The Lifegiver Returns

The night before His death, Jesus told His small band of bewildered disciples, “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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2, 3, NKJV. The clear promise from the Lord is “I will come again.”

But how will He return? Will it be in some secret or symbolic way? Let’s find out.

The Manner of Christ's Return

Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus led His disciples to the top of the Mount of Olives, a small mountain just east of Jerusalem. Suddenly, “while they watched, 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, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’” Acts 1:9–11, NKJV.

It’s obvious that Jesus ascended literally, bodily, in full view of His watching, awestruck followers. As they watched Him go up, two angels appeared and said He would come back “in like manner” as He went up.

This visible return of Jesus is the true hope of the church and all those who mourn the death of their loved ones. Paul told the early believers to keep “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13. Our hope must be centered on the visible return of Jesus Christ at the end of the world.

Butthere will be nothing secretive about His return. In words of warning and clarification, Jesus Christ said, “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matt. 24:26, 27, NKJV. Language could not be plainer. False teachers may talk of a “secret” coming, but don’t believe it. Christ’s coming will be like highly visible, electrically charged bolts of lightning flashing across a stormy sky.

Unlike His first appearance as the Babe of Bethlehem, His second coming won’t happen on a “Silent Night.” The return of Jesus will be an incredibly loud, noisy event. The apostle Peter wrote, “But the day of the Lord will come [suddenly] as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat.” 2 Pet. 3:10, NKJV.

The apostle Paul wrote that Christ’s return would be loud enough to wake the dead! “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: 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.” 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.

This passage assures us that when Jesus Christ comes, all God’s faithful children—those who are resurrected and those living at that time—will bid goodbye to this sinful earth. They shall be “caught up” literally, just like Jesus was “taken up” at His ascension, and forever “be with the Lord” who died for them.

We can conclude from these verses that Christ’s second coming will be literal, bodily, and visible to normal human eyes. When God’s heavenly trumpet sounds and billions of shiny angels burst into Earth’s atmosphere, no one will wake up the next day wondering what happened!

Christ's Return Elicits Joy and Sorrow

Christ’s coming will be witnessed not only by believers, but by all nations. And He’s not coming alone. Jesus clarified, “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 His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matt. 24:30, 31, NKJV.

Here’s another important point that you don’t want to miss about Christ’s return: it will bring happiness to the saved, yet it will result in destruction to those who are lost. Paul wrote about the great day when “the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.” 2 Thess. 1:7–9.

Jesus longs for all to be saved, but He cannot save those who cling to sin and who would be miserable living in the pure and holy atmosphere of heaven. In vision, John saw the wicked at Christ’s return calling for the rocks to hide them from His face:

“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; 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: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Rev. 6:15–17.

But for those who love Jesus and long for His coming, the return of Christ is the culmination of their fondest hopes:

“And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isa. 25:9.

“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.” V. 8.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Rev. 22:20, NKJV.