The Second Coming

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8. THE SECOND COMING The end of the world is a topic discussed not only in religious circles but increasingly in the scientific world. Many are worried about the state of our planet and the future of our race.

Far from being a scary event for the true Christian, the end of the world will be the fulfillment of the promise Jesus gave when after His ascension to heaven, the angels told the disciples: “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” (Acts 1:11).

1. What Question did the Disciples Ask to Jesus About the End of the World?

 Matthew 24:1-3 Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem (destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD) and the disciples thought that such event would coincide with the end of the world. Then they asked which signs would indicate the nearness of His coming.

Jesus did not correct them and in His prophetic discourse talked about both the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world.

Jesus spoke about signs in the religious, political, natural and social world: false christs and prophets, wars, famines and earthquakes announced the destruction of Jerusalem. These same signs, on a larger scale, announce the nearness of Jesus’ coming.

2. SIGNS IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD :  Matthew 24:4-5,11,24 Jesus said that false christs and prophets would come and deceive many. Here are just a few of them who lived in the last few decades:  Marshall Applewhite, who proclaimed to be Jesus, committed suicide with 39 people in 1997.

 Sun Myung Moon, who founded the Unification Church.

 David Koresh: died in Waco (Texas) together with 73 of his followers in 1993.

 Josè Luis de Jesus Miranda, founder of Growing in Grace, proclaimed to be Jesus Christ. 2 8. The Second Coming – Menorah Mission School – 2018/2019  Harold Camping prophesied that judgment day would be on May 21st 2011 (then postponed to October 21st 2011).

 Apollo Quiboloy, founder and leader of a Philippines-based Restorationist church, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc..

3. SIGNS IN THE POLITICAL WORLD :  Matthew 24:6 180 million people died in wars in the 20th century (about 70 in the First and Second World Wars), more than the deaths caused by wars in the first 19 centuries of the Christian Era combined. Man invented weapons that could potentially destroy the planet. In spite of appeals to peace, the 21th century is following the same trend.

4. SINGS IN THE NATURAL WORLD :  Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:25-26 Famines: 1/9 of the world population suffers because of shortage of food. World population is going to increase while the arable land surface per person is decreasing.

Pestilences: the last decades have seen new diseases develop such as AIDS, SARS, mad cow, Ebola, avian flu, swine flu. Furthermore, we are witnessing an increasing resistance of already existing viruses.

Earthquakes: 3 of the most powerful earthquakes in history occurred in the 21st century: Sumatra (Indonesia), 2004 (magnitude 9.1), Japan, 2011 (9.0) and Chile, 2010 (8.8).

Looking at what is happening today many people are distressed and fear what might be coming next.

5. What did Jesus Compare These Sings to? What does It Mean?

 Matthew 24:8 Jesus did not speak about signs the world has never seen. He compared them to labor pains: they get more frequent and intense as the birth comes closer. So these sings will become more frequent and intense as the second coming approaches.

A woman can choose to focus on the pain or on the joy she will feel in seeing her baby; we can focus on the difficult times ahead of us or on the day when we see Jesus face to face.

6. SIGNS IN THE SOCIAL WORLD :  Matthew 24:12-13 8. The Second Coming – Menorah Mission School – 2018/2019 3 Jesus foretold that sin would abound in the end-times; never before sin has become so accessible in today’s society through TV, internet and media. We live in difficult times, in which moral values are fading away in society at large (see 2 Timothy 3:1-4).

7. THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO ALL THE WORLD :  Matthew 24:14 The gospel is reaching all nations: among the 20 countries in which Christianity has the fastest growing rate are China, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Mongolia, Cambodia, Benin and Burkina Faso. The majority of them are located in these geographical areas: Eastern Asia, Western Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

8. WILL HUMANITY BE PREPARED FOR CHRIST ’ SRETURN? WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO BE PREPARED?

 Matthew 24:36-44 Though we cannot know the date, we can see the signs fulfilling around us and know that we are living in the end times.

As in the days preceding the flood the vast majority of the people was absorbed by their daily life and focused on material things so it is today. The majority pays no attention to the fast fulfilling prophecies and therefore will be caught by surprise.

Jesus did not describe what will happen before His coming to scare us, but to encourage us. Seeing all that is happening today in the world, how would you feel if you could not find a single word about it in the Bible?

Jesus’ second coming is depicted as the coming of a thief in the night; but you will be ready for that day if you keep watching and praying, maintaining a close relationship with Christ through the study of the Word of God (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5). The best way to be prepared for that day is to be prepared every day.

9. Which Characteristics Will Have the Return of Jesus?

 Matthew 24:23,26-27,30-31  Jesus’ second coming will not be a secret or local event but global: He compared it to the lightning that flashes through the sky.

 It will be glorious: the first time Jesus came in a lowly manger but He will come back with glory and power, with all the angels of heaven, as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to judge the earth (see Matthew 16:27 and Revelation 19:11-16).

 It will visible: all nations will see Him coming on the clouds (see Revelation 1:7). 4 8. The Second Coming – Menorah Mission School – 2018/2019  It will be audible: Jesus will send the angels with the sound of a trumpet to gather the saved of the entire human history.

10. What Will Happen to the Earth When Jesus Comes Back?

 2 Peter 3:10-12 The earth and all human works will be burned by the glory of the second coming. There will an earthquake that will shake the earth and cause even mountains and islands to move out of their place (see Revelation 6:14, 16:18,20).

11. What Will Happen to the Wicked People Alive at the Second Coming? and to the Righteous, Both Dead and Living?

 Revelation 6:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 The wicked will be terrified at the sight of Jesus and will plead to be hidden from His face. Jesus’ glory will destroy them.

The righteous living will be translated to meet Jesus on the clouds. At the sound of Jesus’ voice, the graves will open and the righteous dead will be resurrected to join the living. All the saved will be transformed and receive a glorious and perfect human body, like the body Jesus resurrected with (see 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 and Philippians 3:20-21).

12. What Has Jesus Promised You?

 John 14:1-3 This imagery is taken from the Jewish marriage: the bridegroom often built an additional room in his father’s house for his new family. When he was finished, he went to his bride’s house to take her home with him. We are Jesus’ bride: Jesus went to heaven to prepare a place for you and desires to come back to take you to that place.

He came to die for you because He wants to live forever with you. The night before the crucifixion, Jesus prayed: “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am” (John 17:24).

Appeal

Jesus will give the crown of life to all who loved Him and looked with anticipation to meet Him.

Do you decide to let Jesus be first in your life every day, to be prepared to meet Him in that glorious day?