|
Jesus Christ second coming to the Earth
and your future
The return of Jesus Christ
to the earth is a certainty!
His wonderful work as the saviour of mankind was but one vital aspect of
his mission. We have already considered in some depth just how
vital the work of Jesus really is. The primary aspect of his mission was to
give sinful men and women the hope of life after death by
resurrection from the grave. In order for them to obtain eternal life in the
future, Jesus needs to return to the earth to fulfil the promises made to
the Jewish fathers and to re-establish the kingdom of Israel as the
kingdom of God on earth. There would be no point in raising faithful
servants from the grave, only for them to inherit a world still
governed and mis-managed by human rulers.
The gospel of the kingdom
The gospel of the kingdom requires Jesus to return, to remove the
present system of government and to establish the kingdom of God.
This was shown to the prophet Daniel when he explained the king
of Babylon's dream. He said to the king:
"... in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."
- The golden head of the great statue seen in a dream by Nebuchadnezzar.
- Daniel's interpretation of the dream said that all human kingdoms would be destroyed and replaced with a single Divine kingdom.
When Jesus had completed his primary mission to give his life to
take away sin, his disciples realised that there was to be a limit to human
rule and that the reestablishment of God's kingdom on earth would
complete God's plan of salvation for humanity. The name Jesus Christ
tells us about his dual role. Jesus means 'saviour' and Christ means
'anointed one'. In Bible times both kings and priests were anointed to
their calling. Jesus also was anointed to his priestly and life-saving role,
and as future king of the world.
Parables of the kingdom
Jesus told a number of parables that confirmed his promise to return to
the earth. He said to his disciples:
"A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return."
He was the nobleman, the kingdom is his by promise and by right and he
is to share it with faithful servants. In the parable they are given talents
with which to occupy themselves in his service, awaiting his return, for
there was never any doubt that he would come back as he told them:
"And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading."
This was a powerful way of teaching his disciples that his promise to
return would be fulfilled but in the interim period they had work to do
for him.
However, Jesus went even further for the benefit of his disciples. On
one occasion, not long before he gave his life for the sin of the world,
they walked by the magnificent temple that King Herod had spent
some 46 years building. Whilst it may not have rivalled the temple built by Solomon
1,000 years earlier, it was still an amazing sight as Luke records:
"Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts, he said, "As for these things which you see, the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."
We can imagine the astonishment of the disciples and those who heard
what he said!
The signs of Christ's second coming
The disciples asked for clarification:
"Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"
Jesus then gave them a broad scenario of events to
come, both in the immediate future and over a longer period of time. He
spoke of the dissolution of the kingdoms of men and gave warnings
for the benefit of those who would be alive when Jerusalem and the
temple were destroyed by the Romans. His message was a simple one:
"But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."
Jewish history shows what happened in the thirty or so years after Jesus
ascended to heaven. The Romans sacked Jerusalem in AD 70. Those
who took note of the warnings of Jesus escaped, but most of the Jews
were slaughtered or sold as slaves throughout the Roman world. The
temple was destroyed and by AD 135, the city site was desolate. For
nearly 2,000 years since the first century AD, the Jews have remained
in dispersion, but the promise of Jesus to return stands firm. The
disciples were reassured by an angelic message as soon as Jesus
ascended to his Father:
"And while they looked steadfastly towards heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “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"."
- A relief on the arch of Titus in Rome shows the temple furniture being carried away after the destruction of the temple.
There is no doubt then that Jesus will come back to establish the kingdom
of God and rule in righteousness as God's appointed king, as the Apostle
Paul told the Athenians:
"... he (God) has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all, by raising him from the dead."
The disciples of Jesus were given a number of signs or indicators that would precede his return to the earth. Through their writings, we too are privileged to know what these
signs are. In essence, they are threefold:
- The times of Noah and the times of Lot
- Turmoil among the nations of the world
- The restoration of Israel
Lessons from the past
First of all we have the answer of Jesus to the Pharisees who asked
him when the kingdom of God would come. His response was to
refer to the times of Noah:
"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man, they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all."
