When Jesus Comes…

Revelation 1:7

When I have stated all that I know about the second coming of Christ and prophetic events, I will not have said much. The glory that awaits God’s elect when time shall be no more is indescribably greater than any mortal mind can comprehend. But some things are clearly revealed about our Lord’s second coming. Let me remind you of a few of those things which are most obvious in Holy Scripture.

1st, We must recognize the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ may come at any moment (Rev. 1:7). There is nothing necessary to prepare for the coming of Christ. The time is at hand. “Lift up your heads, your redemption draweth nigh.” Indeed, the sense of Scripture is that our glorious Redeemer is presently coming; he is on his way now. We should live, moment by moment, upon the tiptoe of faith in anticipation of his glorious appearance. Everything he has done since his ascension and exaltation has been and is just the movement of his feet in his return. Every work of providence is another step toward his bride, whom he is preparing for himself.

2nd, Our Lord is coming in power and great glory (2 Thess. 1:7-10). The Bible nowhere speaks of our Lord coming in secret to rapture the church and then coming again (a third time) in judgment seven years later. The second advent of Christ will be a climatic thing. Suddenly, he shall appear in power and in great glory.

3rd, Our Lord will come in a real body (Rev. 1:7). I will not attempt to say what the glory of his body will be; or how every eye shall see him at once, but two things are sure: (1) Christ will come in a physical body, the same body in which he hung upon the cross; and (2) His body will be so glorious, so bright, so dazzling, that every living creature shall see him, and the earth shall melt before him.

4th, When Christ comes a mighty resurrection shall take place (John 5:28-29). There will be a resurrection of the just. - The people of God shall be raised to immortality, life, and eternal glory. The body of flesh shall be gathered from the dust and united to our souls in the perfection of righteousness, blamelessness, and glory; and in those bodies we shall see the Lord, our Redeemer (Job 19:25-27). Eternal life, in all its fulness and bliss, shall be our portion! There will also be a resurrection of the wicked. - The ungodly, the unbelieving, shall also be raised, their bodies shall become immortal and united to their souls, so that they may endure everlasting damnation in hell. This is the second death. Eternal death, in all its horror, shall be their portion forever!

5th, At the second coming of Christ, this world shall be destroyed and our God and Savior will create new heavens and a new earth (2 Pet. 3:10-14; Rom. 8:18-23). The people of God will not spend eternity floating around like ghosts in the air. In these very bodies, we shall live for ever upon the new earth. Heaven shall be brought to the earth. Righteousness shall reign here. The Paradise of God, the Heavenly City, shall be with men.

Don Fortner