At our Bible study on Thursday evening, we looked at the topic of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, particularly in the Gospels. George Sweeting tells us, ‘ONE IN EVERY 30 NT VERSES REFER TO THE SECOND COMING! – More than a quarter of the Bible is predictive prophecy. Approximately one-third of it has yet to be fulfilled. Both the Old and New Testaments are full of promises about the return of Jesus Christ. Over 1,800 references appear in the Old Testament, and seventeen Old Testament books give prominence to this theme. Of the 260 chapters in the New Testament, there are more than 300 references to the Lord’s return – one out of every thirty verses. Twenty-three of the twenty-seven New Testament books refer to this great event. Three of the four other books are single-chapter letters written to individuals concerning a particular subject, and the fourth is Galatians, which does imply Christ’s coming again. For every prophecy on the first coming of Christ, there are eight on Christ’s second coming.’ It’s vital, therefore, that we look at this subject, given its importance in the New Testament writings.
Through Scriptures in Matthew 24 & 25, Luke 21 & John 5:28-29, John 6:138-40 and John 14:13, we see that although we do not know when Jesus will return, we are to live in anticipation and expectation of this return, which will be in glory, surrounded by angels, coming on the clouds. The reference to clouds reminds us of the pillar of cloud (symbolising God’s presence) which guided the Israelites through the wilderness and how the Lord appeared to Moses from the dense clouds (see Ex 16:10, Ex 19:9, 16-17, Ex 24:15-16, Ex 34:5). We are told that the glory of the Lord filled the temple (‘When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.’ 1 Kings 8:10-11) Jesus will come again in triumph and glory.
The Apostles’ Creed tells us that Jesus ‘will come again to judge the living and the dead.’ (see John 5:29) It seems there are two judgments to come: the first judgment will be based on whether people have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins and will determine our eternal future; the second will be for believers and is a judgment of rewards, not punishment (see 2 Cor 5:10, 1 Cor 3:11-15). The fact that Jesus is coming again should motivate us to live holy, pure lives and should fill us with joy in the trials of life, because when He appears, we will be like Him (see 1 John 3:2) The cry of our hearts should be ‘Maranatha!’ – ‘Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.’ (Rev 22:20)
