Second Coming of Jesus

"The sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Matthew 24:29-31

A man and his 10-year-old daughter, both very good swimmers, entered the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean for an afternoon swim. When they were some distance from the shore they became separated. The father realized they were being carried out to sea by the riptide. He frantically called out to his daughter: "Stephanie, I am going to shore for help. If you get tired, turn on your back! You can float all day on your back. I'll come back for you. I promise!

Before long many searchers in boats were desperately scurrying over the surface of the water hunting for one small girl, while hundreds of people to whom the news had spread waited anxiously on shore. It was four long tedious hours before they finally found her, far from land. She was calmly floating on her back and not at all frightened. Cheers and tears of joy greeted the rescuers with their precious cargo as they came to land. The girl jumped out of the boat and ran into the waiting arms of her father and said, "I wasn't scared Daddy. You said you would come for me, and that I could float all day, so I just swam and floated as I waited for you to come get me."

Just like this little girl's Dad, Jesus will never disappoint you. He fulfills all the promises he has ever made. One of those promises is that he will return to earth and take those of us who believe in him to be forever in heaven.

1. Is the Second Coming of Jesus just a fairy tale?Remember the childhood stories of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Peter Pan, Beauty & The Beast, and others? Did you ever imagine yourself as the heroine or hero in those stories? As children, it was fun to fantasize about being grown up in a world where people live "happily ever after".  Since our childhoods, the realities of life produced more unhappy endings than happy ones. The good news is there's a day coming when a fairy tale happy ending will be a reality for us. Jesus is our hero! Our Knight in Shining Armor! Our Bridegroom! He will return some day for us his bride and we will "live happily ever after" with the Lord.

Revelation 22:12, "See, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds."

Matthew 25:13 - "So stay awake and be prepared, because you do not know the day or hour of my return."

Mark 13:34 - "The coming of the Son of Man can be compared with that of a man who left home to go on a trip. He gave each of his employees instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return."

♦ Luke 12:37 - "There will be special favor for those who are ready and waiting for his return. I tell you, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!"

♦ John 14:28, "Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again."

♦ Acts 1:11 - They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!"

♦ Philippians 3:20 - "We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior."

♦ 1 Thessalonians 5:10 - "He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return."

♦ James 5:7 - "Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen.

♦ 1 Peter 1:13 - "So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ."

♦ 2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent."

2. What are some of the biblical facts regarding the return of Jesus?~ Only Father God knows the exact time. Mark 13:32, "When that day and hour will come, no one knows - not the angels in heaven, not the Son, just the Father.

~ Your daily activities will be going about as usual. Matthew 24:37-39,"For the Son of Man's coming will be just as it was in the days of Noach. Back then, before the Flood, people went on eating and drinking, taking wives and becoming wives, right up till the day Noach entered the ark; and they didn't know what was happening until the Flood came and swept them all away. It will be just like that when the Son of Man comes."

~ Jesus will come when you least expect it. Matthew 24:40-42, "There will be two men in a field - one will be taken and the other left behind. There will be two women grinding flour at the mill - one will be taken and the other left behind. So stay alert, because you don't know on what day your Lord will come.

~ The whole world will see Jesus return. Matthew 24:27, "For when the Son of Man does come, it will be like lightning that flashed out of the east and fills the sky to the western horizon."

The time appears to be very short before the Messiah returns to earth. Are you prepared to meet him face to face?

3. How can I prepare myself to meet Jesus face to face?By trusting the Holy Spirit for the empowerment to be a holy vessel of honor for God through the relentless maintainance of a lifestyle of prayer, rejecting fear based beliefs, and possessing a heart that is pliable in God's hands that expresses it's love for others through random acts of kindness. Jesus said in Matthew 25:31-40, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, accompanied by all the angels, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you made me your guest, I needed clothes and you provided them, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the people who have done what God wants will reply, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you our guest, or needing clothes and provide them? When did we see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' The King will say to them, 'Yes! I tell you that whenever you did these things for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did them for me !"

