Manner of Christ’s Coming
Will His coming be a secret, or does the Bible tell a different story? The truth may shock you.
What promise did Jesus make prior to His crucifixion?
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.
In what manner will He come back?
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly 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.
Jesus will return in a bodily and personal manner, just like He left.
Will it be possible to miss His coming?
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
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.
Christ’s second coming will not be a silent or secret event; it will be impossible to miss.
How many will see it?
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.
Will it be audible? What else will take place?
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: 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.
Those who died in Christ will be resurrected and, together with those who are alive and ready for Christ, will be caught up to meet Him in the air. Because He will not touch the earth, His second coming will not be an earth appearance, but a sky appearance.
What kind of bodies will the saved have?
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Those who meet the Lord in the air will receive new immortal bodies.
What will those who are ready for Christ say?
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
What will those who are left behind say?
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
Those who are left behind are destroyed by the brightness of His coming because any person who clings to sin cannot live in the presence of a holy God. To them His coming is a terrifying experience.
But why must they be kept out of heaven?
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Because heaven is a place where righteousness dwells, any person who clings to sin cannot be happy there.
Will there be a third group of people?
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
When Jesus returns there will be only two groups of people—the saved and the lost. It will also be too late to change sides because He returns with His reward, meaning the judgment has already happened and every person’s case has been decided.
How does Revelation portray Jesus when He returns?
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Because He has won the war with Satan, Jesus comes back as a victorious King surrounded by His angelic army.
What invitation does Revelation give us?
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. ... He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.