Second Coming Of Jesus: What Does The Bible Say About This Event?

John 14:1-3 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Just before Jesus went to the cross to die for the sins of the world, He said that He would come again and where He was to go would be a place that He is preparing for them and says “I will come again and will take you to myself.”  Then, where He is, in the Kingdom of Heaven, we “may be also.”  The “place” is in the Father’s house or a place in the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God.  That “place” is also a position or an important job as those who are saved will reign with Christ as kings and priests in the Kingdom (Rev 5:10).

Jesus Comes in Great Glory

Luke 21:25-27 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Just before Christ comes there will be troubling signs on the earth as the nations will be under distress and “perplexity” which means that the nations will be under a state of confusion, uncertainty, and bewilderment.  Isn’t the world somewhat like this now?  It will grow to such a state that “people [will] faint with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world.”  The “powers of the heavens will be shaken” could be symbolic of the rulers of the nations or the demon’s under Satan’s sway.  Just as it appears hopeless, “then they will see the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”  For those who are saved, there will be joy at His appearing but for those who refused to repent, fear, dread and sheer terror of the coming judgment.

Jesus’ Coming is Sudden

Luke 21:34-36 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Jesus is coming at a time when most won’t expect it so we should not let our “hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and [the] cares of this life” because “that day will come upon you suddenly like a trap.”  Who will this fall upon like a trap?   For “all who dwell on the face of the whole earth” so He says to believes “stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of God.”  Like the foolish young virgins who had no oil with them at the Bridegroom’s coming, they were shut out of the wedding feast of the Lamb of God (Christ) and His Bride (the church). This is like a warning to all those who have repeatedly heard the gospel, believed it is true, but never turned to Christ (repented) and trusted in Him but trusted in their own selves.

Shrinking Back in Fear as His Return

First John 2:28 “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.”

The Apostle John seems to be warning the children of God to “abide in him, so that (or in order that) when he appears we might have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.”  What does this mean? Apparently there will be some when Christ returns that will be so ashamed of the little they did for Christ on earth that they will “shrink back from him in shame at his coming.”  That is, when He returns many believers will have no works to show for Christ and that will make them ashamed of how little they did and they will shrink back from Him in shame.  This is what Paul was writing about to the Corinthians,

“Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Cor 3:12-15).  

In other words, if you are doing things for Christ’s sake and for His glory, your works will survive “the fire test” but if it is for your own glory, to brag about, to boast about what you have done for God then it will be “burned up [and you] will suffer loss [even] though [you] will be saved.”  That is, they will have no rewards and they’ll enter into the Kingdom of Heaven smelling like they came out of a fire sale and this will cause them to “shrink back from him in shame at his coming.”

Jesus Vengeance on the Unrepentant

First Thessalonians 1:5-9 “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,  and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”

One of the most terrifying things that will happen at Christ’s return is that He will come “with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God” which are “those who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus” by repenting and trusting in Him.  For these, “they will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction” and be put “away from the presence of the Lord” for all time.  For believers though, when Jesus returns, He will “grant relief to you who are afflicted.”  Jesus comforts the afflicted but afflicts the comfortable.

Conclusion

Revelation 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Here are the last Bible verses that I want to leave with you with about what the Bible says will happen at Jesus’ second coming.  Everyone that has died and those still living at Christ’s return face Him at this great white throne and be will be judged “according to what they had done” in their life.  If they were saved then their deeds, including all their sins, will be wiped clean because God will see you as having Jesus own righteousness (2 Cor 5:21) but if a person has never repented and trusted in Jesus, then their name will not be found in the “book of life” which means that they will be “thrown into the lake of fire.”  Choose today where you will spend eternity.  Life is short but eternity is a very, very, long, long time.

Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book  Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon