The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
![Beliefs of the Biblical Christian, Part 6
Pt. 31, The Biblical Story
“The Second Coming of Jesus Christ”
By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© April 19, 2015
www.pastorkennedy.com
Jesus Christ’s Second Coming
~ Looking with Hope
~ Waiting with Patience
~ Understanding the Times
In conjunction with the series of the Biblical Story, we have been studying over the past year and a half; today we are reviewing points 9-11 of this doctrinal statement. These points underline our belief in Christ’s ascension into heaven – forty days following His resurrection (Acts 1:2,3); and, our assurance of Christ’s return, “in the same manner” (Acts 1:11) as Jesus’ disciples saw Him go into heaven – Jesus’ Second Coming will also be “with the clouds of heaven” (Daniel 7:13; Rev. 1:7).
Continuation in the Study of our Church Doctrinal Statement:
9. We believe in Jesus Christ’s Ascension to the right hand of the Father.
Acts 2:33-34
10. We believe in Jesus Christ’s Personal Imminent Return for His Own.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
11. We believe in Jesus Christ’s Personal Return in Power and Glory.
Rev. 19:11-16
~ Looking with Hope
What is the most profound hope in the history of the world?
All of Creation has been Groaning in the pains of childbirth, Waiting for this Hope!
Romans 8:22–23
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
What event is the fulfillment of this groaning encompassing all of creation and the culmination of this greatest Hope?
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ!
I believe that the truths from the Scripture on Christ’s Second Coming reveal the greatest event that will ever take place on the earth during any historical era of mankind. Christ’s Coming will bring about the end of the ages of the kingdoms of this world. It will be the beginning of His Eternal Kingdom, in which we will serve.
Because this is such a profound event it is not without reason that this topic can become confusing, sometimes to the point of great controversy, even causing some to avoid the topic altogether. The enemy of our souls would make Christ’s Second Coming a primary target of controversy to dilute the potency of its powerful reality! May our understanding of Christ’s Coming be enlivened, not clouded, through this study, so we can be better prepared, no matter which well-intentioned eschatological, end-time “theory” prevails, regarding this most earthshaking event that will ever happen in the history of the world.
Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Spirit inspired authors throughout the Scripture, Old and New Testament, discussed this topic often, with specific details, so we could be prepared!
I trust we will understand all of the potential options and facets of this event so we can rejoice and look forward with eager anticipation to the blessed hope of the Coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords, to whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.
Since there are a variety of end-time theories gleaned from theological traditions and speculations on the mysteries surrounding this event, it may cause our minds to be bewildered at times. Instead of bewilderment, I trust we will seek to understand many of the potential options and facets of this ultra-important event, and draw healthy Biblical conclusions, so we can rejoice and look forward with eager anticipation to the blessed hope of the Coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords, to whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.
Scoffers will Abound Regarding Christ’s Second Coming
2 Peter 3:3–4
3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
There is no surprise here. God has been facing His adamant skeptics since Satan rebelled, and the kingdom of darkness will perpetrate the skepticism, lies, and deception until the Final Judgment.
The Ascension of Jesus Christ initiates the pattern of Christ’s Return
• Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension reveals who Jesus is:
During His earthly ministry, Jesus’ naysayers were always prodding Him to “tell them plainly” who He was.
o Messianic Confrontation: When He answered the religious questioners plainly, that God was His Father and that “I and my Father are One,” they picked up stones to stone Him for blasphemy. (John 10:24-31)
o Trial Confrontation: At Jesus’ trumped-up “trial” the high priest confronted Jesus by saying, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” (Matthew 26:63) Jesus confirmed to the high priest that He IS the Christ, and they crucified Him for it.
o Confrontation on the Cross: When Jesus was on the cross the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. Mark 15:31–32
o Christ’s Death and Resurrection: Jesus asked His Father to forgive them and He died as the supreme sacrifice for our sins…then, HE ROSE AGAIN.
When Jesus rose from the dead, He didn’t reveal Himself to His scoffers – proving them wrong, Jesus allowed the joy and boldness of His disciples, to whom He had revealed Himself, to declare the reality of His resurrection to the whole world…continuing into our 21 Century!
• Christ’s Ascension reveals how Jesus will return:
After revealing Himself to the hundreds of disciples (1 Cor. 15:4-8), for forty days (Acts 1:3) following His resurrection, Jesus took those who were with Him to the Mt. of Olives and ascended to His Father, in the clouds of heaven. (Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:50-52; Acts 2:33-34)
Acts 1:9–11
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
o How Jesus will Return - the same as His Ascension
Matthew 24:29–30
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Zechariah 14:4
4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two….
Jesus Christ’s Imminent Return Causes Us to Always be Expectant
• Be Ready: Jesus, together with Holy Spirit inspired writers in the New Testament often spoke of Christ’s return as something for which we should be ready at any time.
Matthew 24:3–14
Signs of the End of the Age
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:15–28
The Great Tribulation
15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
Matthew 24:29–35
The Coming of the Son of Man
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
• We are told Christ’s Coming will be like a Thief in the Night.
1 Thessalonians 5:1–4
5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
• The Time for Christ’s Coming is Unknown: No one knows the day or the hour of Christ’s Second Coming.
Matthew 24:36
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
• His Coming will be a Sudden Surprise in Everyday Living: Christ’s Second Coming will be a total surprise to those not expecting it – similar to what happened when the antediluvian flood came in Noah’s day.
Matthew 24:37–39
37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
• “In the twinkling of an eye,” life will forever change.
