Bible Again

“Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28.

Very often the coming of Christ is viewed as an ordinary faith doctrine. But it is more than a doctrine which should just be accepted, it is also an awe-inspiring event which is to transpire upon the earth. For this earth, it is the most wonderful, the most important event since Christ came to it to die at Calvary for the sins of mankind.

The Second Coming of Christ, as well as his first appearing, was a subject of prophecy from the earliest times. The apostle Peter expresses this explicitly in his second epistle which has come down to us. He reveals to the citizens of Jerusalem the fact that everything “which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled”. Acts 3:18. Not one word was left unfulfilled. In the same way, he said, everything that the prophets have spoken regarding his second coming will also be fulfilled

“And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:20, 21.

The Promise of His Coming

When iniquity increased on the earth God sent to the antediluvian world a message of warning in which he stated that Christ by his coming would put an end to sin.

“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” Judas 14, 15.

The promise of Christ’s coming was also “the blessed hope” in the days of the patriarchs. In the dark hours of his trial, Job took hold of this promise by faith and his courage did not fail.

“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth...” Isaiah 19:5.

The later prophets were also led to speak about the glory of his coming, the events which would precede this event, and the preparation necessary for it.

“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence…” “Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.” Isaiah 62:6, 11.

The message about his coming must be proclaimed unto the ends of the world because it is a message of great joy for all who accept it.

In that last night which Jesus spent with his disciples before his crucifixion, when his heart was exceedingly sorrowful unto death when all our sins were to be laid upon him, his love towards his own disciples made the thought of his coming – when he shall come to bring them home, free from all sins and burdens – so dear to him, that he said:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3.

Our hearts find comfort in this promise. O, what a precious promise! He will come again! Yes, the glad tidings are that he will indeed come for us. And we answer: Lord, by your grace we will wait, watch, and be ready.

How is he going to come

Christ’s coming shall be visible to all the earth. It does not have in itself anything hidden or mysterious. John says in Revelation:

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him” Rev. 1:7.

The scene that will be seen by every eye was described by Christ to his disciples:

“For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt. 24:27.

“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 13:27.

The day of the Lord is to come to the unbelieving ones as suddenly and unexpectedly as a thief in the night. Not so for the faithful and watching ones though, as it is said:

“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thess. 5:4-6.

The personal Second coming of Christ will be visible to all. The heavens will open, the earth will be shaken, the trump of God will sound and a glory such as no mortal eyes have ever seen will suddenly encompass the world, when Jesus shall come as a King of kings and Lord of lords.

This same Jesus

The Lord desires his children to be fully convinced that the coming Lord of glory is the same Savior and Redeemer who once walked upon the shores of the blue sea of Galilee. While the disciples were watching their (and our) Savior ascend to heaven from the Mount of Olives, until “a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9), suddenly two angels stood before them and said:

“Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11.

This same Jesus! Their loving Friend – the Son of God and the Son of man – was the One whom their eyes could not see anymore. He – this same Jesus – will come again with indescribable glory and he will be accompanied by “all the holy angels”. The prophet Habakkuk describes the glorious appearing of Christ which he had seen in a vision:

“His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.” Habakkuk 3:3, 4.

It is Him indeed – this same Jesus – with the scars from the fierce nails and the signs of his redeeming glory.

This day the unprepared ones will realize – though it will be too late – that they have neglected the grace of Christ’s sacrifice and have rejected their only means of preparation to meet the coming Savior before the face of whom no sin can endure. “Every eye shall see him,” the apostle says, and he also describes the fear of the unprepared in that day:

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Rev. 6:15, 17.

The events of this great day so much exceed any human comprehension that it’s hard for a man to imagine what a time is just before us.

The purpose of his coming

The Holy Scriptures point out very clearly the reason for Christ’s coming and the events of that great day. Through all the ages the coming of the Lord has been the hope of the children of God. The apostle Paul calls it “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:11-13).

The saints of God have died in the faith of the glorious appearing of Christ. After his ascension, the apostle to the Gentiles turned his eyes with anticipation toward that day:

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Tim. 4:6-8.

The coming of Christ is the time when the children of God will enter the eternal kingdom. Then the crowns of life will be given and all saints will enter through the gates of the eternal city – patriarchs and prophets, apostles and reformers, and the children of God from this last generation. Of the ancient believers who gave us an example of faith it is written:

“And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” Heb. 11:39, 40.

What a glorious day it will be when the redeemed of all ages enter together through the gates of the city. Because Christ will come the second time to bring his children to their eternal homeland, he was able to assure his disciples:

“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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:2, 3.