A holy pliable heart also contains:

• Purity: Matthew 5:8, "How blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God."

• Forgiveness: Matthew 18:35, "...forgive your brother from your hearts.

• Love: Matthew 22:37, "You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

• Unity:Acts 4:32, "All the many believers were one in heart and soul, and no one claimed any of his possessions for himself, but everyone shared everything he had."

• Sincerity:Ephesians 6:6, "...serve as slaves of the Messiah, doing what God wants with all your heart."

• Peacefulness:Colossians 3:15, "...let the peace which comes from the Lord be your heart's decision maker.

• Gratefulness to God:Colossians 3:16, "...let the Word of the Lord, in all its richness, live in you, as you teach and counsel each other in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude to God in your hearts.

• Trust in God:Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in God with all your heart; do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him; then he will level your path."

4. What might prevent me from possessing these attributes?A compromised lifestyle: Jesus said in Luke 21:34-36, 

"Keep watch on yourselves, or your hearts will become dulled by carousing, drunkenness and the worries of everyday living, and that Day will be sprung upon you suddenly like a trap! For it will close in on everyone, no matter where they live, throughout the whole world. Stay alert, always praying that you will have the strength to escape all the things that will happen and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

The following true story, "Indestructible John", serves as a great example of an uncompromised lifestyle. Its about the beloved Disciple John. He was the one inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the book of Revelation. This story takes place within the Roman Empire in 95 AD:“This is John, the apostle of Jesus Christ!” the herald proclaimed three times. Hearing this, the crowd in the stadium cheered wildly. They had gathered to see how the last of the twelve apostles who walked with Jesus would meet with death.

The Roman Emperor stared at the old man. “So you are John, the Apostle of Love,” he sneered. “Are you ready to die?” Before John could answer, an officer approached the Emperor and whispered in his ear, “Perhaps you have heard the saying among the Christians that this John will not die until their God, Jesus returns.”“Yes, I have heard. In fact, everyone in Rome has heard it!” replied the Emperor. “These Christians are a stubborn and superstitious lot. I will show them! This man will die – today!” “How shall we kill him?” the officer asked. “Lions don’t always kill the Christians, and there have been times the fire did not burn their bodies.”“Cutting off their heads is too noble an end for such as these. This is reserved for Roman citizens,” said the Emperor. The chief executioner spoke up, “What about throwing him in a vat of boiling oil? No one could survive that!” The emperor nodded his agreement. “Prepare the oil!” As men rushed to fulfill his order, the herald proclaimed three times, “John the apostle will be boiled in oil.” The crowd cheered their approval. They would be witnesses to the death of John the Beloved.John, one of Jesus’ closest friends, was one of the three men Jesus invited into His inner circle. These three, Peter, James, and John, witnessed miracles that the other nine did not. They were the only ones who saw Jesus in all His majesty on the mountaintop, His face shining like the sun and His clothes glowing white as light.John was so full of zeal and intensity that Jesus nicknamed him and his brother James, “the sons of thunder.”

The night Jesus was arrested, John followed the soldiers, entered the high priest’s courtyard, and watched to see what would happen to his Lord. Of all the disciples, only John stood boldly with the women at the foot of the cross the day Jesus was crucified.The Roman Emperor snarled at the apostle. “If your Jesus is really a God, then ask Him to save you!” Then, turning to the executioner, he commanded, “Take him away.”As John waited for the fire to be lit and the oil to boil, he reflected back on other times he had been persecuted for the Gospel.

