The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ 3

 

LESSON 3

THE MANNER OF CHRIST'S SECOND COMING

You are welcome to another edition of Insights from God's Word, a Bible study programme that is committed to sharing God's Word by allowing the Bible to speak for itself.

In this edition, we continue with our series on The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ. The topic for this study is: The Manner of Christ's Second Coming. In this study we are going to consider from Scripture the way or manner in which Christ will come the second time. 

Beloved, among the various teachings in Scripture which the devil has seriously distorted is the topic on the Manner of Christ's Second Advent. Our Saviour knew that Satan will attack this truth, and hence warned His disciples to be wary of the deceptions of the enemy. 

From Matthew 24, we find among Christ's answer to His disciples concerning the signs that will precede His second coming the following: 

“24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

24:25 Behold, I have told you before.

24:26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

(Matthew 24: 4, 5, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27)

Friends, in these texts above, Christ plainly notifies us that we should be watching out for a counterfeit from the enemy in regard to His second coming. Among the instructions Christ gave the disciples, He was very particular about the fact that His second coming was not going to be limited to some part of the world so that believers come to that area to consult Him. In fact, the clear words from the lips of our Saviour are as follows:  

"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not" (Matthew 24:23).

"Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not" (Matthew 24:26).

But that "...as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:27). 

Thus, in other words, Christ is plainly saying here that just as the lightning that shines from the east to the west is seen by all, so His second coming is not going to be a secret event or be limited to a certain part of the world.

Friends, now that we have considered Christ's own words concerning the deception that will precede the manner of His second coming, I want us to consider some plain biblical facts concerning this topic. The Bible is very clear concerning the way or manner Christ will come. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that Christ's second coming is going to be: a literal event, a visible event, an audible event, a glorious event, a worldwide event and a climactic event. 

At this point, I want us to consider what the Bible has to say concerning each of these facets in regard to the manner of Christ's second coming. Friends, from the evidence of Scripture, we learn that:

1. CHRIST'S SECOND COMING WILL BE A LITERAL EVENT 

The word literal here means not figurative or metaphorical, that is; “following the words of the original very closely and exactly” (Dictionary.com)

Beloved, from Acts 1:9-11, we learn that the second coming of Christ is going to be a literal event. We read from Acts 1:9-11, the following: "9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:9-11).

Friends, from this passage we learn clearly that Christ's second coming is going to be a literal event. The angels confirmed the fact that Christ was going to come "...in like manner..." (Acts 1:11) as He went to heaven. Some of the key points that we can glean from the phrase "in like manner" from the passage in Acts 1:9-11 are as follows: 

A) Christ Himself is the one Who is going to return. In other words, He is going to come personally. The angels confirm this with the words: "this same Jesus" (Acts 1:11). In other words, the Christ Who walked with the disciples, healed the sick, cared for the needy, and paid the penalty for our sins on the cross at Calvary is the same Christ Who is going to return. Thus, from this biblical fact, it is clear that Christ's second coming is not going to be a spiritual event; neither is His coming going to take place in our hearts as some folks will want to carry across. But rather, as we have learnt, His coming is going to be a literal and a personal event.

B) From the passage in Acts 1:9-11, we also note that even as Christ went up to heaven on clouds (Acts 1:9), so is He going to come the second time with clouds. From Revelation 1:7, we read this statement of fact in relation to Christ's second coming: "Behold, he cometh with clouds;..."

Thus, friends, the evidence from Scripture above, make it clear that the second coming of Christ is going to be a literal event. 

2. CHRIST'S SECOND COMING WILL BE A VISIBLE EVENT

The word visible basically means "Capable of being seen; open to easy view" (Wordweb)

Friends, the Bible makes it clear that Christ's second coming is going to be a visible event. I want us to consider some clear evidences from the Word of God:

A) "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen" (Revelation 1:7; Capital Emphasis Added).

B) "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" (Matthew 24:30; Capital Emphasis Added).

C) "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall SEE him as he is" (1 John 3:2; Capital Emphasis Added).

Friends, from these texts above, it is clear that all living beings are going to see Christ when He appears the second time. Our Lord's coming is not going to be something spiritual or secret as we hear about so much in several quarters in Christendom. But as we have seen from Scripture, the second coming of Christ is going to be a visible event.

