CTG 0072

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ 

God sent his Son, our Saviour, into the world. 

When Jesus rose from the dead he gave his disciples convincing proof of his resurrection, over a period of forty days. 

Then he returned to his Father in heaven. He was lifted up as they watched him go, until they couldn't see him anymore. 

Two angels, in human form, stood beside them and told them: "This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven (Acts 1:11)." 

Jesus is coming back! 

He will descend from heaven. 

This same Jesus! 

Not a substitute. 

Jesus said: "... if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe him ... (Matthew 24: 23)." 

We don't know when he will return. 

But when he does, it will be such a sudden, clear and phenomenal event that no one will be in doubt. 

After Jesus suffered and died for our sins in our place on the cross, on the very evening of the day when he rose from the dead, he said to his disciples: "Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you (John 20:21)." 

After his ascension he sent the Holy Spirit from his Father, to empower them for the task of spreading the gospel. 

He had already told them: " … this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24: 14)." 

The power of the Holy Spirit is still available to all followers of Christ today, enabling us to continue the task until Jesus returns. 

The apostle Peter wrote: " … do not let this one thing escape your notice, that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day. The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come … (2 Peter 3:8-10)." 

Bible quotes are from the NET translation. 

FOR FURTHER READING 

1 John 4 

Matthew 24 

Mark 13 

Luke 21:5-36 

John 13-17 

Acts 1-2 

1 Thessalonians 

2 Thessalonians 

2 Peter 3 

Revelation 1:7 

Revelation 22:12-17 

Isaiah 9:6-7 

Daniel 7:13-14