INTRODUCTION
The Second Coming of Christ is said to be mentioned 318 times in the 260 chapters of the New Testament. It occupies one in every 25 verses of the New Testament.
From I Thess. 4:18, we learn that we are to comfort one another with the fact of the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (So true of saints in Red countries)
The hope of the world for four millenniums was the coming of the promised Messiah; the hope of the New Testament is the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The last prayer of the Bible, Rev. 22:20, is, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
This doctrine draws the wrath of Satan for he hates this final glorious event. A worldly Church and carnal Christians also hate this purifying doctrine.
The fact of His return leads us to live a life of watchfulness, fidelity, wisdom, activity, simplicity, self restraint, prayer and abiding in Christ.
Disciples may disagree on doctrine but all ought to be occupied watching. Special blessings are promised to those who watch faithfully, Luke 12:37, “Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching. ”
I. WITH REGARD TO GOD
Isa. 40:5, “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” When Christ returns the glory of the Lord will be revealed. Everyone shall see it.
IL WITH REGARD TO THE CHURCH
A. At the coming of Jesus Christ the dead in Christ shall rise. I Thess. 4:13-18, “The dead in Christ shall rise first” (verse 16).
B. At the coming of Christ the bodies of believers will be changed to be like His. Phil. 3:20,21, “... who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.” See I John 3:2, also. I Cor. 15:51-53, “We shall be changed, For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
C. At His coming the living believers and resurrected believers meet Him together, I Thess. 4:17, and continue to be with the Lord forever.
D. The Bema or judgment of believers will follow immediately, Il Tim. 4:8; I Pet. 5:4.
E. At the revelation the Church will live and reign with Christ. Rev. 20:4, “They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
III. WITH REGARD TO ISRAEL
The coming of Christ will be preceded by the re-gathering of Israel, Isa. 11:11,12.
The prophecies of Ezek. 36:24; 37:21; and Zeph. 3:19,20, have largely been fulfilled.
Probably immediately after the rapture there may be even a greater re-gathering.
At His coming, the nation of Israel, all 12 tribes, will be reunited, Ezek. 37:19-24.
Jesus Christ, David’s son, will reign as king as prophesied, Jer. 23:5,6.
Israel will doubtless be judged and cleansed at this time. Rom. 11:26, “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” See Ezek. 37:23 and Ezek. 36: 25-29.
Israel and Palestine shall prosper tremendously at this time, Jer. 31:31-34. Ezek. 36:37,38, “I will increase them with men like a flock. As the holy flock...”
Ezek. 36:33-37, “This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden.” Israel will then be the leading nation of the world, Zech. 8:23; Isa. 49:22,23.
At this time Israel will take the message of the kingdom to all nations. Isa. 66:19, “They shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.”
Many of the promises that Israel expected to be fulfilled at the first coming will actually be fulfilled when the Saviour returns the second time.
IV. WITH REGARD TO THE NATIONS AND UNREGENERATE INDIVIDUALS
The coming is a happy day for the Church and Israel but a sad day for the rest.
Matt. 24:30, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn,” an unhappy day for the unconverted.
Rev. 1:7, “All the tribes of the earth shall mourn over Him.”
The Judgment of the Nations will follow the Revelation of Christ. Matt. 25:31,32, “When the Son of man shall come in His glory... then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be gathered all nations? sheep and goats divided.
It seems likely that the sheep nations will then follow the Lord, Isa. 2:2,3.
The goat nations will be rendered vengeance in flaming fire, II Thess. 1:7-9. Those remaining on earth will be forced to serve Christ for He will rule with a rod of iron, Psa. 2:9; Zech. 9:10; Rev. 11:15,
These nations will cease war and live in peace, Micah 4:3,4; Isa. 2:4.
V. WITH REGARD TO SOCIETY AS A WHOLE
The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Isa. 11:9, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
VI. WITH REGARD TO THE ANTICHRIST AND THE DEVIL
Antichrist will be revealed after the rapture and his reign of terror will be culminated with the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ with His saints.
II Thess. 2:8, “And then shall be revealed the lawless one {antichrist] whom the Lord Jesus shall stay with the breath of His mouth, and bring to nought the manifestation of his coming.”
Rev. 19:20 tells of the final end when the antichrist is cast into the lake of fire.
The devil shall be chained and cast into the abyss for a thousand years beginning with the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rev. 20:1-3, “...the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years... should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years shall be fulfilled.”
Vl. WITH REGARD TO THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE
Creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption. Rom. 8:19-21, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God... itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption. ”
The curse or at least part of it will be removed. Isa. 55:13, “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle.”
It will mean peace to the animal world. Isa. 65:25, “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock... They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, saith the Lord.”
The wilderness will become fruitful. Isa. 32:15, “Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field.”
The desert shall blossom like the rose. Isa. 35:1, “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.”
These things happen because the Second Coming ushers in the Millennium.
CONCLUSION
We are warned to watch and be ready. Mark 13:33, “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.”
Matt. 24:42, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” We are warned that we have a stewardship given to us by our Lord and He requires that we be faithful in the discharge of that responsibility, Matt. 25:14-30.
We must be careful to maintain a worthy character, I John 3:1-3.
In view of His near return we must hasten to carry out the Great Commission of Matt. 28:18-20, the taking of the Gospel to every nation and every creature.
We must do our utmost to further the cause of missions and hasten the Lord’s return.
Source: GOD'S ANSWERS TO MAN'S QUESTIONS 100 Bible Lessons with Supplement Including God's Promises to You by Dr. Alban Douglas
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