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Appendix One

The Second Coming of Christ                            

 

Christ Will Come Again.

There are two significant prophecies in the Scriptures. The first is the coming of Christ upon the earth and the other is the second coming of Christ. Scriptures concerning the former one have already all fulfilled respectively. Therefore all the scriptures about the latter one will also be fulfilled. 

 

Misconceptions about the Second Coming of Christ 

There were many Christians in the past generations who had misunderstood the second coming of Christ:

1.    Christ has come to believers through the fulfillment of the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit (see John 14:16; 16:7; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4).

2.    Christ has gathered Christians unto Him through their physical death to fulfill the promise of His second coming (see Phil. 1:23).

3.    Christ will come to the world again through the fulfillment of the promise of the destruction of Jerusalem (see Matt. 24:15-19).

4.    Christ will come to the world again through the wide-spread of the gospel and the repentance of sinners namely the Christianization of the whole world (see Matt. 24:14; 28:20).

 

Significances of the Second Coming of Christ

    There are five words in the Scriptures that describe the second coming of Christ. However they are not clear in English and can be distinguished according to the numbers of the original:

1.    Descend (katabaino): which refers to His descending from the heaven (1Thess. 4:16);

2.    Coming/presence (parousia): which refers to His coming to us (1Thess. 5:23);

3.    Revelation (apokalupsis): which refers to His manifestation without any concealment (2Thess. 1:7);

4.    Manifestation (epiphaneia): which refers to His glorious manifestation (2Thess. 2:8);

5.    Come (erchomai): which refers to His coming (Acts. 1:11);

 

Purposes of the Second Coming of Christ

Christ shall come to fulfill things as below:

1.    Fulfill the perfect salvation of Christ:

a.    Deliver believers from afflictions (2Thess. 1:7; Heb. 9:28);

b.    Transform our body of humiliation into conformity to his body of glory (Phil. 3:20-21; Col. 3:4; 2Thess. 1:10; Rom. 8:23; 1Cor. 15:51-52; 1John 3:2);

c.    Make the spirit and soul and body of believers wholly sanctified (1Thess. 5:23);

2.    Fulfill the promise to His elect:

a.    Deliver the Israel from the Tribulation (Zech. 14:1-5; Matt. 24:16-22);

b.    All Israel shall be saved (Rom: 11:26; Zech. 10:1; 12:10; 13:1);

c.    Restore the kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6; 15:16; Luke 1:32-33);

3.    Deal with the chaos of the whole world:

a.    Execute judgment punish evil and preach good (Matt. 25:31-46; Joel 3:1-2 9-13; Zech. 14:2-5 12-13; Rev. 14:17-20; 19:11-21).

b.    Deal with the devil and resolve the evil source (Rev. 20:2-3);

c.    Establish His kingdom on the earth (Rev. 11:15; Zech. 14:9);

 

Time of the Second Coming of Christ

There are also men that like to figure out and predict the date of His coming. However the revelation of the Scriptures is:

1.    The Lord’s coming is the end of the world (Matt. 24:3-14);

2.    No one is able to predict the date of the Lord’s second coming (Matt. 24:36 42; 25:13);

 

Types for the Second Coming of Christ

    No one is able to predict when the Lord comes. However it is also openly told us that:

1.    When the branch of the fig-tree becomes tender and produces leaves ---- the restoration of Israel (Matt. 24:32-33);

2.    The gospel shall be preached in the whole habitable earth and the fullness of the nations shall be come in (Matt. 24:14; Rom. 11:25-26);

3.    War famines and earthquakes grow increasingly heavy (Matt. 24:7-8);

4.    The condition of man’s loving the world becomes more and more severe and lawlessness and sins are also seriously increasing (2Tim. 3:1-5; James 5:3; Matt. 24:12);

5.    There will be apostasy (2Thess. 2:3; Matt. 24:10-11 23-26; 1Tim. 4:1; 2Tim. 4:3-4);

6.    The faith of believers increases and love grows cold (Luke 18:8; Matt. 24:12);

7.    The man of sin shall be revealed (2Thess. 2:3; Matt. 24:15);

 

Two Phrases of the Second Coming of Christ

    The situations of the Lord’s second coming in the scriptures are different and seemingly paradoxical including time places manners of revelation etc. Therefore it is inferred that the Lord’s coming shall be fulfilled in a certain period containing two phrases:

1.    Time (at least three years and a half):

a.    The first is the hidden coming that on one is able to predict (Matt. 43-44; Rev. 3:3; 16:15; 1Thess. 5:2);

b.    The second is the public revelation which can be calculated according to the Tribulation caused by the man of sin (2Thess. 2:3 8; Rev. 13:5);

2.    Location:

a.    Firstly from the heaven to the clouds in the air (1Thess. 4:16-17);

b.    Then from the air to the earth (Zech. 14:4);

3.    Manner:

a.    As the thief by night (1Thess. 5:2; 2Pet. 3:10);

b.    He comes with the clouds and every eye shall see Him (Matt. 24:27 30; 2Thess. 1:7; Acts 1:11; Rev. 1:7);

 

Attitudes and Preparations that Believers Shall Have Towards the Second Coming of Christ

    God is righteous. He will not ignore the condition of believers after being saved. It is not as what many Christians think now that all Christians will automatically be with the Lord for ever as long as Christ comes. No matter how we spend our days on the earth after we are saved or the condition of the growth of our spiritual life or how we serve and build it the church we shall give account to the Lord which concerns whether we shall reign with the Lord (Rev. 20:4 6; 2Tim. 2:12) and the Lord’s reward to everyone as his work shall be (Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12) and the trial for the building of everyone (1Cor. 3:13-15). Therefore Christians shall have right views upon attitudes toward and preparations for the Lord’s coming:

1.    Serve a living and true God and wait for the coming of the Lord (1Thess. 1:10) ---- the purpose of Christians’ life is waiting for and greeting the Lord;

2.    Walk worthily of God and stand firm when the Lord comes again (1Thess. 2:12 19);

3.    Faith and love increase and abound. And the hearts are confirmed in holiness and blamelessness when the Lord comes (1Thess. 3:10 12-13);

4.    Believers shall abstain from fornication and love one another and work with one’s own hands so as to be caught up when the Lord comes (1Thess. 4:3 9 11 17);

5.    Believers shall watch and be sober and seek good so as to be preserved blameless when the Lord comes (1Thess. 5:6 15 23);

6.    Believers shall keep endurance and faith in tribulations so as to be glorified when the Lord comes (2Thess. 1:4 10 12);

7.    Believers shall cling to the teachings of the truth and stand firm and obtain the glory of the Lord when He comes (2Thess. 2:14-15);

8.    Believers shall purify themselves and desire the appearing of the Lord (1John 3:3; 2Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:20);

 

── Caleb HuangChristian Digest Bible Commentary Series

   Translated by Mary Zhou