Why is Christ coming back again
We find in the Bible that Christ will come back to earth a second time, this time He won’t come back as a baby in a manger but as a mighty warrior King descending in the clouds of Heaven. His beloved Church is waiting for that great event with much anticipation and it is very important to learn about His coming, stay alert, and get ourselves ready as Christ is coming back very soon.
Acts 1:9-11 NKJV
Jesus Ascends to Heaven
“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “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.””
Here is a parable Jesus taught His disciples about His return:
Matthew 25:1-13 NKJV
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
1“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
As we see in this parable above, half of those virgins were left behind. Christians who are weak in the faith and are not getting serious following Christ and doing what He told us to do, will be left behind. They will have to go through the tribulation. Without fear we must press in into the Kingdom of God and not only fight the good fight of faith for ourselves but also for our loved ones and reach out to those who are not yet saved.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 NKJV
The Day of the Lord
“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 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.”
Matthew 24:21-22 NLT
“For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.”
Here are five reasons why Christ will return:
1- To gather the elect “parousia,” raising the dead in Christ.
Matthew 24:31 NKJV
“And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 NKJV
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
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. 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. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
2- To glorify believers.
Colossians 3:4 NKJV
“When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
3- To bring Judgement to the ungodly.
2 Thessalonians 2:8 NKJV
“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”
Matthew 25:32-46 NKJV
“All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
4- To destroy death.
1 Corinthians 15:25-26 NKJV
“For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”
5- To reward each one.
Matthew 16:27 NKJV
“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”
While we wait for the coming of the Lord, we have a job to do and we must all take responsibility and play our part. In Malachi says that God will send the prophet Elijah to prepare the way before the great and dreadful day. Elijah is not just one man but each member of the Body of Christ, we must all warn the unbeliever about the coming of Jesus.
Malachi 4:5-6 NLT
“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
You are the light of the world, remove the basket from yourself and show that light to everyone around you. That light is Christ.
Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Pastors Steve Maile & Karina Maile