Second Coming

In the last few sermons I’ve shared a whole lot of Bible texts. If you didn’t get them all written down but want to go study them for yourselves, I have two solutions for you. I’m going to show you two slides that have QR codes. If you pull your phone out now and log in to the Bonners Ferry Adventist wifi and then open you camera app, you’ll be ready to point and click. Most phones now days will allow you to just point the camera app at the QR code and then click the screen below the QR code to go to the website, but if your phone doesn’t do that, both of theses solutions are really easy to find anyway:

Download the faithlife app and follow along on our digital bulletin. As I go through the slides it will show you the verses I’m using. These digital bulletins are available after the service as well.

If you want to actually read through my notes, you can go to sermons.faithlife.com and search for Jason Worf. You’ll find sermon manuscripts and sermon audio files for my latest sermons.

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Introduction

Today we’re exploring the one of the last two messages in the series Back to Basics. Throughout this series we’ve been looking at some fundamental themes in the story of salvation. So far we’ve covered Scripture, Salvation, Sanctuary, Sabbath, and the State of the Dead.

When we talk about salvation, there are three solutions in God’s salvation plan:

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The penalty of sin

The power of sin

The presence of sin

Jesus’s death provides salvation from the penalty of sin, his spirit gives us power over sin, and sometime soon Jesus will come again to save us from the presence of sin. Here are a few of His promises:

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Revelation 3:11

“I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.”

Revelation 16:15

“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

Revelation 22:7

“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Revelation 22:12

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.”

Revelation 22:20

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

There are many ideas about the second coming and the end of the world, or as some people think, the age of peace. Psychics and occultists teach that aliens who come in UFO’s will bring peace to the world. Many evangelical churches teach a secret rapture where the righteous will simply vanish from the earth before a period of tribulation when the earth will experience terrible wars and natural disasters. Some Christian traditions teach a “spiritual” coming—meaning that Jesus has already come or will come in a spiritual sense in our hearts and as a result bring peace to the world.

What is the truth?

When can we expect this promise to be fulfilled?

And what will this second coming be like?

Signs of the end

In the first half of Matthew 24 Jesus clarifies that although wars and famines and disease and earthquakes will increase (he calls it sorrows or birth pains) these are really just the beginning. Look at the statistics and you’ll find that the 20th century was one of the bloodiest the world has every seen, and the past 100 years have seen a dramatic uptick in the frequency and destructive power of earthquakes. But this fact is only important because we know prophecy.

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Daniel 2 reminds us that we are in the period of divided Europe (the feet) and that the next event is God setting up His kingdom that will last forever.

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Daniel 7 & 8 remind us that the little horn power received its deadly wound a couple hundred years ago, and that the heavenly sanctuary is now being cleansed. The only thing left is for the dominion to be given to the saints (Daniel 7:27).

Dark day and stars falling

Just to add emphasis to the end of these prophecies we can look at Jesus’ statement in Matthew 24 that points to the time just after the saints would be persecuted by the little horn.

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Matthew 24:29

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven…”

The dark day—May 19, 1780, the day was so dark from Maine all the way down to New Jersey that people had to light candles at noon to see. This phenomenon was significant enough at that time that it was reported throughout the world by news outlets. It was reported that the sun wasn’t visible, and that night the moon looked red.

Leonids—In 1833 there was such a spectacular meteor shower (known as a leonid) that the world heard about it. To date it remains the largest meteor shower that we are aware of with estimates that over 100,000 meteoroids entered the atmosphere every hour for a 9 hour period. Subsequent leonids have produces in the hundreds or even thousands per hour, but never quite so many as in 1833. This event propelled William Miller and the other believers in Jesus 2nd advent as they shared their messages in churches.

These “signs in the heavens” are significant in that they point to the end of the great persecution of the little horn, and because we know that the next thing in the prophetic timeline is God setting up his kingdom.

