Summarizing the Return of Christ

Two weeks ago, I posted an article overviewing the controversy that surrounds the final return of Jesus Christ. The common theory is that Jesus will first return silently to rapture the church. The unsaved will be left-behind on earth to suffer seven years of tribulation. The antichrist will reign during this time. His reign will be characterized by global power and persecution against the church. This seven-year period will come to a climactic end with the famous battle of Armageddon, a literal battle that will take place at Megiddo between the armies of Christ and the armies of Satan. After Christ wins the battle, Satan will be bound for one thousand years while Christ reigns over His millennial kingdom here on earth. This is the common theory. It is what most people believe. But the fact is, it is NOT what the Bible teaches.

Last week, I posted one article per day with the intent of refuting the aforementioned premillennial theology. So far, we've looked at Matthew 24, 1 Thessalonians 4 and the book of Revelation. All three of these great texts are misused to teach the rapture doctrine and other tenets of Premillennial theology. Last Thursday, we studied about the kingdom of Christ, and the point was emphatically made that the kingdom exists now. Today, I want to conclude this series of articles by summarizing what will happen when Jesus returns.

First of all, we must understand that Jesus will return at an unexpected time. Matthew 25:36 says, "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only," and again in verse 42, "Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." Paul adds to this when he writes, "For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape" (1 Thess. 5:2-3). Also see 2 Peter 3:1-6. The clear conclusion is that we cannot know when Jesus will come back!

Despite these many verses, religious folks today try to predict when Jesus will return. Some have been very specific in saying that Jesus will return at a specific time on a specific day. The Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their 1914 prediction, but "date-fixing" is not confined to the cultish element of Christianity.

Now that we have established this point, the next question is, "what exactly will happen when He does return?" Let's answer this question in a concise, point-by-point manner...

1. Jesus will return. John 14:3 says that Jesus went to prepare a place for us and that He will "come again" Following His ascension into heaven, two angels appeared to the apostles and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven." Jesus' ascension was visible, as they watched a cloud take Him away out of their sight. Likewise, when He returns, He will return in a visible manner in the clouds. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that "the Lord Himself will descend from heaven," and 2 Thessalonians 1:7 says that He will be "revealed from heaven with His mighty angels." Over and over again the point is made that Jesus will descend from heaven in a visible way, accompanied by a multitude of angels. Notice that no where does the Bible say that Jesus will ever set foot on this earth again. Instead He will descend and we will meet Him in the air (1 Thess. 4:17).
2. His return will be audible. Contrary to popular opinion, Jesus' return will not be secretive and silent. Everyone will hear His descent. As we have already noticed, He will "descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God" (1 Thess. 4:16). Paul makes reference to the last trumpet in 1 Cor 15:52. Not only will His return be audible, but it will be visible (Rev. 1:7).
3. When Jesus returns with His angels, there will be a general resurrection of the just and the unjust. John 5:28-29 says, "Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." Acts 24:15 makes reference to a "resurrection of both the just and the unjust." Who will be raised first in this resurrection? How will it work? All I know is that "the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in th clouds to meet the Lord in the air..." (1 Thess. 4:16-17). So the dead will rise first, and then those who are still alive on earth will be raised up second.
4. At some point during the resurrection, we will all be changed. Paul says, "Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immorality" (1 Cor. 15:51-53). In the preceding verses, Paul described this resurrection body as imperishable, glorious, powerful and spiritual (vv. 42-44). The apostle John says in 1 John 3:2, "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is." In other words, our new body which we'll receive in the end will be comparable to Jesus' heavenly form.
5. Once the resurrection takes place, the earth will be destroyed. Consider this powerful passage in 2 Peter 3:10-12, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!" While many religious people contend that the earth will literally remain forever, and that Christ will set up His kingdom on earth in the future, the Bible is clear that the earth will be destroyed. Now...will this happen as we ascend or after judgment? I don't know. I just know that at some point it will be destroyed.
6. After we ascend to meet the Lord in the air, we will go on to face judgment. Matthew 25:31-33 says, "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left." Acts 17:31 says that God has "fixed a day on which He will judge the world." Romans 2:5 indicates that there will be a "day of wrath" during which "God's righteous judgment will be revealed." Many other verses could be cited, but I'm sure you get the point. Every one of us will one day stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), and we will be judged according to the unwavering standard of God's holy word (Jn. 12:48).

This is what will happen when Jesus returns. He will come at an hour we do not expect, so we must be ready at all times. He will descend from heaven with His angels. The dead in Christ will rise first, and then the rest of us will rise to meet the Lord in the air. The earth will be destroyed and we will go to face judgment.

There will be no secret rapture, no seven year period of tribulation, no literal one-man antichrist who will rule the world, no literal battle of Armageddon on earth and no millennial reign of Christ on earth. While most religious people hold to these teachings, they cannot be found in the word of God.

The question is, what will you accept? The Bible or the teachings of men?

If you have any questions or comments, please enter them below or shoot me an email. I would love to hear from you.