Christ's Second Coming Back

 Thank the Lord, we have studied fifty-nine topics, and now we have come to the last topic: the second coming of Christ. This is a great matter in the Bible, especially in the New Testament. There are many prophecies in the Bible that speak of the second coming of Christ. This is an important topic because it closely relates to our destiny, our future. The second coming of Christ serves as a consolation and hope as well as a reminder and warning to us.

1. The promise of the second coming

   1. “The Son of Man is to come” (Matt. 16:27 see also 24:30, 44, 46; Luke 18:8; 21:27).

When the Lord was on the earth, He promised His disciples that He would return. Therefore, the Lord’s second coming is a matter of His personal promise.

1. 2. “This Jesus...will come in the same way as you beheld Him going into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

The angels promised the disciples that the Lord would come in the same way that they beheld Him going into heaven. This promise has not yet been fulfilled. May the Lord not delay, and may we even compel Him to come quickly (Heb. 10:37 see also 2 Pet. 3:3-4, 9).

2. The second coming fulfilling the needs of the believers, the Jews, and the nations

 The second coming of Christ fulfills the needs of the believers, the Jews, and the Gentiles.

2. 1. Concerning the believers

      1. “Christ...will appear a second time to those who eagerly await Him...unto salvation” (Heb. 9:28).

The believers, who have been redeemed by the Lord, still need His full salvation. Our bodies have weaknesses and sicknesses. With sufferings in the world and troubles surrounding us, we still need the Lord’s salvation. The Lord’s second coming will accomplish this full salvation.

2. 1. 2. “The heavens, from which also we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transfigure the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of His glory, according to His operation by which He is able even to subject all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:20-21 see also 1 John 3:2; Col. 3:4; 2 Thes. 1:10).

Although believers are regenerated in spirit and have become a new creation in Christ (John 3:6; 2 Cor. 5:17), our body is still in the old creation and in need of being conformed to the body of His glory. Being in the old creation, our body has many weaknesses and problems. Some people have sicknesses and diseases related to the lungs, the stomach, the kidneys, and the heart. Some are blind, and some are deaf. All these conditions show that the condition of our body needs to be changed. This change will occur when the Lord returns. When the Lord returns, He will transfigure the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of His glory, according to the operation by which He is able to subject all things to Himself. Thus, we will be like Him in every part of our being from our spirit to our body, and we will be manifested with Him in glory.

2. 1. 3. “Unto the coming of the Lord...The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are living, who are left remaining, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will be always with the Lord” (1 Thes. 4:15-17 see also 1 Cor. 15:51-52).

The dead believers will be transfigured through resurrection, and the living believers will be transfigured through rapture. Both the resurrection of the dead believers and the rapture of the living believers will occur at the time of the Lord’s second coming. At this time the Lord will cause the dead believers to rise and change, making them incorruptible, and He will change and catch the living believers up together with them in the clouds to meet Him and be with Him always.

2. 1. 4. “You have need of endurance...‘For in yet a very little while the Coming One will come and will not delay’” (Heb. 10:36-37).

Many of the hardships that believers face in the world will be resolved only when the Lord comes again. We need endurance to wait for the Lord’s second coming, but when He comes, all our problems will be solved.

2. 1. 5. “He will carry out their avenging...When the Son of Man comes” (Luke 18:8 see also Rev. 6:10; 2 Thes. 1:6-9).

The persecution and wrongs that the believers suffer on earth will be avenged only when the Lord returns. At that time the Lord will exercise vengeance according to His righteousness on all who persecuted His believers. Although He knows that we suffer from man’s persecution and requires us to turn the other cheek to those who strike us, He will judge each of these matters to avenge His believers through His ruling authority in the universe.

2. 1. 6. “The Son of Man is to come...and then He will repay each man according to his doings” (Matt. 16:27 see also Rev. 22:12).

The believers’ actions on earth need to be judged and will be judged by the Lord at His second coming. At that time the Lord will repay each of us according to our doings.

2. 1. 7. “The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7).