The most important lesson we can take from this example given by
Jesus is the need to prepare for his return. We can be all too absorbed
in our daily lives and ambitions and miss being ready for the day when
God intervenes in world affairs. In the first book of the Bible there is a
parallel with our own times:
"Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually"
The Bible warns that God will not tolerate evil forever
but will act at the appointed time, just as He did in the time of Noah
and later at the time of Lot.
Lot was a righteous man, living in a city full of immoral practices, where
men and women went about their daily lives, oblivious of the coming
destruction, as Jesus said:
"Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed."
A close reading of the account in Genesis of both the lives of Noah
and Lot leaves us in little doubt as to the nature of the immorality being
practised in both periods. That there are parallels with our own times is
inescapable! Immoral behaviour, greed, drugs misuse and dishonesty
have sadly become the hallmarks of our times. Jesus warned that in such
times he would return to sweep away the existing order and establish
a new world order based on Divine principles.
A world in turmoil
The second sign is referred to by the prophet Daniel as
"A time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation,"
When we look at the world scene, there are numerous problems that human
governments are facing for which there are no lasting solutions. This
leads to distress, anxiety, political turmoil and war. Jesus warned his
disciples that such times are an indication that his return is imminent:
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
- "The sea and the waves roaring" a metaphor for turbulent times pasting.
The significance is in the detail here. Jesus was not necessarily referring to
the literal sun moon and stars, although there could be a literal
fulfilment of these words. The Scriptures sometimes use the
heavenly bodies as symbols of ruling powers, referring to the responsible
authorities in the political 'heavens'. The distress of the nations is with 'perplexity' and the Greek word used here is 'aporia' which literally means 'at a loss for a way' in the sense of being at one's wit's end (Vines dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).
That sums up the acute problems in almost every sphere of life today. There is genuine anxiety among world leaders and people all over the world about the future for mankind. The followers of Christ need not be in doubt for he assured them "then they will see the Son of Man coming ..."
The dispersion and regathering of the Jews
The third powerful sign is that of the Jews. God declared long ago that this amazing people were His witnesses:
"You are my witnesses", says the LORD "and my servant whom I have chosen."
So, we must ask, in what way are the Jews, the nation of Israel, God's witnesses? When God called the Jews to be His special people and established them as a kingdom, He did so based on the promises He had made to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
It was a solemn covenant that brought the nation of Israel into being and our readers are directed to read Deuteronomy chapter 28 in which God warned his people that if the nation as a whole was disobedient to His commands, then He would punish them. This would entail both economic and physical punishments, and the Jews would be ridiculed and hated by other nations, who saw the effects of God's disciplining of His people. We need to recognise the nature of the covenant with Israel if we are to appreciate their role as God's witnesses in fulfilment of His words to Moses:
"And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the LORD will lead you."
- A Jewish person praying - perhaps for the homeland
These prophetic words were eventually fulfilled when the Jews were removed from their ancient home-land by the Romans who besieged Jerusalem in AD 70. They were scattered throughout the world in fulfilment of the words of their prophets.
- The Jews are regathered to their ancient homeland: the ship 'Exodus' loaded with Jewish refugees from Europe, in harbour at Haifa, 1947.
- Israel National Photo Collection
However, they are an even more powerful sign or witness in their regathering, a sign which has only become evident since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The return of the Jews to their land 'in the latter days' (Hosea 3.5) is the subject of many Old Testament Bible prophecies (see for example Ezekiel chapters 36 to 38). So the disciples of Jesus were expecting this to happen, although they were ignorant of the timescale involved. Jesus had spoken about this restoration, following a time of dispersion among the Gentiles (non-Jewish nations). He said:
"They will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by 44 Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."
The words in this passage are most important, for they point to a time when Jerusalem will be entirely freed from Gentile influence and this can only happen when Jesus returns.
The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent wars fought by God's people are modern history. They are not as yet the restored kingdom of Israel which will be the nucleus of the coming kingdom of God. This must await the return of Jesus to the earth as he promised. What we see today is a continued witness to the Divine plan to fill the earth with God's glory through the reign of Jesus Christ as the future king of the world.
The need to be ready
The signs we have considered were given by Jesus to warn his followers in every age that God's plan is progressing and they need to be ready for his return. Just as Jesus referred his listeners to the days of Noah and Lot, so he continued with the same warning about being ready for the day of his return, in Mark 13..32-37:
"But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the door keeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming − in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the cock, or in the morning − lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping."