3. CHRIST'S SECOND COMING IS GOING TO BE AN AUDIBLE EVENT

The word audible basically means "heard or perceptible by the ear" (Wordwed)

Beloved, the Bible makes it clear that Christ's second coming is going to be an audible event. Let us consider some clear evidences from the Word of God:

A) "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 the other" (Matthew 24:31; Capital Emphasis Added).

B) "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:" (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Capital Emphasis Added).

C) "Our God shall come, AND SHALL NOT KEEP SILENCE: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him" (Psalm 50:3; Capital Emphasis Added).

Friends, from the texts above, it is very clear that the second coming of Christ is going to be very audible. With heavenly trumpets and the shout of the Archangel, the Lord is going to ensure that the world gets to know that the great day of His wrath has come. And beloved, no one can ever sleep through that. This is so much evidence from Scripture that stands in contrast to the widely accepted teaching that Christ's second coming is going to be silent or secret. 

4. CHRIST'S SECOND COMING WILL BE A GLORIOUS EVENT 

The word glorious means "Characterized by grandeur" or "Having great beauty and splendour"  (WordWeb)

Friends, the Bible makes it clear that Christ's second coming is going to be a glorious event. Let us take some time to consider some clear evidences from the Word of God:

A) "Looking for that blessed hope, and the GLORIOUS appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" (Titus 2:13; Capital Emphasis Added).

B) "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:" (Matthew 25:31).

C) For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels (Luke 9:26).

Friends, the texts above make it clear that the second coming of Christ is going to be attended with so much splendour that human eyes have never witnessed. His coming is going to be a glorious event; for Christ is coming with His own glory, the glory of the Father and the glory of all the holy angels in heaven (Luke 9:26). The Scripture says the wicked world cannot stand the brightness that will attend His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

Beloved, for us to have an understanding of how glorious the second coming of Christ will be, I want us to consider some events which occurred during the death and resurrection of Christ. From Matthew 27, we read about how Christ was crucified and then buried in Josephs new tomb. From this passage, we learn how Satan through the chief priests and Pharisees wanted to make sure that the body Christ remained in the grave forever. We read this story from Matthew 27:62-66 as follows:

“62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch (Matthew 27:62-66).

 But beloved, as the soldiers were keeping a faithful watch over Christ's body, a dramatic event occurred early Sunday morning. We read about this event from Matthew 28:1-4: " 1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men" (Matthew 28:1-4).

Friends, the account of this passage is clear. From the glory of one angel who descends from heaven, strong Roman soldiers are shaken and become as dead men. Wow!  This is just the glory of one angel. But friends, that is not all. We are told from Matthew 25:31 that all the holy angels are going to be with Christ when He comes back the second time to redeem His saints from this miserable world. The glory of all these angels, I believe will be enough to blind the entire human race. But beloved, that is still not the entire company that comes with Christ; for we are told in Luke 9:26 that Christ also comes with His own glory and with the glory of the Father. Beside the angelic host, the Godhead also joins the train that descends from heaven on that great rescue mission of all time. Friends, it will be very difficult for us to even speculate the kind of glory that will attend the second coming of Christ on that day when heaven will be silent (Revelation 8:1). Human minds cannot adequately describe the scene today; for the glory of the second coming will be beyond what we have ever thought or imagined.

Friends, the Bibles makes it clear that Christ's second coming will be a glorious event. Even though the wicked world will be destroyed by this glory (2 Thessalonians 2:8), the righteous will be miraculously shielded from the overpowering brightness that envelops the world (Isaiah 25:9). It is my sincere desire that I will behold the splendour of that day; and more importantly, see the face of my Maker Who bled and died for me on Calvarys cross. I'm sure this is your desire too!

5. CHRIST'S SECOND COMING WILL BE A WORLDWIDE EVENT

The word worldwide basically means "Involving the entire earth; not limited or provincial in scope " (WordWeb)

Friends, the Bible makes it clear that Christ's second coming is going to be a worldwide event. It's not going to take place at some little corner in some part of the world, so that the rest of the world who were unfortunate to witness His coming will have to see it on TV. Friends, the second coming of Christ is going to be worldwide, and you wouldn't need anyone to tell you it has happened. 

As the lightning that flashes from the east to the west is seen by all, so will the coming of Christ be witnessed by everyone on the planet. From Matthew 24:30, we read the following in relation to this point: "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" (Capital Emphasis Added).

