What does “Jesus’ Second Coming” mean?
Suggested Daily Reading: Matthew 24:29-39
While Jesus did appear on earth in a human form or as “the Angel of the Lord” on some occasions in the Old Testament, His first coming to earth refers to His conception in the womb of His mother Mary and His birth in Bethlehem. Jesus was conceived and born as a human person. He lived and walked on this earth.
We know, however, that Jesus was crucified, He died and was buried, and then arose and was seen on earth on different occasions for forty days. We then read in Acts 1 that He met His apostles on the Mount of Olives and instructed them, “And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 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” (Acts 1:9-11).
No one knows when, but Jesus shall return again at the end of time, at the end of this age, in great power, coming again in the clouds of heaven (Matt. 26:64), and all people shall be raised from the dead and everyone shall see Him (Rev. 1:7); and He shall judge all people on earth and each person will be sentence to heaven or to hell (Matt. 13:41-49, Matt. 24:30-31). This is Jesus’ second coming.
What a contrast! In His first coming, Jesus was born as a weak child, of an unknown mother, in circumstances of poverty, in a manger for animals, with only a few shepherds witnessing this event. But in His second coming it shall be with the sound of a great trumpet, all the dead shall rise, and every person who ever lived shall see Him as Lord of heaven and earth.
Seeing Jesus at His second coming will also produce the greatest contrast between people that the world has ever seen. Some will cry out in fear, even asking the mountains to fall on them to hide them (Rev. 6:16) while others shall rejoice with great joy to receive the blessed hope and deepest desire of their lives (Titus 2:13).
We read in Scripture that the world will be partying, like in the days of Noah, and will not be expecting Jesus’ second coming. As people did not believe that the flood was coming in Noah’s day, and were unprepared, so it will be at the end of time. Are you prepared to meet God? Are you looking forward to meeting and being with Jesus forever? Only when we are saved by Jesus Christ and love to serve Him are we prepared, by God’s grace. Why is it true, that God’s children are people with a positive future? the only people who really have a future to look forward to?