- David Ben Gurion announces the foundation of the new State of Israel.
- Israel National Photo Collection
The revival of the Jewish nation and restoration to its ancient homeland is one of the greatest signs that Jesus' return is near.
- This was Jesus' view over Jerusalem as he descended the Mount of Olives on his way into the city for the last time.
- In this painting the Dome of the Rock sits over the location of the Most Holy Place of Herod's Temple, so familiar to Jesus.
- Painting by Edward Lear (1812–1888): 'Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives – sunrise.'
Jesus' future role – Judge and King of the world
The future kingship of Jesus was recognized by his disciples when he
entered Jerusalem for the last time before his crucifixion, in fulfilment of
the words of the prophet Zechariah:
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation ..."
Luke tells us that
"... as he (Jesus) was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God…saying: "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!"
Later, after Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended to his Father,
Peter was in Jerusalem boldly preaching this good news (the gospel) to the Jews. He said:
"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know – Him, being delivered by the carefully planned intention and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it."
To Peter, the man who had denied Christ, it all made sense; God had
planned it all! Peter went on to remind his hearers of that great
promise made centuries before to King David:
"... being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his (David's) throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades (the grave), nor did his flesh see corruption."
Peter was referring to the Old Testament Scriptures.
Jesus had to be slain as a sacrifice and rise from the dead and he would inherit King
David's throne in Jerusalem. For this to happen, Israel must be restored as
a nation with Jerusalem as its capital city. The plan of God was now very
clear – there was to be a second coming of Christ.
The future king – to judge the world in righteousness
Peter then told his hearers to
"Repent ... and be converted."
He referred to the second coming of Jesus –
"... whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, of which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."
As Peter emphasised – all the 'holy prophets' had foretold the coming of Jesus Christ, firstly as the saviour, then as the future King of kings!
Peter then said to the Jews:
"You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, "And in your seed all the families (nations) of the earth shall be blessed."
The teaching of Peter shows that the only way for all families of the earth to be blessed is by the return of Jesus with power to restore the kingdom of Israel, to rule the world from Jerusalem and bring an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity for the nations of the world.
When the Apostle Paul preached in Athens he said that Jesus was coming again to set up his kingdom:
"... he (God) has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all, by raising him (Jesus) from the dead."
The importance of these words of Paul cannot be ignored by any who would become followers of Jesus Christ. The benefits of having an immortal righteous ruler on the earth are obvious. The age in which we live is full of injustice, inhumanity and ungodliness. When Christ rules the world from Jerusalem, the prophet Isaiah tells us what a different place the world will be:
"Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it ... out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
The future king – to set up a new world order
What a change will come upon the world when Christ rules from Jerusalem! What a contrast Isaiah's words portray!
- Only the reign of Jesus can release mankind from the violence and evil of every kind that plagues our world today.
The world's leaders at the United Nations talk about peace; of the nations disarming and spending their wealth on solving poverty; but what actually happens? We see the growth of nationalistic factions, civil wars and countries at war with each other. We see the increase of religious and racial intolerance accompanied by terrible acts of violence.
We put it to you that the only hope for mankind is in the hands of God. The early Christians were urged to look for and pray for the return of Jesus to establish his kingdom. His disciples need not worry about world problems – for as we noted in the previous section, they are a sign of his near return. Christ's followers were told to be ready and watching. The Apostle Paul assured believers with these words:
"... to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ ... when he comes ... to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe..."
The last book of the Bible sets the final scene, the great climax of the Divine plan centred in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle John saw in vision the end of man's rule on earth and he heard voices saying:
"The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever!"
The true benefits of Christ's reign will then be seen and enjoyed by all nations. We urge you to study God's Word, to realise that the coming of Jesus Christ is near and to respond to the gospel message that Jesus preached, the good news about the 50 coming kingdom of God on earth. We believe that day is very close and soon the opportunity to prepare for it will be lost. Now is the time to act, so that you may recognize him when he appears, and be recognized by him:
"... for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with him are called, chosen, and faithful."
- Jesus Christ is to be the King in the kingdom of God.
- Gino Crescoli/dreamstime.com
| 
