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Key verses: John 14:1-3 "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."
Biblical truth: Jesus is coming again. Jesus declared to the disciples plainly that He was going to make preparations for us to live with Him in the Father's house. This promise applies to those that believe in Jesus. Jesus declares plainly that there are many mansions in the Father's house and that the plan is for Jesus to go away then come back for us. His desire is that we would be always with Him.
The second coming of Christ is seen in many places in the Bible. This is such an important event that even Enoch (the seventh generation from Adam) spoke about the Lord coming with ten thousands of His saints. It is important to understand that the second coming will occur in two parts. There will be a return of the Lord to receive His saints out of this earth. That is commonly called the rapture, or catching away. The second part will occur seven years later when the Lord returns to this earth with His saints. This is what Enoch prophesied of (Jude 1:14)
This is the event we commonly refer to as the "rapture." The word rapture is not in the Bible but it describes the event well. It will be a catching away of the saints of the Lord. It will include those saints still living and those that have died in Christ, whose bodies are asleep in the dust. (Refer to the lesson on what happens at death) The event will take place primarily on this earth and in the sky. On the earth there will be a resurrection and a transformation, and in the sky there will be a meeting with Jesus and a reunion of bodies with their soul and spirit that have been with the Lord.
The promise of His coming
a. If I go away, I shall come again (John 14:1-3) He did go away and fulfill His work on the cross, in death and in resurrection.
b. In like manner as He was taken up from this earth (Acts 1:9-11) the cloud received Him out of their sight. We will see Him return that way.
c. Those that are looking for Him (saved) (Hebrews 9:28)
d. We are to be patient in serving Him until He comes (James 5:7) We are promised that He that started a good work in us will continue to perform it until He returns for us (Philippians 1:6)
e. The Lord shall descend from Heaven and will receive us to Himself (I Thessalonians 4:15-17)
f. The Lord is coming with ten thousands of His saints (Jude 1:14) Though this verse refers to the second part of Jesus second coming, it acknowledges that His saints are already with Him. (that happens in the first part of the second coming)
g. He purchased us for Himself that He could take us to be with Him (Ephesians 1:13-14) the redemption of the purchased possession is His coming again to take us to be with Him. (Ephesians 4:30, I Thessalonians 5:9-10)
h. Revelation gives us a picture of a door opening in heaven and a voice that tells us to come up to Him. (Revelation 1:7, 4:1)
What will happen at His coming (I Thessalonians 4:13-18, I Corinthians 15:51-54)
a. There will be a resurrection and those that sleep in the dust will rise up (referring to the bodies of those that died in Christ (Daniel 12:2, John 5:25, I Thessalonians 4:16, I Corinthians 15:52) They will be changed from bodies that are corrupting or decaying to bodies that are incorruptible or cannot decay.
b. There will be an instant change in the bodies of those that are still living (I Corinthians 15:53) They will be mortal bodies right up to the time that Jesus returns then they will be instantly changed to immortal bodies.
c. There will be an ascending, or a taking out of the changed and the resurrected into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. (I Thessalonians 4:17)
d. The bodies of those that slept in the grave will be reunited with their soul and spirit in the clouds which Jesus will bring with Him. (I Thessalonians 4:14)
e. This is not to make us sorrowful but so that we know that we have hope (I Thessalonians 4:13)
f. These are words of comfort (I Thessalonians 4:18)
How will a person know when the Lord is coming?
a. There are no signs attached to the first part of the Lord's coming except that it will happen in a time when men are not thinking it will happen (Matthew 24:43-44, 50)
b. It will happen suddenly and without warning. (I Corinthians15:52)
c. It will happen too quickly to make a decision to follow Christ at that moment. (Luke 12:40)
d. He told us that His coming is imminent. Even the apostles looked for His coming in their lifetimes (Titus 2:12-13)
e. The signs and wonders apply to the return of the Lord for His saints, or the second half of His second coming. It shall be preceded by the tribulation period that has a specific time line to it and many signs and wonders (Acts 2:19-20)
What affect does the imminent return of Jesus Christ have on how a Christian should live their lives?
The rapture sets in motion the events of the end of this age. After the rapture comes a seven year period of tribulation on the earth that will allow evil to work unrestrained by the Holy Spirit and the church. Sin will expand to its fullness in that seven years and the Lord will return to the earth (with all His saints) to wage a battle against sin and Satan. This time, the Lord will not stop at the clouds, but will return and set His feet on this earth in victory. This is not meant to be a full study on the things that will happen at His return, merely a summary of the order of events following the tribulation period (seven years) and beginning with the physical, visible return of Christ to the earth.