As believers, we are betrothed to the Lord (2 Cor. 11:2); we belong to Him. Our marriage, that is, our complete union with Him, is related to His second coming. His wife refers to the church (Eph. 5:24-25, 31-32), the bride of Christ (John 3:29). According to Revelation 19:8-9, the wife in verse 7, the bride of Christ, consists only of the overcoming believers during the millennium. In contrast, the bride, the wife, in Revelation 21:2 is composed of all the saved saints after the millennium for eternity. The readiness of the bride depends on the maturity in life of the overcomers. The marriage of the Lamb to His overcoming believers will take place when the Lord returns. Then the Lord will be joined with those who love Him, and He and they will become one.

2. 1. 8. “They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4, see also v. 6; 2 Tim. 2:12).

         1. In order for the overcoming believers to reign with the Lord, He must return. When He returns, the overcoming believers will reign with Him for a thousand years.

         2. The preceding points speak of the need for the Lord’s second coming with respect to the believers in general and to the overcoming believers in particular. At the time of the Lord’s second coming He will save, change, avenge, and fully repay the believers, and He will be joined with the overcoming believers to reign with them for a thousand years. The Lord’s return meets these needs of the believers.

   2. Concerning the Jews

      1. “All Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion; He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob’” (Rom. 11:26 see also Zech. 12:10; 13:1).

Although the Jews are God’s chosen people, they have strayed far from God. But even though they strayed from Him, God has not given up on them. Therefore, He will save them at the time of the Lord’s second coming. When the Lord returns, He will be the Deliverer of the Jews, the house of Jacob, and He will turn away their ungodliness. Thus, the entire house of Israel will be saved. God will pour out the Spirit of grace and of supplications upon them. They will look upon Him whom they have pierced, and they will repent and believe in the Lord (12:10). Then there will be an opened fountain to wash away sin and impurity, and they will be cleansed (13:1). This opened fountain is Christ’s pierced side.

2. 2. 2. “His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives...and the Mount of Olives will be split at its middle toward the east and toward the west into a very great valley...And you will flee into the valley of My mountains” (Zech. 14:4-5).

Antichrist will lead the great armies of the nations to surround and attack the Jews and to destroy Jerusalem. When there is no way to escape from his attack, the Lord will return, and His feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives, the mountain from which He ascended (Acts 1:9-12). The Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem will be split at its middle toward the east and toward the west forming a very great valley through which the Jews will escape and be saved. This will be like the Israelites’ escape from Pharaoh’s pursuit through the Red Sea after they left Egypt. When there was no way of escape, God opened the Red Sea so that they could be saved.

2. 2. 3. “I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen; and I will rebuild its ruins and erect it again”; “He will reign over the house of Jacob” (Acts 15:16; Luke 1:33).

         1. Even though the Jews lost their nation and the kingly throne of the house of David disappeared from among them, God promised that He would restore the nation of Israel, that is, the kingdom of the Jews with the kingship of the house of David. This will be fulfilled at the Lord’s second coming. According to the flesh, the Lord came out of the seed of David (Rom. 1:3; John 7:42). According to the genealogy in Matthew 1, He is the legal heir to the throne of David. When the Lord returns, He will rebuild the tabernacle of David; that is, He will restore the kingdom of David, which will be the restoration of the nation of Israel, and He will be the King of the Jews, the house of Israel. Then all the matters recorded in Jeremiah 23:5-6; Isaiah 14:1-2; 35:8-10; 65:19-25; and 66:20-21 will be fulfilled.

         2. The preceding points speak of the need for the Lord’s second coming with respect to the Jews. The salvation of the Jews and the restoration of their kingdom are related to His return.

   3. Concerning the nations

      1. “Indeed, in those days... / I will gather all the nations / And will bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat; / And I will enter into judgment with them there... / There cause Your mighty ones to descend, O Jehovah!... / Come, tread, / For the winepress is full; / The wine vats overflow, / For their evil is great” (Joel 3:1-2, 11, 13 see also Zech. 14:2-5, 12-13; Rev. 14:17-20; 19:11-21).

         1. Man will never be able to resolve the problems of this world. Man even has a difficult time dealing with the problems of the world. The problems of the world are like a pile of tangled string that great men of every age have been unable to unravel. They have not been able to solve the messy situations in the world; they have only created a greater degree of entanglement to the point that the pile of string has become one big knot. According to the present world situation, the Lord Jesus must return in order for the world’s problems to be resolved.

