The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

Even though Jesus wasn't born o­n December 25, His first coming is celebrated around the globe with songs like "Away In A Manger," "What Child Is This?" and "Silent Night." He was here o­nce, but will He return? If we believe the Bible, the answer is, yes! Yet unlike His first appearance as the Babe of Bethlehem, His Second Coming won't happen o­n a Silent Night.

John 14:1-3: A few days before His death, Jesus told His small band of bewildered disciples, "Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:1-3). Thus the clear answer from the Lord is, "I will come again."

Acts 1:9-11: But how will He come? Will it be in some invisible or symbolic way? Let's find out. 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus led His disciples to the top of a small mountain - the Mt. of Olives - just east of Jerusalem. Suddenly, "…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 clothing; which also said, 'Men of Galilee, why are standing there gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven'" (Acts 1:9-11). It's obvious Jesus ascended literally, bodily, in full view of His watching, awestruck followers. As they watched Him go up, two angels appeared and said He would come back "in like manner" as He went up. Thus Christ's Second Coming will be literal, bodily, and visible to normal human eyes.

Titus 2:13: This visible return of Jesus is the true hope of the Church. Paul told the early believers to keep "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). Thus our hope is the visible revelation of Jesus Christ at the end of the world.

Matthew 24:26, 27: There will be nothing secretive about His return. In words of warning and clarification, Jesus Christ said, "Where if they say to you, 'Behold, he is in the desert,' go not forth; or 'Behold, he is in the secret chambers,' believe it not; for as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:26, 27). Language could not be plainer. False teachers may talk of a "secret" coming, but don't believe it. Christ's coming will be like highly visible, electrically charged bolts of lightning flashing across a stormy sky.

Matthew 24:30, 31: When Jesus finally returns, this event will not o­nly be witnessed by believers, but by all nations. And He's not coming alone. Jesus clarified, "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. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of the trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from o­ne end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:30, 31). Thus Christ's return will be loud and visible to the eyes of "all the tribes of the earth." When God's heavenly trumpet sounds and billions of shiny angels burst into Earth's atmosphere, no o­ne will wake up the next day wondering what happened.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9: Christ's return will bring happiness to the saved, yet it will result in destruction to those who are lost. Paul wrote about the great day when "the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance o­n those who know not God and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18: The return of Jesus will be an incredibly loud, noisy event that will wake up the dead: "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, the meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort o­ne another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). When Jesus Christ comes, all God's children - those who are resurrected and those living at that time - will bid goodbye to the sins of earth. We shall be "caught up," literally, just like Jesus was "taken up" at His ascension, and we shall forever "be with the Lord" who died for us.

Revelation 3:10 – The Rapture?

Jesus Christ said, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth" (Revelation 3:10).

Many sincere prophecy teachers (and their followers) are now applying these words to the Rapture and to the sudden removal of the Church from this earth prior to Earth's final hour of temptation. on the surface, it may appear this way, yet a closer look is needed.

Jesus spoke these words to "the church in Philadelphia" (3:7), which was #6 out of seven churches receiving messages. It is obvious that Christ's words do not apply only to the literal church of Philadelphia which existed almost 2000 years ago in Asia minor, for if they did, then they have no relevance to any Christian today. Most scholars correctly realize that those "seven churches" (1:20) represent seven periods in the history of Christianity, yet each letter also contains practical lessons for Christians of all time.

And lukewarm or not, Jesus still refers to them as "the Church"!

With this in mind, we must realize again that Revelation 3:10 was given to Philadelphia, which is then followed by "lukewarm" Laodicea (3:14 - 22). Even if Revelation 3:10 does depict a secret Rapture, this would not mean the church would be gone during the Tribulation. Why? Because the Laodicean church comes after Philadelphia, and thus its Christians would still be left on earth. And lukewarm or not, Jesus still refers to them as "the Church"!

The truth is, Revelation 3:10 does not speak of a Rapture. It simply says the faithful in the church of Philadelphia, who have "kept the word," will be kept from the hour of trial. once we understand that Philadelphia is followed by the church of Laodicea, which represents the final period of Christianity, then we can easily see that the reason why Jesus told the Philadelphians He would keep them from the hour of trial is not because they would be raptured, but because they simply would not be living on earth during the final time of trial.

We are living during the time of Laodicea, when the majority of Christians are lukewarm and half-hearted. Soon the final "hour of temptation" will burst upon us. only those who are truly faithful to Jesus Christ and to the Word of God will "stand in the evil day" (Ephesians 6:13). The Master said, "He that endures to the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). Through

Christ's love and the power of the cross, may we each be among those who "overcome" (Revelation 3:12, 21).

One Taken, One Left?

Jesus Christ said, "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:40).

