GOD’S PROMISES ABOUT JESUS’ RETURN

Memory Verse: Revelation 22:20, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

INTRODUCTION: Today with everything going on we can’t help but look at the fact we are getting closer to the Lord’s return!

I Timothy 2:5, For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

John 14:1-3, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Acts 7:55-59, But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

II Corinthians 5:8, We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

John 14:26, But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Acts 1:9-12, And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 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. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

Luke 24:50-53, And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

While the apostles stood staring at the place where they had last seen Jesus, two angels appeared to them saying, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 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.” Then they moved; they went back into Jerusalem. Jesus had promised and the angels promised that He would return in the same manner as He was seen departing. He would appear again in the same place where they last saw Him—in the clouds. This coming event we call the rapture. (His actual coming again to earth will be to the same place from whence He ascended—the Mount of Olives—seven years after the rapture.) Our lesson for this week mainly contains teachings about Jesus’ next appearing from Heaven—the rapture.

John 14:3, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Acts 1:11, Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 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.

I Thessalonians 4:16, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

I. JESUS WILL DESCEND INTO THE AIR IN THE SAME MANNER AS HE ASCENDED.

Acts 1:9-11, And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 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.

A. Suddenly

1. Jesus suddenly left earth and ascended into Heaven. A cloud received Him out of their sight. As soon as Jesus had finished speaking certain words to His apostles, He went up. He had not told them that there would be a certain day that He would ascend back into Heaven.

2. Jesus will come suddenly. His coming will be so sudden that it will be like a flash of lightning—so sudden that no one will have an opportunity to tell anyone about it.

Matthew 24:26-27, Matthew 24:36, Luke 12:40, I Thessalonians 5:2

Revelation 3:3, Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

B. Secretly

1. Only His chosen apostles saw Him ascend into Heaven. Jesus and His apostles were alone on top of the Mount of Olives at the time.

Acts 1:10-12

2. Only Jesus’ chosen ones will be conscious of His return. All saved people will be raptured—caught up—out of the earth. It will happen so fast that no one else will see it happening. It will be a universal event, of course, so that there will be some people on one side of the world sleeping while others on the other side of the world are working.

Matthew 24:40-41

Luke 17:34-36, I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

C. Audibly

1. His apostles were hearing Jesus speak with them. Then He was taken up from them.

2. Jesus will come with a shout. There will also be the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. I Corinthians 15:52, I Thessalonians 4:16,

D. Visibly

1. The apostles saw Him go. “...While they beheld, he was taken up...”

2. His saved people will see Him in the clouds as He returns. His own look for His coming again.

Philippians 3:20, For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Those who look for His coming shall see Him; He will appear unto them.

Titus 2:13, Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Hebrews 9:28, So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

E. Forcibly

1. Jesus was taken up into Heaven. A cloud received Him out of their sight.

2. Our Heavenly Father will send Him. The Father will say, “It is time now to go.”

Matthew 24:36, But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Mark 13:26, And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. He will come in the clouds.

I Thessalonians 4:16, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

F. Accompanied

1. Two angels were present at the ascension of Jesus. (That is, we are told about two.) There were two men in

“white apparel” who spoke with the apostles after Jesus had gone out of their sight. These angels explained to

the apostles what had just happened to Jesus, and they gave instructions to them concerning what should be done next.

2. One angel at least will be present at Jesus’ coming again. The archangel’s voice will be heard (I

Thessalonians 4:16).

II. JESUS’ OWN WILL ASCEND TO MEET HIM.

A. In a set sequence of events.

1. The dead in Christ will rise first. (Note that the words, “shall not prevent them” mean “shall not precede them.”)

I Thessalonians 4:15-16, For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Their souls, which had gone on to be with Jesus at the time of their death, will come with Jesus.

II Corinthians 5:6&8, Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

I Thessalonians 4:14, For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

2. The Christians who are still alive shall rise next.

I Thessalonians 4:17, Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

B. With new bodies.

Philippians 3:21, Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

I John 3:2, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

The new bodies will be like His glorious body, the one which He put on when He arose from the dead. What was

Jesus’ resurrection body like? It had flesh and bones, and it bore marks of identification that distinguished it as being Jesus’ body.

Luke 24:39-40, Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

John 20:24-29, 24But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

It bore within it the same personality which it had before—the personality that made a woman recognize the way that her name was spoken as being the same as it had been spoken before He was crucified.

John 20:11-16, 11But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

3. The dead, decayed, scattered bodies will be changed. They will also be changed into incorruptible bodies— they will never die nor decay again. The eternal bodies, which have not been made with hands, have been prepared for them in the heavens.

I Corinthians 15:42, 52-54, So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

II Corinthians 5:1-2, For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

4. The bodies of living Christians will also be changed. They will also be changed into eternal bodies which shall never die nor decay.

I Corinthians 15:51-54, 51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal

121 shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up

in victory.

5. Jesus will change the earthly bodies. He is the One Who is able to do this. (This is logical; He is the Creator.)

Philippians 3:21, Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

C. For eternity. After the saved and dead and living have joined Jesus in the air, they shall ever be with the Lord!

There will be no more separation from Jesus’ visible presence.

I Thessalonians 4:17, Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

After the rapture takes place, saved people will be in the air with Jesus for seven years while the Tribulation

Period takes place on earth. Then they will come back to earth with Jesus where He will reign over His kingdom for 1,000 years—this is the period known as the Millennium. There will be some unsaved people on earth, and the Devil will be chained for this period.

Revelation 20:3&6

Matthew 25:31-32

Revelation 21:1-5

CONCLUSION: The return of Jesus from Heaven may be only as future as the next moment is future.

III. The Return of Christ Should Motivate Us

1. To reach others while we can. Our family, friends and others. Psalms 89:47 II Cor 6:2

2 Corinthians 6:2 KJV 1900

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Psalm 89:47 KJV 1900

Remember how short my time is: Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?

2. To live for heavenly things Col 3:1

Colossians 3:1 KJV 1900

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

3. To redeem the time Col 4:5

Colossians 4:5 KJV 1900

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.