         2. When He returns, the Lord will deal with the powers that have rebelled against Him on the earth. He will gather Antichrist and his armies of the nations to the valley of Jehoshaphat outside of Jerusalem below the Mount of Olives to execute judgment on them. The Lord will appear as a mighty One to make war with all who oppose and rebel against Him. He will tread upon them as if He were treading grapes in a wine vat. The Lord will attack them so that their flesh will shrivel, their eyes will dry in their sockets, and their tongues will rot. They will be totally destroyed by the Lord, and birds will eat their flesh. The leaders of these rebellious nations, Antichrist and the false prophet, will be captured and cast alive into the lake of fire. This is how the Lord will deal with the rebellious powers on the earth.

      2. “He laid hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years and cast him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, that he might not deceive the nations any longer” (Rev. 20:2-3).

When He returns, the Lord also will deal with the devil, who corrupts the world and deceives the nations. The devil is the source of all disasters and confusion in the world. If he is not cast out, the world will have no peace. When the Lord returns, an angel will lay hold of the devil, bind him, cast him into the abyss, and seal it so that he cannot make mischief, deceive the nations, or damage the world.

2. 3. 3. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the angels with Him, at that time He will sit on the throne of His glory. And all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matt. 25:31-32).

When He returns, the Lord will also judge the nations living on the earth. He will sit on the throne of His glory, and all the nations of the earth will be gathered before Him to be judged. He will separate the living people of the nations, just as a shepherd separates sheep from goats, counting those who are good as righteous and allowing them to enter into His earthly kingdom to enjoy its earthly blessings. He also will condemn those who are evil and wicked and send them to the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels to be punished eternally. Thus, the Lord will deal with all the problems among the nations. The section in chapter 57 on the judgment before Christ’s throne of glory details the Lord’s judgment upon the living nations at His second coming.

2. 3. 4. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15 see also Zech. 14:9).

         1. After the Lord returns and clears up the problems on earth, He will establish His kingdom on the earth, and the earth will become His kingdom. The Lord will be the King over all the earth and will exercise righteousness so that the earth will be peaceful and blessed (Isa. 32:1; 2:4; 11:1-9).

         2. The preceding points refer to the Lord’s second coming with respect to the nations of the world. The Lord’s return is needed in order to deal with the powers of evil on earth, to cast out the devil, and to punish the evil. The Lord’s return also is needed in order to make the earth a healthy, happy place. When the Lord returns, He will deal with every negative thing and person so that the earth will be a peaceful, blissful kingdom in which man can enjoy the blessings prepared for him from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34).

         3. The Lord’s second coming fulfills the needs of the believers, the Jews, and the nations. The problems afflicting the believers, the Jews, and the nations will be resolved only with the Lord’s second coming. Once He returns, the problems of every kind of person on earth will be solved.

3. The definition of the second coming

   1. “Jesus...will come in the same way as you beheld Him going into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

      1. The Greek word translated “come” here is erchomai, and it literally means “to come.” This shows that the Lord’s second coming will be an actual coming; it is not just a figure of speech. Throughout the ages some in Christianity have thought that the biblical references to the Lord’s return were merely metaphoric, not references to an actual coming. For example, some have said that the Lord’s second coming refers to the soul and spirit of a believer seeing the Lord when the believer dies. Acts 1:11, however, says that the Lord’s second coming will be as real as His ascension. He will come in the same way that He ascended into heaven. He went into heaven in a cloud (v. 9), and He will return on a cloud (Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Rev. 1:7). Thus, the Lord’s second coming will be an actual and physical coming.

      2. Others in Christianity have said that the second coming of Christ refers to a time when the gospel has been preached to the entire earth, and all the people on earth have been Christianized. This teaching is utterly ridiculous. According to the Bible, not everyone on earth will receive Christ. On the contrary, the Bible shows that people will become utterly evil and be judged by the Lord. The Lord will actually come to judge the world. Therefore, the Lord’s second coming is not a figure of speech, nor does it refer to something that is only spiritual. His coming will be actual and physical.

   2. “The Lord Himself...will descend from heaven” (1 Thes. 4:16).