The Gospel to the World

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In Matthew 24:14 Jesus gave His litmus test for the second coming as the gospel going to all the world. What Gospel is that? It’s the “Everlasting Gospel” spoken about in Revelation 14:6-12. In the early 1800’s Christians rapidly translated the Bible into lots of languages. In 2014 the Bible had been translated into 531 languages. By 2020 the full Bible was translated into 704 languages with parts of the Bible in another 1,160 languages. The gospel message has more potential today than it ever has in earth’s history. Still there are over a billion people in what some are calling “Bible poverty,” with over 3,000 languages yet to reach with the text of the Bible and the message of the gospel. But Bible translators around the world have a goal to reach every language group in the world by 2033!

The Feast of Tabernacles

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Here’s one last demonstration that we are in the time of the end. In our conversation about the sanctuary we explored the feasts in Leviticus 23. We determined that we are now in the fulfillment of the day of atonement, and the next and last feast to be fulfilled is the feast of booths—which will only happen when Jesus takes us to heaven where he has prepared rooms for us.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

Can you know for certain the date and time when Jesus will come?

Jesus tells us that we can know the general time frame, but beyond that we need to simply remain ready.

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Mark 13:28-33

28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates…

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.

Don’t Sleep

I hope you can see that we are getting close to the 2nd coming. Paul counsels us in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 to “let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

In Revelation 3:3 Jesus encourages us to watch, lest he come upon us like a thief

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Revelation 3:3

“Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.”

False Christs

Satan would be only too happy to “fake” a 2nd coming—deception is his primary weapon and getting us to worship him instead of God is his ultimate goal. Jesus provides some cautions about false Christs in Mark 13.

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Mark 13:21-23

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.”

Throughout history Satan has tried to closely counterfeit God’s truth with something that looks good, but is all wrong.

In Eden there was the Tree of Life provided by God, while Satan sat in the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and tried to pass it off as super-life-giving.

When God implemented a law of love, Satan obscured the law with traditions and formalized religion.

The Bible clearly states that the seventh-day is the Sabbath, but Satan has maneuvered people to believe that Sunday is a holy day of worship.

God says there is one faith, one church and one baptism. Satan has a church that claims to be the one, universal faith, but is really a replacement for true worship.

Jesus’ statement in Mark 13 reveals that Satan is planning a masterful counterfeit of the 2nd coming.

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2 Corinthians 11:14

And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

We need to understand what the Bible says about the 2nd coming so that we won’t be taken in by the deceptions of Satan.

What will the second coming be like?

The personal, literal Jesus

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After spending 40 days with his disciples after His resurrection, Jesus ascended up into the air and disappeared among the clouds. Notice what the angels said about His 2nd coming:

Acts 1:11

“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.”

Which same Jesus? Was he a spirit or an apparition? Look at how he interacted with the disciples after his resurrection:

In Luke 24:36-43 Jesus appeared to the disciples after being raised from the dead and he showed them his wounds and had them touch him. He even eat food to demonstrate he wasn’t a spirit. The Bible tells us that this same Jesus will come again.

Visible

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Matthew 24:27, 30

“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. …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.”

Revelation 1:7

“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.”

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Audible

1 Thessalonians 4:16

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”

This is going to be an earth-shaking event.

In Divine Glory

Jesus is coming with the same powerful and brilliant glory as the Father has.

Matthew 16:27 ESV

For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Revelation 19 describes this same scene as Jesus riding in like a conquering king on a horse with banners flying with His name on it:

Revelation 19:11-16

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Surprise and death for the wicked

This is going to be an exciting event for those who are waiting for Jesus’ return, but what about all those who refuse to accept Jesus’ robe of righteousness? The Bible says its going to be a surprise for the wicked.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-6

“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

Revelation 6:12-17

“I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

The resurrection of the righteous

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1 Corinthians 15:51-53

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

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1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Taken or left?

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When all this exciting stuff happens, would you rather be taken or left behind?

Many use Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 to suggest that there is a secret rapture when the righteous will be taken prior to the great tribulation. Let’s look at those words of Jesus and discover their real meaning.

Matthew 24:36-44

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Notice that the verse begins by saying “of that day and hour no one knows” and ends with “therefore… be ready, for the son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” This is the point of what Jesus is saying, that we can’t put a date and time on the 2nd coming, but instead that we should watch and be ready.

