When Jesus Comes Again.

Jesus will come back in the same manner as He returned to Heaven:

Luke writes of Jesus’ ascension back to God in Acts 1:9-11, Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’

Jesus coming will be properly announced:

In 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 Paul writes, For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Those who have risen from the dead and those who are alive will meet the Lord in the air to be with the Lord thereafter.  No waiting around on Earth. No thousand year reign on Earth.

Everyone will see Jesus when He comes again:

The apostle John writes in Revelation 1:7, Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.

Jesus will not come secretly.  Everyone will see Him.  Those from Adam to the last person on Earth will see Him when He comes.

Even those in the graves will hear Jesus’ voice:

Jesus tells us in John 5:28-29, Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Those in the grave need not fear missing Him when He comes.  Some will be happy to hear Him.  Others will be distressed to hear His voice.

No one knows or can predict when Jesus is coming again:

Jesus says in Mark 13:32, But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Those who predict when Jesus is to come are false prophets because no one knows when Jesus will come.  Those people must not be believed.  God has not revealed to anyone when Jesus is coming.

Jesus will come at an unexpected time:

Jesus says in Luke 12:40, Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

The apostle Peter tells us in 2 Pet 3:10, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

Those who are always expecting Jesus to come at any time are the only ones who will not be surprised when He comes.

One purpose of Jesus’ coming is to deliver the Kingdom to His Father:

Paul tells the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15:24, Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

Another purpose is to put an end to all earthly rule, authority and power:

We look again at 1 Corinthians 15:24, Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

Jesus is coming to take vengeance on those disobedient to God:

Paul tells of Jesus coming in 2 Thessalonians 1:8, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul speaks to two groups: those who have not developed a relationship with God based on knowledge and those who refuse to obey the gospel that Jesus delivered.

Death settles the destination for all of mankind:

It is written in Hebrews 9:27, And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this [comes] the judgment,

Death settles where one will spend eternity. No second chance after death.  Its death then next the Judgment Day.

Jesus’ Second Coming is not as an offering for sin but for salvation for those who eagerly wait for Him:

The writer in Hebrews 9:28 says, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Jesus came the first time to be an offering for sin. He will come the second time to take those, who have obeyed Him, home to heaven.

God has appointed a day to judge the world:

Paul tells the Athenians in Acts 17:30-31, Truly, these [former] times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.

God has set the time for the Day of Judgment but no one knows when that Day will be but God Himself.

Jesus will be that Judge:

Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1, I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.

Jesus came the first time to be the Savior of all those who would obey Him.  He will come the second time to be the Judge of those who have rejected Him. It is at this time that His Kingdom will become what was in the plans from the beginning--an eternal spiritual Kingdom with God as Sovereign.

The standard of judgment will be the words that Jesus spoke:

Jesus says in John 12:48, He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

Jesus brought the words of salvation.  Those words will be the Judge on that Day.

Judgment is without mercy for the unmerciful on that day:

The writer of James 2:13 tells us, For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

The unjust and ungodly can expect punishment and perdition:

Peter writes in 2 Peter 2:9, then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the Day of Judgment,

He continues in 2 Peter 3:7, But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

What one presently sees will become nonexistent on that Great Day:

Peter tells us what the end times will produce in 2 Peter 3:7-13, But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.  Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

All people will stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ:

Paul writes in Romans 14:10-12, But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.  So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Every knee shall bow to Him and every tongue shall acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord on that Day:

Paul tells the Philippians in 2:9-11, Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Acknowledging that Jesus is Lord and doing some good works will not be enough to save:

Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23, Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Each one will be judged by the things done in this life:

Paul writes 2 Corinthians 5:10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

By our words we will be judged:

Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:36-37, But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Following the majority will bring calamity:

Again Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14, Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life there are few who find it.

To understand the consequences of the Judgment Day one must understand the goodness and severity of God:

The apostle Paul writes to the Romans in 11:22, Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

Even the disobedient angels will be judged on that Day:

We are told in Jude 1:6, And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;

The faithful Christian has nothing to fear on Judgment Day:

We learn in 1 John 4:17, Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

The obedient Christian does not fear because his sins are not remembered:

It is written in Hebrews 10:17,  Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

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