There are three divisions of time:
1. The Past
2. The Present
3. The Future
The past is gone.
-we can not change our record or what has taken place in the past.
The present is our time of opportunity.
– in light of our past experiences, we can know better how to improve our opportunities in building for our future.
The future is hidden from our sight.
-we do not know what the future holds other then what God has revealed to us through His Word.
The Fact of His Coming
Why should we believe that Jesus will come again?
1. Jesus Christ has promised that He will come again.
2. The two men in white apparel said that He will come again.
3. The apostles told of His coming.
When will Jesus return?
Only the Father knows.
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
What are some of the signs?
1. People will be deeply absorbed in the things of this world and what this world has to offer them.
2. The Gospel preached to all the world.
3. Great natural occurrences, wars and so on.
4. There will be a falling away from the Truth.
How will Jesus Return?
1.He cometh with clouds and every eye shall see Him.
Revelation 1:7 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. Even so, Amen.
Acts 1
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 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.
2. He will be accompanied by saints and angels.
Matthew 25:31 ¶ 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:
1Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. {prevent: or, come before, or, anticipate, or, precede}
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
What does is mean:
1Thessalonians 4:14 even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
The conclusion is logical that at Christ’s second coming He will bring with Him the disembodied spirits of the saints who have fallen asleep (or died), will call their sleeping bodies from the grave, and with their soul and bodies reunited and glorified by the power of God, together with the righteous living at His coming, they will meet the Lord in the air.
3. He will come with power and great glory.
Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
There is a remarkable difference between His first coming and His second coming.
-Jesus came as a helpless baby in a very lowly setting.
-Jesus will return with Power and Great Glory as King of kings and Lord of lords.
What is the purpose of His coming?
1. He is coming for His own.
John 14
1 ¶ Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 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.
3 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.
4 ¶ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
2. He is coming to judge the world.
2Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Matthew 25:31 ¶ 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:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Romans 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
2Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
3. He is coming to glorify Himself as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Why are there differences in interpretation of end time events?
Let me make just a few comments:
1. The Truth of God’s Word is not affected by man’s failure to comprehend.
2. Failure to comprehend should be considered an incentive to a more faithful, prayerful study of God’s Word.
3. It is more important that we be found ready for Christ’s coming than it is for us to know the exact time of His coming or the exact program of blessing and judgments after he does come.