In the middle of the passage Jesus reminds us of Noah’s day when there was a flood. He says they were eating and drinking as though everything was normal and they didn’t know until the flood came and took them away. But Noah entered the ark—he had been watching.

Then Jesus makes a future application. Two men, one taken the other left. Two women, one taken the other left. But what does the Bible say about Noah? It would help us to know how to interpret Matthew if we knew whether Noah was taken or left.

Verse 39 indicates that it was the wicked who were taken in the flood. If that’s the case, then I’d much rather be left behind in the context of the 2nd coming, because the Bible’s use of the word “taken” implies destruction and death.

Earlier we read Revelation 6:12-17 where we found that the wicked would seek death at the second coming—seek to be “taken” in death. Christ’s followers will be left in other words, they will remain alive and go to heaven with Jesus at the second coming.

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1 Thessalonians 4:15

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.”

Conclusion

Talking about the cataclysmic events associated with the 2nd coming of Jesus should bring us great hope. But its only hopeful if you feel confident that Jesus loves you and that He is able to “save to the uttermost” those who trust in Him. But if you’re in a place of doubt and discouragement, you might be afraid that this exciting event will find you running for the rocks.

I hope that you’re in the first category and that this subject has brought hope and joy to your heart. But if you find that you’re feeling doubtful or discouraged or hopeless I want to help you out by exploring what it takes to be ready for Jesus’ return.

God’s word makes it clear in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory and not one of us deserves God’s salvation.

It also makes it clear in Galatians 2:16 that there is no amount of perfecting ourselves that will make us worthy of God’s glory.

The best that we can do on our own is to die a natural death and then face the judgment with all the weight of evidence in our lives speaking against us. (Revelation 20:12)

The only hope we have is for God to save us. And that’s exactly what He did through Jesus.

From the moment Adam and Eve sinned God had planned a way of salvation. He promised that one of their descendants would crush the sin problem. The He came down and was born as a man, lived a perfect life without sin, died the 2nd death in your place, and rose to give you the promise of eternal life.

What does He ask in exchange for this gift of love and salvation?

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Behold the lamb of God.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Confess your sins.

He promises that the result of this will be life transformation. All His commands are promises and so He tells us, “if you love me, keep my commandments” and then He tells us “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) — He’s the power behind our obedience.

He promises that since He started the work in us, He’ll hold himself responsible to finish it.

When you choose to allow Him, He plants His love inside you. He gives you new desires. He softens your hardened spots and gives you strength where you’ve been weak. Then, as a final touch, He gives you a new “incorruptible” body at the second coming.

Is there any room in this equation for you to worry or doubt? Is not the God who promises this to you the God who created you to begin with? Is He not the God who designed your salvation? Is He not the God who loves you with an everlasting love?

He wants you more than you will ever want Him. Will you trust your salvation to Him?

There is a Psalm that beautifully illustrates God’s salvation, and I love how it ties in to Jesus’ council to watch and be ready for His soon return.

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Psalm 130

1 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;

2 Lord, hear my voice!

Let Your ears be attentive

To the voice of my supplications.

3 If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

4 But there is forgiveness with You,

That You may be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

And in His word I do hope.

6 My soul waits for the Lord

More than those who watch for the morning—

Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord;

For with the Lord there is mercy,

And with Him is abundant redemption.

8 And He shall redeem Israel

From all his iniquities.

Notice how the poet praises God for his forgiveness and mercy, and points out his own longing for salvation. What does he do as a result of that longing and love for god? He waits, he hopes in the promises of God, and he watches for salvation like someone would look for the sun to rise in the morning. Then with a triumphant and hopeful refrain he says, “And He SHALL redeem Israel from all his iniquities!”

Let’s make that personal , “And He SHALL redeem you from all your iniquities!”

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The psalmist has summed up all that Jesus asks of us. Let’s study God’s word to find those promises that give us hope, and then put our confidence in Jesus who is right now preparing a place for us so that we can live with Him.

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Please stand as we sing Hymn: 454, Don’t you see my Jesus coming?