The Second Coming of Our Lord
1. What evidence had the disciples that our Lord ascended to heaven? "And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight." Acts 1:9. 2. What message came to them as they watched His ascension? "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also 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 1:10, 11. NOTE.—The disciples were not only looking at Christ when He ascended, but they "looked steadfastly"—they had their attention and their eyes fixed upon Him. In their literal, mortal bodies, with their natural eyes, they saw Him go. The One who is promised to return is "this same Jesus" that they knew and had been associating with in person. He was a personal, literal Saviour when He was here in His first advent; and when the promise is fulfilled He will return, the same personal, literal Jesus that He was then. This is the plain, obvious teaching of the text. 3. What promise had Christ made to His disciples while He was yet with them in His earthly ministry? "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. 4. What statement does the apostle Paul make concerning the second coming of Christ? "So 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." Heb. 9:28. 5. Who will attend the Lord Jesus when He comes? "For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works." Matt. 16:27. 6. How many of the angels will attend the Lord when He returns? "When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory." Matt. 25:31. 7. In what emphatic language does the apostle Paul speak of the second coming of Christ in his letter to the Thessalonians? "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." 1 Thess. 4:16. NOTE.—The Lord HIMSELF is the one that is coming. Language could not be made more emphatic or clearer. And not only is the Lord HIMSELF coming, but He will bring with Him all the holy angels. The foregoing scriptures tell this story in simple, plain, correct language. It could not be made clearer than the language of Scripture puts it. The Lord HIMSELF could be none other than the Christ of God, and the Lord HIMSELF could not come without His coming being both PERSONAL and LITERAL. His Coming Will Be Visible
8. How manifestly plain and visible will the coming of Christ be? "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. 9. How many will see Him when He comes? "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. NOTE.—"Every eye shall see Him." And "they also which pierced Him" shall see Him, showing that the resurrection takes place at His second coming, and those who so cruelly put Him to death on the cross will be required to see the enormity of their awful deed. As the lightnings shine from east to west, illuminating with intense brightness the whole earth and sky, even so shall the coming of our Lord, in all His glory and with all the glory of His Father and with all the glory of His holy angels, illumine this old earth with a glory that has never before appeared upon it. 10. What warning does the Master give concerning those who will teach that His coming is secret or private? "Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not." Matt. 24:25, 26. 11. What further warning emphasizes the fact that we must not look for the second coming of Christ in some private or local manner? "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matt. 24:23, 24. NOTE.—These warnings against "false christs and false prophets" are also prophecies that such characters will arise. And it should be plain to any one that they will be most abundant and deceptive in the time just preceding the second coming of our Lord. Satan would especially exert himself to this end. But we have the comfort from the Scriptures that while these great deceptions are aimed especially against the "elect" of God, yet they will not be able to lead them astray. They are studying and heeding the warnings that the Master has given concerning the work of the arch-deceiver. "If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself. He that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh the glory of Him that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him." John 7:17, 18. A.R.V. Man May Know When His Coming Is Near
12. What statement does the Master make in regard to the definite knowledge that we may have in regard to His second coming? "Now learn a parable of the fig-tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." Matt. 24:32, 33. NOTE.—There are certain things which the Lord has given us in His teaching that are to betoken the approaching day of His coming. And we are told to know, when we see "all these things," that His coming is so near that it is even at the doors. Observe this: His instruction is that we are not to say we know His coming is so imminent until we see "ALL" the things that He tells us in His word to look for. 13. What clear instruction does the apostle Paul give us concerning the definite knowledge we may have regarding the time when the great day of the Lord is near? "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 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." 1 Thess. 5:1-5. NOTE.—There are those whom the apostle speaks of in the third person as "they" who are in darkness, and so the day of the Lord steals in upon them as a "thief;" it will come to them as a great surprise and shock. But those whom Paul claims as his "brethren"—those who are with him, the followers of Christ—are not in darkness, and hence that great day does not come upon them as a thief. They have studied the prophetic word that reveals the "times and the seasons" when His coming is near, and so they are looking for Him and are ready for Him when He comes. 14. What plain statement does Christ make concerning the tokens that should mark the approach of the day of His coming? "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21:25-28. 15. What other statement does the Teacher make on the same subject? "And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven." Luke 21:11. 16. What is the character of the prophecies that foretell the coming of the Lord? "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus9Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:16-21. NOTE.—The one who reverently, devotedly, and unselfishly follows the teaching of the word of the Lord concerning the second coming of Christ can not be led astray. For there will be signs so numerous and so completely out of the sphere of man’s power that the intelligent Christian will make no mistake. The mighty earthquake, the “fearful sights and great signs from heaven,” and all the rest of the mighty signs that we are to be guided by, are beyond the power of man. They are wholly under the control of Him who guides the universe. And then we have the “more sure word of prophecy” that can be depended on even beyond our natural senses, because no prophecy of God’s word ever came by the will of man; but men spoke from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit. The Lord has fixed things so plainly in His word that there is no chance for the sophistries and delusions of the last days to reach His children. They stand firmly and securely on the impregnable and eternal foundation of God’s word.