The Greek word translated “descend” here is katabaino, and it literally means “to descend.” The Lord’s second coming will be a descent. Since the Lord ascended to the heavens, He surely will descend from the heavens at His second coming. This verse also says that the Lord Himself will descend from heaven. Therefore, He will come physically.

3. 3. “The revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:7 see also 1 Cor. 1:7).

The Greek word translated “revelation” here is apokalupsis, and it literally means “unveiling,” or “revelation.” This unveiling is like the opening of a curtain that allows people to see something that was concealed. Thus, it is a revelation. The Lord Jesus is concealed today, as if behind a curtain in the heavens where no one can see Him. But when He returns, the curtain of the heavens will be opened to reveal Him so that all will see Him.

3. 4. “The coming of the Son of Man” (Matt. 24:27, 37, 39 see also 2 Pet. 1:16).

The Greek word translated “coming” here is parousia, and it literally means “presence.” The same word is translated as “presence” in Philippians 2:12. To His believers the Lord’s return will involve His presence with them. The Lord’s presence will begin before the great tribulation, when the overcoming believers are raptured (see chapter 59), and last until the end of the great tribulation, when the Lord will descend to reveal Himself to the world. Thus, the Lord’s presence, His parousia, will last for a period of three and a half years, which will be the last half of the last seven years of the church age. During this time the Lord will rapture the believers into His presence at different times. With respect to the believers, His coming involves their rapture to His presence; with respect to the Lord, His presence involves His coming to the believers.

3. 5. “The appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Tim. 6:14 see also 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13).

The Greek word translated “appearing” here is epiphaneia, and it literally means “appearing, manifestation.” The Lord’s appearing is something more than revelation (apokalupsis). Revelation involves the opening of a curtain, and appearing involves the manifestation of oneself.

3. 6. “The manifestation of His coming” (2 Thes. 2:8).

      1. The coming (parousia) of the Lord is over a period of time. The Lord’s parousia will start when the Lord raptures the overcomers to heaven to be with Him before the beginning of the great tribulation. Beginning at this time, the Lord’s parousia, that is, His coming, will last for three and a half years until His appearance is manifested. This manifestation (epiphaneia), or appearance, is what the Bible calls the manifestation (epiphaneia) of His coming (parousia). The Lord’s return involves a period of time, the parousia (coming), and a point in time, the epiphaneia (manifestation). The parousia (coming) is a longer period of time; the epiphaneia (manifestation) is a short point in time. His manifestation will be a point in time at the end of a longer period of time of His coming; therefore, 2 Thessalonians speaks of the epiphaneia of His parousia.

      2. In order to understand the Lord’s return, we must understand the word parousia. If we do not understand that this word refers to His coming over a period of time, we will not understand why the Lord’s return begins before the great tribulation but does not consummate until the end of the tribulation, a period of three and a half years. We will also be unable to understand why some places in the Bible speak of the Lord coming before the great tribulation, and other places speak of His coming after the great tribulation. If we see that the Lord’s second coming is a parousia, that is, a coming over a period of time, these questions will be answered. Since the Lord’s second coming involves a period of time, there will be a lengthy period from its beginning to its end, beginning before the great tribulation and ending at the end of the great tribulation.

      3. The Bible shows that the Lord’s second coming is an actual coming and that the Lord Himself will descend from the heavens to be manifested before men. His coming with respect to His believers involves a long period of time, the time of His presence, which begins before the great tribulation and ends at the end of the great tribulation. It will last for three and a half years. At the end of the great tribulation, the coming of His presence will be manifested when He comes to earth to appear to men. His coming is hidden and secret at the beginning and manifested and open at the end. In order to understand the Lord’s second coming, we must understand and remember these fine details, or we will not be clear.

4. The hidden and the open aspects of the second coming

   1. The hidden aspect

      1. “If the householder had known in which watch the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be broken into”; “If therefore you will not watch, I will come as a thief” (Matt. 24:43; Rev. 3:3 see also 16:15).

One aspect of the Lord’s second coming involves a coming that is hidden and secret, like the coming of a thief in the night. The hidden and secret aspect of the Lord’s second coming occurs before the beginning of the great tribulation; it is not related to His manifestation at the end of the great tribulation. We need to watch and be ready in order to participate in this hidden and secret aspect.

