The Return

Mark Dunagan
10/23/16 - Sunday Morning

The Return

The disciples intently watched Jesus as He was lifted from the earth and ascended out of their view into the sky. Two men in white clothing, suddenly and miraculously present, then informed them, "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). It is appropriate to call the return of Jesus the "second coming" because Hebrews 9:28 says that Jesus "will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him". In this lesson we will explore more thoroughly this Second Coming of Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

In these passages it is clear that Jesus Himself will appear (4:16) and that this appearing will be without warning (5:2). It will certainly not be secret or silent, but to the contrary, it will be incredibly loud (4:16). At this time all believers will be raised from the dead (4:16). All who are left on the earth will be instantly changed and caught up with the Lord in the air (4:17).

At the exact same moment, sudden destruction will come upon all who are not right with God (5:3). When Jesus arrives, the world will not be on the brink of total chaos, rather, unbelievers will be feeling very secure in their lives and in their rebellion against God (5:3). 

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 "Now as to the times and epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night"  

The Holy Spirit speaking through Paul gives us two terms here that refer to time. One refers to a specific or definite time and the other to an extended period of time. Thus Paul is saying that not only is the exact day kept secret, but God has not even given us the week, year, decade or century in which His Son will return. Those who set more general dates for the Lord's return, such as "probably before the end of this century", "within a generation", or  "somewhere around…", are just as erroneous as those who set specific dates.

Other Events/The Resurrection of the Dead

In this section the Second Coming is also linked with the resurrection of all believers (4:16), thus there was no need to worry about believers who die before Jesus arrives, for they will be raised first (4:13,16). But if all believers are raised when Jesus comes again, then at the same time, all unbelievers are likewise raised, for the Bible puts the resurrection of the righteous and the wicked at the same moment:

"For an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28-29).

Other passages also declare that the resurrection of the righteous happens at the last day. Just as side note, such clear passages run contrary to the manmade theory, often called "the rapture", wherein the righteous are raised at a silent and secret coming of Jesus for Christians only, followed by the wicked being raised about 1000 years later.

"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day" (John 6:39).

"After that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom of God to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death" (1 Corinthians 15:23-26).

Note in the above set of passages this same consistent teaching:

• The resurrection of Christians is at the last day.
• Jesus does not start reigning on that day, rather He has been reigning for a long time before that day.
• Jesus does not set up His kingdom, rather His kingdom that has already been in existence since the First Century is delivered up.

The Kingdom is Delivered Up

As previously noted, such language demands that the Kingdom is already present upon the earth. Other passages make the same point:

• When Jesus arrived the first time He was very clear, the Kingdom of God was at hand: Matthew 4:17
• Jesus said that this kingdom would come within the lifetime of His apostles and it would come with power: Mark 9:1
• Paul and John both taught that Christians were presently in this kingdom: Colossians 1:13-14; Revelation 1:5-6.

So the Kingdom that Jesus was speaking out never meant a utopian rule of Jesus on the earth, rather it is a spiritual kingdom Jesus rules over while He has enemies.

Other Events/The End of the Universe

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth with its works will be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10).

Much like 1 Thessalonians 5:2, how the Lord arrives on that final day is once again compared with the coming of a thief, that is, a thief comes unannounced and without warning. On this day the universe will be destroyed. Obviously the idea of the faithful living on the earth forever, or some of the faithful living on the earth or Jesus reigning on the earth for 1000 years, are all ideas not supported by these very clear verses. On the very day that Jesus arrives the universe is removed. Other passages also mention the removal of the earth: (Revelation 20:11; Revelation 21:1; Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth will pass away").

Like a Thief in the Night

Now most of those reading this lesson have heard various teachers claim there will be all sorts of signs before Jesus arrives. So how do we harmonize such ideas with Paul's plain words that Jesus will come "like a thief in the night" and no information is given about the specific day or even the general period of time in which Jesus will arrive? Many people claim that the book of Revelation is a kind of road map that is telling us (in code) all the events that will be leading up to the Second Coming. Yet the very first chapter of Revelation says otherwise. For the writer John said that what was in this book were "the things which must soon take place" (Revelation 1:1), and that time for the fulfillment of what is written in the book was "near" when he wrote (1:3). So to say that the vast majority of what is in the book refers to things thousands of years in the future from the writing of the book, runs completely contrary to what the book says about itself.

The Signs of Matthew 24

It is clear that Matthew 24 is dealing with a judgment from God, for the chapter plainly uses language that had been used in the Old Testament for when God judged various nations in the past. Compare Matthew 24:29 with Isaiah 13:10. Yet just as clear is the fact that Jesus is not talking about the final judgment in these passages:

• He says that everything prior to Matthew 24:33 is going to take place within the lifetime of that current generation, "This generation will not pass away until all these things take place" (24:35). This verse then time locks all the events in Matthew 24:4-33 to the generation alive in the First Century who heard these words.
• The chapter is dealing with the destruction of the Temple standing in Jesus' day (24:1-2). That Temple was destroyed within the lifetime of that generation, it was destroyed in A.D. 70 and has never been rebuilt.
• The chapter is dealing with a judgment from which one could flee (Matthew 24:16-20).
• The disciples cannot be asking Jesus a question about His Second

Coming because they did not even understand that He was soon leaving them.

Whether Jesus will return in just a few moments or many years from now, my earnest prayer is that every soul reading these words will remove sin's darkness from their hearts and lives and through the strength He supplies, put on holiness so as to prepare His return and an eternity basking in His holy presence.

 

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net