The second coming of Jesus is the great finale of Bible prophecy. When Jesus came to Earth the first time it was as a babe in a manger, to live the life of a servant, and die to redeem us from sin. When Jesus comes the second time it will be with the majesty and glory of the King of kings and Lord of lords. As we are now nearing the final crisis and the time of Jesus’ second coming, it is important that we understand how Jesus will return. This is especially important as Satan himself will attempt to imitate this event with a wonderful display of power and glory that will deceive everyone who does not understand this issue thoroughly.
The second coming is one of the most misunderstood themes in the Bible and there are many winds of doctrine blowing around. However, there is, by definition, only one truth. Satan is working hard to create a false understanding of the second coming as it is his intention to imitate Jesus’ return and lead the world to worship him in the form of the false system of worship that he is now establishing. If we understand what the Bible says about the second coming, this is not something we need to be concerned about. Satan will stand out like a sore thumb to all those who have fortified themselves with the truth of God’s word.
There are a few key features of Jesus’ coming that we should always remember:
1. Everyone will see Him, it is not a secret!
A popular modern belief is of a secret rapture that will occur before the antichrist comes and before the tribulation starts. The story goes that the saints will be secretly whisked off to heaven while everyone else is left here to go through the tribulation and suffer under the rule of the antichrist. This theory was made popular by the ‘Left Behind’ series of novels that were first published back in 1995. Despite this new, popular, belief, the Bible in no way describes Jesus’ second coming as secret. We are told that everyone upon the earth will see Him coming with power and great glory, nothing about His coming is a secret.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7
If you have ever sat up at night and watched a storm you are familiar with how the entire earth glows with each flash of lightning. This is how Jesus described His coming:
For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:27
Not only will the whole earth be lighted with the glory of His appearing but the whole earth will hear it.
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. 1 Thessalonians 4:16
If we have to turn on the news or travel to another city/state/country to see Him, then it isn’t Jesus.
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. Matthew 24:23-26
Note also that there is a time coming when these false christs will show supernatural signs and wonders to deceive us. When Satan performs the crowning act of his deception by imitating the very One we are waiting to see, it will be a spectacular show of supernatural power that will be so convincing that even the elect (those who are well-grounded in spiritual knowledge) may be deceived. However, Satan will never be allowed to perfectly imitate Jesus’ coming as it is described in the Bible. God does not want us to be deceived which is why He has clearly explained the way in which Jesus will return.
2. Jesus returns after the seven plagues have been poured out.
The whole earth will shake at the coming of the Lord so that islands and mountains will be moved out of their place.
Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:14-17
This shaking of the earth is the result of the seventh plague which will be poured out upon those who have rejected God’s call to repentance.
Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth…Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Revelation 16:17-18, 20
3. When He comes the righteous dead will be resurrected from their graves and those who are alive will be changed to immortality
Jesus comes at the end of the seven last plagues to receive those who have put their trust in Him. Those saints who have died before Jesus returns will be raised to eternal life, while those who have faithfully lived through the final tribulation will be changed to immortality.
Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53
Jesus will then take the saints to heaven with Him where they will live and reign with Him as kings and priests for 1000 years.
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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:2-3
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Revelation 20:4
Some believe that Jesus will set up a millennium of peace on the earth, but here Jesus plainly states that He is taking us to heaven to be with Him there.
4. The wicked are destroyed by the brightness of His coming.
While the righteous are raised to eternal life, the wicked will not be able to stand before the glory of Christ. His brightness will destroy them.
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8
The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. Psalms 110:5-6
And at that day the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground. Jeremiah 25:33
“I will utterly consume everything from the face of the land,” Says the Lord; “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land,” Says the Lord. Zephaniah 1:2-3
The second coming is a fearful time for those who have rejected God.
5. Jesus comes physically
Some believe that Jesus returns spiritually but not physically the second time. However, we are told that Jesus will come back to earth in the same way He left it after His first coming.
Who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11
When Jesus was raised from the dead He had a physical body (Luke 24:39). He took this same body up into heaven when He ascended. He will come again in the same way that He left.
6. We will meet Him in the air.
When Jesus comes back His feet will not touch the ground. We are caught up to meet Him in the clouds. So if you see ‘Jesus’ walking around, it isn’t Him!
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
Knowing that Jesus is coming soon, it is necessary that we be prepared to meet Him. This should be an event that we look forward to longingly, not with fear and dread. As we turn our affections toward Christ and heavenly things, it will be our joy to see Jesus return. Now is the time to make peace with God, to turn away from sin, and accept the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Only those who are hid with Christ in God will be able to stand in that great Day.
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:2-4
