Some Things That You Should Know About

 the Second Coming of Christ

(John 14:1-3)

Introduction:

      A.  There is, perhaps, no more comforting and reassuring passage in all the Bible than John 14:1-3. 

            1.  This passage has often been read at the bedside of those who were critically ill and not expected to live.  It has provided hope and assurance that God has something better in store for them. This passage is also the number two passage read at the open graveside.  Following closely behind Psalm 23, it has given grieving families hope and reassurance regarding the hereafter.

            2.  But besides the reassurance and hope of an eternal home in Heaven, this passage also announces, in clear and unmistakable words, the second coming of our Lord and Savior.

Jesus said, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”  Notice that Jesus does not say, “I may,” or “I might,” or “I could possibly” come.  The construction of the Greek verb “will come” is emphatic; regardless of whatever else occurs, the Lord “will come.” 

     B.  But there are many skeptics.  Even among those who profess to believe in Jesus Christ, many do not believe in a personal, second coming.  A number of years ago, a survey was conducted among young ministerial students in the various denominations and revealed that only one percent believed in the personal coming of Christ (The Spiritual Sword, Vol. 1, #3, p.41).  Their attitude parallels the attitude of those whom Peter referred to as “scoffers...walking in their own lusts, 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 creation’” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

     C.  But few doctrines are taught more clearly or presented with greater certainty than the doctrine of the second coming of the Lord. 

            1.  “Now when He has spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11).

            2.  “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, and they also who pierced Him.  And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.  Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1:7).

            3.  James encourages us with regard to the Lord’s coming, saying, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7).

            4.  The apostle John was confident about the Lord’s coming and wrote, “Beloved, now are we children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

            5.  And likewise Peter exhorts us to faithfulness in view of the Lord’s coming, saying, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1Peter 1:13).

     D.  Since the second coming is so clearly and plainly taught, there is really no excuse for being ignorant or confused about it.  But because of contradictory doctrines and imaginative theories of those who are wresting the Scriptures to their own destruction, there is both ignorance and confusion. And there are many sincere people who misunderstand the plain facts about the second coming because they have been mislead by these false teachers. But a careful and organized study of the Scriptures will help to eliminate much of the confusion and help us to stand on solid ground of faith with regard to our understanding of the second coming.  Therefore, we want to study about some things we should know about the second coming of Christ.

I.  YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE MANNER OF HIS COMING.

      A.  The Lord will come personally. 

            1.  Some have taught that the Lord’s coming will be a secret, silent and invisible coming wherein the saints of the earth will be caught away leaving the sinful world behind to endure an intense period of tribulation lasting seven years.  This “secret” rapture theory is one of the fundamental tenets of premillenialism.  But it is false and totally contradictory to what the Bible teaches about the second coming.

            2.  Charles Russell of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, said, “And in like manner as he went away (quietly, secretly, so far as the world was concerned, and unknown except to his followers) so in this manner, he comes again” (The Kingdom of the Cults, Walter R. Martin, pg 52).

            3.  The Bible says, “This same Jesus...shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go” (Acts 1:11). 

      B.  He will come visibly.  “Every eye shall see Him” (Revelation 1:7).

      C.  He will come audibly.

            1.  “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28).

            2.  “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). 

       D.  Accompanied by a heavenly host. 

            1.  “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-15).  

            2.  “And Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints” (Jude 14).

            3.  “And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7).

II.  YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE TIME OF HIS COMING.

      A.  There have always been those who thought they could identify the precise time of the Lord’s return.   But every attempt has ultimately failed.

            1.  William Miller, the founder of the Seventh-Day Adventists, stated, ‘I believe the time can be known by all who desire to understand and to be ready for His coming.  And I am fully convinced that sometime between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844, according to the Jewish mode of computation of time, Christ will come and bring all His saints with Him.” (The Kingdom of the Cults, W. R. Martin).

            2.  A number of years ago, a cultish group in Arkansas quit their jobs and all moved into one house to await the Savior’s imminent return.  They did not pay their bills or their rent and the sheriff got there before the Lord — and he evicted them from the premises!

      B.  We do not know the time of the Lord’s return.  He will come without any signs of His imminent coming.

            1.  The song, “Jesus Is Coming Soon”, originally contained three verses and the words in verse two, “When these signs come to pass, nearing the end at last, It will come very fast, trumpets will sound.”  However, this is not true!  And our current hymnals have eliminated that verse altogether because the editors realized that indisputable error was being taught by those words.

            2.  “But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only...watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:36, 42).

            3.  “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13).

            4.  “But concerning the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.  For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.  For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.  And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

II.  WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE CONDITIONS ON EARTH WHEN HE COMES.

      A.  Some have speculated that prior to the Lord’s return there will be an unparalleled period of evangelism and multitudes will turn to Jesus and be saved.  They believe that there will be an acceptance on the part of the Jewish that will be nothing short of miraculous.  Even today, we may hear some these evangelists telling us that it is already beginning to happen.  And they see it as indisputable evidence that the Lord’s return is imminent.

      B.  But the Bible says that the last days will be perilous times.  “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4).

      C.  It will be a time of indifference and faithlessness.  Jesus asked the question, “When the Son of Man comes will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) and He encouraged the saints in Smyrna saying, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). 

      C.  It will be a time when false teachers are having their way with those who do not know or love the truth. 

            1. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2).

            2. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

III.  WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF HIS COMING.

      A.  Not to teach, invite or warn, as at the His first coming.  The first time, He came as Savior (Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10) but the second time He will appear as Judge (Matthew 25:31).

      B.  Not to offer Himself as a sacrifice.  The first time He came as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).  “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).  “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.  To those whoeagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time without sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).

      C.  Not to set up His kingdom (Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 24, 28; Colossians. 1:18; Revelation. 1:9).

      D.  Not to give a sinful world another chance (Hebrews 9:27; [cf., also, the rich man in Luke 16]).

      E.  He is coming to raise the death (1 Corinthians. 15:51ff), conduct the judgment (Matthew 25:31; Revelation. 20:11-15), and to reward everyone according to his works (2 Corinthians. 5:10).

            1.  To take vengeance on wicked (2 Thessalonians. 1:7-9)

            2.  To eternally save righteousness (Romans. 13:11; 2 Timothy. 4:8; 1 Peter. 5:4; Revelation. 2:10; Matthew. 25:46).

Conclusion:

            A.  Are you ready for the Lord’s coming?

            B.  What do you need to do to be ready.