The Importance of Christ’s Return

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.
(John 14:1-3)

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:27-30)

The Second Coming of Christ is in two stages. The coming for the saints and the coming with the saints. The first is called the rapture and the second is His coming in power and great glory to rule the world.

There are a great many who are under the false impression that the Second Coming is not a cardinal doctrine and not necessarily fundamental. They say they believe in the Second Coming, but that it is not essential to salvation.

This reveals they have not studied the Word of God. Without His Second Coming, the First Coming of Christ is incomplete and His work is a partial failure. Without His Second Coming hundreds of passages in the Bible are untrue.

I.  THE PROMINENCE OF HIS COMING.

1. One-third of the Bible is about Christ’s Second Coming.
2. The first promise in the Word of God is a promise of His birth and of His Second Coming.
   

   And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)

3. The last promise in the Old Testament also speaks of the Lord’s Second Coming.
   

   For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. (Malachi 4:1-2)

4. Notice that the Lord is here called the “Sun (S U N) of Righteousness”.
5. He is also called the “Morning Star”.
   

   I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
   (Revelation 22:16)

6. Between these two promises are hundreds more.

II.  THE SAME IS TRUE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

1. The first promise of the New Testament, coupled with the announcement of His First Coming, is the promise of His Second Coming.
   

   And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:30-33)

2. The last promise in the New Testament and the Bible is of the Second Coming.
   

   He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
   (Revelation 22:20)

3. The last prayer of the Bible is for the Second Coming.
   

   He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
   (Revelation 22:20)

III.  THE LAST WORDS OF OUR LORD.

1. What did the Lord talk about most in His last few days.
2. We might expect He would talk about the agony of the Cross.
3. Instead He talked about His coming again.
4. You will find His words on the Second Coming in Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 11 and 12, Luke 21 and John 14.

IV.  THE FIRST WORDS FROM HEAVEN AFTER HIS ASCENSION.

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.
(Acts 1:9-11)

The first two books of the New Testament written deal almost entirely with the Lord’s return, they are I & II Thessalonians.

V.  HIS COMING IS NEAR.

1. There is only one hope for this old world.
   

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

2. It is also Israel’s only hope, as well as, the hope of the groaning creation.
   

   For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:22-23)

   ILL> M. R. DeHaan was asked when he thought Jesus would come and he answered, “I am looking for the return of Jesus this year!” The man said, “Isn’t it dangerous to say that? Suppose He doesn’t come this year? Then what are you going to do?”
   He answered, “I repeat, I am looking for the return of Jesus this year. If He doesn’t return this year, I shall just as eagerly be looking for Him next year.”

3. Are you that ready for that day?
4. Those who have rejected the Lord Jesus will have no other opportunity after He comes for His own.
   

   (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.) (II Corinthians 6:2)

5. Who will be saved after the redeemed have been raptured?
6. They will be only those who have never had the opportunity to be saved.
7. Those who have wilfully rejected the Gospel will follow the Antichrist.
   

   And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (II Thessalonians 2:10-12)