26. Family Reunion – The Second Coming (The Stone)
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From the time Christ ascended to heaven after His crucifixion and resurrection, His followers have anxiously looked forward to His promised Second Coming. The Second Coming of Christ is mentioned more than 300 times in the New Testament. It is the time all of God’s followers look forward to because for the first time in human history, the whole human family will be together and we will never be parted again. Paul tells us that Christ will appear a second time to reclaim His children.
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Jesus spoke about His coming again and the home that He is preparing for us:
John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 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. 3 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. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Christ said, “I will come again”. Sometimes we make promises we can’t keep due to circumstances. But Jesus Christ’s promises are sure – they WILL come to pass, and if there is one thing absolutely certain, it is the fact that Christ will one day return to this earth.
a. The Manner of Jesus’ Return
i. A Visible Event
There are many people who believe in the coming of Jesus, but many are confused about how it will actually take place. Some believe that Jesus will come secretly and privately, but notice carefully what Jesus says:
Act 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 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.
This is the record of the ascension. The disciples saw Him ascend, and the two men in white apparel (probably angels) said “this same Jesus” would return the same way. The disciples saw Jesus ascend with their eyes. It was a visible event; His return will not be secret, but visible.
Matt 24:30 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.
It will not only be visible to God’s faithful children but also to those who reject God. Notice carefully what the book of Revelation says:
Rev 1:7 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.
ii. A Glorious Event
When Jesus comes it will be extremely bright. No one will miss it.
Matt 25:31 When 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:
The Bible speaks about the countenance of one angel being like the brightness of lightning. Can you imagine the brightness of all the angels combined with the brightness of the Father and the Son? It will be impossible to miss, it will be wonderfully bright.
iii. A World Changing Event.
When Jesus comes the world will be turned upside down.
Rev 6:14-17 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens 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 that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Every island and mountain will be moved out of their place. This is not a secret event. Notice also the prophecy given to King Nebuchadnezzar:
Dan 2:44-45 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
This prophecy clearly tells us that when Jesus comes again, no earthly government will continue to exist. They shall be broken in pieces and the seed of the woman will triumph over the serpent’s lie.
b. God Claims His Faithful Children
The Bible says that as Jesus draws near to the earth, that He will shout and all those who have fallen asleep believing in Jesus will be raised to life and will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air.
1Thess 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 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.
Many have been in their graves for hundreds of years, but now the faithful are raised to eternal life. Some living at the time of Christ’s return, and who have of course never experienced death, are caught up in the air with the Lord. These now have eternal life, and will never taste death and will live forever with the Father and the Son.
There are some who believe that Jesus will come again to the earth and work miracles and heal people, but notice the Bible says that the righteous are caught up to meet the Lord IN THE AIR. In another place Jesus comments:
Matt 24:30-31 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. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The angels gather God’s people from the earth like harvesters gathering precious grain.
c. God’s Children Permanently Connected to the Life Source
As we have stated several times, man does not have immortal life on this earth. His life is dependent moment by moment upon the gift of the life of Jesus on his behalf. When Jesus comes and the serpent’s lie is dead and there is nothing to lead us away from God, the channel of life will flow to us permanently, directly from the throne of God. We will live forever.
1Cor 15:51-54 Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
What a wonderful thought; to live forever with our wonderful God without fear of death, without sickness and without the loss of loved ones. Relationships will never be broken and everyone will have perfect love and care for one another.
The lie of the serpent is conquered, we will drink freely of the waters of life flowing from God’s heavenly throne and the law of God will be permanently sealed in our minds. It is interesting to note that it is the symbol of the source of life that is sealed into our minds to ensure we never stray away again and fall into the terrors of sin.
Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
It is the Father’s name that is sealed into our thinking. We will ever remember to honour and give glory to Him always remembering that from Him all life flows.
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