The Second Coming - 1
He is Coming Again
When I was a youngster my dad would often come downstairs after shaving and he’d be singing “O what a beautiful morning” or “Early one morning, just as the sun was rising, I heard a maiden singing in the valley below – O never leave me, O don’t deceive me.” I didn’t know the word ‘deceive’ and was told it meant ‘to mislead, to cheat or to delude.’
When Jesus spoke about His second coming, He would say, “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming ‘I am the Christ’ and will deceive many” (Mathew 24 verses 4 and 5). He warned, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them” (Mathew 7 verses 15 and 16).
A preacher called William Miller found an audience of thousands for his prediction that Jesus would return on 22nd October 1844. When it didn’t happen, that day became known as The Great Disappointment. Jim Jones with the Peoples’ Temple in Guyana in 1978 and David Koresh at Waco, Texas in 1993 led their followers to their death by deceiving them. Obviously, the author of the book “88 reasons why the Lord will return in 1988” was equally deceived. The Bible teaches that Jesus will return to planet earth one day – but no-one knows the date. Someone has said, “Date setters are up-setters.”
You may ask “Who says, ‘Jesus is coming again’?” The Lord Jesus Christ does, for a start. In chapter 14 of John’s gospel Jesus says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (verses 2 and 3).
At the time of his Ascension from the Mount of Olives, we hear angelic testimony regarding Christ’s return. The angels said to the disciples, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts 1 verse 11).
In Hebrews chapter 9 verses 27 and 28 we read, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” There are some lovely words in Titus chapter 2 verses 11 to 13 where Paul writes, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.” It’s clear where our focus should be – not looking for signs, but looking for Him.
Non-Christians are very accustomed to thinking about the end of the world, but they don’t anticipate that God will have anything to do with it. They think in terms of a nuclear holocaust, global warming or pollution. However, according to the Bible, the climax of the ages will be the return of Jesus Christ to planet earth.
Teaching on the second coming seems like a wave of the sea. It gains prominence and rises, and then seems to fall away and people say “I can’t remember when I last heard a message on the Return of Christ.”
However, the doctrine of the Second Advent is mentioned over 300 times in the New Testament alone. Not one New Testament writer fails to speak of the Lord’s coming again. The early church held strongly to the doctrine of Christ’s return. In fact, the watchword of the early believers was “Maranatha” – Come, O Lord – Come, Lord Jesus.
The church taught the bodily, visible return of Jesus as King. Whenever we take communion we are mindful of both the first and second comings of Christ. “Do this in remembrance of me” in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 24 is followed by “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (verse 26).
Just as Micah (Micah 5 verse 2) prophetically pinpointed the very village where Jesus would be born – Bethlehem – so the prophet Zechariah has pinpointed the very area to which the risen, ascended and glorified Christ will return, “On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem” (Zechariah 14 verse 4). That prophecy was given over 2,500 years ago. It hasn’t happened yet, but it will because the scripture cannot be broken. Are you looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ? Are you ready to meet Him?