Jesus, Coming King

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried;

the third day he rose from the dead;

he ascended into heaven,

and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Second coming of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ will return visibly and in glory at the end of history to raise the dead, judge the world, destroy all evil and opposition to God and consummate his kingdom. Believers are encouraged to be prepared for his return, waiting with eagerness and joy.

A foretold event

In the OT

(NRSV) — 13 As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. 14 To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.

See also ; ;

(NRSV) — 10 Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another.

(NRSV) — 1 You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them!

(NRSV) — 3 First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!”

The revelation of the antichrist

(NRSV) — 18 Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour.

(NRSV) — 20 and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and concerning the other horn, which came up and to make room for which three of them fell out—the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke arrogantly, and that seemed greater than the others. 21 As I looked, this horn made war with the holy ones and was prevailing over them, 22 until the Ancient One came; then judgment was given for the holy ones of the Most High, and the time arrived when the holy ones gained possession of the kingdom.

(NRSV) — 3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God.

(NRSV) — 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world.

(NRSV) — 1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads; and on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have received a death-blow, but its mortal wound had been healed. In amazement the whole earth followed the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” 5 The beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. It was given authority over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slaughtered. 9 Let anyone who has an ear listen: 10 If you are to be taken captive, into captivity you go; if you kill with the sword, with the sword you must be killed. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

The appearance of false Christs and false prophets

Wars and rumours of wars

(NRSV) — 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

(NRSV) — 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will lead many astray.

(NRSV) — 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

(NRSV) — 23 They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in pursuit.

(NRSV) — 7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist!

Wars and rumours of wars

Famines and earthquakes

Cosmic changes

The timing of the second coming

At God’s appointed time

(NRSV) — 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, 21 who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.

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(NRSV) — 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus,

(NRSV) — 16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

(NRSV) — 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

A visible and glorious return

(NRSV) — 7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.

See also ; ;

(NRSV) — 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory.

(NRSV) — 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

(NRSV) — 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

With the sound of a trumpet

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(NRSV) — 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

(NRSV) — 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 imperishable, and we will be changed.

(NRSV) — 16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

With angels

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(NRSV) — 27 “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.

(NRSV) — 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

(NRSV) — 7 and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels

The purpose of the second coming

To raise the dead

(NRSV) — 22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

See also ; ;

(NRSV) — 28 Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

(NRSV) — 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 imperishable, and we will be changed.

(NRSV) — 16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

To judge all people

(NRSV) — 13 before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.

See also ; ;

(NRSV) — 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

(NRSV) — 10 And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

(NRSV) — 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire;

To reward believers

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(NRSV) — 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions.

(NRSV) — 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them.

(NRSV) — 8 From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

(NRSV) — 4 And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away.

(NRSV) — 1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

To gather the church together

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(NRSV) — 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.

(NRSV) — 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.

(NRSV) — 1 As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters,

To bring final salvation

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(NRSV) — 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

(NRSV) — 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

To transform the saints into his likeness

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(NRSV) — 51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will 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 imperishable, and we will be changed.

(NRSV) — 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.

(NRSV) — 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

To end the present age

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(NRSV) — 3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

(NRSV) — 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power.

(NRSV) — 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

(NRSV) — 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire?

Reactions at Jesus Christ’s second coming

all peoples will mourn; His people will marvel.

(NRSV) — 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory.

(NRSV) — 10 when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

They must always be watchful and ready

They must be faithful stewards

See also ; ;

(NRSV) — 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.

(NRSV) — 35 Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn,

(NRSV) — 35 “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36 be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks.

They must be faithful stewards

They must eagerly expect his coming

They must endure suffering with patient endurance

See also ; ;

(NRSV) — 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

(NRSV) — 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

(NRSV) — 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

They must endure suffering with patient endurance

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They must wait patiently

(NRSV) — 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

They must wait patiently

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They must practice holiness

(NRSV) — 7 Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

It is an incentive to holiness

(NRSV) — 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

They must be in mission

It is an incentive to mission

(NRSV) — 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

(NRSV) — 11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness,

(NRSV) — 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also.

(NRSV) — 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.

It is an incentive to mission

Jesus, Coming King

What is it?

When is it? (some events that have to take place first)

How do believers get ready?