Countless Christians apply this verse to the "Great Disappearance" when believers will suddenly vanish - leaving their clothes, shoes, necklaces, and wedding rings on earth. Such an interpretation is professionally illustrated in Left Behind: The Movie. In many prophecy books on this subject, unbelieving spouses are described as waking up in the morning only to discover that their believing husbands or wives have been "taken" or raptured to heaven. All who are "left behind" must then endure the "seven years of Tribulation" and the rise of the Antichrist. But they have a "second chance" to be saved.

Is such an interpretation, popular though it may be, really what Jesus meant in Matthew 24:40? Let's look closely at the context to find out.

Matthew 24:27 - Jesus said, "For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

This verse is clearly describing Christ's visible and ultra-glorious Second Coming. Few disagree here.

Matthew 24:30, 31 - Jesus continued, "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. 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 another."

Once again, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is clearly described. This coming will be literal, visible, loud, and glorious. All the world will see it.

Matthew 24:36 - "But of that day [the day of the Second Coming] and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My father only." once again, the context is the Second Coming.

Matthew 24:37-39 - "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be, For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Jesus clearly compares His Second Coming with Noah's flood. This flood came suddenly upon the lost "and took them all away."

In other words, they were lost - with no second chances. Christ said, "...so shall the coming of the Son of man be."

Matthew 24:40 - "THEN [capitols added] shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left."

The all-important question is: When is "then"? Does this verse describe the sudden disappearance of millions of Christians before a seven-year period of tribulation, as is taught in Left Behind? Or is it talking about the salvation of one and the destruction of another at the Second Coming of Jesus - at the end of the world? For those willing to closely examine the context, the answer is clear. According to the preceding verses of Matthew 24:27, 30, 31, 36, 37-39, the answer is - "one shall be taken" and "one shall be left" at the visible (vs. 27), audible (vs. 31), glorious (vs. 30) flood-like (verses 37-39) Second Coming of Jesus Christ! And just like in Noah's day, when that time finally comes there will be no second chances.

In the Twinkling of an Eye?

Paul wrote about a certain event taking place – "In a moment, in the twinking of an eye..." (1 Cor. 15:52).

Many apply this to the sudden disappearance of Christians in the Rapture. Supposedly, in less than the time it takes to blink, all true believers will vanish from the earth before the Tribulation and the rise of Antichrist. Is this really what Paul meant? Or could such an idea be o­ne of the many "fables" (see 2 Tim. 4:4) taught as truth in these last days? To find out the answer, all o­ne has to do is read the context of the verse.

Paul wrote in language too plain to be misunderstood, "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put o­n incorruption, and this mortal must put o­n immortality." (1 Cor. 15:51-53).

Here are the facts:

1. This event takes place "at the last trump," not seven years before it.
2. When this happens, "the trumpet shall sound." It will be loud, not quiet.
3. It is not the return of Jesus Christ that takes place in the twinkling of an eye.
4. Rather, it is the changing of the bodies of believers from mortality to immortality.

Thus, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 does not teach the idea of vanishing Christians at all. Rather, it reveals a loud return of Jesus Christ during the final sounding of the last trumpet and the "instant" transformation of believers into immortality at the end of the world.

"Caught Up" - When?

by Steve Wohlberg

One of the most controversial passages in the Bible is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. Currently, these words are being interpreted as describing a secret Rapture at the beginning of a supposed seven-year period of Tribulation, which will then be followed by the visible Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The purpose of this short article is to demonstrate clearly that 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 is really a description of the Second Coming of our Lord, and that it is at that time that the truly faithful will be "caught up."

Paul wrote: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort o­ne another with these words. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write to you. For yourselves know that the day of the Lord so cometh like a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then cometh sudden destruction upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief" (1 Thessalonians 4:16 - 5:4).

Here Jesus comes down from heaven, true believers are caught up together, and sudden destruction comes upon the lost. All of this takes place o­n "that day," which is "the day of the Lord."

These words occur near the end of Paul's first letter to the early Thessalonian Christians. Paul wrote a second letter to these very same Christians which taught exactly the same thing.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Paul wrote to the same group about "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him." (a perfect parallel to 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).

Right before this, in chapter one, Paul wrote about this same gathering. After describing the "persecutions and tribulations" which these early believers where enduring, Paul wrote: "And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance o­n them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day" (2 Thessalonians 1:7 - 10).

Careful comparisons reveal that all three passages - 1 Thess. 4:16 - 5:3; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:1 - describe the very same day when Jesus Christ comes down from heaven, when His faithful people are gathered together, and when sudden destruction comes upon the lost.

When all three sections are put together, it becomes clear that Jesus is coming with a shout, a voice, a trumpet, with mighty angels, and in flaming fire to catch up true believers and to destroy the lost. Again, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 and 2:1 all describe the same event - the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Clearly, it is at this time His church will be "caught up." If you aren't sure, just read for yourself in your own Bible.

The hour is late. This is no time to be "caught up" in false theories!