Some of the signs that will happen before the time of His return with His saints are as follows. Because timing is essential to the understanding of prophecy, problems in interpretation will naturally arise from neglecting these details. There are specific prophecies for Israel as a nation and the church as an organism. It is vital that one pays close attention to these details to understand what is still a future event and to whom it applies.
a. False Christs: (Matthew 24:4-5) Jesus warned His disciples against those who would come and claim to be Him. They would attempt to deceive the children of God. These imposters would be around in any age; therefore, Jesus was leaving instructions to all future generations on how to handle these false Christs.
b. Wars and rumors of wars: (Matthew 24:6-7)
c. Famines: (Matthew 24:7) Famine will also be a tool of the Antichrist to bring men into bondage to him. (Revelation 13:17)
d. Pestilence: (Matthew 24:7) Pestilence is disease.
e. Earthquakes: (Matthew 24:7)
f. Martyrdom and persecution: (Matthew 24:9-10)
g. False prophets: (Matthew 24:23-24)
Christ will make a physical and visible return to the earth with His saints and in His glory.
a. Revelation 19:11-16 Depicts the heavens opening and Jesus on a white horse, wearing a vesture dipped in blood (representing His own blood) and great names like faithful and true.
b. He had another name which only He knows.
c. Eyes of fire, to judge the works of men.
d. Crowns on His head as He is no longer meek and lowly but has taken His rightful place as King.
e. His armies of saints and angels are with Him and He is come to rule on this earth with a rod of iron.
f. This is prophesied in Zechariah 14:3-5 that His feet will stand on the Mt. of Olives.
The order of the events set in motion by His return.
a. National repentance by the nation of Israel (Zechariah 12:10-11, Romans 11:6) this does not mean that all Jews will be saved, but that Israel as a nation will be saved because some righteous people are found in her. (Proverbs 14:34)
b. The destruction of the armies of the world (enemies of God) and the Antichrist (Zechariah 14:12-14, Revelation 14:19-20, II Thessalonians 2:8, Revelation 19:19-21)
c. Christ will descend to the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4, Isaiah 52:7)
d. The nations will be judged (Proverbs 14:34, Matthew 25:31-34, 46, Joel 3:2, 12-14) Once again, nations are judged based on whether or not there are righteous people found in them. Is there enough righteousness in them to preserve them as a nation? For Sodom and Gomorrah, the number was 10 righteous people, but only 8 were found. (Genesis 18:32)
After these things, the millennial (thousand year) reign with Christ on this earth begins. (Zechariah 14:9) The binding of Satan (Revelation 20:1-3). This will be a one thousand year period on the earth where Satan will be bound up and not able to roam free as he does now, Jesus will be on the earth as its King and we will be with Him. It will be a time of complete peace as the King will rule with a rod of iron.
Questions about future things to discuss with your Foundations partner, Sunday school teacher or pastor.
Reading: The study of things to come and prophecy is a study of the entire Bible. Prophecy and its fulfillment are Bible wide subjects. The explanations of things found in the gospels and the epistles require a working knowledge of the Old Testament and the covenants and prophecies. Great Bible books to read include Genesis (especially chapters 12-15) then the major and minor prophets. As you read these books, ask yourself questions about what you are reading.
Who is the Bible Speaking to in the passage you are reading? This is the person, nation or group that is directly impacted by the verses.
Does the apparent meaning seem to challenge a plain Bible teaching? If so, look to the context of the chapter and seek to bring the verse back into harmony with plain Bible teaching. If that is not possible, ask the Lord to help you understand it and go on reading. (Remember that NO prophecy of the Bible holds an interpretation that is contrary to the plain doctrinal teaching of the Bible)
Does the passage represent a time that has already past, a time that was happening in the present or some future event? Time and audience are the keys to understanding prophecy.
Remember that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation and avoid "new discoveries" in Scripture or in Science that conflict with plain Bible teaching.
What lesson does the fulfillment of Bible prophecy teach us about God?
Why can we be confident that we as saved people will not go through the tribulation?
What does I Thessalonians 4:17 mean when it says "so shall we ever be with the Lord."