Jesus will come back to the earth someday.
When Jesus came to the earth the first time, 2,000 years ago, he was a baby born to a poor family. He came in weakness and mercy. Many people didn’t recognize that he was the Christ because they didn’t expect him to come in a such a lowly way.
When Jesus comes the second time, it will be different. He will come in awesome power and glory. There will be no more time to repent or get right with God. The age will be over in a flash of blinding light as Christ judges the world.
It is important for us to know what the Bible says about Christ’s second coming, so we aren’t caught off guard.
Jesus says no one knows the day or hour when he will come back to the earth (Matthew 25:13). If anyone tries to predict the day of Christ’s return, they are probably wrong.
Even though we can’t know the exact day, we can know the season of his return (Matthew 24:33). Jesus talked a lot about what the world would be like when he comes back.
Before Christ returns, there will be great apostasy, as many Christians fall away from the truth. The Antichrist will be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). Throughout history there have been many antichrists (1 John 2:18), but at the end of the age there will be one Antichrist who will rule the entire world and work astounding miracles.
Jesus is coming at the last trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54). At the last trumpet the dead in Christ will be resurrected, Christians who are alive on the earth will be transformed to receive their glorified bodies.
The last trumpet is the seventh trumpet in Revelation (Revelation 10:6-7 and 11:15-19). When the seventh trumpet sounds the age will be over as Christ returns in glory.
Before the last trumpet blows, trumpets 1-6 must sound. Many terribly destructive things will happen on the earth during these trumpets. Many people will die and the earth will be an cataclysmic turmoil. This is the time of the great tribulation. To get more details about these events, you can read about trumpets 1-6 in the book of Revelation.
When Jesus returns to the earth, every eye will see him (Revelation 1:7). Everyone on earth will see Jesus when he comes back, no matter where they live. They won’t see him because he is appearing on smartphone screens or TVs, but they will see him directly for themselves. There will be a clear revelation of Jesus Christ to everyone in the world, everywhere in the world.
When Jesus comes back it won’t be in secret. He won’t be off in a remote desert or in an inner room of a temple somewhere (Matthew 24:23-28). If someone has to tell you that Jesus has come back, then he has not come. This is because his arrival will be obvious to everyone in the world and no one will have to tell anyone else. They will all know directly it for themselves.
When Christ returns, he will be like lightning shining from one part of heaven to the other. This will be a spiritual reality that will shock the world.
When Christ returns he is going to judge the world. All nations will be gathered before him, and his throne will be exalted over everything. He will divide all people who ever lived into two categories, believers and unbelievers (Matthew 25:31-32). The believers will go into heaven to be with him forever. Those who are not believers will go into hell to be tormented forever.
Jesus told us many times to watch and be alert for his second coming. He wants us to live in light of the fact that someday soon we will stand before him. Whether we are alive when he returns or we die tomorrow, we are going to someday soon be face to face with God. Let’s clean up our lives and get rid of sin. Let’s stop wasting our time with foolish things. Let’s live in the light of God’s throne, for it will soon be exalted over the earth. May God give us his abundant grace to get ready for his glorious return.
Lincoln House Churches 