4. 2. The open aspect

      1. “Just as the lightning comes forth from the east and shines to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be...All the tribes of the land will...see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:27, 30).

         1. Although there is a secret and hidden aspect of the Lord’s coming, which will be seen only by those who are watchful, the Bible also speaks of His coming as lightening across the sky, which will be seen openly by everyone. These are not contradictory speakings, because these portions speak of two different aspects of the Lord’s second coming: the hidden, secret aspect and the manifested, open aspect. The hidden aspect is His parousia, and the open aspect is His epiphaneia. The Lord’s parousia, the coming of His presence, secretly begins before the great tribulation. At this time the Lord will come and secretly rapture the overcoming believers to His presence, just as a thief steals precious things. The Lord considers His lovers, His overcoming believers, to be precious. Before the great tribulation comes upon the earth, the Lord will come secretly in a hidden way, when people least expect it, to rapture His beloved overcoming believers to the heavens to His presence. When He does this, it will seem as if He has stolen His beloved believers. When He steals these believers by rapturing them, they will be gone before people realize that they are missing, just as precious things are gone before a householder realizes that a thief has broken into his house. Before the great tribulation the Lord will come to steal, to rapture, the overcoming believers. This is the hidden aspect of His second coming at the beginning of His parousia.

         2. At the end of the great tribulation, however, the Lord will descend from heaven and be manifested. He will descend on the clouds and appear in the sky. His coming will be sudden like lightening, but all the people on earth will be able to see it. This is the open aspect of His second coming at the manifestation of His parousia.

         3. The Lord’s second coming involves a hidden aspect and an open aspect. Only watchful, overcoming believers who are waiting for Him will participate in the hidden aspect. All the world will see the open aspect, and all believers will participate in it. If we want to participate in the hidden aspect of the Lord’s second coming, having a part at the beginning of the Lord’s parousia, we must be a watchful, ready overcomer, waiting for the Lord’s coming. If we are not, we will participate only in the open aspect of the Lord’s second coming, the epiphaneia, the manifestation of His coming, at the end of the Lord’s parousia.

5. The time of the second coming

   1. The hidden aspect

      1. “Concerning that day and hour, no one knows”; “Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord comes” (Matt. 24:36, 42 see also 25:13; Rev. 3:3).

No one knows the hour or day of the Lord’s second coming. This refers to the hidden aspect of the Lord’s second coming. No one knows the day and hour, because it is hidden. Therefore, we must be watchful!

5. 1. 2. “Like a thief in the night, so the day of the Lord comes” (1 Thes. 5:2, see also v. 4; 2 Pet. 3:10).

The day of the Lord’s second coming is like a thief in the night. This refers to the hidden aspect of the Lord’s second coming. Since the Lord’s second coming is like a thief in the night, no one knows the day of His second coming.

5. 2. The open aspect

      1. “The day of the Lord...will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thes. 2:2-3).

Although the Bible says that no one knows the day of the Lord’s return, these verses suggest that it is possible to know the general time of the Lord’s second coming because the apostasy must come, and the man of lawlessness, the son of perdition, must be revealed before the second aspect of the Lord’s coming is fulfilled. When people see the apostasy and the manifestation of Antichrist, the day of the Lord’s coming is near. These verses refer to the open aspect of the Lord’s second coming. The open aspect of the Lord’s second coming will be at the end of the great tribulation, but Antichrist will be manifested before that day.

5. 2. 2. “The lawless one...(whom the Lord Jesus will slay by the breath of His mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of His coming)” (2 Thes. 2:8).

         1. The Lord will use the manifestation of His coming to bring Antichrist to nothing, that is, to destroy him. This is related to the open aspect of His return. According to Revelation 13:5, this will occur at the end of the three and a half years (forty-two months) of the great tribulation. The time of the hidden aspect of the Lord’s coming cannot be determined, because there is no basis on which to make such a determination. No one can determine when His hidden coming will begin. However, the open aspect of the day of the Lord’s return will be at the end of the great tribulation, that is, after Antichrist has been operating on earth for forty-two months. When Antichrist begins to openly operate, it will be possible to more closely know when the Lord will return.

