Which second coming are you looking for?

Revelation 1:8 

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega, ^[a]the Beginning and the End,” says the ^[b]Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

No greater thrill should enrapture the church as the return of the Lord Jesus Christ for his bride; the church. But the Bible presents 2 distinct second comings of Jesus Christ with their own unique characteristics and purpose. Are we as the church trained to know the difference and how should we anticipate the second coming of Jesus Christ? In today’s message; I’d like to clarify what the Bible teaches about Christ’s rescue of His Bride and His Judgment upon his enemies.

Christ’s rescue of His bride

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen ^[b]asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who ^[c]sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵ 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 ^[d]asleep. ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Purpose: To comfort the church that those who died will precede those who are living in the resurrection. To inform the church that there will be a general “snatching up” of the church by Jesus Christ at some point. (Verse 17)

Characteristics: Those who have died in Christ are resurrected and ascend to meet Christ in the air then those who are alive also ascend to meet Christ in the air.

John 14:1-3 

14 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many ^[a]mansions; if it were not so, ^[b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Purpose: Christ pledges that He will return to receive His disciples unto Himself so that they would to be with Him forever.

Characteristic: Christ will return to receive his beloved (The church) to be with Him forever.

1 Corinthians 15:51-58 

⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a ^[a]mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “O^[b] Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Purpose: Paul was explaining the “snatching up” of the church when believers in a given generation would be instantly transformed.

Characteristic: The fact that Paul describes this as a mystery is because the “snatching up of the church” was not taught in the Old Testament because the church was not in the radar for the nation of Israel. They were expecting a resurrection and judgment on the Day of the Lord but this “snatching up” was not in their scope before Jesus’ time. Hebrews 6:1-3

Other Reasons why this “snatching away” differs from the second coming

·        Beliverers are with Christ when He makes his second coming (Revelation 19:11-16)

·        God did not appoint the church to suffer wrath. (1 Thessalonians 5:9, Revelation 3:10, John 5:24)

·        The purpose of the tribulation is the judge the unbelieving world (Mathew 24:40-41)

·        The “snatching away and secretive and instantaneous” (1 Corinthians 15:50-54

·        The second coming is visible to the whole world (Revelation 1:7, Mathew 24:29-30)

·        Certain signs accompany the second coming (Mathew 24:15-30) where as the blessed assurance is imminent (Titus 2:13)

Christ’s Judgment on his enemies

Revelation 19:11-16

¹¹ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He ^[a]had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in ^[b]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a ^[c]sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

Purpose: Christ makes his second coming to earth and judges all his enemies in glorious triumph. The attention of scripture during the great tribulation is on Israel and no longer the church (Jeremiah 30:7, Mathew 11:25-31)

Characteristic: In his second coming Christ comes to rule the world and establish his permanent kingdom.