1 Corinthians 15:51–52
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
Matthew 24:40–42
40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Philippians 3:20–21
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Jesus Christ’s Second Coming will be in Power and great Glory
• Jesus’ Second Coming is different from His First Coming: In His first coming, Jesus bore the “wages” of our sin and suffered as our Sin Bearer and Savior. He will come again a second time in power and glory to deliver those who trust and eagerly wait for His return and to be the Judge and Ruler of the earth. He will come the second time as the conquering, Eternal King.
Hebrews 9:28
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Titus 2:13,14
Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.
• “The Day of the Lord”: The Second Coming of Christ is not just about Believers in Christ being gloriously Raptured into God’s Presence, the Holy Spirit inspired writers in the Old Testament predict a horrible conclusion for the enemies of God, on earth, on “The Day of the Lord”, as do other New Testament writers.
Isaiah 13:9–13
9 Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations
will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising,
and the moon will not shed its light.
11 I will punish the world for its evil,
and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.
12 I will make people more rare than fine gold,
and mankind than the gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,
and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.
New Testament writers summarize similar cataclysmic occurrences and judgments when the events of “The Day of the Lord” are fulfilled.
2 Peter 3:10
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Matthew 16:27
27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
The Book of Revelation is replete with calamitous plagues, judgments and “bowls of wrath” poured out upon the earth during this time of intense Tribulation.
o At His Second Coming, Jesus Christ, The Son of Man, Is Given Kingship, Authority and Dominion over All
The Old Testament prophecy, by the Prophet Daniel, of the Messiah’s Second Coming, some 500 years before Christ
Daniel 7:13–14
13 “I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
The Apostle John’s New Testament vision of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Revelation 19:11–16
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
We Look for Jesus Christ’s Coming with Great Hope!
~ Waiting with Patience
As in any important event in life, there is an element of patience and waiting.
o The farmer patiently waits for the harvest
James 5:7–8
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
This is especially true of waiting for the Lord’s Coming
o God’s patience in restraining Christ’s Coming relates particularly to those needing Salvation and repentance
2 Peter 3:9 (read vs. 1-9 answering scoffers regarding the Lord’s Coming)
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Hebrews 9:28
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
o God’s Spiritual Gifts Given and Matured as we Wait
1 Corinthians 1:7–8
7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 20–23
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
o We Eagerly Wait in Hope
Titus 2:13–14
13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Galatians 5:5
5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
o He Delivers us from Wrath to Come
2 Peter 3:10–14
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
1 Thessalonians 1:10
10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
1 Thessalonians 5:9
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ
We are told to Look for Jesus’ Coming and to Wait for it with enduring Patience!
~ Understanding the Times – the “times” in which we live…
We rely on weather forecasting, but we should also be aware of the signs of the times in which we live
Matthew 16:2–3
2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
The Restraint of the Holy Spirit against the mystery of lawlessness
2 Thessalonians 2:6–8
6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
Living in an honorable relationship with the Lord now, gives us confidence at His Coming
1 John 2:28
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
We do not grieve for the death of loved ones, as those who have no hope
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
A life following Christ will be abundantly rewarded…one which does not, will suffer grave loss
Matthew 24:45–51
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Conclusion
• Jesus Christ ascended to be at the right hand of His Father in heaven after confirming His Resurrection with the many who followed Him. He will come in the same manner.
• We should be ready for His coming at any time.
• When He comes, He will come in Power and Great Glory.
• We may never see Christ’s Second Coming in our lifetime…but we will see Him the moment of our death! Either way, we should be prepared!
Over fifty years ago those in spiritual leadership in this church, together with the board, and the confirmation of the congregation, established a brief fifteen point doctrinal statement on which the foundational religious teaching of this church was established.
Review of where we are up to this point in these Doctrinal statements:
1. We believe the Bible to be the Inspired, Infallible, and Authoritative Word of God.
2. We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. We believe in the Deity (Divine and Human Nature) of the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. We believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ.
5. We believe in Jesus Christ’s Sinless Life.
6. We believe in Jesus Christ’s Substitutionary Sacrifice by the shedding of His own blood on the Cross.
7. We believe in Jesus Christ’s Miracles.
8. We believe in Jesus Christ’s Bodily Resurrection.
9. We believe in Jesus Christ’s Ascension to the right hand of the Father.
10. We believe in Jesus Christ’s Personal Imminent Return for His Own.
11. We believe in Jesus Christ’s Personal Return in Power and Glory.
~ Looking with Hope
~ Waiting with Patience
~ Understanding the Times
May we always look with hope, understand the times and wait with patience for the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! May it be today!
Addendum – Other Scriptures on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
You Must Be Ready
Luke 12:35–48
35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. [See the O.T. Law re: “beating” in Deut. 25:1-3 - Jesus was well aware of it as well as those to whom He was speaking.] 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1–13
25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
The Mystery of Lawlessness and Man of Lawlessness
2 Thessalonians 2:1–12
2 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The Day of the Lord
1 Thessalonians 5:1–4
5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
The Time of the End
Daniel 12:1
12 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.
1 Corinthians 4:5
5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
A Vision of Jesus Coming in His Glory
Revelation 19:11–16
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 3:11; 22:7,12
“I am coming soon!”
Revelation 22:20
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
1 Peter 4:13
13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
Jesus’ Promise to His Children
John 14:1–3
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.](Pt._31,_Beliefs_of_the_Biblical_Christian,_Part_6,_%28The_Second_Coming%29_files/shapeimage_1.png)
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