Dr. Michael D. Halsey
Chapter 9
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
INTRODUCTION
Let’s examine four questions that, when answered, will help us to understand the Second Coming of Jesus Christ:
1. How do we know Christ will return?
2. How will Christ return?
3. When will Christ return?
4. What does the Second Coming mean to us?
1. How do we know Christ will return?
The first and foremost reason we know Christ will return to the earth is because He said He would. (Matt. 24:27-30; Mark 13:24-26;
Luke 21:25-27) These statements settle the matter. When Jesus speaks, that’s it. But there are other statements.
The angels said He would return. (Acts 1:11)
The Old Testament prophets predict His Second Coming.
(Zechariah 14:4-9; Daniel 2:34-35 et.al.)
The apostles said He would return (Rev. 1:7; Rev. 19:11 et.al.)
2. How will Christ return?
The short answer to this question is, "Differently that He came the first time." The first time He came, He came just as Isaiah 61:1-2a predicted. He came offering Himself as the King of Israel. He allowed Israel to choose for or against His right to rule. He came predicting and experiencing His rejection (Mark 10:32-34). Paul summarizes the way He came the first time in Philippians 2:5-9.
When He comes back He will come suddenly, physically, with power and glory. This was not the modus operandi of the first coming.
Rev. 19:11-16 portrays the "how" of the Second Coming. (Note that at His first coming, the Roman officials put up a hastily letter signed announcing Jesus as "The King of the Jews." In Revelation 19, He returns as "King of Kings and Lord of Lords.") Zechariah predicts that when He returns it will be to the Mt. Of Olives and His feet will split the mountain, a phenomenon that didn’t occur at His first coming. Mark calls the "how" of His coming as being "with power and glory." (Mark 13:26) A picture in miniature of His Second Coming is given in Matt. 17:1-2—the Transfiguration.
3. When will He return?
We don’t know when, but God does and has set the date. (Matt. 24:36, Acts 1:6-7) Those who set dates for Christ’s coming end up having "miscalculated" as well as embarrassed. No date or dates should be set.
4. What does His coming mean to us?
The Second Coming means that the books will be balanced, that is, that we live in amoral universe (Acts 17:31, Rev. 20:11-15). There are several judgments connected with His Second Coming, and a few of these will take place after His 1,000-year reign on earth (Rev. 20). It is important to know that He will put down evil and Satan forever (Rev. 20:10).
Without the Second Coming, there is no hope for this howling wilderness. The world isn’t getting any better and without the Second Advent, there is only pessimism. But the Bible paints a very optimistic picture for the future. There is one Scripture that shows the precision of all of this: Isaiah 61:1-2 as compared to Jesus’ sermon in Luke 4:16-20 where He carefully keeps separate His first and Second comings. He stops His quotation of Isaiah 61:1-2 and doesn’t complete it. The reason is that, at His first coming, He comes to proclaim freedom to the captives, so He stops the quote at that point. The last part of verse 2 has to do with His Second Coming only, so He doesn’t quote that part.
5. Why will He return?
The fact of His judgments in connection with His SeconComing and in connection with the conclusion of His reign give a literal meaning to the prophets and the Psalms who see God enthroned over the earth as King and Judge. (Ps. 9:8; 72:2 and 62:2)
His return means a fulfillment to the Abrahamic, Davidic, Palestinian and New Covenants promised in the Old Testament. Israel will then receive all of their land God promised to them as well as a "new heart" promised in the New Covenant.
The Second Coming fulfills passages such as Ps. 2. His coming in triumph will be to an earth that last saw Him seeming "defeat." His
Coming will enable man to fulfill his destiny of having dominion over the earth under God as stated as the original purpose of man’s creation in Gen. 1:26-28. (It is amazing how all the Bible fits together in one unified and consistent whole.)
CONCLUSION
Jesus will return. In power. In glory. Physically. Literally. The plan of God is neither a tragedy nor a catastrophe. It is a triumph.