In this post, we will look at what the Bible says about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
THE MAIN BIBLE PASSAGE TO MENTION THE SECOND COMING
Revelation 19:11-21 I saw heaven opened. And there was a white horse. He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written, that no one knows but He Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood. His name is called The Word of God. The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Out of His mouth proceeds a sharp sword, with which He may strike the nations. “He shall rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury and wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice to all the birds flying in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather for the supper of the great God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of strong men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great!” Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to wage war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone. The remnant were slain with the sword which proceeded out of the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh.
The climactic event of the Great Tribulation is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ when Jesus returns to this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. He will judge His enemies, end Satan’s deception, and set up His Kingdom on earth that will last for one thousand years.
CAN WE BE SURE THAT JESUS IS COMING BACK?
In the Bible, one of the most clearly stated events that will take place is Jesus is coming again. The emphasis on the Second Coming and its absolute certainty can be seen throughout scripture. The Second Coming of Christ is referenced in 23 of 27 New Testament books. Out of the New Testament’s 260 chapters, there are 318 references to the Second Coming. On average, the Second Coming is referred to more than once a chapter. Jesus Christ, Himself refers to His return twenty-one times.
Here are some of the Bible Passages mentioning His Second Coming.
Revelation 1:7 - Look! He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
Hebrews 9:28 - so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to save those who eagerly wait for Him.
Titus 2:13 - As we await the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
1 Corinthians 11:26 - As we await the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Matthew 25:31 - “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
Mark 14:62 - Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 24:37-39 - As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
HOW WILL JESUS RETURN IN HIS SECOND COMING
JESUS WILL COME PERSONALLY
Jesus will not send someone else on His behalf. He will return.
Acts 1:10-11 - While they looked intently toward heaven as He ascended, suddenly two men stood by them in white garments. They said, “Men of Galilee, why stand looking toward heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you to heaven, will come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
JESUS WILL COME LITERALLY
The coming of Jesus is not spiritual or symbolic. He came literally, in the flesh, the first time. He will come literally again.
JESUS WILL COME VISIBLY
Jesus will not come back disguised. His coming will be visible to all the world. This is one of the differences between the Rapture and Second Coming. Another is that the Second Coming of Christ will not occur until after specific other end-times events take place. The Rapture is imminent and could take place at any moment. The Rapture will be secret and instant. The Second Coming will be open and visible to all.
Revelation 1:7 - Look! He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
Luke 21:27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
JESUS WILL COME SUDDENLY
The Second Coming of Jesus will be abrupt. It won’t occur over a long period or in stages. It will happen quickly.
JESUS WILL COME DRAMATICALLY AND IN GREAT GLORY
Dramatic signs in the heavens will attend Jesus’ coming. There was a sign in the heavens, a star, of His first coming.
Matthew 24:29-30 - “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ “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.
JESUS WILL COME TRIUMPHANTLY
Jesus will return as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is coming back to conquer! The victory is sure. He has already won. All the armies of the earth will be assembled to meet Him, yet no struggle is recorded. All Jesus will have to do is speak the word, and the war is over.
Revelation 19:19-21 - Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to wage war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone. The remnant were slain with the sword which proceeded out of the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh.
The Second Coming will be so spectacular it’s hard for us to imagine. Nothing this world has ever seen can even come close. But we can rest assured that it will happen just the way the Lord has said.
WHERE WILL JESUS RETURN IN THE SECOND COMING?
The Bible says that when Jesus returns to the earth, every eye will see Him. The entire world will witness his coming. However, while His return will be worldwide in this sense, He has to set His foot down somewhere. The Bible indicates that Jesus will return to earth from the same place He left, the Mount of Olives.
Zechariah 14:4 addresses the second coming of Christ. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is to the east of Jerusalem. And from east to west the Mount of Olives will be split in two halves by a very great valley so that one half moves to the north and the other to the south.
Jesus also delivered His great prophetic discourse, which gave the signs of His coming, from the Mount of Olives in Matthew chapters 24-25.
When Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives in Acts 1:9-12, the angels said that He would return just as He had left. While this could mean that He will return in the same manner that He left, it may also give the idea that He will return to the same place He left.
WHO ARE THE ARMIES THAT JESUS WILL RETURN WITH?
When Jesus Christ returns to destroy the antichrist, judge the nations, and establish His glorious kingdom on earth, He will be accompanied by a great multitude. This mighty army will be made up of angels and redeemed human beings, the church. All who have been raptured to heaven before the Tribulation will return with Jesus.
Zechariah 14:5b - Then the Lord my God will come and all His holy ones with you.
Matthew 25:31 - “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
2 Thessalonians 1:7b - when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
Jude 1:14 - Enoch, the seventh generation from Adam, also prophesied of these men, saying, “Look! The Lord is coming with ten thousand of His holy ones,
Revelation 19:14 - The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN UPON THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST?
What will Jesus Do When He Returns?
CHRIST WILL DEFEAT THE ANTICHRIST AND HIS ARMIES
When the Lord Jesus returns, the Antichrist and all the other Christ-rejecting rulers will be destroyed by the God they had rejected.
Revelation 19:19-21 - Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to wage war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone. The remnant were slain with the sword which proceeded out of the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh.
CHRIST WILL REGATHER AND RESTORE ISRAEL
There is a promise throughout the Old Testament. It is God’s vow to one day regather and restore the nation of Israel. The regathering of Israel began in 1948 when the modern state of Israel was born, continues today.
CHRIST WILL JUDGE THE LIVING
When Christ returns, all Gentiles alive on the earth who survived the Tribulation will stand before Him to determine if they can enter His Kingdom - see Matthew 25:31–46. This is called the judgment of the “sheep and the goats.” Christ will also gather all living Jews in the wilderness to determine who can enter the kingdom see - Ezekiel 20:33–38.
CHRIST WILL BIND THE DEVIL
One of the first things Jesus will do after His return is bind Satan. A mighty angel will seize him and cast him into the bottomless pit for one thousand years, after which time he will be briefly released.
Revelation 20:2 - He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
CHRIST WILL ESTABLISH HIMSELF AS KING
Christ returns as King of kings and Lord of lords! He comes to sit on His glorious throne and reign over the earth.
Revelation 19: 16 - On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST?
Signs Of This Happening can be found throughout the Bible, but a descriptive list can be found in Matthew 24:3-44.
The list includes:
-Deceptions
-Wars, Famines, Earthquakes and Pestilences
-Worldwide persecution of Christians
-Apostasy and betrayal amongst Christians
-False prophets with cults
-Love For God Growing Cold
The most important thing in all this is to be ready.
Check out my audio podcast.
Comments