~~~ The Second Coming ~~~
The Second Coming Foretold in the Gospels:
  1. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man... Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. Matthew 24:27,30.
    • The Second Coming will be a real physical event that will be visible all over the world.
  2. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:37-39.
    • The message here is that events on earth at Jesus' return will be nothing out of the ordinary, just as it was in days before the flood.
    • Those that were taken by the flood were those who perished while those who are taken at the Second Coming will be those who are saved. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
  3. There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:25-28.
    • Even though people's lives will continue as usual, there will be signs on earth that will create fear but this has been true for much of human history. Matthew 24:6-7.
    • The sure sign of the promise of salvation occurs when the faithful witness Jesus appearance in the sky.
  4. Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1–3.
  5. Men of Galilee, they said, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:11.
  6. I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:50-52.
    • Both the living and the dead will be taken from the earth at the Second Coming, and both will be transformed both physically and spiritually. 1 Corinthians 15:54.
  7. According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
    1 Thessalonians 4:15–17.
    • There are two Biblical truths brought forth in this scripture:
    • 1) Death is likened to the unconscious state of being asleep, not an instant transportation to heaven or hell.
    • 2) The resurrection of the dead in Christ occurring before the translation of the living is a direct refutation of the secret rapture doctrine. This states that Christ returns twice. The first is not visible and when only living believers vanish from earth. The second happens years later when Jesus returns publicly for everyone to see.
  8. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27–28.
The Second Coming Foretold in Daniel and Revelation:
  1. Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a statue: In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people... This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands Daniel 2:44-45.
    • Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream:
      • Head of gold: Babylonian Empire.
      • Chest and arms of silver: Medo-Persian Empire.
      • Belly and thighs of bronze: Greek Empire.
      • Legs of iron: Roman Empire.
      • Feet partly iron and partly clay: The end-time nations of earth. Some are strong as iron while others weak as clay.
    • The statue dream foretells the history beginning with Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon down to the time of Jesus' Second Coming.
    • This is when all the ungodly powers on earth are brought to an end as symbolized by the rock that strikes the statue, smashing it to dust that blows away with the wind. The rock is the eternal Kingdom of God.
  2. Daniel's vision of four beasts: In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven... He was given authority, glory and sovereign power... His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14.
    • The four beasts that Daniel sees coming out of the sea represent the same empires revealed by Nebuchadnezzar's statue dream.
    • A new power is introduced symbolized as the little horn that arises from the head of the fourth beast (the Roman Empire).
    • This little horn represents the end-time antichrist which exercises its authority until brought to an end at Jesus' Second Coming. Daniel 7:21-22 and 26-27.
  3. Daniel's vision of a ram and a goat: He [another horn] will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. Daniel 8:25.
    • Gabriel tells Daniel that the ram and the goat represent the Medo-Persian and Greek Empires, and the great horn on the goat is Alexander the Great. Daniel 8:20-21.
    • At Alexander's death the great horn is broken and in its place appear four horns. This represents Alexander's empire divided up among four of his generals. Daniel 8:22.
    • "In the latter part of their reign" arises from one of the four another horn. This power is the same as the little horn that arises on the head of the fourth beast of Daniel chapter 7.
    • It is therefore the end-time antichrist which exercises its authority until brought to an end at Jesus' Second Coming.
  4. Daniel's concluding revelation: But at that time your people - everyone whose name is found written in the book - will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:1-2.
    • "At that time" is an obvious reference to Jesus' Second Coming which brings to an end the great tribulation caused by the actions of the end-time antichrist.
    • What follows is the resurrection of the dead and the translation of the faithful who are alive. The question is, are there two separate resurrections... One for the dead in Christ and another of the unrepentant? Revelation 20:5 suggests this is so.
  5. Intro to the seven churches in Asia: Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. Revelation 1:7.
    • This agrees with what the angels say to the believers on the day Jesus ascended into heaven. Acts 1:11.
    • "Even those who pierced him" will witness Jesus' Second Coming, which may imply a special resurrection of those responsible for Jesus' crucifixion.
  6. John's vision of the scarlet beast:They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. Revelation 17:14.
    • The scarlet beast and the first (leopard-like) beast of Revelation chapter 13 are one and the same end-time antichrist.
    • "They" refers to the confederation of the ten horns (kingdoms) that arise empowered to act along with the scarlet beast prior to the Second Coming. Revelation 17:12.
    • Aligned with these two in the final confrontation is the second (two-horned beast) of Revelation chapter 13, also known as the false prophet. Revelation 19:19-20.
    • And so ends the last ungodly powers on earth. Thus is fulfilled the promise of salvation given in the Garden of Eden and the restoration of humanities relationship with its Creator.
Conclusion:
  1. It is more important that believers not be led astray by false teachers and false prophets then signs in world events that are the normal status quo.
  2. The Pharisees, apparently seeking a way to denounce Jesus, demanded he perform a sign from heaven. Jesus replied, "I tell all of you with certainty, no sign will be given to this generation."
  3. Being a follower of Jesus will give us hope and much more but will also be the source of division, ridicule and persecution.
  4. Jesus' followers will receive the Holy Spirit and with this gift they will be armed with the ability to 'keep watch' until his return.
    John 14:26.
  5. But of that 'day or hour' no one knows except the Father. Anyone who claims to know the date of Jesus' coming are engaging in futility.
  6. From the scripture texts above we can see a consensus of the events that occur at Jesus' Second Coming:
    • After Jesus ascended into heaven, his disciples were told that he would "come back in the same way you have seen him go."
    • At his return, with the sound of the last trumpet, the dead in Christ will rise and both they and those who are alive will be changed.
    • For the perishable will become imperishable and all will be caught up to Jesus in the clouds and "so we will be with the Lord forever."
    • The finality will see the end of everything we have come to know as reality. The earth and the heavens will pass away in fire.
    • But in keeping with Jesus' promise we look "forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells."