Is jesus really coming back?

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

From the first moment Jesus declared He would return to earth after His death and resurrection, the anticipation among His people began. Known formally as the Parousia, the Second Coming (Advent) of Christ, His return ushers in a new and important period in God’s kingdom. In a vision given by God to the apostle John:

“Then I [John] saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’” (Revelation 21:1-4).

Just as we see the redemptive work of Christ expressed as far back as the Book of Genesis,[1] we also see the prophecy of Christ’s return very early on. New Testament author Jude,[2] Jesus’ half-brother, writes:

“It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (Jude 14-15).

Enoch was Noah’s great-grandfather (Genesis 5), and known mostly for having not experienced physical death—“taken up” by God (Genesis 5:24). Jude’s quote from Enoch comes from the Book of Enoch, a pseudepigraphal[3] book that, while familiar to Jewish Christians in the 1st century A.D., was not included in the final Old Testament canon. Yet Enoch’s prophecy aligns with other Old Testament prophecies of Christ’s Second Coming, including Ezekiel chapters 37-39 and Daniel chapter 9. The general concept of the “Last Days” before the Second Coming of Christ, often noted as the “Day of the Lord,” are also referenced in many Old Testament passages.[4]

Then we see references to Christ’s Second Coming throughout the New Testament, with Jesus Himself explaining it exhaustively in Matthew 24 (entire chapter). There He makes a very important point:

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man…Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (vs. 36-37, 44). [5]

The Parousia is inevitable, it will happen suddenly (no opportunity to say, “Oops, sorry. Now I believe!”), and God’s people are to be prepared for it. The apostles Paul and Peter reinforced this to the early Church:

“For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2).

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:10).

Obviously, the Parousia clock has been ticking for a very long time, yet for a very important reason:

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Despite this grace and mercy, the delay has caused many to doubt whether Christ is coming back at all. The apostle Peter addresses this:

“…knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

Still others claim Christ has already returned[6] and we’re currently living in the 1000-year Millennial Reign of Christ (no, not those millennials!). If true, if this is the post-return world of Christ’s kingdom, then the promises made in Scripture are false. For during the Millennial Reign, Christ physically governs a perfectly peaceful kingdom on earth where there is no fear, pain, suffering, discord, etc., inhabited by those who had given their lives to Him during their lifetime on earth prior to Christ’s return.[7]

I don’t see that, do you?

Ultimately, all the theories, conjectures, and “End Times” charts regarding the Second Coming of Christ are pointless unless they foundationally and ultimately reinforce Jesus’ instruction for His people to be prepared:

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36).

Space here doesn’t allow for an exhaustive explanation of every theory regarding the Parousia, which have been debated for centuries. I want to focus more summarily on its purpose, and key events to watch for in order for God’s people to be prepared.

Purpose of the Second Coming of Christ

Think of the Parousia as the final chapter in a very long novel, where everything is explained, the hero defeats the antagonist, and those who sided with the hero live happily ever after. In this final chapter we come to understand that Christ’s return is designed to:

· Fulfill prophecy (Isaiah 2:12, 13:6, 9; Jeremiah 46:10; Ezekiel 30:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, et al)

· Gather His Church (Matthew 24:30-31; John 14:3)

· Redeem Israel (Romans 11:23-28)

· Overthrow the Antichrist and Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

· Judge the Nations (Matthew 25:31-32)

· Establish the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-15)

· Enact God’s Final Judgment after the Millennial Reign (Revelation 20:11-15)

· Establish New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21)

Preparation for the Second Coming of Christ

There are a lot of details in the events precipitating and during the Second Coming of Christ, the timing of which (as previously stated) is often debated. Most important are the “signs” given to us in Scripture that tell us we’re living in the “last days” and getting close to Christ’s return:

· Increase in wars, famine, and plagues (Matthew 24:6-8; Revelation 6:7-8)

· Increase in lawlessness and hatred (Matthew 24:12)

· Increase in false prophets and teachers (Matthew 24:4-4, 11)

· Increase in disunity among self-professed Christians (Matthew 24:10)

· Increase in hatred toward biblical Christians (Matthew 24:9)

· The rebuilding of the third Temple in Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)[8]

· Rise and rule of the Antichrist (Daniel 24:24-27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; Revelation 13:1-10)

· A seven-year period of intense tribulation, including the Battle of Armageddon (Daniel 9:24-27; 12:1; Matthew 24:21-22; Revelation 13:5, 16:14-16)

Whether Christ returns prior to, during, or after the Great Tribulation is not as relevant as simply being prepared for any of these timings. What can be said with confidence is that there isn’t much left to fulfill before Christ’s return. So, what can biblical Christians do to be prepared?

· Get our spiritual house in order. If we’re not rooted deeply in God’s word, regularly digesting it, and living out its precepts, we could find ourselves deceived in these last days. (Romans 12:2; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Corinthians 6:10-20; Philippians 4:8-9, et al. Consider the Parable of the Ten Virgins – Matthew 25:1-13)

· Be ready for potential suffering, and persevere. Without a solid foundation in Christ, we could find ourselves buckling under the pressure of an increasingly hostile world. (Matthew 24:11-13; 1 Corinthians 16:13; James 1:2-4, 12; Galatians 6:9; Romans 5:3-5; Ephesians 6:18, et al)

· Encourage other believers. This we should do generally, but also includes specific encouragement for fellow Christians to prepare for Christ’s return. (Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:13, et al)

· Occupy until He comes. Live as though Christ was coming in many years and be about His kingdom each day while living with anticipation and preparedness as though He were returning tomorrow. (Luke 19:11-27; 1 Peter 4:7, 5:8, et al)

And foundational to all this is Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21-23:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day [the day of His return] many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.”

Paul reaffirms the importance of being known by God rather than simply knowing God:

“But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” (Galatians 4:9)

We need to examine ourselves to see whether our faith in Christ is merely religious or a true relationship, as the apostle Paul writes:

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Is Jesus really coming back? Yes. Are we prepared? That’s for each of us to determine in light of God’s word, and when affirmed by that word through the Holy Spirit that we are eternally safe, to then rejoice and share the Good News with others!

FOOTNOTES

[1] When Adam and Eve attempted to cover their “nakedness” (representing sin) with fig leaves, God sacrificed an innocent animal (representing the shed blood of Christ) and provided them with animal skins (Genesis 3:7, 21).

[2] Jude is the oldest book in the New Testament

[3] Pseudepigraphal (“likely not written by the named author”), refers to a collection of ancient Jewish religious works written between the 13th century B.C. and A.D. 400, many of which are included in the Old Testament. The Book of Enoch is believed to be among the oldest Jewish writings not included in the Old Testament canon.

[4] Isaiah 2:12, 13:6, 9; Jeremiah 46:10; Ezekiel 30:3, 18; Joel 1:15, 2:1, 11, 31, 3:14; Amos 5:18-20; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7, 14-15; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi 4:5

[5] As to how it’s possible, given His coequal nature with God, that Jesus didn’t know when the Father would commission His return, in Matthew 24 He speaks from His position as the incarnate Christ on earth. We see this also in passages such as Matthew 26:39, 27:46.

[6] Known as Preterism

[7] Revelation 20:1-6

[8] Known as the Third Temple. The first was Solomon’s Temple, completed in 957 B.C., then destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, in 586 B.C. The second was completed in 515 B.C., then destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. The Third Temple movement to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem began formally in 1987