JESUS IS COMING AGAIN

JESUS  IS  COMING  AGAIN!

 

MEMORY VERSE:  “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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”  (John 14:2,3).

 

INTRODUCTION

            A careful study of God’s Word reveals that apart from Jesus’ first appearing as a baby in a manger, there are four other times when He promised to come.  Just to make these clear, let us speak of each one: 

1.   In John 14:18, Jesus promised to come back to the disciples and give them comfort.  This was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost as found in Acts 2:1-4.

2.   Our memory verse speaks of another “second” coming - when Jesus promised to take His disciples unto Himself in a beautiful home He has gone to prepare (John 14:2,3).

3.  In Revelation 19:11-19,  the KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS will come with all the armies of heaven to smite the nations.

4.   In Revelation 20:11-15, God once again comes to judge everyone who has ever lived upon the face of the earth.

            We want to spend our time in this lesson learning more about the “second coming” of Jesus, or the second time He will actually come to earth in a bodily form, as spoken of in our memory verse.

 

I.          Jesus Speaks of His Second Coming

            Jesus first began to speak of this special time when His disciples were asking questions because they understood that following Him had a price connected to it.  Jesus promised them another comforter (John 15:26-27).  But then, they wanted to know about this coming again to take them home with Him, and thy even asked for signs to help them recognize that the end of their suffering was near.  So, they went to Jesus in a private place, away from all the crowds, and asked for more understanding.  Matthew chapter 24 speaks of many things that we can look for as preludes to His Second Coming:

A.  “Take heed that no man deceive you”. . . Jesus promised that many false Christs would arise, claiming to be a Messiah of some sort.  We must be careful to stay in God’s Word to know for sure that we are following His truths.  (Matthew 24:4,5)

B.  “. . .wars and rumors of wars”. . . You can hardly pick up a newspaper without seeing another war begun somewhere in the world.  All around us, men are fighting each other for land or some other form of material wealth.  There is talk of “ethnic cleansing”, civil war, and      so many terrible troubles among so many peoples of the world.  (Matthew 24:6,7)

C.   “. . .and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places”- We are experiencing so many different weather patterns in our world today - heat where there is normally cold, and cool weather where there is normally heat.  Droughts, floods, and yes, even serious earthquakes in many different locations around the world. “All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8).

D.  “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:11). There has never been a time in history when more people were being deceived and led astray from the one true God. Many are falling away because of so much iniquity, but that is not a reason to quit, it is a better reason to hold on harder than ever before!  Those who endure are the only ones who will make it!  (Matthew 24:13).

E.  “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” Matthew 24:14).  This is one of the only signs of the end time that has not been totally fulfilled. We are still working daily to share the Gospel with “whosoever will”, and the task is great.  But Jesus never asked us to do anything that was impossible - we just have to trust Him and keep on working! 

F.   No One KNOWS When the End Shall Come - “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). The purpose of our study is not to tell you when Jesus is coming again, but to make you aware of the signs He has given us to let you know that His coming draweth nigh.  We need to be looking up - He could come at any time!

G.  Compare the Days of the End to the Days of Noah - What was going on while Noah and his sons were building the ark?  (Matthew 24:37-39)

1)  eating and drinking - more restaurants, bars, and places to consume food than ever before in the history of the whole world!

2)  marrying and giving in marriage - more people marrying and divorcing and remarrying to their heart’s content!

3)  knew not until the flood came and took them all away - they didn’t listen to the preaching of Noah - they didn’t realize what was taking place until it was too late to do anything about it!

H.  How Will it Happen?  Jesus said that it would take us all by surprise - two would be working together - one taken  - the other left behind  (Matthew 24: 40-42). His main point here was to let us know that His coming will be a surprise - we need to be ready at all times - we never know when He will appear!  (Matthew 24:44).

 

II.            Others Speak of His Second Coming   

Paul, in his writings of the epistles, spoke to different churches of this “Second Coming” of our Saviour.

A. To the Church at Thessalonica - Because of intense persecution by some Jews who lived in Thessalonica, Paul was forced to leave his newly founded church before he had taught them as much as they needed.  So, he wrote this letter to give them some encouraging words, and some more sound doctrine. 

