RETURN OF OUR LORD JESUS
“2In 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. 3And 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.” (Jhn 14:2-3)
These were the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. He promised His followers that He will return one day to receive them to the Heavenly Home. Our Lord Jesus who once came to the world to be the ransom for sin, is coming back a second time. He will return with great power and glory, together with thousands and thousands of saints and heavenly hosts.
“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Rev 1:7)
“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.” (Matt 24:30)
“In 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.” (1 Cor 15:52)
“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.” (1 Ths 4:17)
CONSEQUENCES OF THE LORD’S SECOND COMING
There is a judgment that comes after death. The Lord’s second coming is to execute judgment on the world. He will conquer evil and judge all people according to their deeds.
The Lord’s coming will bring about several important consequences.
A. The saved ones will enter Heaven and have Eternal Life
1. “31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt 25:31-34)
God will separate true believers from sinners (unbelievers). The Lord Jesus used sheep and goats to picture the division between believers and unbelievers. Sheep and goats often graze together but are separated when it comes to the time of shearing the sheep.
True believers of the Lord Jesus are blessed to inherit the Kingdom of God and have Eternal Life.
2. “7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:7-8)
3. “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (1 Pe 5:4)
Our Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ, awards the Crown of Righteousness to those who fear Him, believe in Him and hold fast to His teachings.
B. The Wicked Will Be Cast into Hell and Eternal Damnation
1. “7And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Ths 1:7-9)
2. “7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Rev 21:7-8)
3. “41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matt 25:41-46)
C. The Devil Will Be Cast into the Lake of Fire
1. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Rev 20:10)
2. “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt 25:41)
One day, everyone will stand before God and judgment will be pronounced. Those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ faces eternal damnation and will be separated from God in eternity. The punishment they will receive is painful and everlasting.
D. There Will Be a New Heaven and a New Earth
1. “10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Pe 3:10-13)
No One Knows the Day or the Hour
The Lord Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matt 24:36). We do not know the day of the Lord’s coming but from the many signs and events which are happening today, we know His coming is indeed near.
“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Ths 5:3)
“26And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Luk 17:26-30)
No one knows exactly when Jesus Christ will return. His second coming will be swift and sudden and there will be no opportunity for last-minute repentance. The choice we have already made will determine our eternal destiny. The day of the Lord’s return will include both punishment and blessing. Christ will judge the sinners and reward true believers with Everlasting Life.
Prepare for the Lord’s Return
Jesus has died for our Salvation and has been raised to Life. He has promised to return to take us home with Him in Heaven.
“16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (Jhn 3:16-18)
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pe 3:9)
The Lord Jesus is the Only One who can save us from eternal damnation. Your choice to accept Him now can mean eternal blessings for you when He comes again.
Obey the True gospel of Salvation and be spiritually watchful at all times. Since He has warned us of the signs that will precede His coming, such as wars, famine, earthquakes, religious persecutions, and rejection and confusion of the true faith, let us respond to His call to repentance.
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Rev 22:12)
Enter the Eternal Life while you may
Eternal Life is not an extension of a person’s miserable, mortal life; eternal life is given to believers so that they will live with Jesus Christ forever and be free from eternal death, sickness, enemies, evil or sin.
When we do not know Christ, we make choices as though this life is all we have. In reality, this life is just the introduction to eternity.
Receive this new life by FAITH, put Christ in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny.
Believing is both trusting His words as reliable and relying on Him for the Holy Spirit’s power to change us.
Let this promise of Everlasting Life be yours – and believe.
It is our prayer that you believe and obey the True Gospel of Salvation today and that you will joyfully welcome the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour.