The Coming of Christ
Jesus Christ once came to this
world, lived in obscurity, endured the scorn of his contemporaries, and
suffered a shameful death. He was raised to life and taken back to heaven in
the presence of his followers. Before leaving this world, he promised that he
will come again, but this time, with great might, splendor, and majesty. His
coming will be the most dramatic event in human history. He will descend on the
clouds, surrounded by his heavenly hosts. Every eye will behold this awesome
sight and no one will escape from his presence. Are you ready to meet him?
The Day of the Lord
A Fearful Day
A day of dread. A day of
trembling. A day of vengeance. Who can withstand the wrath of the Lord when he
strikes the wicked and condemns the disobedient? People from every nation will
mourn for their iniquities and for their rejection of the only Savior.
A Joyful Day
The second coming of Christ will
also be a day of exhilaration for all true Christians. It will be the day when
they will finally meet the Savior whom they have longed for. It will be the day
when Christ will reign with justice. The Lord Jesus will send his angels to
gather his loved ones and receive them to the glorious kingdom above. He will
bless them with eternal happiness and reward them richly for their labors on
earth.
When Will He Come?
Signs of His Coming
No one knows the exact day of the
Lord's coming. However, the Bible has foretold of many signs which point to the
imminence of this event. Constant wars, famine, earthquakes, rise of
anti-Christ, religious persecution, and a steep decline of morality are all
clear indications that Christ's return may occur any day now.
Certainty of His Coming
The Bible, in both its
testaments, is filled with prophesies concerning the approximate time of, and
the situations preceding, the Lord's return. These prophesies
have drawn the attention of countless Christians who take this matter to heart.
Eschatology, the study of the end of the age, can take up volumes and cannot be
discussed in detail here. Yet one thing is certain: prophecies in the Bible
tell us that the second coming of Christ will surely take place, and it will
not be in the distant future.
What Should You Do?
Accept the Savior Now
Be prepared to meet the Lord.
Your refusal to accept Christ now can only render you speechless when the Lord
calls you to his judgment throne and questions you, "Why did you not
accept the salvation and eternal life I had offered to you?"
Eagerly Wait for Him
However, you do not have to fear
Christ's second coming or his judgment. God is giving you the opportunity to
come to know him. Believe in the Lord Jesus today. Walk on the path of
salvation He has prepared. Obey his word and be watchful through constant
prayer. Proclaim the gospel and the coming of God's Kingdom. The Lord has in
store for the believers glory and riches that far
exceed our imagination. He is coming soon to take us to his heavenly home. All
Christians have this wish, and may it also be your
sincere wish: "Amen, Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation ).
Why Will He Come?
To Receive the Saved Ones
"For the Lord himself will come down from
heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the
trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who
are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever." (1
Thessalonians 4:16-17)
To Judge the Unrepentant
"See, the Lord is coming with thousands
upon thousands of holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly
of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh
words ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 14-15)
To Reward the Righteous
"Then the King will say to [the righteous],
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for you since the creation of the world.'" (Matthew 25:34)
To Establish His Kingdom
"He was given authority, glory and
sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his
kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." (Daniel 7:14)
To Destroy All Physical Existence
"But the day of the Lord will come like a
thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed
by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare." (2 Peter
3:10)
To Create A New Universe
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no
longer any sea." (Revelation 21:1)
Major Events Centering on Christ's Second Coming
·
Completion of world evangelism
·
Global tribulation
·
Final world war – "Armageddon"
·
Christ's appearance and descent
·
Resurrection of the dead
·
Believers taken to meet with Christ
·
Universal destruction
·
Final judgment
·
A new heaven and a new earth
Please note: The exact order and details
of these events are uncertain and still require further study.