Doctrine of the Last Things (Part 7): The Nature of the Second Coming

The Nature of the Second Coming

The last several lessons we’ve been asking the question: will there be one return of Christ or will there be multiple returns of Christ? We’ve looked at two views that imply that there will actually be multiple returns of Christ: the Rapture view and the Preterist view. I’ve offered criticisms of both of those views. Rejection of the Rapture view and Preterist view leaves us, I think, with the classical Christian view that the return of Christ will be a singular, visible, decisive event that will bring about the end of human history, the resurrection of the dead, and the judgment of mankind. That, I think, is the view that best represents biblical teaching.

Today we want to move ahead to our next point which is the nature of the Second Coming. Here I would like to make four points.

1. The Second Coming of Christ will be a personal coming. The classical view entails that the Second Coming will be Christ’s personal return to Earth.

Turn to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15. Paul writes,

But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.

Those who have died in Christ are now in an intermediate state of disembodied existence, away from the body but at home with the Lord. When Christ comes again he will bring with him the souls of the departed righteous dead, and then their bodies will be raised from the dead in a transformed, powerful, immortal resurrection body. Then those who are alive at the time of Christ will similarly be transformed. So I think that this clearly implies that this involves a literal personal return of Christ again with the deceased saints who are currently with Christ.

Also, look at Acts 1:11b. There the angels at the ascension of Jesus say to the disciples, “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Christ ascended personally into heaven; he will come again personally from heaven. They are analogous.

2. The return of Christ will be glorious. In contrast to the humble state of Christ’s first coming, the Second Coming will be in glory. Matthew 24:30 says,

then will appear the sign of the Son of man 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.

Here the return of Christ is a visible public event of power and glory.

Compare Mark 14:61-62. This is a description of the trial scene where Jesus is interrogated by the high priest.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

This leads immediately to Jesus’ condemnation for blasphemy. Here Jesus says that he is going to be seen on the clouds of heaven, seated at the right hand of God himself, coming in power.

Finally, Revelation 1:7, a passage which recalls the passage we read in Matthew, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

So the return of Christ will be a powerful, glorious event.

3. It will be a decisive event. By that I mean that this is the termination of human history. The return of Christ brings human history to a close. In 1 Corinthians 15:22-24 Paul says,

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.

So the coming of Christ is not something that occurs, so to speak, midway through human history. This is the end of the world, in the sense that it is the time at which the dead are raised, Christ destroys every enemy, and he delivers his Kingdom over to God the Father.

So it is a decisive event.

4. Finally, it will be a sudden and unexpected event. Matthew 24:37-44 says:

As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Then two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

This passage indicates the abruptness and the unexpectedness of the return of Christ. The nature of the return of Christ therefore requires readiness on the part of believers precisely because they do not know the time of his return.

Also look at 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6. This is Paul’s advice concerning this very subject. He writes,

But as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

We may not know when Christ will return; but this fact is a call to vigilance, to readiness, so that when he does return we won’t be caught off guard like the person whose house is burgled because he didn’t know that the thief was coming.

In short, the nature of the Second Coming of Christ is such that it will be a personal, glorious, decisive, sudden and unexpected event terminating human history.

That brings us to a good breaking point, so we will simply have a shorter lesson today. Next time we’ll look together at the purpose of the Second Coming. Why does Christ come again? What is the purpose of this event? Why do we have this doctrine at all? That will be our subject next time. We’ll see you then.^[1]