Friends, the content of the text above is very clear. All the tribes of the earth are going to see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Friends, the text in Matthew 24:30 does not mean that everyone on the planet is going to mourn when Christ appears the second time. Scripture makes it clear that it is the wicked inhabitants of the earth that will mourn on that day (Revelation 6:12-17; Matthew 25:31-46; Isaiah 25:9). They will realize too late that they have made a terrible mistake of not accepting heaven's precious Gift of salvation. And now, as the Saviour descends in majesty and splendor, the entire wicked world hide from the scene. 

We read from Revelation 6:14-17 the following: "14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” 

Beloved, as the entire wicked world flees from the presence of Christ at His coming, the righteous will proclaim: "... Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation" (Isaiah 25:9).

Friends, the second coming of our Lord is going to be a worldwide event. Every eye is going to see Christ come at the same time (Revelation 1:7). This is the reason why Christ warns us in Matthew 24 with the following words: 

"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not" (Matthew 24:23).

"Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not" (Matthew 24:26).

But that "...as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:27).

Beloved, Christ made these statements in regard to His second coming to alert us ahead of time so we are not deceived by the counterfeits of Satan in regard to this event. You see friends, from the evidence of Scripture; we learn that we will not need anyone to inform us that Christ has come. For His coming is going to be a worldwide event. And the events that will accompany the second coming will be so amazing and supernatural that you cannot miss it. 

6. CHRIST'S SECOND COMING WILL BE A CLIMACTIC EVENT

A climactic event or time is one in which important or exciting things happen: a climactic moment in history (Cambridge Learners Dictionary)

Beloved, the Bible makes it clear that Christ's second coming is going to be a climactic event. It's going to be the highest or most exciting point in the series of events that have underlined the great controversy battle between Christ and Satan. When Christ appears the second time, He comes with His reward to give unto every man according as his work shall be (Revelation 22:12). To the wicked inhabitants of the world, the second coming of Christ will be a terrible event; For they will wish to be covered up by the caves and mountains of the earth instead of see the face of Him whom they have rejected (Revelation 6:12-17). From the Prophet Jeremiah, we read the following in relation to what happens to the wicked: 

A) "I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger” (Jeremiah 4:26).

B) "And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground” (Jeremiah 25:33).

Beloved, contrary to what the wicked world will experience, the second coming of Christ is going to form an exciting climax for God's people across the globe. From Isaiah 25:8-9, we read the following in regard to the righteous: "8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. 9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation" (Isaiah 25:8-9).

Thus friends, Christ's second coming is going to be a climactic or the most important event in the great controversy battle between Christ and Satan. And for the people of God across the globe, this event is going to be a joyous event that will fulfill their innermost longings. 

Beloved, in this study, we have reviewed the Bible's position on the manner of Christ's second coming. We have learnt today that Christ's coming is going to be a literal event, a visible event, an audible event, a glorious event, a worldwide event and a climactic event. As I stated earlier, to have an understanding of these clear facts of Scripture in relation to Christ's second coming is very important. This knowledge will enable each one of us to decipher the truth from Satan's deceptions in regard to the events that will attend Christ at His second coming. 

But friends, mere head knowledge of these facts will ultimately not save any of us. The Lord requires that we give ourselves to Him completely so that He can work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. Beloved, the Lord expects from each of us that before He comes, we will be like Him in character, shining as lights to the world around us. 

The question I want you to ponder on as I bring this study to a close is this: Considering the kind of life you are living today, will you be ready to go home with Christ when He comes to deliver His children from planet Earth? Just search your heart and answer this question honestly. In case you realize that your heart is not right with God, you need not despair. There is still an opportunity for you to give Him all your heart today. Just open your heart my beloved friend, and accept heaven's precious Gift of salvation. The good news is that you don't have to pay a penny for this gift. It's free for all. From John 3:16, we read the following timeless words: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 

Beloved, if you give your life to Christ today, you will never be disappointed. He will help you to overcome sin. He will help you to start a brand new life in Him. 

Exhortation: "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:28).

In our next study, we will consider the topic: The Secret Rapture Doctrine. The Bible Study references for this study are Matthew 24: 4, 5, 11, 24, 25, 26, 27; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, 9; Matthew 24:9, 13 and Revelation 6:9-11. Please do well to go through these passages before the next study is released.

Stay blessed and keep shining for King Jesus.

Maranatha!