         2. The hidden aspect of the Lord’s return will occur at the beginning of the great tribulation, and the open aspect will occur at the end of the great tribulation. Between the hidden aspect and the open aspect, there will be a period of at least three and a half years. This is similar to the period of time between packing luggage for travel and actually boarding an airplane. The time of packing and preparing our luggage is hidden, but the time of boarding an airplane is open for all to see. At the time of the Lord’s return, only the Lord’s overcomers will participate in the hidden, preparatory aspect, but all the believers will participate in the open, manifested aspect. The overcoming believers will be raptured at the time of the Lord’s hidden coming; they will participate in His parousia. The remainder of the believers will be raptured prior to the Lord’s open, manifested coming; they will participate in His epiphaneia. No one can determine or know when the overcoming believers will be raptured, but it is possible to determine and know when the rest of the believers will be raptured. The overcomers will be raptured before the great tribulation at the beginning of the Lord’s parousia, and the remaining believers will be raptured at the end of the great tribulation at the manifestation of the Lord’s parousia.

6. The place of the second coming

   1. The hidden aspect

      1. “In the clouds...in the air” (1 Thes. 4:17 see also Psa. 18:9, 11).

The Lord will return to the clouds in the air during the hidden aspect of His coming. Before the Lord descends to the clouds in the air, He will rapture the overcomers to God’s throne in the heavens (Rev. 12:5). When the Lord descends from the heavens to the clouds in the air, the overcoming believers will descend with Him.

6. 2. The open aspect

      1.  “His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east” (Zech. 14:4).

The Lord will return to the earth during the open aspect of His coming. When the Lord returns, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem. This is His descent to the surface of the earth. This is different from His descent to the clouds in the air. He will descend to the clouds in the air from the throne in the heavens, and then He will descend to the surface of the earth from the clouds in the air. His descent from the throne in the heavens to the clouds in the air is His parousia. Only the overcomers who have been raptured will participate in it. His descent from the clouds in the air to the surface of the earth is His epiphaneia, the manifestation of His parousia. All believers who are raptured at the end of the great tribulation will participate in it.

7. The signs of the second coming

   1. “What will be the sign of Your coming...?” (Matt. 24:3).

There are signs related to the Lord’s second coming. When the disciples asked the Lord what the sign of His coming would be, the Lord gave them some signs. These signs remind us to be watchful and ready while we wait for the Lord. When we see these signs, the Lord’s second coming will be near, and we should be watchful and ready, waiting for Him to come.

7. 2. “Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these things are the beginning of birth pangs” (Matt. 24:7-8).

These verses speak of three signs related to the Lord’s second coming: wars, famines, and earthquakes. Nation (people) fighting against nation denotes civil war, and kingdom fighting against kingdom denotes international war. These two types of fighting will occur frequently in the last days. History also shows that famine follows war. In the last days there will be many wars and severe famines. Over nineteen hundred years ago, when the Lord spoke this word concerning earthquakes, there were very few earthquakes, but now earthquakes occur almost daily. It is common to read about earthquakes in the newspapers today. Geologists tell us that the movement of the earth is increasing. The appearance of these disasters on the earth are signs that the day of the Lord’s second coming is drawing near.

7. 3. “Difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, not lovers of good, traitors, reckless, blinded with pride, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having an outward form of godliness, though denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:1-5).

These verses describe the condition of human society at the end of this age. Each of the things spoken of here can be called a sign of the Lord’s second coming. The first condition is that men will be lovers of self and lovers of money. Today it is hard to find anyone who does not love himself or love money. In the last days men will love themselves the most, followed closely by money. Man’s “lover” will be money. There also will be boasting, arrogance, reviling, and the blaspheming of God. People today are more boastful, arrogant, reviling, and blasphemous than they ever were in the past. Being disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, and implacable are also special characteristics of society in the last days. Today there are people who teach and promote disobedience to parents and being unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, and implacable. Such ones are nearly the same as beasts. Today there are also many who are slanderers, without self-control, savage, and nonlovers of good, who are traitors, reckless, and blinded with pride. People today do not want to be restricted; they all do things recklessly and arrogantly under the guise of freedom. It is also a particular characteristic of people today to be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Pleasure is simply entertainment, involving all kinds of amusement. People today are lovers of pleasure. Movie theaters are full for almost every show, and often there are no empty seats at bars and dance halls. Gambling and travel are also frequent pleasures among people today. There are pleasures for those in the upper class and pleasures for those in the lower classes. People love every kind of pleasure, but they do not love God. Furthermore, they have an outward form of godliness but deny its power. These are all signs of the Lord’s second coming, and they should remind us that we must watch and be prepared for the Lord to come.

