The second coming of Christ
One of the great truths of the Bible and of the Christian faith is that one day Jesus will return to earth for His followers. The Bible says that believers should look forward to this day with great hope.
When I think about this I remember back to a friend I had a number of years ago. They followed an Indian cult that believed its leader was a re-incarnation of Jesus Christ and he spent some of his time in heaven and some on earth. He was able to move back and forward secretly between heaven and earth as he willed so he could spend time with his followers.
This is not what the Bible teaches on the subject of Christ’s return. The Bible teaches that when Jesus returns it will be a great day, but it will also be one that is not secret or hidden and known only to a few people.
Here are a few verses that talk about the return of Jesus…
1. Mark 13:26-27 – “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”
2. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – “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”.
3. Revelations 1:7 – “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him…”.
4. Matthew 25:31-32 – “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
These verses tell us that when Jesus returns it will be highly visible and not a secret thing. Revelations 1 tells us that every eye will see Him return and Matthew 25 says that all the nations of the earth will come before Him. This means everyone will know. Not one person in all creation will not know about this great event.
Another important thing to remember about the return of Christ is that no-one knows the exact date or time. Matthew 24:36 tells us that, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father”. Therefore we should be wary of anyone who declares that they know exactly when Jesus is coming back.
