:1 “…Christ; who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing,”

5. To reign. Revelation 11:15 “…Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.”

6. To receive us to be with Himsellf. John 14:3 “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where am I, there ye may be also.”

7. To destroy death. 1Corinthians 15:25-26 “For He must reign, till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”

IV. How is Christ Coming

A. Secretly at the Rapture. 1Thesalonians 5:2 “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” Matthew 24:44 “ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 24:50 “The lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for Him, and in all hour that he is not aware of.”

B. Publicly at the Revelation. Revelation 1:7 “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him and they also which pierced Him.” Matthew 24:30; Titus 2:13.

V. Where is Christ coming to?

A. At the Rapture we will meet Him in the air, 1Thesalonians 4:17.

B. At the Revelation we will descend with Him to the earth. Probably He will land in the Mount of olives, Zechariah 14:4.

VI. Manner of His Coming

1. In the clouds. Matthew 24:30 “…see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven.”

2. In the Glory of His Father. Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels.”

3. In His own glory. Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of man shall come in His glory…”

4. In flaming fire. 2Thesalonians 1:8 “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

5. With power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30 “…clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

6. As He ascended in bodily form. Acts 1:9-11.

7. With a shout and the voice of the archangel. 1Thesalonian 4:16 “For the Lord Himself shall descend … with a shout, with he voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.”

8. With His saints. 1Thesalonians 3:13 “…coming of…Christ ith all His saints.”

9. Accompanied by angels. Matthew 16:27.

10. Suddenly. Mark 13:36 “Lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping.”

VII. Signs of Christ’s Coming

2Timothy 3:1-7 lists 23 signs of His coming, most of which are very evident today.

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.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Matthew 24:5-7, 12-38 list ten signs.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

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.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before.

26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

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.

34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

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.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

Other signs include:

1. The destruction of Jerusalem, Luke 21:20,24

2. The completion of the Church, Romans 11:25

3. Gospel preach everywhere, Matthew 24:14

4. The coming of the antichrist, 2Thesalonians 2:3-8

Conclusion:

Be not a scoffer like those in 2Peter 3:3, for His coming is sure and certain.

Is it right to sell everything and sit on a hilltop waiting for Him?

Definitely not.

We ought to plan and work as if He was not coming for another century but live a holy and pure life as if He was to return today. 1Thesalonian 3:12-13

This doctrine must affect our lives. It ought to keep us busy and watching.

Review Questions

1. Give the three Greek words and their meaning that are used in regard of His coming.

2. From Acts 1:10-11, what three words would describe His Second Coming?

3. List four people who prophesied of His Second Coming with Scriptural references.

4. When will Christ return?

5. List seven purposes of Christ’s Second Coming.

6. From 2Thesalonians 5:2 and Matthew 24:44, what do you learn about the second coming?

7. Where is Christ coming to? Explain.

8. Tell twelve things about the manner of His coming.

9. Give ten signs of His coming: five from 2Timothy 3:1-7 and five from Matthew 24.

10. What is the practical application of this doctrine?

Copyright: 100 Bible Lessons, by Alban Douglas