1)  I Thessalonians chapter 4, begins with instructions about how to please the Lord. But then, Paul begins to explain to them about those who die before Jesus comes again.  “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus  died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  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”  (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

2)   Then Paul begins to speak of certain things that would be happening when this “trump of God” should sound: 

a.  This day would come as a “thief in the night” - Paul agrees that no one knows exactly when this event will take place.

b.  People would be crying for “peace and safety” - the whole world is crying for peace, and there are more “peace talks” than ever before - while more war and destruction is taking place around the world!

3)  Paul’s final admonition is that the church “watch” - “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (I Thessalonians 5:6). Paul was telling his new converts to be spiritually prepared so they would escape God’s wrath. We must be spiritually awake and morally alert, and very careful to stay in God’s Word!

B. To the Church at Corinth - Paul was teaching the Corinthian saints about the resurrection of Jesus, and the hope this gives us as believers in Him.  “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”  (I Corinthians 15:19).  He went on to tell them exactly how they would receive a glorified body at the resurrection that would be a part of Christ’s second coming:  “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.  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”  (I Corinthians 15:51-55).  Paul gave us several interesting clues in these passages:

                        1)  All believers won’t be dead, but they will all be changed - I Corinthians 15:51

                        2)  It will happen in a moment - in the twinkling of an eye - I Corinthians 15:52

                        3)  There will be a trumpet blast heralding the grand event - I Corinthians 15:52

4)  The corruptible (those whose bodies have decayed) will put on incorruption (they will have a new body!) - I Corinthians 15:53.

5)  This mortal will take on immortality - those still alive will take on a new body that will never die! - I Corinthians 15:54.

6)  Death will no more be victorious over those who have received their victory        through Jesus Christ - I Corinthians 15:55.

 

III.        The Purpose of His Second Coming

            As with everything else in life, God has always had a plan for the saving of His people.  In the Old Testament, He makes it very clear, that sin has separated Him from His creation, but He had a plan for redemption!  Nevertheless, He must still punish those who refuse to accept that plan and follow in His Path of Righteousness. 

            A.   He spoke through the prophets of the Old Testament:

1)  Isaiah 13:9-11 - “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate:  and He shall destroy the sinners thereon out of it.  For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light:  the sun shall be darkened in His going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.  And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity, and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”

2)  Zephaniah 1:14-18 - “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly,      even the voice of the day of the LORD; the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.  And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.  Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath;  but the whole land  shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy:  for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.”

            B.   He spoke through New Testament writers:

1)  John the Revelator asked this question in Revelation 6:17: “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

  2)  Paul wrote in I Thessalonians 5:2,3:  “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the      Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

3)  Paul wrote again in that same chapter of I Thessalonians 5:9,10 of our hope in Jesus:       “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”

 

IV.        WHEN is He Coming?

            There are many and varied opinions as to whether Jesus will come the second time, before, during, or after He allows His wrath to fall on the earth.  However, we have already given enough scriptures to support this understanding:  “NO MAN knows the day nor the hour” (Matt. 24:36). . . “like  a thief in the night” (I Thess. 5:2). . . . “be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the son of man cometh” (Matt. 24:44).

            Why do we need to know when?  So we can play around until the hour has arrived?  So that we can do as we please, and then when the time comes, be ready?  NO!  We don’t actually need to know the exact time - we need to live every minute of every day in the expectant hope that HE IS COMING AGAIN!  He is coming back to take us home with Him - and “so shall we ever be with the Lord!”  (I Thessalonians 4:17). 

            Vance Havner, one of the most quoted of American preachers of all time had this to say about the second coming of Jesus in “The Vance Havner Quote Book - compiled by Dennis J. Hester:

 

 

 

 

      

”The early believers were not looking for something to happen, they were looking for Someone to come!  Looking for the train to arrive is one thing, but looking for someone we love to come on that train is another matter.”

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       “I’m not looking for signs.  We’ve had plenty of them.  I’m listening for a sound.  Every time you see a scoffer who says there are no signs of His coming, you’ve just seen another sign.  I’m listening for a shout!” 

 

(Vance Havner)

 

 

 

 

JESUS IS COMING SOON!

 

WILL YOU BE WALKING IN HIS

 

“PATH of RIGHTEOUSNESS”?