The Second Coming of Jesus

     The coming of Messiah into the world is a prophesied event in the both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament revealed Messiah would come, both as a Suffering Servant (Psa 22:6, 12-18; Isa 50:6-7; 53:1-12; Dan 9:26; Zec 13:7), and as a reigning descendant of David, who will establish an earthly kingdom in Israel (2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:3-4, 34-37; Isa 9:6-7; 11:1-5; Jer 23:5; Dan 2:44; 7:13-14). Jesus is the promised Messiah (Matt 1:1, 16; Luke 1:31-33; John 1:41-42). At His incarnation—nearly two thousand years ago—God the Son added humanity to Himself (John 1:1, 14), walked among men and lived a righteous life, free from sin (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 John 3:5). At His first coming, Jesus repeatedly offered the earthly Davidic kingdom to Israel (Matt 4:17, 23; 9:35; 10:7), but His offer was rejected by the Jewish leadership and people (Matt 11:20; 12:14; 27:22-23; John 19:13-16), so the kingdom was postponed for a future time (Matt 21:43; cf. Matt 19:28; 25:31; Luke 22:28-30; Acts 1:3-6; Rev 20:4-6).

     As the Suffering Servant, Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins (John 3:16; Rom 5:6-8; 1 Pet 3:18), was buried, and raised again on the third day (Matt 16:21; 17:22-23; Luke 24:6-7; Acts 10:38-41; 1 Cor 15:3-4). After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to numerous persons over a period of forty days, namely, Mary Magdalene and other women (Matt 28:1-10; John 20:10-18), two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32), the disciples without Thomas (John 20:19-25), the disciples with Thomas (John 20:26-29), the disciples by the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-23), Peter, James, and more than 500 brethren at one time (1 Cor 15:5-7), and lastly, to the disciples at the Mount of Olives, before He ascended bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9-12).

     The Second Coming is distinguished from the rapture of the church when Christ takes all Christians to heaven (John 14:1-3). The rapture of the church occurs just prior to the seven-year Tribulation. We are informed “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Th 4:16-17). After the rapture of the church, there will be a period of tribulation that will last seven years (Dan 9:24-27; Matt 24:9, 21; Rev 7:14). The Second Coming will happen after seven-year tribulation. The Gospel of Matthew records the words of Jesus concerning His coming in vivid detail (Matt 24:27-30). The apostle John recorded the Second Coming of Christ in the book of Revelation.

• And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war [as righteous Judge, Jesus declares guilt, and as Warrior, He executes punishment]. ¹² And His eyes are a flame of fire [signifying purity and anger], and upon His head are many diadems [διάδημα diadema – a king’s crown]; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. ¹³ And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood [“dipped in blood” = signifying previous battle experience, i.e. the Flood, Sodom, Egypt, etc.]; and His name is called The Word of God [cf. John 1:1, 14]. ¹⁴ And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses [same as those described in vs. 8 = believers]. ¹⁵ And from His mouth comes a sharp sword [symbolizing the spoken word of God], so that with it He may smite the nations [God is militant; cf. Ex. 14:30-31; 15:3; Ps. 24:8]; and He will rule them with a rod of iron [Ps. 2:9]; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty [Isa. 63:1-6]. ¹⁶ And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “King of kings and Lord of lords.” ¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God [“great supper of God” = a time when God consumes His enemies]; ¹⁸ in order that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” ¹⁹ And I saw the beast [Antichrist] and the kings of the earth [world rulers] and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army [cf. Rev. 16:12-14]. ²⁰ And the beast was seized [Antichrist], and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone [these are the first two persons cast into the lake of fire = eternal punishment]. ²¹ And the rest were killed with the sword [the spoken word] which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse [the Living Word], and all the birds were filled with their flesh. (Rev 19:11-21)

     After the tribulation, “when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne” (Matt 25:31). At that time Jesus will judge the nations of the world (Matt 25:32-46), “dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Th 1:8). And what will their punishment look like? Paul wrote, “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed” (2 Th 1:9-10).