When the paralyzed man at the Temple gate was miraculously healed, he and Peter were arrested and imprisoned overnight. The next day they were threatened by the authorities and told, “Never preach again in the name of Jesus.” But all this did was inspire the disciples to pray for more boldness and for more miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Jesus.A short time later, John was jailed again with several other apostles. This time, they were all released by an angel who told them, “Go and preach in the Temple.” They immediately did.For this, they were beaten by the religious leaders, who again commanded, “Do not preach in the name of Jesus.” But the apostles, deciding it was better to obey God than man, kept on preaching. The Lord continued to confirm the Word with signs and wonders.Since then, John had seen the Lord deliver him time and again. He had survived the persecutions of Nero, which had ended the lives of those who remained of the original twelve disciples.The gruff voice of a guard brought John back to the present. “Get up, Christian. The oil is ready.” The crowd rose to their feet, clapping and shouting as the prisoner was lowered into the boiling oil. John raised his hands up toward heaven, praying to God.Minutes passed. John continued to pray. The cheering of the crowd faded into awed silence. They too had heard it said that this man would never die. Then the whispering started: “The apostle is not harmed!” “It’s a miracle!” “His God has protected him! Jesus has protected His apostle!”The Emperor stared at the apostle in the vat of boiling oil. Against all logic, John was still alive and still praying. The emperor’s plan had backfired: Instead of destroying all faith in Jesus Christ, he had actually helped increase it! Frustrated, he looked at the chief executioner, who shrank from under his gaze. “Is there no way to destroy this man?” the Emperor asked. But before the executioner could answer, a new cheer from the crowd drew their attention.

John was no longer quietly praying; he had started loudly and joyfully worshipping Jesus and celebrating his deliverance from death.The Emperor made a quick decision. “Get this man out of my sight.” After John was miraculously delivered from the vat of boiling of oil, the Emperor gave up trying to kill him. Instead, he banished John to the rocky island of Patmos. For two years, he lived alone in exile. But the Lord was with him and during this time, God revealed to him beautiful scenes and heavenly visions, which he wrote down in the book of Revelation.When Emperor Domitian died in 99 AD, the Roman Senate repealed his judgments and John was released. He was brought back to Ephesus, wher3e he had once been the leader of the church. Even here, he suffered persecution and was forced to drink poison. Yet he remained unharmed, just as Jesus had promised: “If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.” (Mark 16:18)While in Ephesus, John governed the churches in Asia. He read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke and verified that they were true. He then wrote the Gospel of John to add his perspective, as well as the three Epistles of John found in the Bible.John outlived all of the other disciples by more than thirty years. He finally died in peace when he was about 101 years old."

5. Are there signs of Jesus' second coming that I can look for?Yes, watch Israel like a hawk because it is the timekeeper of Jesus' return. When Israel becomes mighty and breaks loose fulfilling Zechariah 12 then in Zechariah 14 it announces the return of Jesus where he sets His feet on the Mount of Olives. The other signs pointing to the soon return of Jesus are listed in Matthew chapter 24.

• Wars and rumors of wars

• Famines and earthquakes

• Many Christians persecuted and killed. Our quality of life may diminish. Our response is to focus on God as our provider and protector. He promises to give us hidden manna in a famine and pure water, so we need to focus our eyes on the Lord as we draw near to him with our hearts. Jesus clearly said, "He who tries to save his life shall lose his life, but he or she who shall give their lives for my sake will have it." Don't attempt to save your life through extraordinary methods of hoarding supplies, but lose your life for righteousness sake. The worst thing any man can do to us is take our lives, but all that does is promote us right onto the streets in heaven. What's wrong with that? Absolutely nothing for our times are entrusted into God's care anyway. Earth is not our final dwelling place! So be encouraged. Regardless of what we experience on earth it will turn out for our good. All we have to do is believe and receive. Our bridegroom is coming for us His bride, so put on your wedding garments and wait for His coming by being proactive by serving others in Christ's love.

• Betrayal and hatred.

• False christs and prophets will deceive many through signs and miracles: Mark 13:21&22, "If anyone says to you, 'Look! Here's the Messiah!' or, 'See, there he is!' - don't believe him! There will appear false Messiahs and false prophets performing signs and wonders for the purpose, if possible, of misleading the chosen."

• Many people will doubt that Jesus will ever return to earth one day. 2 Peter 3:3-4, "During the Last Days, scoffers will come, following their own desires and asking, 'Where is this promised coming of his? For our fathers have died, and everything goes on just as it has since the beginning of creation."