7. 4.  “You have stored up treasure in the last days” (James 5:3).

In the last days people will love to store up treasure because they will be lovers of money. This is a sign of the Lord’s second coming.

7. 5. “Even as it happened in the days of Noah, so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage...Likewise, even as it happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building” (Luke 17:26-28).

These verses describe the condition of the people in the days of Noah: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, and they were being given in marriage. When speaking of the condition of the people in the days of Lot, the condition of buying, selling, planting, and building are added. According to the Lord, the condition of the people in the day of His return will be the same as it was in the days of Noah and Lot. Eating, drinking, marrying, being given in marriage, buying, selling, planting, and building seemingly are the most important matters in human society today. People strongly promote these matters. Nothing that a person does today can be separated from these things. The emphasis on these matters is a strong sign that the day of the Lord’s second coming is near.

7. 6. “Some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1).

Some will depart from the faith and listen to the heretical, evil teachings of demons. This will also be a sign of the Lord’s second coming.

7. 7. “They will not tolerate the healthy teaching; but according to their own lusts they will heap up to themselves teachers, having itching ears, and they will turn away their ear from the truth and will be turned aside to myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

Another sign of the Lord’s coming is that people will not tolerate the healthy teaching, but according to their own lusts will heap up to themselves teachers, have itching ears, and turn away their ears from the truth and be turned aside to myths. Believers today truly are in this condition. If we speak the healthy teaching to them, they feel it is dry and boring, and they become restless. They like to hear myths and teachings that are according to their own lusts. This is an abnormal condition and tells us that the day of the Lord’s second coming is near.

7. 8. “In the last of days mockers will come with mocking, going on according to their own lusts and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Pet. 3:3-4 see also 2:1-2).

In the last days some will deny and even mock the promise of the Lord’s second coming. This will be a sign of the Lord’s second coming.

7. 9. “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

By the time of His second coming, many of the believers will have little faith. A lack of faith among believers is a sign of the Lord’s second coming.

7. 10. “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14).

According to this verse, the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the whole inhabited earth is a sign of the Lord’s second coming.

7. 11. “Learn the parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch has become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near. So also you, when you see all these things, know that it is near” (Matt. 24:32-33 see also Luke 21:29-31).

       1. The fig tree represents the nation of Israel. In Matthew 21:18-20 the fig tree, the symbol of the nation of Israel, was cursed by the Lord and withered because it did not produce fruit for Him. The Jews lost their nation and were scattered. According to prophecies in the Bible, however, the Jews will recover their nation. The Lord’s word concerning the fig tree branch becoming tender and putting forth its leaves refers to this matter. When Israel, like the fig tree, becomes tender and puts forth leaves, the Lord said that His coming would be near. The recovery of the nation of Israel is another sign of the Lord’s second coming.

       2. The Jews have recovered their nation and now are a member of the United Nations as the nation of Israel. Many of the Jews who were scattered around the world have returned to their own soil in Palestine. Despite the fact that the old part of the city of Jerusalem and the temple mount are still in Arab hands, they have made their capital in the new part of Jerusalem. [Editor’s note: The content in this chapter was prepared in 1949, prior to the Six Days’ War in 1967, during which time all of Jerusalem and the temple mount were regained by the nation of Israel.] These are signs that the withered fig tree is growing tender in its branches and putting forth new leaves. When we see these things, we should know that the day of the Lord’s second coming is near.

   12. “When they say, Peace and security, then sudden destruction comes upon them” (1 Thes. 5:3).

People in the world desire peace and security, but when they say, “Peace and security,” that is, when they feel safe and peaceful, sudden destruction will come upon them. Therefore, it is a sign of the Lord’s second coming when worldly people speak of peace and security.

7. 13. “It will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition”; “It is the mystery of lawlessness that is now operating” (2 Thes. 2:3, 7).

Before the day of the Lord’s second coming, the apostasy will come, and the man of lawlessness, Antichrist, will be revealed. These things are signs of the Lord’s second coming. Although Antichrist has not yet been revealed, the mystery of lawlessness is already operating on the earth, so the earth is filled with apostasy. This tells us that the day of the Lord’s second coming is not far off.

7. 14. “When you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand)” (Matt. 24:15).

The prophecy spoken of through Daniel indicates that the abomination of desolation will occur in the “middle of the week” (9:27), the last half of the final seven years of the church age. In the middle of this week, Antichrist will set up the abomination of desolation in the holy place. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:4, holy place refers to the temple of God. Antichrist will set up an abominable idol of desolation, an image of himself (Rev. 13:14; 14:9, 11), in the temple and make people worship it. This shows that the temple in Jerusalem will be restored. When the great tribulation, the last three and a half years, is about to begin, Antichrist will set up his image in the temple. When this happens, the day of the Lord’s second coming will be very close. This is the reason that the Lord said, “Let him who reads understand.” The abomination of desolation in the temple is a certain sign of the Lord’s second coming. We should have no desire to be on earth to see the fulfillment of this prophecy; instead, our hope should be focused on being raptured by the Lord from the earth to His presence before the three and a half years of the great tribulation.

7. 15. “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth anguish of nations...for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26).

When the Lord’s coming is very near, there will be extraordinary changes to the situation in the heavens and on earth. There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and there will be anguish among the nations on earth. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. These matters will be signs of the Lord’s second coming, and they will be some of the last signs.

8. The believers’ response to the Lord’s second coming

   1. “Watch therefore...Be ready”; “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning...Be like men waiting for their own master” (Matt. 24:42, 44; Luke 12:35-36 see also Matt. 25:10, 13).

We should respond to the Lord’s second coming by being watchful and ready, waiting for Him. Our loins should be girded, and our lamps should be burning. We should not be loose but instead testify for the Lord. It is only right to be watchful and ready, waiting for the Lord.

8. 2. “The heavens, from which also we eagerly await a Savior” (Phil. 3:20 see also Heb. 9:28; 1 Thes. 1:10).

We should be those on the earth who are waiting for the Lord’s coming. We should not be those who are merely saved, but even more, those who are waiting for the Lord to come. Our hope today should not be on any person, matter, or thing upon the earth. Our only hope should be on our coming Lord. If our hope is on something other than the Lord, we will have a problem with Him, and we will be a defeated believer. When our hope is placed on Him, we will be those who are waiting for the Lord’s coming. That is how to be a proper, overcoming believer.

8. 3. “Those who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8).

If we are waiting for the Lord, we must also be those who love His appearing. Our heart should desire the Lord’s second coming. We should lovingly think of His appearing. Our heart should not be rooted to the earth; it should ascend above it to be with the Lord. This was the heart of the early apostles. Miss M. E. Barber also lived with such a love for the Lord’s appearing. Their hearts were not tied to any person, matter, or thing on this earth. Those who wait for the Lord’s coming and love the Lord’s appearing will overcome.

8. 4. “Everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, even as He is pure” (1 John 3:3 see also 2:28).

If we are waiting for the Lord’s coming and love His appearing, we will purify ourselves, even as He is pure. In this way we will be bold when He comes, and we will not be put to shame before Him. No one waiting for the Lord can live a filthy life. No one who loves the Lord’s appearing can allow himself to be stained with any impurity or mixture. We must forsake everything that is filthy and remove all mixture if we want to be worthy of waiting for the Lord’s coming. We must purify ourselves, even as He is pure, to be worthy of the hope of His appearing, of seeing His holy face, and of being transfigured into His glorious image.

8. 5. “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).

“Come, Lord Jesus!” is the last prayer recorded in the Bible. It expresses a believer’s ultimate desire before the Lord. This is the attitude that we should have toward Him. This should be the attitude, desire, and prayer of everyone who is waiting for the Lord and who loves His appearing. May our heart desire the Lord’s coming, and may our attitude be positive toward His coming. May we pray with a desperately desiring heart and an absolute attitude, “Come, Lord Jesus!”