“As Jesus Christ ascended into heaven at the completion of His mortal ministry, two angels declared to His Apostles, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” Acts 1:11.
Bible believers are expecting the return of Jesus to the earth from heaven. This, the Bible tells us, will happen and Jesus will return, to sit on the throne of his father David in Jerusalem (Luke 1:32). The second coming of Jesus Christ is not the “end of history” but is the beginning of the human history that God always desired.” It contains the promise that God is in control of all things, and is faithful to His Word.
In His first coming, Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem, just as prophesied, to become the sacrifice that atones for the sin of all mankind when, by faith, we accept His offering. The second coming of Christ will be the return of Christ, with the armies of heaven at His side, to settle the score with Satan and his legions.
The Old Testament prophets did not make this distinction clear between the two comings. At one point Isaiah says. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” (Isaiah 9:6, 7). At another point he says “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” (Isaiah 53:3)
This led to some confusion but LOGOS is the final word. What did Jesus say?
Matthew 24 v 27-31
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Matthew 25 v 31-33
When the Son of Man shall come in His Glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His Glory: And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Years later, Jesus spoke directly to John, the Apostle, revealing even more graphic detail recorded in Revelation 19:11-21...”And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great feast of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and great.”
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.”
Next, we read of one of the first events to take place following the return of Jesus Christ the Messiah: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” (Revelation 20:1-3).
After the thousand years we are told Satan is released and attempts to regain his authority...but fails. John shares what he saw next...”Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:1-5
This is what you and I yearn for; the Kingdom of God in its fullness, a home that encompasses the best of both worlds...heaven and earth...unspoiled by sin. I know, it seems fantastic; too good to be real but...LOGOS says its coming and, He’s the final word.
If I truly believe it, how will the promise of such a future impact my doubts and fears today?
Live boldly out there today...