• Increased apathy and wickedness will spread like an epidemic: 2 Timothy 3:1-5, "Moreover, understand this: in the last days will come trying times. People will be self-loving, money-loving, proud, arrogant, insulting, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, uncontrolled, brutal, hateful of good, traitorous, headstrong, swollen with conceit, loving pleasure rather than God, as they retain the outer form of religion but deny its power. Stay away from these people!"

"When all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” (Luke 21:28)

6. What will Jesus look like when he returns?

The disciple John describes the vision he received of the Lord Jesus at His second coming in Revelation 19:11-16: "I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself. He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, "THE WORD OF GOD." The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations - He will rule them with a staff of iron." It is he who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of God, God of heaven's armies. And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

7. Is heaven real?

God placed within the human heart a subconscious knowing that heaven is real and a desire to go there after death. Because of this, throughout the centuries spanning different cultures heaven has been a topic of numerous songs, works of art, and books. The Bible states that heaven is real and Jesus promised to bring Christians to where He is in heaven. "In My Father's house are many places to live. If there weren't, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you. Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with Me; so that where I am, you may be also." John 14:2&3

Heaven is God's throne in Acts 7:48-49, "The Most High doesn't live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says, 'Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Could you build Me a temple as good as that?' asks the Lord. 'Could you build me such a resting place?" After Jesus was resurrected his disciples witnessed Jesus' ascension into heaven in Mark 16:19, "When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand." Hebrews 9:24, "For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf."

8. What will heaven be like

Its good to know what God has prepared for us in heaven, because knowing there is a beautiful joy filled place for us to go to when we die brings hope and encouragement by focusing our eyes on the eternal during life's adversities. In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 Paul encouraged the Corinthians to cling to the hope of heaven so they would not become discouraged as they faced disappointments. "For our present troubles are smal and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."

Heaven is a place of no more tears, no more pain, and no more sorrow (Revelation 21:4) The presence of Jesus will be evident everywhere (1 John 3:2). We will enjoy seeing Him face to face for all of eternity.

♦ "For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come." (Hebrews 13:14

♦ "No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no one's heart has imagined all the things that God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)

♦ "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down – when we die and leave these bodies – we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands." (2 Corinthians 5:1)

9. Does the Bible make reference to Christians being rewarded in heaven for what we did on earth?

Yes, it does. There are many.

→ Matthew 5:12 - "Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven."

→ Matthew 6:4 - "Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you."

→ Luke 6:23 - "Leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.."

→ Luke 6:35 - "Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great.."

→ Luke 16:9 - "I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven."

→ Ephesians 6:8 - "Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free."

→ Colossians 3:24 - "Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward."

→ 1 Timothy 4:8 - "Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next."

→ 1 Peter 1:17 - "And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites when he judges. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as foreigners here on earth."

→ 1 Peter 3:14 - "But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it."

→ 1 Peter 1:4 - "For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for hischildren. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay."

→ 1 Peter 5:4 - "And when the head Shepherd comes, your reward will be a never-ending share in his glory and honor."

→ 2 John 1:8 - "Be diligent so that you will receive your full reward."

→ Revelation 11:18 - "You will reward your prophets and your holy people, all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest."

Here's a prayer from Colossians 1:9-14:

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask You to fill me with the knowledge of Your will in all the wisdom and understanding which the Holy Spirit gives; so that I may live a life worthy of You Lord and entirely pleasing to You, being fruitful in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of You. I pray that I will be continually strengthened with all the power that comes from Your glorious might; so that I will be able to persevere and be patient in any situation, joyfully giving thanks to You Father for having made me fit to share in the inheritance of Your people in the light. For You have rescued me from the domain of darkness and transferred me into the Kingdom of Your dear Son Jesus. Help me be a Spiritual Survivor every day of my life. Draw me closer and closer to You until Jesus brings me home to be with You in heaven! Amen

Copyright © 1999. All rights reserved. The story, “Indestructible John”, is an excerpt from the book "Jesus Freaks" 1999 and used with permission from Voice of the Martyrs persecution.com and DC Talk; published by Albury Publishing, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.