For almost two thousand years, the faithful have been waiting, watching, and anticipating Jesus' return, often referred to as the Second Coming of Christ. But how do we know Jesus is coming back someday to claim His bride, the Church?
When Jesus was with the disciples, He talked with them at various times about His departure and His return. In Matthew 24, He even gave a list of signs that they should look for that would accompany His return. He told them about physical and spiritual signs they should be aware of, like wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, natural disasters, and even false prophets or false Christs who would claim to be Him.
Reason #1: He Gave Us Signs to Look For to Accompany His Return
After the resurrection of Jesus, the Bible records that Jesus appeared to various groups of people and individuals, one of those groups being the twelve apostles. In the first chapter of the Book of Acts, Luke records that encounter. Luke said that after Jesus suffered, He presented Himself alive to them with many convincing proofs. He ordered them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. During this time of communication, the disciples were curious about when Jesus would restore the kingdom to Israel. Jesus told them that the times or periods the Father had set by His own authority were not for them to know. Jesus then continued His dialogue with them by letting them know in Acts 1:11 that He would one day return to earth the same way He went to heaven.
Matthew 24:29-31
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Reason #2: Jesus Promised to Return One Day Just as He Left
After the ascension of Jesus into heaven, the Apostle Paul meets Jesus on the road to Damascus and has a spiritual encounter with Jesus that changes the trajectory of his life and view of Jesus. Paul converts to Christianity and becomes a passionate evangelist for the cause of Christ and the Second Coming of Christ. Paul affirms all that Jesus taught and gave the early Church context for this Second Coming in 1 Thessalonians 4.
He felt the need to reassure them of Christ’s words and the promise of His plan to return. It seems the early Church had a misunderstanding of the Second Coming of Christ and thought they would not face death before the return of Christ. Part of this misunderstanding is because Jesus, in Matthew 16:28, told the disciples that some would not taste death before they saw His return. As disciples and followers of Jesus began to die in the early Church, they began to lose faith in the promise Jesus had given them. They had misinterpreted Christ’s words regarding His return and had begun to lose hope because of the death of their spiritual heroes and loved ones. Paul then writes to the early Church to remind them of the promise of Jesus and to turn their attention back to the context by which it would take place.
Paul tells the Thessalonians that he doesn't want them to be uninformed about those who have died so that they would not grieve as others who have no hope. He assures them that the promise Jesus made was true. Paul gives a powerful reminder to the early Church:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will be with the Lord forever.
Paul reassures the Church that Christ has not come back yet, but He will one day.
Reason #3: Jesus’ Return Has Been Foretold Through The Age
This reassurance by Paul gave the early Church great confidence to continue in their faith and remain steadfast as they looked forward to the return of Jesus Christ. This same theme continued throughout the early Church, and eventually, John the Beloved wrote extensively about this return in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 19 records the events of the Second Coming of Jesus in detail:
Revelation 19:11-16
Then I saw heaven open, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, he judges and wages war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a scepter of iron; he will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and his thigh, he has a name inscribed, "King of kings and Lord of lords."
All these descriptions of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords were foretold throughout the Old Testament by the prophets. There are numerous references in Daniel, Ezekiel, and the minor prophets that allude to this coming. Those who longed to see the coming of Christ were confused by His first coming because they expected a political King. They expected God to immediately set up His political kingdom here on earth and begin to rule with a rod of iron. So, when Jesus came as a baby, they didn’t see that coming. And even after the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples still expected an immediate political kingdom ruled by Jesus here on earth. But instead, He sent the Holy Spirit and promised to return. The promise Jesus made and the descriptions given by the prophets align with John's description of Jesus' Second Coming in the book of Revelation.
Reason #4: The Bible Ends With a Promise
Jesus is coming back. You can be assured. Jesus talked about it when He was with the disciples. Jesus confirmed it after His resurrection. Paul reaffirmed it. Later, it was seen by John the Beloved in a vision. You can trust these reliable reasons for the Second Coming of Jesus. And if you need more reassurance, the Bible ends with God telling us again that He is coming back. You can trust His reaffirming promise that He will one day fulfill His promise and come back and claim His bride, the Church.
Until then, keep watching, waiting, and looking for His return.
